Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-3 GNT

Podcast Introduction

Today we’ll begin the book of 1 Thessalonians. We’ll read the first three out of the five total chapters. 1-3, and I’m calling the episode “The Shepherd.” We’ll also have a time for praises and prayer requests.

Comments on 1 Thessalonians 1-3

As we read these chapters, I hope you saw that Paul had the heart of a pastor. I guess before I continue, I should quickly define what a pastor is, for those who don’t know. Sure, you probably know that a pastor is one who leads a church, but where does that name come from…what does it mean? And why do we use the word? “Pastor” literally means “shepherd”. Of course, a shepherd cares for a flock of sheep. We’ll talk more about that in a minute, but why do we use this specific analogy for someone who leads a church? Because in John 21:15-17, Jesus said to Peter three times, “Feed my sheep.” Actually, Jesus said “feed” twice, and “tend” (as a shepherd tends his sheep) my sheep. This title of “pastor” was literally Jesus’ idea. 

So how does a shepherd tend his sheep? It’s more than just feeding them. He also makes sure they have water, and a shepherd watches over them to be sure they are safe from predators.. Sheep really have few defense mechanisms. They need the shepherd’s protection.

Back to Paul.

As we’ve been reading through his letters, it’s clear that he dearly loves the people who are part of the church. He prays for them, he worries about them, he looks for ways that he can be a blessing to them, and he admonishes them to live lives that will be pleasing to the Lord. I hope that sounds familiar to you. I hope this could be a description of your pastor.

I’ve been blessed to have had some great pastors in my life. While each one has been very different in their personalities, they each loved God and the people God put in their care. And since I have usually been very involved in every church I have attended, and most of them have been on the small side, I’ve gotten to know most of my pastors on a personal basis. They have been my friend as well as my pastor. One of my pastors was one of my brothers-in-law, too. We had a very close relationship. 

Why am I telling you this? I learned from my close friendships with pastors that a pastor’s job is often lonely and difficult and thankless. Most pastors don’t have someone they can go to to unload their heart. They seldom have a peer to share their difficulties with. Your pastor prays for you and seeks God’s will for you. Verse 10 of chapter 3 could probably have been written by your pastor: “Day and night we ask him with all our heart to let us see you personally and supply what is needed in your faith.”

Today, I’d like you to encourage your pastor. Let him know that you pray for him (You DO pray for your pastor, don’t you?). Let him know how you have been changed by a recent sermon. Be specific. Don’t just say, “Good sermon” as you leave on Sunday. Let him know which specific words really spoke to you, and what you are going to do to put them into practice. And don’t just do this in passing on Sunday morning. Write him a note. On paper. With your own hand. And drop it in the mail. Remember snail mail? Use it to deliver your note. And in the note, think about including a gift card to a really nice local restaurant. Many pastors can’t afford to go to really nice restaurants. Or maybe buy him tickets to a local sporting event if he likes that kind of thing. And then there’s always cash.  

Let your pastor know that the love he puts into your life means something. Let him see the gifts of the Holy Spirit at work in your life. 

Do something so that your pastor can say, “Now we can give thanks to our God for you.”

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The Team

Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise: Transcript Correction
Michael Haner: Podcasting: 2.0 Chapters
Scott Snider: Show Art
Jason Paschall: Show Art
Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Brittaney: Newsletter Publisher

Transcript

Download .txt file.

Transcript corrected by Sister Denise

Steve Webb 0:00
How can we be holy?

Steve Webb 0:09
It’s the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California in podcasting since 2004. I am your OG Godcaster. Steve Webb, how are you today? It’s the law Monday, we’ll read Leviticus 19 through 21. And I’m calling the episode set apart. Before we get started, let’s pray. Our gracious heavenly Father, how we love you And we thank you so much for this time that we can gather around your word And read And study And talk about what you show us in Your word, who you reveal yourself to be. I asked Lord, that You would touch our hearts And touch our minds. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Okay, let’s get going.

Steve Webb 0:51
Leviticus 19 The Lord spoke to Moses. Speak to the entire Israelite community And tell them be holy because I the Lord, your God am holy. Each of you is to respect his mother And father. You are to keep my Sabbath’s I am the Lord your God. Do not turn to idols or make cast images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. When you offer a fellowship, sacrifice to the Lord, sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. It is better to be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day. But what remains on the third day must be burned up. If any is eaten on the third day, it is a repulsive thing. It will not be accepted. Anyone who eats it will bear his punishment for he has profaned what is holy to the Lord. That person must be cut off from his people. When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edge of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bear or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor in the foreign resident. I am the Lord your God. You must not steal. You must not act deceptively or lie to one another. You must not swear falsely by my name profaning the name of the Lord your God, I am Yahweh. You must not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages do a hired hand must not remain with you until morning. You must not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind. But you are to fear your God, I am the Lord. You must not act unjustly when deciding your case. Do not be partial to the poor or give preference to the rich. Judge your neighbor fairly. You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not jeopardize your neighbor’s life, I am the Lord. You must not harbor hatred against your brother. rebuke your neighbor directly And you will not incur guilt because of him. Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community. But Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. You are to keep my statutes, you must not crossbreed two different kinds of your livestock. So your fields will two kinds of seed or put on a garment made of two kinds of material. If a man has sexual intercourse with a woman who was a slave designated for another man, but she has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be punishment. They are not to be put to death because she had not been freed. However, he must bring a RAM as his restitution offering to the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The priests will make atonement on his behalf before the Lord with the ram of the restitution offering for the sin he has committed And he will be forgiven for the sin he committed. When you come into the land And plant any kind of tree for food, you are to consider the fruit forbidden. It will be forbidden to you for three years, it is not to be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the Lord. But in the fifth year, you may eat its fruit. In this way its yield will increase for you. I am the Lord your God. You are not to eat anything with blood in it. You are not to practice divination or sorcery. You are not to cut off the hair at the sides of your head or mar the edge of your beard. You are not to make gashes on your bodies for the dead, or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. Do not debase your daughter by making her a prostitute or the land will be prostituted And filled with depravity. You must keep my Sabbath And revere my sanctuary. I am the Lord. Do not turn to mediums or consult spiritists or you will be defiled by them. I have the Lord your God. You are to rise in the presence of the elderly And otter the old fear your God I am the Lord. When a foreigner lives with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You must regard the foreigner who lives with you as the native have born among you, you are to love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt, I am the Lord your God. You must not be unfair in measurements of length, weight or volume. You are to have honest balances, honest weights, And honest dry measure And an honest liquid measure. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. You must keep all my statutes And all my ordinances And do them. I am the Lord.

Steve Webb 5:29
Leviticus chapter 20. The Lord spoke to Moses, Say to the Israelites, any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molek must be put to death. The people of the country are to stone him, I will turn against that man And cut him off from his people, because he gave his offspring to Molek defiling my sanctuary And profaning My Holy Name. But if the people of the country look the other way, when that man gives any of his children to Molek, And do not put Him to death, then I will turn against that man And his family And cut off from their people, both him And all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molek. Whoever turns to mediums are spiritists in prostitutes himself with them, I will turn against that person And cut him off from his people. consecrate yourselves And be holy, for I am Yahweh your God. keep my statutes And do them. I am Yahweh who sets you apart. If any one curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother, his blood is on his own hands. If a man commits adultery with a married woman, if he commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the adulterer And the adulterous must be put to death. If a man sleeps with his father’s wife, he has shamed his father. Both of them must be put to death, their blood is on their own hands. If a man sleeps with his daughter in law, both of them must be put to death. They have acted perversely, their blood is on their own hands. If a man sleeps with a man as with a woman, they have both committed a detestable thing. They must be put to death, their blood is on their own hands. If a man marries a woman And her mother, it is depraved. Both he And they must be burned with fire, so that there will be no depravity among you. If a man has sexual intercourse with an animal, he must be put to death, you are also to kill the animal. If a woman comes near any animal And mates with it, you are to kill the woman And the animal. They must be put to death, their own blood is on them. If a man marries his sister, whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, And they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off publicly from their people. He has had sexual intercourse with his sister, he will bear his punishment. If a man sleeps with a menstruating woman that has sexual intercourse with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, And she has uncovered the source of her blood. Both of them must be cut off from their people. You must not have sexual intercourse with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for it is exposing one’s own blood relative, both people will bear their punishment. If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has shamed his uncle, they will bear their guilt And die childless. If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is impurity, he has shamed his brother, they will be childless. You are to keep all my statutes And all my ordinances And do them so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out. You must not follow the statutes of the nation’s I am driving out before you for they did all these things And I abhorred them. And I promised you, you will inherit their land since I will give it to you to possess a land flowing with milk And honey. I am Yahweh your God who set you apart from the peoples. Therefore, you must distinguish the clean animal from the unclean one, And the unclean bird from the clean one. Do not become contaminated by any land, animal, bird or whatever crawls on the ground. I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to me because I Yawei am holy And I have set you apart from the nation’s to be mine. A man or a woman who has a medium or a spiritist must be put to death. They are to be stoned. Their blood is on their own hands.

Steve Webb 9:46
Leviticus chapter 21. Then the Lord said to Moses, speak to the priests the sons of Aaron And say to them, no one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people, except for his relatives who are nearest To him, his mother And his father And his son And his daughter And his brother, also for his virgin sister who was near to him because she has no husband, for her he may defile himself. He shall not defile himself as a relative by marriage among his people, And so profane himself. They shall not make any baldness on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their flesh. They shall be holy to their God, And not profane the name of their God, for they present the offerings by fire to the Lord, the fruit of their God, so they shall be holy. They shall not take a woman who was profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband, for He is holy to his God, You shall consecrate him therefore for he offers the food of your God, he shall be holy to you, For I the Lord who sanctifies you am holy, also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by harlotry, she profanes her father, she shall be burned with fire. The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured, And who has been consecrated to wear the garments shall not uncover his head, nor tear his clothes, nor shall he approach any dead person, nor defile himself even for his father or his mother, nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him, I am the Lord. He shall take a wife in her virginity, a widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry. These he may not take, but rather he is to marry a virgin of his own people, so that he will not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the Lord who sanctifies him. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron, saying, No man of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect shall approach to offer the food of his God, for no one who has a defect shall approach a blind man or a lay man, or he who has a disfigured face, or any deformed limb, or a man who has a broken foot or a broken hand, or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scabs, or crushed testicles. No man among the descendants of their And the priest who has a defect is to come near to offer the Lord’s offerings by fire, since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the food of his God, he may eat the food of his God, both of the most holy And of the Holy, only, he shall not go into the veil or come near the altar, because he has a defect, so that he will not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the Lord who sanctifies them. So Moses spoke to Aaron And to his sons And to all the sons of Israel.

Steve Webb 12:54
Well, beloved, I’d like to focus for a little bit on some verses from Leviticus chapter 19. And chapter 20. The verses in chapter 19, are verses one And two, And I’d like to read them for you again, the Lord spoke to Moses, speak to the entire Israelite community And tell them be holy, because I, Yahweh your God, am holy. And then in chapter 20, verses 22 through 26, say, you are to keep all my statutes And all my ordinances And do them so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out, you must not follow the statutes of the nations I’m driving out before you for they did all these things, And I abhorred them. And I promised you, you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you to possess a land flowing with milk And honey, I am Yahweh your God who set you apart from the peoples. Therefore, you must distinguish the clean animal from the unclean one, And the unclean bird from the clean one, you must not become contaminated by any land, animal, bird or whatever crawls on the ground. I have set these apart as unclean for you, you are to be holy to me because I Yawei am holy, And I have set you apart from the nations to be mine. Okay, in chapter 19, verses one And two, God called the Israelites to be holy as He is holy. What does that mean? To be holy is to be separate, different set apart, apart, not a part, when an orange is still hanging on the tree, it is a part of the tree. Once I pluck the orange, it’s apart from the tree, no longer a part of the tree. So we are to be set apart. God is holy in that he is different from everything else in all creation. He is apart from creation, every aspect of who And what God is is different than every other thing. Because he is God. He is greater. He is more righteous. He is more just more pure, more loving more or more than can be expressed. So how can he call his people to be holy? Because he is holy? We’re not God, we’re human. How can we be holy, because we are made in His image. He is not calling us to be Gods small g, because God is the only true God. So what is he calling us to do? well, he’s calling us to be separate, different set apart from the things in the world that are not pleasing to Him. Or put another way, set apart from the things that are not like him. We are to be more like him. We are to reflect Him as much as we can. The word Christian means like Christ. So in chapter 19, And most of chapter 20, God through Moses talked about the punishment that was to be meted out for various sins, which had already been spoken of in previous chapters. And then in verses 22 through 26, which I just read for you, God gave his reason for calling Israel to be holy. God has called his chosen people out of Egypt, And into the promised land. This is a land that had been inhabited by people who practice many things that were evil in the sight of God. And he did not want any of that behavior to be brought into the Israelite culture. The fact that the previous inhabitants did such heinous things, is why God had the Israelites expel And, in fact, why he commanded them to completely wipe them out in almost every case. And God told the Israelites to keep all of his statutes And laws, so that the land where he was bringing them would not vomit them out, as he was having them due to the Canaanites, who are presently in that land. That is why he called them to be holy. In this idea of being different of being separate, is the reason for many of the laws in these two chapters. Whenever there was a behavior that was practiced by the Canaanites, God said, Don’t do that. Some of the seemingly random laws are examples of this, like the shaving of the sides of the heads of the trimming of the beards. These were things done by the pagans in their worship of idols, the same thing for cutting the flesh or tattoos, God said, do not do those things, because you are to be wholly separate, different, don’t do what they do. The mixing of textiles was forbidden because the pagans did that, thinking that there was some sort of magic associated with clothes made in this manner. Many of the laws concerning sexual activity have the same basis, the pagans had many perverse practices in their religions. So God was very explicit in what he had to say about what was not allowed. Today, as we read through these laws, we say, well, of course, you shouldn’t do that. But remember, beloved, our culture has the benefit of being founded on Judeo Christian principles. For now, as long as it lasts, And Judeo Christian culture is under attack today, most of our way of life is defined even in our legal system by these principles. As God warned the Israelites to keep all His statutes And all his judgments, so that the land would not vomit them out. I believe that we have enjoyed God’s blessing here in America, because we were founded on these ideals. And for those of you not here in America, what I’m talking about still applies to you too. And just as God allowed Israel to be judged when they first took him, I believe we are in danger of his judgement. Today, we in America are in that danger, And so is the rest of the world as we well know from reading the Bible. Beloved, again, I say that we must return to God. He said in Second Chronicles 714. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, And pray And seek my face, And turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven And will forgive their sins And restore their land. Notice, beloved, who God is calling on to humble themselves And pray And seek His face And turn from their wicked ways. It wasn’t the heathen. It wasn’t the sinner. God said, If my people who were called by my name, beloved, we must humble ourselves, we must pray. We must seek His face. We must turn from our wicked ways. You say, Steve, I’m not wicked. I say, Are you sure? Okay. Maybe it’s just me. But I know that I fail God every day, And I am so not like Jesus, I have so far to go. I know that I’m not the man that God wants me to be. I know that the only way I’m getting into heaven is because I am washed in the blood of the lamb Jesus Christ. But I still want to continue to strive to be more like him, beloved, all of us must seek His face, we must ask Him to reveal to us where we fail him, And to humbly ask Him to forgive us. We must ask him to heal our land. Will you join me in this? Will you commit to earnestly pray with me? Our nation, our world will only find healing And peace through God. Political leaders or political systems won’t do it for us. That’s more clear today than it was even just last year. God is the only answer. Would you pray with me? Oh, God, we humbly come to you now in Jesus precious name. And we plead with you to reveal to us those areas in our lives that are not pleasing to you. Show us God where we are falling short. We know that you’re not Happy with us. We know that we need the forgiveness that can only come because of your great mercy. Please, God, forgive us. Forgive us for the things we do And for the things we don’t do. Forgive us, Lord for our cowardice. Forgive us for not standing up for what we know is right And for not fighting against what we know is wrong. Father, we ask you now to give us the courage that can only come from you. Give us courage to speak for the weak among us. Give us courage to fight for what is right, God, we ask that you heal our land, not just here in America, Lord, but in our world. Oh God, we need you. Let this generation see a revival the likes of which have never been seen. Pour out Your Spirit on us, Lord, make us a mighty army for you. We humbly ask that you’d make us worthy to be called by your name. I pray this in Jesus name rang with me. st***@*************ia.com subject line. I’m with you, Steve. Let me hear from you call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1-951-732-8511. And you can also comment via boostagram or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com You’ll find a forum there that you can just put in whatever you’d like to say. I do read every comment And there’s a good chance your comment will appear on the show. Tomorrow will be history Tuesday in our reading will be second Kings 16 through 20.

Steve Webb 22:47
I have some people to acknowledge today we have an executive producer. Roderick Prince sent in his monthly $50 donation. Thank you Roderick. God bless you. And we have an associate producer today by the name of Jørn Rune Reinertsen who sent in his monthly $20 donation. God bless you Jørn. Thank you.

Announcer 23:05
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Steve Webb 23:06
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Jingle 23:51
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Steve Webb 23:51
I will thank you And I believe that God will bless you.

Steve Webb 24:01
You know, the team helps me to do things for the show that I just don’t have time for so Thanks to Sister Denise who does the transcripts. Thanks to Michael Haner, who does the chapters for each episode, Thanks to Scott Snider And Jason Paschall who share the creation of the show art And today. That was Jason Paschall, And Thanks to SR Brittaney, who does the newsletter. God bless each of you thank you for your time And your talent. And then Beloved, if you weren’t here, what would be the point of doing the show? So thank you for being here. And thank you for inviting me to be with you today. Until tomorrow may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb, bye

Announcer 24:39
the Lifespring media family of programs are made possible by the generous support of listeners like you, thank you

Transcribed by https://otter.ai