Our scripture reading for this morning is the second half of Psalms 105, starting at verse 22. And for those who may not have heard John read the first half last week, it's a summary of the Exodus. It's really neat that we can read these songs and without having to go back and read the whole book of Exodus, we can hear all the wonderful, great works our Lord has done as he saved. saved his people from it from the Israelites from the Pharaoh. You know honestly the Lord doing the same thing today saving his people. So it's a great look back starting in verse 22 Psalms 105 to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his senators wisdom. Israel also came into Egypt and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham and he increased his people greatly and made them stronger than their enemies. He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtly with his servants. He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They shewed his signs among them and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and made it dark, and they rebelled not against his word. He turned their waters into blood and slew their fish. Their land brought forth frogs in abundance in the chambers of their kings. He spake. and there came diverse sorts of flies and lice in all their coasts. He gave them hail for rain and flaming fire in their land. He smote their vines also and their fig trees. He break the trees of their coasts. He spake and the locusts came and caterpillars and that without number and did eat up all the herbs in their land and devoured the fruit of their ground. He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength. He brought them forth also with silver and gold, and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them fell upon them. He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night. The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out, they ran in the dry places like a river. For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant. He brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness, and gave them the lands of the heathen, and they inherited the labor of the people, that they might observe his statute and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord. And may the Holy Spirit add blessing to the scripture. Thank you, Brother Mike. We're going to go right into the message this morning, again. Do you have your bulletins with you this morning? Open your bulletins, if you would, to the inside page, right underneath the words of announcements. If you don't have a bulletin with you, allow me to read for you from it. Our brother Don Fortner wrote an article, and Kathy put this in here. I knew it was there, but I didn't think about it during the time I was considering for this message. But it goes right along with it, and that's why I want to open with it rather than singing a song of him. This is the same thing. We're praising our Lord. We're giving Him all the glory. That's what singing is. Look at these words. He titles his article, The Evidence, and he takes his thoughts from Hebrews 11, verse 1, and we'll get to that in just a moment, but he says, The only evidence I have of my saving interest in Christ is faith in Christ. And I read that slowly. I want that to sink into us. Because we're going to be looking at something today, and we're going to be looking at a certain subject, and I want to bring it out, how important it is for us to have faith. The Lord says in John 3.16, Whosoever believeth. Those who have faith in the true God. This is the evidence. Go on with this. All other evidence, He says, all other confidence, all other assurance, I altogether repudiate, meaning throw it out, meaning put it away, I don't even bother wanting to think about it. When Satan accuses me, when my own heart condemns me, when my sin torments me, when I examine myself, and I do so constantly, I find comfort, now this is important, We're going to see something here about the fruit of the Spirit in a moment. He says, I find comfort, peace, and assurance only by faith in Christ. Oh, this is so important. This is so good. By faith in Christ. And faith is the evidence enough. God says that it is enough, and my conscience says it is enough. Faith, this is that verse, Hebrews 11 verse 1, faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. Don closes, he says, I have blessed I have blessed, confident assurance that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that I am chosen of God, redeemed by Christ, born again, called, sanctified, and preserved unto life everlasting because I believe that Jesus is the Christ." Remember the woman by the well? What did she run and tell the folks there in the town? She goes, Come and see a man who knows all things. I believe He's the Christ. That's what I do every Sunday, every Friday night. I come before you and I tell you this. I believe He's the Christ. The very one who hung on that cross. I believe He is my Savior. That's the only evidence Don is talking about. We believe. Now, I'd like to ask you if you would turn to the book of Galatians. And while you're turning there, allow me to read two verses for you. The first one from John 15, verse 26. Listen to this, as you're turning to Galatians chapter 5. But when the Comforter is come, the Comforter, you know who the Comforter is? Who does God send to comfort our hearts? The Spirit. The Spirit of God, when the Comforter comes, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me. Isn't that interesting? The Spirit, when He comes into our hearts, God Almighty, the Spirit, testifies of Christ. Let me read another one for you over in John 16, verse 13, where it says this, he says, How be it when He, the Spirit of truth, is come? He will guide you into all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself. I want us to grasp this, folks. I'll get ahead of myself if I'm not careful. Let me finish reading. He shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever ye shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you the things to come. So we see here the Spirit of God speaks of Christ. Now, if the Spirit of God is speaking of Christ, isn't that the fruit? Wouldn't you consider that fruit? You know, most people, when they think of fruit of the Spirit, they want to think about the things that they see within themselves. Look here at Galatians chapter 5, verse 22 through 26. Oops, I'm in Ephesians wrong. That's the wrong one. Go back to Galatians. Right there. Galatians 5. Okay. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law. And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of famed glory, provoking one another, envying one another. And because of those last two verses there, the world, who believes that men can turn God by their actions, have concluded that these words Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, are things that we can look to in our lives for convincing us that we are of God. If you'll just do this, is what they say, and then when you do it, they say, see there, you're saved of God. Folks, I have love in me, but I don't have the love of God that He requires. I have joy in me, but I don't have the joy that God requires. I have peace, but I don't have the peace that God requires. Long-suffering, gentleness, goodness and faith, meekness and temperance. I just don't see that stuff in me very well. Maybe you do. Maybe you see yourselves as pretty good people. In this world we might be. But we've got to stop comparing ourselves to what we see in the world and compare ourselves to the perfect one. You want to make a comparison with yourself to something? Compare yourselves to Christ. The God-man, the perfect one. Now turn over to the book of Acts. Acts chapter 8. And while you're turning over there, allow me to read a and truth. Now, if you're thinking about goodness, and you're a child of God, if you're thinking about righteousness, and you're a child of God, if you're thinking about truth, and you're a child of God, what are you thinking about? You're thinking about the Savior, are you not? Isn't that what we're talking about here? I've had this blessed conversation, and I mean blessed. I have been very blessed with it. You know why? Because it's caused me to dive into God's Word and consider what this fruit of the Spirit is. Is there fruit in our walk before God? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Just like Don said, though, that's not what we look at for any assurance whatsoever. In fact, looking at it can cause us more troubles than it's not. This conversation came about, you recall a couple weeks back I brought a message to you titled, The Difference. It was in Part A and Part B, remember? What's the difference between me now and what I was before God called me out of darkness? And we brought out how the biggest difference is now I see sin for what it is. I see how much I have earned God's wrath. But I also see the abomination of desolation in all of the world's religions. I see the men standing in the pulpits preaching about a Christ who can't do anything. Which gives me a picture of the true Christ. It's that black backdrop where the diamond shines forth and the diamond is Jesus Christ who salvation is of the Lord. Do I walk differently? Ask her. That'd be a better person to ask. Ask some friends. I'm going to go have dinner with some friends that I haven't seen for a long time. Just because our lives have gone a different direction. They're great people. They're wonderful people. But our lives have gone a different direction. Ask them what they see in John Reeves. All I see when I get up in the morning is sin. From the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. One who can't do anything right and needs a Savior. A conversation brought up, well John, what about the fruit of the Spirit? Isn't there some kind of evidence in it? Remember the whole thing that brought that message together was somebody walked in and said, John, isn't there some kind of difference? Can you tell me what the difference is between us now? Shouldn't we be a different people? Yeah, absolutely. Now, there's a phrase, it's called, or it goes like this, expository preaching. And what that is, that's a phrase, and it's nothing more than to speak with the intent of explaining something in detail, breaking it down word for word, or describing a certain point. In fact, this is what we do exactly when we come to the Bible studies in the morning. We're in a book that Don Fortner wrote titled Basic Bible Doctrine, and it takes us to all these different scriptures. In fact, where we are right now, there's like 15 different verses that he takes us to to show us one point. And we look at each one of those verses very carefully at the wording of it. We expound from the scriptures, that's what expository verse by verse, looking for the jewels, the diamonds our Lord has in store for His sheep. And of course, anything that He reveals of Himself is our jewel, isn't it? That's our diamond, that's what we come for. So we search the Scriptures from which is eternal life. In Luke chapter 24, verse 27, The Apostle Luke writes, and beginning at Moses, speaking and quoting from Christ, and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded from them, and I talk about all the Old Testament Scriptures, in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself. He preached an expository message, expounding everything from the Old Testament Scriptures. to things concerning yourself. In John 5, verse 39, we read these words. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. So we see that the Lord encourages us and teaches us to look into His Word, but what are we going to find? He's not telling us to go into His Word to find how I'm supposed to walk today. He's telling us to look for Him. That's where our eternal life lays, with the Savior, the Lord Jesus. Now I've spent the last few months randomly selecting scriptures from this and from that, bringing the message from here or from there. But each one has been an expounding, an explanation of, or a point to be made. And the point is always the same, isn't it? Now I was hoping that young lady would be here again today, because she'd hear the same message that she heard last week. She'd hear the same message that you have been hearing for the last five years. That's all I got. I don't want anything else. I was telling a dear brother over in Florida this morning, Billy, and don't ask me to pronounce his last name, it's Greek, Agropolis, or something like that. I was telling him this morning, my pastor taught me, you get on the road to Christ, you stay there, and you can't go wrong. The message is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The Lord Himself expounded on the things concerning Himself. This is the message God uses to call His sheep, to save His sheep and to keep His sheep. Practical godly living calls nothing. It saves nothing. It keeps nothing. Practical godliness is important. Don't misunderstand me. We love our Lord and His law, and we truly desire to walk the life of godliness. That's my true desire. I want to. But knowing what I am before God, Shows me that what I do is just like what Paul says, even the good that I do, I see evil. Doesn't mean I go out and commit evil because I don't have to worry about it. That's bolonialism. We walk in holiness to be a beacon of light to those of the world if we could. But our walk is not what we take any confidence in, as we read in Don's article. Men turn from something and then they start to see a righteousness in themselves. And the next thing you know, it's no longer Christ one needs. It's all about me. Isn't it? Isn't that why we come to the table of remembrance? to remind us that it's not us, it's Him? Listen to Matthew chapter 6, verse 1. Take heed... I pause, I want you to catch this. This is the Lord Jesus speaking. If you're a child of God, this love letter He has inspired men to write is Him writing to you. Writing to me. Not to the world. The world don't hear God. They don't believe Him. He said to some unbelieving Jews, you don't believe me. You don't hear the word I preach because you're not my sheep. He says, my sheep hear my voice. So He's speaking to you. He's speaking to me. He says, take heed. In other words, caution. Hold up, there's a red flag coming your way. Take heed that you do not your alms. giving your good works, your whatever you want to call it, whatever you want to use as your alms, do not your alms before men. I made the mistake one time of giving without making it secret. The next thing I know, I was being raised up before others. John did this. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't want you telling anybody. This is just something between you and I. I don't want you sharing it with everybody else. Because I know what's in my heart. What's in my heart is, yeah, see what I did for him? Yeah. Don't take. Do not your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doest alms, Let not thy left hand know what the right hand doeth. Not only don't do it before men, when you do it, try to put it away. Try not to think about it again. Try not to bring it up for yourself, because our minds are weak, folks. Our minds are weak as the flesh is. We're going to puff it up. We're going to make it something more than we should. that thine alms may be in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." Folks, we do not speak of our good deeds, but the deeds of Him who gave Himself for our sins. There's plenty of instruction on what and how one should walk in this life. I don't need to tell you what's right from wrong. Every single one of you know good of evil. I can say that with confidence. There's a young man over in Wheatland in his 20s who is, let's just say special. He struggles with thinking the way most humans do. You don't have to tell him what's right from wrong. He knows it. It's part of our DNA. It's what we've inherited from Adam and Eve when they ate of the fruit. Remember what the Lord says, you'll know good from evil? We know what's good and what's wrong. And there's plenty of things in the Bible to tell you if you really don't know. There's plenty of things in there to tell you as you go through the Word, all the Word, the whole counsel of God. We will see the walk that we should be walking, but that will not be the focus of the message today if we preach, if the preacher is of God. Christ preached. Christ. God's preachers. Preach Christ. The law is no more than a schoolmaster to show us our need of Christ. Our failure to keep it in any way is what draws us to our Savior, and we speak of Him and Him alone. Look at this example with me. Are you in that book of Acts chapter 8? Look at verse... Look at verse 26. And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go into the south, into the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is a desert. Go out into a desert place, where there is no water, Where there's nothing living, where it's all dead. Doesn't that look like the world to you? When it comes to the truth of God, isn't that what the world looks like? We see religion everywhere, but it's all dead. Very few places I know of where the life is preached. over in Marysville, down in San Diego, up in the Dalles. Lord hasn't given me anywhere else. I'm not saying there's not anywhere else. I'm just saying there's very few places. There's half a million churches probably between California, Oregon, and Washington. I can only mention four that I know of. If there's more, I'd love to know who they are. I'd love to. I'd love to send him our support as far as at least to let him know we're praying for him. Go out into the desert, verse 27, and he arose and went. He didn't mess around. He wasn't like Jonah. He went. He didn't run from God. He went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia and a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for a worship. He was returning and sitting in his chariot, reading Isaiah, the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near and join thyself to his chariot. And Philip ran thither. He did exactly what God told him to do. He ran and he heard him read the prophet Isaiah. And he said, Understand thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man guide me? And he desired, Philip, that he would come up and sit with him. And the place of the Scripture which he read was this, he was led of the sheep to slaughter, and like a lamb done before his shearers, so opened he not his mouth. And in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Now, look at this next verse. Very, very carefully. And Philip opened his mouth and began the same Scripture and preached unto them, Jesus. Does it get any more clear than that, Mike? No. Paul wrote this. Listen to 1 Corinthians 2. He said, For I determined not to know anything I don't want to know what you're doing in life. I've determined not to know anything but save you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That was Paul's message. Folks, I encourage you to walk as children of light. I encourage you to go out into the world declaring Now, I don't mean standing on a street corner or on the overpass. There's a guy down here on the overpass that cracks me up. He's got a t-shirt that clearly says John 316 on it. And he stands on the overpass doing this all day long. Every time I go by, he's there. Now, I'm not suggesting you go do that. I'm not suggesting you stand on a street corner like another man that I used to see, where the traffic doesn't even stop. It's one of those lanes where you don't have to stop at the red light. You just keep right on going and then merge in. You know what I'm talking about. And he stands out there with his Bible and I have no idea what he's saying, but I know he's thumping his Bible like this. Live your life for God. That's talking to me, not you. Live your life for God. The book of James is very instructive on our godly walk. But as we read in chapter 2, faith is what drives our works. Look over at James chapter 2 with me for just a moment. Leave the book of Acts and go over to James for just a moment. We'll look at that quickly and just a couple of verses there. James chapter 2. beginning at verse 19. Thou believest, this is James chapter 2, verse 19. Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well. Live your life for God, there's only one. The devils also believe and tremble. That kind of scares you a little bit, doesn't it? You mean, it's not that I just believe there is a God? No. Do you believe that He is your God? Verse 20, But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? That word perfect actually means exposed. Our faith in God causes us to act like we know God in the world. I was on a motorcycle ride with Kathy. I've shared this with you before. We were looking at some of the most wondrous cliffs of Canada. The ice fields. Thousands of feet cliffs. Thousand foot cliffs. Two thousand foot cliffs. And above that another sheet of ice another thousand feet. So you had the darkness of the rock of the cliff and then you had this beautiful turquoise ice. Absolutely gorgeous. See what God hath made? That's living for God. Ah! I'm in another red light. Well, God's protecting me from And the scripture was fulfilled, verse 23, which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was what? Counted, imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called a friend of God. You see then how that by works a man is justified, or put right, and not by faith only? What it's telling us here is that if you say that God is your God, the true and living God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and then you go out here and you start worshipping that you've done something, then you're lying. Something's wrong. You're telling people that God is almighty over all things, and then you're telling them, and then you're going out and worshipping with people who say, it's up to you. That's just as simple as it gets, folks. Likewise, verse 25, also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and sent them out in another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Now look back at verse 18 of that very same chapter. Yea, a man may say thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Because I believe God, I meet with those who believe Him in truth. Because I believe God, I come together with God's people and worship the true and living God according to His Word. Notice not once did I talk about how I walk in the world. It's coming to worship God by faith. not by sight. Our actions as we walk through this life reflect what we believe. Abraham believed the promises of God and he acted upon that through faith. Are you getting the picture here, what I'm talking about? What is the true What is it that those words that we read about the fruit of the Spirit point us to? It points us to our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. It points us to Him. You have peace in this world, it's because you believe Him. And you believe Him because He's given you the gift of faith. He's the author and the finisher of our faith, is He not? Turn over to Romans chapter 4. Abraham's actions were not the reasons that righteousness was imputed to him. His faith was. He believed God. Look here at verses 1-5 of Romans chapter 4. as pertaining to the flesh hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what saith the scripture, Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness? Now to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh what? Not We have to grasp a hold of that. To Him that worketh not. We don't need to look to the fruit of the Spirit as something we're doing. It's the fruit of the Spirit that's revealing Christ in us. And Christ in us is the hope of glory looking to Him for everything. I wish I could get that in my head. I wish I could wrap my mind around that and hold on to it. with everything I've got. Thankfully, he's holding on to me, because otherwise I'd fall off. Go on. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him, that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. What did it say back there? What did they say that the fruit of the Spirit was? The fruit of the Spirit is goodness? Didn't our Lord say there is none good, no not one, when it comes to human flesh? Righteousness? Didn't our Lord tell us that our righteousness is like filthy rags? And truth? Jesus Christ is truth. He's our truth. You see where I'm going with this? You see how the fruit of the Spirit points us right to Christ, just as everything else? What did I say the Spirit does? The Spirit speaks of the Lord Jesus. If the Spirit speaks of Christ, what is the fruit of the Spirit? It's Christ! Christ in us, the hope of glory. When our Lord gives us the gift of faith to believe on Him, all these other things, will follow as a result of that faith that He gives us. We're not going to do it like He did it. We're not going to be perfect like Him until He takes us out of this flesh of this world. When our Lord gives us that gift, we believe on Him. Scripture tells us that whosoever believeth on the Lord, Jesus Christ shall have everlasting life. This always is the message. Grace. Grace. Christ and Him crucified. That's grace. It was grace that brought salvation down to man. It was grace that shed His blood on that cross. It was grace that keeps you and I this very moment by our high priest sitting on his throne today saying, I've paid the price. They're mine. When the accuser comes and says, what about what John did over here? The Lord says, I paid the price. What about what I did over here, Wendy? The Lord says, I paid the price for her. That's good news. That's great news. That's the gospel. Oh, for grace. All the way my Savior leads me. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and he said, and he expounded the jewels of Christ. Christ is the only jewel worth looking for. I want to see where my Lord speaks of His love for His people. Listen to these words from Jeremiah 31 verse 3. The Lord hath appeared unto me of old, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness I have drawn thee." Do you feel like you slip away sometimes? Oh folks, Christ loved us so much that He gave His only, His life for us. How shall He not give us all things? If He's willing to give His life, is there anything He would hold from you? I want to see where my Lord teaches me to look to Him as my Savior. John 3 verse 14-15, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. I want to see the grace He bestows upon me, a sinner deserving His wrath, but a recipient of His mercy, as we read in Romans 5, 6, for when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. My heart burns with great love for the One who first loved me when I hear about Him. More about Jesus would I know, more of His love to others show, more of His saving fullness see, more of His love who died for me. This is the desire of all of God's preachers. Why didn't I bring out more about Jesus in that day of what's different about John? Because there's only so much time I get from you. You want to come hang out with me some more? I'll tell you more. Next week I'm going to preach on His will for me. Lord will it. Did you catch that? I'm preaching on His will. The Lord will it. May you have more grace. May you have more mercy. May you have more peace. Look over to Ephesians chapter 5. One verse. Ephesians 5 verse 9. I read this for you at the beginning, but I want you to read it. I want the Lord to speak to you. I want God to have a message for you here. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness. It doesn't say part goodness, not goodness sometimes, not goodness once in a while, and truth. Oh, folks. The truth of the matter is this, if I hold anything else up but Christ, John Reeves is going to try to get mixed into it and puff up his pride. I can tell you this, there's no peace in what we will see in the mirror. We have no confidence in this flesh. People of God see throughout the Scriptures the flesh is weak. We can have no confidence in our flesh. We look to our God, Jesus Christ our Lord. He is our only hope. He is the one I take comfort in. He is the one I can count on. His promises are true and sure, and He will keep me from singing, keep me singing these words, just a closer walk with Thee, granted Jesus is my plea. Let it be, Lord, let it be.