Once again - and as always - we must rightly divide a word to show that many pastors, preachers and teachers are misusing a word - in this case, it is the word 'meet.'

Remember, STUDY to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING the word of truth.  (Caps are my own emphasis...)

A study of the word 'meet' presents a sermon that will show us we have a choice, as Bible Believers, so serve ourselves or to serve God.

After hearing about bear hunting, fruit picking and fruit pickers, let's look at some "meet."

I.  Not meet to take the children's bread...
You know the great story about how Jesus Himself rejected a Gentile woman...
Matthew 15:21-28

• Well, look at an additional phrase when compared to Mark 7:24-30.
• Let the children first be filled... then... for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.  What an obvious set up to show that Jesus went to the Jews first - and NOT to the Gentiles.  He knew the Gentiles were going to get their opportunity later.  First, through the Great Commission, as we call it, in Matthew 28:19-20 along with Mark 16:15-20. But even when that fizzled, going to Paul was going to be the big revealing of the mystery as explained in Ephesians 2; 3:3-6.
• Remember the countrymen as Paul described them in I Thessalonians 2:14-16a - For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:  Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved...

II. Meet for repentance
Matthew 3:1-11 - *8 - Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

• These are people - numbers, etc.  That is the same throughout the Gospels.  Fruit is referring to the numbers of people.  See the sermons on Fruit Picking and Fruit Pickers for those details on numbers in the gospels and Acts 2, etc.

III.  Not meet to be called an apostle!
I Corinthians 15:9,10 - For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

• Are you meet for whatever you are doing, or dare we not forget about God's longsuffering, grace and mercy?
• And don't get so conceited with God's love that you would actually believe He chose you!
• And don't get so conceited that you forget how we got to this place, anyway - Romans 11:11 - I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.  Romans 11:25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
• Don't forget Mark 7:17 - the time of the Gospels - But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

• (Compare this to Matthew 3:8) works today versus numbers in the Gospel days.
• It is a 'work' that Christ is 'working' on  in us- not TO BE a Christian, but because we are Christians.
• Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

VII.  Meet for the master's use - IF!
II Timothy 2:20,21 -  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

• Keep reading verses 22+IF you are truly interested in living to please the Lord!

• Paul says a lot about fruits being our works!  (See Fruit Pickers sermon)

Purge is the 'these' in II Timothy 2:21 - see verses previous...  the wood, the earth... some to dishonour..

• And Paul tells us, without any shadow of doubt, to purge...
• He uses words such as:
• Withdraw,
• from such turn away,
• whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake
• exhort
• rebuke with all authority
• avoid
• reject
• depart from iniquity
• note that man, and have no company with him
• flee
• shun