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Well, good morning everyone today is March 1st, this this is the Lord's Day. What a blessing. And I know some of your hearts are heavy with mr. Issa and being part of our body. But we're we're a people with Not without a hope.
And what a blessing we have. The Sun is shining this day. What a blessing we have together. I'm not a gifted speaker and I'm just called to be a carpenter, but I want to bring you the Word of God. Just share with you something real quick.
Yesterday, I went down to South Fulton to do a trim job and I bit off more than I could chew and I haven't been put in this situation in A while where I had to humbly say, I'm sorry. I need to step back.
I need to get help and come up with a plan. You know in it, you know, it humbled me and I yesterday as I got back to the house and my wife hugged me and Said wow, I haven't been here in a while. I've got my whole scaffold out yesterday my tools.
And started to try to do it and put in a 16-foot piece of trim upside down on the slanting wall. And even though I had something to jam it into it would just fall and hit me in the head and I kept hitting me in the head hit me in the head and.
Um.
It was a humbling place because 30 minutes before that I said, oh this is go quick I'll have this done in no time. So here I was coming back to the house my wife hugging me trying to give me some encouragement and I go into the our little office or little 8 by 10 room.
And I receive a call from pastor. And saying will you please bring the Word of God. And I go. There's a reason for everything and he prepares me. So I needed to be humbled yesterday. To come to this to bring you the word and humility because I am not fit to do this in my own stream but nevertheless I've done everything I could to prepare this message and I pray they'll bless your bless you and encourage you.
But first I want to give credit to someone Joe Novosin at a lookout Mount, Tennessee. He's a Presbyterian pastor and he is gifted in illustrations almost like Charles Spurgeon a painting a picture that just grips you.
It's like a hook. So first, I want to give you this tool to examine this scripture through this before we launch into this. Before we launch into God's Word in 1 ,500 Micah Michelangelo made a sculpture.
It's called pieta. Pieta spelt like pie in TA Pieta. This was the only only sculpture that Michelangelo signed and put his name on it.
The only one he put his name on it.
It's worth they consider to this day three hundred million dollars. They actually brought it over to a fairgrounds on a boat and they made it where it would float if it fell off in a crate that it could be salvaged because it was One of his greatest masterpiece and what it is.
It's Mary. I'm not Approving of this because it's the image of Christ. But what it is is Mary sitting there with a crucified Christ in her arm And the details of the veins and everything is so defined and it's it's.
I mean, it's Wow, but nevertheless. So they brought it over but now is housed in the Vatican City and it's in the Catholicism nevertheless in 1972 a delusional man was coming to see this pieta. I. But they said he jumped the barrier And had a hammer in his hand and struck this sculpture in the nose And beat it several times and they subdued him.
But it took ten months.
To grab every single piece of that fragment and it took over 20 times. It knocked the nose off the eye had a hole in it and I had deans all over ten. And it took several several artisans. Several attempts they were getting fragments from the hammer and it was all over the place, but you know This man jumped the barrier and marred the greatest.
One of the greatest sculptures best art piece and he signed his name on it. But you beloved are made in the image of God the only thing that God signed the only thing God signed and there was one that Jumped the barrier in the garden and marred God's masterpiece.
There's only one That God has signed and one jumped that barrier and marred God's masterpiece. So setting the tone for this what will God give? What will God do? To restore his masterpiece. That's the question.
What will God do to restore his masterpiece? Let us pray. Father in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Father your servants are listening. Oh Lord Will you speak unto us now? Please Lord father.
You have made us Lord. Father sin has marred us. Lord have your way with us and please glorify thyself. Your servants are listening in Jesus name. I pray Amen. The will of God is not a mystery. John McArthur said This this is the will of God a lot of times.
It's we think it's like a cloudy thing and I just want to give you a quick. I call it 30 ,000 foot. That's what commercial planes fly at. So the will of God first number one. Remember these five S's. Number one is to be saved.
Number two to be spirit-filled number three to be sanctified number four To be submissive and number five to be willing to suffer. That's the will of God. Oftentimes we get beyond that and we lean upon the arm of the flesh and we say what job should I choose?
What wife should I choose? But beloved what the Lord has shown me through this the more we focus on his will he brings all of that into picture. So what I want to focus on is the third part the sanctification.
And this is coming from Titus if you will, please turn with me to Titus 2 1 and What led me to choose this scripture the Spirit of God last week? I shared with you all and acts. About how the church the early church grew and it was by it because they walk in the fear of God.
Walking in the fear of God, but also Walking in the fear of God requires a certain character. It requires qualities so what I want to look at is the qualities of a sound church coming from Titus and this is going to be a series because oftentimes I feel like I jump around so much and now just you'll know when pastors out or we can I'll just fill back in and I want this to be a series because We can just continue to work our way through this as a as a early infant church ourselves.
And it's good to examine ourselves in light of what God says and what is healthy.
So.
Last thing I want to share with you Dr. Gillum McKeith in his book you are what you eat. Titled you are what you eat. There's been over 2 million copies sold 2 million copies. He's promising that you're going to be slimmer healthier and I happier you.
He says this plan will change your life and 2 million copies have been sold. We live in a time where people are fanatics about their bodies the outward. Paying thousands of dollars for the newest fan of diets the newest gym membership.
And you can just go on and on.
Nevertheless.
God is but God is concerned about the health of his church the spiritual body. This is what God is concerned with. So let us look at Titus chapter 2 verse 1 and What I want to focus in on is verses 1 through 10, but I want to land on verse 1 and it'll be enough for us Hear the Word of God Titus chapter 2.
But as for you speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. That the older men may be sober reverent temperate sound and faith in love and patience the older women likewise. That they may be reverent in behavior.
Not slanderous not given to much wine teachers of good things. That they should admonish the young women to love their husbands to love their children to be discreet. Chaste homemakers good obedient to their own husbands that the Word of God may not be blasphemed.
Likewise exhort the young men to be sober minded in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works in doctrine showing integrity reverence incorruptibility sound speech that cannot be condemned that One it is an opponent.
Maybe shame ashamed having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bond servants to be obedient to their own masters to be well-pleasing in all things not answering back not pilfering but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.
Okay, so what I want to share with you is the background of this because Texts without context is only pretext. So it's good to know the background. And I want if you look at just verse 2, I mean, I'm sorry chapter 2 verse 1 it has a word but as for you.
That's a contrast. What we have here is the Apostle Paul and he's older in his years and he's doing a Handing of a baton off to Titus to young Titus on the island of Crete to set the teachings of God for the for the Pastors and elders of the church to set these things in order because as I said one had jumped the barrier.
One had jumped the barriers here in Crete as well. And was leading people astray by false doctrine. So if you look at this look back in verse 10 and that'll help us give a background of why this is starting off Chapter 1 verse 10 for there are many insubordinate both idle talkers and Deceivers, especially those of the circumcision whose mouths must be stopped.
Who subvert whole households teaching things which they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain? One of them a prophet of their own said listen to this Cretans are always liars. Evil beast lazy gluttons.
This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith. Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. To the purest all things are pure but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure.
But even their mind and conscious are defiled. They profess to know God, but in the works they deny him. Being abominable disobedient and disqualified for every good work. But as for you. Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine.
Notice the contrast. But as for you in the literal reading it says, but you. So here we have a young pastor, but I'll share this beloved In Christ as a redeemed child of God, you're all lowercase peas.
He said go therefore and make disciples. We are all lowercase pastors. Teach them so what I want to share with you. Romans 12 21 do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. This is key. Young Titus must give that example and also be an example because he's young.
So what are the means of doing this it tells us? As for you speak.
Speak.
Preaching is speaking preaching is speaking. But this speaking in this context is daily conversation. Just in our daily Toolbox talk just in our everyday Marketplace talk in our households. This is daily conversation that we're focusing in on here.
Why speak? Number one because God said it and I saw a bumper sticker one time. I said God said it I believe it and that settles it. He commanded it speak. Why think about this? Thinking and speaking is a gift from God.
Think about John 1 1 in the beginning was the word. The word was with God the word was God so we get God spoke therefore we speak because we're made in his image, so Being image bearers of God. Thinking and speaking are harmonious.
You cannot separate the two. Proverbs tells us as a man thinks in his heart so is he. So in a way you are what you eat you are what you think.
Why is speaking what is proper and consistent with sound doctrine? Because we're servants. Servants serve what the masters made. That's all he's to do. I once heard one say There's no sloppy agape. Tighten up your apron and serve.
He's telling.
Speak. He's reminding Titus to speak. This young pastor to speak. It's not going to be popular. They're gonna hate you. Why to speak. Because we're prone to forget. We're prone to strain. Don't you feel it within your own heart and then?
If you look at the end of verse 10, they're like bookends if you look at this. It says that they may adorn the doctrine. I'm sorry verse 15 speak these things again. I'm sorry. These are the bookends.
He reminds us repetition is our friend. Speak these things exhort and rebuke with all authority. He has no authority saying Speak. God's Word has authority. That's who has all authority Jesus Christ because.
The carpenter shop is empty. The tomb is empty, but the throne is occupied and when he said he said it on the throne he has all authority.
Romans 10 14. Have you noticed this Paul? Let me think about this in the book of Hebrews chapter 11. They didn't even have a Bible. When you just read this it makes you just go lower and lower and lower and you just go.
Oh Me a little faith. They had no Bible. It says because they feared God and they did not want to be Obedient they did not want to live outside of his will. And I think wow and then on the flip side of that you have Paul the most religious man.
But you see how much he suffered for God's namesake for his glory for his honor. He said I count it all dumb. To the knowledge of knowing Christ that word no means intimacy. Intimacy because it said Joseph knew not Mary.
So that's this is eternal life is to know to be intimate.
Intimate.
So I want to break this down to you real quick. These things which are proper for sound doctrine. I want to focus on that word sound. Sound doctrine. Do you know the word in Greek context means hygiene?
Wow.
Hygiene to be cleansed and I thought The Lord of God is so powerful. Just every little word. There's like nuggets of gold. Hygiene what can wash away my sins?
Nothing, but the blood.
Hygiene is to be healthy. It means to be healthy. So if you look at this, these are qualities of a healthy church. You see what what is number one? They call it in baseball. Baton leadoff. Baton leadoff.
How can you know God outside of his word?
Creation speaks.
Which is general revelation, but that will not save you if you will ever look at this. Look at Psalm 19. And if you want to ever ask somebody a question, how does God speak to us? You can go to Psalm 19.
He speaks through general revelation. And then he speaks through special revelation and in the last couple of verses is man's response. So sound doctrine means healthy. This word is found in the pastoral epistles.
God didn't leave it up to us to come up with the ways. He wanted to be worship.
Praise God I.
Don't know about you, but if you ever looked at sheep or been around sheep, they are dumb. They would just go right off a cliff. They would just go astray. I've seen but I'll share this with you. Sheep will follow but goats you have to push.
They're stubborn.
Sometimes I feel like a true sheep. But I feel like most of the time probably I'm a goat in Providence. That's a hit me in the head with a two-by-four and humble me. But this is what I want to share with you all why is doctor number one A .W. Tozer said what comes to mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you, so Doctrine is our backbone.
Repentance in faith. You remember in Hebrews it says. These are the elementary. These are the beginning stages, but move on. You should be teachers by now. Desiring not just milk, but meat. So in this what I'm going to share with you is repentance and faith.
The Lord showed me this. It was like a sock. You know a sock has no it just kind of goes whatever way it moves, and it fits to whatever foot in it. But when a piece of rebar metal about a half-inch goes up through there.
It ain't no more floppy. It gives structure it gives a firm foundation that you can stand firm and Beloved. I want to share with you this. Christ is That foundation. Christ is what gives you a backbone.
Christ outside of Christ. There is no he is sound doctrine. He is as John 14 6 says I am the way the truth in the life. He is your backbone. Truth is everything. So I'll share with you this as many of you have been through the acts the study of acts.
The Berean. But you know wherever the Holy Spirit is at work. When you start to read more, and I and here's where he will attack you most the enemy of God is your prayer life. Start praying more. I challenge you today say I'm gonna pray more.
I'm just gonna get along and pray more. And watch and see what happens. It's coming. It's it's coming. It's coming because I'm gonna tell you why. Because a good soldier. I'm gonna share with you this.
We're not on a cruise ship right now. We're on a battlefield. We're at war and there's one seeking to kill you and he's a sick Bastard of a father that will laugh while his children burn in hell. That's a sick father.
That's a sick father. But this is not a battle of equals. God won't just get the last little tug-of-war. One little word will fail him. One little word will fail him. And I'll share this with you below.
Where there's light there will always be bugs go turn on your spotlight outside your house and guess what happens.
What will happen?
But I love back in the day my dad had a bug zapper. The little blue light just like it just fries. I mean you just hear him pop the Word of God is the bug zapper let him fly into that. Just open your mouth and speak will let the line out of the cage.
I don't have to say don't hit my line. Just let him out. So my quick I want to share with you this and pastor Harris has taught me. It's so vital and I thank God for this man so full of the Word. Chapter and verse he challenges me every time I speak to him.
Chapter and verse. Give me chapter and verse key. Give me chapter and verse. It's like I feel like I want to go down the secretary of state or wherever the department's inverse certificate put my middle name.
Key chapter and verse. Tyler because I hear so much. But I'm thankful for this because it's like a constant tab. But what it does is it makes me familiar with the true weapons of God. I'm thankful for this chapter and verse.
First John 4 tells us to test the spirits. Test the spirits. Let's turn there. I'm gonna read this scripture test the spirits. John, I'm sorry first John chapter 4. I apologize first John chapter 4. We're gonna read the first six verses.
This is key. This is taking it through your x-ray machine. This is a spirit of God. So what it is the spirit of truth in the spirit of error how to discern? What is true and what is false here it is first John chapter 4 beloved do not believe every spirit but test the spirits.
Whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you will know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is of God. There it is.
So it's the origin. It's the origin you're testing it against the origin. And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God and This is a spirit of the antichrist.
Which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world you are Of God little children, that's such a precious little children such an endearment such a loving pastor and Have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
They are of the world. Therefore they speak there it goes right there. They speak. They speak but their mouths gonna be shut for good. The truth shuts their mouth. Therefore they speak as of the world and the world hears them.
We are of God. He who knows God hears us and he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth in the spirit of error. Wow.
Test the spirits test the validity of this truth when somebody comes to you. I'm gonna go back to something. How it all began? Did God really say? Did he really say this? Did he really say that? He's holding back something good from you.
He's holding back something good from you. Arab beloved is a disease. It'll affect the whole body. You think the corona virus is bad. This will kill your soul. You're damned. This will infect you and everyone that comes in contact with you.
I'm gonna go ahead and say it is spiritual AIDS. It's a spiritual AIDS era. In Luke chapter 10 verse 16 Jesus is speaking here Gee I'm cool. And Here our Lord here our beloved the Lamb of God who learned the ways of God.
Here in Luke 10 16 he who hears you. Here's me. He who rejects you rejects me and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me. When someone rejects you. They reject God. Titus 2 2nd 2nd Timothy. I'm sorry 2nd Timothy 4 3 listen to this.
For time is coming when people will not endure what kind of teaching sound healthy wholesome teaching. That's what God is doing to his masterpiece. He's making us old. Where sin has marred us it's the truth that sets you free.
It's lies that keep us in bondage. The truth sets free.
For.
Time is coming when people will not endure sound and wholesome teaching, but they will have itching ears. They will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. Do you believe we're living in this time?
I went to web MD itching ears just from a worldly context. It's a sign of infection itching ears as a late Leonard Ravenhill, he was a Firebrand pastor, he would just preach he would throw these one-line barbs out there and He was an evangelist.
He what I mean, he's a pastor in a sense, but he was an evangelist. It's like a Jeremiah has these hard Callings and hard sayings that sobers us to the reality of the truth war that we're at. That we're in right now and this is what Leonard Ravenhill I'm quoting him he says we live in a day of itching ears.
But I have no commission from God to scratch them. Mike author said this Beloved the world does not judge us by our theology but by our behavior. Life changing truth ought to change your life. 2nd Corinthians 3 3.
The Apostle Paul this also says you're a walking epistle. You're a letter my question. What are you telling the world? What are you telling the world right now? Are we adorning the gospel when you put on adornments you just don't put it on you make it attractive.
You're making Christ attractive and it's the goodness of God that leads man to repentance. Are we displaying mercy that he's Displayed unto us in Matthew 5 verses 13 through 16. He says you're the salt of the world.
Go therefore and be light of the world. It's salt loses its flavor. It's useless. But I'm sure you in your life as the Lord has taught you. Being overly salty too. It's not a good thing. Eating too much food is not a good thing.
Beloved we live in a time right now. Well people it's almost like spiritual blood. Believe me what I mean by believe me we take the sermons we take these things we don't meditate upon it chew upon it.
And all we do is pass it on to the next person and we pass it out of the back door of the church. And we become a bulimic. What's that mean is you take God's Word and you eat it and you eat it you throw it up.
Vomit it up and you were never nourished and actually it does more harm because the acid in your body. Listen to this quote by this German philosopher 19th century German philosopher Heinrich Henne.
Quote. Listen to this. Wow.
Show me your redeemed life, and I might be inclined to believe to believe your Redeemer. Wow. You want to say amen and as pastor says ouch Amen and ouch. Show me your redeemed life, and I might be inclined to believe your Redeemer.
Sola scriptura. Sola scriptura this means scripture alone. Scriptures are our soul infallible Authority for the Christian faith and practice. So if you look through most of the Paul's epistles you're gonna see doctrine and duty.
He's gonna tell you.
This is how you're to live doctrine and now go out and live it so doctrine and duty. And it's usually split divided within the pistols. And it's a beautiful thing. It reminds me of college. You had theory and practicum.
Go to go to class. You learn theory now. You gotta go to practice. I'm in a lab. Our lab is out here. This right here is our theory not just here, but every day. Jeremiah 15, but let me back up solo script or a lot of times.
I've heard this say and I kind of.
Cringe.
But you hear people say the church hinges upon one doctrine, and it's the doctrine of justification. How are you justified before a holy God, but I'll share this before that this is what the church hinges upon.
It's solo script or how do you know about justification without Scripture? The Scripture stands upon everything. Everything stands or fall upon Scripture upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He has all authority.
The Word of God has authority. And I want you to look at something real quick if you flip back with me to.
Titus.
2 1 I want to give you the purpose clause of why sound doctrine is so vital. And it comes from chapter 5. I mean verse 5 if you look at this. This is. It's gonna ring a bell, and you're gonna probably think of many other scriptures if you look at this.
This is the purpose clause. It comes at the end of verse 5 that the Word of God may not be blasphemed. That word blaspheme means reviled simpler terms to lack of reverence doubting the power of something Doubting the power of something contempt.
So when we live before the world And we sin openly we sin publicly. But beloved please know this. We fall in private before we fall in public that the Word of God may not be blasphemed. Do you remember something in 2nd Samuel when Nathan went to David?
Remember him saying this same thing the word you have given cause For the Word of God to be blasphemed by the enemy of God. Basically what he's saying is You left the enemy behind our lives you let him into our camp.
They're in your tent. They're in your tent the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 15 16 I Found God's Word, and I ate them and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.
For I am called.
By your name O Lord of hosts is this your praise. Is this your heart's cry. Is this the core of your being. I found God's Word, and I ate it. I pull in this morning. I looked at my wife. You want a real food bank.
Open up this word. Open up this word. We must be Bereans. We must examine the scripture daily. The things I've shared with you examine it as Romans 3 4 says let God be true. But every man a liar. So this is what God will do.
To restore his masterpiece. He will send his beloved son into this world to redeem a.
Criminal.
One that's jumped the barrier and Struck the masterpiece of God piece by piece. Day by day moment by moment He restores us through his word. Today, I beseech you this very moment to repent and believe in the name Jesus Christ.
If this is not your heart's cry. It doesn't matter who you say you are. To the world or to one another because the Lord's hand is at the door we just heard. And his sword is wet. You cannot escape and you cannot hide.
Flee to Christ this very moment and be saved. He's promised to never cast us away that he that comes to me. I'll in no eyes cast away hold him at his word. One of the most beautiful things that transformed my walk with Christ is saying.
Will you not honor your word?
Just pray his work back.
Pray it back. You said if anyone lacks wisdom ask and I'll give liberally will you not give me.
I'm asking.
Not for my name's sake but for your name's sake. I don't know how to pray. I don't even know where to start. He chose 12. Think about this. He chose 12. You know only one thing they ever asked was Lord teach me how to pray.
Why just think about this a good soldier on the battlefield doesn't say.
Let's go.
An officer Let me go to my commander-in-chief.
First.
That's what a good soldier does. He runs to his commander-in-chief. And lets him know where he's insufficient. He's sufficient the captain of our salvation. Sufficient. This is the God that created the heavens and earth.
And God is so good this creature from the dirt defiled a holy and living God. And he let man live another day. Another day and another day. Do not rest upon any personal experience out of fear. Do not rest upon going down the aisle repeating a prayer.
As I'm gonna say it Jerry Slate once told me and taught me God is a jealous God who will share his glory with no man. And it'd be like swinging across the Grand Canyon with a chain-link and The one thing you think you had to do with your salvation.
It's gonna fail at that one link. And that one link is made out of papier-mâché. God is a jealous God and he will share his glory. Let's think about this. This will transform you when you understand.
You start chewing upon these doctrines these sound teachings that a God Saw nothing in you to merit his love for you. Therefore there's nothing that you can do to cause him to stop loving you because it's not based upon you.
There's only one that's been in the heaven because of good works. Only one made it to heaven for good works our standard. Is the law and our example is Christ? In the law of God we see his holy footprints.
As a child follows the Sun as a Child follows the father he sees his footprints in the snow.
And.
Last if you will flip back over I want to turn to a pastoral epistle and I want to end with this. First Timothy chapter 4 verses 15 and 16. First Timothy 4 Verses 15 and 16, this is Paul telling young Timothy as well.
Meditate on these things. God has a right to tell you how to think you don't belong. We don't belong to ourselves. You've been purchased. Meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them that your progress may be evident to all.
Listen to this.
Take heed pay attention to yourself. Hold on. Hold on. Did it say you're oh, let me finish. Pay attention to your neighbor. Pay attention to Your co-workers. No, take heed to yourself first and to the doctrine.
The doctrine. Do you see that? It didn't say a doctrine. The doctrine the is a definite article. There's no other doctrine. How do we do that? We take captive every thought and we test the spirit number one.
What is its origin? Did it come from God or did it come from someone created by God? That's that that that that's the axe to the tree. That splits the wood right there. Did it come from someone or something created from God?
That's the axe that splits the wood right there. And beloved, you know as I know that you've read the axe is laid to the tree. The axe is already laid to the tree so look at this.
Before I'll continue on take heed to yourself and to the doctrine to the doctrine how many people have heard in this. I mean Doctrine is not important. Doctrine is not important. Just worship. We just want to praise.
Like a frenzy. It's like a frenzy. I'm gonna share with you the hyper side of man because we're so prone. So here's the extremes in religion. This is where we're at in our country so ready good theology leads to doxology.
The more we know about who God is rightly according to his word The more we'll worship and praise him and sing of him. So if we don't know much about him, he can't talk about it. If somebody asked me keep can you tell me?
He told me you married to Fidesz. What do you know about Fidesz? I. But I love her. Let me tell you what the word is for love in this world. I lust her. I Lust her because she just gives me what I want.
But what do you know about Fidesz? I don't know.
Can't I don't know much.
Well.
The Lord has told us this is eternal life is to know him true and living. God know what he hates knows what honors him. Know these things store these things up in your heart that you might not sin against God.
Take heed to yourself. What that means is personal holiness. Notice that that's first. That's first and it's therefore a reason. Because why we're prone to fall in private and then we'll take whatever part of Scripture and make it a doctrine to fit our lifestyle.
But getting back to something real quick. I don't want to get away from this. So this is how the mess we're in right now. Good theology leads to doxology and then that leads to worship and praise. Good theology leads to doxology.
Doc so means worship and praise. Ology means the study of Theo means God so put these two together and that's worship. Just like doctrine and duty they go hand in hand can't separate the two. Cannot separate the two so I'm going to show you the extremes without the Spirit of God and being Not born again.
Some will say all we need is good theology. All we need is sound doctrine. Sound like Ephesus, right? Paul spent three years in Ephesus. He poured out his heart to this church. Poured out his heart so to whom much is given much is required.
That's why the Lord came to them first. He came to them first and he had one thing against them.
Listen to this. He says.
You can read it in Revelation. You were few to the Nicolaitans. That was dealing with antinomianism. Cheap grace. Just kept sinning as if grace was something that you just. You know, it's like somebody your parent giving you a gift and you kick it on the floor.
And just pick it back up and think that parents willingly wants just to give you that back again. You're gonna say you have to learn a lesson. You gotta learn a lesson. Appreciate the value. I work hard for this.
I don't have children, but I'm saying that from first-hand experience. Seeing a mother take off her shoes and her feet are bleeding and having three or four pair of new shoes. It's convicted. Not appreciating the gifts.
But the true gift is God himself. He cannot give any more. This as the hymn writer says what more can he give and what more can he say to you? Whom he has said personal holiness first and then doctrine because Our hearts are so deceitfully wicked.
Our hearts are so deceitful. So in closing, I don't.
I.
Want you to look at this and this is God is concerned about the health of his church. He's concerned about a Healthy church a chest and a pure virgin. God you're a love gift to Christ from the Father.
A love gift from the Father to the Son. And Christ will come back for his bride. His hand is at the door. His hand is at the door to God be the glory. Let's pray father. Lord I thank you That we have your word.
Oh Lord. You're a holy God. You've made us in your image not angels, but your image. We are your masterpiece. And sin has marred us in every way, but we thank you Lord through the Lord Jesus Christ Who set before him the joy and endured a cross.
But ultimately Lord, it was the cup. It was in the garden Lord, that's where our hearts go where we see the victory one. Lord we thank you for this gift of life. Lord have your way with us. Our cry is as the early hymn writer said I need thee every hour.
Pass me not O gentle Savior. Lord lead us beside the still waters. Lord soon you're coming. Sober us to realize we're at war. We're not on a cruise ship Lord help us to gird up our loins and to stand firm.
I thank you father that you didn't leave this to a mystery to us. We're in awe of your sovereignty. We're in awe of who you are. Lord we need wisdom to finish. I think of this one verse, and it's probably Lord.
It's it makes my heart tremble. You're gonna say either of these two things. Well done my good and faithful servant. Notice. Well done my good and faithful.
Servant.
Lord what a blessing it is to be a servant of the Most High God. Are you gonna say depart from me you worker of iniquity. I never knew you Lord. I pray that no one in this room will ever hear this and these words will be used for the torment of their soul.
Lord help us examine our own hearts this day. Help us to. I want to know Lord. What grieves your heart Lord. I pray that every one of us in this room will ask is there anything within me that grieves you.
Show me Lord. What makes you sad? What grieves your heart and help us to repent and turn from this and be healed. Be whole Lord. I thank you in Jesus name. I pray amen.