Principles of Perfection, Part 6

Yeshuans Sunday Schooled w Shawn McCraney

Transcripts:

Okay, you guys, it's February 15th, 2026. We are in Sunday School, the Principles of Perfection. Interesting title, and this is part six. So we've been going at it, but we're building on it. And we'll get right to it after we have a prayer. We'll hear the Word of God set to music. We'll sit in silence and jump into our teaching for today.

Lots of scripture for you to consider. And let that do the real teaching as you consider what it says. Father, thank you for life. We have a new life in this building right now and all of us older guys and girls, we're so happy when you get around new life.

And we pray that the same joy of the spirit of that little baby will fill us up with the spirit of your son and help us to enjoy the real new, the spirit of your son and help us to enjoy the real new totally beautiful life we have in you and so be with mags behind the scenes and Delaney and those who are watching in the live studio here and those who watch from home and in the archives in Yeshua's name Amen At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Before whoever humbles himself As this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Unless you are converted and become as little children You will finally enter the kingdom of heaven. Mmm. Before whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will finally enter the kingdom of heaven. In the Kingdom of Heaven Bye Bye you Okay, just like everything, when you start to consider a great task, let's just use something

I understand, surfing. You're learning to surf. You start by getting comfortable with your equipment, you know, and you go and you learn to paddle, and you go in real small waves, you turn around and catch little waves, whitewash. And then one day you're going to get out into the heavier surf. And today we're going to get into some heavier surf in congruence with what we've been talking about.

And I don't like to talk over people, but these are deeper waters. Consider it. And I think it's going to bring some value to you and your understanding of the scripture. Last week we suggested in the face of Yeshua telling people in his day, listen, you're cast out devils. You've prophesied in my name.

You've done many wonderful things, but he added depart from me, you that work iniquity. but he added, depart from me, you that work iniquity. And so we said there might be a metric that we could use to look at the works we do and see if our own works of love for God measure up to what the Scripture kind of says that those works must be and so last week we said um listen there's one thing that you should start with examining when you look at the works you do for god and that is um do you what are your motivations for action what motivates you to act

and is it from the heart or is it from some other thing? And in this vein, we talked about Cain and his motivation for offering up a sacrifice. And then we tied it into my own personal experience where I didn't even realize my motivations were off. It took a work of God through a big process for that to come. So examine your motivations, and we talked about that last week.

The second measurement we listed was, we didn't cover it, but that we might use to kind of qualify, test, examine the works of love that we do, is to investigate the source of empowerment behind the action that we're doing, right? And so we'll talk about that.

And then we said the third measurement that you could use, so we gave three and there could be more, and that was what glory and where do we give glory for the actions we've taken? From our heart to our mouth, who are we praising for the actions that we've taken? And we haven't covered that yet either. So let's talk about what are the sources of our empowerment behind the actions that we take in the name of love, the name of God, today.

And generally speaking, the Bible teaches that true empowerment in doing the works of God do not, and I emphasize strongly, do not, and I did kind of a survey of the Bible, they do not come from man nor from the spirit of man. And that means our own personal strength, human wisdom, human intellect, even our emotions, right? Nor do they come from, so they don't come from man, and they don't come from the things of this world, meaning the arm of the flesh, like the flesh of horses, the power meant that comes, kings and armies and

princes, wealth or riches, our empowerment to do the works of God do not come from those things. And then a third resource that is loved in this world as the source to do things, and this is all the internet seems to speak about, is the self. You do it. You know, you do the work.

And then, of course, the source, and this is all through the scripture, this fourth thing, cannot be forces that are non-God or dark spiritual forces that people rely upon today. And so because the Scripture details these things better than I can summarize them, let's just do a quick audit of what the Scripture says, and we'll do it in the order I just presented.

So let's talk about collaborating with or relying on man to empower us to do the works of God. Okay. Jeremiah 17, 5, 6 says, Yehovah, cursed is the man who trusts in man. I don't know what to say when the scripture says things like that. You can accept it or you can deny it. But it says there, cursed is man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength. Whose heart turns away from Yehovah, he's like a shrub Now Isaiah 2.

22 says, Stop regarding man. And listen to how he describes why you don't regard man, in whose nostrils is his breath. That's how he says it. You're going to rely on somebody who is alive through the breath in his nostrils? For what account is he? Is what Isaiah says.

And I'm here with all my effort to try to encourage people to get rid of all these empowerments in your life as a believer. Why? Because I think there's a great reward in it for us in doing that. And then Proverbs 29.25 says, The fear of man, so you rely on man because you fear them, lays a snare. But whoever trusts in Yahava is safe, Psalm 43-4. Blessed is the man who makes Yahava his trust, who does not turn to the proud.

When you look around, we love to go to the people who are proud because they're accomplished and they're noted. We think that they can help us. Who does not turn to the proud to those who go astray after a lie. You go astray after pursuing these lies. And then John, getting to the apostolic record, 2, 24, 25, it says, But Yeshua on his part did not entrust himself to them, meaning the Jews around him, It says, Whatever you do, work heartily as for Yehovah and not for men.

And in Psalm 60.11, If you're relying on men to offer you your form of salvation, whether it be prophets, priests, rulers, reverends, kings, gurus, psychiatrists, psychologists, whatever it is, they can provide you helps, but do not trust in them for your salvation being saved. You go to the one source.

And Psalm 1.18.8.9 says, It is better to take refuge in Yehovah than to trust in man. Psalm 56.3.4 says, When I am afraid, I put my trust in you, in God whose word I praise, in God I trust, I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? What can flesh do to me? That's a great question. And the answer is, nothing significant.

Don't fear. Psalm 108, 12 says, O grant us hope against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man. I think I already read that. And Psalm 44 says, Blessed is the man who makes Yehovah his trust, who does not turn to the proud." I read that too. And then Hebrews 13 6 says, "...so we can confidently say, Yehovah is my helper I do not fear.

" Finally in this realm of trusting and relying on men, Listen to how on the nose, Jeremiah says it in Jeremiah 9.4, let everyone beware of his neighbor. This is pretty dour. And put no trust in any brother for every brother is a deceiver and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. And so if you want to have some hard lessons in life, trust in people in terms of your relationship to God and your empowerment before God, and you'll find them, every one of us, will let you down.

They are not God. So the last passage sounds really bleak, but it's really the reality in most cases. Why? Like Hobbes, Thomas Hobbes, Hobbesian theory says, listen, self-interest guides us all. You might think you have a neighbor who has got your back, but when it comes to that neighbor surviving or you, you're going to be sorely, you're going to sorely see the reality of things, right? Sometimes we learn quickly the weak sources of the human, help human beings, and actually provide us, and that might lead others to seek empowerment from them, but then also from non-human things.

So this is the second category to watch out for. Let's consider what the text says about non-human things and trusting in them. Psalms 27 says, Some trust in chariots, okay, and some in horses, but we shall trust in the name of Yehovah our God. Now, there's a way to say the name, but there's other scriptures that really talk about us knowing the name.

I'm not going to beat you over it, but that's what it says. Psalm 118.9 says, it's better to take than to trust in princes. Okay? Princes, kings, governors, lawmakers. Don't trust in them. Our trust is in one place only. Okay? Proverbs 11, 28. Who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

Two different types of green there, huh? Riches and the green leaf. You know, what are you looking to? You know, what are you looking to? 2 Corinthians 5, 7, For we walk by faith, not by sight. And that's why it's hard, because we have materially within our sight, in our ears, in our touching, things that we might trust in. But no. And then Micah 7, 5 says, Put no trust in a neighbor.

Have no confidence in a friend. Guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms. I love that one. That one I really like. Because I have trusted her who lies in my arms. I'm not talking about my wife either. And that's a wily place to trust. The person that lies in your arms. There's all kinds of mixed emotions flowing in that game. The scripture's so wise. He just says, be careful.

Guard the doors of your mouth from the one who lies in your arms. That is reality, man. In Isaiah 31.1, woe to those who go down to Egypt. Egypt is a symbol for this world, for sin, for everything in Scripture, for help and rely on horses who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are strong. But do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor consult Yehovah.

Hebrews 13, 5, keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have. You know, that's a really good one. Just be content with what you have. For he said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Versus what we have can leave us and forsake us. Sometimes when men fail us and other things like material possessions prove themselves weak, people then they turn to self-sufficiency, you know? And so what does the scripture say about self-sufficiency? Proverbs 28, 26, whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool. I don't know. God say that?

He who walks in wisdom will be delivered. Walk in the wisdom of your own mind, you're a fool. And then there's the great one we sing about here as Yeshuans, and everyone knows this one. Trust in the Lord, Yahava, with all your heart. Lean not unto your own understanding. To realize one's own self-sufficiency as not a great source of empowerment starts to begin the work of works of God in you.

And it might be seen in the fact that Paul, he had an issue in his life. People always say he couldn't see, but we don't know what it was. So we have the liberty, because Paul won't tell us what it is, instead of that kind conjecture to think it could have been anything, even moral. Maybe, you know, he had a problem with the women that were in his arms, or men. I don't know. It's open to us. But it was something that he wanted fixed by God.

And so he goes to God, and he's three times, he says, take this from me. And we get insight into how God works. Are you ready? 2 Corinthians 12, 9, and God said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. And that's the one we always look to, but look what he adds to that. For my strength is made perfect in weakness.

You ever think about that? We go about to try to make ourselves strong in our flesh in all our ways so God will use us more. God's strength is made perfect in weak things. That's what he says to Paul. Most gladly, therefore, Paul says, will I rather glory in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may rest upon me? How could God be honored when we are the ones who have all the strength. That's the point.

It's when we have the strength, God's not being honored. We are. You know, that's where we give the glory. But when we rely on him and him alone, even in our weakness, all of our weaknesses, God understands those. We have them. Trust in him and Christ is then able to be glorified. We also remember what Christ said about self-sufficiency in John 15 when we read, and it's a great one, to his apostles, I'm the vine, you're the branches.

He that abides in me and I in him, the same bring forth much fruit. And he adds the line, for without me you can do nothing. That's in the text of spiritual Christian discipleship things. There's a lot of things we can do without him in this world.

We could philosophically go down and say, well, we really can't. Look at, he's talking about in the context of you want to do the works of God. Without me, you can do nothing, he tells them. And of course, in this world, there are those who tap into the empowerments and unfortunately of non-God sources. Some people don't believe in them. I don't believe that there's a being called Satan in power anymore, but that does not mean that there's not dark forces that are even more powerful than that little imp was at work in the world, and my goodness are they ever at power. Look, I'm

sorry I don't usually speak to things in the modern sense, but look at these Epstein papers. You don't think there's dark forces in the world? I mean, and these forces have been around forever. They're all Egyptian oriented. They are all from dark sources of power. They include the defilement of children and girls.

I don't want to get on a bandwagon because it's nothing new to me. I know it's always been there. And all we can do is try to shine a light. Because look at what it's revealing. And the defilement of girls. Young girls. And the shedding of blood. I'm not saying they're in those papers. I don't read anything about it. I just see it passing.

I'm just like, more of it. Becoming undiscovered here in this world. At 1 John 4, 1, it says, Beloved, don't believe every spirit. Here's the scriptural advice. But test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. You have a gift to be able to test what is being given to you as from God or not.

The spirits, plural. And they're here. And they're dark. Isaiah says in Isaiah 36, 6, Behold, you are trusting in Egypt. That's what Epstein and all the cronies, Egypt. That's the type in the scripture. And what Egypt, and I don't mean the literal country today and the good people there. I'm talking about the power that Egypt was under at the time when the scripture was being developed.

Magic, dark sources, right? He says, for that broken reed of a staff which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it, such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. These are biblical promises for us. And then Psalm 73.5, the psalmist says something profound. He says, whom have I in heaven but you? Who do I have in heaven but you? Who do I have in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

That, to me, implies there is or are things in heaven, the dark forces, but him. And that writer delineates and he says, I only have you in the heavenly realm. delineates and he says, I only have you in the heavenly realm.

And Heizer has written about that divine counsel and the gods and the spirits and all of that as being very much part of that economy in the Old Testament. And so these things are real. Isaiah 19.3 says, the spirit of Egypt shall fall in the midst thereof, and I will destroy the counsel thereof, and they shall seek to the idols. counsel thereof, and they shall seek to the idols. So here we go. Here's bringing in what these things are all about.

And to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. Now, we read it today and we're thinking, oh man, No. I mean, come on. Now, you can live in a world where you don't think those things still have power. They do. Great power in this world.

Deuteronomy 18, 9 through 11 says, To the nation of Israel, when thou come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. Those nations didn't have the true and living God. So they had star power, they had spirit power, they had idol power, they had bloodletting power, defilement of children power, that somehow works in this world of flesh to empower people to do things.

There shall not be found among you anyone that makes his son or daughter pass through the fire. That means don't offer them up to Moloch. Okay? Or uses divination. Or an observer of times. Or an enchanter. Or a witch. Or a charmer. Or a consulter with familiar spirits. Or a wizard. Or a necromancer. All of that there in the Old Testament for us to say, well, do I want to pursue those things instead of the living God? And as said, we know those things exist in the world.

They're the very power of dark places in this world and are allowed to reign in the hearts of some souls not interested of being empowered by God. They're empowered by a different source. We know that these dark powers will work in this world. That's the thing. I mean, I'm sorry. This is true. In the LDS temple, I don't know if they do it anymore, but when I went through the LDS temple, they had Satan standing there in a film.

And he said, if you don't live up to every one of the covenants you make in this temple this day, you will be in my power. And we're like, yes. You know, that's a heavy, dark, spiritual power in this world. What does it produce? Well, look, they're just poor and broke and struggling to get by. They haven't done anything in this world, have they? Wake up.

That's how these powers work in that dark realm. But is that all you care about in life are results? I think there's something I can't,'ve people approached me with it a dozen times invited me to meetings to go to the foundation to go to est to do all these things and There's a there's something that is called. Wait a second.

Sorry The it's not it's like the non-christian version of name it and claim it it's to manifest I see it coming out all the time and things. I'm manifesting what I want. I'm going to manifest it. I'm going to speak it. And because I speak it, I give it the power to come to me. And I'm not saying it doesn't work.

I'm just saying, do you want something to come to you from your will, from a source that you don't know, and be blessed by it. I don't care about that kind of power. So if men turn to things and to self and to idols and to dark enchantments that rule this world, that do many wonderful works, you know, Epstein has given millions of dollars to get rid of suffering in Indonesia or something.

Charity. All of the people in the cabal are part of the charity. It's good. It's good. It's good. These are works where Christ will say in that realm, not talking about what it does here. This is a different thing. But in that realm, he's going to say, I don't know who you are. Depart from me that work iniquity.

But I gave billions, millions. That's not how it works, my friends. The good that comes from it all, no matter how good it appears. Yeshua said, they've prophesied in my name. They've cast out devils in my name. They've done many wonderful works. And his response is, I don't even know you. my name. They've done many wonderful works. And his response is, I don't even know you.

Depart from me that work iniquity. That's a principle by which you and I choose in our lives as seekers of truth to embrace. You know, how are we empowered to do the works of God? Where does it come from? You know, instead of being empowered by any of the above, the Bible clearly describes that for our works and their works of love, always, that's what the Bible's talking about, especially New Testament, works of agapeo, sacrificial, insufferable, unconditional love, to be accepted by God. Because giving a million dollars for an Epstein or one of his cronies is sacrificial, beneficial to them, but also sacrificial.

It's the source that can only come from the vine. that's the empowerment that we seek to walk by what comes from the vine as a branch to produce fruit under our labors and it's so important to understand especially in our world today has somehow come to believe that material results reflect god and um the scripture throughout does not say that. Look at what he's saying.

Don't trust in chariots. Those are material things. And horses. Don't trust in riches. These are all material affectations that tempt us to say, I'm going to use this to make myself strong and survive in this world. And I'm trying to teach you from a spiritual position, don't do it. Don't think of it. So again, examine your heartfelt motivations first.

We discussed that last week. Know what they are. And that's a lifelong process, as I learned. And second, examine where the source of your empowerment is coming from. You know, is it men up on North Temple in business suits? Is it coming from them? Is it coming from other things? Is it coming from your own self-reliance? Or is it coming from dark forces? God forbid.

When we talk about the true source, which is God, I think this deserves some investigation as we talk today. And let's consider the text to give us some sound foundations. I'm just going to read what the scripture says. Ready? It's about 10 of them, maybe more. Trust in Yahava with all your heart. Lean not into your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to him, and he will make your path straight. In all your ways, submit to him.

So everything, submit to him and he will make your path straight. Do you read anything there about trusting in religion, intermediaries, authorities? Do you read about leaning to your own intelligence, your own wisdom, your own ways? You know, not at all. Directly. This is the whole point. Directly trust in him alone.

Not a teaching, nothing, but him by the Spirit. Instead, we read the reverse. Then Psalm 9, 10 says something often overlooked. Ready? The psalmist writes, And those who know your name. Now, no one preaches it. No one cares today. Well, whatever the name is. We all have different languages. I don't think so. So, you know, so, for those who know your name, put their trust in you.

For you, O Lord, have not For those who know your name, put their trust in you. For you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Those who seek you. Okay? We have a lot of wiggle room in there for all the ways we go about life. He's looking diligently for those who seek him in spirit and truth.

Cross-referencing the apostolic record with the Old Testament. I think knowing his name's important. Then what do we do when we're afraid? The psalmist says, when I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Jeremiah 17, 7, 8 says, blessed is the man who trusts in Yehovah, whose trust is in Yehovah. He's like a tree planted by water. We just had another one that says, You're like a tree planted in the desert.

This one says, You're like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green and it's not anxious in the fear of drought for it does not cease to bear fruit. What a beautiful passage to describe the difference between those whose source of empowerment is rooted and tapped into the living water alone, mofos, alone.

Because even in times of famine and drought or whatever, you are secure in where you're rooted. Or you can join some institution that's constantly changing its ways to try to survive, get money out of you, own you, take your freedom. Romans 8.28 says, we all know this, we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. Now, that's not in the short term.

We know that in the short term, things don't seem like they're working together for good. But the promise is, if you love God, all things work together for good, and I believe that with all my heart. All things. You're going through hell here, all things will work together for your good. Trust in God. And I don't know these substitutionary things that we cling to because God seems to be an absentee manager at times.

And he says, for those who, wait, he says, and we know all things work for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. Now that was for that time, because he was electing, he predestined, and he called many in that day to his purpose. They were predestined people of the nation of Israel. Okay. And so Philippians 4.19 says, and my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in the glory, glory of Christ Jesus.

That was to them then. Matthew 6, 26 says, Jesus says this, Look at the birds of the air, and neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns. And yet your heavenly father feeds them. And then he makes a comparison. And he says, are you not more valuable than they? That's how he puts it. So there's a value between the animals and the things that we eat and humans.

It's right there and Yeshua says it. Today, just like in the Roman Empire, we see animals getting the same rights as humans. I'm not says it. Today, just like in the Roman Empire, we see animals getting the same rights as humans. I'm not against it. I'm not anti-PEDA. I'm not for animal abuse.

But it's one of the signs of a decaying society when animals have all the same rights as humans because they say, we are all of equal value. That is a dangerous societal sign. And we see it happening today. I just saw an article somewhere that, you know, a dog in, I forget what country it is, it cannot be seen as being owned.

It is seen as part of the family and has all the rights of the family. Christ says, animals, aren't they? You're of greater value than they. Okay, and Paul says in Psalm 31, 14, but I trust you, O Lord, I say, you are my God. And that's the rub, isn't it? Who is, what is your God? That's what the scripture is going through at every turn. What do you worship? And that does not necessarily mean offer sacrifice to and burnt offerings.

It means what do you put most of your time, most of your mind, most of your heart and your actions and your activities on? Where is it from your heart? We got to survive. We've got to work. But what is your God? And that's the question. A direct affront to all forms of idolatry, to everyone. Idolatry is the killer theme of the Bible. And then Nahum says, Yahava is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble.

He knows those who take refuge in him. That's another interesting facet the scripture brings. He's aware if you are hiding in him. That's another interesting facet the scripture brings. He's aware if you are hiding in him or if you're hiding and using idols and the things of this world for your empowerment. He knows.

I trust that. And sometimes I get off track and I start trusting in this or that and he's God and he reminds me, right? And Psalm 118, 14, Yehovah is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. Deuteronomy 31, 6, be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them for it is Yehovah, your God, who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Sometimes it seems like he has. You're left in desperate moments. But remember, for those who love him, all things work out for good. And because Paul says, you know, love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I believe that all things that work for good can include anything.

You can have a child who's a devil worshiper who dies in the midst of offering a bloody sacrifice to Satan. I believe that our God, all things work together for those who love him. And if you love him and that's your child, you hope, believe, all things are possible through our God. This is this not Athens, not Athenian faith, Jerusalem faith.

This is what the great Christian existentialists talk about, is that we don't have a reasonable, logical, we can prove everything faith. That's an Athenian faith. That's the Greeks. We have a faith that says our God can do anything, and the scriptures support that. So expect, which is a word for hope, expect him to do the things because you love him. All things will work for good. Trust that. And then we don't have to judge anybody or fear anything.

Isaiah 12 says, behold, God is my salvation. I will trust. I will not be afraid for For Yehovah, God is my strength and my song, and he is my salvation. Who's our salvation? What saves us? You know, water baptism, rites, rituals, doctrines, laws, ordinances, religious allegiances, obedience. God is our salvation.

That's it. Psalm 62, 7 gives four my's. There's four my's here. Listen to this one. On God rests my salvation and my glory, my mighty rock, my refuge is God. People say, you got to shift that to Jesus. You can, but Jesus was God with us. So to say God is to say Jesus. That will become apparent to everybody when their knees bow and their tongues confess.

We don't have to worry about the minutia. God is empowered. God is there and he is our salvation, our glory, our mighty rock and our refuge. And then Psalm 145, 18, Yehovah is nearer to those who call on him, to all who call on him. Listen, in truth, if you're calling on him in bad faith, which Jean-Paul Sartre teaches, if you call on him as deception, even if you're calling on him in desperation, but it's not heartfelt in your love and devotion to him.

He knows. He knows that all who call on him in truth are his, and I believe he relates to them. Okay. And then Proverbs 16, 3 says, commit your work, your work to Yehovah and your plans will be established. There's a free will thing going on there, isn't there? You have work to do as a human being. We have dominion over this world.

Commit to him your work and your plans will be established. I try to share this with people. I try to say, just let him, make him be first, but how do you do that? Put him first, always, in your heart and mind. Psalms 37.5 says, commit your way to Yahava. Trust him, and he will act. Another one to give an arrow in your quiver of how to be empowered by God.

Many of these passages are from the Old Testament, and they speak of God. But as followers of his beloved and only begotten Son, there are some differences. And this is where we're going to start to swim in the deep end of the pool. All right, Christians, we look in a more refined image of God. In the Old Testament, they looked at a mist, a fire.

They looked at things that shook the earth. They looked at miracles, and they had an image of the living God that was very different from the Christians who walked on earth at the time of God with us. And so Paul says in Philippians 4.13 to believers on Christ, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So we have a shift from Old Testament. Now we say Christ. Why? We're going to talk about that. Prior to the incarnation, people were influenced through the Spirit of God. And in the days of Yeshua's mortality, the nation were influenced by the direct material presence of God with them.

In Jerusalem, for a very short period of time, for a very short period of time, like 30 to 33 years, they had God with them and they were influenced by that presence, which was so different, but was in the image of the living, invisible God. But they had that tangible material influence over them and to decide how they're going to think. But Yeshua said something radical to his disciples in John 14, 12, which was, listen carefully, verily, verily. That means truly, truly. It means listen.

I say unto you, he, and he says it to them, them that believes on me, the works that I do, shall he she do also. And greater works than these shall he she do because I go to my Father. That is a radical statement that Yeshua makes. The word greater there can't refer to the miracles themselves because the apostles never did anything greater in terms of wow factor than Christ.

He raised the dead. He healed the sick. He provided the meals. He did all. He walked on the water. So it's not that they're going to do things that are more important. impressive. But greater works than these means that in terms of quantity, there were 12 of them filled with his spirit that were going to go out and manifest his works that he did.

And he says, your works are going to be greater in number, not greater in quality. We also know that the harvest of souls materially was going to be greater in the day of that Holy Spirit being with them, because it was abundant, and it was working mightily. I mean, it fell at Pentecost, and they thought they were drunk, and there's fiery tongues, and there's miracles like mad of the Spirit in that day.

Now listen, this is where we get real here. This promise, obviously, to the apostles, and in that day, they were focused on doing one thing. This was their job, to go out to all of Israel, best they could, and preach the arrival of the Messiah and the coming of the great and dreadful day for them to repent or else they were going to lose their lives.

for them to repent or else they were going to lose their lives. Be saved from that was the apostolic call on the people of that day. Yeshua promised them that even though he was leaving to go to his father, from whom he says, I proceeded forth from, that's a quote, I proceeded forth from my father, he would not leave them alone.

And in one of the greatest chapters of scripture, John 16, we read the following, which requires some insight to really comprehend how to understand these words being to them then, and also how they apply to us now. That takes some thinking. So let's embark on that together and turn to John 16, if you're in the scripture at home following us. And we're going to cover verses 1 through 22 as we wrap it up. Yeshua says to his apostles, these things I have spoken unto you that you shouldn't be offended, is what the King James says.

And that means so that you don't trip over yourself and fall. This is why I'm saying these things to you, he says. Verse 2, they who, the Jews of that day, shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time comes that whosoever kills you will think that they do God's service. Now, note to us, one, we're not put out of the synagogues.

You might be put out of your local church to try to make that make sense. But, and we're probably in this land, not anymore, and for a long time being killed and people thinking that they're doing God's will. Yeah, it happens in Kazakhstan and in North Korea. But I mean, this was to them.

And then verse three, and these things will they, again, the Jews of that day, Yeshua says to them and John 16, do unto you. Why? Because they have not known the father, so they don't even know who God is, nor me. He told them, your father's the devil. That's what he told the religious leaders of his day. I would like to tell the religious leaders of this day the same thing.

If you aren't teaching the truth, your father's the devil. I know that's radical. I don't mean the horned demon. I mean you are preaching something that's not the truth. But these things, Yeshua says, have I told you that when the time shall come, you may remember that I told you them.

And these things I said not to you at the beginning when we first started hanging out together, because I was with you. I was with you. You could talk to me. because I was with you. I was with you. You could talk to me. But now, verse 5, but now, I go my way to him that sent me. That's why he's called the Apostle, capital A.

He was sent, okay? But none of you have asked me, where are you going? So he says, I'm going my way, but you're not asking me where I'm going. But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow has filled your heart. He could read them and he knew that they weren't really understanding everything. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. Here we go. It is expedient for you that I go away.

go. It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you. That's what it says. But if I depart, I will send him unto you. Those are the words of Yeshua. Now let's pause here for a moment, because it says it in the scripture, but what does it mean? When we look at the language and we look at everything that was just said there, while the one God sent his only son, the one Lord who was with them, the parakletos, that's the word there for comforter, translated comforter here in the King James, parakletos, would not come to them,

but if he departed, Yeshua says, he would send it to them. That's what he says to his apostles there. Parakletos is translated in different versions. Some say comforter, some say advocate, some say helper. All right. And because the term is written in the linguistic masculine form, and it's the only place in the entire apostolic record where spirit is in the masculine form because Christ gives it a different name.

Paracletos. So in language, it got a masculine form to it. The translators, therefore, took the spirit and called it a he. Every time they translated the scripture, he, he, he. And that's why we read there, he from the Jesus saying he will do this and he will do that. It's from this one instance of paracletos being used in the scripture.

And so we know what that led to, don't we? That the paracletos is a he, the paracletos is a person, the paracletos is a person that is part of the three-part Godhead, and therefore we have the Trinity, all because of this is really the most solid thing they have to lay that on. Okay? So, I maintain that Paracletos is not a he.

Not a he. He is not a separate third-party person of the Holy Trinity as the creeds created 380 years after Christ did his work. You know? years after Christ did his work, you know? But I would say that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God in the Old Testament, and then became the Spirit of the God-man who was deified in his flesh and was called begotten by God only after his resurrection. All right.

Now, how can I be so bold to even suggest this? Deeper waters. Because if the Spirit of God of the Old Testament, hear me clearly, if the Spirit of God of the Old Testament was equipped to guide, save humanity to righteousness, to right worship, to right action and right thinking, it would have, and no second iteration would have been needed, to be sent by the victorious Christ at Pentecost.

It's plain as day. And we've done studies. The Holy Spirit actually indwelled in people before Christ and Pentecost. So it wasn't that the Holy Spirit didn't have access to people inwardly. That's what Christians will always say. No, there was no indwelling of the Spirit before Christ because no one was clean enough.

We can show through Scripture that's just not true. And if you don't even want to go to work on it, just think about John the Baptist, who from his mother's womb was filled with the Spirit, quoting Luke 1. You can say, well, that's because he was a baby and he didn't have any sin. Okay, well then go to 27 verses later and see how Luke also says, and then Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit before Pentecost.

So this Holy Spirit of the Old Testament was filling people. Micah talks about it. Why wasn't it able to bring humanity to a place of operation? What's the gig? There is a disconnect between the Holy Spirit of God in the Old Testament all the way out to John, all the way out to, you know, remember Jesus said John's the greatest of women, born of women, but he's the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Why? It's this Holy Spirit.

It's the bestowal and the possession of this Holy Spirit 2.0. John was under the Holy Spirit 1.0. It helped him be lawful and strident and good and strong, but he was a rarity. And Jesus said he's the greatest of born of women, but let me tell you, remember? So the disconnect might be seen in the same light as the disconnect between God Himself and human beings because of the Fall.

You know, it might be the result of that and suggest that propitiation for sin had to be made for the Holy Spirit to be able to rightly to rightly govern and guide and influence man. All right? Before the incarnation, it seems like the Holy Spirit was limited. That's all I can say. And how effective it could be in terms of empowering human beings, and it seems that the incarnation and victory of Christ made or empowered the Holy Spirit with things it did not have before. Because God Himself was made flesh, the Holy Spirit 2.0 effectively

could from that point forward govern and guide and influence humanity universally because of Christ lived, life died, and resurrected. This is supported by the writer of Hebrews. Now listen to what it says about Christ, who was born of a woman, ready? Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared, though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered, and being made perfect,

he became the author of eternal salvation unto all of them that obey him. So that passage clearly shows that in his flesh, God with us, that flesh learned obedience. That was something that God with us had to learn in a body of flesh. Obedience. It says it right there. Also speaking of Christ in Hebrews 7.25, wherefore Christ is able.

What? Wherefore. Because of this, he's able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them. He's able. The pre-incarnate Christ and the Holy Spirit 1.0 wasn't able to do these things. Simple as that. And then, able to do these things. Simple as that. And then, lest we forget, the big one, Hebrews 2.

18, it says, for in that he himself has suffered being tempted, because Christ was tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. Apparently the Holy Spirit 1.0 was not able to do that in humanity before. If it was, why have Christ come and experience all that? These questions come because we search and we try to understand better who he is instead of just sit on our lazy whatever and listen to tradition and what men have come up with.

So there's no getting around the fact that the incarnation of Christ caused some kind of change in the Spirit of God that Christ sent at Pentecost. That was a different version. It's the best way I can say it. It was still the Spirit of God, but now it was the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, His resurrected Son, spoken of synonymously in the apostolic record.

Never called that before, all right? And it, that Spirit of Christ, that is empowered to help us to understand, to pursue, to be equipped, and to walk in the shoes of someone who was once human. Beautiful. Here's the thing. If the Holy Spirit of God is the third person of the one God, co-equal, co-eternal, unchangeable, as the creeds proclaim, then it seems to me that whatever capacities it had, say, at creation, when it hovered over the waters, that it was entirely equipped with everything necessary to govern man. And maybe that's true.

Before the fall, maybe that spirit could have governed Adam and Eve. That's quite possible. But maybe in the fact of the fall, the governing influence of God's spirit was not enough. It couldn't relate to us. We couldn't relate to it. It was one-sided, and it didn't keep man, even men who were doing rites and rituals under the law of God, it couldn't keep them from rebellion and sin. Could not.

And if that's the case, pre-fall, we certainly know that it would be thereafter when humankind was spiritually dead, certainly know that it would be thereafter when humankind was spiritually dead between the fall and Pentecost. Humankind, pretty much, spiritually dead. It was the Spirit of Christ that gives life. That's a 2.0 spirit.

So it appears that in and through the incarnation of the Word made flesh, and through all he learned as one of us, overcoming everything because he was willing and able to submit to the Spirit of God within him, the 1.0 was fully within him, the Holy Spirit was fortified by Christ's incarnation, and it had new capacities. It had new powers applicable in the heart of man and governing individuals.

And when Yeshua, after his passion, promised not to leave the apostles alone, but that he would send them a helper, that helper would have, for lack of a better word, a skill set. That helper had a skill set that Yeshua said, I will send you. I will not leave you alone.

It had a skill set that enabled it to effectively empower human beings in his name so that we could produce fruit that was worthy to Christ. And where he wouldn't say, depart from me, you that work iniquity. And in this way, the parakletos that Christ would send, what would from Pentecost forward be synonymously referred to as the Spirit of Christ? That's why Paul will use the Spirit of Christ interchangeably now with the Holy Spirit.

And that's radical. That's a change brought about by the incarnation. However, in that day and in that age and to that specific audience, Christ here in John 16 describes what the Spirit's specific intentions were and we're going to wrap it up with this, but it's going to be a little heavy because he says at verse 8 in John, to be a little heavy because he says at verse 8 in John, and when it is come, that's the best Greek, not he, when it is come, it will, one, reprove the world of sin, two, reprove the world

of righteousness, three, reprove the world of judgment yeshua said that to them then i remember reading this 30 years ago when i became a uh a christian so to speak from my heart i did not know what the heck that meant and i've struggled to try to understand it for years first of all to make it simple that word reprove that that it would come and reprove, it means it will convince.

Just make it clear if you have the King James. It just means the Spirit's coming, and it's going to convince the world of sin, it's going to convince the world of righteousness, and it's going to convince the world of judgment. Those three things Christ says the Spirit he sends them is going to do. Convince the world of sin.

The big question is, listen, why couldn't Spirit of God 1.0 do this in the Old Testament? There's the question to ask yourself if you're a seeker. Why? The only conclusion you can come to is that we needed the incarnation of Christ, which would fortify the Spirit to be able to do this thereafter. I don't know any other way to see it.

Okay? This notion throws tremendous shade. It throws huge shade, if you can see it, at the man-made idea that God is one being of three equal, co-equal, co-eternal, unchangeable persons. Persons. It defies that. It takes us to a place where the Holy Spirit 1.

0 was just the very Holy Spirit of Yehovah in that day, and the Holy Spirit 2.0 was the very Holy Spirit of Yehovah made flesh, or the Spirit of His Son, equipped with fortified capacities it lacked before. Either that, or the Holy Spirit changes and is a person that changes, therefore God changes, or the Holy Spirit was not a person to begin with.

And I suggest this approach destroys the Trinity. Because the Holy Spirit, if the trinity is right according to its creeds cannot change in the least have i made the argument for you i hope so i'm planting seeds i expect rebuff from people to say i've had enough we're done now no more of you right uh but uh so the holy spirit could not be god as the creedal Trinitarians describe him if the Holy Spirit changed.

And the Holy Spirit, by virtue of what all this context shows us, it did change. And so let's get back to what Yeshua said. We'll wrap it up about to them then the Holy Spirit. He said, when it will come, it will convince the world of sin, it will convince the world of righteousness, and it will convince the world of judgment.

Now listen, the first thing I want to point out is, he uses the world three times there, and it's not Gehei, it's not Oikom. and it is cosmos. And so it is a place where Christ talks about what the Holy Spirit will do. It had specific application to that day, and I believe it has specific application still today because he uses cosmos. However, I think he is using cosmos there to speak of the world of the Jews, their economy, that world.

That world, okay? So the first thing that he says is that it will convince the world of sin. Why? How will it convince the world of sin? And he gives the reason. Because they believe not on me. Now, in that day, he's talking about the Jews. That was the world he was talking about. Can we read it applying to us today? I think we can, because they have not believed.

So the Holy Spirit is given of Christ, and it's to convince us the world of sin. But for them in that day, it was because they did not believe on him. So ask yourself, who is the they? It was the Jews who put him to death. And the first thing Yeshua specifies is that the spirit that he would send would convince that world of sin because they believed him not.

And what did they do to him when they believed him not? They killed him. They killed him. This was specific to them then, the they, and I'm of the opinion, again, that while it's cosmos, it has application. Sin in general is a violation of any law of God, all right? But the particular sin of which the men here are said to be convinced of was not believing that he was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Yeshua said this first, and it's deemed the sin of chief magnitude in that age.

The chief magnitude was not believing. Okay? And it's the principle one from which all that were guilty of killing him were guilty of. They did not believe on him. All right? And so it was particularly true of those Jews who have rejected and crucified him, and it's a great crime which, when brought home to their consciences, was used, listen to this, by the apostles.

They had killed him, and the apostles used that to go out and convict them so that they could repent of that. It wasn't a one and done, you killed him, you're done for. It was you've killed him and the apostles used that to drive them through that spirit Christ would give to be convicted of sin. Listen to what it says in Acts 22, 24, where Peter's standing before 3,000 Jews, and he says, knowledge of God you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain whom God has raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should behold them

because of it. So there's a place where Peter is reaching out to the Jews and he's using what they did by that spirit to convict them of the sin because they didn't believe on him. That's the way to understand that.

In Acts 3, 13 through 15, Peter says, the God of Abraham, the God of Jacob, and the God of our fathers has glorified his son, Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you and killed the Prince of Life, whom God has raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.

Why was he preaching that? To get them by that Spirit to feel convicted for killing him and to repent. And then Acts 4, 8-10, two verses. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, You rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done in the impotent man, by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all, this is Peter giving glory to God, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Yeshua Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified,

third time he throws it in their teeth, whom God raised from the dead, even by him, does this man stand before you whole. That's why he's healed. We healed him through our power of the Spirit, but he stands here whole by and through the power of Christ, who you killed. he stands here whole by and through the power of Christ who you killed and then finally in Acts 23 Acts 26 acts 28 31 all of those do the same thing and remember all the way back in Zechariah 3 10 this was a prophecy of this listen

what it says, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, whom they have pierced, and mourn. That's the first fulfillment of what Christ said. It will convict them of sin, this spirit that's coming. The convincing of sin outside the nation of Israel is a work of us too. In reality, it's that spirit that works in us that causes us to kind of look and say, you know, I've really done a lot of bad things.

Where am I? It convicts us of sin and leads us to the cross. I believe that entirely. Our fleshly sins might bring us to the place where we realize the egregious nature of our unbelief or our faithlessness, but the work of the Spirit in that first way, it does convince us of sin. That's part of its job.

So chagrin for sin is part and parcel of being convinced to believe and receive him by faith. But the primary overflow of the Spirit in that first act, hard as it might be to understand, is to convince of sin. Okay? The second thing Yeshua said that the spirit he would send would convince them of was of righteousness. First of sin, then of righteousness. But he adds a clarifying statement to help us understand what he meant.

Because I go to my father and you see me no more. Well, how does that convince them of righteousness? He's going to send up to a place he somebody worthy of sin was not able to go to you know it's going to convince them of my righteousness is really what it should say because i go to my father i'm going up i'm going to ascend and that witness that you're going to share with them will convince them he was a righteous one. We've sinned in killing him, and he was righteous.

The power of his spirit among them seems to clearly refer to them bringing to their understanding who he was. The second thing Yeshua says the spirit would do would be to convince them that he was innocent, that he was righteous. And that's another thing that the spirit does for us today. And that's another thing that the Spirit does for us today.

You become convinced that the person to take care of the sin that you've been convicted of is him and him alone because he is righteous. That's what the Spirit is doing in them. And he says, you'll know that because I go to my father. So the miracle of his resurrection and ascension to God was a demonstration that he was innocent, and they put him to dead.

And the direct line of thought would be God does not raise up an imposter, to them then especially. In our world, it's a little bit different, but it still applies. Then the final work Yeshua says that his promised spirit would do was it would convince them of judgment. Of judgment. And he adds, ready? This is why it will convince you of judgment. Because the prince of this world is judged.

People kick against me for saying Satan's over. Satan was judged then. The prince of this world is judged, right? Was the full manifestation of him being put under lock and key forevermore into the lake of fire? Done. No, he had to come back for all that. Satan had to roam about for all that. But he said, you will be convinced of judgment because the prince of this world is judged.

Right? That means God did what he said he would do through his son. He had the victory over who brought the world to royal in pain and darkness and sin in that day. And he said, so the Spirit's going to come and convince you that God's judgment does happen.

And he says, and the first instance he gives is, because the prince of this world is judged. Hadn't been judged before. John 12, 31 makes it plain that at the death of Christ, at the death of Christ, Satan was judged and condemned from that point forward. And Revelation says, knowing that his days are short, he roamed about them like a roaring lion seeking whom he could destroy.

We use that today and we all get a fither. I think there's something far more powerful than the spirit of a fallen angel at work today, and I think it's the spirit of man. And it is diabolically dark, right? So this proves that God would execute judgment. God himself showed to be just in subduing that great enemy. That was a promise. And he showed that it was to resolve all vanquished foes.

And this is deeply felt by convicted sinners. We know we stand guilty because of our lives and in a state of sin. state of alarm, we stand before him. And that's what the Spirit brings to us. And the Spirit of Christ we submit to, and not knowing that he took care of all of it 2,000 years ago. We just know by the Spirit that we still feel guilty of sin.

We don't have a solution, and judgment's coming. And then when you learn what he's done in the past, the liberty in him becomes even greater. And in these striking verses, we have condensed the most striking view of the work of the Spirit of Christ. It is unreal. And these three things comprise the whole of his agency in the conversion of people to him.

That's what the Spirit's still doing, but in a different way, and in a different time, to a different audience. And we have to learn what that is. Therefore, the Spirit of Christ, now synonymous with the Spirit of God, imparts to humanity, all of humanity, all of the blessings that God has given this world. It's in them. We just bury it. We don't want to see it.

And in essence, Yeshua and the spirit of Yeshua act in collaboration to bring about the will and work of Yehovah, our father, in this post-ascension, post-return of his son. And that caused Paul to write to the church in Rome, even in that day, our last verse, may the hope, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.

That's expectation. And that is what we are being empowered with to go forward. We'll continue more on this subject next week. It's a lot I know. Questions, comments, insights? We should ask that before we all right listen let's have a prayer remember we have a call-in show today at two mountain time and uh we're just building that up we call it firesides delaney and i do it if you watch and want to call questions comments please do it let's pray and get out of dodge father thank you for loving us so much

that you had in place these beings and things and powers that would come from you to aid us in our search for you in spirit and truth. We're thankful for the word made flesh, the eternal word became your only begotten Son. We're thankful for Him and His sacrifice, and we're thankful for the Spirit of your Son that dwells in the world today and has been improving the status of our minds and our will and our emotion for 2,000 years compared to what it was 2,000 years before. We pray that we'll be instrumental in

helping people realize the power that they have in them if they submit themselves to you through the spirit of your son. We pray for those who are struggling with all sorts of different things. I specifically pray for Margo, who's recovering from a surgery. I pray for Dorothy, for Margo who's recovering from a surgery. I pray for Dorothy who is struggling and Ray who are struggling as they get older with things in life.

Pray for Dave who's struggling with things between him and you. But we lift each other up. I pray for Delaney and Larry, new parents. That's a new venture. Stressful, difficult, adjusting. And pray for every one of us. Every one of us within the sound of my voice who we've known and lost contact with will be empowered by you and by you alone and walk in the joy thereof.

We pray for this in Yeshua's name. Amen. Thanks, guys.