A&D Biker Ministries - "Growing the Kingdom of God . . . one Biker at a time"

05/30/2026

I Would Not Have You to Be Ignorant… Six References the Apostle Paul
gave instruction and additional information using this phrase so that his
readers would not be ignorant or lacking knowledge in several areas.
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Paul used this phrase, “I would not have you to be ignorant” on several occasions in
reference to some important points that he wanted them to have a clear understanding
about. What he is saying is, I don’t want you to be lacking in knowledge of this subject.
We know that our adversary, Satan uses deception, doubt, distraction and disinformation
as weapons in his arsenal of attack against the Christian. Disinformation is false,
inaccurate, or misleading information that is deliberately created and spread with the
intention to deceive, manipulate, or cause harm. Misinformation is false information
spread without malicious intent or a deliberate desire to deceive. Unlike misinformation,
which is spread accidentally or by mistake, disinformation is a calculated effort to push a
specific agenda, influence public opinion, or discredit opponents.
It should be noted that there are various levels of ignorance: 1) There is the ignorance of
just not knowing something i.e. a lack of knowledge. 2) There is ignorance derived from
turning away from a truth i.e. denying that something is true or believable. (e.g. Denying
Creation and the Creator- Romans1:19-22). 3) There is a level of ignorance that develops
by rejecting the revelation of something due to an untrust of the source of that revelation –
i.e. denying the authority of the source of the information. This is a willful defiance and
disregard for authority- a person can be willingly ignorant- II Peter 3:5.
Perhaps it was this type of willful ignorance that led the apostle Paul to write in I Cor. 14:38-
“if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.” Although this was not Paul’s first choice.
Let’s look at the six references where Paul used this phrase, “I would not
have you to be ignorant,” as he urged his readers to be more aware and
knowledgeable about certain important subjects:
Romans 1:13- “Now I would not have you ignorant, that oft times I purposed to come
unto you but was let hitherto (i.e. I was hindered until now) that I might have some fruit
among you also, even as among other Gentiles.”
1. Paul wanted them to know that he had a desire to come to them, to preach and minister
to them that he might have fruit among them. V.13
2. Paul admitted, “I am a debtor both to the Greeks, and Barbarians to the wise and unwise
3. Paul affirmed, “I am ready to preach the gospel to you at Rome. V. 15
4. Paul asserted, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ…” v. 16

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5. Paul announced, “for it (the gospel) is the power of God unto salvation to every one who
believes; to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
6. Paul annotates, “For therein is the righteousness of God is revealed from heaven against
all unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”
Paul was emphasizing his purposeful intention to preach the gospel at
Rome as an essential fulfillment of his calling as an Apostle to the
Gentiles. He longed to preach, minister and have fruit among them.
Romans 11:25-36- (v.25) “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to
Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”
I was reading a sermon by the late Dr. John MacArthur, preaching on Romans, and I believe
he explains this portion of scripture so eloquently, so I decided to include an exerpt from
his sermon here because it is so good:
“Now remember that Paul has been dealing with the place of Israel in the saving plan
of God. He's been answering the questions that he anticipates will be asked by those
who say, "Well, if the gospel is true and the Jews have rejected it, aren't they
permanently set aside from God's plan?" And you will remember that in chapter 9 he
said, "The rejection of Israel is true but not contrary to God's plan." God planned for it
all along, that was the message of chapter 9.
Chapter 10 reminded us that Israel's rejection was due to their own unbelief; that they
were set aside because they were disobedient. In other words, it is true that it was in
the plan of God, chapter 9, but it is also true that it was their own fault, chapter 10.
And then we came to chapter 11. And we saw that through the blindness of Israel,
through the hardness of the hearts of Israel, through their rejection of Jesus Christ,
God is working out a marvelous plan which will lead to the salvation of Gentiles,
ultimately to the salvation of the Jews, and finally to the blessing of the world in the
millennial kingdom.”

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“Now as we come to the last section, he tells us that Israel ultimately will be saved and
God's plan will come to fruition. So the presentation reaches its climax right here in
our text beginning in verse 25. Yes, Israel has been set aside for the time being
because of unbelief, ignorant of the righteousness of God, rejecting the Messiah of
God, misunderstanding the law of God, ignoring the grace of God. But their setting
aside was only — Do you remember? — partial, passing and purposeful. And we come
tonight to that final point, purposeful. The setting aside of the nation Israel had a
great purpose. God worked it to the ultimate blessing of the world, as we shall
see. And even that had a purpose and the purpose is this, listen carefully, this is the
key, the glory of God, the glory of God. It comes in the final verse, verse 36, "For of
Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
That's how he climaxes the entire passage on the salvation of Israel. But not only that,
that's how he wraps up the first eleven chapters, all of which is a discussion of God's
great plan of salvation. And that's where he's been going since chapter 1 verse 1. He's
been taking us to the place where we would recognize that the purpose of God in
salvation of Israel and the Gentiles is His own glory, His own glory, His own
glory. And that is a thing that must be understood, and I trust we'll understand it
better than ever as a result of our ministry in this final part of the chapter.”
“We are reminded of an essential reality…” “The goal of everything that happens in the
universe is the glory of God. And the reason God set out to redeem man, both Jew and
Gentile, and to bring the kingdom that He promised was that He might be
glorified. The ultimate purpose is not salvation; that is only a means to the ultimate
purpose, which is the glory of God. The ultimate purpose is not the bringing in of the
nation Israel; that is a means to the glory of God. It is not Gentiles come together in
the church; that is a means to the glory of God. The ultimate end of God's eternal
kingdom; that is only a means to His glory, which is the mysterious awesome and
wonderful and all-surpassing reason for everything, for everything, for everything.

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It says in Psalm 19, "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth
His handiwork." In Isaiah 43:20 the prophet says, "The beast of the field shall give Me
honor,” or glory. In other words, all that is created in the universe is for the glory of
God. Even the beasts of the field are for the glory of God. And when the angelic hosts
stood outside the place of the birth of the Savior on a Bethlehem hillside and made
their great announcement, they gave glory to God in the highest, because that's what
angels are to do as well. And even men have been called to the same thing. For 1
Corinthians 10 says in verse 31: "Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all
to the glory of God."
The surpassing purpose in everything is God's glory. So you have in the first eleven
chapters of Romans an outline of the doctrine of redemption and how it relates to the
Jew and the Gentile. And the climax comes in that marvelous benediction from verse
33 to 36, which calls us to glorify God. The Old Westminster catechism had it right
when it said, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
Now what does it mean to glorify God? Just a note on this: There are two aspects of
God's glory. First of all, there's what I guess we could call His intrinsic glory. That
glory which is His own by nature, that which belongs to Him. He is called in
Acts 7 and verse 2, "The Lord of glory." And in Isaiah 6 it says, "The angelic choir said
back and forth, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His
glory.’" He is called the God of glory. In Exodus 33 Moses said, "Show me Thy glory,”
and He said, I'll let My goodness and mercy and kindness, and so forth, pass before
you. In other words, His glory is that intrinsic holy character. His glory could be equal
to His attributes, to His nature. It is the very essence of who God is. He is glorious. A
man's honor could be taken from him. I suppose a simple way to illustrate it would be
to say that naked a king and a beggar are indistinguishable, because a king's glory can
be taken from him. But God has a glory that cannot be stripped and so at all times He

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is the ever glorious God. It is His essential being. We can't add to it and we can't
diminish it. But we must recognize it. We must recognize it.
And in the Bible when it says, "Give glory to God," it doesn't mean add to His
attributes, it means recognize them. And that's the second element of His glory, that's
His extrinsic glory. That is the honor which we give Him for His intrinsic worth. And
so when we glorify God it isn't that we're adding to His character, it is that we are
recognizing it. It is that we are affirming it. It is that we are praising it. And the
Scripture is filled with passages and I think most commonly of 1 Chronicles chapter 16
where there is a command over and over and over, "Give glory unto the Lord, give
glory unto the Lord, give glory unto the Lord." And that's one of a myriad of passages
that call us to the same thing, and in those cases we are to give honor to the one who
intrinsically is worthy of our honor, of our praise. Man's chief duty indeed is to
recognize the infinite holy majesty of God and to praise Him in everything. Instead, so
much of the time we question Him, so much of the time we pull Him down to our level
and second guess Him or make demands on Him. But we are called to glorify Him. In
fact, not to glorify God is the single greatest crime in the universe. And hell is filled
with beings who did basically one thing wrong; they failed to glorify God. Heaven will
be filled eternally with beings who gave glory to God. That's the dividing point.
Do I need to remind you of Romans 1, where God says that His wrath is poured out
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men? And he says,
"Because," in verse 21, "when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God." In other
words, God's condemning judgment falls on those who fail to give Him glory.
Jeremiah saw that in a very, very poignant passage in chapter 13 of his prophecy.
Beginning in verse 11 and following, he calls to the people to respond to God. And
down in verse 16 he says, "Give glory to the Lord your God before He cause darkness
and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountain and while you look for light He

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turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness." In other words, give
glory to God or else you will be judged.
In Daniel we read in chapter 4 about Nebuchadnezzar, who failed to give God the glory
and decided that he would take it for himself. And God turned him for seven years
into a raving maniac whose nails grew like bird's claws and who lived out in the wild
and was covered with the dew that covered the ground. And not until he came to his
senses and recognized that the Lord of glory controls everything did God give him back
his sanity.
In Acts chapter 12 Herod decided to declare his own glory. And the Bible says God
smote him and he was eaten by worms and died because he gave not God the glory.
All throughout redemptive history God has called for men and women to give Him
honor, to give Him praise, to give Him glory, to ascribe to Him the worth and the value
and the honor which He intrinsically is due as an infinitely holy and majestic God. So
the purpose of all things, the universe, angels, men, creatures, Scripture, life, death,
heaven, hell, all of it is for the glory of God. Certainly we who are believers, a part of
the church, remember that in Ephesians 3:21 it says, "Unto Him be glory in the
church.” Unto Him be glory in the church. You see, everything that God has ever done
is to bring Him glory, to bring Him honor. And this is especially true of His work with
Israel.
Now listen, the reason God will ultimately redeem Israel is the same reason He
redeems us and that is that we might be to the praise of His glory. And that's what He
said in Isaiah chapter 43 and verse 21. He said, "This people have I formed for Myself.”
Did you hear that? Not so much for their benefit as Mine, “they will show forth My
praise." That is His redemptive purpose. So we're not shocked then when we come to
the climax of this tremendous treatise on salvation that ends at the close of chapter 11 ,

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to find Paul calling us to glory for God, who is worthy. The whole amazing redemptive
plan was to bring us to the point of giving God glory.
Now Paul has talked about so many things but he now is going to narrow down into his
conclusion. And he wants us to glorify God. So in order to do that he focuses on the
character of God and gives us four attributes of God at the conclusion of this section,
four great character qualities: God's sovereignty, God's integrity, God's generosity, and
God's incomprehensibility. Four great marks of our glorious God. Instead of
questioning God and His plan for Israel, instead of second-guessing God as to the
setting aside of the Jew, we are to glorify God for the manifestation of His glory in His
redemptive plan.”
“Let's look, first of all, at God's sovereignty in verse 25. "For I would not, brethren,
that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own
conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles
be come in." Now remember Paul just ended a warning, didn't he? He's been talking
about the fact that Israel was set aside and Gentiles were grafted in to the tree of
blessing. But Gentiles, that is the church, better not be proud, you better not boast,
you better not look down on Jews. It is a warning against Gentile pride and anti-
Semitism. And the warning is given because the day is coming when Israel is going to
be back in the place of blessing and the church is going to be cut off. So we had better
not boast. We have not been grafted in because we are better than Jews, but because
we have believed and they have not believed. That's the only difference. But the day is
going to come when the church ceases to believe and the apostate church will be cut off
and Jews will believe and Israel will be grafted back in. So, verses 22 to 24 warned
against pride and despising of the nation Israel and the Jews. And so we need to be
reminded then that blindness in part is happened to Israel only until the fullness of the
Gentiles be come in.”

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“In other words, God is not finished with that people. It's only until a certain event
takes place. And we are not to be ignorant of that. It's an essential purpose in the
mind of God.”
“Now you have to believe that at this juncture in Romans, as Paul writes it, he has hit a
real joyous point. Because in chapter 9, you remember, he was full of sorrow and
heaviness of heart. In chapter 10 he was talking about the great zeal that he had for
the salvation of Israel. And the message of all messages that he longed to proclaim
was indeed that the day would come when Israel would be redeemed. That was the
greatest message that he could write, the time when Israel's blindness would be turned
to sight, when Israel's darkness would be turned to light, when Israel's impotence
would be turned to might because they would believe in their Messiah.”
“And so, Paul with great joy has now arrived at the moment where he will present the
single, most hopeful truth that he carried in his heart. It has been a mystery. Notice it
in verse 25, he calls it that. "I don't want you to be ignorant of this mystery." That is to
say it has been hidden in the past. It has been hidden. We know that's what a mystery
is, something hidden in the past and now revealed. Don't be ignorant of it. Certainly
don't be foolishly wise in your own conceit. In other words, thinking too highly of
yourselves, making an undue estimate of your knowledge and importance, not based
on fact but based on your own self-conceit, based on being a quote/unquote "know-it-
all." This mystery God will reveal; don't be a fool and be ignorant of it.”
“Now the definition of a mystery is given in chapter 16, verse 25, if you'll notice that for
a moment, right at the end of the epistle. "Now to him," and this is a benediction,
"that is of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the
world began but now is made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets," and you
can stop at that point.”

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“A mystery is something that's been hidden in the past and is now revealed in the
Scripture. And what was hidden in the past was that Israel would be set aside, cut off
from blessing, Gentiles grafted in, ultimately Gentiles cut off, and Israel grafted back
in to the place of blessing. That mystery we are not to be ignorant of. That mystery
has now been revealed through the apostle Paul. And what is the mystery
specifically? It's given right in the verse, the two-part mystery, that blindness in part
is happened to Israel. The mystery is that the Jews would not believe. And the word
"blindness," by the way, is really the word "hardened." It's the word hardened,
resistant. Blindness in part; notice he puts that "in part" in there? Why? Because
their blindness was what? Partial. We've been saying it all along. That doesn't mean
that the individuals were partly blind; it's not talking about the degree of
blindness. What it means is that the nation was partly blind, that is, there were some
who were not blind. There was always a what? A believing remnant, a believing
remnant.”
There is more to this sermon, by Dr. John MacArthur, which is a great exposition on
God’s purpose for setting aside Israel, which is a mystery, because He would use it as
part of His Redemptive plan to bring Gentiles to faith and belief in Him, and then
when the “fullness of Gentiles” is accomplished He will bring a remnant of Israel
(Jews) to be saved. As part of the tree, which was cut off temporarily, and Gentiles as
part of God’s Redemptive plan would be grafted in; eventually—when the “fullness of
the Gentiles” is completed; Israel will be grafted back in.
Well, this is a mystery, but hopefully we have more understanding, as to not be
ignorant, or unknowledgeable about God’s Plan of redemption for Israel and Gentiles.
The next reference that we will look at is I Corinthians 10:1-15- “Moreover,
brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers
were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto

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Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did eat the same spiritual meat; and did all
drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed
them; and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased; for
they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the
intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
In these verses and following; we are given an exhortation to Godly
sanctification and warnings and examples to not follow: i.e. lust, idolatry,
loose and lewd living, fornication, tempting God, murmuring and complaining.
I Corinthians 10:11- says, “Now these things were given for examples: and they are
given for our admonition…” These are things that we should not do, and an example
that we should not follow! Can we learn from others bad example? Yes, if we take
notice of it as a warning, as a cautionary tale of how not to live.
There is also another warning given in verse 12, “Let him that thinks he stands, take
heed lest he fall. This is the warning that we need to heed concerning pride, arrogance,
self-sufficiency, and being overly confident. Just about the time we think, “I’ve got
this! Or, I’m strong enough to handle this! Beware! Because we can be like Peter, who
made bold claims, confidently saying, “though all others forsake you, I will never
forsake you! Sadly, not long after Peter denied the Lord three times, even after Jesus
told him that he would do this.
Verse 13 gives us consolation, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is
common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer (allow) you to be tempted
above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that
you may be able to bear it.” What wonderful promises are contained herein.
The next reference we will look at where Paul uses the words, “I would not
have you ignorant,” is I Corinthians 12:1- “Now concerning spiritual gifts,

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brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” He follows by saying, “you know that
you were Gentiles carried away unto dumb idols, even as you were led.” “Wherefore, I
give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed,
and no man say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost,” Paul is clarifying some
things right away. He is making a clear distinction by saying these things.
Paul goes on to give information about the spiritual gifts: There a diversities of gifts,
there are differing administrations and operations, but the same Lord, and same God
which works all in all. The gifts are given by the Spirit. The gifts are given to believers,
and every believer is a member of the body of Christ and use their gifts to minister.
The gifts are given to be used collectively and complimentary. Verse 12 reads, “For as
the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body: so also is Christ.” Read the following verses, 13-21. We should
each use our gifts in a cooperating manner, working together, complimentary of each
other. As verse 25 says, “That there should be no schism (division) in the body, but
that all members should have the same care one for another.” “And whether one
member suffer, all members suffer with it, or one member be honored, all the
members rejoice with it.” V. 26. “Now you are the body of Christ, and members in
particular.” V. 27. Paul goes on to list those that have been gifted in the church for
leadership and exhortation: First, apostles; second, prophets, third, teachers, then
gifts of miracles, healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. He makes the
point that there are different gifts, and everyone does not have the same gifts, but they
collectively use them to collaborate and work together. I should add that some of the
gifts were temporary. We are told that we should covet (i.e. desire) the best gifts. Paul
goes on to show that there is “a more excellent way” to use these gifts, and that follows
in Chapter 13—with the emphasis on love (Charity). The gifts are to be effectively
ministered in love.

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The next use of the phrase, I would not have you to be ignorant, is found in
II Corinthians 1:8-11. Here Paul is addressing the subject of sufferings (He
specifically mentions trouble, and the threat of death, saying, “that we
despaired even of life.
As we read, going back to verses 5-7, “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so
our consolation also abounds to by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your
consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings
which you also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and
salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as you are partakers of the
sufferings, so shall you be of the consolation”. Paul is giving his readers in the
Corinthian church, and us by way of inspiration and preservation, a perspective on
suffering—how to relate to each other’s suffering, how to endure it, encourage each
other during it, and ultimately see the benefit of it in our lives.
Paul states in vers 8, “For we would not have you ignorant of our trouble which came
to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we
despaired even of life.” He shares the severity of their suffering—they were stressed
out, their strength was gone, and they feared for their lives. We see in this the physical
and emotional affects of suffering. Suffering can take a toll on our mental, emotional
and physical conditions. That is why we need to depend on the Lord, as Paul goes on
to say in verses 9 & 10, “but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should
not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead. Who delivered us from so
great a death, and doth deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;”
Paul gives us the answer to the alleviation of our fears and the stress that suffering
creates—that is trust in the Lord, that he will deliver us. Notice the three tenses that
give us consolation in verse 10: The Lord delivered us (past tense); “doth deliver”
(present tense); and “we trust that He will yet deliver us” (future tense).

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Paul also took consolation and comfort in the prayers of the saints—verse 11, “ye also
helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of
many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.”
The next use of this phrase, I would not have you to be ignorant is in the
context of the death of believers in Christ, the Rapture and the expectation
of the coming Day of the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:13- 5:11
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep,
that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them which are asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord
Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with
these words.”
Indeed, what a comfort these words are to us concerning the dead in Christ, and the
prospective resurrection and transformation that will occur at the time of the rapture
of the church. It states the dead in Christ shall rise first, their bodies will somehow
miraculously be raised from the ground where they are buried, or interred, and shall
be remade and reunited with the their soul and spirit (notice verse 14, “even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.”) Then the living believers shall be
caught up and changed and transformed from their terrestrial body into their Celestial
bodies. What a marvelous, miraculous transformation and transportation! The Lord
Jesus is returning and we need to be ready! We need to be ready for death and to meet
Him when He comes again.

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Lastly, Let us look at a reference that Paul uses in a more positive sense, as He uses the
term ignorant, and that is found in II Corinthians 2:11- Speaking about the attack and
adversarial onslaught of Satan, He writes, “lest Satan should get an advantage of us:
for we are not ignorant of his devices.” A preliminary statement to this verse is given
in verses 9 and 10, where Paul says, “For to this end also did I write, that I might know
the proof of you, whether you be obedient in all things. To whom you forgive anything,
I forgive also: for if I forgive anything, to whom I forgive it for your sakes forgave I it in
the person of Christ.” In these preceding verses he is intrinsically linking the idea that
we need to forgive as Christ forgave us, and if we do not forgive, Satan can get the
advantage of us. Paul affirms his belief that he has instructed them rightly, and
equipped and informed them, so that they were not ignorant of Satan’s devices/tactics.

05/23/2026

What Do These Stones Mean? Joshua 4:1-24 Memorial Stones

After 40 years of wondering in the wilderness, the time had finally come for the children of
Israel to cross over Jordan, and Joshua would lead the people into the promised land. God
was going to do another mighty act to display His power, and He wanted it to be
remembered and memorialized. So he told Joshua to choose to twelve men, one from
each of the twelve tribes, and these men were going to take a stone from the midst of the
Jordan once the priests bearing the ark of the covenant stepped into the water’s edge and
the water would stop, and the men would carry the stones across on dry ground. Once all
the people crossed the priests bearing the ark would cross also and would make their way
to where they would lodge. There Joshua would take the stones and erect a memorial by
stacking the stones together. These stones would call to remembrance what the Lord God
did by once again parting the waters and He had done before at the Red Sea, and this
would be a conversation starter for the future generation of children when they asked,
“What do these stones mean?” I believe this stack of stones served three purposes:
I. A Call to Remembrance – v. 6 “that this may be a sign among you,”
A. These stones I believe were of significant size and were going to be
constructed in a way that would last for generations.
B. “That when your children ask their fathers in time to come…” Children are
going to ask questions, and boy, do they ask questions… You that have had
children you know what it’s like when they get a certain age, they ask a lot of
questions.
C. They will ask, “what mean ye by these stones?” A real conversation starter.
And you will be able to give them the answer, “that the waters of Jordan were
cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over
Jordan…and these stones shall be a memorial unto the children of Israel
forever.” V. 7
II. A Consecrated Memorial- v. 7 “A memorial to the children of
Israel forever.” V. 8- did a Joshua commanded, took 12 stones...
A. We have Memorial sites and stones in our country that serve the purpose of
being consecrated places of remembrance. On this Memorial Day may will
pause and perhaps visit a place to remember those who gave their lives
serving and defending our country. May we never forget them. These
Memorials are hallowed ground; I think of the tomb of the unknown soldier in
Arlington National Cemetery. I have visited there and observed the solemn
walk of the soldier that attends and gives honor to this fallen soldier who in a
way represents so many others, perhaps whose bodies were never recovered
from the battlefield. I think of other of our country’s sacred sites, The WWII

What Do These Stones Mean? Joshua 4:1-24 Memorial Stones-
Memorial and the Vietnam Wall of Remembrance, The Holocaust Memorial
Museum in Washington DC.
B. Memorials are needed to cause us to pause and remember. They serve an
important purpose—to evoke memory and meaning, solemn reverence and
remembrance. “Lest we forget.”
C. It is so important to teach future generations our history and heritage, to
teach them what God has done in our lives, and in the founding and
furthering of this great nation—"One nation under God.” “With Liberty and
Justice for all.” “Land of the Free because of the Brave.”
D. I remember my father telling me about how his father and mother, would
always take him and his five brothers and sister to visit the cemetery in our
home town, and at that time when they were all young they would walk
because they didn’t have a car, and they would go to pay their respects at the
grave sites of their relatives and other families in the community.
E. Each Memorial Day, I think of my great-uncle, SSGT Harry Leroy Goodwin,
who entered the Army Air Corps March 11, 1943, and was a Flight Engineer
and Top Turret Gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress 570th Bomber Squadron,
390th Bomber Group, and was Killed in Action on a Mission over Germany on
Nov. 30th, 1944. He was twenty years old. He was my father’s uncle (His
mother’s brother) and he remembers how before he left to join the Army Air
Corps, he gave all his nieces and nephews a ride on his Indian Motorcycle.
F. God wanted the children of Israel to remember and be ready to recall and
retell the account of the wonderful thing God had done for them, so He had
Joshua build or erect this stone memorial. In this recounting of the story, the
fathers could also retell the account of how God had parted the Red Sea and
the children of Israel had walked across on dry ground, and then Pharoah’s
army which were pursuing them in chariots were drowned when the waters
came back together. V. 21-23
III. A Chronicle and Claim to the Mighty Hand of God- v.24
A. God not only wanted the children of future generations to know what God
had done for them as a testimony, He also wanted the people of other
nations to know of the mighty hand of the LORD, that they too might fear the
Lord.
B. We are to be giving out the Gospel message and telling others of the
wonderful things that God has done for us, giving testimony that our God is
Great and Powerful, and He can deliver and save by His mighty hand.
C. He can forgive each person that will come to Him by faith, believing on the
Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and asking Him to forgive them and give

What Do These Stones Mean? Joshua 4:1-24 Memorial Stones-
them eternal life. He will deliver them from the bondage of sin and give them
an eternal home in heaven (the promised land). Romans 10:9-10, 13.

05/09/2026

Seven “Shall Nots” of The Gospel of John
When we think of the words “shall not” we may normally think of the prohibitions found in
the Old Testament laws, such as the Ten Commandments. For example, You shall not take
the name of the Lord your God in vain… Exodus 20:7; You shall not kill v. 13; You shall not
commit adultery v. 14; You shall not steal v. 15, just to name a few. But here in the Gospel
of John there are many wonderful promises which are stated in these words “shall not” or
“shall never.” Many of the promises in this book describe things that shall happen but let us
consider seven of these promises that teach of things that shall not happen to the believer
whose trust is in Christ.
I. John 3:16- The Assurance That We “Shall Not Perish”
A. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in him should not (shall not) perish but have everlasting life.”
B. We have the confident assurance that if we have believed on Jesus Christ for
salvation, we shall never perish. The belief that an individual must have for
salvation, is the belief that Jesus suffered, bled and died on the cross as the
sacrifice for their sins.
II. John 4:14- Teaching of the Indwelling Holy Spirit, Jesus said that whoever
drinks of the water that I shall give him “shall never thirst.”
A. Jesus was speaking on the spiritual water of life given through the abiding
Holy Spirit, who regenerates and gives life to the believer.
B. The term “shall never thirst” carries the promise of the Holy Spirit remaining
with the individual by indwelling them giving the life sustaining refreshment,
energizing and empowering the believer.
III. John 5:24- “The Promise That We “Shall Not Come into Condemnation”
A. “He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting
life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life.”
B. The “condemnation” that the believer is promised that he or she will not have
to face is the judgment and punishment of their sins.
IV. John 6:35- The Similar Promise to John 4:14, Jesus said, “I am the bread of
life: he that comes to me ‘shall never hunger’ and he that believes on me
‘shall never thirst.”
A. Jesus is saying that he is the source of eternal life and daily sustenance.
B. The Holy Spirit enlivens, energizes and refreshes each believer with his
abiding presence and empowerment.
V. John 8:12- Jesus Gave the Promise that We “Shall Not Walk In Darkness”
A. Jesus taught, “I am the Light of the world: He that follows me ‘shall not walk
in darkness,’ but have the light of life.”

Seven “Shall Nots” of The Gospel of John
B. Jesus gives us guidance and direction through his leading if we follow him.
C. Our deepest needs are met in him.
VI. John 10:28- The Promise That Jesus gives each believer eternal life, and they
“shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
A. Once we are placed into God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ, we are
promised that we shall never perish, and no one is able to pluck us out of
God’s hands (Jesus’ and the Father’s- v.29 hands).
B. This is the promise of eternal security and assurance that we are kept by his
power.
VII. John 11:25-26- The Promise that once we have believed on Jesus Christ, who
is the “Resurrection and the Life” we “shall never die.”
A. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believes in me though
he were dead, yet shall he live: and whoever lives and believes in me shall
never die. Do you believe this?
B. Consequently, when we believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, we do not have
to fear death.
C. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:51-57, “Behold I show you a mystery; we shall
not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O
death where is thy sting, or grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is
sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Conclusion: May these promises contained in these verses from John’s
Gospel give us comfort and assurance concerning our salvation which is
eternally secure in Christ, and the abiding Holy Spirit’s working and presence
in our lives. Praise the Lord for these wonderful assurances.

5/382026

Philippians 4:4-20 Instructions concerning cares, prayers and right living

I. Concerning Cares, Prayers and Consistent Lifestyle
A. The apostle Paul urges the Ephesian Christians (and us) to “Rejoice in the Lord always: and
again, I say, Rejoice.” To rejoice is to joy again! Can we find reason to rejoice in everything?
B. He goes on to instruct them to let your moderation or gentleness be known to all men.
The word translated moderation is (Greek: epieikēs)
C. "Let your moderation be known to all men" (Philippians 4:5) means to display a gentle,
reasonable, and forbearing spirit to everyone, not just friends. It urges Christians to be
patient, yield personal rights, avoid harshness, and maintain balance, as the Lord's
return is near. It is not about strict limits, but a visible attitude of grace.
D. Some Synonyms and Interpretations of "Moderation" (Greek: epieikēs):
• Gentleness/Mildness: A calm, soft approach. Not overbearing.
• Reasonableness/Sweet Reasonableness: Not being stubborn or overly rigid.
• Forbearance/Yieldingness: Willingness to forgo one's own rights.
• Considerateness/Kindness: Being considerate of others.
• Big-heartedness/Magnanimity: Generosity of spirit.
E. Examples of Usage and Contextual Meanings:
• Interpersonal Conflicts: Choosing to resolve a dispute with gentleness rather than
insisting on being right or enforcing strict, legalistic standards.
• Handling Pressure: Showing calm, patient poise in difficult situations rather than
becoming easily angered.
• Public Witness: Being known by neighbors and colleagues as someone who is fair,
approachable, and "on their side," rather than contentious.
• Daily Life Balance: Limiting consumption and avoiding excesses in food, drink, or
entertainment.
• Motivation for Conduct: The phrase "The Lord is at hand" indicates that this
behavior is motivated by the expectation of Christ's return, making it essential to live
with proper Christian character,
F. “Be Careful(anxious) for Nothing”- i.e. Do not be full of care; not to be weighted down with
care.
1. Psalm 55:22- “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He
shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Read the preceding verses of
Psalm 55 to understand why David was anxious and distressed.
2. Matthew 6:25- “Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall
eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. (Don’t worry)
3. I Peter 5:7- “Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you.”
4. I Thessalonians 5:16-18- “Rejoice evermore (i.e. always) 17) Pray without ceasing
18) In every thing give thanks- for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning
you.” (Three pointers: Rejoice always; Pray always; Give thanks always.)

Philippians 4:4-20 Instructions concerning cares, prayers and right living
5. A good motto or maxim to follow: “If you’re loaded down with care, go to prayer!”
6. Our prayer should incorporate supplication and thanksgiving- v. 6
II. Corresponding Peace that Accompanies Prayer & Rejoicing - V. 7
A. The accompanying peace of God, which passes all understanding shall be with you:
1. It shall keep (i.e. guard) your hearts and minds. (hearts and minds of Christians)
2. Why do some people seem like they are losing their minds? They do not have the
peace of God because they have not made peace with God through faith in the finished
work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
B. Those that are not “in Christ” which means they have not been saved or born again, and
therefore, they do not have the Holy Spirit of God, who produces the fruit of the Spirit, of
which peace is listed among them.
III. Concentration on Right Thoughts and the Right Example – vv. 8-9
A. Thoughts and things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and
praiseworthy, think on these.
B. Those things which you have learned, and received, and heard and seen in me; do: and
the God of Peace shall be with you. Paul is saying, follow my example and my teaching.
C. Notice both “the peace of God” and “the God of peace” are mentioned in out text
verses. You will not have “the peace of God” until you have “the God of peace.”
IV. Contentment in All Circumstances and Situations – vv. 10-19
A. Paul rejoiced in the Lord for the Philippians care and giving (support). V. 10
B. He says, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. V. 11
C. Paul stressed the necessity of contentment. Notice it is a learned virtue.
D. He knew how to be abased (have little), and how to abound (have much), to be hungry,
and to be full, both to have abundance and at times suffer in need.
E. He commended the Philippians for caring for him and supporting him when other did
not or would not- vv.14-16.
F. Paul gives the testimony that he is full and had received the things that they had sent
which was like a odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God.
G. Paul assured them that his (my) God would supply all their need according to the riches
in the glory of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-20 Instructions concerning cares, prayers and right living
H. Paul gives glory to God as a final exclamation point and prayer. V. 20

4/25/2026

Wrong Habits Lead to Wrong Ongoing Actions- Wrong Outcomes
Good Habits lead to Strong Character, Right Actions, Right Living

Introduction: The text verse that we will look at is I Corinthians 15:33- “Be not deceived: Evil
Communications corrupt good manners.”
The first thing that we see in this verse is a Warning! Be not deceived! What are the
implications of these words of caution? 1) There is inherit danger 2) We can be deceived.
Secondly, “Evil Communications” corrupt good manners- (i.e. habits, morals, character).
We are all creatures of habit- we do things repetitively, routinely, religiously or ritually. Yes,
we do things habitually! This can be a good thing if the habits that we are doing are right
and are character strengthening. But if they are wrong, they will negatively affect us and
form the wrong character (or lack thereof).
I was personally reminded of this principle in two ways recently: Both examples that I am
going to give have to do with daily life habits. I was reminded of the importance of daily
habits when I went to the dentist for a cleaning and exam. The dentist and the dental
hygienist told me that I have receding gumlines. Some of this is related to the onset of
aging, but most of it is due to my wrong brushing technique. The Bible tells us to confess
our faults one to another, and pray for one another… (James 5:16), SO, I confess that I have
not always flossed daily as I should. I have also not brushed my teeth properly with the
circular motion but have aggressively brushed in a hard and strong back and forth motion.
I was reminded that I needed to change my brushing and flossing habits, or the conditions
of my teeth, and more specifically, my gums, will only get worse. As a result, I made a
change: I bought a Oral B- electric toothbrush which has the proper brushing technique.
Why did I do this? Well, I didn’t like the prospective consequences of my wrong habits: i.e.
continued gumline recession, or possibly periodontal surgery to pull the gums down over
the teeth. So, I made the choice to correct the situation by getting a better toothbrush and
committing to floss daily.
The other personal example related to a daily habit is taking out the kitchen garbage or
trash. When I turned sixteen and wanted to get my driver’s license, I asked my father if I
could get my license. He responded by saying that if I would consistently take out the trash
daily, then I could possibly go ahead and get my driver’s license. So, guess what