WEBVTT 00:00:00.579 --> 00:00:04.219 Palatians, the third chapter, and our text today 00:00:04.219 --> 00:00:14.660 is verses 15 through 17. And let the peace of 00:00:14.660 --> 00:00:19.000 Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:23.339 were called in one body, and be thankful. Let 00:00:23.339 --> 00:00:26.179 the word of Christ richly dwell within you with 00:00:26.179 --> 00:00:29.899 all wisdom. teaching and admonishing one another, 00:00:30.920 --> 00:00:34.439 with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing 00:00:34.439 --> 00:00:39.380 with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And 00:00:39.380 --> 00:00:42.880 whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:46.740 name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through 00:00:46.740 --> 00:00:55.240 Him to God the Father. As the famous evangelist 00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:59.140 preached, On the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:01.479 he noted that there was one man, particularly 00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:05.900 in the audience, whose face glowed and shined 00:01:05.900 --> 00:01:10.920 as he spoke on that truth. And over and over 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:13.379 again he would say, as the man was preaching, 00:01:13.939 --> 00:01:19.939 yes, yes, and that will be glory for me. After 00:01:19.939 --> 00:01:23.060 the service, the evangelist inquired of someone 00:01:23.060 --> 00:01:27.879 else, who was that man? And the man said, well, 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:34.780 we call him Old Glory Face, because of his countenance. 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:42.319 Charles H. Gabriel, the songwriter, knew of the 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:46.680 same man. And based upon that name, Old Glory 00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:49.540 Face, and what the man was prone to say in services, 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:52.780 that will be glory for me. He wrote that familiar 00:01:52.780 --> 00:01:57.689 gospel song. Oh, that will be glory for me, glory 00:01:57.689 --> 00:02:01.370 for me, glory for me, when by His grace I shall 00:02:01.370 --> 00:02:05.969 look on His face. That will be glory, be glory 00:02:05.969 --> 00:02:10.750 for me. You and I who are children of God through 00:02:10.750 --> 00:02:14.590 faith in Jesus Christ have glory to look forward 00:02:14.590 --> 00:02:18.409 to. I was talking to one of the dear elderly 00:02:18.409 --> 00:02:21.210 saints of our church yesterday who is not doing 00:02:21.210 --> 00:02:25.930 very well. And we talked about the future, and 00:02:25.930 --> 00:02:30.009 about heaven, and the coming of Christ. And she 00:02:30.009 --> 00:02:32.370 said, yes, there's something to look forward 00:02:32.370 --> 00:02:37.870 to. But do you know, in the pace and complexity 00:02:37.870 --> 00:02:43.110 of our lives, many of us have lost sight of what's 00:02:43.110 --> 00:02:47.389 ahead for us. The daily issues that are related 00:02:47.389 --> 00:02:50.229 to family, to work, to money, to emergencies, 00:02:50.469 --> 00:02:54.300 to health, and all those sorts of things, take 00:02:54.300 --> 00:02:59.879 our eyes off of the glory that is to come. But 00:02:59.879 --> 00:03:05.199 listen to what God says. The sufferings of this 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:09.240 present time are not worthy to be compared with 00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:16.219 the glory that is to be revealed to us. God calls 00:03:16.219 --> 00:03:23.680 you into his own kingdom and glory. We have obtained 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:27.580 an inheritance. The Holy Spirit of promise is 00:03:27.580 --> 00:03:31.000 given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:33.439 view to the redemption of God's own possession 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:38.120 to the praise of His glory. We look for the blessed 00:03:38.120 --> 00:03:42.060 hope and the appearance of the glory of our great 00:03:42.060 --> 00:03:47.659 God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The God of all 00:03:47.659 --> 00:03:52.830 grace calls you, calls you. to His eternal glory 00:03:52.830 --> 00:03:58.229 in Christ. Our outer man is decaying, but our 00:03:58.229 --> 00:04:02.870 inner man is being renewed day by day, for momentary 00:04:02.870 --> 00:04:07.169 light affliction is producing for us an eternal 00:04:07.169 --> 00:04:12.870 weight of glory far beyond all comparison. We 00:04:12.870 --> 00:04:16.389 eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:04:16.410 --> 00:04:19.149 who will transform the body of our humble state 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:25.100 into conformity with the body of His glory. Christ 00:04:25.100 --> 00:04:31.019 in you, the hope of glory. That's what the future 00:04:31.019 --> 00:04:36.060 holds. But the danger is that we lose sight of 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:40.459 the glory to come. And as a result, we become 00:04:40.459 --> 00:04:44.300 disheartened in trials and weary in our well 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:49.850 -doing. The Apostle reminds the Colossian believers 00:04:49.850 --> 00:04:55.550 and us today that we were called in one body. 00:04:57.029 --> 00:05:01.029 We have been called by God out of the world to 00:05:01.029 --> 00:05:03.790 belong to the Church, the Church which is rich 00:05:03.790 --> 00:05:08.290 in diversity, but which possesses one calling 00:05:08.290 --> 00:05:14.410 and one hope. And that one hope that we have 00:05:14.410 --> 00:05:19.829 is to a destiny that involves a glorious heavenly 00:05:19.829 --> 00:05:24.910 wedding and an eternal reign then with Jesus 00:05:24.910 --> 00:05:31.050 Christ on His throne of glory. Having described 00:05:31.050 --> 00:05:34.230 to us what we are to take off and to put on so 00:05:34.230 --> 00:05:36.569 that we are dressed for the heavenly wedding, 00:05:38.009 --> 00:05:40.689 the Apostle Paul in our text today seems to write 00:05:40.689 --> 00:05:44.250 about rehearsing for that event and what that 00:05:44.250 --> 00:05:49.670 event will bring to us. He talks about rehearsing 00:05:49.670 --> 00:05:55.769 here on earth our heavenly calling. In heaven 00:05:55.769 --> 00:06:00.370 we're going to enjoy peace. In heaven there will 00:06:00.370 --> 00:06:04.750 be fellowship with the saints of God. In heaven 00:06:04.750 --> 00:06:08.370 we will be busy praising and singing to the Lord. 00:06:09.250 --> 00:06:13.110 And in heaven we're going to be serving the Lord. 00:06:14.479 --> 00:06:18.040 That's what's to come. And so in these three 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:21.680 verses he tells us that we are to rehearse right 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:25.839 now for what's coming. You and I need to rehearse 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:29.899 on earth what we will experience in heaven. How 00:06:29.899 --> 00:06:33.879 do we do that? What does that mean to rehearse 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:38.420 on earth what we will experience in heaven? Well, 00:06:38.459 --> 00:06:41.279 the Apostle begins by saying it means that God's 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:46.779 peace that you will know fully in heaven. God's 00:06:46.779 --> 00:06:51.420 peace will right now rule in your heart. Verse 00:06:51.420 --> 00:06:55.459 15. God's peace will rule in your heart. There 00:06:55.459 --> 00:06:58.560 are four insights about God's peace that he gives 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:04.339 us in this verse. First it is a divine peace. 00:07:05.300 --> 00:07:11.240 God is its source. Philippians the Apostle says 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:14.240 that when we, with prayer and thanksgiving, bring 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:20.000 our petitions to God, then the peace of God that 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:23.379 passes all understanding will fill our hearts. 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:29.360 It's God's peace. It's God's peace that He gives 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:34.519 to us. It is a peace that is transcendent. It's 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:38.860 beyond understanding. It's beyond the peace that 00:07:38.860 --> 00:07:42.759 we can conjure up in this world, that we can 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:47.420 generate within ourselves. This peace is not 00:07:47.420 --> 00:07:50.399 merely an acquiescence, it is not a resignation 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:53.439 with the affairs of life, but rather it is a 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:59.540 God -provided tranquility that is able to carry 00:07:59.540 --> 00:08:05.050 us through the pain and the storms of life. Some 00:08:05.050 --> 00:08:07.290 years ago, there was a submarine that went down 00:08:07.290 --> 00:08:12.029 deep on a test dive. When they came up the next 00:08:12.029 --> 00:08:14.769 day, someone asked the captain, well, did the 00:08:14.769 --> 00:08:18.589 storm last night bother the submarine? He said, 00:08:18.610 --> 00:08:21.610 not at all. Not at all. We're down deep. The 00:08:21.610 --> 00:08:26.310 storms cannot bother us. When you and I are down 00:08:26.310 --> 00:08:29.189 deep into the peace of God, the storms of life 00:08:29.189 --> 00:08:33.169 may rage around us, but our spirit will remain 00:08:33.169 --> 00:08:38.159 unaffected. A .T. Pearson said, the peace of 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:43.220 God is that eternal calm which lies far too deep 00:08:43.220 --> 00:08:47.539 in the praying, trusting soul to be reached by 00:08:47.539 --> 00:08:52.480 external disturbances. God's peace will rule 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:54.639 in your heart. That peace is a divine peace, 00:08:54.659 --> 00:08:59.740 but it's also a deciding peace. The peace of 00:08:59.740 --> 00:09:02.559 God will rule, it says. The word rule is used 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:06.080 only here in all of the New Testament. It means 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:12.919 to act as a referee, to call the decision. I 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:15.480 hope all of you watched Kentucky win yesterday. 00:09:17.240 --> 00:09:19.879 I am very grateful that Kansas lost before this 00:09:19.879 --> 00:09:23.820 Final Four because it would have been difficult 00:09:23.820 --> 00:09:28.600 in our home. I am from Kansas, my wife is from 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:35.580 Kentucky, and she is blue. Believe me, big blue, 00:09:36.039 --> 00:09:39.840 through and through. And she watched that game 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:44.139 yesterday from beginning to end. I didn't see 00:09:44.139 --> 00:09:46.279 any calls that were doubtful. There probably 00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:49.759 were some there. You know, it's tough to be a 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:52.259 referee in a game like that, isn't it? A lot 00:09:52.259 --> 00:09:58.919 of pressure. God's peace needs to be the referee 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:02.610 in our lives is what this verse says. It needs 00:10:02.610 --> 00:10:06.830 to arbitrate. It needs to decide every debate. 00:10:08.570 --> 00:10:10.429 Now, in the context here, I wonder if he's not 00:10:10.429 --> 00:10:12.250 saying, look, here's what you're to wear to the 00:10:12.250 --> 00:10:17.610 wedding. You're to wear compassion and forgiveness 00:10:17.610 --> 00:10:21.690 and so on. And he says, if you've got the wrong 00:10:21.690 --> 00:10:23.529 clothes on, the peace of God is going to blow 00:10:23.529 --> 00:10:25.610 the whistle on you. You're not going to have 00:10:25.610 --> 00:10:29.210 peace in your life. Do you remember when you 00:10:29.210 --> 00:10:33.360 were younger? You were dressing to go out for 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:36.120 a date, or maybe it was some school function. 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:39.539 And as you were about to go out the door, your 00:10:39.539 --> 00:10:42.019 mother said, not in those clothes you're not. 00:10:42.840 --> 00:10:47.120 Do you remember that? The peace of God that says 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:49.220 to you and me, not in those clothes, you're not 00:10:49.220 --> 00:10:53.500 getting ready for the wedding. It blows the whistle 00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:57.360 on us. It arbitrates. It decides for us whether 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:01.830 we have the right clothes on or not. But I think 00:11:01.830 --> 00:11:04.250 by way of application, since he mentions here 00:11:04.250 --> 00:11:06.769 the body of Christ, he is saying within the body 00:11:06.769 --> 00:11:11.809 too, we need to guard peace. Let God's peace 00:11:11.809 --> 00:11:16.289 decide the conflicts and the differences in the 00:11:16.289 --> 00:11:20.450 church. Be careful that we do not disturb the 00:11:20.450 --> 00:11:24.049 peace that God desires for us to experience in 00:11:24.049 --> 00:11:28.460 the body. In Ephesians it says, preserve the 00:11:28.460 --> 00:11:33.059 unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. For 00:11:33.059 --> 00:11:38.940 there is one body, one spirit, just as you were 00:11:38.940 --> 00:11:43.799 called also in one hope of your calling. And 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:46.940 so he uses the very same kind of language there 00:11:46.940 --> 00:11:51.600 in Ephesians 4 as he does in Colossians 3, reminding 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:56.740 us that we have been called into one body. And 00:11:56.740 --> 00:12:00.980 as one body, in all of our diversity we are to 00:12:00.980 --> 00:12:06.840 let the peace of God rule and govern. The peace 00:12:06.840 --> 00:12:09.960 of God is divine and deciding. It's also destiny. 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.500 It is a destiny peace because the peace of God 00:12:14.500 --> 00:12:18.639 is part of our birthright to enjoy. Paul says 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:23.039 that we are called to this peace. We are called 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:27.009 in the first place to have peace with God. through 00:12:27.009 --> 00:12:32.029 our Lord Jesus Christ. God is no longer at war 00:12:32.029 --> 00:12:38.769 with us. We are no longer at war with God. There 00:12:38.769 --> 00:12:42.750 is peace between us because of the work of the 00:12:42.750 --> 00:12:47.509 cross. Because we have trusted in the Savior. 00:12:47.610 --> 00:12:51.070 We have been justified by faith and hostility 00:12:51.070 --> 00:12:54.500 has ceased. There is peace with God. I hope you 00:12:54.500 --> 00:12:57.340 have that peace with God this morning as a Christian. 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:01.899 Then he says that we also are heirs of the peace 00:13:01.899 --> 00:13:05.740 of God. The peace like we're talking about here. 00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:10.580 The peace that we are destined to enjoy, Jesus 00:13:10.580 --> 00:13:15.559 said on that night before he went to the cross. 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:21.600 Peace, I leave with you. Now here is one who 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:24.799 is facing death by crucifixion within hours. 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:29.679 Here is one who is about to undergo suffering 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:33.919 unlike any man has ever endured, and he knew 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:36.899 it, and yet he says to his disciples, peace, 00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:42.639 I leave with you. He says, my peace I give to 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:47.399 you. I don't know what you are passing through, 00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:50.179 or what you may be about to pass through, but 00:13:50.179 --> 00:13:54.320 this I do know, the peace of God is your birthright. 00:13:57.080 --> 00:13:59.659 And while you can choose to be disturbed and 00:13:59.659 --> 00:14:05.519 upset and anxious, you can also choose to enjoy 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:08.879 the birthright that God's given you, His peace 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:13.919 in the midst of those circumstances. So enjoy 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:17.090 it. And when you do that, when you choose to 00:14:17.090 --> 00:14:22.029 enter into that peace, you'll be preparing and 00:14:22.029 --> 00:14:24.570 rehearsing for what heaven is going to be like. 00:14:27.129 --> 00:14:29.970 God's peace will rule in your heart. It's a divine 00:14:29.970 --> 00:14:34.710 peace. It is a deciding peace. It is a destiny 00:14:34.710 --> 00:14:37.889 peace. But finally it's also a delicate peace. 00:14:39.529 --> 00:14:46.259 This peace of God is like a fragile plant. It 00:14:46.259 --> 00:14:50.440 blossoms in the right environment. But if you 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:54.240 take away that environment, it tends to wilt. 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.580 And what is the environment? Well, he explains. 00:14:57.580 --> 00:15:06.559 He says, and be thankful. It is the environment 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:11.480 of a thankful spirit in which the peace of God 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:17.159 blooms and flourishes. It is a delicate peace. 00:15:19.220 --> 00:15:22.539 Curtis Vaughan says, in all inner conflicts as 00:15:22.539 --> 00:15:25.179 well as in all disputes and differences among 00:15:25.179 --> 00:15:29.580 Christians, Christ's peace must give the final 00:15:29.580 --> 00:15:33.879 decision. We are to do nothing that would violate 00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:40.059 that peace. Gratitude is intimately associated 00:15:40.059 --> 00:15:49.049 with peace. of God. One man said to another, 00:15:49.149 --> 00:15:52.629 your wife used to be terribly nervous. Now she's 00:15:52.629 --> 00:15:56.570 very calm and collected. What happened? The other 00:15:56.570 --> 00:15:59.190 man said the doctor told her that her nervousness 00:15:59.190 --> 00:16:05.730 was the usual sign of advancing age. Well, I 00:16:05.730 --> 00:16:08.149 suppose that that will do it in some cases, my 00:16:08.149 --> 00:16:11.389 friend, but We have something more than the threat 00:16:11.389 --> 00:16:13.970 of advancing AIDS that should calm our hearts, 00:16:13.990 --> 00:16:18.549 and that is the peace of God. When you and I 00:16:18.549 --> 00:16:21.610 allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts 00:16:21.610 --> 00:16:27.309 and in our fellowship, then we will be rehearsing 00:16:27.309 --> 00:16:30.649 for heaven because, my friend, there will be 00:16:30.649 --> 00:16:36.360 peace in heaven for us to enjoy. Secondly, he 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:39.159 tells us that as we rehearse for heaven, it means 00:16:39.159 --> 00:16:46.379 that Christ's Word will reside in our relationships. 00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:53.379 Verse 16. Let the Word of Christ richly dwell 00:16:53.379 --> 00:16:58.179 within you, it says. A Christ's Word here probably 00:16:58.179 --> 00:17:01.519 means the some message of Jesus Christ, who He 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:06.460 is, and what He has done. on our behalf as our 00:17:06.460 --> 00:17:12.000 Savior, Christ's work, Christ's person. But in 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:14.660 a broader sense, it refers to all that God has 00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:19.019 revealed to us in His living Word, Jesus Christ, 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:23.440 and in His written Word, the Bible. He is saying 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:27.220 that what God has said to us, we are to allow 00:17:27.220 --> 00:17:33.700 to reside, to settle down and to be at home. 00:17:35.020 --> 00:17:39.500 within us. We are to let it take residence and 00:17:39.500 --> 00:17:44.599 not be a stranger. Christ's Word is to be at 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:49.720 home in you. In other words, it is to govern 00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:54.440 our lives. Bob Gromachy writes, it is one thing 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:57.960 for the believer to be in the Word. It is another 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:02.660 for the Word to have free access to all parts 00:18:02.660 --> 00:18:09.910 of his life. Half of the books of the Bible can 00:18:09.910 --> 00:18:12.309 be read in less than 45 minutes. Did you know 00:18:12.309 --> 00:18:16.009 that? And many of those can be read in less than 00:18:16.009 --> 00:18:19.450 20 minutes. And yet so often we say we don't 00:18:19.450 --> 00:18:25.549 have time to read God's Word. The entire Old 00:18:25.549 --> 00:18:27.950 Testament and New Testament can be read in about 00:18:27.950 --> 00:18:37.190 71 hours. One woman I read about has read the 00:18:37.190 --> 00:18:44.170 entire Bible, all 66 books, 143 times, and at 00:18:44.170 --> 00:18:47.509 85 years of age was reading it through again. 00:18:49.609 --> 00:18:55.210 Let what God has said to you be at home in your 00:18:55.210 --> 00:18:59.329 heart. But it means more than just taking the 00:18:59.329 --> 00:19:01.650 Bible in. It means to give our hearts to the 00:19:01.650 --> 00:19:07.640 Bible, giving our hearts to Christ. It means 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:11.579 allowing God and what He has said to us to govern 00:19:11.579 --> 00:19:16.660 our lives. Someone made the statement recently, 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:19.480 I don't care what the Bible says. I'll worry 00:19:19.480 --> 00:19:26.799 about that later. I know what I want to do. Now 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:28.819 before we point the finger at that person, we 00:19:28.819 --> 00:19:31.779 have to back up and say, how often does that 00:19:31.779 --> 00:19:39.869 reflect my own attitude? If the Word of Christ 00:19:39.869 --> 00:19:43.230 is at home within us, it means that it will govern 00:19:43.230 --> 00:19:46.289 our lives, and we will submit to what it says, 00:19:46.650 --> 00:19:48.869 even if what it says doesn't agree with what 00:19:48.869 --> 00:19:57.269 we want to do. God's Word is to be at home in 00:19:57.269 --> 00:20:02.809 you. But not only that, when God's Word resides 00:20:02.809 --> 00:20:04.670 in your relationships, it will not only be at 00:20:04.670 --> 00:20:08.589 home in you, it will be a help to others. Because 00:20:08.589 --> 00:20:12.150 the Apostle says after it's residing in you, 00:20:12.250 --> 00:20:15.750 then you need to, with all wisdom, teach and 00:20:15.750 --> 00:20:20.789 admonish others. With all wisdom, that is, with 00:20:20.789 --> 00:20:25.869 discretion and with tact. By the leading of God, 00:20:26.170 --> 00:20:30.269 you and I are to teach and to admonish others 00:20:30.269 --> 00:20:34.190 that we have relationships with. To teach them 00:20:34.190 --> 00:20:38.940 means to instruct them in a positive way. To 00:20:38.940 --> 00:20:41.839 teach another what God says doesn't mean to beat 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:45.519 them over the head with the Bible. There are 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:47.460 some people who do that and then they wonder 00:20:47.460 --> 00:20:53.559 why their friend turns against them. We can't 00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:56.599 beat people up with the Bible and expect a positive 00:20:56.599 --> 00:21:01.519 response. That's not wisely teaching them. But 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:04.740 with wisdom we are to instruct to help them understand 00:21:04.740 --> 00:21:09.099 what God has said and we are to admonish. To 00:21:09.099 --> 00:21:13.900 admonish means to warn. It means to correct. 00:21:15.859 --> 00:21:18.160 Back in chapter 1, verse 28, the apostle has 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:20.220 already said something about this. He says, we 00:21:20.220 --> 00:21:24.660 proclaim Christ admonishing every man and teaching 00:21:24.660 --> 00:21:28.319 every man with all wisdom. Same language, isn't 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:31.839 it? But Paul says, here's what I'm doing, and 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:37.210 now you are to do that too. Let God's Word govern 00:21:37.210 --> 00:21:40.650 your life and once it has ruled in your own heart, 00:21:40.690 --> 00:21:43.890 once it is there residing and is at home, then 00:21:43.890 --> 00:21:47.609 you are able to teach others and to warn and 00:21:47.609 --> 00:21:51.650 to correct them, to spare them from the injuries 00:21:51.650 --> 00:21:56.049 that will come to those who ignore God's Word. 00:22:00.190 --> 00:22:04.150 Christ's Word will reside, it says. in your relationship. 00:22:04.430 --> 00:22:07.009 That means that it's at home in you. It means 00:22:07.009 --> 00:22:09.509 that it's a help to others. Thirdly, it means 00:22:09.509 --> 00:22:14.390 that it's a hymn to God. It depends on where 00:22:14.390 --> 00:22:16.809 you put the punctuation in this verse. And in 00:22:16.809 --> 00:22:19.269 the Greek language, Greek New Testament, there's 00:22:19.269 --> 00:22:22.890 no punctuation. And it makes as good a sense 00:22:22.890 --> 00:22:27.450 to me as any. to put together the last part of 00:22:27.450 --> 00:22:30.170 that verse saying, with Psalms and hymns and 00:22:30.170 --> 00:22:33.750 spiritual songs and singing with thankfulness, 00:22:34.329 --> 00:22:37.069 rather than saying, teaching and admonishing 00:22:37.069 --> 00:22:39.109 one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual 00:22:39.109 --> 00:22:48.009 songs. With Psalms and hymns and songs that the 00:22:48.009 --> 00:22:52.650 Spirit generates within us, we're to sing with 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:56.839 with thankfulness in our hearts to God. You see, 00:22:56.839 --> 00:23:00.359 when Christ's Word is at home within us, it will 00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:03.740 not only govern our lives and enable us to help 00:23:03.740 --> 00:23:07.119 others, but it will be reflected back to God 00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:14.880 in a hymn of praise and thanksgiving. Warren 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:17.799 Risby writes, to be filled with the Spirit of 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:22.339 God means to be controlled by the Word of God. 00:23:26.069 --> 00:23:28.349 If you want to understand what he's saying, go 00:23:28.349 --> 00:23:32.250 back to Ephesians 5 verse 18 verse 19 and notice 00:23:32.250 --> 00:23:36.549 that Paul uses a very similar language there 00:23:36.549 --> 00:23:39.630 when he says, and be filled with the Spirit. 00:23:43.710 --> 00:23:45.869 If you compare those two passages, it's hard 00:23:45.869 --> 00:23:47.910 for me to do that with one of my hands tied up 00:23:47.910 --> 00:23:50.829 with this microphone this morning, which I am 00:23:50.829 --> 00:23:53.769 doing because I still am suffering from what 00:23:53.769 --> 00:23:56.630 I had last week. How many of you were not here? 00:23:56.849 --> 00:24:01.529 No, better not ask that. If you missed last week, 00:24:01.650 --> 00:24:04.710 you missed an intermission in the sermon. And 00:24:04.710 --> 00:24:08.349 boy, everybody set up and paid attention. We 00:24:08.349 --> 00:24:10.309 might do that again today, Paul, and that's why 00:24:10.309 --> 00:24:12.970 I have this, as a matter of fact, so I can get 00:24:12.970 --> 00:24:17.049 away from you if I have to cough. But if you 00:24:17.049 --> 00:24:19.609 compare those two passages, you will find that... 00:24:19.450 --> 00:24:21.849 The same results occur when one is filled with 00:24:21.849 --> 00:24:24.650 the Spirit and when one has the Word of God at 00:24:24.650 --> 00:24:29.150 home within him. And so Wiersbe says to be filled 00:24:29.150 --> 00:24:31.369 with the Spirit simply means for the Word of 00:24:31.369 --> 00:24:36.609 God to control you. My friend, the Word of God 00:24:36.609 --> 00:24:41.049 is going to control heaven. The Word of God is 00:24:41.049 --> 00:24:44.990 going to be at home in heaven. And so he tells 00:24:44.990 --> 00:24:47.549 us we're to rehearse right now that Word of God 00:24:47.549 --> 00:24:52.660 being at home in us. so that we're prepared when 00:24:52.660 --> 00:24:58.240 we get there. Now third, verse 17, he tells us 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:01.240 that rehearsing now for our heavenly calling 00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:04.819 means that your service will represent Christ 00:25:04.819 --> 00:25:12.220 in your world. You know, there are a few rules 00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:18.460 in the Bible regarding do or don't. But in the 00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:21.150 New Testament, The Spirit is not so much that 00:25:21.150 --> 00:25:24.910 of rules as that of principles. For God gives 00:25:24.910 --> 00:25:27.329 us a principle. He says, now apply this. And 00:25:27.329 --> 00:25:30.049 that's what verse 17 is. It's a wonderful principle. 00:25:32.410 --> 00:25:36.490 It is a principle for our service. He tells us 00:25:36.490 --> 00:25:40.190 first, regarding our service for Christ, that 00:25:40.190 --> 00:25:46.150 that service embraces our every effort. He says, 00:25:46.309 --> 00:25:50.920 whatever you do, literally, It means, and everything, 00:25:51.220 --> 00:25:55.059 whatever you do. That's not real smooth English, 00:25:55.099 --> 00:25:57.259 so they don't put it that way here, but in the 00:25:57.259 --> 00:26:00.660 text of my Bible, but that's what it means. And 00:26:00.660 --> 00:26:04.960 in everything, whatever you do. So often we divide 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:08.299 the sacred and the secular, don't we? We say, 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:11.539 boy, I've got to be faithful to that Sunday school 00:26:11.539 --> 00:26:14.359 class I'm teaching. I've got to be faithful in 00:26:14.359 --> 00:26:18.200 working in the nursery, and that's great. That's 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:23.210 great. But we ought also to see the work that 00:26:23.210 --> 00:26:28.329 we do on Monday in the office on that computer 00:26:28.329 --> 00:26:34.069 as our service for Christ. Or whatever we do, 00:26:34.509 --> 00:26:37.430 seeing that as an opportunity to serve the Lord. 00:26:37.470 --> 00:26:41.289 It embraces our every effort. God is the Lord 00:26:41.289 --> 00:26:44.970 of both sacred and secular as we divide them. 00:26:45.230 --> 00:26:49.450 There's no difference to Him. Not only does it 00:26:49.450 --> 00:26:51.869 embrace our every effort, it enables our very 00:26:51.869 --> 00:26:57.009 existence. He says you are to do this in the 00:26:57.009 --> 00:27:01.910 name of the Lord Jesus. Now exactly what he means 00:27:01.910 --> 00:27:05.009 here has some debate. There are several ways 00:27:05.009 --> 00:27:08.109 to look at this. But I think the best way is 00:27:08.109 --> 00:27:10.930 to say this, that when you do something in the 00:27:10.930 --> 00:27:14.829 name of someone else, what you are doing there 00:27:14.829 --> 00:27:17.250 is acting as a representative of someone else. 00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:21.140 When you pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, 00:27:21.180 --> 00:27:23.359 you are praying as His representative to the 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:28.400 Father. You recognize the position that you have 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:34.859 as a believer in Him. And you have delegated 00:27:34.859 --> 00:27:39.059 authority given to you. And so you pray in His 00:27:39.059 --> 00:27:43.500 name. You say, in Jesus' name I pray. What says 00:27:43.500 --> 00:27:48.460 here that we're to serve in Jesus' name. We're 00:27:48.460 --> 00:27:51.839 to understand that our existence is all about 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:56.559 being who we are in Jesus Christ and serving 00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:59.859 Him in this world and understanding that He has 00:27:59.859 --> 00:28:04.500 delegated us to be His representatives in all 00:28:04.500 --> 00:28:08.339 of our relationships. So wherever we go, whoever 00:28:08.339 --> 00:28:12.119 we talk with, whatever we do, whatever we say, 00:28:12.779 --> 00:28:15.740 We're to do that remembering that our existence 00:28:15.740 --> 00:28:18.619 is about serving Jesus Christ, and we should 00:28:18.619 --> 00:28:22.660 ask ourselves, at least subconsciously, how can 00:28:22.660 --> 00:28:28.420 I serve Jesus in this situation? Now why is this 00:28:28.420 --> 00:28:30.599 important? Because you're rehearsing. Remember 00:28:30.599 --> 00:28:35.640 that. You're rehearsing. In heaven, you're going 00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:39.950 to serve. There are those who believe, and I 00:28:39.950 --> 00:28:41.769 tend to agree with this, that in the new heavens 00:28:41.769 --> 00:28:44.589 and the new earth, the Lord Jesus Christ is going 00:28:44.589 --> 00:28:47.250 to extend His reign throughout all of that new 00:28:47.250 --> 00:28:54.170 universe through His redeemed Church. And as 00:28:54.170 --> 00:28:56.470 you have faithfully served Him here, He will 00:28:56.470 --> 00:29:01.210 give you part of His Kingdom to rule over. Maybe 00:29:01.210 --> 00:29:06.440 you'll have a planet out there somewhere. And 00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:09.519 you're going to be his representative there, 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:14.240 overseeing that part of his creation and his 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:17.319 kingdom. And so the apostle is saying, you need 00:29:17.319 --> 00:29:20.599 to rehearse right now. Understand that everything 00:29:20.599 --> 00:29:25.420 you do is a rehearsal for what's to come. For 00:29:25.420 --> 00:29:28.440 you will serve our Lord then, even now you are 00:29:28.440 --> 00:29:32.559 to see that everything you do is service for 00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:38.569 Him in the world. During the reign of Oliver 00:29:38.569 --> 00:29:40.789 Cromwell in England, it seems that there was 00:29:40.789 --> 00:29:44.869 a shortage of currency in the British Empire. 00:29:46.470 --> 00:29:50.150 Today there seems to be a shortage of sane beef. 00:29:52.569 --> 00:29:58.849 That's bad, isn't it? Sane cows. But in those 00:29:58.849 --> 00:30:01.230 days there was a shortage of currency, and so 00:30:01.230 --> 00:30:03.490 they searched everywhere to find enough silver 00:30:03.490 --> 00:30:08.019 to melt down. to make some more currency. And 00:30:08.019 --> 00:30:10.559 to their dismay, they could not find any, except 00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:14.599 in the cathedrals where there were statues of 00:30:14.599 --> 00:30:16.680 the saints that were made of the very finest 00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:22.259 of silver. And so Oliver Cromwell replied, let's 00:30:22.259 --> 00:30:25.119 melt down the saints and put them into circulation. 00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:27.980 And dear friend, that's what God needs to do 00:30:27.980 --> 00:30:33.319 today. He wants to melt down his saints and put 00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:40.440 us into circulation in the world. Some of you 00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:44.339 met the gentleman who is the director of the 00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:47.579 Billy Graham crusade when he was here a couple 00:30:47.579 --> 00:30:52.680 of months ago for an event during the week. Rick, 00:30:52.819 --> 00:30:56.019 at a meeting this last week, was telling us about 00:30:56.019 --> 00:31:01.240 being in Charlotte last week. And he and a friend 00:31:01.240 --> 00:31:03.519 of his were in his car. They were driving from 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:05.519 one event to another in a hurry. So they pulled 00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:10.000 in the Wendy's to get a hamburger. And as he 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:12.940 was waiting for the hamburger to come there at 00:31:12.940 --> 00:31:16.880 the window, as you do, you know, the telephone 00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:22.190 rang in his car. And it was Billy Graham. And 00:31:22.190 --> 00:31:24.309 so here he is sitting at Wendy's, getting his 00:31:24.309 --> 00:31:26.390 hamburgers, talking to Billy Graham, and on the 00:31:26.390 --> 00:31:28.170 other side there's a homeless person knocking 00:31:28.170 --> 00:31:31.869 at the window wanting something to eat. And so 00:31:31.869 --> 00:31:34.130 he's got all of these things going on at once. 00:31:34.950 --> 00:31:38.269 But Billy Graham said to him, referring to the 00:31:38.269 --> 00:31:40.789 Minneapolis crusade coming up, you know Rick, 00:31:43.029 --> 00:31:45.390 what it's going to take for God to do what he 00:31:45.390 --> 00:31:49.589 wants to do in Minneapolis, it's going to take... 00:31:50.650 --> 00:31:57.490 broken hearts and bended knees. Doesn't that 00:31:57.490 --> 00:32:02.430 summarize it pretty well? If God is going to 00:32:02.430 --> 00:32:05.150 do what He wants to in the Church of Jesus Christ 00:32:05.150 --> 00:32:07.930 in this area in the coming months, it's going 00:32:07.930 --> 00:32:12.349 to take our broken hearts and our bended knees. 00:32:15.150 --> 00:32:17.430 And as we allow the Lord to break our hearts 00:32:17.430 --> 00:32:20.559 for the lost, and really care and have compassion. 00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:25.740 Be clothed with the heart of compassion for them. 00:32:26.119 --> 00:32:28.640 As we get dressed up as we're supposed to for 00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:32.180 our wedding, and as we rehearse by doing everything 00:32:32.180 --> 00:32:35.299 in the name and as a representative of the Lord 00:32:35.299 --> 00:32:39.720 Jesus Christ, as we do that, then God's going 00:32:39.720 --> 00:32:43.019 to be able to do a mighty work in this area. 00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:45.880 He's already begun. A couple of weekends ago 00:32:45.880 --> 00:32:48.630 there was an event for the youth. down in St. 00:32:49.109 --> 00:32:54.869 Paul, and 11 ,500 teens showed up, paid five 00:32:54.869 --> 00:32:57.589 bucks apiece for tickets to get into this event. 00:32:59.009 --> 00:33:01.029 My understanding is they've never had a response 00:33:01.029 --> 00:33:04.369 like that to that teen event in other cities. 00:33:05.410 --> 00:33:09.829 And out of the 11 ,500 teens that came that night, 00:33:10.710 --> 00:33:15.210 at least 1 ,050 of them came forward at the invitation, 00:33:16.410 --> 00:33:19.809 responded. to what Ron Hutchcraft had to say 00:33:19.809 --> 00:33:22.809 in presenting the gospel to them. More responded 00:33:22.809 --> 00:33:24.490 than that, but the fire marshal wouldn't let 00:33:24.490 --> 00:33:26.130 any more of them in the room where they were 00:33:26.130 --> 00:33:29.890 counseling. It was filled to capacity, so they 00:33:29.890 --> 00:33:35.049 had to turn them away. God is beginning to stir 00:33:35.049 --> 00:33:37.809 in this area, and you and I want to be a part 00:33:37.809 --> 00:33:39.769 of that. We don't want to miss what God wants 00:33:39.769 --> 00:33:43.970 to do. And you and I can be a part of it if we'll 00:33:43.970 --> 00:33:47.910 just start rehearsing. We'll begin letting the 00:33:47.910 --> 00:33:50.910 peace of God rule in our hearts and letting Christ's 00:33:50.910 --> 00:33:55.589 Word reside in our relationships and our service 00:33:55.589 --> 00:33:59.109 representing Christ in our world. Child of God, 00:33:59.130 --> 00:34:03.250 you've been called to glory. God has destined 00:34:03.250 --> 00:34:06.230 you for heaven and so now is the time to rehearse 00:34:06.230 --> 00:34:09.550 and to rehearse well. Are you preparing for it? 00:34:10.769 --> 00:34:17.599 Are you preparing for it? In an article entitled, 00:34:17.800 --> 00:34:21.880 Are We Ready for Heaven, Maurice Irwin points 00:34:21.880 --> 00:34:25.460 out to us that only 34 % of the American people 00:34:25.460 --> 00:34:28.179 who call themselves Christians attend church 00:34:28.179 --> 00:34:33.619 at least once a week. And he goes on to say, 00:34:33.719 --> 00:34:36.960 We sing when all my labors and trials are o 'er, 00:34:36.980 --> 00:34:40.519 and I am safe on that beautiful shore. Just to 00:34:40.519 --> 00:34:43.320 be near the dear Lord I adore will through the 00:34:43.320 --> 00:34:47.230 ages be glory for me. But, he says, unless our 00:34:47.230 --> 00:34:49.389 attitudes toward the Lord and our appreciation 00:34:49.389 --> 00:34:52.630 of Him change greatly, heaven will be more of 00:34:52.630 --> 00:34:57.869 a shock than the glory. We're called to glory. 00:34:58.210 --> 00:35:00.690 Let's keep that before us in this world with 00:35:00.690 --> 00:35:04.789 its trials and its storms. And let's be busy 00:35:04.789 --> 00:35:09.090 rehearsing for what we will inherit for the grace 00:35:09.090 --> 00:35:18.969 of God. Let's pray. With our heads bowed, I wonder 00:35:18.969 --> 00:35:22.150 what the Spirit of God may be saying to you. 00:35:24.429 --> 00:35:27.869 In just a moment, I'm going to open the front 00:35:27.869 --> 00:35:31.429 here for prayer, and if you would like to come 00:35:31.429 --> 00:35:34.349 and have prayer with me after we've dismissed, 00:35:34.429 --> 00:35:37.510 I invite you to slip out and come to the front. 00:35:37.909 --> 00:35:40.190 I don't know what the issue may be in your life 00:35:40.190 --> 00:35:44.269 or what God has said. If you're not a Christian, 00:35:44.329 --> 00:35:47.079 I want to invite you to come. that you might 00:35:47.079 --> 00:35:51.079 trust the Savior. If you are a Christian and 00:35:51.079 --> 00:35:55.460 there is not peace in your heart, Christ's Word 00:35:55.460 --> 00:35:58.760 is not at home within you. You've been ignoring 00:35:58.760 --> 00:36:03.139 it. If you've been living life on your own and 00:36:03.139 --> 00:36:07.119 not his service to Jesus Christ, I want to urge 00:36:07.119 --> 00:36:13.539 you to change today. Commit yourself afresh to 00:36:13.539 --> 00:36:17.030 who you are in Christ. and what Christ has called 00:36:17.030 --> 00:36:21.130 you to become. We're going to sing a verse or 00:36:21.130 --> 00:36:26.010 two of a closing hymn. And when we do, as we 00:36:26.010 --> 00:36:28.309 sing, I want to invite you to flip out and come. 00:36:28.909 --> 00:36:31.349 And just stand here, and then after we've dismissed, 00:36:31.969 --> 00:36:34.389 I'll have prayer with those who come as a group. 00:36:38.909 --> 00:36:45.199 Now, Father, I pray that by the Holy Spirit You 00:36:45.199 --> 00:36:47.159 will accomplish in my heart and the heart of 00:36:47.159 --> 00:36:53.639 every one of us what you want to do. Help us 00:36:53.639 --> 00:36:59.739 to see this life as preparation for heaven. Forgive 00:36:59.739 --> 00:37:02.579 us when we allow this life with all of its concerns 00:37:02.579 --> 00:37:07.599 and its worries to overwhelm us, to take our 00:37:07.599 --> 00:37:12.159 eyes off the goal. Lord, help us to look ahead 00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:17.170 and to get prepared. And to begin that process 00:37:17.170 --> 00:37:22.469 anew perhaps even today. In Jesus' name, Amen.