WEBVTT 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:02.839 You know, there's a certain poignancy about this 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:06.419 crusade to me because Billy Graham is very close 00:00:06.419 --> 00:00:10.380 to the end of his ministry. And I think there 00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:13.460 is a crusade scheduled in Charlotte this fall, 00:00:13.859 --> 00:00:17.300 which would be the last of his crusades in the 00:00:17.300 --> 00:00:19.500 some 50 years now that he's been preaching the 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:23.000 gospel of Jesus Christ. And so to have him come 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:26.460 to Minneapolis in June, near the end of his... 00:00:26.730 --> 00:00:30.129 his public crusade ministry is a great privilege 00:00:30.129 --> 00:00:33.229 for us and I hope that you will understand it 00:00:33.229 --> 00:00:35.609 in that way as well as a wonderful opportunity 00:00:35.609 --> 00:00:39.530 to serve the Lord and there is no registration 00:00:39.530 --> 00:00:41.630 necessary for the class you just heard about 00:00:41.630 --> 00:00:44.729 all you need to do is come. We're expecting that 00:00:44.729 --> 00:00:47.850 our auditorium will be filled and then some because 00:00:47.850 --> 00:00:50.689 we're one of 22 locations throughout the region 00:00:50.689 --> 00:00:54.289 having the class during those weeks in April 00:00:54.289 --> 00:00:56.759 and May. I hope that you will plan to go to one 00:00:56.759 --> 00:00:58.140 of them if you don't want to come to this one 00:00:58.140 --> 00:01:00.679 because of a conflict. Go to another one and 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:03.479 allow yourself to be equipped in the Christian 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:07.140 life as well as in how to witness to your friends. 00:01:08.420 --> 00:01:10.659 Well now would you open your Bible with me please 00:01:10.659 --> 00:01:15.180 to Colossians chapter 3 where we take up our 00:01:15.180 --> 00:01:21.260 study beginning with verse 12. You can follow 00:01:21.260 --> 00:01:23.939 along in your copy of the Bible as I read the 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:28.879 word of God. And so as those who have been chosen 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:34.480 of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, 00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:38.340 kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 00:01:39.319 --> 00:01:42.799 bearing with one another, and forgiving each 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:45.780 other, whoever has a complaint against anyone. 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:49.599 Just as the Lord forgave you, so also should 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:53.799 you. And beyond all these things put on love, 00:01:53.959 --> 00:02:01.450 which is the perfect bond of unity. Well, the 00:02:01.450 --> 00:02:06.290 fairy tale has now become a nightmare. The sordid 00:02:06.290 --> 00:02:08.930 details of the marriage of Prince Charles and 00:02:08.930 --> 00:02:12.930 Princess Diana have embarrassed the British monarchy 00:02:12.930 --> 00:02:16.509 and potentially undermined it for the future. 00:02:19.009 --> 00:02:21.710 But nonetheless, who of us can forget the pageantry 00:02:21.710 --> 00:02:25.939 and the pomp 15 years ago when they were wed. 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:30.080 The videos of that occasion, even the photos 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:33.000 still today, evoke a sense of wonder and the 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:37.620 stirring of our imagination. As we think to ourselves, 00:02:37.740 --> 00:02:41.819 what would it be like to be part of an occasion 00:02:41.819 --> 00:02:47.620 like that? Well, if you're a child of God, if 00:02:47.620 --> 00:02:50.500 you're a Christian, you need to give some thought 00:02:50.500 --> 00:02:55.729 to that. And the reason is very simple because 00:02:55.729 --> 00:03:00.710 Jesus Christ is preparing His bride, of which 00:03:00.710 --> 00:03:06.770 you're a part, for a wedding. And that wedding 00:03:06.770 --> 00:03:10.069 in heaven is going to make the one in England 00:03:10.069 --> 00:03:14.750 15 years ago look like a cheap Las Vegas quickie. 00:03:16.849 --> 00:03:19.710 And you are going to be a part of it by the grace 00:03:19.710 --> 00:03:24.159 of God. The Apostle Paul speaks to the Bride 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:27.900 of Jesus Christ and he describes us as believers 00:03:27.900 --> 00:03:34.300 with three wonderful words. He says, I write 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:39.639 to those who have been chosen of God. The word 00:03:39.639 --> 00:03:44.439 chosen means to select from among many. It does 00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:47.819 not necessarily imply the rejection of those 00:03:47.819 --> 00:03:52.990 not chosen. but rather the election of those 00:03:52.990 --> 00:03:56.990 that was God's good pleasure to choose. In Ephesians 00:03:56.990 --> 00:04:02.310 1 -4 it says, God chose us in Christ before the 00:04:02.310 --> 00:04:07.610 foundation of the world. In Titus 1 -1, Paul 00:04:07.610 --> 00:04:10.849 says he is writing for the faith of those chosen 00:04:10.849 --> 00:04:15.710 of God. This is one of the themes of Scripture 00:04:15.710 --> 00:04:18.189 that relates to you and to me as believers in 00:04:18.189 --> 00:04:22.839 Jesus Christ. that before the world began, God 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:27.759 looked into the future of what was going to happen, 00:04:28.779 --> 00:04:34.740 the ages that He prepared and He chose those 00:04:34.740 --> 00:04:40.420 whom He would redeem. I know that that raises 00:04:40.420 --> 00:04:43.540 questions in our minds. We don't fully understand 00:04:43.540 --> 00:04:46.829 all the... all the balance that is there between 00:04:46.829 --> 00:04:49.649 the human responsibility to believe, which is 00:04:49.649 --> 00:04:54.069 certainly true, and the truth that God has chosen. 00:04:54.550 --> 00:04:58.470 But put the debate out of your mind for a moment, 00:04:59.490 --> 00:05:03.850 and just sit back and realize that out of no 00:05:03.850 --> 00:05:07.970 reason other than His sovereign grace, before 00:05:07.970 --> 00:05:11.389 God spoke the world into existence, before it 00:05:11.389 --> 00:05:19.689 actually came into being, He knew you. He knew 00:05:19.689 --> 00:05:25.850 you and He chose you to be a part of this very 00:05:25.850 --> 00:05:29.730 special group that is called the Bride of Christ 00:05:29.730 --> 00:05:33.829 that He's preparing now for the wedding that 00:05:33.829 --> 00:05:38.009 is coming up. There's a second word that is used 00:05:38.009 --> 00:05:43.029 of the bride and that is holy. Chosen of God. 00:05:43.259 --> 00:05:49.819 and holy. The word holy simply means to set apart. 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:54.740 It is a word used back in verse 2 of chapter 00:05:54.740 --> 00:06:00.100 1 when he called us saints. Same root word. Those 00:06:00.100 --> 00:06:03.220 who have been set apart by God. So God not only 00:06:03.220 --> 00:06:08.939 chose us, but then in time He set us apart for 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:13.589 His divine purpose. We are holy. in that sense. 00:06:16.709 --> 00:06:19.449 And then he uses a third word. And you would 00:06:19.449 --> 00:06:22.269 expect this to be a word when there's a marriage 00:06:22.269 --> 00:06:30.069 involved. He says, you are beloved. You are the 00:06:30.069 --> 00:06:35.550 objects of God's love. But God demonstrates His 00:06:35.550 --> 00:06:39.610 love toward us, says Paul in Romans. God demonstrates 00:06:39.610 --> 00:06:41.949 His love toward us in that while we were yet 00:06:41.949 --> 00:06:47.529 sinners, Christ died for us. This is the basis 00:06:47.529 --> 00:06:51.290 of God's election. It is the reason that He sets 00:06:51.290 --> 00:06:57.589 us apart, because He loves us. And so if you 00:06:57.589 --> 00:07:01.209 are a believer in Jesus Christ, if you are a 00:07:01.209 --> 00:07:05.009 Christian, in the sense of being born again into 00:07:05.009 --> 00:07:08.990 the family of God, You are today one who is part 00:07:08.990 --> 00:07:13.029 of a special group, the bride who will be married 00:07:13.029 --> 00:07:18.569 to Christ. Our text is addressed to the bride 00:07:18.569 --> 00:07:23.509 who needs to get dressed for the wedding. That's 00:07:23.509 --> 00:07:28.250 no small feat. Now most grooms are not aware 00:07:28.250 --> 00:07:32.670 of that because grooms come toodling into the 00:07:32.670 --> 00:07:35.709 church 15 minutes before the pictures are supposed 00:07:35.709 --> 00:07:39.529 to be taken. He gets into his outfit, whatever 00:07:39.529 --> 00:07:44.730 it is, and he's ready. But my friend, the bride 00:07:44.730 --> 00:07:49.829 is here hours before the wedding. Hours before 00:07:49.829 --> 00:07:53.350 the wedding. So that she can get her hair done 00:07:53.350 --> 00:07:56.410 and her nails just have to be right. And then 00:07:56.410 --> 00:07:59.089 she begins to put on the layers of this wedding 00:07:59.089 --> 00:08:02.629 dress that has been purchased. So that she's 00:08:02.629 --> 00:08:06.649 ready when the time comes. And what the apostle 00:08:06.649 --> 00:08:10.009 says to you and to me is that we need to get 00:08:10.009 --> 00:08:14.829 dressed. It's time for us to put on the royal 00:08:14.829 --> 00:08:20.490 remit, the glorious garb for those who will now 00:08:20.490 --> 00:08:25.670 be wed to the Son of God. When he says to us 00:08:25.670 --> 00:08:28.629 that we are to put these things on in verse 12, 00:08:28.730 --> 00:08:32.370 he uses an expression there that means Take this 00:08:32.370 --> 00:08:35.470 action urgently. Understand it's something that 00:08:35.470 --> 00:08:39.330 needs to be done and needs to be done now. Don't 00:08:39.330 --> 00:08:45.610 put it off. Put on, he says, these things. Now 00:08:45.610 --> 00:08:49.429 we already are a new person, a new self in Jesus 00:08:49.429 --> 00:08:53.009 Christ as we saw last week. So we're not going 00:08:53.009 --> 00:08:55.909 to put these things on so that we can become 00:08:55.909 --> 00:09:02.120 a Christian. No, no. He says, you are a new person. 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:05.399 You are a Christian. Now because you are, put 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:10.559 on these things. And so he gives us seven pieces 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:16.519 to the royal attire. Seven pieces to this garment 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:21.159 that God wants us to wear. This outfit that will 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:24.700 be well pleasing to Christ on that day that we 00:09:24.700 --> 00:09:30.470 are wed to Him. The first garment. is called 00:09:30.470 --> 00:09:35.269 a heart of compassion. The word heart in the 00:09:35.269 --> 00:09:39.750 Greek language refers to the internal organs, 00:09:41.009 --> 00:09:44.309 to the lungs, the heart, the kidneys, the intestines. 00:09:46.129 --> 00:09:49.769 That's because the Greeks understood emotion 00:09:49.769 --> 00:09:53.649 as coming from right here, a visceral reaction. 00:09:55.269 --> 00:09:59.029 And so they used this word to refer to that emotion. 00:09:59.529 --> 00:10:04.309 The ability to feel, when you hear shocking news, 00:10:05.289 --> 00:10:08.570 it hits you right there. You tense up inside. 00:10:10.250 --> 00:10:14.970 And so they write about the heart, and Paul uses 00:10:14.970 --> 00:10:20.429 this term, the heart of compassion. The first 00:10:20.429 --> 00:10:23.309 piece that we're to put on is the ability to 00:10:23.309 --> 00:10:29.029 feel pity and sympathy for the weak and the suffering. 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:33.360 The Lord says if we're going to dress for His 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:35.899 wedding, we need to first put on this garment 00:10:35.899 --> 00:10:46.299 of having tender feelings. You know, in a culture 00:10:46.299 --> 00:10:49.840 like ours, it's easy to allow our hearts to become 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:56.580 hardened. Not only are we overwhelmed with the 00:10:56.580 --> 00:11:00.960 media and the violence that we see, but We see 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:04.679 so much suffering brought right into our living 00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:09.799 rooms that after a while we get compassion fatigue. 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:16.779 And we see these sights that 20 years ago would 00:11:16.779 --> 00:11:19.580 have caused us to weep and now we eat our meals 00:11:19.580 --> 00:11:23.860 and glance at them as we are eating without much 00:11:23.860 --> 00:11:29.279 feeling about it. We need to allow our hearts 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:37.679 to remain soft and tender. James 5 11 says that 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:43.840 God is full of compassion and merciful. God is 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:47.000 a God who has tender feelings for those who are 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:51.480 hurting. And of the Lord Jesus it says that as 00:11:51.480 --> 00:11:55.200 He viewed the multitudes, He felt compassion 00:11:55.200 --> 00:12:00.399 for them. Because they were distressed and downcast 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:05.120 like sheep without a shepherd. We look at a video 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:07.759 like we did a few moments ago and we see the 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:11.460 crowds in the city streets or the crowds sitting 00:12:11.460 --> 00:12:14.220 there in the stadium of a Billy Graham crusade. 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:19.059 Is there any sense of compassion for these people? 00:12:21.500 --> 00:12:23.879 As you ponder those that you work with or go 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:28.789 to school with. Is there within you a tenderness 00:12:28.789 --> 00:12:36.509 that cares for their hurts? As Ron Hutchcraft 00:12:36.509 --> 00:12:40.809 said in that video, the very things our culture 00:12:40.809 --> 00:12:45.610 has sought after and found so empty have prepared 00:12:45.610 --> 00:12:51.669 them to hear the gospel. People are hurting. 00:12:52.710 --> 00:12:55.950 They're desperate. And yes, they're going to 00:12:55.950 --> 00:12:58.750 the wrong place to find the answers. But even 00:12:58.750 --> 00:13:01.590 in doing that, they're further prepared for the 00:13:01.590 --> 00:13:07.809 truth when they finally hear it. So let's not 00:13:07.809 --> 00:13:11.570 just turn them off and say, oh, they're beyond 00:13:11.570 --> 00:13:17.190 hope. Let's put on the garment of compassion 00:13:17.190 --> 00:13:22.710 and have a tenderness about us. and allow ourselves 00:13:22.710 --> 00:13:25.149 to feel the pain of others, to get emotionally 00:13:25.149 --> 00:13:28.169 involved with them. Yes, there's risk in that. 00:13:31.309 --> 00:13:34.309 Some of us have been so hurt in the past by reaching 00:13:34.309 --> 00:13:39.830 out to help the hurting. We've been so hurt ourselves 00:13:39.830 --> 00:13:44.289 that we don't want to risk being hurt again. 00:13:46.610 --> 00:13:50.409 I'm glad our God doesn't respond that way, aren't 00:13:50.409 --> 00:13:53.610 you? Because so many times he would not have 00:13:53.610 --> 00:13:58.690 responded to me. And yet he's always been full 00:13:58.690 --> 00:14:05.289 of compassion. And so must we. Put on, he says, 00:14:05.370 --> 00:14:09.049 a heart of compassion that feels with others 00:14:09.049 --> 00:14:15.350 the distress of their lives. And then he says, 00:14:15.570 --> 00:14:19.629 put on, secondly, kindness. Put on kindness. 00:14:20.620 --> 00:14:23.580 The word here means a friendly, helpful attitude 00:14:23.580 --> 00:14:27.440 that seeks to meet the practical needs of others. 00:14:28.700 --> 00:14:34.000 It's just plain old -fashioned goodness. It is 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:37.919 used in Romans 11 22 in tandem with severity 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:41.059 and the opposite of that. It speaks of the goodness 00:14:41.059 --> 00:14:46.179 and the severity of God. He says here that we 00:14:46.179 --> 00:14:49.139 are to be filled with goodness, with kindness. 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:54.519 Spiro Zodiatti says, it is the grace which pervades 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:58.379 the whole nature, mellowing all which would have 00:14:58.379 --> 00:15:04.460 been harsh and austere. You notice we get older. 00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:09.220 It's easier to become harsh and critical and 00:15:09.220 --> 00:15:15.460 judgmental. What he says is that as we're growing 00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:18.080 older, we need to keep putting on this garment 00:15:18.829 --> 00:15:23.669 of kindness that mellows us out, that doesn't 00:15:23.669 --> 00:15:26.889 allow us to become bitter with the passing years, 00:15:28.389 --> 00:15:34.210 but we remain kind and good. It is the goodness 00:15:34.210 --> 00:15:37.409 of God that leads us to repentance, Romans 2 00:15:37.409 --> 00:15:43.029 for this very word. It is God's kindness. And 00:15:43.029 --> 00:15:45.490 the Lord Jesus illustrated what kindness is all 00:15:45.490 --> 00:15:47.509 about in that parable of the Good Samaritan, 00:15:47.610 --> 00:15:51.340 didn't he? And this poor man who had been beaten 00:15:51.340 --> 00:15:53.919 and left for dead, and others passed by, but 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:59.940 this Samaritan came by. And this man who had 00:15:59.940 --> 00:16:04.399 experienced rejection himself by the very people 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:11.379 that this man belonged to, and the very people 00:16:11.379 --> 00:16:15.240 who had passed him by, this Samaritan, this half 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:21.009 -breed, stops and cares for him. and takes him 00:16:21.009 --> 00:16:23.690 to an inn and pays for his staying there for 00:16:23.690 --> 00:16:29.370 days. Kindness. Jesus told that story in response 00:16:29.370 --> 00:16:33.850 to the question, well who is my neighbor? Jesus 00:16:33.850 --> 00:16:37.669 has said love your neighbor as yourself. Well 00:16:37.669 --> 00:16:40.730 who is my neighbor? Jesus says I'll tell you 00:16:40.730 --> 00:16:45.090 about a neighbor. You and I need to be neighbors 00:16:45.090 --> 00:16:50.500 and show kindness to those To those who may have 00:16:50.500 --> 00:16:52.919 hurt us to those who may least deserve it were 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:56.840 to show kindness put on kindness as a member 00:16:56.840 --> 00:17:02.220 of the bride of Christ Thirdly says put on humility 00:17:02.220 --> 00:17:07.160 Alistair Begg tells about one college student 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:10.019 who satirized the absence of humility in our 00:17:10.019 --> 00:17:15.339 our world with a sign on his dorm door that said 00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:22.119 in bold letters, no, I am not conceited. And 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:24.319 then in small letters underneath it, it said, 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:31.059 though I have every reason to be so. Humility 00:17:31.059 --> 00:17:35.180 is the absence of thinking of oneself first. 00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:42.309 It means to look at oneself in perspective. Humility 00:17:42.309 --> 00:17:45.150 was not considered positive in the Roman world 00:17:45.150 --> 00:17:51.130 when Paul lived. To them, humility was a sign 00:17:51.130 --> 00:17:56.789 of weakness. Yet the Apostle Paul takes that 00:17:56.789 --> 00:18:00.089 word and by the Spirit of God puts it down as 00:18:00.089 --> 00:18:06.490 a jewel of character. Spurgeon said, humility 00:18:06.490 --> 00:18:12.839 is to make a right estimate of oneself. It doesn't 00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:15.680 mean that you totally forget who you are, but 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:20.319 it means that you allow others first. It means 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:25.779 that you see yourself in perspective to them. 00:18:27.160 --> 00:18:28.680 Paul, I'm going to be that water down there. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:31.279 Would you grab that for me, please? Thank you. 00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:35.940 By the way, did you write that skit this morning? 00:18:36.019 --> 00:18:39.640 I thought that last line was a little too personal 00:18:39.640 --> 00:18:47.740 for you to have written it. Humility, wonderful 00:18:47.740 --> 00:18:52.180 example of it right there. He would not take 00:18:52.180 --> 00:18:56.700 credit for that last line. To be humble means 00:18:56.700 --> 00:19:00.799 to lay aside your personal rights. The Lord Jesus 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:03.700 Christ is the greatest example there is of humility. 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:12.279 He laid aside his rights, humbled himself, and 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:16.660 became obedient unto death. You know, I think 00:19:16.660 --> 00:19:18.279 I'm going to have to have a chorus. My throat's 00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:21.680 just giving out on me. Got a chorus on humility 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:30.960 handy? We are called not to feel humble, but 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:34.240 to be humble. And right now I not only feel it, 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:37.039 I am. Why don't we sing? Well, I have a chorus 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:39.740 for you. We bow down and worship the Lord. Why 00:19:39.740 --> 00:19:41.720 don't you stand? We can sing together as you 00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:52.609 stand. You are Lord of creation and Lord of my 00:19:52.609 --> 00:19:58.049 life, Lord of the land and the sea. You are Lord 00:19:58.049 --> 00:20:02.210 of the heavens before there was time, and Lord 00:20:02.210 --> 00:20:07.930 of all lords you will be. We bow down and we 00:20:07.930 --> 00:20:12.349 worship you, Lord, we bow down. And we worship 00:20:12.349 --> 00:20:17.750 you, Lord, we bow down And we worship you, Lord, 00:20:18.069 --> 00:20:26.349 Lord of all You are Lord of creation and Lord 00:20:26.349 --> 00:20:31.950 of my life Lord of the land and the sea You are 00:20:31.950 --> 00:20:43.190 Lord of creation We bow down and we worship you, 00:20:43.470 --> 00:20:48.329 Lord. We bow down and we worship you. We bow 00:20:48.329 --> 00:20:53.930 down and we worship you, Lord. Lord of all, Lord 00:20:53.930 --> 00:21:01.589 you will be. We'll have you be seated for just 00:21:01.589 --> 00:21:06.509 a moment and we'll sing, I love you, Lord. I 00:21:06.509 --> 00:21:22.769 love you, Lord. And I lift my voice to worship 00:21:22.769 --> 00:21:48.460 You, O my soul rejoicing. May it be a sweet, 00:21:48.460 --> 00:22:02.099 sweet sound in your ears. Thank you, sir. Would 00:22:02.099 --> 00:22:06.059 you mind getting me a glass of water? I could 00:22:06.059 --> 00:22:11.900 do it, but I'm busy right now. Thank you. Well, 00:22:11.900 --> 00:22:13.660 I think I'm going to leave humility. I think 00:22:13.660 --> 00:22:17.180 I should be done with that by now And we will 00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:20.980 go on to talk about gentleness put on gentleness 00:22:20.980 --> 00:22:25.920 Gentleness springs from great strength within 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:31.240 this word gentle is sometimes translated meekness 00:22:31.240 --> 00:22:36.380 One who is meek is one who is submissive It is 00:22:36.380 --> 00:22:40.000 gentleness that springs from power that is under 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:45.349 control The picture of it is that of a rushing, 00:22:46.269 --> 00:22:50.150 powerful river that is brought to a dam that 00:22:50.150 --> 00:22:55.190 holds it back. Thank you. And as that dam holds 00:22:55.190 --> 00:23:01.029 back that river, it allows some of it to pass 00:23:01.029 --> 00:23:04.069 through. And in doing that, it passes through 00:23:04.069 --> 00:23:09.250 turbines that generate electricity. And so you 00:23:09.250 --> 00:23:13.170 have the power of this mighty river. being harnessed 00:23:13.170 --> 00:23:18.470 and allowed to pass through the dam. And as it 00:23:18.470 --> 00:23:24.329 does, it produces energy. What gentleness is 00:23:24.329 --> 00:23:31.990 about is not using the powers of your life for 00:23:31.990 --> 00:23:38.250 yourself, and using them randomly, using them 00:23:38.250 --> 00:23:42.990 to advance your own agenda. The one who is gentle 00:23:42.990 --> 00:23:46.269 is one who causes that power to be under control 00:23:46.269 --> 00:23:50.809 so that it doesn't damage, it doesn't hurt others, 00:23:52.029 --> 00:23:57.470 but it's released for their benefit. It brings 00:23:57.470 --> 00:24:04.910 healing. It brings empowerment. It brings encouragement. 00:24:05.789 --> 00:24:10.140 That's gentleness. And the Bible says that if 00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:11.819 we're going to be the bride of Christ and be 00:24:11.819 --> 00:24:15.299 ready for our wedding, we need to put on gentleness. 00:24:16.980 --> 00:24:19.619 The Lord Jesus was gentle. He said, take my yoke 00:24:19.619 --> 00:24:22.480 upon you and learn from me for I am what? What 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:29.480 did he say? I am meek and I am gentle and humble 00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:34.279 in heart. The Apostle Paul said, as he wrote 00:24:34.279 --> 00:24:38.299 to the Corinthians, I beseech you by the meekness 00:24:38.569 --> 00:24:45.589 and the gentleness of Christ. How much difference 00:24:45.589 --> 00:24:50.049 would it make in your marriage if you put on 00:24:50.049 --> 00:24:55.430 gentleness? In the way that you respond to your 00:24:55.430 --> 00:25:01.609 wife or to your husband? Instead of pushing for 00:25:01.609 --> 00:25:04.369 your way and wanting what you want when you want 00:25:04.369 --> 00:25:09.970 it, To put that power under control and minister 00:25:09.970 --> 00:25:15.009 to that one that you love with gentleness and 00:25:15.009 --> 00:25:20.210 for his or her encouragement. Put on gentleness. 00:25:21.990 --> 00:25:26.349 And then he says put on patience. Put on patience. 00:25:28.670 --> 00:25:30.789 One writer tells about the prayer of the modern 00:25:30.789 --> 00:25:34.089 American, Dear God, I pray for patience and I 00:25:34.089 --> 00:25:40.420 want it now. Do you ever feel that way? Patience. 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:43.339 The word here means long suffering. It's a long 00:25:43.339 --> 00:25:48.779 holding out of the mind before acting. It's the 00:25:48.779 --> 00:25:53.619 opposite of resentment and revenge. It is self 00:25:53.619 --> 00:25:57.660 -restraint that enables one to bear insults and 00:25:57.660 --> 00:26:02.759 injury. George Sweeting in his book, Catch the 00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:06.480 Spirit of Love, tells about a little boy who 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:11.420 was riding with his father. And as they were 00:26:11.420 --> 00:26:15.440 driving along, this man became irritated with 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:18.039 other drivers. This is not a story about me, 00:26:18.059 --> 00:26:23.400 this is a story about somebody else. George Sweeting 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:27.099 tells this story. He fussed and he fumed and 00:26:27.099 --> 00:26:29.299 he bellowed and he shouted at all the other drivers 00:26:29.299 --> 00:26:31.440 as they went through town and finally they arrived 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:36.150 at home. Later that day the boy went out... with 00:26:36.150 --> 00:26:38.549 his mother to the car, and they went for a drive, 00:26:38.569 --> 00:26:42.009 and as they drove peacefully along, the boy said, 00:26:42.029 --> 00:26:51.890 Mom, where are all the idiots? She said, idiots? 00:26:52.750 --> 00:26:54.890 He says, yes, when I was out driving with Dad 00:26:54.890 --> 00:27:02.890 this morning, we saw seven of them. That hits 00:27:02.890 --> 00:27:08.099 too close to home, doesn't it? But you and I 00:27:08.099 --> 00:27:12.940 are to put on patience, patience, suffering long 00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:16.759 with others. Of God it says in 2 Peter 3 .15, 00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:20.339 regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation. 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:26.480 What does that mean? It means that our Lord in 00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:30.819 delaying the coming, the second coming of Jesus 00:27:30.819 --> 00:27:34.910 Christ, has a purpose and in His patience He 00:27:34.910 --> 00:27:38.710 is saving people. As it says earlier in that 00:27:38.710 --> 00:27:41.250 chapter, the Lord is not slow about his promises 00:27:41.250 --> 00:27:45.289 as some count slowness, but is patient toward 00:27:45.289 --> 00:27:48.390 you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all 00:27:48.390 --> 00:27:53.789 to come to repentance. Put on patience. What 00:27:53.789 --> 00:27:56.170 would that mean in your life if today you decided 00:27:56.170 --> 00:27:59.410 to put on patience? How would your life look 00:27:59.410 --> 00:28:01.289 different tomorrow? How would you be dressed 00:28:01.289 --> 00:28:04.079 differently? If we're going to be ready for the 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:07.380 wedding, we've got to put it on and do it now. 00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:13.240 And then he says, number six, bearing with one 00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:16.480 another. This is the next garment. Bearing with 00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:20.700 one another. To bear with means to endure or 00:28:20.700 --> 00:28:26.519 to hold up against something. It means to be 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:31.160 tolerant toward what is irritating and what is 00:28:31.160 --> 00:28:35.819 chafing. Oh, we need a lot of these clothes, 00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:41.180 don't we? And all of us need to put them on because 00:28:41.180 --> 00:28:44.819 others do irritate us. Even other Christians. 00:28:44.980 --> 00:28:48.420 Did you ever know that? Other Christians can 00:28:48.420 --> 00:28:53.099 be irritating. And so he says we're to bear with 00:28:53.099 --> 00:28:58.460 one another. I heard Vernon McGee give the little 00:28:58.460 --> 00:29:01.849 piece of... poetry years ago that said, to dwell 00:29:01.849 --> 00:29:05.210 above with the saints I love, oh, that will be 00:29:05.210 --> 00:29:09.269 glory. But to dwell below with the saints I know, 00:29:09.289 --> 00:29:16.390 that's another story. We need to bear with one 00:29:16.390 --> 00:29:22.809 another down below here and put on this attitude 00:29:22.809 --> 00:29:27.819 of forbearance of others. To the saints in Thessalonica, 00:29:28.359 --> 00:29:30.940 the apostle wrote, we ourselves speak proudly 00:29:30.940 --> 00:29:35.460 of you among the churches of God for your perseverance 00:29:35.460 --> 00:29:38.940 and faith in the midst of your persecutions and 00:29:38.940 --> 00:29:43.740 afflictions which you endure. Some of you put 00:29:43.740 --> 00:29:49.359 up with some difficult situations at work because 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:52.720 of your faith, because of the standards, the 00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:57.119 ethics that you have. And there's pressure against 00:29:57.119 --> 00:30:00.220 you because of it. What it says here is every 00:30:00.220 --> 00:30:02.059 day when you get up and get ready to go to work, 00:30:02.079 --> 00:30:05.859 make sure you put on forbearance. So that you 00:30:05.859 --> 00:30:11.720 can bear up against that pressure. And he says, 00:30:11.980 --> 00:30:16.900 number six, forgiving one another. Forgiving. 00:30:19.460 --> 00:30:22.339 Literally it means to be gracious towards someone. 00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:29.420 who has found fault with us. You notice that? 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:33.240 Forgiving each other whoever has a complaint 00:30:33.240 --> 00:30:40.500 against you. Someone's unhappy. Someone's dissatisfied. 00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:45.119 Maybe it's just. Maybe it's not. Sometimes complaints 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:50.599 are not just. Perhaps you overlooked something 00:30:50.599 --> 00:30:52.759 you should have done. That's really the force 00:30:52.759 --> 00:30:57.160 of this word. It's a complaint due to an omission 00:30:57.160 --> 00:31:02.880 more than a commission. Maybe you forgot something. 00:31:04.119 --> 00:31:07.700 Maybe you failed. And there's a complaint against 00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:11.880 you. What it says here, forgive those who complain 00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:18.180 against you. Forgive each other. You know marriages 00:31:18.180 --> 00:31:21.680 would be transformed if only we would put on 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:28.460 this garment of forgiving our spouse. We're in 00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:31.680 that closest of all human relationships, in the 00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:38.759 dearest of them all. There are frequent occasions 00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:44.839 of complaints. Churches would be transformed. 00:31:47.420 --> 00:31:50.259 I've heard more complaints in the last six months 00:31:50.259 --> 00:31:52.799 than I've ever heard in 25 years of ministry. 00:31:57.059 --> 00:31:59.180 I think it's symptomatic of our culture and our 00:31:59.180 --> 00:32:05.359 age. Forgive one another. Don't hold the complaints 00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:14.309 up to divide, but forgive. who preached in the 00:32:14.309 --> 00:32:17.150 last century said, you who are letting misunderstandings 00:32:17.150 --> 00:32:20.329 run on from year to year, meaning to clear them 00:32:20.329 --> 00:32:24.210 up someday, you who are passing men solemnly 00:32:24.210 --> 00:32:26.390 in the street not speaking to them because of 00:32:26.390 --> 00:32:29.769 some silly spite, and yet knowing that you would 00:32:29.769 --> 00:32:31.910 be ashamed if you heard one of these men had 00:32:31.910 --> 00:32:36.130 died, if you could suddenly realize that the 00:32:36.130 --> 00:32:39.609 time is short, how it would break that spell. 00:32:40.029 --> 00:32:42.990 How you would go instantly and do the thing you 00:32:42.990 --> 00:32:50.609 might never have a chance to do. His point is 00:32:50.609 --> 00:32:53.309 that we only have today to ask forgiveness and 00:32:53.309 --> 00:32:58.230 to forgive. Let's do it. And not hold grudges 00:32:58.230 --> 00:33:01.730 against one another. And then he says once you 00:33:01.730 --> 00:33:04.829 put on all these layers of garment there is a 00:33:04.829 --> 00:33:09.609 sash that goes on and it's called love. It binds 00:33:09.609 --> 00:33:13.569 all the others together. Love is the beauty of 00:33:13.569 --> 00:33:17.950 the believer, dispelling the ugly sins of the 00:33:17.950 --> 00:33:22.769 flesh that destroy unity, writes John MacArthur. 00:33:24.470 --> 00:33:26.569 The Apostle Paul says, and of faith, hope, and 00:33:26.569 --> 00:33:30.990 love, the greatest of these is love. That love 00:33:30.990 --> 00:33:35.190 that seeks the welfare of another, though they 00:33:35.190 --> 00:33:41.339 may be undeserving. Four of these eight qualities 00:33:41.339 --> 00:33:44.339 that he mentions here are called the fruit of 00:33:44.339 --> 00:33:49.299 the Spirit in Galatians 5, 22 and 23. I think 00:33:49.299 --> 00:33:52.400 what he's saying here is that this is not something 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:54.680 that we do in our own strength, but he's saying 00:33:54.680 --> 00:33:58.059 that you and I must decide that this is how we're 00:33:58.059 --> 00:34:00.980 going to live and then trust the Holy Spirit 00:34:00.980 --> 00:34:05.400 to enable us to do it. And so today what I want 00:34:05.400 --> 00:34:08.159 to urge you to do is to understand you're headed 00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:12.369 toward a wedding. If you're a Christian. And 00:34:12.369 --> 00:34:14.469 the Lord has laid out your clothes. It's time 00:34:14.469 --> 00:34:16.809 to put the clothes on. Last week we talked about 00:34:16.809 --> 00:34:19.510 what to take off. Today we're talking about what 00:34:19.510 --> 00:34:23.809 to put on. And tie them all together with love. 00:34:24.849 --> 00:34:27.289 So that when the bridegroom comes and we hear 00:34:27.289 --> 00:34:30.090 his shout and we're called up to be with him, 00:34:32.570 --> 00:34:35.469 we won't be ashamed. Have you ever had a dream 00:34:35.469 --> 00:34:39.869 like this one? that I've had a number of times, 00:34:39.929 --> 00:34:42.829 you were supposed to be someplace, and was someplace 00:34:42.829 --> 00:34:46.170 very fancy, and you show up and you're not dressed 00:34:46.170 --> 00:34:51.369 for it. Have you ever had that dream? Everybody 00:34:51.369 --> 00:34:53.150 else is dressed the way they're supposed to dress, 00:34:53.170 --> 00:34:56.909 and here you are, completely not fit for it. 00:34:57.809 --> 00:35:01.329 I don't want to end up at the wedding in heaven 00:35:01.329 --> 00:35:06.250 like that, do you? So let's get our clothes on, 00:35:06.630 --> 00:35:10.960 now, today. while we have time. And be prepared 00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:15.460 to march down that aisle when Jesus comes. Let's 00:35:15.460 --> 00:35:21.619 pray. With our heads bowed, I wonder if there 00:35:21.619 --> 00:35:23.840 are some pieces of clothing that you need to 00:35:23.840 --> 00:35:32.519 get on this morning that you're undressed. Would 00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:34.639 you in the quietness of this closing moment say, 00:35:34.679 --> 00:35:39.869 Lord Jesus? Thank you for loving me. Thank you 00:35:39.869 --> 00:35:44.170 for choosing me. Thank you for setting me apart 00:35:44.170 --> 00:35:48.349 for yourself. Thank you for the wedding I'm going 00:35:48.349 --> 00:35:53.610 to. Lord, I need to get dressed. Lord, I want 00:35:53.610 --> 00:36:00.449 to put on these qualities. Will you tell them 00:36:00.449 --> 00:36:03.489 that? And ask the Holy Spirit to make it real 00:36:03.489 --> 00:36:13.650 in your life. Lord Jesus our heavenly bridegroom 00:36:13.650 --> 00:36:19.929 We stand before you today all of us in various 00:36:19.929 --> 00:36:25.469 states of undress Because I don't think there's 00:36:25.469 --> 00:36:31.050 any of us here who are fully ready for the wedding 00:36:31.050 --> 00:36:37.469 And we don't want to be embarrassed on that day 00:36:38.820 --> 00:36:44.099 So Lord, right now we say to you that we're going 00:36:44.099 --> 00:36:48.280 to get dressed. We're going to put on our royal 00:36:48.280 --> 00:36:58.380 garments. By your Holy Spirit, enable us. Because 00:36:58.380 --> 00:37:01.679 in ourselves, we'll surely revert to the flesh. 00:37:03.400 --> 00:37:06.539 We'll go back to what we have been in the past 00:37:06.539 --> 00:37:12.789 before we knew you. So we give ourselves to you 00:37:12.789 --> 00:37:18.869 to put on these clothes that will cause you to 00:37:18.869 --> 00:37:28.250 smile when you see us at the altar. Let's stand 00:37:28.250 --> 00:37:34.050 together. And let's sing again that love chorus 00:37:34.050 --> 00:37:34.929 to Jesus.