WEBVTT 00:00:03.740 --> 00:00:07.679 That is part of our text for today in First Timothy 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:10.259 chapter 1. I invite you to open your Bible there 00:00:10.259 --> 00:00:13.480 to First Timothy. It is right next to the book 00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:21.379 of Paul. Salvation is personal, but it is not 00:00:21.379 --> 00:00:28.019 private. God has called us to an individual salvation, 00:00:28.059 --> 00:00:33.929 but not an autonomous salvation. Now that doesn't 00:00:33.929 --> 00:00:36.850 set very well frankly with American Christianity 00:00:36.850 --> 00:00:43.850 as it has deteriorated. Our culture exalts self 00:00:43.850 --> 00:00:50.090 -reliance, a do your own thing, I'm my own man 00:00:50.090 --> 00:00:54.170 kind of an idea. And that has crept into the 00:00:54.170 --> 00:00:58.329 church where we think that somehow we don't really 00:00:58.329 --> 00:01:00.469 need other people and we are self -sufficient. 00:01:01.609 --> 00:01:06.609 And yet God has called us to belong. He has called 00:01:06.609 --> 00:01:09.090 us to belong to His family and to its present 00:01:09.090 --> 00:01:13.650 expression in the world, the local church. And 00:01:13.650 --> 00:01:17.069 yet the importance of the church is minimized 00:01:17.069 --> 00:01:21.909 by multitudes of evangelicals. Kent Hughes, in 00:01:21.909 --> 00:01:25.829 his book, The Disciplines of a Godly Man, observes 00:01:25.829 --> 00:01:29.920 this. We must wholeheartedly agree that without 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:33.219 a saving relationship with Jesus Christ all is 00:01:33.219 --> 00:01:37.799 lost. But we must not mistakenly reason that 00:01:37.799 --> 00:01:41.480 one's relationship with Christ minimizes the 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:45.099 importance of his church. Yet this is precisely 00:01:45.099 --> 00:01:48.859 what multitudes of evangelicals assume and act 00:01:48.859 --> 00:01:54.000 out. He goes on to say church attendance is infected 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.790 with a malaise of conditional loyalty which has 00:01:57.790 --> 00:02:01.170 produced an army of ecclesiastical hitchhikers. 00:02:02.090 --> 00:02:05.510 The hitchhiker's thumb says, you buy the car, 00:02:05.849 --> 00:02:08.349 pay for the repairs and upkeep and insurance, 00:02:08.509 --> 00:02:10.830 fill the car with gas and I'll ride with you. 00:02:11.530 --> 00:02:13.729 But if you have an accident, you're on your own 00:02:13.729 --> 00:02:17.909 and I'll probably sue. So it is with the credo 00:02:17.909 --> 00:02:21.490 of many of today's church attenders. You go to 00:02:21.490 --> 00:02:23.870 the meetings and serve on the boards and committees. 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:27.560 You grapple with the issues and do the work of 00:02:27.560 --> 00:02:30.560 the church and pay the bills, and I'll come along 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:33.840 for the ride. But if these things do not suit 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.460 me, I'll criticize and complain and probably 00:02:36.460 --> 00:02:39.439 bail out. My thumb is always out for a better 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:45.400 ride." Then he says, this putative loyalty is 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:50.939 fueled by a consumer ethos, a McChristian mentality. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:54.719 which picks and chooses here and there to fill 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:57.680 one's ecclesiastical shopping list. There are 00:02:57.680 --> 00:02:59.960 hitchhikers who attend one church for the preaching 00:02:59.960 --> 00:03:02.060 and send their children to a second church for 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:05.280 its dynamic youth program and go to a third church, 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:08.840 third church's small group. Church hitchhikers 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:13.800 have a telling vocabulary, I go to or I attend, 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:20.379 but never I belong to or I'm a member of. Polster 00:03:20.379 --> 00:03:22.780 George Barnes supports this saying, the average 00:03:22.780 --> 00:03:25.099 adult thinks that belonging to a church is good 00:03:25.099 --> 00:03:28.259 for other people, but represents unnecessary 00:03:28.259 --> 00:03:32.199 bondage and baggage for himself. So today at 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:34.360 the end of the 20th century we have a phenomenon 00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:38.159 unthinkable in any other century, churchless 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:44.340 Christians. The importance of the local church, 00:03:44.419 --> 00:03:47.319 and yet just joining any church is not the answer 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:51.129 either. Because many so -called churches fail 00:03:51.129 --> 00:03:53.530 the test of a genuine church, which is, as we 00:03:53.530 --> 00:03:56.409 have seen in the first chapter of 1st Timothy, 00:03:57.189 --> 00:04:00.590 staying on course with the message of the gospel. 00:04:01.909 --> 00:04:03.710 There are many so -called churches that have 00:04:03.710 --> 00:04:07.469 lost that message. They have lost their distinctiveness. 00:04:07.550 --> 00:04:10.849 They have lost their soul. They have forgotten 00:04:10.849 --> 00:04:14.349 the goal of ministry is changed lives and that 00:04:14.349 --> 00:04:17.089 changed lives takes place through sound teaching 00:04:17.089 --> 00:04:21.029 of the Word of God. They have succumbed to strange 00:04:21.029 --> 00:04:25.230 doctrines, false theologies that have led them 00:04:25.230 --> 00:04:29.930 astray. And in doing so, they have gone astray. 00:04:29.930 --> 00:04:35.529 They have lost the way. How can a church stay 00:04:35.529 --> 00:04:39.050 on course? That's the question we're looking 00:04:39.050 --> 00:04:42.970 at in 1 Timothy 1. How does a church stay on 00:04:42.970 --> 00:04:46.050 course? Our text today takes us another step 00:04:46.050 --> 00:04:49.649 beyond last week's response. and shows that people 00:04:49.649 --> 00:04:52.529 composing a church stay on track by having a 00:04:52.529 --> 00:04:57.230 right relationship with the Captain. I'd like 00:04:57.230 --> 00:05:00.110 for you to begin reading with me in verse 12. 00:05:00.269 --> 00:05:02.490 I'll read you follow along. 1st Timothy 1 verse 00:05:02.490 --> 00:05:06.850 12. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened 00:05:06.850 --> 00:05:09.389 me because he considered me faithful putting 00:05:09.389 --> 00:05:13.750 me into service even though I was formerly a 00:05:13.750 --> 00:05:17.509 blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. 00:05:18.089 --> 00:05:22.509 And yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly 00:05:22.509 --> 00:05:26.290 in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was more 00:05:26.290 --> 00:05:28.649 than abundant with the faith and love which are 00:05:28.649 --> 00:05:32.850 found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement 00:05:32.850 --> 00:05:36.750 deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came 00:05:36.750 --> 00:05:40.709 into the world to save sinners, among whom I 00:05:40.709 --> 00:05:44.670 am foremost of all. And yet for this reason I 00:05:44.670 --> 00:05:48.199 found mercy. In order that in me as the foremost, 00:05:49.180 --> 00:05:52.259 Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience 00:05:52.259 --> 00:05:55.399 as an example for those who would believe in 00:05:55.399 --> 00:05:59.500 Him for eternal life. Now to the King, eternal, 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:04.699 immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and 00:06:04.699 --> 00:06:10.040 glory forever and ever. Amen. Jesus Christ is 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:13.269 the captain of our salvation. to pick up a phrase 00:06:13.269 --> 00:06:15.790 from Hebrews 2 10 in the authorized version. 00:06:17.009 --> 00:06:19.949 Jesus Christ is the captain of our salvation 00:06:19.949 --> 00:06:24.329 and the head of His church. A vital relationship 00:06:24.329 --> 00:06:28.170 with Jesus Christ keeps one on course spiritually. 00:06:29.990 --> 00:06:35.910 How does a church stay on course? By having a 00:06:35.910 --> 00:06:39.529 vital relationship with Jesus Christ. How does 00:06:39.529 --> 00:06:42.250 an individual Christian stay on course in his 00:06:42.250 --> 00:06:46.449 life? By maintaining a vital relationship with 00:06:46.449 --> 00:06:50.470 Jesus Christ. As we see in our text, a vital 00:06:50.470 --> 00:06:52.850 relationship involves three things. First of 00:06:52.850 --> 00:06:59.910 all, embracing His saving grace. Secondly, employing 00:06:59.910 --> 00:07:05.209 His serving strength. And finally, enjoying His 00:07:05.209 --> 00:07:09.560 sovereign rule. Let's talk for a moment about 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:12.240 embracing Christ's saving grace because it is 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:15.660 that grace that deals with our sins and brings 00:07:15.660 --> 00:07:20.620 to us the joy of forgiveness. When we talk about 00:07:20.620 --> 00:07:23.120 a vital relationship with someone we need to 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:26.120 remember that a relationship begins with an introduction. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:31.399 It begins with a personal introduction that establishes 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:36.120 a connection and then after that relationship 00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:42.120 develops. The Apostle Paul tells us about his 00:07:42.120 --> 00:07:46.540 experience with the saving grace of God. To show 00:07:46.540 --> 00:07:49.379 us how great God's grace was, he first goes back 00:07:49.379 --> 00:07:51.680 and gives us an examination of his own record 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:56.160 in verse 13. It is clear that originally he saw 00:07:56.160 --> 00:08:00.959 Jesus Christ as a false messiah. He saw the church 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:06.439 as his enemy. Now, to be sure, Paul was a religious 00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:11.250 man. And outwardly he was righteous according 00:08:11.250 --> 00:08:14.649 to all the external demands of the Jewish religion. 00:08:16.009 --> 00:08:19.550 He was brilliant. He was educated. But there 00:08:19.550 --> 00:08:21.610 was one other thing about Paul that mattered 00:08:21.610 --> 00:08:24.829 above all of these. He was lost and bound for 00:08:24.829 --> 00:08:32.110 hell. He characterizes his activities before 00:08:32.110 --> 00:08:36.159 he knew Jesus Christ with three words. He says, 00:08:36.419 --> 00:08:43.740 first of all, I was formerly a blasphemer. One 00:08:43.740 --> 00:08:46.620 who speaks slander against another or against 00:08:46.620 --> 00:08:50.120 God. And of course he is talking about the way 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:53.539 that he denied the deity of Jesus Christ in those 00:08:53.539 --> 00:08:56.960 days before he met Christ on the road to Damascus. 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:00.379 When Jesus appeared to him in that bright shining 00:09:00.379 --> 00:09:05.480 light and Paul was thrown to his knees. and blinded 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:09.700 by that light for a period of time. Before that 00:09:09.700 --> 00:09:12.580 day Paul looked upon Jesus Christ as a false 00:09:12.580 --> 00:09:18.399 God, a false Messiah and blasphemed His name. 00:09:20.679 --> 00:09:25.320 He says, before I knew Christ I was a persecutor. 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:28.440 Keep your finger here but go back to Acts chapter 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:31.440 8 with me and just look at one of the statements 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:34.940 regarding Paul. in these days before he came 00:09:34.940 --> 00:09:38.519 to the Savior. Acts chapter 8 beginning in verse 00:09:38.519 --> 00:09:43.159 1 you remember he was called to Saul in those 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:49.919 days. It says Acts 8 verse 1 and Saul was in 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:52.659 hearty agreement with putting Stephen to death 00:09:52.659 --> 00:09:56.580 and on that day a great persecution arose against 00:09:56.580 --> 00:09:58.960 the church in Jerusalem and they were all scattered. 00:09:59.470 --> 00:10:02.409 throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except 00:10:02.409 --> 00:10:06.129 the apostles and some devout men buried Stephen 00:10:06.129 --> 00:10:10.929 and made loud lamentation over him but Saul began 00:10:10.929 --> 00:10:14.730 ravaging the church entering house after house 00:10:14.730 --> 00:10:17.669 and dragging off men and women. He would put 00:10:17.669 --> 00:10:22.570 them in prison. The language pictures Saul here 00:10:22.570 --> 00:10:27.769 like an angry beast who would drag people off 00:10:27.769 --> 00:10:32.529 to prison. Paul says I was a persecutor. He persecuted 00:10:32.529 --> 00:10:36.370 the Church of Jesus Christ. And in doing so he 00:10:36.370 --> 00:10:41.809 also persecuted whom? Jesus himself. For when 00:10:41.809 --> 00:10:45.250 Jesus appeared to him he said, Saul, why are 00:10:45.250 --> 00:10:50.450 you persecuting me? The third word that he uses 00:10:50.450 --> 00:10:52.889 to describe what he was like before he came to 00:10:52.889 --> 00:10:57.789 Christ was that he was a violent aggressor. The 00:10:57.789 --> 00:11:01.590 idea in this word is that Saul, as he was called 00:11:01.590 --> 00:11:08.649 then, purposely humiliated and hurt people. He 00:11:08.649 --> 00:11:14.429 was a sadist in one sense. He was committed to 00:11:14.429 --> 00:11:17.690 indignity and insult against those who named 00:11:17.690 --> 00:11:23.009 Christ, and was not embarrassed to commit atrocities 00:11:23.009 --> 00:11:29.549 against Christians. The Apostle Paul was as bad 00:11:29.549 --> 00:11:33.090 as anybody that he listed in verses 9, 10, and 00:11:33.090 --> 00:11:37.970 11 early in our chapter. He puts himself in the 00:11:37.970 --> 00:11:41.210 same category as these people who broke the law. 00:11:43.769 --> 00:11:48.590 He was as bad as anyone else. In fact, he saw 00:11:48.590 --> 00:11:52.409 himself as so bad that he says, I was the foremost. 00:11:52.590 --> 00:11:55.710 I was the head of the list. I was the chief. 00:11:55.899 --> 00:12:01.340 of sinners. We are not going to excuse that this 00:12:01.340 --> 00:12:06.080 morning as hyperbole and some sort of false humility. 00:12:08.039 --> 00:12:11.860 What Paul said he meant and if you and I had 00:12:11.860 --> 00:12:14.059 lived in that day we would understand why the 00:12:14.059 --> 00:12:16.559 Christians at first were so terrified to accept 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:21.759 Paul because of his reputation as a very evil 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:27.460 man. who was hostile to Christianity in the name 00:12:27.460 --> 00:12:32.340 of religion. In 1 Corinthians 15, 9 he says, 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.360 I am the least of the apostles. Not fit to be 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:38.000 called an apostle. That's how he saw himself. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:42.620 In Ephesians 3, 8 he says, I am the very least 00:12:42.620 --> 00:12:48.919 of the saints. And so we examine Paul's past 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:52.519 and we see why he is so humbled at the grace 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:56.980 of God. He had blasphemed the name of Jesus Christ, 00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:00.600 denying that He was God. He had persecuted the 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:03.259 Church of Christ and persecuted Jesus Himself 00:13:03.259 --> 00:13:08.039 in doing so. And He was a violent, sadistic aggressor 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:14.919 against those who named Christ. That's why He 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:18.000 and we must marvel at the extension of God's 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:21.539 mercy and grace to Him. In verse 14, He says, 00:13:23.680 --> 00:13:30.299 more than abundant with the faith and love which 00:13:30.299 --> 00:13:34.580 are found in Christ Jesus. In verse 13 he says, 00:13:34.659 --> 00:13:41.559 yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:46.399 in unbelief. Two words here show us the extension 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:50.169 of God's kindness toward Paul. When God gave 00:13:50.169 --> 00:13:53.330 him mercy, he did not give to Paul what he deserved. 00:13:54.970 --> 00:13:57.409 And when God gave him grace, he gave him what 00:13:57.409 --> 00:14:03.970 he did not deserve. The result was that there 00:14:03.970 --> 00:14:08.809 was tremendous life change in Paul. Whereas before 00:14:08.809 --> 00:14:12.509 he was ignorant and unbelief, now God gives to 00:14:12.509 --> 00:14:17.009 him faith that finds its source in Jesus Christ. 00:14:17.769 --> 00:14:21.169 Whereas before he was a violent persecutor, an 00:14:21.169 --> 00:14:24.389 enemy of the church, now God fills him with love 00:14:24.389 --> 00:14:28.809 that springs from Jesus Christ. There is life 00:14:28.809 --> 00:14:32.950 change in Paul because of the work of God's grace 00:14:32.950 --> 00:14:38.789 as he experienced forgiveness of his sins. You 00:14:38.789 --> 00:14:41.190 say, well how can God possibly forgive someone 00:14:41.190 --> 00:14:46.340 like this? We ask today, how can God forgive 00:14:46.340 --> 00:14:51.460 someone who is so evil, who is so wicked, who 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:55.700 commits heinous crimes against humanity? How 00:14:55.700 --> 00:14:58.820 can God ever forgive someone as bad as that? 00:15:00.220 --> 00:15:03.600 The answer is that God forgives because of what 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:08.600 He did for us in Jesus Christ. This is something 00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:12.000 you can count on, that Christ Jesus came into 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:18.500 the world to save. sinners. All kinds of sinners. 00:15:20.519 --> 00:15:22.820 Christ Jesus came into the world. That's the 00:15:22.820 --> 00:15:27.779 incarnation. That He, the eternal Son of God, 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:30.519 came into the world and joined Himself to human 00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:38.139 flesh, being born in Bethlehem as Jesus. And 00:15:38.139 --> 00:15:41.919 He grew and lived a perfect sinless life. but 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:45.740 then went to the cross and died a horrible death 00:15:45.740 --> 00:15:51.679 in order that he might save sinners. Jesus Christ 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:55.759 did not come into the world merely to set a good 00:15:55.759 --> 00:16:00.120 example for us to follow. He did not come into 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:02.559 the world to show us how loving and compassionate 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:07.539 God is. He did that, but He came for more. He 00:16:07.539 --> 00:16:11.320 came in order to offer Himself as a substitute 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:16.320 on the cross for our sins. To lay down His life 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:21.460 in our place. So that all of God's wrath that 00:16:21.460 --> 00:16:26.600 we deserve might be poured out upon Him. And 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:31.840 then, God can forgive us. You see, He came for 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:38.110 Paul. To save Paul, He came for you too. I have 00:16:38.110 --> 00:16:43.629 in my hands a testimony that is from a gentleman 00:16:43.629 --> 00:16:45.789 who attended our church for a while. He is now 00:16:45.789 --> 00:16:49.629 back in Korea, his homeland. His name is Doo 00:16:49.629 --> 00:16:53.129 Shik Kim. And this was the testimony that he 00:16:53.129 --> 00:16:58.110 shared a while back at his baptism. He says, 00:16:58.269 --> 00:17:00.909 I was an ordinary non -Christian who was self 00:17:00.909 --> 00:17:03.750 -made. I valued and took pride in hard work. 00:17:04.220 --> 00:17:07.079 But as I got older, I found my hard work was 00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:09.579 not enough to resolve unexpected problems. I 00:17:09.579 --> 00:17:12.079 was angry at the world for difficult situations 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:15.079 when I tried to do my best and live righteously. 00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:17.920 On the other hand, in order to solve my pain 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:20.220 and hard situations with my limited ability, 00:17:20.819 --> 00:17:23.099 I sought help from neighbors, coworkers, friends, 00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:26.619 and those with power. By relying on them, I solved 00:17:26.619 --> 00:17:29.180 my problems. At that time, I felt I really didn't 00:17:29.180 --> 00:17:31.980 want to solve my problems this way, but I felt 00:17:31.980 --> 00:17:34.380 helpless because all the world operated this 00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:38.160 way. As I aged, the matters got harder and harder. 00:17:38.220 --> 00:17:41.319 I compromised with the world and relied on earthly 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:44.720 thinking more and more. However, I justified 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:48.000 myself thinking I was a good person. I still 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:51.039 felt I was a man without fault and with superb 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:55.890 character. Sometimes I staggered home late as 00:17:55.890 --> 00:17:59.210 an ugly drunkard after drinking with my friends. 00:17:59.910 --> 00:18:02.150 However the next morning I put on my suit and 00:18:02.150 --> 00:18:04.970 went to school to lecture pretending to be a 00:18:04.970 --> 00:18:08.670 perfect professor. Sometimes at home as husband 00:18:08.670 --> 00:18:11.670 and head of my family I was full of contradictions. 00:18:12.089 --> 00:18:14.970 Yet outside I acted as someone without any problems. 00:18:15.869 --> 00:18:18.849 I often justified myself saying everyone else 00:18:18.849 --> 00:18:22.869 behaves the same as me in this world. About five 00:18:22.869 --> 00:18:26.089 years ago I was in several difficult situations 00:18:26.089 --> 00:18:28.670 and greatly discouraged and I began to seek for 00:18:28.670 --> 00:18:31.589 change in my life. I could have continued to 00:18:31.589 --> 00:18:34.150 live as I had lived but deep down I really did 00:18:34.150 --> 00:18:36.869 not want to and I was seeking a different way 00:18:36.869 --> 00:18:40.349 of life. To sort out my problems and seek the 00:18:40.349 --> 00:18:44.089 answer I started attending church. This was in 00:18:44.089 --> 00:18:47.190 Korea. I was influenced by my brother -in -law 00:18:47.190 --> 00:18:49.390 who was a seminary student and my wife who was 00:18:49.390 --> 00:18:52.710 a Christian. One thing I experienced while attending 00:18:52.710 --> 00:18:55.250 church was that I examined my heart, asked for 00:18:55.250 --> 00:18:57.890 forgiveness, and prayed. I felt my heart was 00:18:57.890 --> 00:19:00.009 cleansed and filled with something, but in reality, 00:19:00.109 --> 00:19:03.470 this was isolated to Sunday only. While this 00:19:03.470 --> 00:19:05.630 was going on, I had a fortunate chance to come 00:19:05.630 --> 00:19:08.450 to the United States as an exchange professor 00:19:08.450 --> 00:19:11.549 at the expense of my country. While here, with 00:19:11.549 --> 00:19:13.450 the help of Christian friends, I attended an 00:19:13.450 --> 00:19:16.289 American church, Grace Church Roosevelt, and 00:19:16.289 --> 00:19:19.259 was able to make American friends. Especially 00:19:19.259 --> 00:19:21.839 through Bible study in the Korean small church 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:24.500 and Bible study with an American friend, I began 00:19:24.500 --> 00:19:28.880 to see my true self as a church attender. I called 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:32.000 myself a Christian just because I attended church, 00:19:32.619 --> 00:19:35.460 but I realized in reality my thought and actions 00:19:35.460 --> 00:19:37.579 were not any different than non -Christians. 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:40.660 Someone asked me, if you think you're a Christian, 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:43.779 are you saved? If you're saved, how do you know 00:19:43.779 --> 00:19:47.819 for sure that you're saved? I was unexpectedly 00:19:47.819 --> 00:19:51.160 stunned with these questions. I could not understand 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:53.480 why I was so reluctant to answer these simple 00:19:53.480 --> 00:19:57.019 questions. One day during Bible study in small 00:19:57.019 --> 00:20:00.960 church the concepts of God's way of biblical 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:03.299 principles and redemption through the blood of 00:20:03.299 --> 00:20:06.660 Jesus Christ came to my heart and I truly understood 00:20:06.660 --> 00:20:10.200 for the first time. That afternoon I questioned 00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:13.089 in my heart If worldly knowledge and methods 00:20:13.089 --> 00:20:15.289 which I relied on were the best and only way, 00:20:15.349 --> 00:20:18.609 why was I still a person full of conflicts, troubles, 00:20:18.769 --> 00:20:21.809 and pain? On the other hand, I thought if I lived 00:20:21.809 --> 00:20:23.769 my life according to God's principles in the 00:20:23.769 --> 00:20:26.609 Bible, I could overcome my problems. While having 00:20:26.609 --> 00:20:28.970 these thoughts, I came to believe that my sins 00:20:28.970 --> 00:20:32.670 are forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ based 00:20:32.670 --> 00:20:35.910 on scriptures. And he goes on to talk about the 00:20:35.910 --> 00:20:39.920 change. in his life because of that experience 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:43.200 with God's grace. That's why Jesus came into 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:47.779 the world to save sinners. Whether white or yellow 00:20:47.779 --> 00:20:52.519 or red or black of whatever ethnic background 00:20:52.519 --> 00:20:56.819 however deeply one has sinned or if one be a 00:20:56.819 --> 00:21:00.660 professor in a university who outwardly has everything 00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:03.720 together but inwardly is eaten away. Jesus Christ 00:21:03.930 --> 00:21:08.069 came into the world to save sinners of all kinds. 00:21:10.329 --> 00:21:12.349 Paul's conversion is an example of the depths 00:21:12.349 --> 00:21:15.690 of God's grace. He says in verse 16, for this 00:21:15.690 --> 00:21:18.309 reason I found mercy that in me as the foremost 00:21:18.309 --> 00:21:21.430 Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect patience 00:21:21.430 --> 00:21:27.670 as an example. If you think that you have sinned 00:21:27.670 --> 00:21:29.769 too much, that you have blasphemed too much, 00:21:29.869 --> 00:21:32.309 that you've been too evil of a person, I point 00:21:32.309 --> 00:21:34.849 you to the Apostle Paul as an example of the 00:21:34.849 --> 00:21:38.670 patience of Jesus Christ and that today he is 00:21:38.670 --> 00:21:43.910 able to extend his grace to you if you will repent 00:21:43.910 --> 00:21:47.549 of your sin and believe that he died on that 00:21:47.549 --> 00:21:50.970 cross for you and if you will receive him in 00:21:50.970 --> 00:21:54.549 your heart as your Lord and Savior. You can experience 00:21:54.549 --> 00:21:58.869 today the cleansing and the life change that 00:21:58.869 --> 00:22:02.789 His grace brings. Will you trust the Captain? 00:22:05.230 --> 00:22:07.789 He is the Captain of our salvation. Will you 00:22:07.789 --> 00:22:11.450 trust Him? You see a vital relationship with 00:22:11.450 --> 00:22:14.349 Jesus Christ begins with embracing His grace, 00:22:14.410 --> 00:22:17.259 but it doesn't stop there. That's sort of the 00:22:17.259 --> 00:22:20.160 introduction. It has to go beyond that. And so 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:22.519 we see, secondly, that Paul says in verse 12 00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:25.279 that a vital relationship with Jesus Christ involves 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:29.740 employing His serving strength. And whereas His 00:22:29.740 --> 00:22:32.220 grace deals with our sins, His strength deals 00:22:32.220 --> 00:22:37.440 with our weaknesses. If salvation does not result 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:41.000 in our serving Jesus Christ, we have to question 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:45.569 the genuineness of our experience with Him. Because, 00:22:45.650 --> 00:22:48.589 you see, receiving Christ means surrendering 00:22:48.589 --> 00:22:51.430 to His will and to His Lordship in our lives. 00:22:53.930 --> 00:22:56.150 Yet there are some who, having trusted Christ, 00:22:56.410 --> 00:22:59.130 respond to opportunities to serve Him by saying, 00:22:59.190 --> 00:23:04.170 as Moses did, well, who am I? I don't have training. 00:23:05.210 --> 00:23:09.109 I've never done anything like that before. I 00:23:09.109 --> 00:23:11.529 can't get up in front of people. I can't talk 00:23:11.529 --> 00:23:18.099 that way. I can't do that. And these excuses 00:23:18.099 --> 00:23:23.779 come to our minds. And yet it is these very weaknesses 00:23:23.779 --> 00:23:27.619 in our lives that can become the demonstration 00:23:27.619 --> 00:23:31.859 of God's strength in us. His grace strengthens 00:23:31.859 --> 00:23:34.440 us so that we are made sufficient for whatever 00:23:34.440 --> 00:23:39.819 He asks us to do. God is not looking for great 00:23:39.819 --> 00:23:45.450 ability. He is looking for reliability. The Apostle 00:23:45.450 --> 00:23:48.349 Paul said, he found me faithful and so he shoved 00:23:48.349 --> 00:23:55.910 me into ministry. Jesus Christ is calling every 00:23:55.910 --> 00:23:59.190 one of us who knows Him as Lord and Savior to 00:23:59.190 --> 00:24:04.329 serve Him. There are no exceptions to that. Paul 00:24:04.329 --> 00:24:07.910 said, by the grace of God I am what I am and 00:24:07.910 --> 00:24:12.339 His grace toward me did not prove vain. But I 00:24:12.339 --> 00:24:14.920 labored more than all of them, yet not I, but 00:24:14.920 --> 00:24:21.500 the grace of God with me." May the grace of God 00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:26.980 never be in vain in the life of any of us. You 00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:31.839 see, there is a place where you can and should 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:39.480 serve Jesus Christ. Last Sunday, Our director 00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:41.579 of children's ministry made an announcement about 00:24:41.579 --> 00:24:44.480 having to reduce the scope of our children's 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:47.319 ministries because we could not find people who 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:52.339 would willingly serve in that area. And it was 00:24:52.339 --> 00:24:55.619 a shocking announcement that there were some 00:24:55.619 --> 00:24:59.619 classes not going to be held, that certain parts 00:24:59.619 --> 00:25:02.200 of Oahu were not going to take place because 00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:04.619 we simply did not have people who would serve. 00:25:06.179 --> 00:25:08.599 I'm happy to say that after that announcement 00:25:08.599 --> 00:25:10.619 that she made, more than 20 people came up and 00:25:10.619 --> 00:25:15.500 said, where can I serve? So that today, our children's 00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:19.140 ministry is fully staffed and functioning. And 00:25:19.140 --> 00:25:21.400 I think the same is true with Awana, which begins 00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:23.579 this week. Now I thank God for that response, 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:26.259 but why do we have to get to a crisis before 00:25:26.259 --> 00:25:33.910 we say I'll serve? That isn't God's plan. Our 00:25:33.910 --> 00:25:36.190 service to Jesus Christ needs to be willingly. 00:25:37.250 --> 00:25:39.990 It needs to be joyful and upfront and we're standing 00:25:39.990 --> 00:25:41.869 on the line saying, what can I do? What can I 00:25:41.869 --> 00:25:44.509 do? Instead of getting into a position where 00:25:44.509 --> 00:25:47.490 we feel like we're being forced, of course, because 00:25:47.490 --> 00:25:53.250 of a crisis. So if today you have weaknesses 00:25:53.250 --> 00:25:56.029 and those weaknesses are causing you to hold 00:25:56.029 --> 00:25:59.769 back and say, well, I can't do it. Oh, I'd like 00:25:59.769 --> 00:26:03.700 to, but I have these problems. that I want you 00:26:03.700 --> 00:26:05.980 to know if you're going to have a vital relationship 00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:08.640 with Jesus Christ, you need to go beyond embracing 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:14.539 His grace to the point that you are also enjoying 00:26:14.539 --> 00:26:19.500 His strength. You are experiencing His strength 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:23.700 in those weaknesses in your life so that you're 00:26:23.700 --> 00:26:26.839 serving the Lord. The Apostle Paul said, I can 00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:29.759 do all things through Christ who strengthens 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:35.950 me. Will you trust the captain? Will you trust 00:26:35.950 --> 00:26:38.829 him for the strength that you need to work in 00:26:38.829 --> 00:26:40.910 that area, to be that usher, to sing in the choir, 00:26:41.069 --> 00:26:43.670 to do whatever it is that God's calling you to 00:26:43.670 --> 00:26:47.769 do? Please don't allow yourself to be like those 00:26:47.769 --> 00:26:50.029 Christians that Kent Hughes talked about earlier 00:26:50.029 --> 00:26:53.730 as I quoted him who just kind of float around 00:26:53.730 --> 00:26:59.680 and never plug in. That is not God's plan. However 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:01.859 common it may be in America today, it is not 00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:07.319 God's plan. It's not biblical Christianity. If 00:27:07.319 --> 00:27:09.319 a church is going to stay on course, it must 00:27:09.319 --> 00:27:14.400 stay on course by having a vital relationship 00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:16.900 with Jesus Christ. And a church will have a vital 00:27:16.900 --> 00:27:20.480 relationship with Jesus Christ so long as those 00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:23.359 who know Christ in it are employing His strength 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:32.599 in serving Him. And then finally the Apostle 00:27:32.599 --> 00:27:34.480 Paul tells us that if we're going to have a vital 00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:37.839 relationship with Jesus Christ, it means enjoying 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:42.200 His sovereign rule. By the way, when we talk 00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:44.400 about serving Christ, today out underneath the 00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:47.059 big top, you're going to have the opportunity 00:27:47.059 --> 00:27:51.319 to see 20 or 30 or 40 ministries. You will be 00:27:51.319 --> 00:27:53.339 overwhelmed with opportunities. Don't think you 00:27:53.339 --> 00:27:57.500 have to do everything, but find something. Find 00:27:57.500 --> 00:27:59.539 some table out there that's got some information 00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:01.819 that interests you and decide, I'm going to do 00:28:01.819 --> 00:28:04.640 this, God helping me, God strengthening me in 00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:08.019 my weaknesses, I'm going to do this. And get 00:28:08.019 --> 00:28:12.200 involved. And employ His strength. But then we 00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:17.200 must enjoy His sovereign rule. If His strength 00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:20.960 deals with our weaknesses, His sovereign rule 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:25.710 deals with our questions. If you and I are going 00:28:25.710 --> 00:28:28.890 to have a vital relationship with Jesus Christ, 00:28:30.509 --> 00:28:32.549 something has to happen to the questions that 00:28:32.549 --> 00:28:36.849 arise in our minds. And we all get them occasionally. 00:28:38.470 --> 00:28:42.950 We are disappointed. An opportunity comes and 00:28:42.950 --> 00:28:45.049 we don't know what to do. We have a question. 00:28:46.710 --> 00:28:50.829 A tragedy befalls us. Our family begins to fall 00:28:50.829 --> 00:28:55.200 apart. We had prayed and the answer didn't come 00:28:55.200 --> 00:28:57.940 the way we had prayed questions come to mind 00:28:57.940 --> 00:29:00.680 and Those questions eventually if they're not 00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:03.240 settled can eat away at a vital relationship 00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:07.420 with Christ So how do we maintain that vital 00:29:07.420 --> 00:29:10.259 relationship it is by enjoying his sovereign 00:29:10.259 --> 00:29:14.279 rule in his statement of praise in verse 17 the 00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:18.779 Apostle makes three statements of Doxology he 00:29:18.779 --> 00:29:21.299 praises God first of all that he is the king 00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:25.160 He praises God for His kingly rule in the world. 00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:32.160 If He is God, He is in control. Second, He praises 00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:34.640 Him for His divine nature. He says of God that 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:39.140 He is eternal. He always has been, always will 00:29:39.140 --> 00:29:43.039 be. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He's eternal 00:29:43.039 --> 00:29:47.180 and He's immortal. The idea means imperishable. 00:29:48.599 --> 00:29:52.619 God never declines. We've been enjoying the fruit 00:29:52.619 --> 00:29:55.839 of the harvest this year. Going to the farmer's 00:29:55.839 --> 00:29:58.380 market and bringing it home, we've had tomatoes 00:29:58.380 --> 00:30:00.660 and pears, you know, all that good stuff that 00:30:00.660 --> 00:30:03.259 you have this time of year. We put it in the 00:30:03.259 --> 00:30:05.019 basement where it's cool, but after a while, 00:30:05.079 --> 00:30:10.299 what happens? It begins to perish. It declines 00:30:10.299 --> 00:30:14.660 in its potency and its taste. What he tells us 00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:18.619 here is that the king never declines at all. 00:30:18.940 --> 00:30:23.430 He's imperishable. He's immortal. What he was 00:30:23.430 --> 00:30:26.750 in the beginning, he is now and he always will 00:30:26.750 --> 00:30:31.309 be. And then he praises God that he is invisible. 00:30:32.930 --> 00:30:38.329 That he is a spirit. He is not like us. He is 00:30:38.329 --> 00:30:42.930 real, but he is spirit. He is invisible. And 00:30:42.930 --> 00:30:44.789 the third statement that he makes about God is 00:30:44.789 --> 00:30:48.630 his unique place. He says he is the only God. 00:30:49.980 --> 00:30:53.059 The only God. There is no other God in the world. 00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:56.440 There are many who are called gods, but they 00:30:56.440 --> 00:31:00.740 are not gods. He is the only God. His uniqueness 00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:04.480 is pointed out. Now, what's the implication of 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:08.680 what Paul says in this verse? It is that all 00:31:08.680 --> 00:31:12.500 the issues, all of the questions of life fall 00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:16.839 under the sovereign rule of this God. All of 00:31:16.839 --> 00:31:22.710 them. And we can know that He is with us in them 00:31:22.710 --> 00:31:27.230 all. Surely that would bring us to worship as 00:31:27.230 --> 00:31:30.309 it did the Apostle Paul, as he does in verse 00:31:30.309 --> 00:31:35.230 17. All of the questions, all of the heartaches, 00:31:35.369 --> 00:31:37.670 all of the tragedies, all the questions of life 00:31:37.670 --> 00:31:43.450 fall under this assurance, God is King. Oh, worship 00:31:43.450 --> 00:31:49.660 the King, all glorious above. You and I can enjoy 00:31:49.660 --> 00:31:54.920 that sovereign rule. When we do, it brings answers. 00:31:56.319 --> 00:32:01.720 It brings release. It brings rest to our hearts. 00:32:03.059 --> 00:32:06.839 Will you trust the Captain? I don't know where 00:32:06.839 --> 00:32:10.980 you are today in your life, what issues may be 00:32:10.980 --> 00:32:13.079 there, but will you today acknowledge that he 00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:17.160 is the King? that He is sovereign over them, 00:32:17.299 --> 00:32:19.559 that He is going to use them, that He is measuring 00:32:19.559 --> 00:32:24.160 your experiences, that He has the right to order 00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:28.279 your life the way He wants to. Enjoy the sovereign 00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:32.099 rule of God. When our lives are filled with turmoil 00:32:32.099 --> 00:32:35.000 and conflict and trouble, because we don't, we 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:37.259 can never have a vital relationship with Jesus 00:32:37.259 --> 00:32:41.720 Christ. That relationship is vital, it's living, 00:32:41.960 --> 00:32:44.200 it's nurturing to us when you and I come to the 00:32:44.200 --> 00:32:52.160 place of resting in God's sovereignty. Unless 00:32:52.160 --> 00:32:54.559 we have a vital relationship with the captain, 00:32:55.440 --> 00:33:00.460 we'll lose our way. We'll stray off course. It's 00:33:00.460 --> 00:33:03.500 just a matter of time. It may not happen today 00:33:03.500 --> 00:33:05.859 or this afternoon, but if we don't have that 00:33:05.859 --> 00:33:09.480 vital relationship, we will begin to go off course 00:33:09.480 --> 00:33:13.920 somewhere along the way. Now, if that's already 00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:16.859 happened to you, I hope today you will notice 00:33:16.859 --> 00:33:22.400 how you've drifted and will repent of that. And 00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:25.019 in that repentance, surrender fresh to Christ, 00:33:25.460 --> 00:33:28.059 asking Him to bring that relationship to your 00:33:28.059 --> 00:33:31.440 soul real and fresh again. He wants to do that. 00:33:31.480 --> 00:33:37.309 In His grace, He will do that. And if you are 00:33:37.309 --> 00:33:41.589 one who is not a Christian, who has no vital 00:33:41.589 --> 00:33:43.769 relationship because you've never taken that 00:33:43.769 --> 00:33:47.130 first step to embrace the grace of God, to receive 00:33:47.130 --> 00:33:51.730 it as your own, will you do it today? Will you 00:33:51.730 --> 00:33:55.009 trust Him, make Him your own, and experience 00:33:55.009 --> 00:33:57.849 the forgiveness of sin? It is only then that 00:33:57.849 --> 00:34:00.630 really you can extend grace and forgiveness to 00:34:00.630 --> 00:34:07.380 those around you. Trust the Captain. Get your 00:34:07.380 --> 00:34:11.780 life on course and then stay on course by experiencing 00:34:11.780 --> 00:34:14.920 this wonderful relationship with Him that He 00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:20.360 wants you to know. Enjoy His sovereign rule. 00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:26.780 Experience His strength in your weakness. Embrace 00:34:26.780 --> 00:34:36.559 His grace and worship Him. Let's pray. Now around 00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:40.420 this auditorium as God the Holy Spirit finishes 00:34:40.420 --> 00:34:45.119 his work in our hearts for this moment. If your 00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:48.800 life is off course, will you see where you've 00:34:48.800 --> 00:34:52.480 gone astray and acknowledge it to God? He's not 00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:54.480 going to keep you in the dark as to where that 00:34:54.480 --> 00:35:01.809 began. He'll point it out to you. Will you confess 00:35:01.809 --> 00:35:04.429 your sins to the Lord and receive His grace for 00:35:04.429 --> 00:35:09.210 that forgiveness today? Will you surrender your 00:35:09.210 --> 00:35:12.769 heart to Him, recognizing that He is the King, 00:35:14.989 --> 00:35:18.550 and ask Him to take control of your life and 00:35:18.550 --> 00:35:21.710 to fill your life with a fresh, new, meaningful 00:35:21.710 --> 00:35:31.190 relationship with Him? Father, I pray for those 00:35:31.190 --> 00:35:33.030 who need to do that this morning. Give them, 00:35:33.190 --> 00:35:35.449 I pray, that grace in their hearts right now 00:35:35.449 --> 00:35:40.309 to respond, to respond to the work of your Spirit. 00:35:42.110 --> 00:35:44.630 Will you respond? If that's your heart's desire, 00:35:44.710 --> 00:35:47.409 you're saying, I've strayed, I'm coming back, 00:35:48.909 --> 00:35:51.130 I'm yielding to the Lordship of Jesus Christ 00:35:51.130 --> 00:35:53.949 in my life, I'm calling Him the King. Will you 00:35:53.949 --> 00:35:57.420 just lift your hand and put it down? I want this 00:35:57.420 --> 00:35:59.480 vital relationship, and I'm coming back. God 00:35:59.480 --> 00:36:05.800 bless you. Someone else? I want to have this 00:36:05.800 --> 00:36:08.079 vital relationship so that my life will stay 00:36:08.079 --> 00:36:10.380 on course, so that our church will stay on course. 00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:16.340 Is there someone here who would say, Pastor, 00:36:16.460 --> 00:36:19.500 I've not even yet made that first step. I've 00:36:19.500 --> 00:36:22.659 not experienced a personal relationship or introduction 00:36:22.659 --> 00:36:27.309 to Christ. And today I want to receive Him, to 00:36:27.309 --> 00:36:30.190 embrace Him in His grace and know the forgiveness 00:36:30.190 --> 00:36:33.769 of my sins. Surely if God can forgive a man like 00:36:33.769 --> 00:36:38.730 Saul of Tarsus and make him an apostle, He can 00:36:38.730 --> 00:36:42.090 forgive me for what I've done. And He can because 00:36:42.090 --> 00:36:46.190 of Christ's death for you. By the lifted hand 00:36:46.190 --> 00:36:49.210 will you say, I today want to receive Jesus Christ 00:36:49.210 --> 00:36:52.269 as my Lord and Savior. Is there one here who 00:36:52.269 --> 00:36:55.619 would say that? I lift my hand to say, I want 00:36:55.619 --> 00:37:01.199 Christ today in my heart. I receive Him as my 00:37:01.199 --> 00:37:05.199 Lord and Savior. I want His grace in my life. 00:37:07.659 --> 00:37:11.360 Oh Father, I pray that you will press that home 00:37:11.360 --> 00:37:14.699 to any person here who is still toying with that 00:37:14.699 --> 00:37:19.199 decision in the balance. And yet today, may there 00:37:19.199 --> 00:37:22.610 be the decision to trust the Savior. Lord, we 00:37:22.610 --> 00:37:25.369 acknowledge your kingship. We thank you for your 00:37:25.369 --> 00:37:28.489 saving grace, for your strength that helps us 00:37:28.489 --> 00:37:31.610 in our weaknesses, for your sovereign rule over 00:37:31.610 --> 00:37:34.210 all of life's circumstances. May we live in the 00:37:34.210 --> 00:37:40.130 joy of that and stay on course. In Jesus' name, 00:37:40.610 --> 00:37:43.449 amen. Would you stand with me, please? We're 00:37:43.449 --> 00:37:46.969 going to sing a chorus before we go. Now, under 00:37:46.969 --> 00:37:50.670 the King, eternal. immortal, invisible. The only 00:37:50.670 --> 00:37:53.050 wise God. We're using the authorized version. 00:37:53.829 --> 00:37:55.889 If you don't know these words, you can open your 00:37:55.889 --> 00:37:58.150 Bible back to the text we were in 1 Timothy 1. 00:37:58.190 --> 00:38:02.670 But let's sing that chorus together. I thought, 00:38:02.730 --> 00:38:05.150 here we go. You don't have it? All right. I thought 00:38:05.150 --> 00:38:06.929 Paul was going to be here. I guess he's out with 00:38:06.929 --> 00:38:09.909 the band already. Let's sing together. Now unto 00:38:09.909 --> 00:38:17.469 the King eternal, invisible, invisible. The only 00:38:17.469 --> 00:38:24.849 wise God. The only wise God. Be honor and glory 00:38:24.849 --> 00:38:32.110 forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Be honor and glory 00:38:32.110 --> 00:38:36.489 forever and ever. Amen. How many of you have 00:38:36.489 --> 00:38:39.690 never sung that before? It sounded that way. 00:38:40.969 --> 00:38:43.650 Open your Bible to 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 00:38:43.650 --> 00:38:50.420 17. You'll have the words. And then let's sing 00:38:50.420 --> 00:38:53.940 it once more. It's a very simple tune. It's a 00:38:53.940 --> 00:38:55.880 tune of giving worship and praise to the Lord. 00:38:55.900 --> 00:39:00.500 Let's sing it again. Now unto the King eternal, 00:39:01.280 --> 00:39:09.960 immortal, invisible, the only wise God, the only 00:39:09.960 --> 00:39:16.119 wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. 00:39:17.119 --> 00:39:28.880 Amen. Amen. Thank you. Now before we go, I'd 00:39:28.880 --> 00:39:31.039 like for you to reach around and share God's 00:39:31.039 --> 00:39:32.699 love and grace with someone near you. Will you 00:39:32.699 --> 00:39:34.780 do that? And then we'll see you out there at 00:39:34.780 --> 00:39:36.780 the ministry fair in just a few minutes. God 00:39:36.780 --> 00:39:37.320 bless you.