Bumby Bible Questions 9

Introduction

Well, good morning. This is the fourth Sunday morning of the month. I know sometimes we’ve confused everyone with that, but this is the fourth Sunday of the month. And Lord willing, next week on the fifth Sunday of the month, we’ll be having a prayer service to end our year praising God and thanking him for what a wonderful year and praying that he be with us as we continue on in this life as long as he wills. But this is our QA morning, and so uh as a way of reminder, we’re going to be answering some questions that have been submitted, and that implies that we would enjoy more questions being submitted. So as we go into the new year, and maybe even after this morning, if we cause more confusion than clarity, you can give us another question, or maybe even a clarifying question that we can go through and work out as a group and as an assembly, we can decide what is the will of God with an honest and fair examination of the word.

This morning we have about four or five questions we’re going to try to get to. We always say that, but this time we really do think we can get through about four of them. So we’ll see. Yeah, we’ll see. And more for my benefit than the question. From Greg’s, the submitted questions, please submit those in writing. And the only reason for that is that I will forget if you just come up and ask a question. And you can submit that in writing in multiple ways. You can email us, uh, myself or Greg individually, or we have Bumby BibleQuestions at gmail.com. You can email them that way. Uh put them in the suggestion box in the foyer, uh, hand them to us. There’s multiple ways you can get that question to us.

1. Do I Need to Make a Public Confession?

But as Greg said, we certainly solicit uh additional questions. As the plan is is to do this uh in the next and upcoming year. So. All right. Alright, well, let’s get to our first question, which is if I sin and others know about it, do I need to come forward and make a public confession? For sake of clarification, we understand that when the invitation is extended and the invitation song is sung, we usually extend two invitations at the same time. One is for someone to initially obey the gospel. If they’ve been moved by the gospel message, they have that faith in Jesus Christ, want to repent of their sins, confess that faith before men, and to be baptized for the mission of their sins, that at the time of the singing of that song is a good and opportune time to do that.

But we also extend a second invitation that if there’s someone who is a child of God, who’s already obeyed the gospel initially, but has sinned in some way to jeopardize their soul, that they could come forward, solicit the prayers of the brethren, maybe to make that confession a public confession. And the question has to do with that second idea of answering the invitation. Is it necessary to come forward and to make that public confession? Certainly a useful time to do that, but as we examine the question, it’s not is it useful, is it convenient, is it even appropriate to do? The question is, is it necessary? Is it a must? Is this what God’s will is on the subject? And so on the subject of coming forward, we do need to first examine the idea that coming forward as we think of it really is a tradition.

And Ken and I both, in thinking about this topic and spending time examining it, realize it’s a wonderful tradition. It’s a good one. That someone can come forward and the congregation can pray with and for their souls. What a wonderful opportunity that God blesses us to use each and every Lord’s Day morning and even on Wednesday evenings when we meet. But really, the idea of coming forward started as a convenient or otherwise appropriate time to come forward and answer what we might say as the gospel call, to realize that I’m in that first group that can identify it. I am stuck in my sins, and I know Jesus is the only answer. His way is the only way to come to God. And so I’m going to answer at that time what I read and understand from the scriptures to be true, that I need my sins forgiven, and I need that today.

And so I’ll answer the call of Jesus at that time. And I think it’s important to note, although this wasn’t specifically the question, that though that’s a good tradition, and it’s good that every time that we’re together focusing upon biblical and spiritual matters, that someone has the opportunity to obey the gospel. It’s also important to note that that’s not the only time. Uh, that that invitation, that window is open as long as the three or four verses of that song are being sung, and once that last note is completed, then you have to wait until the next time. We hope we’ve never convey that message, that that’s the only time to obey the gospel or to answer that gospel call in whatever way. In fact, it’s been my experience that over time that the trend has kind of shifted.

That used to, most people who obeyed the gospel did so during an invitation song. But now it seems like that more and more people are doing that at other times. Uh, I know a few years ago I received a call at 2 o’clock in the morning. Uh, somebody wanted to be baptized uh for the remission of their sins, and we gladly did that at 2 o’clock in the morning. And so it’s not the only time in which the gospel call can be answered, but it is certainly a good and convenient time. But what else is there about this concept of going forward and really with the specifically answering the question? As we think more now about that second group, we’ve identified a lot about the first group, and that’s where the tradition really had its origins in answering the problems of.

Matthew chapter 18, just a few short verses here. As we notice the identification of how to deal with sins in Matthew chapter 18, a pretty unusual beginning. Jesus says, if your brother sins against you, right? So if your brother has sinned against you, you go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. And if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. And we can never read Matthew chapter 18 and verse 15 without first identifying that. Notice whose obligation it is to go and handle a sinful problem. If someone sins against me, I don’t wait for them. I don’t say, well, this is their fault. I go to them because sin is serious and needs to be dealt with. Now, because sin is serious and needs to be dealt with in verse 16, if he does not listen, then do what?

Take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. So here Jesus gives a second step in identifying and dealing with sin. You have the one individual, if that doesn’t work, you bring one or two others along with you. And then verse 17, here is that large group we might say, if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. So that there is a role for the church, a collective body of Christians, in dealing with some sort of sin. But please notice that the end of verse 15 is critical and crucial here.

Why is there two or three witnesses? Why would you take it to the church? Well, if that individual conversation doesn’t go the way the Lord would will it to be, then we have a sin problem. And we’re trying to gain back our brother. This is a positive thing, not a negative one. And so when we think about coming forward, of course, we want to put that in a positive light. Because anytime anybody comes to answer the call of God, that is a happy occasion, a joyous one. And so the church does have some obligation, some responsibility toward those in its midst who are engaged in sin. There’s other passages of scripture that point that out. But then let’s look at the other side of that equation, the one who has committed that sin.

If we look in James chapter 5, and in verse 16, we’re told that we are to use our brethren to help us in this regard. James chapter 5, verse 16 says, confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. To me, this gets to the heart of the question. Maybe not the idea of the must, the obligation of that question, but the desire that I ought to have to confess my sins to my brethren. We’re going to talk a little bit about what is accomplished in that or what’s not accomplished in that. But what’s accomplished in that is that I’m soliciting your prayers. I’m soliciting your help in that regard.

And I think we need to shed the mask of shame and humiliation that would keep us from openly confessing our struggles with sin and even those times that we’ve lost that struggle with sin. And to say, I need your help. Please pray for me that I might be forgiven of this sin. Please pray for me that I might not succumb to this temptation again. Please pray for me that I might be successful in my spiritual and Christian walk. And so to phrase the question in a little bit different way, should I? Absolutely I should. I have an army of believers, of righteous men and women who would fervently pray on my behalf. And so I should be willing to solicit your help in those spiritual matters, not just the physical matters, but the spiritual matters as well.

This is a case in point of a worldly versus spiritual mindset. A more worldly or even self-thinking mindset says, I need to put a mask up. I need to decide what is my responsibility to dispense with sin and let me just accomplish those goals. Whereas coming forward, as we see from Scripture, this is an opportunity rather than some sort of bedreaded obligation we might have. And when you view the question as an opportunity, then we see, as Ken said, what a wonderful opportunity it is. What a blessing that God says, as he revealed through John, that if we just confess our sins, he’s faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. However, we do have to check the limitations.

Can note if we’re going to see things that are and are not accomplished with coming forward. And so we say, okay, well, what is being accomplished when we come forward? If someone does come forward, they take advantage of the opportunity that we’ve made sound so wonderful, and it is today. When someone comes forward and confesses their sin, and we or an elder praise for that individual and for God in a particular way to bless them and to be forgiving at this time. What is being accomplished? Well, the one thing, if you look back in James 5 16, is we realize if we confess our sins to one another and pray for one another, we can be healed. That is the blessing of being a child of God.

That there is a part of not only just confessing sin, but that God is there. He hears a group, and he will forgive. But the emphasis needs to be on that last part. Who does the forgiving? Who does the healing? Is it the church that heals? Well, not at all. It’s God who we’re beseeching. It’s God who we’re praying to, who we’re reaching out to. And sometimes today that’s a lost idea. Sometimes the idea isn’t certain groups. It’s not God who has that power, but the ordained men in this life that have that group. And that becomes an important challenge as we study this. And so we we certainly don’t ever want to give the impression that the church is the dispenser of that salvation, whether initially or otherwise, or that we’re absolving someone of that’s not within our power.

Our obligation, as Greg said, is to pray, to encourage. Just because we’re offering that invitation does not necessarily mean that it’s really our invitation to offer. That you have to come to us for that salvation. Come to us for that forgiveness. Just because we have the building, we have the baptistry, we have the preacher with the with the waiters that can take you into the doesn’t mean that you’re coming to the church for salvation or for the absolving of your sins. It’s just the way to facilitate that. And so, to kind of round this question out, must we, I don’t know that I would argue that you’d have to come forward when the invitation song is sung, but if there is some sin that my brethren know that I’m engaged in, I would want them to pray for me.

2. What Is the Proper Attire for Worship?

And I would want them to know that I am confessing that sin and repenting of that sin. And so, why not take advantage of that opportunity, whether it’s when the invitation song is sung or at some other time, to openly ask my brethren for this most important spiritual help? And so hope that’s helped uh answer that question and to understand the context in which really the invitation song and that whole concept is used as we do it here. Question number two, Greg. What is the proper attire for worship? Of course, this is a fun question that we like to take on. What is the proper attire for worship? Now, this question is not what is proper attire, not what is modest attire. It is talking specifically about in the worship assembly at a time such as right now.

What is the proper attire? So, really, we put 21st century, it could be, you could just say modern viewpoints, range. Basically, on a spectrum from come as you are, meaning, you know, come what in what you think is best, come what you want to wear, to the other side of the spectrum that says, dress your best. And certainly there’s some underlying reasons for that as well. And really, the mindset that’s most prevailing today that comes across is to wear whatever you want. We need to identify that there are differences in the above. The idea of coming as you are has, if you were going to analyze it, some strengths and weaknesses. The idea of dressing your best to come and worship God has pros and cons.

And the idea of wearing whatever you want is a different mindset than the previous two. And so, as always, our question is not what’s most convenient, what’s easy, or what even makes us the most friends, but what does the Bible say about this question? And really, it w whatever these viewpoints or mindsets might be, if they reveal the heart, that’s really what is greatest at issue. What is our heart and how are we trying to best uh serve God? But if we look at what the Bible says on this subject, we first must admit that there’s no Bible passage, to our knowledge at least, that discusses this specifically, the attire that’s to be worn in worship. In other words, there’s no pictures in our Bible that says this is approved, and no pictures with a red line through it saying not to wear this.

But there are some biblical principles and ideas that are worthy of our noting when we’re talking about this subject. Interestingly, one of them found in James chapter 2 that we’re gonna spend a little bit of time on here, is revealing in both ways, in both directions. Note carefully with me in James chapter 2, not just what is said, but think about the image that’s given. Think about every person who might be mentioned in these short nine verses. James chapter 2, beginning in verse 1, my brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring in fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, You sit here in a good place, while you say to the poor man, you stand over there, or sit down at my feet.

Have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has God not chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. And he continues this thought, and of course, the section goes back to verse one in particular, that we are not to show partiality. But notice who is mentioned in this assembly of people. There’s two different types of dress, as we might say. There are those adorned in fine or rich people’s clothing, and there are those who come across as poor, because of their, as the English Standard Version renders it, shabby clothing. So that tells us a couple things, first and foremost, whether right or wrong, different types of clothing were present in this assembly.

Secondly, and this becomes difficult translating it to our society, is there was a clear distinction based upon what you wore. If you looked this way, you appeared and likely were rich. If you wore this style of clothing, you appeared and likely were poor. And so certainly we aren’t to treat people any differently, and so that becomes important when I’m answering the question, what needs to be weared in assembly, that my heart has to say, everybody is welcome. Everybody’s welcome in whatever form they’re in. It doesn’t mean everybody’s right about everything. It doesn’t mean that everybody is wearing even the correct attire yet. But it does say that people will be here, and I have to show love to all. The way I want God to show love to everyone, including me, with my list of faults and misunderstandings.

And I think it’s important that we don’t allow this, if it falls in the realm of opinion, we don’t allow it to become a divisive issue. We can look at the principles in Romans chapter 14, although a different subject was at in mind in Romans chapter 14. The idea of the eating of meats, whether they had or had not been sacrificed to idols was the immediate context there.

Begin in verse 1, it says, Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to dispute over doubtful things. So if here is someone who doesn’t have the maybe the full understanding of God’s word, and maybe even the full respect we would argue for a worship assembly. He says that we are to receive those. And I want to just note highlight some phrases as we go through in Romans chapter 14 of here’s two brethren who disagree with one another over an issue, and how the Holy Spirit, through the apostle, phrases the language of how I’m to view that brother with whom I disagree on these matters. The end of verse 3, it says, For God has received him. That frames it in that context. In verse 4, the beginning of verse 4, who are you?

Who are you to judge another’s servant? The implication there is twofold. Number one, he’s not my servant. He doesn’t have to do this to please me, but that he is God’s servant. That’s to whom he is owing his allegiance. If we skip down to verse 10, why do you judge your brother? Always remember that. In any disagreement, no matter how heated, how important it is, this is a brother or a sister in Christ. And so I’m going to treat them in that way. Skipping down to verse 15, the last sentence of verse 15 says, Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Again, that changes the way I view this person with whom I disagree. This is someone for whom Christ died.

This is my brother. This is a servant of God. And then lastly, in verse 20, he says, Do not destroy the work of God. Now you can make an argument that the work of God is talking about the church, but you could also make an argument that he’s talking about that individual. That person is a work of God. Both in the creative sense, that he was created in the image of God, but maybe more in the immediate context that he is the work of God and that he has been renewed and added to the family of God. And so, in this subject, in this arena, in the many arenas in which we might disagree and have differences of opinion, always keep in mind that this is a brother or sister in Christ, for whom Christ died.

And that should couch many of our disagreements of similar matters. If you look at verse 19, it really gives the positive goal. There’s been a lot of warnings, we might say negative exhortations. Do not do this, do not allow this to happen, do not let this transpire. But verse 19, so then, rather than being judgmental and despising your brother or even putting a stumbling block before him, so then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. That is really the goal. We’re trying to work together. We’re really on the same team. And when you look at that, we have to remember when we answer any question, whether it be a question of right and wrong, and we go straight to God’s word, or a question where you might say there’s some personal liberty.

Why am I doing what I’m doing? What is my purpose? Because God expects to be worshipped. God expects to be worshipped on his terms and in his way. And so when I go back to that spectrum as we kind of wrap up this question, yes, I obviously need to treat everybody with a welcoming heart and with love, the way God does, and the way I want God to welcome us as well. But I also have to consider on that spectrum, why am I dressing the way I am? Am I ready for worship? Am I spending time preparing not only my body but my thoughts for worship? And if not, is that worthy of our Creator? If I don’t take anything, any sort of preparation, I don’t even bring my Bible, I don’t even think about it until the last second.

Am I showing God proper honor and respect? There can be perhaps some different answers and points of view on that. It might even change how you dress. You might want to be inclusive towards people. You might want to be praising God with how you wear your best. Wherever you fall in the spectrum, do so deliberately. Understanding matters of liberty are not to be divisive issues in a congregation of God’s people. But be pointed. And remember that God expects us not only to worship Him in truth, but in spirit as well. He expects our hearts. He expects our worship. And I think our attitude, our actions, our words, and even our attire will be affected when we realize we’re going to worship God. We’re going to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

3. Are Spiritual Gifts Still Active Today?

And I think it would do us all well every Lord’s Day morning to pause and think that’s what we’re about to do, instead of just rushing out of the door in some kind of habit, is to think, I’m going to worship God. Is my attitude right? Am I dressed in a way that would reflect that? And the words that I’m going to use today, will they reflect that? And I think that, again, the attitude, the heart will really take care of the matter of how I dress, how I act, every other facet of life, if we just pause and think, I’m going to worship my God. What’s the right way to do that? I think our next question, which perhaps will be our final question, are spiritual gifts, such as tongue speaking and prophesying still active today?

And what we mean by that question is not, are there people out there who do say they speak in tongues or do say they are prophesying? The question is, is it biblical, is it truly from God and happening today? Because certainly you can find groups of people who will say these gifts are active and groups who say they are inactive. But rather than public opinion, we’re going to seek out what is the will of God on this matter. And when we look at that, we we see in looking at the scriptures, and it bears pausing here and making that point as we’re answering questions today, that that’s where we should always seek the answer. What does the scripture say? And when we look at the scriptures, we see that the ability to speak in tongues and these other spiritual gifts came through two different means in the New Testament.

The one, the more direct one, is what we sometimes refer to as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Baptism just meaning this flood, this immersion in the Holy Spirit. And we read of that occasion happening really just two times, and that’s notable. Two times in the New Testament. We won’t take the time to read these references, but in Acts chapter 2, it had been promised by Jesus before he left this earth that his apostles would be endued with power from on high. This would be one of the signs of the coming of the kingdom, that the Holy Spirit would come upon them, and they would be able to perform these wonderful acts, including one of the most visible ones was the idea of speaking of tongues.

That was on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, the beginning of the preaching of the gospel. We see another occasion of that in Acts chapter 10. In fact, Peter, who was present at both occasions in Acts chapter 11, when we’re referencing that account in Acts chapter 11, said it happened here to Cornelius and his household, the way it happened to us in the beginning, referring to Acts chapter 2. I think the strong inference there is that this is the only two times that it happened. If he has to refer back to Acts chapter 2, is the other time in which this occasion happened. And so here, at two beginnings, the beginning of the preaching of the gospel in the day of Pentecost, and now the beginning of the preaching of the gospel to the Gentile people in Acts chapter 10, that was imparted through this baptism, overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit.

That’s one way in which we see this miraculous ability being imparted to people in New Testament days. The second way, and I want us to look at Acts chapter 8 relatively quickly here, is the laying on of the apostles’ hands. Now, this is crucial because as Ken may note of in Acts 2, by the time you come to Acts 11, Peter’s saying the Holy Spirit descended upon them as they did us at first. And of course, Acts 8, you know, knowing numbers as well as I do, being a mathematician, Acts 8 comes in between 2 and 11. So this will be a good case in point. In Acts chapter 8, though, note quickly with me in verse 10, talking about Simon, they all paid attention to him from the least of the grace, because they said, This man is the power of God that is called great.

Here we’re reading about Simon the sorcerer. And he’s among the group here in verse 12, who is described when they believed Philip, as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized. Both men and women. Verse 13 continues that even Simon himself believed and was baptized. And it notes that he was amazed by the miracles being done. And so when you come to verse 14, notice these next four verses carefully. Now, when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For he had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now, this is a pivotal point for both our question and a side note that many people say the necessity nowadays of having Holy Spirit baptism. Well, the problem with that is the only time Holy Spirit baptism is found in the New Testament is in Acts 2 and Acts 10, or otherwise referencing those events. So here what happens, though, you have in verse 12, people who believed and were baptized, that is, they were saved. But what why did Peter and John have to come then? They didn’t have the Holy Spirit gifts yet. And so how did they get those? In verse 17, Peter and John came and laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

That’s important for two reasons. One, salvation is not linked to gifts of the Holy Spirit. And secondly, gifts of the Holy Spirit could come in a separate way from baptism of the Holy Spirit. A lot of times, if you talk with your friends and neighbors, they’ll say the only way to get spiritual gifts is Holy Spirit baptism. That’s not even what we see in the New Testament pattern. And so when we come to answer this question, we look at passages or you think of passages like in 1 or 2 Corinthians, you can keep in mind how did they get their ability to have these spiritual gifts? It would have been through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. We find in verses 14 through 17 here.

And much of this question could be answered in looking at the biblical fundamental principle of what was the purpose of these spiritual gifts. Well, one purpose we’ve already noticed is these spiritual gifts, like miracles, the speaking in tongues, had these specific purpose. One was it marked the beginning of the kingdom. Jesus, beginning in Mark chapter 8 and Luke chapter 24 in Acts 1, prepared his apostles that they would know when the beginning of the kingdom came by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the gospel coming with that power. And that’s exactly what Peter and the Apostles explain on Acts 2. What is the explanation for this speaking in tongues, this phenomenon? Well, this is that which was prophesied by the prophet Joel. This is the sign of the coming of this spiritual kingdom.

And so it fulfilled that grand purpose as a mark, as an indicator as to when that kingdom will come and those prophecies would be fulfilled. A second marking of these gifts or purpose was in Acts 10 and Acts 11, as Peter recognized, yes, God even wants the Gentiles to be part of the kingdom. That was noteworthy. It was hard for Peter to learn. It was perhaps even harder for his fellow Jews to learn. And so when God sent the Holy Spirit in this way and in this manner, it was very important, and by the way, correctly received by the Jews. They would rejoice that God would grant repentance even to the Gentiles. Acts chapter 11 notes. And then secondary to that, it was a proof to uplift and to edify and to reveal God’s word.

This was a new message being preached. Why was it to be received? Why was it to be believed? How do I know that this is truly the word of God and not the words of man? Well, because those preaching that word were also performing things that only God could do. And so it was God that used the New Testament language, God bearing witness with them. That it put God’s stamp of approval upon the message that they were preaching. And so one final point really to make is why would we have spiritual gifts today? If they were still active, if somehow we could still get them, what would their purpose be? I think 1 Corinthians chapter 13, though, really clarifies this issue. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, read with me quickly, verses 8, 9, and 10.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away. As for tongues, they will cease. As for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. Oftentimes we read verse 10 and we say, well, when the perfect comes, that has to be Jesus. And so it’s fine for spiritual gifts to still be active today. But that’s not at all what he’s talking about. If you read 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and certainly 13 and 14, he’s talking to them about spiritual gifts, and they had a problem. Some were saying, Well, my spiritual gift is more important than your spiritual gift. Or I wish I had that person’s spiritual gift, because boy, that is something.

And Paul’s teaching them, no, we need everybody. And so when we think about the part or perfect, the idea of perfect really is whole or complete. And so when you think about what would not be whole or complete at the time of 1 Corinthians chapter 13, it wasn’t that salvation was not available. It wasn’t that God’s will wasn’t being done, it was that the full revelation, full and complete inspired will of God was not completed yet. So they needed the gift of prophesying in tongues to not only identify that they were from God, but what God’s word was for them and identify how we need to change our lives to submit to our God. And two very important things are different today. Number one is we have the complete will of God.

We have a way to confirm the message. We don’t need the miracles to confirm that a man is teaching or preaching the word of God. We have the book. We can point and say, here’s proof that what I’m saying is the word of God. And another thing that’s not in existence is we don’t have the apostles to pass on those gifts. That ability, that transferring of those spiritual gifts, died with the last apostle. And so the last person on whom they laid hands when they died, those spiritual gifts died with them. And not coincidentally, that’s about the same time that the word of God was complete, and we had it there as the complete, inspired, revealed will of God. So when you put all those factors together as we conclude this question in our session, modern prophecy, for example, would be proven unnecessary in these last days because God’s will is already fully revealed.

Imagine somebody who says they are or have a prophet of God. You ask them a simple question. Does that prophet add to God’s word? Well, if this is sufficient, we can’t do that. Do they take away from God’s word? Well, if this is sufficient, they can’t do that. So what do they do? Well, they teach. Well, we have teachers. We’d like to think that we are able to teach things from time to time here, even from the will of God, not needing direct revelation for that, but understanding we have the full and complete will of God, and it’s up to us now to read it, to understand it, and to change our lives to be molded in the way that God has made it clear. He wants us to be molded into.

Conclusion

So we think we’re thankful for everyone’s kind attention and questions, and please continue to send them on. Ken’s going to dismiss us in a word of prayer. Will you bow with me, please? My dear God and Father in heaven, we’re so thankful that you’ve given us your word. We live in a time and a place where it’s readily available and readily and easily understood. Bless us in our studies, both as a congregation, as an individual. May we always go to your word for the answers in our life. Continue to bless us, continue to love us, and most of all, Father, own us on that day. This is our simple prayer in Christ’s name. Amen. We’ll now be dismissed to our classes.