The Proper Focus is Essential

0:00 I would like to invite Barry Bru, our elder here, one of our elders here at Brook Hashem, to come to the stage Ave Shama, our father in heaven. Lord, I thank you for Barry and for, uh, his preparation. Lord, I pray that you would speak to us today, that you would open up our ears, Lord, as we hear from you, open up our hearts. Lord. Lord, I pray that you would, uh, speak to us through Barry and we, Lord, I thank you for his dedication and his preparation, uh, for this Shabbat. We bless you in Yeshua's name. Amen. Amen. Thank you Rabbi Ari. Well,

0:46 Shabbat shalom. Shalom. Well, good morning. It's good to have a, uh, another opportunity to speak here at B H Ss. You know, I enjoy speaking. I don't do it that much, I'll be honest. It tends to make me nervous at times, you know, and sometimes it's safer to hide back there in the media, right? Except when there's a problem and then it's like this gigantic spotlight, right? Right onto everything. But I wanted to take a minute, as long as brought up media, I want to thank the folks that are serving back there. Without that team, we, we wouldn't have what we have. So if you wanna stand up, wave,

1:34 thank y'all. I wanna bring up, I can't, can't get everybody's name, but I'll just bring up some of the, the leaders of the, of the media. You know, Paul, Travis, lead sound. Paul's dedicated has a great heart. Josh, man, Josh is great to work with. He's, he brought a lot of technical excellence and some areas in projection. Um, David Turner and, and Cheryl with the, with the video, um, Aaron, everybody knows Aaron Gross. He's a lot of times not here. He, uh, edits videos and gets him on the web and so forth. Does a lot of that. Marcus, who's not actually in multimedia, but in the kind of a sister ministry technical support, Marcus has been a phenomenal help. Also, I'll take one more moment to do it.

2:23 Over the last couple years, a year and a half or so, we've done an upgrade here. So we got new video stuff, new lighting, and that took a kind of a full court press by a lot of people. We had a couple one week efforts, take all the chairs out on Shabbat, then Sunday morning, all the way through one nighttime, you know, like three in the morning before the service started. So we had folks that really did that, and Paul was part of that. Josh, Marcus, Dan k, um, Cheryl, Howerton, uh, Betty and her team, Betty and Sheila and others, they made meals for us all the time. So we were never hungry. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Um, we had others, uh, Kobe that's back there, Kobe Waldeck, he really helped pulling cables and all kinds of stuff. Rocky Carter, Roland,

3:08 uh, Andrew, Andrew, buff Marshall and his nephew did a lot of electrical work. Aaron, I mentioned, and then in Mark Har, and I probably forgot some, but I want to thank, thank those. You don't need to applaud, but, but what those folks do a lot of times doesn't really get recognized unless there's an issue, right? So, okay. Amen. Okay. Today I want to share a message on repentance and faith and trust in Yeshua. Let's start first by, uh, discussing, uh, repentance. I'm gonna go through a few slides or actually talk about this, this Shabbat. So Shabbat shava, it's the Shabbat that falls between Osh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Uh,

3:54 it's called the Sabbath of return because of the special prophetic reading of the book of Ho Hosea that starts with Shava Israel, or return of Israel. And then Shabbat teshuva, a Shabbat of repentance as it calls people to the people of God to turn from their sins and their rebellion and to return to God. So what is repentance? Look at a dictionary definition. Some Jewish thoughts, some Christian thought. So repenting to turn from sin, to dedicate one's self to the amendment of one's life. We realize we're going the wrong way. We want to turn, uh, to feel, regret or contrition to change one's mind, or to cause to feel regret or contrition to feel sorrow, regret.

4:43 It's kind of a dictionary definition. Some Jewish thought tissue, var, repentance, a recognition of sins, knowing that certain things are sinful. Have a remorse or a regret, uh, desisting from sin. You know, it's one thing that we recognize that we're sending, and it's another thing to, to change, right? That's not always easy. Um, restitution in some cases, you know, we gotta make something right? And that's, that's, that's not easy. Um, sometimes. And then confession, you know, there's personal and, and kind of group confession from Christian thought, repentance, a turning away from sin. A willingness, a willingness or resolution to stop sinning. A requirement to stop sinning, change in thinking,

5:32 a realization of sin and the need for a substitute atonement. So, um, sin is going the wrong way. I'm gonna have the guy show a video here in just a second. But sometimes we may be in sin or going the wrong way, and we don't realize it. Sometimes others try to warn us. Sometimes we may listen, sometimes we may miss and incur problems as a result. So this video will do a couple things to demonstrate that and kind of break the ice with where we are here. Hey, hey, Hey, what's going on? Some joker wants to race,

6:18 Don't Race. That's ridiculous. Alright, come on, let's go, let's go. Put your window down. You want something? He's probably drunk. You're going the wrong Way. What? You're going the wrong way. He says, we're going the wrong way. Oh, he's drunk. How would he know where we're going? Yeah, how would he know? Thank you. Thanks a lot. Terrific. Thank you. What a moron. You're Going in the wrong direction. You're going somebody,

7:14 you are going the wrong way.

8:00 So who needs to repent? So have we ever gone the gone the wrong way and, and you didn't realize it? Maybe you hit a one way street. I've done that once or twice, and it's like, oh my gosh, it wasn't on a, on a interstate highway like that. Um, but not everybody that's going the wrong way realizes it. Sometimes we need to be warned, and sometimes someone tries to warn us and they, uh, we, we don't hear for whatever reason. So who needs to repent? So I like this verse, Yeshua speaking. Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. One aspect of needing to repent is you've gotta realize that something's wrong. You know, there's one style of evangelism in reaching people that brings up the

8:50 sins to get a person to see that they have a problem, right? Before they know that they need Yeshua. Um, do you think that these galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will likewise all perish. The times of ignorance, God overlooked. But now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. And of this, he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. So all people need to repent. John the Mercer, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Yeshua spoke, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And Rob Shaul,

9:37 I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God performing deeds, keep it in keeping with their repentance. So God wishes all to repent. What do we see from second Peter? The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who have no need of repentance and repent. Therefore, in turn, again, that your sins may be blotted out,

10:24 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. And one more. Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. So tomorrow evening and, and, uh, Yom Kippur, someone will read the Owlette. This is an eighth century prayer. Um, I think it was constructed in alphabetical order, the sins. But if you've read this, this prayer, it covers just about everything. Now, I know there's probably sins, it doesn't, but it's like, it it something in here you've probably done or I for sure have done over the last day or so. But, you know, stuff under compulsion of our own will, hardening our hearts, idle chatter.

11:13 Sometimes the things we say can really hurt and cut and we shouldn't. Things we do openly or secretly in speech, wronging others, you know, not listening to parents and teachers association with impurity. We got the internet today, and it's very easy now to associate with impurity, unintentional. It's like, oh gosh, what is that? Back out of that and whatever. Um, profaning, the Lord's name, foul language, bribery, ridicule. I'm not gonna read them all. Um, shameless audacity. That's the one that gets me. It's like, wow, that's, that must be really bad. Um, spreading rumors, empty promises, hatred, but all these things are sin. And, and, and we should not as, as believers in Yeshua practice them. But,

11:59 but what do we do? We fall, sometimes we come short. Um, so where should we focus? We could avoid wrongdoing. You know, I just showed you a list of wrongdoing, so there's no limit to that. Trouble is there's also things that we're supposed to do that we might not do, right? That's sin too. But I don't wanna focus on, on all of that today. I wanna say, I believe that sin is sinful. We should resist sin. I wanna talk about that some. But, but I'd like us to focus on our relationship with Yeshua. We're gonna talk about abiding in Yeshua, abiding in Messiah, trusting him to make us right, the Ruach, the Holy Spirit empowering us to do the will of God.

12:48 So God wants us to trust and rely on him. I go read through scripture. God gets angry with sin, but he also, there's, there's places where I believe that people that put their trust and reliance in him, it's like there's some, even some nullifying effect with the sin. Look at the things that King David did, right? Not only did he commit adultery, he had the guy that, that the, the guy's wife killed, right? So, but, but he was a man after God's own heart. He, he had a sincere trust and faith in the Lord. So I think above all, God wants us to trust and rely on him. Put not your trust in princes in a son of man whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth on that very day,

13:34 his plans perish. Blessed. It is he whose help is the God of Jacob. Whose hope is in the Lord is God from Psalm 1 47. We see his delight is not in the strength of a horse nor his pleasure in the legs of a man. But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him and those who hope in his steadfast love. And then from Psalm one 18, it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. The Lord redeems the life of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

14:20 Don't rely. I need to not rely on my righteousness, the stuff I do. That's good. I suggest that, that, that you did the same. Yeshua told a parable to someone that trusted in themselves, or someone who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt. Two men went up to the temple to pray. One a pharisee in the other text collector the Pharisee standing by himself or by by himself, prayed. Thus God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all I get. But the tax collector standing far off would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breath saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house, justified rather than the other forever,

15:08 ever Exalts himself will be humbled and he help humbles himself will be exalted. Now, the things the Pharisee did were those bad things, those were actually good things to do. The problem was he was relying on the things he did to make him right. So don't take the message. It's don't matter if we do good, don't matter if we do bad. It's the reliance on that for all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse for it is written curse it be everyone who does not abide by all things in the book of the law. Does that say that the law is bad? Of course not. But what does it say? I underlined who rely for all, who rely. So let's not rely on our righteousness. We're gonna rely on on our Messiah Yeshua. Does that mean like, like the Apostle Paul said, or Rob Schul said that? Do we just go on sinning?

15:56 You know, of course not. Of course not. So where does our righteousness come from? I believe our righteousness comes from Yeshua. Behold, the days are coming declares the Lord. When I'll raise up for David a righteous branch, and he shall reign his king and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days, Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called the Lord is our righteousness. I'm not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also the Greek, for in it, a righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith is written, the righteous shall live by faith

16:41 For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin. So that in him we might become the righteousness of God. So in Messiah, we can become or we become the righteousness of God. Now, I'm speaking to folks today that I'm assuming no Yeshua, right? All of us didn't know Yeshua at all times, right? There was a point in life. If you don't know Messiah, these things don't, they apply, right? But, but you need a relationship with him. You need to trust him. Um, but anyway, if you, if you do want to know Messiah, like after this service, there's a prayer room over here. There's folks that would love to share, share with you what it takes. Or you can come up to, to any of us in, in leadership. Alright? I wanna focus on Yeshua.

17:31 So from Hebrews chapter 12, we're told, therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us get rid of every weight and entangling sin and let us run with endurance the race set for us, focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfector of faith. Before the joy set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, it has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. Now these notes, I'm sharing a lot of scriptures. Now you can find the notes on you version if you're looking for those. A couple months ago I had the opportunity to speak and I spoke about the Kodesh

18:17 or the Holy Spirit. So as we're going through this, I want us to remember that, you know, we can't in our own power do any of these things. It's the, it's the ruach or his spirit that gives us faith, that changes us, that helps us, that bears fruit in us, that gives gifts to each of us, different gifts to, to build up the body. And it can make us bold too. Alright? As we focus on Yeshua, I've got five things that are similar and or the same that I think are helpful for us to, to, to, to walk with him. Those have those of us who have come to faith in Messiah. Yeshua are new creations. We're told in second Corinthians chapter five that if anyone is in Messiah,

19:05 he's a new creation. Old things are passed away, all things have become new as a new creation. I sometimes, maybe I forget for a little while That I'm a new creation. Something comes up. Maybe I'm more prone to somebody cut me off point blank on the highway and not liking that so much. Um, the Lord's working with me, um, better in, better in that. Um, but I'm a new creation, right? And sometimes I may get bogged down with things, whatever they are, and I might tend to forget that. Now I know I don't really, really forget it, but at the time, I may not be focused on the fact that I'm not just somebody that prayed a prayer one time,

19:50 that now I just follow Yeshua as a teacher. Something happened and I got changed, right? So a new creation is different. So the goal of this message is to bring these five areas of focus to the forefront with the thought that they would be helpful to us as we walk with the Lord. It's not important that you fully digest each of these in the details in the short time we have together, but that you see that focusing on Yeshua and being a new creation will serve you well as you walk with him. First thing, abide in Messiah. Yeshua tells us in John 15, and we'll look at that in some detail, that he's the true vine and where the branch is.

20:37 And he tells us that if we abide in him, we'll bear fruit. And if we don't, and, and actually if we abide in him, he tells us one more thing, we get pruned. And, and that's kind of painful, may not be desirable all the time, but that if we don't abide in him, we're not gonna bear fruit. We're gonna wither. So we want to abide in our Messiah from Romans chapter six. We're told as new creations to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Messiah, Yeshua. I think that's a powerful thing just in the way of a focus. You know what I'm, you know, this temptation comes up in front of me. I'm actually dead to sin. I might not have felt it at that second and I'm alive to God.

21:22 Kind of a different way of looking at that. But pretty much the same is to remind us to put off the old and to put on the new, put off the things that drag us down and put on the things of God. And then Peter in second Peter, chapter one tells us to partake in the divine nature. And he kind of asks us to take an inventory of ourselves, of these qualities. And are these qualities in us and are they increasing, right? So we've got kind of a mechanism there to check with, with how we're, how we're doing. And the last thing but not least, is to address appropriately. Ephesians six tells us to put on the full armor of God.

22:07 We're in a battle against spiritual forces. So we want to be clothed properly. And I think all of these things relate to putting on Yeshua is what we're gonna see. So let's start off with abiding in Messiah from one John. Uh, but his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and is no lie, just it has taught you abide in him. And now little children abide in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. So that's from John in First John. Let's go on to Yeshua's words. I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he prunes or he takes away.

22:55 And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you or the branches, whoever abides in me and I and him, he it is that bears much fruit for apart from me. You can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you by this. Is my father glorified by this?

23:40 My father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples as the father has loved me. So I have loved you, abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. Just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment that you love one another. So we're told to abide that if we are connected, we're gonna bear fruit. That if we're not connected, we're not gonna bear fruit. And another thing we're told to love. And and you're gonna see this, this word love or the exhortation to love brought up in, in all almost all five of these areas. So,

24:26 so putting on love is important. So Yeshua is the true vine where the branches to bear fruit one must abide in Yeshua. Branches that bear fruit get pruned, right? We go might go through some times where the Lord's working on us and changing things. Um, apart from Yeshua, we wither and bear no fruit. I mean that's kind of a sobering thought, but, but we need to know that. And Yeshua has commanded us to love one another. So we've realized we need to abide. Keep making a decision to abide. Trust him, look to him, communicate with him, stick close with him.

25:13 And remember, your life comes from Yeshua and then love one another. You know, immersion is a picture of being. And we have one this afternoon. It's a picture of being dead to sin and alive to God. One goes down in the water, right a picture of death and then one comes back up a picture of being raised to a new life. So from Romans chapter six, what shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that Grace May abound? May it never be. How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us were immersed into Messiah, Yeshua were immersed into his death.

25:59 Therefore we were buried together with him through immersion into death in order that just as Messiah was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life for if we have become joined together in his likeness of his death. Certainly we also will be joined together in his resurrection knowing that our old man was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be done away with. So we are no longer slaves to sin for he who has died has been set free from sin. Now, if we have died with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Messiah, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies, death no longer is master over him for the death he died.

26:45 He died once to sin. But the life he lives, he lives to God. So also continually count yourselves, both dead to sin and alive to God in Messiah Yeshua. Therefore, do not sin. Let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. And do not keep yielding your body parts to sin as tools of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as those alive from the dead. And your body parts as tools of the righteousness of God for sin shall not be master over you. For you're not under law, but under grace. So we've been crucified with Messiah. Might not always feel like that,

27:31 but that's a fact. We're to continually count ourselves dead to sin and continually count ourselves alive to God as new creations in our Messiah. We've died to sin. We don't need to yield to sin, we must not yield to sin. However, if we do sin, what do we do? We confess it. One John one, nine says, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So Yeshua forgives us for our sins. And there's another verse if you do sin, look to Yeshua. And I never understood this verse. I'm not sure if I shared it last time I spoke or prior to that,

28:17 but from John chapter three, it just says, just as Moses, you know, raised up the serpent in the desert, so must the son of man be raised up, that everybody that looks to him, you know, would ha would have life. So that's really interesting thing. Does everybody know the story of the bronze serpent where the Israelites were sinning? I think they wanted water and there wasn't any and they were complaining. And the Lord, what did he do? He sent fiery serpents among the people. People were getting bit and dying from those serpents. So Moses cries out to the Lord, the people cry out to Moses and Moses cries out to the Lord. You know, what do I do? And Moses uh, the Lord tells Moses something strange. He says, take make an image of the serpents that are biting people. Stick it on a pole.

29:03 And then when anybody looks, you tell them, when anybody gets bitten by a serpent, look at that pole. That sounds like a crazy thing to do. But the folks that looked at the serpent on the pole, what happened? They lived, they didn't die. Well, Yeshua is actually a picture of what happened to him for us was a picture of sin. He became sin for us. So when we sin, we can look to Yeshua and we can be forgiven and have life and restoration. So again, if you sin, confess it. If you sin, look to Yeshua. Thirdly, very similar to the last. We're told to put off the old and put on the new. Therefore, if you've been raised with Messiah,

29:49 keep seeking the things above where Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God. Focus your mind on these, on things above, not on things of the earth. You know, that's easier said than done, right? Sometimes for you have all died and your life is hidden with Messiah and God, when Messiah who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him. And glory therefore put to death what is earthly in you? Sexual immorality and purity, lust, evil desire, greed for that is idolatry. Because of such things, God's wrath is coming on the sons of disobedience. You know, we can't forget, we live in a world, we live in a world that's God basically mad in my opinion. And um, but the wrath of God one day is gonna come. Right?

30:37 So God still hates those things that are sinful. He forgives us, but he doesn't really want us, want us participating in those. So at one time you also walked in these ways when you used to live in these ways. But now set them all aside. Anger, rage, malice, slander, foul language out of your mouth. Don't lie to one another. After all, you have taken off the old self with its practices and you have put on the new self that is being re renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created him. Here. There is no longer Greek or Jew circumcised, uncircumcised by bar savage slaying free. But Messiah is all in all therefore is God's chosen people holy and dearly loved. Clothe yourself in tender compassion,

31:23 need to be compassionate with one another. Kindness, humility, gentleness and patience bearing with one another and forgiving each other. If anyone has a grievance against another, just as the Lord pardoned you. So also you must pardon others. So we need to forgive others right as the Lord's forgiven us. But above all these things put on love. Now here's love again. We gotta go put love on, which is the B bond of perfect harmony. Let the shalom of Messiah rule in your hearts to this shalom. You were surely called in one body. Also be thankful. Let the word of Messiah dwell in you. Rich richly teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom and Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

32:10 singing in gratitude with your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deeded, do all in the name of the Lord, Yeshua, giving thanks to God the Father through hym. So some key points or observations from these verses, recognize that you have already died and your life is hidden in with Messiah and God, seek the things that are above. Focus on the things that are above. Set your mind on the things that are above put to death. What is earthly in you? Put on the new self, put on compassion, put on kindness, humility, meekness, patience and love. Just as the Lord has pardoned me,

32:55 I need to forgive. So just as the Lord has pardoned you, you need to forgive and pardon others. We're to let the peace of Messiah rule in our hearts and be thankful. Thankfulness, I think I've heard people give testimonies that just being thankful changes their outlook, changes pretty much everything if we're thankful. So we wanna be thankful. Alright, fourth, we wanna partake in the divine nature. It's an interesting way to put that. So his divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Through the knowledge of him who is called by his own glory and virtue through these things,

33:40 he has given us precious and magnificent promises so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature. Since you have escaped the corruption that evil desires have brought into this world. Now, for this very reason, make every effort add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, patience and to patience, godliness and to godliness, brotherly love and to brotherly love. Love for if these qualities are in you and are increasing, they will keep you from becoming idle and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord, Yeshua, the Messiah. So those qualities keep us from becoming unfruitful.

34:29 That's the hard part. But if anyone lacks these qualities, he is blind or nearsighted because he has forgotten his cleansing from past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters make all the more effort to make your calling in election certain for if you keep doing these things you'll never stumble for in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, savior, messiah, Yeshua will be richly provided for you. So we're told to, we start off with faith. Faith in God, faith in Messiah. Yeshua told in Hebrews that faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.

35:14 What's virtue a concern? I think it's a concern about doing right, moral excellence. Goodness, righteousness, virtue can guide our direction. How we proceed. Knowledge. How do we know what's true? Now we live in a world that's got a lot of causes going on, some dependent on your opinion might be valid and might not be so valid. So how do you know what's true? Everything isn't written in the word of God to discern, but we need to study the word. It's food for our new nature. So we don't know if we don't have a constant knowledge, constantly looking at the word, we're gonna get led astray by all kinds of things. So knowledge,

35:59 it guides our directions. So we'd add knowledge to virtue self-control. I think, did you mention that rabbi already this morning? Okay, self-control, discipline restraint. What we say, what we participate in, what we look at. You know, I mentioned the internet, you can find anything on the internet now. Good stuff and bad stuff, right? So what we look at, what we eat, what we drink, self-control will keep us from going astray. Patience, being consistent, steady sticking it out. We're in this for the long haul. We add godliness. So holy set apart to God,

36:44 conformity to the will of God. Brotherly affection, friendship, fondness, warmth that exists between brothers and sisters. You know, in, in a, in a congregational setting, it's hard to necessarily experience that in here, right? 'cause we're all sitting, we're looking at what's going on. But where do you experience that you might experience that in, in, in some ministry here, right? 'cause you get with different folks, you get together, you have like interests that that brotherly affection can develop. What we're gonna have after the service, the the noosh, right? That's a place to meet folks and to spend time and to develop that anyway.

37:30 And then finally love. What's the definition of love from one Corinthians 13? Patience. Kindness doesn't envy or boast, not arrogant or rude. Doesn't insist on its own way. Not irritable, not resentful, not rejoicing. It, wrongdoing, rejoices with the truth. Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things endures all things. Love never fails. So for partaking in the divine nature, it requires attention. We're to monitor ourselves and see if these qualities are in us and if they're increasing, right? If they're not what we have, we have the ruach, the spirit of God to help us. Lord, I really messed that up today.

38:16 I need to do different in the future. So, so the qualities need to be increasing. And what are we told? It's interesting, we're told pretty definitive statement. If we practice these things, we will never fall. And of course that's, if we get arrogant and say, man, I'm, look, I'm, I'm fully practicing faith, virtue knowledge, self-control. We could become like the pharis. So you wanna be careful, right? We don't wanna do that. But at the same time, if we practice these things with the heart, that the Lord, the Holy Spirit, the bar rock gives to us. Alright, last but not least, we're in a battle, right? We don't just, it's not like we're just trying to exist, like we're just trying to make a living whatever else. We're actually told that we're in a battle with spiritual forces of darkness.

39:06 You can't see 'em, right? And it says, it actually says, we're not in a battle against flesh and blood. It might seem like flesh and blood, but there's, there's spiritual forces of darkness that wanna stop the Lord's work. So what do we gotta do? We're told to dress appropriately. Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness and against the spiritual forces of wickedness and the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to resist when times are evil. And after you have done everything to stand, stand firm, then stand firm.

39:52 Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, put on the breastplate of righteousness. Strap up your feet in readiness with the good news of shalom above all, take up the shield of faith with which you'll be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of the salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the ruach on every occasion with all kinds of prayers and requests with this in mind. Keep alert with perseverance and supplication for all the kiddo sheen. So we need to dress appropriately. The armor is needed because we're in a fight with supernatural forces. We're told to stand. The armor is needed to stand.

40:40 And I think the armor is a reminder that we need to put on Messiah, Yeshua. So let's look at the armor. We got the belt. We need to buckle the belt of truth around us, the breastplate of righteousness. Cover our feet with the good news of the gospel of shalom. Take up the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, and pray in the ruach with all kinds of requests. So the belt of truth, the belt was used. I think Paul got this symbolism from being very in very close proximity with Roman soldiers. So the belt was used to keep clothing from getting in the way and provided some protection. You know, more for the, for the lower areas. Now truth,

41:27 God's truth does not change. The truth protects us from lies. The world's truth changes, right? We've got all different kinds of things in the world, and their truth does not stay consistent. So what do we need to do? We're constantly bombarded by things. We need to compare what we're being told. Compare what we see, what someone says, what we see on the news with what's the word of God say. Now the word of God doesn't speak to all situations as I mentioned, but right. But it kind of gives us an idea to know that some things are really good and some things are really not. Yeshua is the way, the truth and the life. So we need to be guided and led by his truth.

42:15 So put on the truth of the word of God, the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate covers vital organs, including the heart. Yeshua's righteousness imparted to believers is the righteousness that we need to put on to cover us. Our righteousness is not sufficient, and we are covered by his righteousness. So put on Yeshua's righteousness, Feet fitted with the good news of shalom. So feet need to be protected. I don't know about you. When I was a kid, I could go lived in New Jersey, I could go barefoot all the time, no problem. Maybe when the cement was really hot or the asphalt was really hot,

43:02 it was a problem. But now I can't walk outside with bare feet, right? I just, every little whatever gets to me. So our feet, if we're gonna be effective in moving, our feet need to be protected. The Roman footwear provided a secure grip or foundation, the good news of the gospel should be our foundation. So walk in that foundation, walk in his peace. So put on the shoes of the gospel of peace, The shield of faith. The Roman shield was large and could cover a warrior or most of a warrior. The shield is a protection against temptation and attack. Were told the flaming arrows of the evil one, the shield can stop. So what do we do? Believe what God's word says, trust in the Lord,

43:52 result in action. We want to see the, the action and result. A good place to look at that as Hebrews chapter 11 can see all the heroes of the faith that, or some of the heroes of the faith that believed and actually had a resultant action in their lives. So take up the shield of faith, helmet of salvation. It protected the head, skull, and neck. Whoops. Remember that Yeshua has provided our salvation. We are secure in him. We can trust in his finished work. So put on Yeshua's salvation, the sword of the Spirit.

44:41 The Roman sword was both offensive and defensive. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. So what do we need to do? We need to spend time in the Word of God. Study the word of God. Believe the Word of God, and declare the word of God. So take up the sword of the Spirit. And last but not least, we need to pray in the ruach. Pray with the help of the Spirit. Pray in the ruach on every occasion. And I like this with all kinds of prayers and requests. There's no limit to that. You can pray with all kinds of prayers and requests. So pray in the spirit.

45:29 So the, we've got the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness. Our feet fitted with the good news. Take up the shield, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit. And then keep praying with all kinds of requests. Um, So put on to survive, to succinctly describe that we need to put on our Messiah Yeshua. So again, a reminder as we focus on Yeshua, he's not left us alone. We have his ruach who gives us faith, who changes us, who helps us, who bears fruit in us, gives gifts to each of us and makes us bold as new creations in Messiah. We need to abide in Messiah.

46:16 Our life comes from him to bear fruit. We need to abide. And if we don't abide, we don't bear fruit. So if we wanna bear fruit, we need to abide a tool that could be effective. Consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. We wanna put on as new creations in Messiah. We wanna put off the old stuff, the stuff that's gonna drag us down. Like putting aside every weight talks about in Hebrews. And we wanna put on the new partake in the divine nature. Peter left us a list of things that we could look at and see, oh yeah, that's, I see that in me. Well maybe that's missing. Maybe I need to spend more time in the word. Maybe I need to get, get help from somebody, ask somebody for prayer, whatever, whatever.

47:02 But we wanna partake in the divine nature. And last but not least, we want to dress appropriately putting on our Messiah. Yeshua, thank you for your time. Father, I just want to thank you for Yeshua. Lord, I just pray that you would help us. I pray that this might be effective, that you would just help us to walk with you. And we thank you for all you've done for us. Issue His name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Barry. You're welcome.

47:48 I just want to add one thing to Barry's message. He started off by thanking the whole media team that helped do the project, the media upgrade. But Barry didn't mention himself, and Barry is the one who oversaw everything. So I just wanna thank Barry for, for doing all of that labor. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

48:35 May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. I

49:31 In the name of our Messiah, Yeshua. Amen. Shalom.