WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.359 You may be seated as the choir is dismissed and 00:00:03.359 --> 00:00:18.120 coming down. If you've got a copy of the scriptures 00:00:18.120 --> 00:00:20.920 this morning and you'd like to follow along, 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:27.059 we'll be in the New Testament this morning. Paul 00:00:27.059 --> 00:00:29.879 identifies himself to be the author of this book. 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:34.420 It was written about 50 or 51 AD, most likely 00:00:34.420 --> 00:00:37.200 from Corinth while Paul was on his second missionary 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:40.500 journey, and many scholars would place this letter 00:00:40.500 --> 00:00:42.700 to be one of the earliest written in the New 00:00:42.700 --> 00:00:46.320 Testament. The city of Thessalonica was founded 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:49.820 about 315 BC. By the time Paul arrived, which 00:00:49.820 --> 00:00:51.420 is very pertinent to our time this morning, the 00:00:51.420 --> 00:00:54.460 city had grown to about 200 ,000 people. Paul 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.560 started a small church plant there. He was forced 00:00:57.560 --> 00:01:00.439 to leave prematurely. If we had time, we don't. 00:01:00.460 --> 00:01:03.539 We'd read over in Acts 17 about persecution that 00:01:03.539 --> 00:01:06.019 Paul faced that pushed him out of Thessalonica. 00:01:06.540 --> 00:01:08.859 But he's concerned for this young, fledgling, 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:11.340 mainly Gentile congregation, so he sends Timothy 00:01:11.340 --> 00:01:13.980 back to check on them and to give a report of 00:01:13.980 --> 00:01:15.640 what's going on there since he had to leave. 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:18.959 So why the letter? Well, Timothy returns to Paul 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:23.010 with a mixed report. The young church had continued 00:01:23.010 --> 00:01:24.689 strong in the faith, Paul encouraged them for 00:01:24.689 --> 00:01:27.890 that, despite persecution that Timothy saw that 00:01:27.890 --> 00:01:30.069 they were going through at that time. But there 00:01:30.069 --> 00:01:33.069 were many issues and confusion that really had 00:01:33.069 --> 00:01:35.870 this church sort of reeling a little bit. On 00:01:35.870 --> 00:01:38.890 particular points of theology, mainly surrounding 00:01:38.890 --> 00:01:42.189 the return of Christ, believers who had died, 00:01:42.590 --> 00:01:46.200 and what a life lived in faith. looked like. 00:01:46.420 --> 00:01:49.359 So three very theological but practical admonitions. 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:51.480 Paul writes to encourage them. He writes to clarify 00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:54.000 misunderstandings and strengthen them and exhort 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.819 them towards steady, everyday faithfulness. And 00:01:57.819 --> 00:01:59.379 that is the part that we're going to focus on 00:01:59.379 --> 00:02:02.060 this morning is that steady, everyday faithfulness 00:02:02.060 --> 00:02:05.920 that Paul encourages us. uh to living a life 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:07.599 of faith on us certainly within the church but 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:09.919 also within the community and within every facet 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:13.460 of our day -to -day lives and what that actually 00:02:13.460 --> 00:02:16.080 looks like and I think this message comes at 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:19.819 a good time we're here almost at the end of 2025 00:02:19.819 --> 00:02:23.419 getting ready to look into 2026 and it's a good 00:02:23.419 --> 00:02:26.370 time to sort of recalibrate and evaluate where 00:02:26.370 --> 00:02:29.389 we are with that. John Calvin stated though on 00:02:29.389 --> 00:02:31.710 these verses, we'll look at verses 16 to 22 today, 00:02:32.110 --> 00:02:34.810 he emphasized that they were dependent entirely 00:02:34.810 --> 00:02:37.849 upon the power of the Holy Spirit. That's very 00:02:37.849 --> 00:02:39.830 important for us to lay down this context this 00:02:39.830 --> 00:02:42.629 morning. That this passage is certainly not about 00:02:42.629 --> 00:02:46.069 trying harder. It's not about doing better. It's 00:02:46.069 --> 00:02:50.250 about God working in His people to produce joy, 00:02:50.530 --> 00:02:53.050 prayer, holiness, and ultimately perseverance 00:02:53.050 --> 00:02:56.719 in His people. And we must exercise great caution 00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:58.960 here, because as we do read through these verses, 00:02:59.479 --> 00:03:02.979 we are tempted to sort of almost make this legalistic 00:03:02.979 --> 00:03:05.319 and a list of rules and a checkbox of do and 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:08.159 don't and black and white. And we cannot do that. 00:03:08.180 --> 00:03:10.719 We cannot reduce God's Word to a list of just 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:13.360 do's and don'ts. This is not a list of somehow 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:16.500 we make ourselves right with God. It is a reflection 00:03:16.500 --> 00:03:20.000 on what God has already done. for us, the fact 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:22.840 that he has forgiven us, that we are accepted 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.500 and that we are called his children and welcomed 00:03:25.500 --> 00:03:29.969 into his family. Based on that, we find that 00:03:29.969 --> 00:03:32.990 we are not saved by doing something or not doing 00:03:32.990 --> 00:03:35.789 something, but we are saved into a life of holiness 00:03:35.789 --> 00:03:39.189 by Jesus Christ alone in faith in Him. And the 00:03:39.189 --> 00:03:41.550 commands that Paul gives today should never be 00:03:41.550 --> 00:03:43.830 felt as oppressive. They shouldn't be weighty 00:03:43.830 --> 00:03:46.090 or burdensome. They certainly shouldn't be hung 00:03:46.090 --> 00:03:48.409 over our heads. He gave them to serve as guides. 00:03:48.840 --> 00:03:52.400 Along our way and certainly to live a life that 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:55.219 God has called us to in Christ Jesus So let's 00:03:55.219 --> 00:03:57.120 look here just two main points this morning the 00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:00.539 first joy dependence and gratitude verse 5 Paul 00:04:00.539 --> 00:04:05.099 says very quickly rejoice always As Paul the 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:07.580 apostle begins to conclude this letter, five 00:04:07.580 --> 00:04:11.139 chapters in 1 Thessalonians, he's writing this 00:04:11.139 --> 00:04:13.699 letter to a faithful but yet fledgling congregation. 00:04:13.780 --> 00:04:15.919 They've been kind of confused about particular 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:19.860 issues, and he gives a general pastoral encouragement 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:23.800 here for them to press on in fulfilling their 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:26.839 calling. These first three verses of verse 16, 00:04:26.899 --> 00:04:32.300 17, and 18 all go together in a three -fold exhortation. 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:36.540 that Paul gave with this idea of living consciously 00:04:36.540 --> 00:04:39.759 in the presence of God the Father's love. So 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:42.600 let's put some guardrails around the word joy 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:45.500 or rejoice always. There's certainly a difference 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:48.759 between spiritual joy and emotionalism or what 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:52.259 we would also call or refer to at times as worldly 00:04:52.259 --> 00:04:55.740 joy. If someone is an unbeliever, that is they 00:04:55.740 --> 00:04:58.199 do not know Christ, Generally, they are happy 00:04:58.199 --> 00:05:01.300 when life circumstances are going very well. 00:05:01.819 --> 00:05:03.939 Income is up. Things are good at the job. There 00:05:03.939 --> 00:05:07.040 is no sickness. Family's doing well. All the 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:09.779 boxes are being checked. In contrast to that, 00:05:09.860 --> 00:05:12.560 what we find in Scripture is that Christian joy 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.639 does not depend on how well things are going 00:05:15.639 --> 00:05:20.220 externally in this present life. It's more of 00:05:20.220 --> 00:05:23.970 a long -term perspective than that. It is present, 00:05:24.170 --> 00:05:27.129 joyous present, and flourishes even amongst the 00:05:27.129 --> 00:05:31.449 dark seasons and hard times of this life. Keep 00:05:31.449 --> 00:05:34.269 in mind that Paul opens this section and exhorts 00:05:34.269 --> 00:05:36.850 them to rejoice always. Now this was a young 00:05:36.850 --> 00:05:39.930 church that was experiencing great persecution. 00:05:40.009 --> 00:05:42.350 They were experiencing the loss of homes, the 00:05:42.350 --> 00:05:45.230 loss of lands, the loss of freedoms, and even 00:05:45.230 --> 00:05:48.649 their own lives. But Paul still says, rejoice 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:51.879 always, in spite of all that you are already 00:05:51.879 --> 00:05:54.639 going through. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit, 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:56.699 Paul would tell us that in Galatians. Therefore, 00:05:57.259 --> 00:06:01.139 this command to rejoice is always something that 00:06:01.139 --> 00:06:05.399 God produces in us, not something that we manufacture 00:06:05.399 --> 00:06:09.319 on our own. We are not capable. Our joy cannot 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:12.699 depend on outward prosperity. but it is generated 00:06:12.699 --> 00:06:15.939 on the testimony of the Spirit that we are loved 00:06:15.939 --> 00:06:18.480 by God. And church, that is a big statement. 00:06:18.920 --> 00:06:23.160 We are to rejoice always, to praise God always 00:06:23.160 --> 00:06:27.019 in every season of life and through every circumstance. 00:06:27.620 --> 00:06:29.839 We must consider the context of this letter, 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:33.560 those we dive in. These charges are given to 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:36.259 motivate and to encourage the Thessalonians, 00:06:36.339 --> 00:06:39.319 as well as you and I. and they were written in 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:43.300 the light of the Lord's return. We ask the question, 00:06:43.579 --> 00:06:45.939 how can we rejoice in all circumstances? How 00:06:45.939 --> 00:06:49.740 is it that we rejoice always? Because we were 00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:54.420 never asked to go it alone. We rejoice because 00:06:54.420 --> 00:06:57.300 the Lord is at hand. And for this young church, 00:06:57.339 --> 00:07:00.699 things were bad, but the Lord is always at hand, 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:05.079 a present help in time of trouble. a trial of 00:07:05.079 --> 00:07:07.300 persecution for these Thessalonian believers. 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:10.220 They were experiencing situations that we cannot 00:07:10.220 --> 00:07:13.600 comprehend likewise, you and your life. You have 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:17.399 or are experiencing situations that I cannot 00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:19.660 comprehend. You are going through things that 00:07:19.660 --> 00:07:21.339 I don't understand and I'm going through things 00:07:21.339 --> 00:07:24.339 that you do not understand. We all experience 00:07:24.339 --> 00:07:29.279 hard challenges in this life, but as we go through 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.379 them, we have to realize that that challenge, 00:07:31.560 --> 00:07:33.620 that circumstance, that sickness, that disease, 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:37.360 that hardship will not have the last word. It 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:42.220 cannot. Christ is coming and therefore we rejoice. 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:45.839 We rejoice always, as Paul wrote in Romans chapter 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:49.620 8. Paul wrote in 8 .28 of Romans, and we know 00:07:49.620 --> 00:07:52.079 that all things, not some things, all things 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:55.240 work together for good to those who love God 00:07:55.240 --> 00:07:57.879 and to those who are called according to His 00:07:58.110 --> 00:08:01.910 purpose. Verse 32, He who did not spare His own 00:08:01.910 --> 00:08:05.209 Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall 00:08:05.209 --> 00:08:10.490 we not with Him also freely give us all things? 00:08:10.750 --> 00:08:13.709 We constantly rejoice in the Father's gift of 00:08:13.709 --> 00:08:17.509 His Son to be our Savior. Every Lord's Day we 00:08:17.509 --> 00:08:19.970 gather here and we worship the One who created 00:08:19.970 --> 00:08:23.329 all things and reigns over them both now and 00:08:23.329 --> 00:08:26.329 forever. And it is He that is making all things 00:08:26.329 --> 00:08:30.689 work for our good, even when it's hard for us 00:08:30.689 --> 00:08:34.330 to see it. We rejoice always in all and every 00:08:34.330 --> 00:08:37.509 circumstance that is working because we know 00:08:37.509 --> 00:08:40.029 that it is God behind the scenes working all 00:08:40.029 --> 00:08:43.570 things for our ultimate good. We rejoice, why? 00:08:43.570 --> 00:08:48.039 Because it is not about. us. For us to rejoice 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:50.059 always, it's not about my present circumstances, 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:53.940 it is out of a thankful heart for God's sovereignly 00:08:53.940 --> 00:08:56.919 ruling, His reign, and His eternal purposes. 00:08:57.860 --> 00:08:59.500 Richard Phillips would put it very eloquently, 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:04.330 the knowledge of God's sovereign care compensates 00:09:04.330 --> 00:09:07.350 for all manner of earthly troubles so that Christians 00:09:07.350 --> 00:09:10.690 can rejoice even in the most barren of times. 00:09:10.870 --> 00:09:13.009 There's a minor prophet in the Old Testament 00:09:13.009 --> 00:09:14.789 in the book of Habakkuk, and it's a place we 00:09:14.789 --> 00:09:16.629 don't get to very often. I preached through it 00:09:16.629 --> 00:09:19.629 a few years ago on Sunday nights here. But Habakkuk 00:09:19.629 --> 00:09:22.570 comes to the end of himself. He has done crying. 00:09:22.629 --> 00:09:26.429 He has done mourning over the ruination of Israel 00:09:26.429 --> 00:09:28.470 at this time. And here's what he says, though 00:09:28.470 --> 00:09:31.629 the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on 00:09:31.629 --> 00:09:34.870 the vine. Though the labor of the olive may fail 00:09:34.870 --> 00:09:38.129 and the fields yield no food, though the flock 00:09:38.129 --> 00:09:40.490 may be cut off from the field and there be no 00:09:40.490 --> 00:09:44.029 herd in the stalls, literally saying, when there 00:09:44.009 --> 00:09:46.750 There is nothing left when it is all gone. This 00:09:46.750 --> 00:09:49.049 is an agrarian society. When the crops have failed, 00:09:49.129 --> 00:09:51.149 when the livestock is gone, when there is nothing 00:09:51.149 --> 00:09:53.870 left for me to cling to and hold on to. He says, 00:09:54.149 --> 00:09:57.769 yet I will rejoice in the Lord and I will joy 00:09:57.769 --> 00:10:00.990 in the God of my salvation. Why? The Lord God 00:10:00.990 --> 00:10:04.090 is my strength. And it is the Lord that makes 00:10:04.090 --> 00:10:07.570 me to walk on the high hills. We rejoice in the 00:10:07.570 --> 00:10:11.309 hope of the glory of God, even as generations 00:10:11.309 --> 00:10:14.629 of believers have done before us in various sufferings 00:10:14.629 --> 00:10:18.210 and trials, resting in God's sovereign rule and 00:10:18.210 --> 00:10:22.669 His care over His children. Verse 16. The second 00:10:22.669 --> 00:10:24.649 part of this three -fold exhortation, Paul would 00:10:24.649 --> 00:10:28.330 say, pray without ceasing. When he says pray 00:10:28.330 --> 00:10:32.210 without ceasing, he does not mean to pray phrases 00:10:32.210 --> 00:10:36.090 repetitiously or aimlessly. You remember Jesus, 00:10:36.409 --> 00:10:38.429 when he was talking to his disciples about the 00:10:38.429 --> 00:10:40.690 Lord's Prayer, was very clear. He said, do not 00:10:40.690 --> 00:10:43.009 just ramble. Don't just have vain repetition, 00:10:43.289 --> 00:10:45.210 assuming you're going to be heard for your much 00:10:45.210 --> 00:10:47.929 speaking. But what Paul is describing here is 00:10:47.929 --> 00:10:50.309 something much more profitable, and that is to 00:10:50.309 --> 00:10:53.490 pray regularly, to be in a constant attitude 00:10:53.490 --> 00:10:56.649 of prayer. When we pray, there is a spirit and 00:10:56.649 --> 00:11:00.549 a revealing of dependence, reverence, and communion 00:11:00.549 --> 00:11:04.929 with God. As we spoke last week, we have the 00:11:04.929 --> 00:11:07.649 great privilege of prayer as children of God. 00:11:08.049 --> 00:11:11.309 We have the advocacy and the mediation of Jesus 00:11:11.309 --> 00:11:14.529 Christ the righteous. We have access to the throne 00:11:14.529 --> 00:11:16.830 room of God, to the Father, through the Son, 00:11:17.090 --> 00:11:20.149 praying in Jesus' name. And this is not something 00:11:20.149 --> 00:11:23.950 that we should ever take lightly or for granted. 00:11:25.169 --> 00:11:28.009 But if we are not careful, our prayers can almost 00:11:28.009 --> 00:11:32.490 become routine. they can almost become robotic, 00:11:32.590 --> 00:11:35.070 that we're praying the same things all the time, 00:11:35.070 --> 00:11:37.269 really with no change, and our heart is almost 00:11:37.269 --> 00:11:39.389 out of it, and we're just praying legalistically 00:11:39.389 --> 00:11:41.769 or because we sit down to a meal or something 00:11:41.769 --> 00:11:43.990 like that, and Paul is warning us against those 00:11:43.990 --> 00:11:47.330 things. He is encouraging us here to have a constant 00:11:47.330 --> 00:11:49.429 attitude of prayer, meaning we move through our 00:11:49.429 --> 00:11:52.690 entire day where we are dependent on the Lord, 00:11:52.809 --> 00:11:55.929 constantly seeking His face in prayer. When we 00:11:55.929 --> 00:11:58.470 hear something or we hear about someone who is 00:11:58.470 --> 00:12:00.419 struggling or going through a hard time, We take 00:12:00.419 --> 00:12:02.200 it to the Lord in prayer. We don't just forget 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:04.279 those things. We pray about them. When something 00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:06.899 comes up, we pray about it. We are to have a 00:12:06.899 --> 00:12:09.740 constant time of prayer. It is to be something 00:12:09.740 --> 00:12:12.720 that we are doing almost all the time. To have 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:16.019 a heart attitude of prayer throughout our day 00:12:16.019 --> 00:12:18.799 as different things come up is what Paul is really 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:21.539 stressing here. Verse 18, Paul would say, in 00:12:21.539 --> 00:12:24.940 everything give thanks, for this is the will 00:12:24.940 --> 00:12:30.059 of God and Christ Jesus for you. our believers 00:12:30.059 --> 00:12:33.740 to be thankful in times of hardship and trial. 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:38.360 It is because faith turns us away from ourselves 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:42.519 and turns us toward God. Away from ourselves 00:12:42.519 --> 00:12:46.139 and towards the Lord. Believers worldwide face 00:12:46.139 --> 00:12:49.019 all types of threats and dangers and persecution 00:12:49.019 --> 00:12:53.360 with gratitude to the God who they know is sovereignly 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:57.230 ruling for His glory and for our salvation. In 00:12:57.230 --> 00:13:00.330 our flesh, we are often tempted to look inwardly, 00:13:00.450 --> 00:13:03.990 to be almost self -reliant. Selfishly, we often 00:13:03.990 --> 00:13:06.669 think of our own circumstances as really the 00:13:06.669 --> 00:13:09.710 main thing going on in our lives. And in this 00:13:09.710 --> 00:13:12.549 natural life, we must realize that we cannot 00:13:12.549 --> 00:13:15.690 solve. all of our own problems, no matter how 00:13:15.690 --> 00:13:18.169 hard we try and fight and push against them, 00:13:18.409 --> 00:13:20.889 we have to come to a point of Christian maturity 00:13:20.889 --> 00:13:24.590 that we realize that God is sovereignly working 00:13:24.590 --> 00:13:28.610 in all circumstances. And knowing His character, 00:13:29.669 --> 00:13:34.129 His faithfulness, and His love, we then can thank 00:13:34.129 --> 00:13:39.470 Him at all times, even when it is hard, even 00:13:39.470 --> 00:13:43.840 when it hurts. because we know we have never 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:47.679 been asked to walk through this life alone. And 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:50.679 we had the constant indwelling presence of His 00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:54.840 Holy Spirit leading us, guiding us, and delivering 00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:57.600 us every step of the way. When we say, Lord, 00:13:57.600 --> 00:13:59.940 I don't know what to do. God, I don't know where 00:13:59.940 --> 00:14:01.500 to go. I don't even know how I'm going to put 00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:03.679 my feet on the floor this morning and face the 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:07.899 day. We were never asked to face it alone. His 00:14:07.899 --> 00:14:11.549 Holy Spirit resides with us. We look at this 00:14:11.549 --> 00:14:14.110 verse 18, the third leg of this exhortation. 00:14:14.250 --> 00:14:16.470 Paul calls us to live in God's presence, to be 00:14:16.470 --> 00:14:19.429 thankful in all circumstances. It's the will 00:14:19.429 --> 00:14:22.470 of God for us. And that can be challenging at 00:14:22.470 --> 00:14:24.870 times because here we are living in a Western 00:14:24.870 --> 00:14:29.830 world in America where we are not told in Scripture 00:14:29.830 --> 00:14:34.009 ever that God necessarily wills that we should 00:14:34.009 --> 00:14:36.409 have good health or even be financially well 00:14:36.409 --> 00:14:38.950 off. Now, that is an assumption of the culture, 00:14:39.370 --> 00:14:42.470 but that is not found anywhere in the pages of 00:14:42.470 --> 00:14:45.370 Scripture. As far as these earthly standards 00:14:45.370 --> 00:14:48.090 are considered, we are not promised to always 00:14:48.090 --> 00:14:50.610 have faithful friends or even successful careers, 00:14:50.950 --> 00:14:53.789 but what God does promise is something far better 00:14:53.789 --> 00:14:56.629 than temporary earthly things. In God's Word, 00:14:56.730 --> 00:15:00.509 He gives us His Son to be our Savior, and in 00:15:00.509 --> 00:15:04.649 His Word, He promises us eternal life with Him 00:15:04.649 --> 00:15:08.850 in glory. of God is that as a believer, that 00:15:08.850 --> 00:15:12.990 we would grow and we would mature to joy and 00:15:12.990 --> 00:15:17.549 prayer and thanksgiving. And because of and in 00:15:17.549 --> 00:15:21.269 Christ Jesus, God's grace is revealed to us. 00:15:21.669 --> 00:15:24.509 It is in Christ and in the Holy Spirit's power 00:15:24.509 --> 00:15:27.850 for this transformation comes through Jesus Christ 00:15:27.850 --> 00:15:31.470 alone. These blessings that Paul speaks of are 00:15:31.470 --> 00:15:35.529 found in Christ. We do not Nor can we attain 00:15:35.529 --> 00:15:38.289 true joy by just trying to be happy or having 00:15:38.289 --> 00:15:40.929 a positive mental attitude or just trying our 00:15:40.929 --> 00:15:45.570 best, but by seeking Christ's face and by coming 00:15:45.570 --> 00:15:49.769 to God through the promises of His Word. And 00:15:49.769 --> 00:15:52.970 in contrast to this, our flesh pulls very hard. 00:15:53.549 --> 00:15:56.169 There are so many things that our flesh would 00:15:56.169 --> 00:15:59.889 tend to chase after and seek after, looking for 00:15:59.889 --> 00:16:03.980 joy and happiness and all these things. But whatever 00:16:03.980 --> 00:16:07.080 temporary happiness we may find is just that. 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:10.379 It is temporary. It is fleeting. It is fading. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:12.899 It will not last. Whatever it is that we begin 00:16:12.899 --> 00:16:15.799 to, you fill in the blank here, begin to put 00:16:15.799 --> 00:16:18.559 our time towards, our money towards, our efforts 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:21.740 towards, all of our resources towards, those 00:16:21.740 --> 00:16:25.460 things will eventually leave you wanting. They 00:16:25.460 --> 00:16:28.740 will always leave you wanting more. In the end, 00:16:29.059 --> 00:16:31.940 every hobby, every pursuit will be a disappointment 00:16:31.940 --> 00:16:36.720 because nothing temporary or carnal can ever 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:41.279 give you true joy. It will always leave you wanting 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:45.559 more. The psalmist would say in Psalm 16, I have 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:49.139 set the Lord always before me because he is at 00:16:49.139 --> 00:16:53.049 my right hand. I shall not be moved. Therefore, 00:16:53.350 --> 00:16:56.929 my heart is glad and my glory rejoices. My flesh 00:16:56.929 --> 00:17:01.409 also will rest in hope." The only way that these 00:17:01.409 --> 00:17:03.830 graces that we have been given by God are brought 00:17:03.830 --> 00:17:06.990 to pass is from a heart that is directed to God 00:17:06.990 --> 00:17:11.690 in worship, for He is worthy of all glory and 00:17:11.690 --> 00:17:15.509 all honor and all praise. In our daily lives, 00:17:15.869 --> 00:17:19.210 we are dependent upon the graces of a good God. 00:17:19.829 --> 00:17:23.809 Every beat of our heart, every breath that we 00:17:23.809 --> 00:17:26.730 take, while that seems so simplistic in nature, 00:17:27.269 --> 00:17:29.230 as we draw in a breath, that is not something 00:17:29.230 --> 00:17:30.930 that we take for granted. That's not something 00:17:30.930 --> 00:17:32.950 that you're owed. That's not something that you're 00:17:32.950 --> 00:17:36.130 due. Every beat of our heart, even though our 00:17:36.130 --> 00:17:39.589 body is supposed to do it, every beat is a gift 00:17:39.589 --> 00:17:42.839 from... above. And when we begin to walk and 00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:44.859 operate in that way of just how good God has 00:17:44.859 --> 00:17:47.480 been to us and the way that the human body even 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:50.019 functions and He allows it to function for every 00:17:50.019 --> 00:17:52.599 breath, that is when we start seeing the goodness 00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:57.160 of God. Our second point this morning, the Spirit's 00:17:57.160 --> 00:17:59.779 work and testing all things. So Paul gives two 00:17:59.779 --> 00:18:03.839 sets of threes here. Verse 19, do not quench 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:06.630 the Spirit. So one of the figures used for the 00:18:06.630 --> 00:18:08.809 Holy Spirit as we look into the pages of Scripture 00:18:08.809 --> 00:18:11.950 is fire. Now logically we would ask the question, 00:18:12.009 --> 00:18:13.789 well then how could it be quenched? It would 00:18:13.789 --> 00:18:16.390 have to be doused, it would have to be dampened 00:18:16.390 --> 00:18:19.250 in some way. We can first of all do this when 00:18:19.250 --> 00:18:21.890 we step outside the will of God, we quench the 00:18:21.890 --> 00:18:24.329 Spirit. In addition, Paul wrote letters to the 00:18:24.329 --> 00:18:27.109 Ephesians and also to the Galatians on the matter 00:18:27.109 --> 00:18:29.630 that we should not only not grieve, the Holy 00:18:29.630 --> 00:18:32.630 Spirit, but that we should walk in the Holy Spirit. 00:18:33.309 --> 00:18:37.539 So one imperative, one admonition that we should 00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:39.819 walk in the Spirit and follow His leading. In 00:18:39.819 --> 00:18:42.700 fact, in Ephesians 4 30, we would read Paul writing, 00:18:42.900 --> 00:18:45.660 and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby 00:18:45.660 --> 00:18:48.539 you are sealed to the day of redemption. In Galatians 00:18:48.539 --> 00:18:51.880 5, Paul would say, I say then, walk in the Spirit, 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:54.539 and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:57.380 for the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the 00:18:57.380 --> 00:18:59.799 Spirit against the flesh. And these things are 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:03.140 contrary one to another, so that you do not do 00:19:03.140 --> 00:19:06.069 the things that you wish. The Holy Spirit is 00:19:06.069 --> 00:19:09.549 referred to as the third person of the Trinity. 00:19:10.109 --> 00:19:12.049 In fact, the Holy Spirit is not a thing. The 00:19:12.049 --> 00:19:15.029 Holy Spirit is a person, more specifically, He. 00:19:15.529 --> 00:19:19.880 He is at work. The Holy Spirit leads us through 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:22.339 the common means of grace that God has given 00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:25.759 to His people. He is building God's church. He 00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:28.500 is equipping the saints in line with God's will, 00:19:29.059 --> 00:19:31.579 continually reminding us of our salvation in 00:19:31.579 --> 00:19:35.019 Christ, our adoption as God's children. And that 00:19:35.019 --> 00:19:37.140 is the work that we must not quench. And you 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:38.460 say, all right, talk to me about the quenching. 00:19:38.599 --> 00:19:41.880 To quench. is to extinguish a flame. Spiritually 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:44.319 speaking, it means to resist the Spirit's work 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:47.259 or to hinder it in some way, and it is serious 00:19:47.259 --> 00:19:49.920 business. The most obvious way that we would 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.559 quench the Spirit of God is to ignore conviction 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:55.559 that we feel when the Holy Spirit presses upon 00:19:55.559 --> 00:19:57.400 our heart. When we have transgressed against 00:19:57.400 --> 00:20:00.079 God in some way, the Holy Spirit then convicts 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:02.640 us not to shame us, not to place guilt on us, 00:20:02.660 --> 00:20:05.099 but to restore us, to point us back toward a 00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:08.180 point of reconciliation. When we have sinned, 00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:11.099 the Holy Spirit of God is always faithful to 00:20:11.099 --> 00:20:13.640 grieve our hearts, to produce godly sorrow that 00:20:13.640 --> 00:20:17.160 would produce repentance, not aimless guilt or 00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:19.339 shame. Paul is very clear here that we grieve 00:20:19.339 --> 00:20:22.599 the Holy Spirit in our lives at times when we 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:26.420 sin and then we refuse to do anything about it. 00:20:26.660 --> 00:20:29.059 He's quenched when we step outside the will of 00:20:29.059 --> 00:20:32.039 God in His very dangerous ground. When we ignore 00:20:32.039 --> 00:20:35.079 the will of God, when we would resist conviction, 00:20:35.579 --> 00:20:38.099 when we cling to sin that we so desperately are 00:20:38.099 --> 00:20:41.759 holding on to, when we reject Godly wisdom and 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:44.500 counsel, or when we quench the Spirit's flame. 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:48.380 Let's look at verses 20 and 21 together. Paul 00:20:48.380 --> 00:20:51.440 would say, do not despise prophecies. Test all 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:55.680 things and hold fast to what is good. Now we 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:59.059 must remember at this point of this particular 00:20:59.059 --> 00:21:01.779 text that these are early New Testament believers 00:21:01.779 --> 00:21:05.700 who at this point at 50 -51 AD did not yet possess 00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:08.279 a written copy of the New Testament Scriptures. 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:12.660 So God provided apostles to declare the written 00:21:12.660 --> 00:21:15.660 word, or at this point proclaimed word, concerning 00:21:15.660 --> 00:21:19.500 the salvation of Jesus Christ. to them. Now the 00:21:19.500 --> 00:21:21.740 main focus of these prophecies, if you will, 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:23.940 was to proclaim the gospel before the message 00:21:23.940 --> 00:21:27.299 had been recorded in writing. These men who God 00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:30.700 had gifted belonged to a foundation -laying era 00:21:30.700 --> 00:21:34.279 of apostles in that first generation post -resurrection 00:21:34.279 --> 00:21:37.500 of Christ. And they built upon that foundation, 00:21:37.720 --> 00:21:39.720 Christ being the foundation, they built on that 00:21:39.720 --> 00:21:42.579 foundation the early church. They taught the 00:21:42.579 --> 00:21:44.440 apostles' doctrine, which were things that they 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:47.130 had been taught specifically from Christ. to 00:21:47.130 --> 00:21:50.089 themselves, but they also possess gifts to do 00:21:50.089 --> 00:21:53.230 miracles and ministry -affirming works in an 00:21:53.230 --> 00:21:58.109 apostolic but pre -canon era. John MacArthur 00:21:58.109 --> 00:22:01.309 put it very well when he said, prophecies most 00:22:01.309 --> 00:22:03.589 often refer to the written Word of Scripture. 00:22:03.930 --> 00:22:06.049 These prophecies were authoritative messages, 00:22:06.170 --> 00:22:08.309 and they were of divine origin, and they were 00:22:08.309 --> 00:22:10.930 not to be treated lightly. When God's Word is 00:22:10.930 --> 00:22:14.250 preached or read, it is to be received with great 00:22:14.250 --> 00:22:16.539 seriousness. What does that mean for us today? 00:22:17.240 --> 00:22:20.519 God's Word, as God's people, we must first of 00:22:20.519 --> 00:22:22.759 all honor the Word of God, these written scriptures 00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:25.980 that we have, the canon. We must honor the Word 00:22:25.980 --> 00:22:28.779 when it is read. We must honor the Word when 00:22:28.779 --> 00:22:31.460 it is preached. We must honor the Word when it 00:22:31.460 --> 00:22:34.980 is taught. And we must honor the Word by doing 00:22:34.980 --> 00:22:38.079 so and honoring it. We obey the Word of God. 00:22:38.299 --> 00:22:40.759 We are not to despise this word. We are not to 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:43.180 despise its teachings, but must follow every 00:22:43.180 --> 00:22:46.940 instruction that is faithful to Scripture. But 00:22:46.940 --> 00:22:49.200 just as importantly as do not despise the prophecies, 00:22:49.259 --> 00:22:52.880 Paul said, test all things and hold fast to that 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:56.859 which is good. Today in 2025, almost 2026, we 00:22:56.859 --> 00:23:00.579 have access to content and platforms of preaching, 00:23:00.859 --> 00:23:04.180 teaching. all these things truly from anywhere 00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:06.400 and all over the world. And while that is a great 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:08.720 privilege, it also comes with great responsibility. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:12.140 As important as it was the day that Paul, under 00:23:12.140 --> 00:23:13.519 the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these 00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:17.039 words, we ourselves are to test all things. We 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:20.119 are to test all content, because there is great 00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:23.980 danger in some who would intentionally lead men 00:23:23.980 --> 00:23:27.339 and women astray. Now, this is not accidental. 00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:29.960 It is intentional. There is an intentional misleading 00:23:29.960 --> 00:23:31.880 done by those who are religious, what we would 00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:35.059 call charlatans, those who are self -serving. 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:38.059 John would write in 1 John 4, 1, beloved, do 00:23:38.059 --> 00:23:40.980 not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, 00:23:41.539 --> 00:23:44.900 whether they are of God, because many false prophets 00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:47.880 have gone out into the world. Paul himself was 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:51.839 oppressed by many who were legalistic in nature. 00:23:52.359 --> 00:23:55.119 in his ministry. He would even write in Philippians 00:23:55.119 --> 00:23:57.740 chapter 3, for many walk of whom I have often 00:23:57.740 --> 00:24:01.660 told you, and now tell you even weeping that 00:24:01.660 --> 00:24:04.680 they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose 00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:07.460 end is destruction, whose God is their belly, 00:24:07.900 --> 00:24:11.039 and whose glory is in their shame, who set their 00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:13.970 mind on earthly things. What's Paul driving at? 00:24:14.349 --> 00:24:16.589 When we hear the Word of God preached or taught, 00:24:16.869 --> 00:24:19.289 we must test it. You say even here at Mamrie? 00:24:19.569 --> 00:24:22.009 Yes, right here at Mamrie. Everywhere that we 00:24:22.009 --> 00:24:24.410 hear the Word preached or taught, we test it. 00:24:24.410 --> 00:24:26.849 From this pulpit in the Sunday School, anywhere. 00:24:27.210 --> 00:24:29.849 It must be proved true. It must be carefully 00:24:29.849 --> 00:24:33.950 examined and discerned. How? The standard of 00:24:33.950 --> 00:24:38.049 truth and accuracy to test what someone is teaching 00:24:38.049 --> 00:24:40.890 has always been and will always be by comparing 00:24:40.890 --> 00:24:44.089 it with the written Word of God. This is the 00:24:44.089 --> 00:24:46.809 standard and the rule by which we determine truth, 00:24:46.829 --> 00:24:50.150 and there is no other. It's not books that men 00:24:50.150 --> 00:24:52.990 and women have written. It is this standard, 00:24:53.049 --> 00:24:56.250 which is the Word of God. When someone goes to 00:24:56.250 --> 00:24:58.490 teach, when they go to preach, they are to base 00:24:58.490 --> 00:25:00.789 their messages off the Bible, off Scripture. 00:25:00.910 --> 00:25:03.150 They are not to come with winsome arguments and 00:25:03.150 --> 00:25:05.710 convincing emotionalism, clever stories, jokes, 00:25:05.750 --> 00:25:09.210 or anything like that. And Paul says, what you 00:25:09.210 --> 00:25:12.549 find to be profitable, keep it. Use it. Apply 00:25:12.549 --> 00:25:15.950 it. Grow from it. And now which is bad?" He said, 00:25:15.970 --> 00:25:19.289 discard it. Get rid of it. Verse 22, the last 00:25:19.289 --> 00:25:22.750 verse in our text this morning, abstain from 00:25:22.750 --> 00:25:28.670 every form of evil. I want to pause here for 00:25:28.670 --> 00:25:31.589 just a moment. I think it's important to point 00:25:31.589 --> 00:25:33.269 out, if we're going to be faithful to Scripture, 00:25:34.009 --> 00:25:37.410 that this verse has probably been taken out of 00:25:37.410 --> 00:25:39.630 context more than just about any other in the 00:25:39.630 --> 00:25:42.809 Bible to make a point, to prove something, whatever 00:25:42.809 --> 00:25:47.589 someone wanted to get across. And it has been 00:25:47.589 --> 00:25:49.950 pulled out as a single verse, and it has been 00:25:49.950 --> 00:25:54.470 used as a proof text without context, a classic 00:25:54.470 --> 00:25:57.450 just slashing of rules of hermeneutics and homiletics 00:25:57.450 --> 00:26:00.210 of how we interpret Scripture. And I want to 00:26:00.210 --> 00:26:02.170 be very careful that as we preach this verse 00:26:02.170 --> 00:26:05.819 this morning, we do it very faithfully. We strive 00:26:05.819 --> 00:26:07.640 to get to the original meaning that Paul had 00:26:07.640 --> 00:26:09.920 in mind when he wrote it down for the Thessalonian 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:13.640 church and convey that this morning. The first 00:26:13.640 --> 00:26:15.799 thing that we cannot do when we ever go to preach 00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:18.920 or teach is to lift one single verse out of the 00:26:18.920 --> 00:26:21.099 Scriptures and pin everything we want to say 00:26:21.099 --> 00:26:24.140 around that one verse. That is a proof text without 00:26:24.140 --> 00:26:28.269 actual context. This verse, 22, is part of a 00:26:28.269 --> 00:26:30.349 broader exhortation. It's supposed to go with 00:26:30.349 --> 00:26:35.250 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, and 22. It cannot just be 00:26:35.250 --> 00:26:37.470 lifted on its own to say abstain from the presence 00:26:37.470 --> 00:26:40.309 of all evil, therefore don't go do blank. Don't 00:26:40.309 --> 00:26:42.390 do this. We cannot do that. We must hold the 00:26:42.390 --> 00:26:44.930 scripture together as it has been written and 00:26:44.930 --> 00:26:47.750 interpret it as such. So what does this verse 00:26:47.750 --> 00:26:50.680 mean? That's a good question. This verse calls 00:26:50.680 --> 00:26:53.920 for believers to test all spiritual claims and 00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:57.500 hold fast to that which is good, rejecting any 00:26:57.500 --> 00:26:59.460 appearance of evil. Based on what Paul had just 00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:02.720 said in verses 20 and verse 21, only then do 00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:06.240 we arrive at verse 22. This guidance from Paul 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:09.640 is rooted in the context of the church's preparation 00:27:09.640 --> 00:27:13.339 for the second coming. of Christ, urging one 00:27:13.339 --> 00:27:15.980 another to live righteously and encouraging one 00:27:15.980 --> 00:27:19.240 another to live in faith. The first three exhortations 00:27:19.240 --> 00:27:21.859 in this passage are now built on by these last 00:27:21.859 --> 00:27:25.099 three. Paul concludes with this warning to abstain, 00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:28.940 to avoid from all forms of evil, to avoid doing 00:27:28.940 --> 00:27:33.539 things, not casually, not just to dabble in them, 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:39.079 but to avoid them, avoid things that would quench 00:27:39.230 --> 00:27:42.549 the Spirit. And for us to avoid all forms of 00:27:42.549 --> 00:27:44.970 evil teaching regarding the Word of God, Paul 00:27:44.970 --> 00:27:48.759 admonishes us here. to avoid every expression, 00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:52.000 every appearance, and every imitation of evil, 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:55.180 and to do so consistently. And this is deeper 00:27:55.180 --> 00:27:58.059 than just some sort of secular activity. It's 00:27:58.059 --> 00:27:59.940 deeper than just something that is surface level. 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:02.779 It is a call, it is an imperative that speaks 00:28:02.779 --> 00:28:05.420 to us internally and externally. This is not 00:28:05.420 --> 00:28:08.980 just saying, don't just go do blank. It is internal 00:28:08.980 --> 00:28:11.180 and external. This is a call for us to examine 00:28:11.180 --> 00:28:13.539 our thoughts, our mind, our intentions, and not 00:28:13.539 --> 00:28:16.759 just out. outward activities that we do, because 00:28:16.759 --> 00:28:18.880 as a believer, Paul has cleared through his many 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:21.779 letters that we must develop an active resistance 00:28:21.779 --> 00:28:25.160 against sin that so easily besets us. We must 00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:27.480 put it to death, and we must deal with it or 00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:31.660 it will conquer us. So now what? What do we do 00:28:31.660 --> 00:28:34.960 with these two sets of three that Paul has given 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:37.980 us this morning as the saints gathered here at 00:28:37.980 --> 00:28:41.150 Mamrie Baptist Church on top of Kitts Hill? First 00:28:41.150 --> 00:28:42.990 of all, we must realize this is not a message 00:28:42.990 --> 00:28:45.450 of do's and don'ts, and I don't want you to hear 00:28:45.450 --> 00:28:48.750 it that way. God as our Creator has designed 00:28:48.750 --> 00:28:50.730 us, and because He has designed us, He knows 00:28:50.730 --> 00:28:54.029 how we work best. And under the inspiration of 00:28:54.029 --> 00:28:56.809 the Holy Spirit, Paul has pinned these words 00:28:56.809 --> 00:28:59.930 into the canon of Scripture that serve as guides 00:28:59.930 --> 00:29:03.470 on our pathway of life. They are to guide us, 00:29:03.509 --> 00:29:05.529 they are to lead us, they are to help us, and 00:29:05.529 --> 00:29:08.230 that is why it is in the written, revealed Word. 00:29:08.829 --> 00:29:12.029 He wrote them so that we would learn to mature 00:29:12.029 --> 00:29:15.569 and walk peacefully with our God. And for some 00:29:15.569 --> 00:29:18.329 of us, we're farther on that journey than others. 00:29:18.650 --> 00:29:20.789 But every one of us is called as we are sanctified 00:29:20.789 --> 00:29:23.329 to continually move deeper into that process 00:29:23.329 --> 00:29:26.089 of sanctification, to walk peacefully with our 00:29:26.089 --> 00:29:28.170 God, because it is God who not only strengthens 00:29:28.170 --> 00:29:32.289 us, it is God who sanctifies His people. It is 00:29:32.289 --> 00:29:35.789 God who tells us in His Word to not let this 00:29:35.789 --> 00:29:38.970 text feel weighty, but to run to Christ who is 00:29:38.970 --> 00:29:42.970 the anchor for our souls. These exhortations 00:29:42.970 --> 00:29:46.309 to follow God's design as believers, it is God 00:29:46.309 --> 00:29:50.269 who sanctifies us for specific purposes. So that 00:29:50.269 --> 00:29:53.670 we begin to love the things that Christ loves, 00:29:53.750 --> 00:29:56.269 and we begin to hate the things that Christ hates. 00:29:56.869 --> 00:29:59.490 That we would believe the things that Christ 00:29:59.490 --> 00:30:01.390 taught, and we would shun all things that are 00:30:01.390 --> 00:30:03.650 against Christ, and we would be against the things 00:30:03.650 --> 00:30:06.309 that He taught, and that we abstain from every 00:30:06.309 --> 00:30:09.329 form of evil. That is the goal of the Spirit's 00:30:09.329 --> 00:30:13.220 work within us. And the way we hear the Spirit 00:30:13.220 --> 00:30:16.500 today is not by opening our hearts or some sort 00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:19.680 of audible voice, but by directing our hearts 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:23.819 to the pages of Scripture. In the Bible is where 00:30:23.819 --> 00:30:26.759 the Spirit of God speaks and gives life to the 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:30.960 people of God. Paul had a sincere desire for 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:34.019 the Thessalonian believers and us alike, that 00:30:34.019 --> 00:30:37.099 while we've begun well in the faith, Paul urges 00:30:37.099 --> 00:30:40.519 us to grow, to mature, and while he commends 00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:44.299 them, That a childlike faith receives God's Word 00:30:44.299 --> 00:30:46.519 to be true, a mature faith is one that is not 00:30:46.519 --> 00:30:49.140 easily tossed back and forth by all manner of 00:30:49.140 --> 00:30:50.640 teaching, some being faithful and some being 00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:54.279 less than faithful. The first priority of these 00:30:54.279 --> 00:30:56.700 whole list of admonitions is that the church 00:30:56.700 --> 00:30:59.940 then and that the church now would have a new 00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:03.980 devotion to the sacred scriptures of God. It 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:05.980 has always been the standard and the rule by 00:31:05.980 --> 00:31:08.240 which we are to live our lives and how we find 00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:12.660 how we are to walk with God. that we would use 00:31:12.660 --> 00:31:15.200 the Bible to meet with God, that we would commune 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:17.339 with Him, and that we would live consciously 00:31:17.339 --> 00:31:20.339 in the Father's love and walk intentionally in 00:31:20.339 --> 00:31:24.240 step with the Holy Spirit. Finally, as we mature, 00:31:24.380 --> 00:31:30.799 we are to take the joy that we have in this Christian 00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:34.039 life as we are strangers and pilgrims in this 00:31:34.039 --> 00:31:36.960 world and even in the hard seasons that we have 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:41.180 and we are to rejoice. evermore. We are to praise 00:31:41.180 --> 00:31:46.579 God always, through every season of life, as 00:31:46.579 --> 00:31:49.880 difficult as it may be, not because we are necessarily 00:31:49.880 --> 00:31:52.460 happy about the circumstances we are in, but 00:31:52.460 --> 00:31:56.099 because Christ is at hand. He has never called 00:31:56.099 --> 00:31:58.319 us to walk it alone. He has never said He would 00:31:58.319 --> 00:32:00.099 abandon us. In fact, He said He would never leave 00:32:00.099 --> 00:32:02.859 us. He would never forsake us. Even in the darkest 00:32:02.859 --> 00:32:06.650 valleys, we will not walk alone. David said, 00:32:06.849 --> 00:32:08.769 yeah, I walk through the valley of the shadow 00:32:08.769 --> 00:32:14.069 of death. I will fear no evil. Church, as we 00:32:14.069 --> 00:32:17.289 gather here on this Lord's Day, we remember every 00:32:17.289 --> 00:32:19.950 single Sunday that our Lord is returning. He 00:32:19.950 --> 00:32:22.650 has not left us here forever just to deal with 00:32:22.650 --> 00:32:25.930 the hard times of this life, but in eternity 00:32:25.930 --> 00:32:29.480 it will all seem so brief. and so fleeting. And 00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:31.759 I know it's hard because things happen in life, 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:35.359 and it hurts, and we mourn, and we cry, and we 00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:39.480 should cry good, godly tears, but we must remain 00:32:39.480 --> 00:32:43.460 sensitive to the Holy Spirit, knowing that it 00:32:43.460 --> 00:32:45.880 is of divine origin, that the Holy Spirit leads 00:32:45.880 --> 00:32:49.660 us, guides us, convicts us of sin and repentance, 00:32:50.039 --> 00:32:52.460 guiding us back to restoration with the Father, 00:32:52.480 --> 00:32:55.970 and it is a grace. to be so sensitive to the 00:32:55.970 --> 00:33:00.089 Holy Spirit. As we are sanctified, we take joy 00:33:00.089 --> 00:33:03.230 in this also, the continual indwelling of the 00:33:03.230 --> 00:33:07.589 Holy Spirit of God residing in us. Regardless 00:33:07.589 --> 00:33:10.970 of the circumstances of this life, the residing 00:33:10.970 --> 00:33:13.650 of the Holy Spirit, continual residing in this 00:33:13.650 --> 00:33:16.569 progressive sanctification that we have, Good 00:33:16.569 --> 00:33:19.670 Day is the very worst we can imagine. It is the 00:33:19.670 --> 00:33:22.390 faithfulness of God that we hang and pin our 00:33:22.390 --> 00:33:25.960 joy upon. not external circumstances, not temporary 00:33:25.960 --> 00:33:29.180 happiness brought on by hobbies. It is the personal 00:33:29.180 --> 00:33:32.859 work of the Holy Spirit of God within us that 00:33:32.859 --> 00:33:36.799 Christ has died, paid, and bought us with His 00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:39.960 nail -scarred hands, Church, and that one day 00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:44.440 He is returning for us, and in that we find our 00:33:44.440 --> 00:33:48.559 joy. Yes, life is hard. Christ is greater, and 00:33:48.559 --> 00:33:51.940 not only is He greater, He is at hand. When we 00:33:51.940 --> 00:33:53.980 don't know where to turn, we run to Christ, the 00:33:53.980 --> 00:33:56.140 one who is the lover of our souls, the one who 00:33:56.140 --> 00:33:59.519 is an anchor for us. And you say, okay, this 00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:04.740 is all so good. I plead with you, Jesus Christ, 00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:08.699 the righteous, he is the ultimate source of our 00:34:08.699 --> 00:34:11.400 joy. And that is the recalibration that as we 00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:13.739 wind down this year, we ask ourselves, we look 00:34:13.739 --> 00:34:16.059 into the next year, how do I want that year to 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:20.539 be, regardless of what it has in store, run to 00:34:20.809 --> 00:34:23.650 Christ, the one who has given himself for us 00:34:23.650 --> 00:34:26.989 and the one who is coming back for us, faithfully 00:34:26.989 --> 00:34:31.530 to do so, the one who Paul would say and win 00:34:31.530 --> 00:34:34.530 with this and this letter, he who has called 00:34:34.530 --> 00:34:39.030 you is faithful also to do it. God has not brought 00:34:39.030 --> 00:34:41.130 you this far to leave you, church, in your trouble, 00:34:41.150 --> 00:34:44.909 but he will deliver you to eternal glory on the 00:34:44.909 --> 00:34:52.780 basis of his written word. Amen. We've gathered 00:34:52.780 --> 00:34:56.440 here this Lord's Day intentionally for the singing, 00:34:57.480 --> 00:35:00.059 for the prayers of the saints, for the preaching 00:35:00.059 --> 00:35:02.800 of God's word, but also to come to the table. 00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:04.920 We'll have the deacons, if they will, come at 00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:10.219 this time. And as the deacons come and begin 00:35:10.219 --> 00:35:12.099 to get the trays and distribute.