Sermon:  Good Things
by Chris Cumming                                           back to the main page for this sermon

Way back on 1 July in the year of our Lord, 2000; I first gave a sermon with the title, “Full Immersion.”  This is a sermon about you plunging deep into the scriptures in your spiritual quest for increased knowledge, understanding and wisdom.  In that sermon, one of my points was, “Get All the Scriptures” meaning that when we are in a study of a scripture, concept or subject that we need to get all the scriptures on that subject and do a full immersion into them to see what is really being said and therefore find the will of God the Father for our lives.

The scripture I used as my example of getting all the scriptures was 1 Thessalonians 5:21 which reads:

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

Let me review with you what I said in that sermon:

3) Get All the Scriptures

No one scripture can of itself, taken OUT OF CONTEXT, be used to establish the Truth.

God has put His Bible together in a very unusual manner.  He has written it so that men could study it for a lifetime and YET NEVER COME TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. 

Isaiah 28:9-10

9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

This is how the converted mind is to study the Bible.  The unconverted mind does not fully know how to do this.  It takes the Spirit of God to understand the Bible.

And doesn’t that make sense?  The Word of God is living Spirit and only Spirit can know Spirit.  This is an astounding truth.

Let us go through an example of “Getting all the Scriptures” using a verse we hear all the time:

1 Thessalonians 5:21

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

If this is the only verse we know or use, we are only getting our feet wet.  Let’s get fully immersed:

Listen as I read, line upon line:

Matthew 7:15-16

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Point:  “fruit” here is defined as adherence to scripture, so you must know the scriptures.

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Point:  We must be “renewing” our minds (a process).  A part of proving all things is proving what the will of God is.

1 Corinthians 2:11

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Point:  To prove spiritual things, we must have God’s Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:27-28

27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

Point:  Part of proving things is talking to God.

Philippians 1:10

That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

Point:  We must be sincere and without offence.

1 John 4:1

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Point:  We must try spirits including our thoughts which often come from spirits.

Revelation 2:2

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Point:  We must prove our teachers and ministers.

Acts 17:11  …speaking of the Bereans

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Point:  The key here is “readiness of mind”.  The only way we can have readiness of mind, the only way we can “prove all things” is to IMMERSE ourselves in the Word of God.

---end quote from the Full Immersion sermon---

So what have we learned so far?  To prove all things:

1. Matthew 7:15-16: Know all the scriptures
2. Romans 12:2: To prove all things we must constantly be renewing our minds and proving what the will of God is.
3. 1 Corinthians 2:11: We must have God’s Holy Spirit.
4. 1 Corinthians 14:27-28: We must talk to God.  That is, we must have a relationship with Him.
5. Philippians 1:10: We must be sincere and without offence.
6. 1 John 4:1: We must try all spirits including our thoughts which often come from spirits.
7. Revelation 2:2: We must prove our teachers and ministers.
8. Acts 17:11: Have readiness of mind by constantly being immersed in the Word of God.

Now I know that some of you like a simpler list so here we go:

The simpler list:
1. Know the scriptures.
2. Renew your mind.  Know God’s Will.
3. Have God’s Holy Spirit.
4. Talk to God.
5. Be sincere and without offense.
6. Try the spirits and thoughts.
7. Prove your teachers and ministers.
8. Stay immersed in the Word of God

Let us now immerse ourselves further.  To do this we will take each of the eight verses we found linked to 1 Thessalonians 5:21 and see what else we can find.

1] Matthew 7:15-16
Matthew 7:15-16

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

By their fruits - The doctrines produced by these false prophets, rather than the works they perform, since outward appearances may not cause suspicion. The test of the prophet is his conformity to Scripture (1 Corinthians 14:37; Deuteronomy 13:1-5). -end quote-(emphasis mine)

1 Corinthians 14:37
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5
13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. ~Wycliffe Bible Commentary

Clearly speaking to the words of the prophet, not his actions or behavior.

2] Romans 12:2
Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

From the Barnes Notes commentary we read several meanings coming out of this verse.  The verses says that we are to be not conformed to the world.  Well, guess what, we WERE conformed to the world before being called so we had a mind full of must till God told us what truth was.   We had to change our opinions and values and what we held as true.  God wants that process to continue.  Look at the phrase, “be ye transformed.”  Barnes says this is an expression meaning change the form or habit.  The direction is, “Put on another form.”  “Change the form of the world to one of God.”  “Cultivate a spirit attached to God and not attached to the world.”

For the phrase, “by the renewing” the meaning is, “make new, change your view and your feelings.”  “You are now a new creature.”

For the phrase, “your mind” Barnes states that this means that you are not only changing your will and affections but your intellect.  It is a total change.  “Intellect” is a word meaning, “Your ability to learn and reason; the capacity for knowledge and understanding.

Note also that what is being renewed is the inside, not the outside.  That is, you do not just change your behavior and actions but you change the soul—the core of your being.  You change from the inside out.  Real sheep’s clothing is created in the heart.

3] 1 Corinthians 2:11
1 Corinthians 2:11

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

In this verse, I want to focus on the phrase, “the things of a man” as we already know that one needs the Holy Spirit to prove all spiritual things and to know the self.  Just what are these things we need to know and share with our God?

Barnes Notes says the meaning here are “the deep things – the hidden counsels, thoughts, plans and intentions.”

The Adam Clark says, “the schemes, plans and purposes of the man.”

John Gill says, “the thoughts of a man’s heart, the conceptions of his mind, his schemes, his designs, purposes and intentions.

All these are the deepest things in a man’s heart and we must know and examine them in conjunction with proving all spiritual things as we are working to conform our deepest things to those of Christ and changing our will to that of the Father.

 
4] 1 Corinthians 14:27-28
1 Corinthians 14:27-28

27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

In this verse, we learn that we must be in contact with God.  Let us go a bit further and focus on the phrase in verse 28, “and let him speak to himself, and to God.”

The whole purpose of speaking in tongues was not so much the speaking of a known foreign language but uttering great truths of God that are revealed in that process.  The scripture is telling us what to do with these deep things of God.

Barnes says the meaning here is that the firstfruit is to meditate on the truths which are revealed to him AND as a linked but then totally separate admonition, to “let him in secret express his desires to God.”

We already learned from the scripture we just covered [1 Corinthians 2:11] from this same letter by the way, that we are to share the deep things of our mind with God.  That is, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to get to know ourselves as much as God does [head in that direction].  Now in this verse from chapter 14 we are to receive, on a continual basis deeper understanding from God and continue sharing our heart and soul with His.  From deeper understanding and wisdom, come new and better desires of the heart.  We are now sharing these with God.

The John Gill says that when we do this, we not only “edify ourselves, we edify and bring glory to God.”  “God is searching out our heart all through this process.”

5] Philippians 1:9-10  …I am adding verse 9 here
Philippians 1:9-10

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

Remember that our key verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:21 and proving all things spiritual.  I want to focus here on the phrase, “approve things that are excellent.”

Barnes says the word, “approve” here in the margin is “or try” and “denotes the kind of trial to which metals are exposed in order to test their nature.”  God wants you to “discern that which is true and genuine.”  “God does not want us just being firstfruits but intelligent firstfruits.”

Therefore verse 10 is saying that if we know and constantly invoke the “excellent” things we have proved with God’s help and power, we will be sincere and without offence.

 
6] 1 John 4:1
1 John 4:1

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

This verse follows right on what we learned in Philippians 1:10 and trying all things—testing them.

I want to put my focus here on the phrase, “whether they are of God.”

First of all, the phrase “every spirit” means try every doctrine that is pretended to come from the Spirit of God and every teacher who professes to be sent by God.

Therefore we quickly deduce that the phrase, “whether they are of God” is speaking to true doctrines meaning the true Word of God.

Try the doctrines that come to you and this means any teaching that I utter in any Bible study.  If you receive a deeper understanding of a word or a verse—try it—test it—and prove it.  Hold fast the good things.

 
7] Revelation 2:2
Revelation 2:2

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

This verse is clearly a confirmation of what we learned in 1 John 4:1. 

In this verse I want to draw your attention to three words: “works”, “labour” and “patience” as they must relate to our proving all things and our proving all things is surely a part of this work, labour and patience.

Works: the whole life and conduct.  This includes all your mindsets, the principles you embrace and the invoking of the Holy Spirit you experience.  This word denotes all those deep things in your heart as all your actions and conduct will spring or originate from these deep things.  You works are all the things you do in the Salvation Process and what you do with the elements therein.  This includes all the testing of and finding of the excellent things of God.

Labour: this word relates to all the suffering and persecution we experience in this life.  It is talking here of the testing of teachers and ministers and the rejecting of all things false including false teachers and false friends.  It denotes all the hardships and testing and tribulations we experience.

The commentaries used such terms as wearisome toil, grief and sadness.  Barnes speaks to our wailing and the beating of the breast as well as excessive labor.

Patience:  Primarily this is speaking to staying in the Salvation Process to the end.  Barnes speaks to the meaning of the firstfruit “patiently bearing the opposition made to the truth and manifesting a spirit of firm endurance amidst many arts of those opposed to them to draw them off from faith in Christ.”

8] Acts 17:11
Acts 17:11 …speaking of the Bereans

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Clearly if I lived back in those days and I had the will and permission of God, I would like to have been with the Bereans.  They excite me every time I read of them.

I want to look at two phrases here, “received the word” and “with all readiness of mind” as they add to our understanding of my perpetual statement, “Be immersed in the Word of God.”

“They received the word”:  They listened attentively and respectfully to the gospel [sermon/teaching/Bible study].  They did not reject and spurn it as unworthy of examination.  This is the first particular in which the Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica which, by the way got our key verse to “prove all things and hold to that which is good.” ~Barnes Notes

The John Gill gives the meaning that “they received the word with the joy of the Holy Spirit and not as the word of man but as the word of God, it coming to them not in word only but in power.”  Notice what Paul says to the Thessalonica church:

1 Thessalonians 1:5
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

“With all readiness of mind”: The JFB renders this, “heard it not only with prejudice, but with eager interest, ‘in an honest and good heart’ with sincere desire to be taught aright.  Notice this verse:

John 7:17
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

The Bereans were scripture searchers and they tried teachers and ministers and they understood the concept of this John 7:17 verse.  The Bereans WERE people who proved all things.

back to "Good Things" main page