Keep sharing good news without ads.
No description available
Well, what a glorious day we have to gather together as God's people to hear from God Himself. Not a man, not me, not our pastor, not Brother Ben, but we come to hear from God Himself. Let us pray before we enter on.
This is God's holy Word. God's Word is so holy.
So let us pray.
Our Father, what wondrous love it is that would cause You to send Your only Beloved Son to save a wretch like me. Lord, we enter upon holy grounds and we tremble and we stand in awe. So Lord, use this hour to glorify Yourself.
I'm an unworthy instrument. Lord, let Your people hear from You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. This morning, I'm so thankful for our pastor. He faithfully labors in the Word, faithfully, bivocationally.
And every time I'm reminded of his labors, when I dig into God's Word, and want to bring these precious jewels and truths to the surface that will feed your soul. And I'm so thankful for you. It's like, it makes my, I tremble, but it's like what greater thing can there be to study and spend time with God.
So, as I was searching weeks ago, crying out to God, Leave me. Show me where you want me to be fed. Show me where you want your people to be fed. And I just kept wrestling and wrestling. And sometimes God shows us through the most mundane things.
God, there's an old football coach that spoke just previously during a Super Bowl. And his name was Vince Lombardi. Vince Lombardi was a Hall of Fame coach. He coached the Green Bay Packers. That team was loaded with talent that was far superior than any other team in the NFL at the time.
But one thing that he noticed early in his career, with all this talent, how are they not winning? How are they not being victorious? Training camp came around the next year. This is in the 1960s. And he said to his team, he called his team up and said, this is a football.
This is a football. And he's telling professional people that have played the game since, you know, probably the cradle. And he's telling them, this is a football. What I believe he's getting at the heart of the matter is fundamentals.
Fundamentals are key. This morning, I want to put four questions to you. And I just ask that you will let these questions, just humbly, you can answer them to yourself before God.
1. Are you struggling with sin?
2. Do you get frustrated when you consider where you're at in your spiritual growth? 3. Do you find sanctification an honorable obsession? 4. Do you desire to teach and warn transgressors that sinners shall be converted?
If you can honestly, humbly and honestly answer yes, this message by the Spirit's help will aid, encourage you and strengthen you in your walk. But if you can say no, my prayer is that the Spirit of God will open the eyes of your heart.
That you may see your nakedness before God. That His guillotine of His perfect justice is hanging this very hour over your neck by a piece of hair. Beloved, I'm humbled to have this opportunity this morning to preach God's Word to you.
However, my heart has been burdened. My heart has been burdened. And I want to share this with you. And by God's grace, I pray this text in Colossians will be a balm to your souls. I want to share this with you.
The church has lost her ways. You may share with this burden. The church has lost her ways. And that's you and I. Anyone and everyone identifies themselves today as a Christian. Lesbian, gay, cross gender, LBQ, whatever it is.
And still be a Christian. And yet, they dance and kiss safe. The prophet Hosea says, my people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. In Proverbs, Solomon also, where there is no vision, people perish.
There is a perverted notion that has taken captive and seduced the church. And that's all kinds of Bible believing, Bible professing churches. That in order to fulfill and reach the world, we must remove anything that will offend them.
Such things like sin, righteousness, holiness, eternity, judgment. These things convict and they call our souls into court. So my question this morning is, are you to fulfill your master's great commission by giving unconverted people what their itching ears want to hear?
God forbid. God forbid. According to God's word, we're to leave this world if we're going to reach this world. Jesus said in John 8, 23 to the religious elites of His day. Jesus said to them, you are from beneath, I'm from above.
You're of this world, I'm not of this world. Beloved, that's our hearts cry. James 4, 4, you're an adoratious people. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Well, now getting to our text.
If you will, please take your Bibles and turn with me to Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. This is a prison epistle that's written by the Apostle Paul. The one that was struck down on the Damascus road, humbled to the dirt and cried out, Oh Lord, what shall you have me to do?
Here he is in chains, in prison, writing to Epaphras, which is a pastor there. Paul didn't find this church in Colossae, but he's writing because his heart and love for the church, as if it was his own children.
As Ben said, this is my own kin. Colossians is equally divided. As a brief overview real quick, this book is four books. I mean four chapters. Chapter 1, 2, 3, and 4. Chapters 1 and 2 are doctrine. Chapters 3 and 4 are duty.
So the doctrine, the overarching doctrine, that what we're to believe is that Christ is supreme. The supremacy of Christ in 1 and 2. He's supreme over creation. He's supreme over the new creation, which is redemption.
No one makes him Lord, he is Lord. Chapters 3 and 4 come to our duty. It's like Martin Luther said, which one is greater, duty or doctrine? They both are equally. It's like riding on a horse, like a drunk man on a horse.
He must stay balanced, or he's falling off. So we come to duty, which is submission to Christ. So we have the first two chapters, the supremacy of Christ. 3 and 4 are to obey in practice, as we believed in principle.
And you cannot separate ever obedience from believing.
Never.
So if you will, this is the outline that Alistair Begg, I really liked his outline. Verses 12, we're going to look at this morning, verses 12 and 13 of chapter 3. I thought that I could cover 12 through 17, but the context is keen here that needs to be expressed.
Chapter 3. Verses 12 through 13 is the identity grounded in the work of Christ. Sir and ma 'am, children, you're made in the image of God. So your identity is grounded in the work of Christ. Verses 14 through 16 of chapter 3 of Colossians is unity marked by the love of Christ.
Unity that's marked by the love of Christ. So first we had the work of Christ, now we have the love of Christ, which is the mark of our unity. And then verse 17, that all activities to be done in the name of Christ.
So we have the work of Christ, that's our identity, the unity that marks our love, and all activity to be done in the name of Christ. So let us embark upon this text this morning, Colossians chapter 3.
Hear the word of the living God. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things of above, not on the things of the earth, for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory. Therefore, put to death your members,.
Which are on the earth,.
Fornication, uncleanliness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Because of these things,.
The wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In what you yourselves want, when you lived in them. But now, you yourselves are to put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and you have put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge, according to the image of Him who created him. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised, uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Amen.
So, if you will,.
Colossae was in the Lycus Valley. It was a church close to Laodicea, a very industrial town. This was a young church that was susceptible,.
And they were false heresies.
They call it the Colossae heresy that was embarking and trying to enter in where the culture of the church tries to enter. The culture of the world tried to enter in to the church. Paul is grieved of hearing of this, and Epaphras travels thousands of miles to his beloved brother.
So what they're dealing with, if you look in chapter 2, it says not philosophy, but Christ. Not legalism, but Christ. Nothing's changed today. Still, man is trying to cover his nakedness. Anytime you see isms, humanism, Buddhism, Mormonism, all these isms, it's man's attempt to be right, to clothe his nakedness before a holy God.
And where there is the most isms will be the most idolatry. So if you look at verse 23 in chapter 2, these things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion. False humility and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
No value. So the question I want to ask you, if someone were to ask you, how do we live the victorious life? How can you teach me how I can be victorious over the indwelling sins in my life? Beloved, I would pray by God's grace that you can show them within this chapter what is being said.
If then you are raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Therefore, put to death, in verse 5,.
Put to death members.
Which are on the earth.
So you say, what are members? Members are these things that so easily adhere to us. They're almost like a part of us. As if a hand or foot, an eye. But you would ask, is the apostle here saying, it says you have died, but then you need to put to death.
So it sounds like a contradiction. So how is this? It's not a paradox. Because when we come to the foot of the cross, we see the wrath of God. If you look in verse 6, it says because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.
I would ask,.
Where is the wrath of God most visibly seen?
It's at the cross. It is at the cross.
God the Father set His Son upon a tree and He was cursed, struck down, that the world and us, you and I, may see how He sees sin. If you look at these verses real quick, if you look at verse 5,.
Verse 5,.
Therefore put to death, that means to kill, kill it. That word victory in Jesus, the root word of that word, goes back to an old Greek word, it means Nike, just do it. That's where the word Nike, it means victorious, victory.
The word Nike, means therefore put to death, kill it, just do it. Your members on earth, fornication, uncleanliness, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry. This is such a darkness, beloved, we were created in God's image and sin has tarnished us.
It is such a fog, that still to this day, God by His loving kindness and His grace, is restoring us through the washing of His Word. But we see this, if you look at this, and you look at verse 9, it says, I'm sorry, verse 8, but now you yourselves are put off all these things, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
If you look at this, you see one going from the surface, in the first, to the inward, and then from the inward to the outward. So the first group is private, the second is public. So what he's saying is sin affects every aspect of your life.
Every aspect of your life. Sin makes you stupid. And it cauterizes the inner courtroom. It cauterizes. And it's your sin, it's my sin, that has nailed Jesus to the cross. But, in verse 10 it says, you have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge.
Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by believing the Word of God. It's the truth that transforms you. It's not my oratorical skills, it's the Word of God. So if you look at this, garments were an indicator of a changed position.
Garments was an indicator of a changed status. We see throughout the Bible imputed righteousness of God, a change in status. You see this in Luke 15, where it says the Father clothed His Son with a robe.
Clothed Him in His nakedness. We're to put off and put on. So what do you mean by this? Put off and put on, it seems so easy. It just seems like, duh. This is human responsibility as Brother Ben already mentioned.
We have a responsibility. There's a premise, there's a progress, and there's a perspiration that must take place. And what we're to put off, and what we're to kill, is not to let go and let God. God cannot steer a parked car.
As Brother Ben,.
It's like the Spirit of God was already showing, if you will turn to Philippians 2. It summarizes actually chapter 3. Philippians 2, if you will look at verses 12 and 13. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Work out, not work for your salvation.
Work out.
This means something has been worked in that can be worked out. I can't drive the car until I put gas in it. So if you will, flip back to Colossians. We're to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
At the end of verse 11, I've always thought this verse has been interesting. There is neither Greek, nor Jew, nor circumcised, nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, nor free, but Christ is in all and in all.
Notice that's the last sentence before the bridge. No more bigotry. No more black lives matter. You're one in Christ. That all goes to the sea and must stay in the world. Stay outside the doors. Christ is in all and all.
No more.
It means there's no more rich, there's no more poor, no more black, no more democratic, no more barbarians, no more unintelligent people. They all will be made in the fullness and He will complete you.
We'll be made in His fullness. There's one in Christ. That's the transition. How can an unholy man and a holy God,.
How can they be one?
They cannot.
So if you look at this, man fumbles through his identity, if you will. Remember God said in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He said it was good, it was good, it was good, it was good, it was good.
It was very good. The crown of His creation. And man has since the fall, doesn't know why he exists,.
Doesn't know who he is,.
And is going from vice to vice to vice,.
Fumbling the ball,.
Like Vince Lombardi said, we got to go back to basics. We got to go back to the fundamentals. And I want you to see how the apostle starts out as his arguments to the foundation of fundamentals. Look what this apostle, this is a man that by the age of 20 had two PhDs in theology.
This is what he says. Look what he says. Therefore sense as the elect of God. Many people don't like the doctrine of election, but look what he's saying. This is the foundation of your comfort and assurance, right here.
There was nothing in me that caused Him to love me. There was nothing in me that Him would cause me to stop loving me. It was all of His sovereignty. And what does sovereign grace and sovereign love do?
It kills man's pride. It puts an end to it. It comes to an end. And then His faithfulness puts our fear to death. That's what the gospel does. It destroys those two main problems of man. Pride and fear.
That's what the gospel addresses. The heart of the issue, the gospel goes after the heart. It's a heart issue. It's a heart issue. But I want you to look at this, beloved. Look at this. Look at this triad of names.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved. That is wonderful. If you can embrace that this morning, take that to your bosom, and go into your secret place, and embrace that, you are the blessed of all creatures.
Creatures walking this dirt. That whoever will walk this dirt. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved. How will you know that you're elect?
Look at the first word after the elect of God.
And not if you will be holy,.
You will be holy.
God doesn't give us this word for information that we may win arguments. He gives us this word for transformation.
Totally.
Radically.
To be totally separate from this world that we may be attractive to the world. Holy and beloved. Holy and beloved. The church today is the fulfillment of Israel. We are the Israel.
We are the Israel.
So, look at this. It says holy and beloved. Holy and beloved. That was one of our first songs we sang this morning. Take time to be holy. Beloved, I don't know about you, but I pray that the Lord will forgive us for being a dry eyed church in a hell bound world.
I pray the Lord will forgive Redeeming Grace Church for being a dry eyed church in a hell bound world. David says, my tears flow down my face because people break your law. That's like speaking French to most of us.
Because why? We don't grieve our own sins first.
That's my problem.
As Robert Murray McShane says, the greatest need of my people is my own personal holiness. The greatest need of my wife, the greatest need of my pastor is my own personal holiness. God will burn that draws away when you come into His presence.
He's so faithful. So, look at this. He says, beloved. To mean that you're the apple of His eye. The apple of His eye. This creature from the dirt that defied the holy and living God that tramples grace daily still under His foot.
Says, beloved. How can it be?
I'm telling you, that kills all a man's pride. That kills all a man's works based religion because it's all of what he did. This is my beloved son whom I'm well pleased. We're beloved because we've been engrafted and adopted as children of the living God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
So if you look at this, beloved, but I want you to remember, the Lord chastens those whom He loves. And faithful are the wounds of a friend. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. If you will, look at the first virtue.
We're to replace these vices over here.
In the old man,.
Not just to go from another one to another one to another one, but there to be. From the lesser to the greater. And all of these attack every one of these vices from our natural carnal state. Look at the very first one.
Put on tender mercies. You say, wow, that's so simple. Put on compassion.
What that does,.
It makes us take our eyes off ourselves. And we need every grace and every opportunity to do this. Why do you think this is first?
Because I believe.
This is the most compelling force. For He, great. You think of this, for His mercies and His compassion that we're not consumed, it's by His loving kindness. It's by Him going a little bit farther in the garden, falling on His face and praying, Father, not my will be done, but Thy will be done.
So, why is this mentioned first?
Because like I mentioned,.
This is the greatest motive to compel you. Why is this so hard? Because it takes our eyes off ourselves. So what does this mean? What does this mean? This indicates a very deep feeling, a deep yearning.
But, beloved, I want to show you something. If you will, turn to Matthew 9, verse 36. This is not just a feeling. Matthew 9, verse 36.
Alright, you see what the title of this is?
The compassion of Jesus. Let's look at verse 35. Then Jesus went about all the city and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel to the kingdom, and healing every sickness, every disease among the people.
He's still doing it today. But when He saw the multitudes,.
He was moved.
Get that word, that adjective before.
Compassion.
He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like a sheep having no shepherd. That word, that single word before,.
Compassion, is key.
Compassion moves you.
It compels you. For the fear of the Lord, we compel men to be reconciled to God for the fear of the Lord, because of the fear of the Lord. We are moved with compassion. So that was the key. And if you will, look in Genesis 43.
Let's look at Joseph for a minute. Go with me to Genesis. Let's look again at someone moved with compassion. Genesis 43. Joseph is a wonderful type and shadow of Christ. What an exemplary life he lived.
You all know the story. Sold off into slavery.
He has several brothers.
And here he is. Genesis 43 verse 30, if you will. Look with me there. The man who is Lord of the land spoke roughly to us and took us for the spies. I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong chapter.
Sorry.
43 verse. 30. Now his heart yearned.
There it is, yearning.
That's compassion. Now his heart yearned for his brother. So Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. Look across the page in chapter 45. And let's look in verses 1 -4.
Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him. And he cried out, Make everyone go out from me. So everyone stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud.
And the Egyptians in the house of Pharaoh heard it. Then Joseph said to his brothers,.
I am Joseph.
I am Joseph. Does my father still live? But his brothers could not answer him for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, Please come near to me. So they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother who you sold into Egypt.
This is compassion. Let us look, if you will, flip with me back to Colossians.
Colossians.
The putting off and putting on. The second virtue we want to look into here is kindness. Kindness. This is the opposite of malice. This is goodness of the heart. Some examples. The good Samaritan. You remember he saw one that had been overtaken,.
Beaten.
And you see the religious elites, the law and the prophets, the scribes, they pass by. The law can only reveal your sin, but it doesn't help you. That's all it does. It can just pass by you. It leads you to the end.
The church where Jesus Christ is the head can heal you. And that's where we take them to. You see the good Samaritan with the kindness of his heart.
Kindness.
Kindness stands on the shoulders of compassion. Proverbs 25, 21, and 22, if you will. Quickly turn there. I'm going to flip through some Proverbs real quick. And let's hear what Solomon says about wisdom.
And let us always be reminded that the Spirit of God is the author of this book. It's not Solomon. It's the Spirit of God that's the author of this book. He is the power generator that gives us the ability to receive and believe this.
Proverbs 25, verses 21 and 22. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
You want rewards?
You want the Lord to say,.
Well done, good and faithful servant? Do this right here. And when you're weak, God says, my strength will be made perfect through your weakness. And that's where your strength comes from. I can't love my enemy.
Fill me this hour. And that's where the strength comes from and our weakness. Because He's all-powerful and He doesn't need us. But He desires us and He desires us and He desires no man to perish. And that's such a liberty to know that I have many weaknesses that I can bring to Him and tell Him.
He's going to perfect that which concerns me. Because he who began the good work.
Is going to finish it.
If you will, look back past or covered last week through 1 Peter, if you look at this next virtue,.
It's humility. Humility.
As a biology major, we studied plants a lot growing up and how they grow, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. But you look at all this, the root word humus means dirt. Humility means of the dirt. Lowly estate.
Basically, it's a low estimate of one's self. And if we look back in verse 23, we see that there's also a counterfeit to this, which is false humility. And it's not talking down and lowly of yourself.
Just quit talking about yourself. Just quit talking about yourself. Because when you exalt others and Christ more, there's no room for self. Just quit talking about yourself. Easier said than done.
If we look at the next virtue, meekness.
This has always been a very interesting thing because meekness is so despised. It's just like humility. It's so despised. Because when you're meek,.
You're going to be trampled upon.
You're going to be run over because we did these same things. You did the same things and took advantage and dominated people in your unregenerate state. This is often paired with a quiet spirit. A quiet spirit.
It doesn't demand its own ways. It doesn't push forward to the front. It's willing to suffer injury than to inflict it. I'm going to say that again. It's willing to suffer injury than to inflict it. There's no greater picture than Jesus Christ.
Him crucified right there. There's no one greater than you see this picture. And all of these virtues, they're outlining Christ. They're all an outline to Christ. It's power under self-restraint, not forceful.
So what is so beautiful about meekness that empowers us about Jesus' appeal to you and me to be meek? What's so beautiful and empowering about being meek? Well, the meek have nothing of their own. The meek know there is nothing without God.
Nothing.
And with God, the meek will inherit everything. The meek will inherit everything. Long suffering. Long suffering. Long suffering.
Wow.
Patience is a premium. This is the demonstration of true power. Patience. The demonstration of true power is patience. What is mercy? Mercy is simply God being patient with us.
Mercy is simply God being patient with sinners.
That's simply what it is. Simply God being patient. That's what mercy is. But one day, this is coming to an end. So the one that loves you the most warns you the most. And when we go back and we look, and if you look in verse 13,.
It says,.
Bearing with one another, forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against one another, even as Christ forgave you, so also you must do. It's not something in theory, but it's totally an action.
So you say, that is your litany test to forgive everybody. You take what you've been inflicted and bring it to that. I'm going to share this with you. It should not even hit the radar screen. You're forgiven before you even ask.
Christ already paid for past, present, and future. He threw it into the sea of forgiveness. It says your sins are remembered no more. I remember them. They're thrown out as far as the east is from the west.
They will never touch each other. And he put like a no fishing sign in there. It says no more fishing. Don't fish after it. And anybody that brings that back up, those Satan, his fallen angels, or anyone that's used of the devil, his fallen angels, you take that captive to the cross.
And you show him his wounds. You show him his hands. You show him his nails scarred. Where the fire of God, the wrath of God, fell upon the beloved Son of God. And that's where it was finished and paid in full.
And it was from His side which flowed that fountain of living water. The blood that washes us, that justifies us, and the water through the renewing of His Word daily.
Is what cleanses us.
And this is what Peter would come to understand. Where he said, wash me from head to toe. No, you've already been washed one time. I just need to keep cleansing you daily. Daily defilements. My daily familiarity.
My daily casualty. My daily backsliding. So then it says, but above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. I'll never forget this, but love is spelt T-I-M-E. T-I-M-E. Take time to be holy.
We do what we want to do. If we take time to be holy, God is faithful and just. He will transform you. He is so faithful. This is the overgarment that bonds all, everything, and puts it in a perfect harmonious harmony.
As you will see in life, most people have either grit or grace. They desire unity, but they compromise it at the cost of truth. Or they have tons of grit, and they lack it grace. Do you see the perfectness of our beloved Savior?
He's a lion and a lamb. He knows He's meek and gentle and lowly and hard. And I believe when you enlist, I'm persuaded when you enlist in His army, you will come to find out that He is meek and lowly and hard.
And He is always in the thick of the battle. He's in the heart of it. So the burden that I've had is within this generation.
That is full of self-love.
This is the sewer pipe that all these virtues flow out of. It says in Timothy, I think it's Timothy or Pastoral Epistles, in the end times, men will be lovers of themselves. And then it has a whole list of these vices right here of the old man, and that's the carnality.
And it's the love of self that all these vices flow out of. It's a sewer pipe. Well, we will venture on, but I'm going to quickly bring this to a conclusion. God placed Adam and Eve in the midst of the garden on a cool misty day.
He said, the day you eat of this tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall surely die. Satan, the highest of archangels, fell by lightning from the sky, being puffed up with his pride. He comes to God's crown of His creation as a serpent, a deceiver.
He's a damn good theologian. He quotes Scripture. He attends church. He's orthodox. He might be even Reformed, which some people are proud about.
He might be Pentecostal. Who knows?
He probably takes on the form of all of it. And he questioned God's perfect image. His perfect masterpiece. He put it to the test. Beloved, you and I will have a test, and it will change the trajectory of our lifestyle, just like it did Abraham.
We don't know when it happens,.
But it will happen.
It must happen. Did God say the day you eat of this tree, least you shall die? Same lies. It's never changed. So the battle of life, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Sin, self, and Satan in the world are hard taskmasters. And they will beat you, they will torment you, and leave you with many strides. When we for a moment doubt the character of God, ingratitude enters our heart.
Do you see how verse 15 is just out of nowhere? Be thankful.
Be thankful.
Have you ever just been murmuring in the presence of another, and they just start giving thanks? It's so convicting.
It's like light just goes...
And it happens so easy.
So, how do men and women.
Make a den in this world and become known in hell? I desire for every one of you to be known in hell. Remember, I think it was the sons of Sceva? They were playing with God's Word.
He's saying, Paul I know.
But then he turns around, it's like a demonic spirit saying to one within his own camp, but who are you? Paul I know, Jesus I know, but who are you?
You play church.
You like sermonettes. You like to read quotes, and you like to read books, but you don't like to live by the book. This is convicting. So, how do men and women make a den in this world.
Where Jesus...
I desire... Well done, my good and faithful servant. Not good and done, my successful servant. But last week, Pastor mentioned this man had great faith, this centurion soldier. He was a man under authority, but knew who had all authority.
And he said, this is great faith. And it made Jesus marvel. I want to make Jesus marvel, don't you?
That's my heart's desire.
I want to marvel Him. Beloved, little faith will take your soul to heaven, but great faith will take heaven to your soul. And that's what it means by the kingdom, the righteous take the kingdom by force.
They take a battering ram with prayer, and they take His Word. They believe God at His Word. And they beat on the gates of heaven until they're heard. That's what violent means in the kingdom of God. They beat on it and beat on it with a battering ram and say, this little voice I have, hear me.
This is all I have. Take my life and let it be. So those that have no master this day are slaves to themselves. You either serve Satan or Christ,.
Self or the Savior.
You must confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe with all your heart that God raised Him from the dead. You will be saved. You will find Christ to be meek and lowly, and you will find rest for your souls.
No one can compare to Him. As I already mentioned, He will always be found in the thick of your battles. He goes before you. That's how we're victorious. We get our eyes off ourselves. We get our eyes off of sin.
We get our eyes off of Satan. We get our eyes off our wives. We get our eyes off everything.
Because beloved,.
The battle is not between good and evil, but what almost seems right. Did God say the day you eat of this tree the least you shall die? That's almost what seems right. And that's how the church becomes seduced because we don't believe every single jot and tittle of this book.
Cling to it. As we heard the song, cling to Christ, and I marvel at the cost. Cling to every single word of this truth. He is faithful to the end. No one can compare to Him. He is majestic. He is marvelous.
He is wonderful. And I pray each one of you and each one of us can be found before His throne soon kissing His feet over and over and over again from the depths of mercy. So may God help you cast off and put to death your vile garments.
Those who are still casting off His restraints, Jesus is Lord. You will stand before Him. He will be glorified in your life or He will be glorified in your death. My question is, choose who you'd rather suffer from, men or God?
Choose your suffering, as Pastor once said. Choose your suffering. How can dirt fear dirt? Jesus says,.
I am a man.
I'm a worm and no man, despised and rejected of men. God's perfect plan of salvation and His humanity. The enemy of God fell right into God's hand. This great Leviathan, a sea monster, believed he was going to swallow and extinguish and kill God.
And he led Him like a fish right to a hook and took Him and filleted Him right on the boat. And soon He's going to finish the job. But He's on the boat and He ain't in the water. He's God's devil and He's a dog under control.
But let us remember, the worst devil. A lot of us want to be saved from hell, but don't want to be saved from the hell from within. The devil's the defeated foe of the world. This is the worst.
Father, I pray that Your Holy Spirit has already made application to all of us. Lord, restore the church that bears Your name. Restore the church, oh God, that bears Your name. Lord, how can it be, Lord, we humbly come before You.
And Father, we thank You that we see the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Lord, we thank You for this perfect atonement. We thank You, Lord, that we cannot add or take away to that. We thank You that His robes were imputed for our filthy garments.
Lord, help us to walk by faith.
And not by sight.
Because we know that without faith, it's impossible to please You.
And You're a rewarder.
To those that diligently seek You. Lord, help us to tighten up and gird up and be on high alert. Lord, we thank You that we can live the victorious life. And we are already victorious in Christ Jesus.
But we want to become more like Him. And that's our heart's desire. Many of us grieve because we still have something within us that grieves You. And we know soon that though our sanctification is not perfect, soon it will be.
We will go from grace to grace and from glory to glory. Lord Jesus, I pray, not unto us, not unto us.
Lord Jesus, come let us adore You.
Lord, we thank You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.