Serving for God's Glory: Part 3

Redeeming Grace Church

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Praise God, we're on the air. In the light of everything that we've been looking at in this wonderful book, this epistle of 1

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Peter is really profound. And keep in mind, he is speaking to the persecuted church, to those that are in Asia Minor.

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1 Peter is an encouraging book, isn't it? And it's an encouraging book especially to those that are suffering for the

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Lord's sake. But we must keep that in mind because of his audience. We may not be going through persecution quite like these folks.

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As a matter of fact, we're far from it. But it still speaks volumes to us because we are children of the living

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God. We've been adopted into His kingdom and regenerated by the Spirit of God. And even though we may not be undergoing the persecution that they are undergoing at this time and when

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Peter was writing this wonderful epistle, we should prepare ourselves because persecution is coming toward us.

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And I assure you that when we don't know, but we see it on the horizon and it's in other countries right now, very severe.

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So keep that in mind and I think in the times of peace and prosperity that we should arm ourselves, we should prepare ourselves for the day of battle.

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Now, let me mention a few things here in light of everything on the preliminary as we go into 1

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Peter and look at part 3 of chapter 4 and concluding this verse 7 -11 and then

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Lord willing picking it up next year. The Puritan Matthew Henry said this,

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It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day. It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day in the light that all things is near.

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The end is very near. We are reminded in Hebrews 9 .27,

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In as much as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes to judgment, we are all on death row,

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R .C. Sproul said that, we are all lined up on death row and there is no escape in it. So what do we do when there is a great big examination before us?

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We are to prepare for it, the preparation and that is why we are here.

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Let me give you another quote here from Luther, Luther the reformer said this,

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He lived on a two day calendar. His two day calendar was today and judgment day.

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That is a good way to live, isn't it? Today and judgment day. Do everything you can today and be prepared for judgment day.

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Chapter and verse on that, Hebrews 10 .23 -25, It's a great verse, it's a scripture from the writer of Hebrews.

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He says this, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, we should not waver.

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For he who has promised is faithful and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.

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To love and good deeds. And then he says this, how do we do this? We do not forsake assembling ourselves together, not forsaking our own assembling together as it is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.

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And all the more, why is it all the more? As you see the day, the right translation is a capital

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D, which speaks of the day of judgment. The day is drawing near, that final day is drawing near.

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Notice the exhortation, today we will consider how to stimulate or to provoke one another as Paul says, to one another, to what?

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To love and good deeds. First there's the love, then there's the good deeds.

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Just as justification is first, then there's good works that follow.

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That is the fruit and the evidence of justification. And we're going to look at that today together as we look at the conclusion of what the

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Lord has to tell us in 1 Peter. So go with me to 1 Peter if you're not already there.

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The chapter 4, this is a wonderful text before us, a wonderful text.

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And we're looking at serving for God's glory. This is part 3 and the final conclusion of this series on this particular section of 1

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Peter chapter 4. And what I would like to do today, by the help of the Spirit of God, that the

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Lord would help me speak this in the way in which I'm speaking to myself, but being faithful unto the

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Lord, because I know that one day I'm going to stand before the Lord on the judgment day, but my examination is going to be a little bit more taller than yours.

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And not because I'm special or anything, but because as a servant of the Lord and as we're all servants of the

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Lord, I speak as speaking the oracles of God from the book, from the word of God, as speaking for Him.

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And if I am not faithful and not just doing that, but also praying and doing everything that the

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Lord has commanded me, as a pastor, I will fall short on the day of judgment.

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And I do not want to fall short on the day of judgment, even though I feel that I will some way or another, there's no escaping that.

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Tozer said this when he spoke to Ravenhill, he said, there's one thing that I don't fear.

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I don't fear the condemnation from the judgment seat when I stand before my Lord. But what

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Tozer said, what makes him tremble is that I go before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ as a pauper.

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In other words, that I go not, there's much more that I could have done that I didn't do.

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That's what makes me tremble, folks. And as I speak that to you, doesn't that all sober us?

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It makes me tremble because there's much more. We only have a short life, a short lifespan, a window, which is at the most, even if God would give us longevity of life, 90 years is going to be very short in comparison to eternity.

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Many people don't make that. But God has given us today, hasn't He? And today is the day of salvation.

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He's given us day. And what I would like to do by the help of God and the spirit of God to give a personal and practical application to everything that I've already covered in part one and part two.

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Now, we're going to recap some things, but I think it's it's very important that we do so. So in saying that, let's look at the wonderful word of God.

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Amen. Isn't it wonderful that we have the word of God? And I was thinking about this and when the judgment day is approaching us and it is on the horizon, isn't it?

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And it's sobering just to think of this because I didn't know this particular pastor friend.

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He just went home to be with the Lord yesterday morning. So right now in Rome, Georgia, there's a there's a little church that's without a pastor.

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And I don't know the name of the church, but it's Amanda's father, Michael Ellis, Pastor Michael Ellis died.

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He was roughly my age. I'm 56. He was 61 and caught pneumonia and they put him on the ventilator and he went home to be with the

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Lord yesterday. We need to keep that family in prayer and your prayers, please. But as I was thinking of that, he did not know his appointed day.

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He didn't know that. Actually, he was the type he just very fervent, very energetic.

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They said he was a go getter, serving the Lord, serving people. And but God has an appointment day, doesn't he?

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For each and every one of us. I was looking at pictures of him last year at Christmastime with his family. And there he was alive.

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And he was this man was alive, very energetic about a week ago. And it took about a week.

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He went downhill. Now he's in heaven with the Lord, looking and gazing at the wonderful face of Jesus Christ.

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That's all going to happen to us, folks, when we must be prepared. This is what the world does not want to hear because they do not want to hear about death.

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And that's why it's in a craze and a fearful panic because of this

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COVID outbreak. I don't want to go into details of that, but it gets very political.

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But the point that I'm making is people are afraid to die. They are because so many people are not prepared to die.

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There's no one that is more prepared to die than the Christian. The Christian is ready and he's prepared.

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But even that we must be ready on Examination Day because we're going to all give an account for our deeds done in the body, whether it be good or bad.

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And that's what the scripture says. But look with me to chapter four and look at what

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Peter is saying. Let me go back and I want to read verse one all the way to eleven and then we'll pray and ask

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God to help us as we look at the closing and conclusion of this message.

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Hear the word of the living God. Chapter four, verse one, therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

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So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the lust of men, but for the will of God.

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For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the

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Gentiles. Having pursued a course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.

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In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dispensation and they malign you.

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But they will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

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For the gospel, the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.

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And then in verse seven, now he starts talking about this is the reasons why we should serve for God's glory.

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Notice this. The end of all things is near. Therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

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Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins.

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Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

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Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God or the oracles of God.

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Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving.

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By the strength which God supplies so that in all things,

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God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

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Amen. What a wonderful benediction in this section that Peter has given by the

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Holy Ghost. Let's pray. Father, speak to us this morning, Lord. Speak your words to us.

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And oh, God, may not a one of us leave here, Lord, unless we are changed from glory to glory, from faith to faith.

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Help us to be obedient, Lord, and be doers of the word and just not hearers that we would not deceive ourselves.

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And we thank you for this word, Lord, that you've given unto us today. Help us, oh

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God, to love you with all of our hearts and to obey you. For Jesus' sake, in his name

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I pray, amen and amen. Our faith in God and in the

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Lord Jesus Christ cannot be removed from the realm of real life, everyday living, the mundane, the ordinary life in which we live every single day and what we do in our work, in our home, in our walk with the

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Lord. Not only is faith in Jesus Christ and doctrine reasonable, but it's very practical.

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It's very, very practical. And that's what I love so much about the apostle Peter. And Paul was very practical as well.

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Paul just had a different systematic way. He would pour on. He was more the theologian. He would pour on a lot by the

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Holy Spirit, and that was his giftedness because he was a student. He was a theologian.

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The same Holy Ghost inspired Peter just the same as with Paul. Paul had a different way.

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He always brought out doctrine, and Peter does the same thing but in a different way. Well, if you think of it, the apostle

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Peter was a fisherman. He wasn't the theologian that Paul was, but at the same time, he was a man of God.

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He was a head apostle. He was a servant of the Lord, and God taught him much, didn't he?

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And in this wonderful book, we see his practicality in Christian living come into light, and it's the

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Holy Ghost that gives him these words. And just as the apostle Paul as well.

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Both apostles is being used by the Holy Ghost. Not only is faith in Jesus Christ, like I said, doctrinally and reasonable, but it's very practical.

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And Scripture tells us this. And Paul the apostle quotes the Old Testament prophet, and Hebrews quotes the same thing, but he says, the just shall live by faith.

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The just shall live by faith, and the just are those who are justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

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So justification is first and foremost, and then comes the sanctification.

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That's the practical Christian living that we are to live every single day.

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Let me say this at the offset. Salvation is just not the forgiveness of sins, even though that is very important and inclusive.

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But salvation is a new order of life all together in the

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Holy Spirit. Second Corinthians 5 .17 says this, Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature.

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He's a new creation. And then he says this, The old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.

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Newness of life. Jesus said, I have come to give life, and I've come to give it more abundantly.

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And He is the one that is that life. Because He said that. He made that statement.

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He says, I am the resurrection, I am the life. I am the way, I am the truth,

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I am the life. He is that life. And that life is from God.

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So all life comes in and through Jesus Christ. And the life has come.

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So a new order has come. Old value systems, old priorities, old beliefs, old loves, old plans are gone.

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All has become new. That's what happens when we're regenerated. It's like God turns the lights on.

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You're in a dark room, you're walking in a dark room and somebody clicks the light. God has clicked the light on.

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He has given light in Jesus Christ. We live in a very dark world. Now you and I reflect that light.

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Like the moon reflects the light from the sun. Even though evil and sin are still present,

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Romans chapter 7, within us the believer sees everything now from God's perspective.

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And isn't that wonderful? That's everything. That is what makes the believer distinct and different from those that are lost in the world.

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The believer in Jesus Christ has an eternal perspective. He sees everything from God's viewpoint.

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God in eternity is a constant reality for him. And he now lives for eternity in view.

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He doesn't live for time. He sees the eternity, eternal before him.

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Eternity is in his view and not the temporary. Because we know that the things of the world is going to pass away.

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But he that does the will of God will abide forever. Colossians 3, 1 through 4.

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The believer's focus is therefore on things above. Therefore, listen to the Apostle Paul. Therefore, if any of you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

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And then he says this, not only you keep seeking things above, set your things above.

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Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth.

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For you have died. That's the reason we do that. Because we have died with Christ.

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And your life is hidden with Christ in God. And then he says this, when

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Christ who is our life, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory at the judgment.

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We will be revealed with him in glory. So the believer in Jesus Christ is much more concerned with the things above.

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Which is what? God's everlasting kingdom. It is the kingdom of God.

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Jesus said this, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you.

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Take no thought for your life. Your life does not consist of the abundance of things, he says.

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God's going to take care of that. And Jesus said, and he pointed to nature, and he said, look at the sparrows.

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God takes care of the sparrows. He takes care of the birds. How much more valuable are you than him?

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So there is great care with God. And as long as we see God and love

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God and seek him first, he's going to take care of those things. Salvation is to be also not only that our sins are forgiven, that we're cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus, which is absolutely huge.

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But a lot of times we overlook the great fact that salvation means hold us. That Jesus has made us whole.

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He comes to make us whole. He told, when he healed those that came to him as the lepers came, and the leprosy was a type of sin, he cleansed them, he healed them, and it's amazing.

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Could you imagine being there when Jesus healed the lepers and grew new skin on them and healed them, and they were completely cleansed?

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No more a leper. But Jesus says, you're whole. You're whole. I love that.

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Because that is what salvation really means. We're whole and changed and transformed. And this happens by the regeneration power of the

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Holy Spirit. It is supernatural. Aren't you glad that salvation is supernatural?

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Salvation begins at the cross of Jesus Christ. The forgiveness of sins.

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Jesus Christ cleansing us by his precious blood, by faith, leading to a transformation of life, which is abundant life in Jesus Christ, and conversion.

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Conversion is repentance, turning from that sin, and living a life which is in sanctification and everyday practical living, and that is our obedience to him.

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It's in that order, which is the fruit, our obedience is the fruit of our faith and our love for God.

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How much we obey God is how much we love him. Or how much we do not obey him is how much we do not love him.

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Ultimately, this is all consummated in the glory which Jesus Christ our Lord will be revealed in.

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Now, Peter is actually, in the section we're in, he is speaking about good works, but he's talking about serving for God's glory.

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And the good deeds and the good works, the godly living are the things that do not save us, but these are the results of salvation.

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Spiritual works of righteousness for our Lord and in service to one another becomes the fruit and results of that transformation.

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Now, how do we know this? Read the whole book of James, obviously. Without faith, there's no good works.

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You must have, and actually, he points out, you can have dead faith without works.

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And you can have, in other words, there's a dead faith and there's a living faith. But when we have the living faith, the works are right.

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Everything is right in order. Ephesians 2, 8 -10, a very familiar passage.

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The apostle Paul says this, for by grace you have been saved through faith. Grace saves us because grace is something we cannot earn.

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It's unmerited favor given to us by God through Jesus Christ through His unspeakable gift.

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But it's faith that is the instrument, that is the gift that lays hold of God.

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For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. We cannot do that. We cannot save ourselves.

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It is God's grace, holy by God and His unmerited favor.

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Not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, God's gift. And then he says this, not of works.

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Now, we're not saved by works, right? He says it obviously here, least anyone should boast. There be no boasting in heaven because no one can save themselves.

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It is only Jesus Christ that can save us. Only God can save us through Christ. Verse 10, but he turns that and notice what he says.

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First there's always justification by faith and then there's sanctification which there is good works.

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Verse 10, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which

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God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

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Now, that's convicting, isn't it? We should walk, we should obey the commands of Jesus Christ.

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Now, it's important to understand what this verse means. Not what it means to me, but what

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God is saying. Notice that little word, that, it's key.

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Did you catch that? For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves.

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Verse 10, for we are His workmanship. You know what that means?

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The Jerusalem Bible puts it this way. You are God's work of art. You are

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God's work of art. Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which

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God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

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Two times right there he says, saved by grace through faith, that not of yourselves.

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God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Even though salvation is a believer's blessing, but is ultimately for the purpose of glorifying

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God. That is the goal. And that's where Peter has taken us. That salvation is bestowed on the believers in His endless, limitless, infinite grace and kindness in Jesus Christ.

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All because of God's mercy. Because God showed mercy to us that are deserving of hell and wrath.

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So all of heaven, and I assure you of this, and all you got to do, and I stand on the word of God on this, all of heaven will glorify

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God. We see this in Revelation, don't we? All of heaven, we did a series on that in worship before the throne of God.

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All of heaven, all the angels, every created being, and all of creation will glorify

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God. This is ultimately the goal of all things. And this is the believer's ultimate goal.

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And the triune God will be glorified through saved, redeemed sinners, and through Jesus Christ, the

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Lamb of God that was slain before the foundation of the world. And so God saves us by His gift and His free, sovereign gift of grace and for that purpose to glorify

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Him. Now, that purpose is for good works. For good works, and this is where Peter has taken us.

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Good works cannot produce salvation, as the Scripture says, but we are to glorify

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God. Jesus even said this on the Sermon on the Mount. He says that they may see your good works, and then what?

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Glorify your Father, which is in heaven. So there has to be good works outwardly, and what the problem of so many today is, they got it backwards.

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They got the cart before the horse. They're looking at reformation without regeneration. But Jesus says there's regeneration first, then reformation, change.

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The regeneration happens in the heart, and then works its way outward, not the other way around.

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And that's exactly where the Bible always takes us. So Peter is talking about the fruits, the results, the evidence of our salvation here.

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We are saved by grace. We are saved by, yes, in one sense we are saved by good works, but it's no one's good works but Jesus Christ.

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It's His good works. R .C. Sproul said that. It's the works of Christ.

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That's the works that saves us. So Christ and His person and His works that has fulfilled all righteousness, and we lay hold of Him by faith and what

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He's done by faith, and we glorify Him, right? And we glorify

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Him by the way we live. Everything that we do is important.

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We may think it's not being seen, it's not important, but not only before the watching world, but before God, His watching eye, because He's the one that's gonna be judging us.

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Just not by what we do, but the Scripture makes it very clear that by why we did it.

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Why? Our motive. We're gonna be judged at the judgment seat. Why we did this and why we did that.

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Leads us to sanctification. I don't know about you, I need sanctifying every day. Thank God He has created us for His workmanship.

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I love that, that translation, God's work of art. You are God's work of art.

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I am God's work of art. The church is God's work of art. His handiwork, almost like the potter and the clay.

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In Jeremiah, isn't it? He's the potter with the clay. He molds us,

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He makes us. He puts the fire to us. He puts the hammer, He chisels us.

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It's painful, but oh, He's making a work of art. And that's what God is doing.

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And it's all for His glory. It's all for His eyes.

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And that's what we're looking at in Peter. Now, in the light of the return of Jesus Christ, verse seven, at the end of all things is near.

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How can we live in obedience before our God, in obedient love unto

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God, for God, for our neighbor, and for one another? How can we apply this to our everyday walk with God in the course of our living?

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And beloved, can I say this with surety? Everything that God does and says, or better yet, in the order, everything that God says and does has perfect order to it.

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God does nothing that's not disorderly. Actually, sin is the malignant thing that has literally taken things out of order and has brought the curse.

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And here comes God through Jesus Christ into the world in which He made. And then He puts it back together and does it even better.

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Isn't that glorious? The God that we serve is a God that knows how to reverse the curse, take the sin out.

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And He says, the last enemy that will be dealt with will be death, that sin has been taken care of at the cross.

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Jesus Christ puts perfect order back in our lives. And when we see how people out there that's all in ruins and rabble and going to hell,

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God, through Jesus Christ, puts them back together again. And our purpose is to be a conduit, an instrument, to take that word to them and say, here's your answer, the crucified

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Savior. And they look at you like, you mean to tell me that to be made whole is all in one person?

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Absolutely, it is in Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ, there is no hope.

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But He is the living hope, amen? And we have that living hope. God puts perfect order,

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God gives us the desires to love Him, to be changed by His word.

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He never, ever leaves us in the darkness. Because He's that light, He comes to give that light.

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Isaiah says this, arise and shine, for the light has come. That light is

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Jesus Christ, and He comes into a very dark world. Light has come, and that light is

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Jesus Christ. And in that light, in His holiness, He is given the love of God, the cause of God's love, the radiance of God's glory is

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Jesus Christ. Well, let's look at this very quickly as I possibly can.

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Verse one, we see a faithful suffering Savior. We see a faithful suffering

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Savior. Look at verse one. Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because He who has suffered death in the flesh has ceased from sin.

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What the apostle is actually exhorting the suffering saints at Asia Minor is, he's encouraged them in the sufferings to look to Jesus.

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That's what he's saying. Look, fix your eyes on Jesus, who is the author, the perfecter of your faith, for the joy that was set before Him.

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He endured the cross, despising the shame. He has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him, consider

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Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

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Wouldn't you think that a suffering Christian would lose heart unless they knew that they was not suffering for purpose?

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I don't know about you, but if I was not, if I was suffering for something severely, without purpose,

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I would want to die. Just take me out of it. But you know, you know what

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Peter is actually doing here? You know what he's actually saying in the text? He's actually telling us that there is purpose in suffering.

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That's what he's telling us. Look very closely, because if you go to verse 1, he tells us, since Christ has suffered, see,

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Christ has suffered a suffering that none of us can touch. But He suffered in the flesh, and then he says, you arm yourselves also with the same purpose.

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But see, here's the thing we need to remember, it's only for a time, it's temporary. No matter what the sufferings they were undergoing, it was only for a short time.

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There's glory on the other end. And Paul says that the sufferings that we go through is not even to be compared with the glory that awaits us.

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It's glorious. So not only there's physical, but you know,

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Jesus suffered physical pain in suffering. Jesus suffered spiritual pain. The Son of Man, the

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Son of God, took sin upon Himself as the spotless

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Lamb of God, and He took that up as an offering, the Lamb of God, and God poured

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His wrath on Him. For it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. For sinners slain, ultimately

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Jesus was dying, not only for our sins, but He was dying for the glory of God.

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Suffering takes a whole different meaning, doesn't it, when we look at the cross. Commentary on the

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Heidenberg Catechism, a godly man by Zacharias, Yersinus, says this, quote, the keenest, most bitter anguish of soul, which is doubtless a sense of the wrath of God against the sins of the whole human race.

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It was that this that caused Him to exclaim upon the cross with a loud voice, my

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God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? As if He should say, why dost

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Thou not drive away from me such severe anguish and torments? Thus we see what and how greatly

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Christ has suffered in our behalf. Isn't that the focus?

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Isn't that the meaning of Christmas? This suffering for Jesus that,

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I'm sorry, that Jesus endeared for you and me, it takes a complete different meaning in the light of His sufferings, our sufferings.

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This is why Christ said in Matthew 5, 10 through 12, and He used the word blessed, blessed.

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The beatitudes, blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, and at the end of those beatitudes,

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He says, blessed are you when, when, notice that, not if, when, when people insult you and persecute you, falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

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And then He says this, rejoice and be glad. For your reward in heaven is great.

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For in the same way they persecuted the prophets which are before you. The world looks at you and say, you're crazy, you're mad.

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But we know that suffering takes purpose. Jesus suffered for purpose and for the glory of God.

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And our suffering, what little it is compared to Jesus, is nothing. But we know it has great purpose, right?

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Consider Jesus, consider Jesus. Not only we see a faithful suffering

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Savior, we also see faithful suffering saints, right? The saints are those who follow in the train of Jesus.

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They follow in His steps. We learn to follow in His steps because He has set the example for us.

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Jesus, we follow Jesus Christ to the end because He loved us to the end.

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Verse two, so as to live the rest of our time in the flesh, no longer for the lust of man, but for the will of God. Now think of that.

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We don't live for the lust and the desires of man any longer. We live for God's will. We live for God's desires.

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That's everything, the will of God. This is what the believer in Jesus Christ pursues with all of his heart.

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I don't know about you. God's will is absolutely paramount. Jesus said, we're to pray that will be done in earth as it is in heaven.

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The will of God. Now, that's those who have died with Jesus Christ unto sin.

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Romans 6, 4 -7 answers the questions of verse 1, 2, and 3.

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You could turn with me there if you like, but you don't have to. But the Apostle Paul says this, what shall we say then?

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What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase or abound?

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May it never be. God forbid. How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

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Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized unto His death?

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See, that's the key right there. We got to see that when Jesus died, we died. When we lay hold of Him, we died unto our self as well.

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And we die daily. Paul said that. He says, I die daily. That death, we are to put and mortify the things of the flesh.

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This is sanctification. But therefore, then he says, we have been buried with Him through baptism unto death.

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You know, he's not talking about water here. He's talking about being baptized unto His death. So that as Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the

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Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. There it is, newness of life.

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For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.

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First there's death, then there's resurrection. Knowing this, that our old self, our old man was crucified with Him in order that our body of sin, that our body of sin might be done away with.

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In other words, that means made powerless. With so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, but he who has died is freed from sin.

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You know, dying with Jesus Christ is, it puts an end to our sinful, evil desires, but it's a glorious thing.

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Because you're gonna reign with Him. And who's this through?

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Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. So in order to faithfully serve God, as Peter's talking about, we must be freed from sin.

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Basically the truth within is called the great exchange. This happens when Paul speaks of 2

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Corinthians 5 .21, that God, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

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That's double imputation. Again, He takes our sin, He gives us His righteousness.

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It's newness of life. We hear a lot about the first part of the imputation, but we don't hear much about the second part, do we?

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We don't hear enough about the newness of life and the victory we have in Jesus Christ that we are more than conquerors through Him because of the power of the resurrection.

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But we need to hear that. But in order to have the power of the resurrection, Paul said this, he said that I might know

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Him, that I may know Him in the fellowship of His sufferings and the power of His resurrection.

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In other words, in order to have the power of the resurrection, we must share in the fellowship of His sufferings.

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That's what we shy back from, isn't it? Because the old flesh says, no, I want my comfort. I want my ease in Zion.

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But in order to get the glorious treasures and the rewards, the greater the suffering, the greater the glory.

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And there's purpose in suffering. That's what he's saying. Well, Paul summarized the very heart of the gospel in that text, didn't he?

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Wonderful text. We all summed up in the reason of the works of Jesus Christ because Jesus is the one that did it all, right?

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1 Corinthians 1 .30, but by His doing or of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

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There you have all the doctrines of grace wrapped up in one verse. And all that the believer is given in salvation is by God's gracious giving through His Son, Jesus Christ.

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Anything that we have that has been given to us in salvation, it's all in Jesus.

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And I'm telling you, it's the enormous amount of treasures. We have been adopted into His kingdom.

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We have been given the adoptions of sons. We are part of the inheritance, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

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And all that Jesus has is ours as well in Him. It's glorious.

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Is that worth suffering for? I say yes and amen, because everything we see here is gonna pass away.

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All that the believer is given in salvation is through Jesus Christ. Awesome divine wisdom is given to us through Jesus Christ.

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Imputed righteousness is given to us through Jesus Christ. Sanctification from sin is given to us.

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Didn't James say it? James says 1 .17 and 18, every good thing, every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the

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Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will,

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He brought us forth by the word of truth, by the word of God, so that we would be a kind of firstfruits among His creatures.

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All for what? For the glory of God, for the glory of God. Not only we see a faithful suffering

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Savior, we see a faithful suffering saints, we also see faithful sanctified saints.

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God sanctifies His people, right? And you say that, you see that, I don't wanna spend a lot of time here because we already looked at it, look at three through six.

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For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the

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Gentiles having pursued a course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.

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For all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation that they malign you.

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Now, let me stop right there. Notice, they're sanctified. That's why they're being persecuted because they're holy unto

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God, they're separated from the things of the world. There is a cost, there is a cost living for Jesus, amen?

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Set apart, we're cleansed. We're set apart for His glory, we're set apart because He has purchased us,

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He's bought us, and He's purchased us by the blood of Jesus Christ. He sets us apart. We are also to set ourselves apart.

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But He's bought us with His precious blood. And by the way, look at the ransom

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God paid, the bias. The precious blood of Jesus, is that valuable?

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Is that costly? Jesus Christ and His death and His resurrection, vindicated all of it, the believer has committed to follow

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Jesus Christ all the way to death and to His resurrection, and ultimately to glory, no matter what the cost.

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Ultimately, to resurrection. I like what Paul says in 2

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Timothy 2, 8 -13, remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended of David according to my gospel for which

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I suffer. This is the reason Paul says I suffer. I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal.

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The Apostle Paul. But the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason

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I endear all things for the sake of those who are chosen, for the sake of the elect. So that they also may obtain salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with eternal glory.

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And then he says this, is a trustworthy statement. For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him.

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If we endear, we will also reign with Him. Then he says this, and he gives warning.

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He gives the encouragement, the exhortation, then he gives the warning. If we deny Him, He also would deny us.

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If we are faithless, He remains faithful. For He cannot deny Himself.

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In other words, if there's any denying, it's not on God's part, right? It's on our part.

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And that goes right along with what Brother Keith said this morning about that we want to be a faithful steward, a faithful servant, a faithful slave to the end.

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And when we answer for the talents and God has given us what He's given us, are we going to bury it? Or are we going to be that wicked, slothful, lazy servant that buries that talent?

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Paul gives to us the words of encouragement to the believers here to remain faithful, right? But there's serious, serious warnings of words that's given to us that those who defect from the faith, and all you gotta do is look at Judas.

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He was a defector of the faith. He heard the sermons of Jesus Christ. He saw the miracles, but he defected.

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We need to hear this because there are warnings that we should be careful and be watchful in prayer that we would not defect and enter into temptation to deny our

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Lord, God forbid. Well, there is a fearful reality there, isn't it?

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But there's an encouragement too that even though Peter denied the

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Lord, he came back and he repented and God restored him.

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And you know what made all the difference in the world? Because Jesus prayed for him. Jesus prayed for him.

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Well, Jesus is praying for us, amen? We must be faithful to the end, not faithless.

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We must be committed to the end, not a casual casualty. A casual casualty.

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A casual Christian. God help us. Suffering, faithful Savior, faithful suffering saints, sanctified saints, separated from the world who do not love the world but does

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God's will. Then look at verse seven through 11. We see the suffering faithful servants of the saints unto

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God and men, four commands, one great goal is the glory of God.

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Spurgeon said this. We are sanctified in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit when He subdues our corruptions, imparts to us graces, and leads us onward in the divine walk and the life of faith.

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And then He also said this. You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glory in yourself.

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If you can't say amen, say ouch. And I'm telling you, I'm saying ouch. We must die to ourself daily.

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We must deny ourself and take up our cross and follow Jesus to the end.

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And glorying in ourselves comes naturally. It's a birthday gift from the cradle.

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Oh sinful nature, thank you Adam, right? But we're not gonna blame Adam. It's inherent in all of us.

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Oh, the believer must be of sound judgment, right? Sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

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He lives in the fear of the Lord. Let's look at that, rejoicing in hope. He trembles at the same time, he rejoices.

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There's communion, that's prayer. That's communion before the Lord, which is key. That God is not only, we don't only go to God, I should say, and prayer is a duty, but it's a delight.

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And that's what makes the difference. People that are Pharisees, and don't get me wrong, it is hard to pray at times and our flesh pounds us and we get so busy.

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Well, like Martha was serving all the time, but we're not doing the thing that is most important like Mary did, she said at the feet of Jesus.

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Now, I know we got labors and we got a job to do, we all must do it, but every chance and every moment you get,

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I'm telling you, go to the feet of Jesus. Have communion with our Lord because he bids us to come and he bids us to stay.

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Delight yourself in the Lord, the psalmist says, and he will give you the desires of your heart. You know what that means? He plants his desires in you.

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He doesn't give us our selfish desires, he plants his desires that we do his will unto him for his glory.

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Communion with the Lord, prayer with purpose, delighting in his will, hating what

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God hates, loving what God loves, that is fearing the Lord. The admonition is summed up in these four commands, the end of all things is near at hand, therefore be a sound judgment, sober spirit, purpose of prayer.

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Notice these are attitudes before God and man with the attitude of full commitment to follow

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Jesus Christ, to deny ourselves daily, to take up our cross, to follow Jesus Christ no matter what the cost, verses one and two.

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Then we saw the attitude of heavenly wisdom, godly wisdom, how do we get wisdom?

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Fear the Lord, fear the Lord. Loving wisdom, but wisdom is important.

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We see this in three through six. Scripture says this in Proverbs 7, 1, 7, the fear of the

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Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and instruction. Verse 29, because they hated knowledge, they did not choose the fear of the

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Lord. Proverbs 2, 1 through 5, listen to this, and specifically

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God tells us in instructions how we are to fear him, how he gives this fear, and there's something we must do.

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Seek it with all of our heart, listen to this. My son, my son, he's talking to someone in his family, right?

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If you will receive my words and treasure my commands within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding.

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Notice those words, receive, attend, inclined, to understand. For if you cry for discernment, that is in prayer, lift your voice for understanding.

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We gotta lift our voice for understanding. And if you seek her as a treasure, a silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures, verse five, then you will discern the fear of the

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Lord and discover the knowledge of God. Verse six, for the Lord gives wisdom, he loves to give wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding, and all this of the treasures out of praying, seeking, knocking, asking.

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Jesus said this, Matthew 7, 7, keep on asking and you will receive. What you ask for, keep on seeking and you will find.

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Keep on knocking and the door will be opened unto you. Praise God, amen? Don't give up, keep praying.

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We should not faint. God desires and delights for us to come to him.

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1 Peter 4, 8, above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins.

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Notice the one another's, verse eight, verse nine, be hospital to one another without complaint. Verse 10, as each one of you have received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

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You know what that word manifold means? The multicolored grace of God. One another, one another, be hospital to one another, serve one another.

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Each of these commands are to be obeyed for love unto God, our love to God for one another, and you see this all through the

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Scriptures. Go with me, I don't have much time, but 1 Corinthians 12, 1

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Corinthians 12, very quickly. This is a whole sermon in and of itself.

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I have to cut out a lot here because there's a lot here, but if you read all about chapter 12, he's talking about spiritual gifts, unity and diversity, and unity and diversity in one body.

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Notice verse 12, for even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all members of one body, though they are many, are one body, so is also is

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Christ. For by one Spirit we are baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether the slaves are free, whether we were all made to drink of one

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Spirit, one, one. But there are many functions, see, for the body is not one member, but many.

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And then he says this, for as the foot says, because I'm not the hand, I am not part of the body. It is not for this reason any less a part of the body.

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And if the ear says, because I'm not an eye, am I not part of the body?

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It is not for this reason any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?

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What he's trying to say is every part of that body is important, whether there's some parts of the body that cannot be seen and some are seen.

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But all is important. The hearing, the ear, the eye, the nose, the hands, the feet, the mouth, all of it's important.

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He says, if the whole body were an eye, who would the hearing be? Where would the hearing be? If the whole were the hearing, where would the sense of the smell be?

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And then he says this, but now God has placed the members, each one, there it is, each one of them in the body just as he desired.

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And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body.

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The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you. Or again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

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He's being very practical here. On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body, which is seen to be weaker, are necessary.

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And those members of the body, which we deem less honorable on these, we bestow more abundant honor.

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And our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it.

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But God has so composed the body, given more abundant honor to that member which is lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

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All for that one body, all functioning together. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer.

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And if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. And now you are the Christ's body, and individual members of it.

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And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings in that time period now, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

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And all are not apostles, are they? No. All are not prophets, are they?

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No. All are not teachers, are they? Obviously, it's no. All are not workers of the miracles, are they?

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All do not have gifts of healing, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?

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He's got a point. Verse 31, But earnestly desire the greatest gifts.

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And then He says this, I will show you still a more excellent way. Then He goes right into chapter 13,

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If I speak with tongues of men and the angels. Now, He's talking about these gifts, and there's gifts to each one, but the greatest gift is love.

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Agape, but do not have love, I become a noisy gong, a cankling cymbal. And if I had the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith as those of the removed mountains, and do not have charity or love,

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I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor,

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I could be a martyr. And if I surrender my body to be burned, and I do not have love, it profits me nothing.

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That's so convicting. We could be a martyr for Jesus Christ and be burned to the stake, and if we don't really love, we're nothing.

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Don't you love the way Paul brings that out? Each member has a purpose and a function for the glory of God.

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But if we don't have love, and notice that's where Peter goes. Keeps fervent love, agape love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

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And then he goes into serving one another, be hospitable. He shows us how that we deserve to serve one another for the glory of God.

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And wow, my time is gone. What am

01:00:27

I going to do? I got two pages before me. Oh my. I think enough has been said.

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Prepare for Judgment Day, folks. We must serve God out of love.

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I like what MacArthur says, each and every one of us is like a spiritual snowflake.

01:00:50

You and I are unique in our own way and the way God has made us.

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And let's be all that we could be, as the Marines say, or the Army.

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Is that Army? Yeah. Be all you could be. That's Army. I should know that. I was in Army.

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Unto God, amen, and for one another. For His glory, Jesus who came, the

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King of glory, took off His royal robe, laid aside His crown, laid aside

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His rights and His privileges, and He put on lowliness, lowly born,

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Philippians 2, right? And humbled Himself all the way to the death of the cross.

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Think of that. The King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Lord of glory, who made it all, took His crown off, took

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His royal robe off, and stooped into the dark world and became a servant, and went all the way to the cross and died.

01:01:53

Talking about an example. And this is what, let me close with this.

01:02:01

Let me close with this wonderful poem by C .T. Studd.

01:02:07

Only one life till soon be past. The two little lines I heard one day traveling along life's busy way, bringing conviction to my heart, and from my mind would not depart.

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Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life, yes, only one life.

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Soon will its fleeting hours be done. Then in that day, my

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Lord to meet and stand before His judgment seat. Only one life till soon be past.

01:02:43

Only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life, only one life. The still small voice gently pleads for a better choice, bidding me selfish aims to leave and to God's holy will to cleave.

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Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life, a few brief years.

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Each with its days I must fulfill, living for self or in His will.

01:03:18

Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. When this bright world would tempt me sore, when

01:03:27

Satan would victory ascore, when self would seek to have its way, then help me,

01:03:34

Lord, with joy to say. Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

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Give me, Father, a purpose deep, in joy or sorrow, Thy word to keep.

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Faithful and true, whatever the strife, pleasing Thee in my daily life.

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Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. And this stanza here was added.

01:04:04

I don't think C .T. Studd wrote this last stanza, but it's a good one. Oh, let my love with fear ever burn, and from the world now let me turn.

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Living for Thee and Thee alone, bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne. Only one life till soon be past.

01:04:26

Only what's done for Christ will last. I'm sorry, he did write that. The last one here was added.

01:04:34

Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life, yes, only one life.

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Now let me say that will be done. And when at last I hear the call,

01:04:47

I know I'll say to what's worth it all. Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

01:04:54

Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. And when

01:04:59

I'm dying, how happy I'll be if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

01:05:07

Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. Let's pray.

01:05:14

Father, we thank You in Your Word. You give us clear instruction of how to live and be faithful, to be faithful servants of Yours, sanctified servants, all because of Thee, faithful one, the suffering servant, the

01:05:30

Lord Jesus Christ. We can follow in His train and follow in His steps because it is

01:05:37

He that sanctifies His people through Your Word. Father, we thank

01:05:43

You for the instruction and righteousness that we find in Your Word. Help us, O Lord, to be obedient unto the end for that great one goal, for Your glory.

01:05:53

And Lord, we know that one day we're going to all stand before Your judgment seat. May not a one of us, Lord, be there unprepared.

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Help us to prepare ourselves, Lord, daily. Help us to fight the good fight of faith until the very end, just as Jesus our

01:06:13

Lord did and was faithful to the end. Lord, we thank You and we praise

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You because all is Yours, all glory belongs to You through Jesus Christ. We thank

01:06:25

You for what Peter says in Your Word so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

01:06:34

We thank You for Him. Thank You for this great salvation that has come to us. Now may we serve

01:06:41

You and be faithful to the end and long to hear the

01:06:46

Master say, well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord. We pray this in Jesus' name, amen and amen.