1 00:00:12,138 --> 00:00:15,873 I'm planning to speak on something else, 2 00:00:15,873 --> 00:00:23,301 but could I invite you to another Scripture first? 3 00:00:23,301 --> 00:00:31,292 In 2 Corinthians 11 4 00:00:33,040 --> 00:01:01,873 In 2 Corinthians 11:2, "I am jealous for you..." 5 00:01:01,873 --> 00:01:08,621 Any pastor, any father in the faith, 6 00:01:08,621 --> 00:01:12,505 any man of God, any woman of God, 7 00:01:12,505 --> 00:01:15,191 that's what he feels, 8 00:01:15,191 --> 00:01:18,454 A jealousy for those he has helped 9 00:01:18,454 --> 00:01:21,823 to bring to Christ. 10 00:01:21,823 --> 00:01:25,270 Paul says, "I am jealous for you." 11 00:01:25,270 --> 00:01:29,000 There's a bad jealousy. 12 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,126 A jealousy that will put a man in hell. 13 00:01:33,126 --> 00:01:36,151 But there's a good and godly jealousy. 14 00:01:36,151 --> 00:01:38,407 And Paul says I'm jealous for you 15 00:01:38,407 --> 00:01:40,557 with a godly jealousy. 16 00:01:40,557 --> 00:01:45,872 God, He Himself is a jealous God, right? 17 00:01:45,872 --> 00:01:48,577 He is very jealous for His people. 18 00:01:48,577 --> 00:01:50,275 Very jealous for their affection, 19 00:01:50,275 --> 00:01:52,388 very jealous for their attention, 20 00:01:52,388 --> 00:01:56,282 their love, their loyalty, their devotion. 21 00:01:56,282 --> 00:01:59,082 That there be no rivalry. 22 00:01:59,082 --> 00:02:02,937 That there be no divided attention. 23 00:02:02,937 --> 00:02:05,990 He wants everything. He deserves everything. 24 00:02:05,990 --> 00:02:10,092 And so Paul says, "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy." 25 00:02:10,092 --> 00:02:12,987 A jealousy just like God's. 26 00:02:12,987 --> 00:02:17,491 "For I betrothed you to one Husband." 27 00:02:17,491 --> 00:02:21,515 He's talking about Christ. 28 00:02:21,515 --> 00:02:25,279 "So that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin." 29 00:02:25,279 --> 00:02:27,965 Think of Paul's care for this Corinthian church. 30 00:02:27,965 --> 00:02:29,723 These dear Corinthians. 31 00:02:29,723 --> 00:02:34,835 These dear folks that he'd begotten through the gospel. 32 00:02:34,835 --> 00:02:37,136 He says, I've brought you to Christ. 33 00:02:37,136 --> 00:02:38,598 He, like a husband. 34 00:02:38,598 --> 00:02:40,972 It was like they were, the Christian, is in 35 00:02:40,972 --> 00:02:43,161 an engagement period. 36 00:02:43,161 --> 00:02:48,721 Right now, until heaven. 37 00:02:48,721 --> 00:02:51,774 And He was concerned for their purity. 38 00:02:51,774 --> 00:02:55,455 But in verse 3, he says, "I am afraid." 39 00:02:55,455 --> 00:02:56,583 Isn't that something? 40 00:02:56,583 --> 00:02:59,781 The mighty Apostle Paul would acknowledge 41 00:02:59,781 --> 00:03:03,029 that he had some fears. 42 00:03:03,029 --> 00:03:09,077 He says, "I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve..." 43 00:03:09,077 --> 00:03:12,843 a reference to Satan, 44 00:03:12,843 --> 00:03:16,079 "by his craftiness." 45 00:03:16,079 --> 00:03:21,143 Let us ever remember that Satan is a master deceiver. 46 00:03:21,143 --> 00:03:23,747 He is very crafty, very wily, 47 00:03:23,747 --> 00:03:27,031 He has devices. He has schemes. 48 00:03:27,031 --> 00:03:29,689 Never forget it, 49 00:03:29,689 --> 00:03:38,927 that our ancient foe does yet want to work us woe. 50 00:03:38,927 --> 00:03:45,204 He deceived Eve out of her purity in Paradise. 51 00:03:45,204 --> 00:03:48,914 That's how skillful he is. 52 00:03:48,914 --> 00:03:51,906 By his craftiness, he says, I'm afraid 53 00:03:51,906 --> 00:03:54,734 that your minds be led astray from the simplicity 54 00:03:54,734 --> 00:04:00,772 and purity of devotion to Christ. 55 00:04:00,772 --> 00:04:04,768 Brethren, right here it is. 56 00:04:04,768 --> 00:04:08,122 And I'll just keep it simple. 57 00:04:08,122 --> 00:04:12,868 The devil is - here is one main thing, the main thing, 58 00:04:12,868 --> 00:04:15,135 that he is trying to do, and that is 59 00:04:15,135 --> 00:04:21,020 to get us away from pure and simple devotion to Christ. 60 00:04:21,020 --> 00:04:22,911 Somehow to make our lives complicated, 61 00:04:22,911 --> 00:04:25,063 somehow to make our decisions complicated, 62 00:04:25,063 --> 00:04:28,428 somehow to foul us up, to get us away 63 00:04:28,428 --> 00:04:32,785 from simple, pure devotion to Christ. 64 00:04:32,785 --> 00:04:35,035 On the way down here yesterday, 65 00:04:35,035 --> 00:04:40,808 I just felt my spirit deeply stirred. 66 00:04:40,808 --> 00:04:44,642 Coming down through Texas with all these huge cities, 67 00:04:44,642 --> 00:04:47,453 and all this affluence, and all this business, 68 00:04:47,453 --> 00:04:49,720 and all this commerce, and all this stuff, 69 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:51,801 and all the houses, and all the people. 70 00:04:51,801 --> 00:04:56,285 Masses of humanity with all life so complicated anymore. 71 00:04:56,285 --> 00:04:59,308 I just felt deeply stirred within, 72 00:04:59,308 --> 00:05:03,677 and all the preciousness of all these souls. 73 00:05:03,677 --> 00:05:06,380 And the difficulty and the challenge of life, 74 00:05:06,380 --> 00:05:09,711 and all the distraction that is out there, 75 00:05:09,711 --> 00:05:12,307 and just the importance of keeping 76 00:05:12,307 --> 00:05:16,927 our hearts pure and simple in devotion to Christ. 77 00:05:16,927 --> 00:05:19,429 Never move away from that. 78 00:05:19,429 --> 00:05:21,505 Never forget it. 79 00:05:21,505 --> 00:05:23,962 More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee. 80 00:05:23,962 --> 00:05:25,378 Christ and Him crucified. 81 00:05:25,378 --> 00:05:27,143 Christ plus nothing. 82 00:05:27,143 --> 00:05:30,904 Don't ever compromise your conscience. 83 00:05:30,904 --> 00:05:36,434 Mere Christianity is walking through this waste howling wilderness 84 00:05:36,434 --> 00:05:38,835 with a pure conscience. 85 00:05:38,835 --> 00:05:40,575 That's mere Christianity. 86 00:05:40,575 --> 00:05:42,271 No, we're not perfect. 87 00:05:42,271 --> 00:05:50,397 But simple Christianity is to keep a clear conscience. 88 00:05:50,397 --> 00:05:58,389 Nothing between my soul and the Savior. 89 00:05:58,389 --> 00:06:04,898 So, that verse just came to my mind in the last hour. 90 00:06:04,898 --> 00:06:08,191 I wanted to share that.