WEBVTT 00:00:02.039 --> 00:00:04.419 Welcome to the official podcast of the Church 00:00:04.419 --> 00:00:06.960 of Christ Wheeler area. We're so glad that you've 00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:09.439 tuned in for today's message. Whether you're 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:11.660 on your morning commute or if you're relaxing 00:00:11.660 --> 00:00:13.640 at home, we're here to share the strength and 00:00:13.640 --> 00:00:16.640 truth of God's Word with our community. If you're 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:18.260 in the neighborhood, we'd love to meet you in 00:00:18.260 --> 00:00:21.899 person. Come see us at 1500 South Allen L. Bean 00:00:21.899 --> 00:00:24.879 Boulevard right here in Wheeler, Texas. We gather 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:27.920 every Sunday morning at 1030 a .m. and in the 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:30.760 afternoon at 230 p .m. We meet again on Wednesdays 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:34.340 at 7 p .m. Right now, let's open our Bibles together 00:00:34.340 --> 00:00:41.060 and dive into today's sermon. We're studying 00:00:41.060 --> 00:00:43.820 these last evening and this evening and probably 00:00:43.820 --> 00:00:46.619 the next evening and maybe the next evening salvation 00:00:46.619 --> 00:00:51.100 from 30 ,000 feet taking a high view or a high 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:54.719 level view of what salvation is just to try to 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:57.380 get some basics that can give us some perspective 00:00:57.380 --> 00:01:00.799 that hopefully can give us clarity upon what 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:04.439 it means to be saved and to also to give us some 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.299 perspective to help us to understand some difficulties 00:01:07.299 --> 00:01:10.219 and some questions that we may have or other 00:01:10.219 --> 00:01:13.439 people might have concerning salvation. We said 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:16.680 last evening in Romans chapter 3 verse 23 that 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:18.819 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of 00:01:18.819 --> 00:01:21.719 God. And so last evening we just started from 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:24.920 the point of being a sinner. And so if you're 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:27.500 here tonight and you are a sinner, what we talked 00:01:27.500 --> 00:01:31.459 about last night was you stand before a God who 00:01:31.459 --> 00:01:34.620 is glorious and you have fallen short of that 00:01:34.620 --> 00:01:38.900 glory. You fell short of that glory today. And 00:01:38.900 --> 00:01:42.980 that glory is perfect holiness. It's perfection. 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:46.980 And unless you're perfect like God, then you 00:01:46.980 --> 00:01:51.180 are an offense to God and to His glory. And whenever 00:01:51.180 --> 00:01:54.159 you behold the glory of God, your reaction should 00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:57.120 be the reaction that Isaiah had in Isaiah chapter 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:01.420 6. Woe is me, I am undone. And we talked about 00:02:01.420 --> 00:02:05.000 that Isaiah was cursing himself. The word woe 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:08.419 means to be doomed, to be condemned. basically 00:02:08.419 --> 00:02:11.199 Isaiah looked at the perfect glory of the Lord 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:13.659 and he didn't say Lord I'm a pretty good guy 00:02:13.659 --> 00:02:16.259 he didn't say Lord look at me I'm better than 00:02:16.259 --> 00:02:19.300 all of these other people because his mind was 00:02:19.300 --> 00:02:22.580 so full of the glory of the Lord that all he 00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:26.620 could think about was his doom and his condemnation 00:02:26.620 --> 00:02:29.620 and if you're here tonight and you have not obeyed 00:02:29.620 --> 00:02:31.860 the gospel and you're not baptized and you're 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:35.879 not in Christ Jesus that is how you stand before 00:02:35.879 --> 00:02:37.960 the Lord. Whether you're willing to confess it 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:41.379 like Isaiah did or not, that's where you are. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:45.759 And we say that not to be mean, we say that not 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:48.800 to be hateful, we say that not to scare you, 00:02:48.819 --> 00:02:52.719 but we say that to be truthful. To be truthful. 00:02:53.289 --> 00:02:56.449 And every breath that the Lord gives you in your 00:02:56.449 --> 00:03:00.310 condition is a breath that you can use to change 00:03:00.310 --> 00:03:03.930 your relationship with the eternal, perfect, 00:03:04.169 --> 00:03:10.889 glorious God. Do that. Do that. Because as we 00:03:10.889 --> 00:03:13.530 talked about last evening, the Lord tonight is 00:03:13.530 --> 00:03:16.370 pleading with you out of His love and mercy on 00:03:16.370 --> 00:03:20.050 one hand, and then on the other hand he is preparing 00:03:20.050 --> 00:03:24.009 his sword and he's getting his bow and his arrows 00:03:24.009 --> 00:03:28.150 ready to execute judgment because again our God 00:03:28.150 --> 00:03:30.830 is a great God and he can do two things at one 00:03:30.830 --> 00:03:34.090 time he can plead with you out of love and mercy 00:03:34.090 --> 00:03:37.889 and call you to the salvation of your soul and 00:03:37.889 --> 00:03:42.250 also be angry with you and prepare for your judgment 00:03:42.250 --> 00:03:45.550 if you're not in Christ that's happening right 00:03:45.550 --> 00:03:49.699 now That's happening right now. And so we talked 00:03:49.699 --> 00:03:54.900 about how that a sinner had to be justified. 00:03:56.599 --> 00:03:59.979 That justification is a forensic or a courtroom 00:03:59.979 --> 00:04:03.500 pronouncement that you are righteous. And we 00:04:03.500 --> 00:04:06.039 talked about how that of ourselves we cannot 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:08.939 be righteous. There is no way that I can live 00:04:08.939 --> 00:04:13.199 perfect. The very first time that I sin or I 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:16.579 sinned or as we said last night, we rang the 00:04:16.579 --> 00:04:19.180 sin bell, you can't unring the bell anymore. 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:22.100 You're no longer perfect and you may have it 00:04:22.100 --> 00:04:24.819 in your mind, well, if I do more good than I 00:04:24.819 --> 00:04:27.699 do bad, I'm gonna be okay with God. No, because 00:04:27.699 --> 00:04:30.279 if you do more good than bad, you're still what? 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:34.790 You're still imperfect. You know, judgment is 00:04:34.790 --> 00:04:37.050 not, I mean our relationship with the Father 00:04:37.050 --> 00:04:39.649 is, you know, okay, we put ourselves in a balance 00:04:39.649 --> 00:04:44.629 and see which way the scales tilt. You're one 00:04:44.629 --> 00:04:48.689 sin before an infinitely perfect God. condemns 00:04:48.689 --> 00:04:51.250 you no matter how much good you can do the rest 00:04:51.250 --> 00:04:54.769 of your life. Because once guilty, you're always 00:04:54.769 --> 00:04:57.269 guilty. And there's nothing we can do about it. 00:04:57.269 --> 00:04:59.569 That's why the apostle Paul says that we're dead. 00:04:59.990 --> 00:05:01.970 Now we're not talking about dead in the sense 00:05:01.970 --> 00:05:05.029 that Calvinism thinks about being dead, but we're 00:05:05.029 --> 00:05:08.970 dead in, again, a forensic sense. In a judicial 00:05:08.970 --> 00:05:12.829 sense, we're dead. before God, and dead people 00:05:12.829 --> 00:05:15.569 can't do anything for themselves. Whenever a 00:05:15.569 --> 00:05:18.230 loved one dies, we don't stand around waiting 00:05:18.230 --> 00:05:21.490 for them to get themselves better, do we? Because 00:05:21.490 --> 00:05:24.470 we know it's hopeless. There's nothing that can 00:05:24.470 --> 00:05:28.449 be done. And you can make promise after promise 00:05:28.449 --> 00:05:31.410 after promise, and you can do good after good 00:05:31.410 --> 00:05:34.670 after good, but if you still live in your guilt, 00:05:34.970 --> 00:05:40.439 you are lost. And so you need to be justified. 00:05:41.220 --> 00:05:44.579 And since you can't do it yourself, the Lord 00:05:44.579 --> 00:05:49.160 in his grace and mercy sent Jesus who lived as 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:51.639 a perfect man here upon the earth and he went 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:54.779 to the cross and he died a sinner's death. And 00:05:54.779 --> 00:05:57.740 whenever he paid that price on the cross, having 00:05:57.740 --> 00:06:01.300 no sin himself, what God does in his amazing 00:06:01.300 --> 00:06:04.779 grace, whenever you come to him in belief and 00:06:04.779 --> 00:06:08.769 repentance, And in obedience to his gospel, he 00:06:08.769 --> 00:06:11.889 takes your sins and he places it upon Jesus. 00:06:12.050 --> 00:06:15.470 And now he looks at you in the righteousness 00:06:15.470 --> 00:06:19.449 of Jesus and he says, you're my child. Don't 00:06:19.449 --> 00:06:22.910 you want the God of all creation and the God 00:06:22.910 --> 00:06:28.949 of all universe to say, you're my child. You're 00:06:28.949 --> 00:06:32.529 my child. And we talked about last evening that 00:06:32.529 --> 00:06:36.420 in order for us to die, in order for us our sins 00:06:36.420 --> 00:06:39.480 to be given over to Jesus on the cross we had 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:42.199 to die with him and we look in Romans chapter 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:46.480 6 how that we die with him in baptism that whenever 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:49.360 we're baptized into Christ we're baptized into 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:52.680 his death we are in the likeness of his death 00:06:53.069 --> 00:06:55.550 And then we talked about how Paul said that he 00:06:55.550 --> 00:06:58.610 that is dead is freed from sin. And we talked 00:06:58.610 --> 00:07:01.990 about the meaning of that word free means justified. 00:07:02.490 --> 00:07:05.470 And so whenever I'm baptized into Jesus' death, 00:07:05.550 --> 00:07:09.149 God looks at me in Jesus' death and says, you're 00:07:09.149 --> 00:07:12.910 dead with Jesus, you are justified. And we talked 00:07:12.910 --> 00:07:16.170 about how that transaction takes place in the 00:07:16.170 --> 00:07:19.980 act of baptism. That baptism is not a work of 00:07:19.980 --> 00:07:22.720 personal righteousness that we do in order to 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:27.000 try to earn salvation But that baptism is a response 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:30.480 to the grace of God and the gift of Jesus Christ 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:37.120 to receive that gift of salvation and Then we 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:41.579 become a saint if you're in Christ tonight You're 00:07:41.579 --> 00:07:44.879 a saint if you've been baptized. You're a saint 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:47.420 now. You may not be living like a saint I don't 00:07:47.420 --> 00:07:52.360 always live like a saint but this being a saint 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:57.819 is the work that God performs in baptism to make 00:07:57.819 --> 00:08:01.500 us holy and righteous and so you're here tonight 00:08:01.500 --> 00:08:05.420 you're either a sinner or a saint and if you're 00:08:05.420 --> 00:08:08.000 a sinner you need to be baptized into the Lord 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:11.279 so that you can become a saint and become a child 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:16.300 of God well this evening We want to ask this 00:08:16.300 --> 00:08:18.360 question as a prelude into what we're going to 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:23.019 talk about. Why does God want to save us? Have 00:08:23.019 --> 00:08:25.860 you ever thought about that? Why does God want 00:08:25.860 --> 00:08:28.720 to save us or justify us? You know, and there's 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:30.639 a lot of different answers that we can give to 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:32.940 that question. Well, He wants to save us because 00:08:32.940 --> 00:08:36.419 He loves us and He cares for us. An answer that 00:08:36.419 --> 00:08:38.700 we'll get a lot of times. Well, He wants to save 00:08:38.700 --> 00:08:43.480 us because He wants us to go to heaven. And so 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:45.860 whenever we look at our diagram, a lot of times 00:08:45.860 --> 00:08:48.799 whenever we think of being saved, we think of 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:53.080 being saved as just simply going to heaven. Because 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:55.860 isn't that what God wants for us? He wants us 00:08:55.860 --> 00:08:59.559 all to go to heaven? I want to make a statement 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:02.720 and hear me out. I like to make some statements 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:05.600 sometimes that can maybe catch your attention 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:07.879 in order for you to really consider what we're 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:12.519 talking about. Whenever you think about salvation, 00:09:13.179 --> 00:09:16.179 don't think about going to heaven. You don't 00:09:16.179 --> 00:09:20.220 hear too many preachers say that. And the reason 00:09:20.220 --> 00:09:23.879 I say that is this, is because whenever we think 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:27.019 that salvation is all about us going to heaven, 00:09:27.460 --> 00:09:32.639 who are we making salvation all about? All about 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:37.059 us. And when we make the things, and we take 00:09:37.059 --> 00:09:40.299 the things that are about God, and then we make 00:09:40.299 --> 00:09:48.559 them about us, we mess everything up. Salvation 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:54.659 is not about us. You see, we want to go directly 00:09:54.659 --> 00:09:57.200 to heaven. We want to make salvation all about 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:00.480 going to heaven, whereas God makes salvation 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:06.169 about something different. What about this space 00:10:06.169 --> 00:10:10.070 right here? You know the Bible says a lot about 00:10:10.070 --> 00:10:13.529 heaven But I think I'm going to be safe in saying 00:10:13.529 --> 00:10:16.409 the Bible has a whole lot more to say about what's 00:10:16.409 --> 00:10:24.350 going on right here That this right here is if 00:10:24.350 --> 00:10:28.789 we look at our progression the next step of salvation 00:10:29.149 --> 00:10:32.149 And while we want to skip, as humans are often 00:10:32.149 --> 00:10:34.610 times want to do, we want to skip to the good 00:10:34.610 --> 00:10:40.889 stuff. Heaven, God saved us for a reason and 00:10:40.889 --> 00:10:44.730 a purpose that's not fulfilled right here, but 00:10:44.730 --> 00:10:49.190 is fulfilled right here. And when that purpose 00:10:49.190 --> 00:10:53.070 is fulfilled right here, then the reality of 00:10:53.070 --> 00:10:58.980 heaven is later experienced. You see, salvation 00:10:58.980 --> 00:11:03.539 is not about me. Salvation is about God. And 00:11:03.539 --> 00:11:06.419 so when I make it about me, I want to go to heaven. 00:11:06.559 --> 00:11:10.779 And we all want to go to heaven. But again, salvation 00:11:10.779 --> 00:11:13.679 is not about me. It's not about you. It's about 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:17.379 God. Why did God create us? Did He create us 00:11:17.379 --> 00:11:20.580 just so He could have a bunch of people that 00:11:20.580 --> 00:11:23.080 just do wrong all the time and He just looks 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:26.340 at us and thinks, you know, oh my, what am I 00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:28.720 going to do? You know, I've got to get them up 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:34.019 here somehow. No. He created us for a purpose. 00:11:34.519 --> 00:11:39.600 And that purpose is to glorify Him. To glorify 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:43.100 him and so whenever we think in terms of salvation 00:11:43.100 --> 00:11:46.700 Instead of thinking that salvation is just simply 00:11:46.700 --> 00:11:49.500 going to heaven I want to look at a lot of other 00:11:49.500 --> 00:11:52.919 things that salvation is about that's more eminent 00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:55.639 to our time right now And we're going to get 00:11:55.639 --> 00:11:59.799 to heaven later on Now heaven we need to talk 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:02.179 about heaven. We need to study about heaven. 00:12:02.179 --> 00:12:05.340 We need to encourage one another about heaven 00:12:06.220 --> 00:12:10.159 But we do that in order to bring us to the point 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:12.600 to where we understand what it is that we're 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:15.240 to do now Look at what Paul says in Romans 6 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:19.220 11 to 13 Likewise you also reckon yourselves 00:12:19.220 --> 00:12:22.840 to be indeed dead indeed to sin but alive to 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:26.360 God in Christ Jesus our Lord Paul up and from 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:28.820 chapter 1 all the way up into this time chapter 00:12:28.820 --> 00:12:32.399 6 he's been talking about justification and he 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:34.539 talked about how that when we're baptized we're 00:12:34.539 --> 00:12:37.240 baptized into Jesus's death and then we are freed 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:40.580 from sin and then he doesn't say reckon yourselves 00:12:40.580 --> 00:12:44.419 dead indeed to sin and ready to go to heaven 00:12:44.419 --> 00:12:49.799 he doesn't mention heaven in fact whenever you 00:12:49.799 --> 00:12:52.500 look at Paul's writing as he lays out the progression 00:12:52.500 --> 00:12:56.720 of salvation in Romans chapter 1 all the way 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:00.700 through chapter number 8 you don't get started 00:13:00.700 --> 00:13:03.259 talking about heaven till the latter part of 00:13:03.259 --> 00:13:06.789 chapter 8 But you've got the rest of chapter 00:13:06.789 --> 00:13:09.450 6, you've got all of chapter 7, you've got the 00:13:09.450 --> 00:13:13.649 majority of chapter 8 talking about what we are 00:13:13.649 --> 00:13:17.330 to do now that we are saved. And he says, Reckon 00:13:17.330 --> 00:13:20.730 yourselves indeed and dead to sin, but alive 00:13:20.730 --> 00:13:23.990 to God. When you think about salvation, think 00:13:23.990 --> 00:13:28.490 about that. If someone asks you, what does it 00:13:28.490 --> 00:13:31.450 mean to be saved? Answer them. It means to be 00:13:31.450 --> 00:13:34.730 alive to God. Because remember whenever we're 00:13:34.730 --> 00:13:36.850 a sinner and we're standing before the perfect 00:13:36.850 --> 00:13:39.629 holiness of God, what are we? We're dead people 00:13:39.629 --> 00:13:43.549 before God. But whenever we're justified, then 00:13:43.549 --> 00:13:47.090 we become alive to God and we become alive to 00:13:47.090 --> 00:13:52.309 God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Then he uses the 00:13:52.309 --> 00:13:55.649 word therefore. Anytime you see the word therefore 00:13:55.649 --> 00:13:58.769 in a text, ask yourself this question, what's 00:13:58.769 --> 00:14:04.980 it there for? because when you see the word therefore, 00:14:05.179 --> 00:14:08.399 it's pointing back to what has previously been 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:12.039 said and is beginning to build an argument based 00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:14.879 upon the truth that has just been explained. 00:14:15.500 --> 00:14:17.700 Well, Paul just got through explaining that we're 00:14:17.700 --> 00:14:21.559 justified in Jesus Christ. We go from being dead 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:25.740 in sin to being alive to God. Therefore, what's 00:14:25.740 --> 00:14:28.559 that supposed to mean to me? That I'm going to 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:33.870 heaven? What does Paul say? He says, when I get 00:14:33.870 --> 00:14:37.210 back to him, do not let sin reign in your mortal 00:14:37.210 --> 00:14:40.250 body that you should obey it in its lust. Do 00:14:40.250 --> 00:14:43.690 not present your bodies as instruments of unrighteousness 00:14:43.690 --> 00:14:46.990 to sin, but present yourselves to God as being 00:14:46.990 --> 00:14:50.169 alive from the dead and your members as instruments 00:14:50.169 --> 00:14:54.309 of righteousness to God. And so what Paul is 00:14:54.309 --> 00:14:56.750 saying here is that since you've been justified, 00:14:56.990 --> 00:15:00.149 since you have been saved in Jesus Christ by 00:15:00.149 --> 00:15:04.190 His blood, this is what you need to do. Don't 00:15:04.190 --> 00:15:07.769 let sin reign in your mortal body that you should 00:15:07.769 --> 00:15:11.769 obey it in its lust. Present yourself to God. 00:15:11.929 --> 00:15:15.169 as being alive from the dead and your members 00:15:15.169 --> 00:15:18.250 as instruments of righteousness to God. Whenever 00:15:18.250 --> 00:15:21.049 you read on in Ephesians chapter 6 he talks about 00:15:21.049 --> 00:15:24.110 how you were a slave to sin and now be a slave 00:15:24.110 --> 00:15:26.929 to God. He talks about how that your fruit was 00:15:26.929 --> 00:15:29.110 unrighteous and it was unto death and that you 00:15:29.110 --> 00:15:31.009 are going to have your fruit to righteousness, 00:15:31.590 --> 00:15:35.559 to eternal life. What Paul is emphasizing is, 00:15:35.659 --> 00:15:37.899 is that now that you're justified and you're 00:15:37.899 --> 00:15:40.679 sitting here wondering what next, it doesn't 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:42.840 mean that we just sit around and pat our foot 00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:45.700 till we die so we can go to heaven. No, what 00:15:45.700 --> 00:15:49.940 we are called to do is to live out the salvation 00:15:49.940 --> 00:15:55.340 we've been given by God. God didn't save you 00:15:55.340 --> 00:15:57.860 and He didn't save me just for us to go to heaven. 00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:02.539 He saved you and He saved me to live for Him. 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:08.419 That's why He saved you. Because in our living 00:16:08.419 --> 00:16:13.840 for Him, we make salvation all about Him. We 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:17.879 bring praise and honor and glory to Him. Notice 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:21.120 Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 to 10. By grace 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:23.159 you've been saved through faith and that not 00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:25.960 of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works 00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:29.279 lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:32.059 created in Christ Jesus for good works which 00:16:32.059 --> 00:16:34.919 God prepared beforehand that we should walk in 00:16:34.919 --> 00:16:37.879 them." And so here again, here's Paul talking 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:40.799 about the sinner being saved. Here's Paul talking 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:43.620 about justification of the sinner. And whenever 00:16:43.620 --> 00:16:47.139 he finishes talking about justification of the 00:16:47.139 --> 00:16:50.179 sinner, what is the very next thing that he says? 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:56.220 Well, the word for. Again, we read these words 00:16:56.220 --> 00:17:00.299 and they make clear our understanding of these 00:17:00.299 --> 00:17:04.720 texts. The word for is about to introduce a thought 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:07.960 that rests upon the truth and the reality that 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:12.000 just got through being explained. That whenever 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:15.680 Jesus, whenever God saves us by His grace through 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:19.359 faith in Jesus Christ, the reason that He did 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:25.269 that was for we are His workmanship. To make 00:17:25.269 --> 00:17:28.650 us his workmanship. Well his workmanship for 00:17:28.650 --> 00:17:32.529 what created in Christ Jesus for good works Which 00:17:32.529 --> 00:17:35.549 God prepared beforehand that we should walk in 00:17:35.549 --> 00:17:39.890 them Whenever God saved you and he saved me He 00:17:39.890 --> 00:17:42.670 didn't save you and save me the first thought 00:17:42.670 --> 00:17:45.069 on his mind was okay there, you know, we can 00:17:45.069 --> 00:17:49.950 get them to heaven now The next thought on his 00:17:49.950 --> 00:17:53.640 mind was here's a group of people now that are 00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:59.980 prepared and created to walk in the good works 00:17:59.980 --> 00:18:05.240 that way yonder back there before time even began 00:18:05.240 --> 00:18:09.660 in my eternal purpose, I determined for them 00:18:09.660 --> 00:18:16.859 to walk in. And so as people that are saved today, 00:18:17.420 --> 00:18:20.180 that's where our focus needs to be right now. 00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:24.589 on living as saved people and walking in the 00:18:24.589 --> 00:18:27.190 good works that God prepared that we should walk 00:18:27.190 --> 00:18:31.789 in Titus 2 verse 14 Paul again he gave himself 00:18:31.789 --> 00:18:35.029 for us that he might redeem us from every lawless 00:18:35.029 --> 00:18:39.509 deed and purify for himself his own special people 00:18:39.509 --> 00:18:42.910 zealous for good works there he is again Paul 00:18:44.839 --> 00:18:49.000 He just get okay. God has taken you he has redeemed 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:52.700 you he has purified you He has made you his own 00:18:52.700 --> 00:18:57.839 special people so that you can go to heaven That's 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.900 not what Paul said Now is that part of it yeah, 00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:04.000 that's part of it, but that's in the distance 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:07.839 the more immediate concern of salvation right 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:12.400 now where you are if you're a Christian is that 00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:16.319 We're to be zealous for good works. 1 Peter 2, 00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:18.859 verse number 9, You're a chosen generation, a 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:22.019 royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special 00:19:22.019 --> 00:19:25.220 people, that you may proclaim the praises of 00:19:25.220 --> 00:19:28.160 Him who has called you out of darkness into His 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:33.119 marvelous light. That's why God has saved people. 00:19:33.969 --> 00:19:38.809 He has saved people so that those saved people 00:19:38.809 --> 00:19:42.690 can be brought together in a body to create a 00:19:42.690 --> 00:19:45.630 chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy 00:19:45.630 --> 00:19:50.269 nation, a special people to go to heaven. Is 00:19:50.269 --> 00:19:53.849 that what Peter said? No. Now that's out there 00:19:53.849 --> 00:19:56.230 and that's in the distance and we want to cling 00:19:56.230 --> 00:19:58.549 to that hope and we want to preach that hope. 00:20:00.170 --> 00:20:03.829 But right now where we are in our salvation We 00:20:03.829 --> 00:20:06.410 are to proclaim the praises of him who cowled 00:20:06.410 --> 00:20:09.150 you out of darkness into his marvelous life Notice 00:20:09.150 --> 00:20:12.210 what he says in verse 12 have your conduct honorable 00:20:12.210 --> 00:20:14.509 among the Gentiles that when they speak evil 00:20:14.509 --> 00:20:17.890 against you as evildoers They may by your good 00:20:17.890 --> 00:20:21.630 works which they observe Glorify God in the day 00:20:21.630 --> 00:20:24.289 of visitation in other words as you live out 00:20:24.289 --> 00:20:30.609 your salvation The very purpose and the very 00:20:30.609 --> 00:20:36.509 reason for which God saved you Is coming to fruition 00:20:36.509 --> 00:20:41.529 He will be glorified You know, we're gonna study 00:20:41.529 --> 00:20:44.049 about judgment before this is over, but I want 00:20:44.049 --> 00:20:46.910 to go ahead and interject this point God's gonna 00:20:46.910 --> 00:20:51.549 get his glory from you God's gonna get his glory 00:20:51.549 --> 00:20:55.119 from you God's not sitting around in heaven patting 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:57.640 his foot and, you know, and chewing his fingernails 00:20:57.640 --> 00:21:01.500 worrying, oh man, I hope he chooses me and comes 00:21:01.500 --> 00:21:04.980 and does really good so he can glorify me and 00:21:04.980 --> 00:21:07.680 I can be glorified. He doesn't do that. He's 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:11.420 going to get his glory from you. He's going to 00:21:11.420 --> 00:21:14.859 get his glory on me. Regardless of the choice 00:21:14.859 --> 00:21:17.539 that I make, he's going to get his glory from 00:21:17.539 --> 00:21:20.900 me. I can choose to be a Christian and I can 00:21:20.900 --> 00:21:23.799 choose to do these good works and glorify God 00:21:23.799 --> 00:21:27.420 that way or I can choose to refuse Jesus and 00:21:27.420 --> 00:21:30.720 I can choose to refuse God and His grace and 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:33.200 His salvation and you know what? He's still going 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:41.009 to get His glory on me. And so you're sitting 00:21:41.009 --> 00:21:42.809 here tonight as a sinner, and we'll talk more 00:21:42.809 --> 00:21:45.430 about this whenever we talk about judgment. Really, 00:21:45.569 --> 00:21:47.809 your choice is, which way do you want God to 00:21:47.809 --> 00:21:51.529 be glorified in your life? Do you want God to 00:21:51.529 --> 00:21:55.289 be glorified in your life because you obeyed 00:21:55.289 --> 00:21:57.730 the gospel, you were baptized into Jesus, and 00:21:57.730 --> 00:21:59.930 you were made right with the holy God, and you 00:21:59.930 --> 00:22:05.240 did good works to bring glory to God? Or are 00:22:05.240 --> 00:22:07.680 you going to glorify God in the day of judgment 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:10.220 whenever you stand before him and tell him all 00:22:10.220 --> 00:22:12.640 the times that you almost became a Christian? 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:17.000 And then he executes his vengeance and his judgment 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:20.119 upon you for all of the heavenly host and for 00:22:20.119 --> 00:22:23.640 all of the observers to see that God is glorious 00:22:23.640 --> 00:22:29.259 because he does not tolerate sin How do you want 00:22:29.259 --> 00:22:34.079 God to get his glory from you? That's your choice 00:22:36.680 --> 00:22:41.180 there again the word that he does this so that 00:22:41.180 --> 00:22:44.460 we may proclaim his goodness and again Titus 00:22:44.460 --> 00:22:48.400 3 7 to 8 being justified by his grace we should 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:51.420 become heirs according to the hope of eternal 00:22:51.420 --> 00:22:56.079 life finally Paul says something about it finally 00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:59.759 he says something after being justified and having 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.720 the hope of eternal life. But then notice the 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:06.140 very next verse. This is a faithful saying and 00:23:06.140 --> 00:23:08.599 these things I want you to affirm constantly 00:23:08.599 --> 00:23:11.200 and that's what we're going to do tonight. We're 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:13.759 going to affirm this and we're going to do it 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:16.799 constantly. That those who have believed in God 00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:20.059 should be careful to maintain good works. These 00:23:20.059 --> 00:23:24.920 things are good and profitable to men. Whenever 00:23:24.920 --> 00:23:28.400 you look at the word careful there, The word 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:32.960 careful means to give a lot of thought to. It 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:36.240 actually means to be anxious about something. 00:23:37.420 --> 00:23:39.500 You know, in many realms and in many circles 00:23:39.500 --> 00:23:45.140 of Christianity, the word work has become a four 00:23:45.140 --> 00:23:51.309 -letter word. because of a misunderstanding of 00:23:51.309 --> 00:23:54.089 how that we're not saved by works, it's almost 00:23:54.089 --> 00:23:56.029 that whenever we start preaching that people 00:23:56.029 --> 00:23:58.569 ought to work, we're almost apologetic about 00:23:58.569 --> 00:24:02.130 it. And we always preface every lesson by saying, 00:24:02.430 --> 00:24:07.210 now we know that we're not saved by works. As 00:24:07.210 --> 00:24:11.809 soon as you make that statement, what is our 00:24:11.809 --> 00:24:16.349 nature inclined to think about doing works? Our 00:24:16.349 --> 00:24:20.230 nature is going to be inclined to think, okay, 00:24:20.589 --> 00:24:25.470 then it's not that important. You know, again, 00:24:25.470 --> 00:24:27.529 I was a school teacher and you're up there teaching 00:24:27.529 --> 00:24:30.109 and then you tell the class, now, this isn't 00:24:30.109 --> 00:24:33.369 going to be on the test. What do you think they're 00:24:33.369 --> 00:24:38.390 going to do? Tell me more. No. They're immediately 00:24:38.390 --> 00:24:41.289 going to know, hey, I can check out, you know. 00:24:41.430 --> 00:24:45.660 He's just telling this, you know, just... for 00:24:45.660 --> 00:24:50.039 whatever reason. And whenever we preface remarks 00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:54.279 about how the Christians are to work with, now 00:24:54.279 --> 00:24:58.140 we know that works don't save us, we're sending 00:24:58.140 --> 00:25:01.720 a message and it's a confusing message. Just 00:25:01.720 --> 00:25:04.059 not long ago I heard someone preaching about 00:25:04.059 --> 00:25:07.299 it and teaching from Romans chapter 3 and preface 00:25:07.299 --> 00:25:10.880 the entire lesson by saying now we're not saved 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:16.430 by works. But if you'll remember last evening, 00:25:17.490 --> 00:25:20.470 we talked about what kind of works those were. 00:25:21.549 --> 00:25:27.569 Works that were personal, works that denied the 00:25:27.569 --> 00:25:32.269 grace of God, and works that come from no faith 00:25:32.269 --> 00:25:35.839 in Jesus Christ. The works we're talking about 00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:39.460 tonight, if you try to apply Galatians chapter 00:25:39.460 --> 00:25:43.000 2 and Ephesians chapter 2 to these works, your 00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:46.079 Bible interpretation is not sound. You're comparing 00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:51.180 apples to oranges. You're comparing apples to 00:25:51.180 --> 00:25:54.140 oranges. And so I want us to understand that 00:25:54.140 --> 00:25:55.960 the things that we're talking about tonight, 00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:58.240 whenever Paul says that you're not justified 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:01.079 by works or you're not saved by works, he's not 00:26:01.079 --> 00:26:04.339 talking about these types of works because these 00:26:04.339 --> 00:26:08.339 works are the fruits of salvation. These works 00:26:08.339 --> 00:26:13.619 are the works that God saved us for. And they're 00:26:13.619 --> 00:26:17.019 not window dressing. They're not optional. They're 00:26:17.019 --> 00:26:19.660 not good if you can do it, but if I don't do 00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:22.640 it, I'm still gonna go to heaven anyway. No! 00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:31.619 No! These works are the works for which you and 00:26:31.619 --> 00:26:38.640 I were saved to do. We've been justified to walk 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:42.259 in good works and bring glory to God and I got 00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:45.200 ahead of my slide here We're not justified by 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.460 personal works of righteousness apart from God's 00:26:48.460 --> 00:26:52.759 grace and faith in Jesus But we are justified 00:26:52.759 --> 00:26:56.319 for works of righteousness by Jesus Christ that 00:26:56.319 --> 00:27:03.119 abound to the glory and the praise of God And 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:06.700 if I am not involved in these works and I am 00:27:06.700 --> 00:27:09.900 not bearing the fruit of these works, then I 00:27:09.900 --> 00:27:13.240 am not fulfilling the purpose for which God saved 00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:18.420 me and God saved you. So if you're sitting here 00:27:18.420 --> 00:27:20.900 tonight or you know, and and I've been this way, 00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:23.200 you know, it just seems so confusing You know 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:26.079 all of these weren't You know, we want to this 00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:28.519 we want to speak clearly about these things. 00:27:28.839 --> 00:27:33.220 These are Necessary and it is for these works 00:27:33.220 --> 00:27:38.339 that you've been saved Because these works bring 00:27:38.339 --> 00:27:42.480 glory to God Colossians 1 verses 9 and 10. Notice 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:45.420 here Paul had heard of the faith of the Colossians 00:27:45.420 --> 00:27:47.920 and he writes this epistle to them and he says 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:50.839 for this reason we also since the day we heard 00:27:50.839 --> 00:27:54.140 it do not cease to pray for you and to ask that 00:27:54.140 --> 00:27:56.819 you may be filled with the knowledge of his will 00:27:56.819 --> 00:27:59.859 and all wisdom and spiritual understanding that 00:27:59.859 --> 00:28:05.259 you may walk worthy of the Lord. That statement 00:28:05.259 --> 00:28:08.740 you may walk worthy of the Lord implies that 00:28:08.740 --> 00:28:13.579 there is a standard of worthiness for our walk 00:28:13.579 --> 00:28:19.960 Fully pleasing him that implies that there is 00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:25.599 a standard for pleasing God and being fruitful 00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:29.140 in every good work and increasing in the knowledge 00:28:29.140 --> 00:28:31.880 of God. Paul's prayer for the Colossians, Paul's 00:28:31.880 --> 00:28:36.480 prayer for me, and Paul's prayer for you is that 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:40.440 we be fruitful in every good work. How anxious 00:28:40.440 --> 00:28:43.839 do you get about that? You know, Paul said to 00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:47.500 be careful, and the word careful again means 00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:51.400 to give thought to, to get anxious about it. 00:28:52.329 --> 00:28:56.690 to be intentional about it. When was the last 00:28:56.690 --> 00:28:59.529 time you looked at your life and asked this question, 00:28:59.970 --> 00:29:06.750 am I producing fruit for the Lord? And intentionally 00:29:06.750 --> 00:29:11.430 planned to go produce fruit for the Lord because 00:29:11.430 --> 00:29:14.910 of your faith in Jesus Christ in carrying out 00:29:14.910 --> 00:29:18.069 the purpose for which you were saved. You know 00:29:18.069 --> 00:29:20.609 a lot of times we'll do a work if we kind of 00:29:20.609 --> 00:29:24.710 stumble upon it. You know? We might do a work 00:29:24.710 --> 00:29:27.569 if all the stars line up and we meet a poor person 00:29:27.569 --> 00:29:32.130 with a few dollars in her wallet. And, you know, 00:29:32.190 --> 00:29:33.970 if you meet a poor person with a few dollars 00:29:33.970 --> 00:29:38.390 in your wallet, help them. But I'm talking about 00:29:38.390 --> 00:29:40.529 just really sitting down and asking yourself, 00:29:41.309 --> 00:29:46.519 what works can I do to glorify God? Who are people 00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:48.799 that I can go see? Who are people that I can 00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:51.279 go talk to? Who are people that I can visit? 00:29:51.940 --> 00:29:54.180 Who are people that I can encourage? Who are 00:29:54.180 --> 00:29:57.259 people that I can lift up? How can I put myself 00:29:57.259 --> 00:30:01.039 out there in the service of the Lord to fulfill 00:30:01.039 --> 00:30:04.420 the purpose for which I was saved? Our young 00:30:04.420 --> 00:30:07.799 people today studied about Lord make me a servant 00:30:09.579 --> 00:30:11.960 And that's what we're talking about. John 15 00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:15.000 verse number 8, by this my father is glorified 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:17.940 that you bear much fruit so you will be my disciples. 00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:21.099 In the upper room talking to his apostles he 00:30:21.099 --> 00:30:23.700 makes this statement which I think is something 00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:26.819 that can be applied to all of his disciples is 00:30:26.819 --> 00:30:31.819 that the father is glorified when we bear much 00:30:31.819 --> 00:30:36.759 fruit. God's glory in the life of a Christian 00:30:36.759 --> 00:30:40.039 is manifested through the work and the fruit 00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:44.819 that is born and Since that's the purpose for 00:30:44.819 --> 00:30:47.779 which I was saved and you were saved then we 00:30:47.779 --> 00:30:50.880 are to be careful We are to be intentional in 00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:55.319 carrying that out Philippians 1 verse 11 Paul 00:30:55.319 --> 00:30:57.799 says being filled with the fruits of righteousness 00:30:57.799 --> 00:31:01.039 which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise 00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:04.940 of God Whenever people look at your life and 00:31:04.940 --> 00:31:07.079 people look at my life, can they tell that we 00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:10.059 are Christians? Can they tell that we are saved? 00:31:11.900 --> 00:31:15.099 Can they see the work of salvation manifested 00:31:15.099 --> 00:31:18.700 in our life through the works that we do because 00:31:18.700 --> 00:31:24.990 of the grace that God has given to us? Matthew 00:31:24.990 --> 00:31:27.609 516, let your light so shine before men that 00:31:27.609 --> 00:31:30.549 they may see your good works and glorify your 00:31:30.549 --> 00:31:33.450 Father in heaven. Look in all of these verses 00:31:33.450 --> 00:31:37.869 how that works is directly tied to the glory 00:31:37.869 --> 00:31:42.950 of God and to have in our mind, in our imagination 00:31:42.950 --> 00:31:46.789 anything that would minimize the importance of 00:31:46.789 --> 00:31:50.849 works in our service to the Lord. We need to 00:31:50.849 --> 00:31:53.450 understand that what we're doing is minimizing 00:31:53.450 --> 00:31:59.490 the importance of the glory of God Do you think 00:31:59.490 --> 00:32:04.589 glorifying God's important I Mean not a one of 00:32:04.589 --> 00:32:08.589 us here tonight would say no, it's not important 00:32:08.589 --> 00:32:13.069 Well, if it's important then we have to be doing 00:32:13.069 --> 00:32:17.369 the things that are necessary For it to be real 00:32:17.369 --> 00:32:22.160 and that is to be fruitful Titus 3 14 and let 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:25.700 our people also learn to maintain good works 00:32:25.700 --> 00:32:30.319 To meet urgent needs that they may not be unfruitful. 00:32:30.740 --> 00:32:33.400 You know the Bible talks about unfruitful Christians 00:32:33.400 --> 00:32:38.140 And whenever you look at being unfruitful in 00:32:38.140 --> 00:32:41.599 the scripture, it's not something that the Lord 00:32:41.599 --> 00:32:45.750 is neutral about Remember the time whenever the 00:32:45.750 --> 00:32:48.490 Lord was walking into Jerusalem in the last week 00:32:48.490 --> 00:32:51.150 of his life and he saw a fig tree and it had 00:32:51.150 --> 00:32:53.670 leaves on it and then he looked at it from afar 00:32:53.670 --> 00:32:56.289 it had leaves and seeing those leaves from afar 00:32:56.289 --> 00:32:59.329 would lead a person to think okay there's fruit 00:32:59.329 --> 00:33:02.630 on that tree and so then he walks to that tree 00:33:02.630 --> 00:33:05.430 in anticipation that the fruit is there and then 00:33:05.430 --> 00:33:08.210 he looks and that there's no fruit. What did 00:33:08.210 --> 00:33:11.990 Jesus do? Well I guess I need to go find another 00:33:11.990 --> 00:33:16.890 tree. He didn't do that. He said to that tree, 00:33:18.009 --> 00:33:23.150 no more fruit is growing on you. And then what 00:33:23.150 --> 00:33:30.529 did the fig tree do? It withered away. Jesus 00:33:30.529 --> 00:33:36.410 and God take a very firm disposition towards 00:33:36.410 --> 00:33:39.609 unfruitfulness. That where there is supposed 00:33:39.609 --> 00:33:44.730 to be fruit, if there's not fruit, The Lord is 00:33:44.730 --> 00:33:46.769 not going to look at it and say oh, that's okay. 00:33:46.930 --> 00:33:50.690 I'll take you to heaven anyway. No That's not 00:33:50.690 --> 00:33:56.349 gonna happen We have to have the fruit of salvation 00:33:56.349 --> 00:33:58.869 notice again Matthew 13 verse number 7 talking 00:33:58.869 --> 00:34:01.609 about the parable of the sower fell among the 00:34:01.609 --> 00:34:04.630 thorns in verse number 22 that seed choked the 00:34:04.630 --> 00:34:11.610 word and it became unfruitful And again, this 00:34:11.610 --> 00:34:14.849 is typical of so many Christians today, typical 00:34:14.849 --> 00:34:17.630 of myself, that we get caught up in the cares 00:34:17.630 --> 00:34:20.090 of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, 00:34:20.489 --> 00:34:26.110 and notice where the emphasis is. The effect 00:34:26.110 --> 00:34:29.309 that the cares of the world and the deceitfulness 00:34:29.309 --> 00:34:36.550 of riches has. It is on the Word. It chokes the 00:34:36.550 --> 00:34:40.349 Word. Because as we're going to look at here 00:34:40.349 --> 00:34:43.469 in just a little while that word the word is 00:34:43.469 --> 00:34:47.250 necessary for your fruit Choke the word and it 00:34:47.250 --> 00:34:51.010 becomes unfruitful in John 15 verse number five 00:34:51.010 --> 00:34:53.570 I'm the vine you're the branches he who abides 00:34:53.570 --> 00:34:56.369 in me and I and him bears much fruit Without 00:34:56.369 --> 00:34:59.210 me you can do nothing if anyone does not abide 00:34:59.210 --> 00:35:02.619 in me which If you don't abide in him, watch 00:35:02.619 --> 00:35:04.719 him plight in the verse, then you're not bearing 00:35:04.719 --> 00:35:08.039 much fruit. He is cast out as a branch and is 00:35:08.039 --> 00:35:09.960 withered and they gather them and throw them 00:35:09.960 --> 00:35:13.480 into the fire and they are burned. Now imagine 00:35:13.480 --> 00:35:16.199 yourself being one of the one of the disciples 00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:19.119 in the upper room of Jesus and he tells you if 00:35:19.119 --> 00:35:24.300 you don't bear fruit you're going to burn. That'd 00:35:24.300 --> 00:35:29.239 get your attention wouldn't it? And again, we 00:35:29.239 --> 00:35:33.000 don't like to hear that because we've been conditioned 00:35:33.000 --> 00:35:36.780 to think that works, they're good and we need 00:35:36.780 --> 00:35:40.820 to do them. But when it comes to going to heaven, 00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:44.719 it's just you don't really have to have them 00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:48.559 because we're not saved by works. The scripture 00:35:48.559 --> 00:35:52.559 is very clear. About the importance of fruitfulness 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:55.760 and works notice Matthew 7 19 every tree that 00:35:55.760 --> 00:35:58.539 does not bear Good fruit is cut down and thrown 00:35:58.539 --> 00:36:02.559 into the fire notice again Anytime we're in these 00:36:02.559 --> 00:36:04.880 verses whenever we read about unfruitfulness. 00:36:05.079 --> 00:36:12.960 What else do we see in the text? fire Fire you 00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:14.480 know and you may sit there know what he's just 00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:16.699 trying to scare us Yeah, that's exactly what 00:36:16.699 --> 00:36:19.219 I'm trying to do. I'm trying to scare you and 00:36:19.219 --> 00:36:23.820 I ain't afraid to admit it. Do you think that 00:36:23.820 --> 00:36:26.619 Jesus gave those words to his disciples to give 00:36:26.619 --> 00:36:31.579 them the warm fuzzies? He gave those words to 00:36:31.579 --> 00:36:37.739 his disciples to put the fear in them. For them 00:36:37.739 --> 00:36:42.159 to understand that if you are a disciple of Jesus 00:36:42.159 --> 00:36:46.039 if you are saved in Jesus Christ you are to be 00:36:46.039 --> 00:36:48.900 fruitful to the glory of God and if you're not 00:36:48.900 --> 00:36:51.880 fruitful you're not glorifying God and who in 00:36:51.880 --> 00:36:54.420 this building tonight is going to say that you 00:36:54.420 --> 00:37:03.500 can go to heaven without glorifying God Being 00:37:03.500 --> 00:37:05.900 fruitful in the word Colossians 1 we read this 00:37:05.900 --> 00:37:08.420 earlier Notice that whenever Paul was praying 00:37:08.420 --> 00:37:11.079 for them to be fruitful in every good work He 00:37:11.079 --> 00:37:13.699 prayed before that you be filled with the knowledge 00:37:13.699 --> 00:37:17.099 of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding 00:37:17.099 --> 00:37:21.780 In order for us to be fruitful we have to have 00:37:21.780 --> 00:37:25.190 a relationship to the word And if you want to 00:37:25.190 --> 00:37:27.769 look at your fruitfulness and I look at my fruitfulness, 00:37:27.829 --> 00:37:30.789 engage the fruitfulness of our lives, the very 00:37:30.789 --> 00:37:33.510 first place we need to begin is by looking at 00:37:33.510 --> 00:37:38.269 our relationship with the Word. Because that's 00:37:38.269 --> 00:37:42.440 where all of our fruit comes from. If I don't 00:37:42.440 --> 00:37:45.679 hold the Scriptures in high regard, if I don't 00:37:45.679 --> 00:37:48.099 look at the Scriptures as the inerrant truth 00:37:48.099 --> 00:37:51.019 of God, if I don't look at the commands of the 00:37:51.019 --> 00:37:55.639 Scriptures as necessary and essential, if I don't 00:37:55.639 --> 00:37:59.900 cling to the promises of the Scriptures and relish 00:37:59.900 --> 00:38:02.659 in them every day and stand in them every day, 00:38:02.719 --> 00:38:07.309 I'm not going to be a fruitful Christian. So 00:38:07.309 --> 00:38:09.269 rather than just trying to sit down and make 00:38:09.269 --> 00:38:12.469 a list of all of the things you do The very first 00:38:12.469 --> 00:38:14.949 thing you need to ask yourself is what's my relationship 00:38:14.949 --> 00:38:19.030 to the word? Because all fruitfulness comes from 00:38:19.030 --> 00:38:23.159 the word comes from knowledge of his will That 00:38:23.159 --> 00:38:25.579 we may walk worthy of the Lord notice what he 00:38:25.579 --> 00:38:27.639 said in Luke 8 again the parable of the sower 00:38:27.639 --> 00:38:30.619 This is on the good ground. They heard the word 00:38:30.619 --> 00:38:33.599 kept it and bare for bore fruit Okay, so we've 00:38:33.599 --> 00:38:35.780 got the bearing fruit over here. Where did all 00:38:35.780 --> 00:38:39.380 of that start? Over here with the word. What's 00:38:39.380 --> 00:38:43.619 your relationship with the word tonight? What's 00:38:43.619 --> 00:38:47.420 my relationship with the word tonight? Psalm 00:38:47.420 --> 00:38:50.119 1 verses 1 to 3, Blessed is the man that doesn't 00:38:50.119 --> 00:38:52.199 walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands 00:38:52.199 --> 00:38:54.099 in the paths of sinner, nor sits in the seat 00:38:54.099 --> 00:38:57.000 of the scornful. His delight is where? It's in 00:38:57.000 --> 00:39:00.380 the law of the Lord. And he meditates in it day 00:39:00.380 --> 00:39:03.000 and night, and he shall be like a tree planted 00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:06.179 by the rivers of water that brings forth its 00:39:06.179 --> 00:39:10.880 fruit in its season. I'm not going to listen 00:39:10.880 --> 00:39:12.900 to the counsel of the ungodly. I'm not going 00:39:12.900 --> 00:39:15.099 to stand in the pathway of the sinner. I'm not 00:39:15.099 --> 00:39:16.960 going to sit in the seat of the scornful. I'm 00:39:16.960 --> 00:39:19.900 not going to listen to all of that noise. But 00:39:19.900 --> 00:39:22.380 my focus is going to be on the law of the Lord. 00:39:22.440 --> 00:39:24.840 I'm going to meditate in it day and night. And 00:39:24.840 --> 00:39:27.139 when I do that, I'm going to be like a tree planted 00:39:27.139 --> 00:39:31.400 by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit. 00:39:34.570 --> 00:39:38.269 2 Timothy 3, 16 to 17, all scriptures given by 00:39:38.269 --> 00:39:40.730 inspiration of God, profitable for doctrine and 00:39:40.730 --> 00:39:43.230 reproof, we understand that, go all the way to 00:39:43.230 --> 00:39:45.510 the very end, thoroughly equipped for every good 00:39:45.510 --> 00:39:49.690 work. So whenever we look at the scriptures, 00:39:49.889 --> 00:39:52.090 the scriptures equip us for good works. They 00:39:52.090 --> 00:39:54.090 not only tell us what the good works are, but 00:39:54.090 --> 00:39:59.170 they equip us for doing those good works. And 00:39:59.170 --> 00:40:02.309 so if we have a marginal relationship with the 00:40:02.309 --> 00:40:06.150 Word, we can only expect at best marginal fruitfulness. 00:40:07.750 --> 00:40:11.909 But if we have a passion for the Word, the power 00:40:11.909 --> 00:40:16.409 of that Word will produce what God saved us for. 00:40:18.250 --> 00:40:20.829 The fruitfulness of the Christian life is not 00:40:20.829 --> 00:40:24.090 self -generated. It's a result of God's Word 00:40:24.090 --> 00:40:28.030 being planted, nurtured, believed and obeyed 00:40:28.030 --> 00:40:34.250 from the heart. That's what we're called to as 00:40:34.250 --> 00:40:37.269 saved people. That's living out our salvation. 00:40:38.969 --> 00:40:40.750 You know, we might think to ourselves, well, 00:40:41.329 --> 00:40:45.230 you know, if I go, if I'm fruitful, but what 00:40:45.230 --> 00:40:50.010 if I sin? What if I sin while I'm, you know, 00:40:50.150 --> 00:40:53.730 seeking to be fruitful, you know? Well, whenever 00:40:53.730 --> 00:40:56.230 we look at this Paul or rather John tells us 00:40:56.230 --> 00:40:58.489 if we walk in the light as he is in the light 00:40:58.489 --> 00:41:00.949 We have fellowship with one another and the blood 00:41:00.949 --> 00:41:03.750 of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all 00:41:03.750 --> 00:41:07.869 sin That if we put our focus and we put our intent 00:41:07.869 --> 00:41:11.690 on being fruitful in our life Doing the works 00:41:11.690 --> 00:41:15.449 of the Lord as we walk that path as we walk in 00:41:15.449 --> 00:41:19.110 that light When we do sin the Lord sees us being 00:41:19.110 --> 00:41:24.210 fruitful He's going to be faithful to cleanse 00:41:24.210 --> 00:41:32.010 us of our sin. You know Jesus said in John 15 00:41:32.010 --> 00:41:34.289 verse 2, every branch in me that does not bear 00:41:34.289 --> 00:41:37.150 fruit he takes away and every branch that bears 00:41:37.150 --> 00:41:41.130 fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. 00:41:43.369 --> 00:41:45.429 See if you're bearing fruit the Lord will prune 00:41:45.429 --> 00:41:47.489 you. You know what the word prune literally means 00:41:47.489 --> 00:41:52.510 there? To be cleansed. to be cleansed. Being 00:41:52.510 --> 00:41:55.030 fruitful and doing good works does not mean that 00:41:55.030 --> 00:41:57.909 we don't sin. Being fruitful and doing good works 00:41:57.909 --> 00:42:01.210 does not mean that we don't stumble. But if we 00:42:01.210 --> 00:42:05.849 show ourselves faithful to God, as John goes 00:42:05.849 --> 00:42:09.789 on to say in 1 John, that if we confess our sins, 00:42:09.869 --> 00:42:14.469 he is faithful and just to forgive us of our 00:42:14.469 --> 00:42:18.329 sins. If we're seeking to live out our salvation 00:42:18.329 --> 00:42:21.070 and abound in the work and the fruits of our 00:42:21.070 --> 00:42:25.309 salvation to the glory of God when you sin, He'll 00:42:25.309 --> 00:42:31.949 cleanse you. So whenever we look at our diagram 00:42:31.949 --> 00:42:35.730 of salvation, we're a sinner. And as we said 00:42:35.730 --> 00:42:37.809 last evening, if you're here tonight and you're 00:42:37.809 --> 00:42:41.690 a sinner, come to the cross. Come to the cross. 00:42:43.309 --> 00:42:48.050 Because as you sit here tonight and you don't 00:42:48.050 --> 00:42:51.510 respond to the cross, you're basically telling 00:42:51.510 --> 00:42:53.650 the Lord, Lord, I don't want to glorify you. 00:42:55.309 --> 00:42:57.650 You know, we'll sit there and think, well, this 00:42:57.650 --> 00:43:00.829 is about me, so I'll do it whenever I'm ready. 00:43:02.130 --> 00:43:08.030 But it's not about you. It's about God. And as 00:43:08.030 --> 00:43:09.789 you put it off, you're just saying to God, God, 00:43:09.789 --> 00:43:14.599 I don't want to glorify you. Be buried with him 00:43:14.599 --> 00:43:19.179 in baptism become a saint Not by personal works 00:43:19.179 --> 00:43:21.679 of righteousness and then after you become a 00:43:21.679 --> 00:43:25.900 saint be fruitful to glorify God Be fruitful 00:43:25.900 --> 00:43:31.039 to glorify God And how are we fruitful to glorify 00:43:31.039 --> 00:43:35.079 God after we're we're saved for works of righteousness 00:43:35.079 --> 00:43:38.079 that glorify God We have a relationship with 00:43:38.079 --> 00:43:42.150 his word In our relationship with that Word then, 00:43:42.190 --> 00:43:45.289 as the power of that Word works within our lives, 00:43:45.550 --> 00:43:48.869 then we become fruitful and we bear fruit that 00:43:48.869 --> 00:43:53.690 abounds to the glory of the Father. In all the 00:43:53.690 --> 00:43:56.469 time that we're being fruitful whenever we sin 00:43:56.469 --> 00:43:59.989 and whenever we stumble, that cross that we trusted 00:43:59.989 --> 00:44:04.289 in for forgiveness over here is ever present 00:44:04.289 --> 00:44:12.969 with us right here. And so as we look at this 00:44:12.969 --> 00:44:16.929 high level view of salvation, salvation from 00:44:16.929 --> 00:44:20.010 a high level view, number one is being justified, 00:44:20.489 --> 00:44:24.170 and then number two, being fruitful to the glory 00:44:24.170 --> 00:44:27.969 of God. You know, I've talked to people and maybe 00:44:27.969 --> 00:44:29.849 you've heard people say it a lot of times, they're 00:44:29.849 --> 00:44:31.989 real concerned and they'll say, you know what, 00:44:32.010 --> 00:44:34.190 I just don't know if I'm doing enough to go to 00:44:34.190 --> 00:44:38.630 heaven. I can't think of any time I've heard 00:44:38.630 --> 00:44:41.730 someone say, you know what, I just don't think 00:44:41.730 --> 00:44:46.349 I'm doing enough to glorify God. There's a big 00:44:46.349 --> 00:44:50.550 difference. One of those concerns is about me. 00:44:52.250 --> 00:44:55.929 The other concern is about God. What's your concern 00:44:55.929 --> 00:45:03.889 tonight? Thank you for listening to today's sermon 00:45:03.889 --> 00:45:06.309 from the Church of Christ Wheeler area. We hope 00:45:06.309 --> 00:45:08.590 this message encouraged you and strengthened 00:45:08.590 --> 00:45:10.969 you in your faith this week. Don't forget the 00:45:10.969 --> 00:45:14.170 doors always open at 1500 South Allen L. Bean 00:45:14.170 --> 00:45:17.889 Boulevard at 1030 a .m. on Sundays, 230 p .m. 00:45:18.070 --> 00:45:21.170 on Sunday afternoons and recharge with us midweek 00:45:21.170 --> 00:45:24.710 on Wednesdays at 7 p .m. For more information 00:45:24.710 --> 00:45:27.989 or to hear past messages follow us on your favorite 00:45:27.989 --> 00:45:31.150 podcast platform. Look us up on Facebook and 00:45:31.150 --> 00:45:33.730 Instagram. We hope you have a blessed week and 00:45:33.730 --> 00:45:34.710 we'll see you next time.