LBC Annual Bible Conference 2024 Session 4

Wednesdays is normal. There's Fox Thursday will be middle school choir and children's choir. Friday at 7 p .m. will be Good Friday service and then Saturday will be men of faith. Next Sunday is Easter sunrise service that will be at 7 a .m. on the green.

There's normally fire. We have breakfast following directly after that. I know that there's been a couple men asked to make breakfast. It is still open if you would like to bring something feel free to bring something.

Looking ahead to April the 6th the 13th and the 27th will be the men of faith as well as 6 8 a .m. through the 2 p .m. will be the Red Cross blood drive here and then the 10th is the semiannual business meeting.

May 4th is the walk for life. There's an insert in your bulletin if you'd like to register for that and get a t-shirt. I think they walk in Marysville so and then July 21st through the 25th will be the start of well the 21st will be the start of the VBS going.

Through the 25th. Good morning. Good to see you here this morning. So guys here's what I hear we're responsible for the sunrise service breakfast. So I know that should just bring everybody in I realize that but so you need to talk to Mike Wiseman about that.

He's the guy coordinating that okay. So make sure you talk to him and a bunch of you guys you make sure you talk to him because I want it to be a good breakfast too you know. It's usually really good when the women do it so we're used to that.

By the way if you're not used to coming to the sunrise service just you know it'd be great if you'd come. I think you'd find it a great blessing. We like Joe said we meet out here around the fire and have a great time of worship together and we have breakfast and it's just a really really good time.

So we're anticipating God's blessing next week as we celebrate his resurrection. Well we're here to worship. This is a conclusion of our Bible conference. Pastor Peter has just ministered the word to us Friday and Saturday and today is the last day of that and we're anticipating God's blessings again as he comes and ministers the word.

But we're here to worship then so let's just take the last few moments to finish our preparations.

For worship. Let's pray. Dear Lord we just thank you again for bringing us here this.

Sunday. Lord I pray as Pastor Peter preaches today. Lord I pray that our minds would be prepared for worship and to sing. Lord I pray that we would take this message in and use it throughout the week.

Lord and we put those things in.

Your son's name. Amen. Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God.

How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor or who has given the gift of him that he might be repaid for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be glory forever.

Amen. Please stand and turn your.

Hymnals to page 206 as we sing Jesus. What a friend for sinners. Gracious slow.

To anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness keeping steadfast love for thousands forgiven iniquity and transgression and sin but who will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation.

Let us confess our sin to the Lord our thrice holy God we are witnesses to the truth that you are pure cannot look upon evil. We see the wicked world around us marvel at their lack of concern for the coming judgment that will put an end to all lawbreakers.

We see you thunder your anger throughout scripture against those who love wickedness. Oh God forgive us though for we can bring such zeal to the sight of the prodigal son returning to the gracious arms of our Savior.

We forget we were once like him until the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared in which you saved us. Not for our works and righteousness but according to your undeserved mercy. God forgive us that our forgetfulness caused us not to join the feasts of our Savior for the return of a wayward sinner.

People of Christ it is good to lament our own pride that would cause us to look at our own progress in the faith and contribute to our own efforts as we look down upon the returning sinner. Even though the Pharisees refused to come into the feast at the returning of the sinner to the fold this does not have to be your story and the answer is to remember your sin and remember the love of our God and Savior and see yourself in the story of the return runaway.

Join the feasts for in the prodigal child you do not see a distant story but you are reminded of yourself. Praise God for all those who are welcome to the feasts of the Lord. Let us enter and worship God for the salvation he has.

Given to us by celebrating the same salvation in others. Let us come before.

The Lord in prayer. Our Father in heaven we come before you together in Christ thanking you that you have gathered us in corporate worship for your glory and for our good. We understand that you use such ordinary means of grace as these to grow us and to keep us to bring us to repentance and to maturity of faith.

And so it is that we come before you confessing our sin to you. Lord surely in our sin did our mothers conceive us and from that sin nature we find an abundance of sinful thoughts words and deeds arise from our hearts.

Lord we know that the salvation that you have brought us to we know the salvation that you have to what you have brought us and so often continue to bring before our eyes to others. Yet we are a people of ungrateful hearts.

We are a people of lazy hearts. We are a people of little faith and we are a callous people. As we have just confessed we are forgetful of the fact that we were once that we were once the prodigal son wandering about but that you found us.

We often become nearsighted and forget that we have been cleansed from our former sins. Then we are not grateful when others come into the same light as we once did. We are lazy not wishing to put effort into our Thanksgiving or at most letting it be lackluster.

We are a people of little faith inclined to think some people too far for you to reach or if we're being honest too far that you would that you would even would reach them. And lastly we can be a callous people sometimes hardened against a person to not seek their salvation or desire it to such a small degree in our hearts.

Lord forgive us for our sin. In Christ blot out our transgressions according to your steadfast love and abundant mercy. We know that in Christ all has been paid and our sins are forgiven. This was by your grace but now oh Lord by that same grace transform us into a people more like our Savior.

Create in us pure hearts and let us hear joy and gladness even in our own salvation and in that of others. Oh that you would prod us from laziness and complacency. Deliver us and may we honor you and just the same when you deliver others may we honor you.

May we all say with David may those who love your salvation say evermore God be exalted. Oh that you would give us thankful hearts that we would increase in joy and thanksgiving before you. That you would give us burdened hearts for others.

Convict us we pray and give us hearts more contrite not less. That we would be more broken over our sin and not less. And that you would give us a greater hatred for our sin and a greater love for you.

Lord we ask all these things in the name of Christ our Lord.

Amen. Please stand turn our hymnals to page two to sing praise to the Lord the Almighty. You bestow upon us to be thankful and to be generous with them. I.

Pray for these funds as we take them up that you use them to benefit your kingdom.

I pray these things in your son's name. Old Testament reading this morning is.

Found in Isaiah. We're reading from chapter 55 verses 6 and 7. If you would please stand in honor of God's Word. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.

Let him return to the Lord that he may have compassion on him. To.

Our God for he will abundantly pardon. New Testament reading is Romans 5 1 through 8. Therefore since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.

And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that we rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance. And endurance produces character and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person and though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still.

Sinners Christ died for us. You may be seated. Let's bow together in prayer. Lord God of.

Heaven and earth we come to you only because Jesus gave himself for us. On our own we'd have no right to even speak to you for we were objects of your wrath. Because of your great love for us you sent Jesus.

While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Father we thank you for such infinite love that would send the perfect lamb to die for those who do not deserve it. But you loved us even though we were dead in our trespasses and sins.

Slaves to ourselves and to the world and to Satan. Because of your great love for us you were merciful and we thank you for that. Our prayer today father is that we would remember how you saved us. That we'd remember that you welcomed us openly in Jesus.

That we were the prodigal. We were the ones who were reckless with our lives. We were the ones who disdained our father. We were the ones who chose to live in a way that we just wanted to. And when by your spirit we came to our senses you did not condemn us.

You did not tell us I told you so. You did not relegate us to the margins. Instead you welcomed us as a father who loves his children. Father such grace is so marvelous and so wonderful. Forgive us for for being so numb to that.

Remind us again that we were the prodigal that you welcomed home. This day father we'd also pray for Grace Bible Fellowship in Washington. We thank you for the work that you have done in that church. We pray father that you would help them as they as they seek to reach out to their community.

Give them fruit from that father. We pray Lord for the young families in that congregation. We pray that they would work together as the people of God in encouraging one another and helping one another as they raise their children.

We pray father you would give them much grace in that. We pray for their pastors. We pray father that you would give them wisdom. Help them to to shepherd the flock with that wisdom and to shepherd it well.

Father we thank you for this congregation. We are thankful for how you over the years have worked here by your spirit through your word. We're thankful father that you have raised up a people who love you and we beg you that you would continue your work here.

That we might know the fruits of what it is to glorify God and enjoy him. Help us now today as we worship to give ourselves in all that is part of it. To give ourselves to you as we worship. We thank you in Jesus name.

Amen.

Could you please stand once more and turn in your hymnals to page 94. As we sing praise him, praise him.

Praise him, Jesus our blessed redeemer. He suffered and bled, no salvation. He bent straw of his excellent greatness. Praise him ever in joyful song.

This is our last preaching session in our Bible conference. Pastor Peter LaRuffa comes to us from Florence, I'm sorry St. Thomas Kentucky. 18 years ago he went to came to Grace Fellowship Church in Florence and began his ministry there and is now leading the congregation in Fort Thomas.

Peter is, I love the way communicates the Word of God. He is certified with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors and has ministered very well in Fort Thomas. I love Peter. He's a dear friend.

I believe we met, we started talking in, what was it 2014, 2012, somewhere around there. Long ago, far away, but still a dear friend. So Peter come and minister the Word of God to us. We're anticipating God's blessings.

Well good morning. It truly has been a pleasure and an honor not only to open God's Word with you but to spend the time that we've been able to spend together in recent days and so I want to thank Pastor Tim and Andrew and the elders and the deacons and everybody, the deaconesses, everybody who has been so faithful to work so hard to put the conference together, to prepare meals, to make all the arrangements for Sharon Green to be ever so patient with me as I got in notes and slides and all the things.

I'm so so honored and grateful to be able to have spent this time with you and it is bizarre for me to be standing in the pulpit with Tim in the pew. That seems like somebody made a mistake and so it's an honor and a privilege to be able to open up God's Word with you and we send you lots of love from the great state of Kentucky, from the right side of the river, from God's country, but particularly from my wife Sarah and from my children who have spent time up here and who are very sad, very sad.

Truthfully a little mad, very sad to not be with me this time. We send you our love and our affection. We're going to be looking at Luke chapter 15. We're going to begin in verse 25. So if you would turn there to Luke chapter 15, that's what we're going to be focusing on today in the final portion of this parable of the prodigal son.

Luke chapter 15 beginning in verse 25. I'm going to read those verses and I would ask you if you are physically able, would you please stand in honor of the reading of God's Holy Word. Follow along silently as I read aloud Luke chapter 15 beginning in verse 25 which is also in your outline.

This is what the Word of God says. Now his older son was in the field and as he came and drew near to the house he heard music and dancing and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant and he said to him, your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.

But he was angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and entreated him but he answered his father, look, these many years I have served you and I never disobeyed your command yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends but when this son of yours comes who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.

And he said to him, son, you are always with me and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad for this your brother was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found. This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. Father in heaven would you add your blessing to the preaching and the hearing of your word as only you can. Lord may none of us be here alone. May I not stand up here alone but would you Holy Spirit speak truth through me for the glory of God and for the edification of the saints we pray in Jesus name.

Amen. You may be seated. So we are coming to the end of our time in the Bible conference where we've taken a close look at Luke chapter 15 but specifically verses 11 and following. And so as you'll recall Luke 15 contains three parables all following the same theme lost, found, party.

Lost, found, party. And so first off we start out with the parable of the lost sheep. Who among you who is a shepherd who would have a hundred sheep but lose one who would not leave the 99 to go after the one that is straying.

99 is not enough. That's what I like to say when we're teaching our new member class and we're talking about why our church carries out something called church discipline and that is because 99 is not enough.

While many shepherds, while many pastors, while many churches would say you know what we had a hundred sheep now we have almost a hundred sheep. Right? It's not that big a deal. We had a hundred sheep now we have a hundred ish sheep.

But God tells us as shepherds and as Christians but particularly as shepherds that we should leave the 99 to go after the one. And so this parable reminds us that 99 is not enough to God that 99 is not enough to God's people and that a shepherd who loses his sheep and then finds his sheep comes back rejoicing to have found the sheep.

Lost, found, party. Jesus then goes on to talk about the parable of the lost coin. What woman having ten silver coins who lost one would not sweep the house and search the house to find the one that she lost and when she finds it she rejoices tells all her friends and says look I found the coin that was lost.

Lost, found, party. Luke 15 and verse 10 just so I tell you Jesus says there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. And then as we spend time together starting out on Friday night we spoke about the best approach to the Word of God is to look for our own growth, our own edification, our own sanctification first.

Similar to how Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 7 says we are to remove the log from our own eye before we seek to remove the speck from another's eye. I have received many artistic renditions of that point that I have with me that I love of children drawing pictures of me preaching with a gigantic telephone pole sometimes with wires coming out of the pulpit.

It's a it's a great illustration of my preaching and I love it and it also looks like I'm killing people with my eyes. So I'm pretty excited to show my kids that. But the best way to approach God's Word and the best way to come into his presence is to say Lord what do you have for me?

Right? We don't want to say here my Lord send him, here my Lord fix her, but here my Lord what do you want to do for me so that I might be a more a better more obedient more holy man woman boy and girl of God.

Then we looked at the fact that the best way to approach this parable is not to look at the prodigal as wow there's someone out there and somebody comes to your mind who is a prodigal daughter or a prodigal son or somebody who's a far far away off and to think wow this would be great for them.

Which I'm not saying is wrong I'm not saying is unholy. No doubt the person you're thinking of who would read this and you hope that they would be the prodigal that returned home that would be a joyful thing.

But we would do well if we really want to be like the father in this story. We really want to be like that guy. The first thing we need to remember is that you're the prodigal. You are the prodigal. For every one of us who are in Christ for every one of us who have been saved and born from above we were in our own way in a far off country.

Each one of us have our sheep who have gone astray each to his own way and God in his sovereign grace and mercy and love has called each and every one of us out of darkness and into his marvelous light.

And so before we try to be like the father which we should we should acknowledge that each one of us has something in common with the son. We all were once lost and were found. Those who love Christ those who believe on Christ for salvation have been rescued from a far country as well.

And then we looked at the fact of the extravagant love of Jesus Christ. The extravagant love of the father who welcomes back the son saying that the father depicts Jesus Christ not just God in general but God the son specifically because the father ran towards the son in the parable.

The father did so at great cost himself. The father did so bringing about shame and reproach upon himself in the fact that men of that day particularly men in Arab men did not run. Furthermore in order to run he would have to lift up his robe and thereby he would expose his legs which is something that brought great shame upon people.

And so when you look at what the father is doing in the parable of the prodigal son you're reminded of Jesus Christ who was crucified for sinners like you and me. Jesus Christ who took upon himself the guilt but also the shame and the reproach of dying as if he were a criminal on Calvary's tree.

And we ended our time yesterday with a little bit of an impromptu singing because I wanted to sing a song and so I played the piano I played on the piano we sang grace greater than our sin what a joyful time we had as we reflected upon the grace that we were given.

He killed the fattened calf which is what we are being told as for this glorious extravagant love that the father had for his son. This was a very big deal. He was thrilled to have his son back we saw that before he put a robe on him he put a ring on his finger shoes on his feet and then he throws a party for him the likes of which we can't imagine.

This was way more than an appetizer tray from Costco although I love me a good appetizer tray from Costco. This was way more than that. This is a big deal to kill the fattened calf. This wasn't a cookout with burgers and hot dogs this was the fattened calf.

This was likely veal being served for anyone and everyone who would come and celebrate the homecoming of his once lost son and so a slab of meat would be cut and cooked in an oven and served while another slab of meat would be cut and cooked in an oven and served.

Ongoing cooking of fresh veal meant the aroma would have never quit between the cooked meat and the cooking meat but here's the thing if we look back at verse 1 in Luke chapter 15 we're reminded of whom Jesus is speaking to.

Verse 1 says now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him and the Pharisees and scribes grumbled saying this man received sinners and eats with them so he told them this parable. We do well to remind ourselves that Jesus wasn't telling stories because it was story hour at an Israeli library.

Jesus was telling these parables for two reasons. First he wanted to show the extravagant love that he had for sinners that was demonstrated in all three parables lost found party. That's obvious but if that were the only reason the end of the story would have been with the session that we had last night or yesterday rather.

Look back at verse 24 this my son was dead and is alive again he is lost and is found and they began to celebrate. That is the perfect middle. You say well why middle? Because it's not the ending of the story is it?

And that's because what started this whole thing way back in verse 1 was the Pharisees and the scribes who are grumbling that Jesus receives sinners and eats with them and so Jesus's purpose in telling these stories was to show his extravagant love for sinners check and to show how the hearers the Pharisees the scribes stood in stark contrast to that love.

We've seen his love but the Pharisees haven't yet seen themselves in the story yet. That's one of the things we said about how to interpret parables was that it's important in parables to find yourself in the story.

Asking God who am I most like? I like to say find the hero find the zero and find yourself. Who's the hero of the story? Who's the zero of the story? And where do you fit in? Who are you most like? Who should you be imitating?

We looked at the prodigal and saw that every one of us could relate to him. You're that guy. I'm that guy. We're all that guy. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All of us like sheep have gone astray.

But the Pharisees haven't yet seen themselves in the story. The joy with which we ended our session yesterday is because we the redeemed understand the grace and the mercy of God. The Pharisees were not singing grace greater than our sin.

The Pharisees were not excited. The Pharisees were not happy. The thoughts and feelings that you and I perhaps had as we looked at the extravagant love of Christ represented by the Father in this parable, that's not what the Pharisees and scribes would have been feeling at this point.

I would suggest perhaps they were feeling confused. In Jesus's culture the story just didn't make sense to them at all. Wait a minute. So this guy's going to ask for his inheritance early whereby he's essentially saying he wishes his father was dead.

Then he's going to spend that money real fast on a lot of prostitutes and reckless living. Then he's going to live in squalor and then he's going to come crawling back to his father and his father's going to throw a party?

A party? What in the world? They're just confused. This is this is not something they've ever seen or heard of. This is not how it's supposed to go. Or they probably were also angry or maybe a little offended.

That's a sentiment the Pharisees and scribes perhaps would have had. While we think the party would have been a perfectly happy ending, the Pharisees and scribes would have thought the story didn't resolve at all.

Like yeah, but then what? Like after the party when did you hurt him? Okay, then what? I'm glad we all had a good meal, but when's he going to like get what's coming to him? Where's the justice? Why hasn't the younger son paid for what he's done?

Why haven't heads rolled as they should? Or the Pharisees would have thought maybe this story that Jesus is telling is going a bit too far. Like hey look behind you bro, there's the line. Like you crossed the line in suggesting that this is how this is supposed to be.

Listening to Jesus tell a story that was so offensive to their ears that it would have just angered them all the more. Quite frankly they've been let down by the father. They would have hoped the story ended with the father perhaps publicly beating the son or stoning him at the city gate, standing up for what's right and true, being obedient to the scriptures.

But there's one more character that we haven't discussed in the parable of the prodigal son. As you'll soon see, they can relate to like just fine. Pick it up in verse 25. Verse 25 says,. Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. Now practically speaking, the amount of time that elapsed in verse 24 specifically, if you look at chapter 15 and verse 24 where he says, This my son was dead and is alive again was lost and is found.

Then there's a period and then there's the word and. And they began to celebrate in that little pause in between the period and the end was several days. Had to be several days because when Jesus says and they began to celebrate, that assumes that people have been invited, right?

That assumes that preparations were made, the fattened calf were slaughtered, musicians were booked. It was a whole thing, right? So this couldn't just like happen. So they were excited to have, he was excited to have him home and then prepared a great feast.

So a few days would have had to have passed. I bring that up to say the fact that the older brother had no idea what was going on tells us something about the state of his relationship with his family.

He is there, but he is not present. Does that make sense? He is physically there, but he doesn't have the presence of mind or the presence of heart to wonder or care what's going on. I recall a time one of our neighbors stopped by our home to inform us of something that had happened to their son who lived I think near Atlanta, Georgia.

And he stopped by and said, hey Steve, what's going on? He was standing at the front door and he said, just want to let you know my son was in a pretty bad car accident. And so the purpose of his stopping by my house was to say that he will be going away for a few days and so don't be alarmed if you don't see a car, if you don't see his car in the driveway, and also if you see another car in the driveway, be like a little alarm.

So he's letting me know that their house is going to be vacant and just that he's gonna be out of town for a few days. And of course I said I'll certainly do that and said that I would definitely be praying for him and his son and his family during this very difficult time.

So I had that conversation with my neighbor Steve. Not long after that my son Jonathan said, hey dad, what did Mr. Steve want? And so I told him. Jonathan wasn't with me when I spoke to Mr. Steve, but he was present in the home.

He was aware like, well that's not usually... Steve doesn't typically stop by and knock on our door. Sometimes we'll talk to each other kind of home improvement style over the fence or we'll get each other's attention and just check in with one another.

But the fact that he came, knocked on the door, and stood there for a few minutes and we spoke, Jonathan just knew that that happened. And so he was like, hey, what what did he want? So I told him. Jonathan wasn't with me, but he was present.

Does that make sense? He was present in the home and we have a lovely home, but it's not like he was out in the east wind. So if he's home, he's aware of like someone's at the door. And so he asked me, oh what what did Mr. Steve want?

He wasn't with me, but he was present. And so he asked. The fact that the older brother had to ask what was going on days later, because he's asking while the party's happening, right? And so the younger brother comes home.

The father rejoices to see him. He says, get a robe, get a ring, get sandals, let's have a party. And so then they take a few days to prepare the party. Then the party begins. Then the older brother asks, hey what's going on?

And the fact that he asks after all of those days what's going on shows a lack of presence of mind. He's there, but he's not present. At best, he's politely aloof, going about his day, completing his tasks, doing his job, then going to his bed and getting up and doing his thing once again.

But he certainly lacked a give a care. The care for and awareness of others was not his strong suit by any stretch of the imagination. So pick it up in verse 26. It says he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

In the Greek, the verb tense in verse 26 for called is imperfect, which implies a repeated action. So he didn't just say, hey what's going on? It would have probably been, hey you, you, hey, hey, come here, what's going on?

What's going on? Why is there music? What's happening? What's going on? And so it's not just an in-crew-y like, oh behold, for a party is taking place. And lo, I smell, I don't know if that's the way you use the word lo.

And lo, I smell fresh fuel. What pray tell is happening? It's hey, what's going, why is there, maybe sentence for actors, right? Why is there, who's even, why, what's happening? The Greek word for servants is actually one that would indicate that the person you're speaking to was young, likely pre-adolescent.

All the adults would probably be inside. And so here's this, you, kid, come here, what's, what's going on? Verse 27, he said, well your brother has come and your father's killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.

As everybody knows, who hasn't been living under a rock? This is big news. Your brother's come back. The Greek expression for safe and sound comes from the same word we get the English word hygiene. It speaks of wholeness, of cleansing, of health.

The servant boy wasn't just saying that his brother had come home and turns out he was healthy, but that there had been a radical, like a radical change for the better. On top of all of that, his father had received him and the relationship was restored and basically you've got to see this guy.

He's a different guy. There's been a radical change for the better. Which brings us to point number one. If you can't celebrate God's saving grace in others, it's likely because you've never received it yourself.

If you can't celebrate God's saving grace in others, it's likely because you never received it yourself. Verse 28 shows his response to his answer that he received. What's going on? Well, your brother's come back and he's safe and sound and your father's killed the fattened calf.

Verse 28, but he was angry and refused to go in. If you can't celebrate God's saving grace in others, it's likely because you don't know what it's like to have been saved. You don't know what it's like to have received his saving grace.

Or perhaps you are under the delusion that you are saved and you think that you did that yourself. That you worked pretty hard to get to that point in your life. You've made a lot of right decisions. You read through your resume and you think, yeah, but this is kind of something like, I'm glad God did it, but I kind of did it.

Like, God offered it, but I'm kind of a big deal and I kind of did it. But that's not true. You'll never celebrate new life because you'll remain dead inside. In your outline, I put Matthew 23 verses 27 and following.

When Jesus says, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like white washed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

In Revelation chapter 3 and verse 1, we read,. And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,. The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.