You. All right, we're looking at chapter one, number three. The first five verses. All that are locus, servants
of Jesus Christ, all the saints in Christ Jesus, that your head
fill up with high, with fish and beacons, praise be unto you
and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God on every remembrance of you, always in every prayer
of mine for you all, making requests with joy for your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day until now. This Friday will
mark the 10th anniversary of us being here, coming here to
Rocky Mountain. These have been 10 wonderful
years for me. It really has. I'm going to speak,
I'm going to do it this way. Both good times and bad times.
Most of the good times. Very few disturbances.
Very few. you know, on one hand with it.
And while some people have come and some have gone, most, by
God's grace, are safe. And I'm thankful for that. I'm
still looking at the same places that I looked at when I first
looked at it ten years ago. And I'm very thankful for that. 10 years. I thought it would
be athletes saying that renegotiate their contracts, you know, succumb
to the end of their contracts and they threaten to leave if
they don't get a multi-year deal, you know, worth up to a million
dollars. Well, I tell you what, I'm willing
to sign a 40-year extension. And I'm going to take a treadmill.
How's that? You'll sign me on for another
40 years. If I can do it, I can do it. I mean that. What can I say in sum of my feelings? I've got to thank Philippians
1 here. It says it all, Paul. Let's look
at these verses. Let me see these verses, and
why I was so happy. So he called the columbians,
the servants of Jesus Christ, and all the saints in Christ
Jesus, which are at Philadelphia. And I'm telling this message
to the saints at Central. And I can say, I didn't have
much, but I called him in, to the Saints. I called in him,
speaking for our sister pastor. The other day, on the phone,
my parents were commenting to me after leaving here, and commented
to me what one time they had for kid services and fellowship
that they had with you and mom. Went on to comment and say, it's
just such a blessing, such sweet fellowship there. She said, that's
why you're studying it. I said, is she always? Doesn't
mean anywhere else. So, you know, I could write and
say Paul and Henry, the saints, the saints. There's a choice
of saints here, and what it means to be a saint is in verse 1 there,
it means to be in Christ Jesus. That's what a saint means. This
saint is not made a saint by that wrinkled old fellow with
a fish on his head over in Rome. No. The word saint comes from
the word sanctify, to be set apart for holy use, and that's
God's Holy Spirit who separates the people unto himself. God
chooses them, gives them to Christ, saved, and the Holy Spirit comes
and looks for the blood on them, calls them by the gospel, and
separates them from the rest of the world. That's what it
means to be a saint. And what he does is he puts him
in Christ Jesus for some people. That's salvation in, in two words,
in Christ. In Christ. Sanctified. Set apart. Accepted. Into the Lord. This
is all by God's grace, verse 2. He says, grace him, you. It's
all by God's grace, isn't it? We attribute it to all that we
are, not to be impossible. All I am, what I am, not the
grace of God. Know what I know, not the grace
of God. What do we have that we
have not received? And so we thereabouts act as
if we did receive. Everything there are, everything
we know, everything we will be or have or know is not the grace
of God. Grace is grace. You give it more grace. Grace,
oh grace, unto you. Saints, it says, don't... It's
precious. Grace unto you. God has been
so gracious, hasn't he? We just don't know. We just don't
know. Grace unto you. Great grace. Top of grace. Unto you. called us by his grace, saved
us by his grace, and peace. Peace. This world is so evil
of God, aren't they? So evil. I've been reading lately
about the majesty, the holiness, the glory, the justice of God,
and how God is to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and
how God is a consuming fire, and how God is going to consume
this world with the breath of His mouth, His nostrils, and
men have no fear of God before their eyes. The name of God is
being blasphemed on every tongue. He uses a combination of God. Oh God, we have been so gracious
to put the fear of God in us and peace. Not only do we have
peace, but this God is the consuming fire of Jesus Christ, the chastisement
we should have gotten. Look with me. Punishment is ready
on him. I am shocked to be the God of
peace. Now if he's just angry with us,
he's not. He loves us. Because of Christ. Because of grace, that's why.
And verse 3, so when Paul says, I thank my God. I thank my God for every remembrance
you do. I like the way Paul says, my
God. You know, they're a man's liar.
You know, I told you I was going to preach on the first page of
315, and I did. That's it. You can trust me anymore. But, when I got up, I think,
when I got up, and we're going to look at that door a little,
there's something more. I keep it coming, you know, in
anticipation. And we hope with a Sunday morning,
that's a good Sunday morning message, a message in the mission,
to see the difference. And we try to set it apart, see
how our God set it apart completely. But that's what we say concerning
our God, my God, my God, our God, everybody's not like everybody
else. Everybody's not like everybody
else. God's been great, but so far great today is not about
my God. God being a priest today doesn't
represent my God. The gospel? Not my gospel. That Jesus? Not my Lord. Right? I gotta pray for my God here. I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you. Every time I think of you, Paul
said, this is what he says to St. Philip I, this is my dear. I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you, every mention of you, every time I think of you, I
thank him for you. Verse 4. Always, in every prayer,
every time I pray, Paul said, I thank God for you all. Everyone, bring up your names. I do it every day for the throne
of grace. Thank God for you all. So y'all,
bring your names up before God. Make him request good joy. Make
him request. I had a lot of requests for myself. I had a lot of needs. I'm a poor
and needy man. But really, I had all the things. And so my chief request to you,
I can request from you, your joy, your peace, your prosperity,
and I do it with joy, not duty. That's hard. I hired him for
praise. And Jesus said, with love and joy, with love and joy. And he said, now I thank God,
verse 5, for your fellowship and adoption, from the first
day until now. Now I thank God. I remember the way
it was, just like yesterday. First coming in March 12th, 1989,
in Mississippi, almost due today. It snowed. I remember, that was
a Saturday, no, not March 12th, Sunday. He came here the day
before Saturday. And you may recall, we stayed,
Jim and Nancy went to Cherokee, where he used to preach. And
we stayed in their home. You remember that? Yeah, I have,
with some things. At any rate, I remember snowing. Saturday night, it snowed ten
inches. I remember waking up in the morning,
well, if it snowed when I was all the way down, we'd make it
to the lake here. But I remember thinking, well, fine. Why did
they want to do this? I also remember being greeted
at Ledger about ten-thirds of the next morning. I didn't even
know who was there. You remember Ledger? And I remember
calling this fella named Joe Parks. I had no idea who Joe
Parks was. Somebody gave me his, his uh,
didn't know what he looked like. I was using his name to call
in case I needed anything. I called Joe Marks. Where does
that go? And I said, Joe, what do you
think? He looks out the window, you
know. He said, well, it should clear
up. I said, yeah, the street's clear. He said, I'm here. I'm
with him. And everybody said, well, yeah,
we believe you. You didn't fight a few. You did. If your body could be here, I
believe it's here at that time. That's a test. I don't know now
why, but that's a test for me and you. Because, you know, we
would have started snow before I left Ashford. And I remember
talking to him on the phone, and he said, well, it's going
to look bad. I don't know if you want to make it, but I'm
just waiting on it. I said, I don't care. I don't know why. I mean, I would have just come
and preached. I wouldn't have come to Ashford. I would have
done it. Maybe he's not in, but I'm not. I was too pale to tell him. We were coming. We got the car
loaded up. Okay, that's what I swore to you. That's the case.
And you showed it. And, uh, I remember I heard of
George preaching. Now, preaching is funny business.
It's a nerve-wracking thing. To me, it's not only just standing
up in front of people, opening your mouth, And while I had done
it a little bit, you know, here and there for a few years, off
and on, I was never in any extent of the period of leadership or
what have you. But I remember it was absolutely
no nerve as far as coming here and preaching to the people I
did not know, generally speaking. None whatsoever. I don't remember
a sweet fellowship. Not with anyone in particular.
I don't remember any one person in particular. The first time
I came here, back in 1985, I came here to see this woman. To just
fill in. And, uh, I don't remember anybody
but Barbara Ross. I'm not going to say why, but
I do remember. Barbara was just so personal. She came down and said something
to me that just, you know, just spoke her mind. And I've grown
to love and appreciate that in Barbara ever since. But as far
as people don't know and I remember, that night, or the next night,
or four years later, I don't remember anybody in particular,
but I remember everybody in general. I had such a good time. I hate that, because it's whitewater. But I remember everybody in general. I remember driving home. It may
be a night. We didn't have much conversation
going on. That's just how life ended. We didn't have much to say, I
think. I don't know why, but we were
both afraid to say anything. She's afraid to say that she
really enjoyed it here. Afraid that it won't go. I was afraid to say it, too. Afraid she wouldn't want it.
But in fact, I look back now and I see that he would have
loved that first sight if there was. Now I don't really love
the first sight when it comes to Dayton, but I do when it comes
to Josh Peel. But we drove home and she finally
started talking and I was listening. Now you've heard all this before. I enjoy thinking back on all
this. You know, it's a good problem. The way God makes people's hearts. And I was due to start school,
John, I was due to start school the next day. I enrolled in electronics
school, a pursuit of computer technology degree. I did what
you used to do. I was due to start the next day. Now, women. They like security. They like job security. They
like to know that you're, you know, that everything is, that
you're, they like to plan your whole day for you. Just look
at them. I remember when the, when I retired
from the railroad. I had been all night, well I'd
been gone for about 36 hours on the road and came back in. I think it was my last trip on
the railroad. I came back in, the city was
about 2am when I got in. And I went to bed, and then he
woke me up about, I guess it was about 7 or 8. And all I remember was my hands. I hadn't even been up for like
8 hours either. Well, to make a long story short,
we decided to maybe go to school for a little bit, you know, something
like that. Well, it was due to start the
next day. And I said, oh, that's so dead.
And then on the way home, he said, uh, he was having a look.
He said this. He said, maybe I should just put off on
school. Let's see what the Lord has in
store for us. Now, that's just my, my character. And I told you before about that
little group that would pretty soon, almost a year, travel back
and forth to preach here up in Western Virginia. I wanted to
go. She never did want to. She never did feel good about
that. I remember talking to those pastors
about the call. And I remember them saying, well,
my pastor especially said, if God called him, he would call
you back too. That's the way it is with everything. Your heart's the same thing.
If you divide it, here's your answer. If you divide it, then
break it. If you divide the same thing,
you don't break it. All right. And listen to my mother's
wife. I did. I listened to her many,
many times. When she said, put it off, I said, OK. Well, that
week, I don't know what exactly transpired,
but anyway, but Tim James did come preach for me the next Sunday
on the 19th, March 19th. And I remember, I do remember
too, I remember telling some of the brethren that I would
be willing to come back next Sunday. And it kind of was a
mutual request. And Tim will do the cover. And
I called him and said, Tim, why don't you just, I'll go. You
just stay. And so we came. We stayed with
a fellow named Sam, Sam and Jerry. And I had the privilege of staying
at their home right in town from that day forward. It was Hannah's
4th birthday, March 18th, 4 years old. We stayed in Manchester,
and that night, the Swords came over to fill that canteen, and
his wife and her brother. They came over to eat, you remember
that? And visit. Saturday night, you remember
that? And I remember having such a
good fellowship, we talked for a long, long time. The next day,
the service was gone. Just one of them. And I think
we had a church dinner, didn't we? I think we did. We had a
church dinner that afternoon, and after, you know, we were
all sitting there, and a few of the men came walking up to
me, and this older one came walking up to me and said, we don't hardly
want to do this, but you're going to be our pastor. I said, I thought she'd never
ask. And so we were married. Yes. Yes, we were married. So death do
us part. Death do us reunite. And then a number of them, and
all these old preachers I talked to, said, well, you're the only
one I could ask. Enjoy it. It hasn't ended yet. I mean that. It hasn't ended yet. And I thank
God. Now, 10 years later, I'm looking
at a picture of Emma Franklin, who was an inventor. I wonder
where Amy got that from. It's a picture, baby. And Emma,
and she took a picture of Hannah and me, and I'm looking at it
the other day. Ten years is a lot of time, but
what I thought needed was a whole lot of hair. Ten years and a
whole head of hair passed. So I think I don't need more
than that. But your fellowship ended up,
on the first day, it's been sweet from the first day and it's just
gotten sweeter. I mean that. And look at the next passage.
I love this verse. It's my favorite verse. The verse
says, I am confident of this very thing, that he which hath
a good work in you, a saving work, a work of grace,
is God's work in him. God is working in us. That he that hath a good work
in you, I am confident, Paul said, while he'll perform, he'll
finish it. to the day of Christ Jesus, to
the day of Christ Jesus. How many times have you been
there? Well, God never starts something, He doesn't finish
it. And it's evident, verse 7, Paul
said, it's given, it's given for me to think this, you know,
all the folks that I had in my heart. You see, love is something
you can't fake. You really can't. You can't drum
it up, either. You can't. There's a few countries,
music songs, I like them. Old George Strait has one that
says, you can't make a heart as good as mine. I like that
song. It's so good. You can't do it. You can't drum it up. You can't
fake it. It's a hilarious song. And this
is one way of Christ saying, this side of this shall all him
know, dear my disciple. John said, nearby we know, we
pass from death unto life, but we do love the president. Yes, we do. Love him. Our hands
on the pants. Now don't pull the old part too.
Don't bend the shoulders. The rest of the universe. And
this love, it cannot be fake. It's either there or it isn't.
It's all set up. It's fitting that I think this. God, for God's
sake, is working in me because I have it in my heart. I've got it in me. I hold it in my
heart all night. I was telling you about John
Davidson. After a few days over there in
Spain. You know, we went for two or
three different tours. We had to ride a bus, and about
the third time we did that, I got on a bus, kind of running from
one end to the other. I said, I don't want to see these
people the rest of my life. I don't want to hear their voices. I don't want to be around them. I'm tired of them. This day we'll
do it that way. With you. Okay. Well, read on here. It says,
uh, I have given my heart. I have given my heart in as much
as both in my palms and in the pence and confirmation of the
gospel. You are protectors of my grace. There's a word with my grace. It's your grace. I'm with you. It's out of the grace of my hand. All this in defense of the gospel,
we're in this together. As time goes on, I'm going to
totally eliminate my name from everything publicly in regards
to this place. This is a week. I remember saying
that very first article in our book. I think it was Senator
in this board, who said, therefore he and we have this ministry. That's the first article I wrote.
We. This is our ministry. Mine, our. We're in this thing
together. He said, in defense of the gospel,
in defense and confirmation of the gospel. You know, you talked
to me about Jan Downing Fox over there, over there. If you share
the same thoughts all over the family, you have to get to know
them, don't you? I appreciate it. And we're all going to die. We've got this work to do. We share the same thoughts. And Canada, Canada unites. It unites us good. and the confirmation of the gospel
faith. You know, I confirm it to you,
and you do it to me. We would all need some things
already, confirming one another, building up each other up on
this holy faith, don't we? I just want this to be checked
on downcast and in my nature. And I need to hear it too, and
I do. I go through that tonight, and I'll come a little sooner
to do that, and I'll get a letter, or get a call from somebody. You do it, you go to work, and
you come in here on Wednesday or Sunday, just driving. Some
of you just come in and drive again. You tell yourself that
you want to do that, and you go back to your head, in your
heart's eyes. Try it. So we confirm one another,
confirm the gospel to one another. We're all partakers of this grace,
God's grace, God's sovereign grace. In verse 8, God is my
record of sins, how greatly I moan at you all in the bowels of Jesus
Christ. So my investment, I was on the
board for almost a year, and I didn't be honest with it. I said yes or no. Well, yes or no. I bet everyone
thought it was that year. There's no place I haven't been
in my life yet. And at the end, right after that
last trip that we took, I remember after About four or five days
before we were supposed to come home, I felt like one of those
kids at summer camp. I don't want to go home. I don't want to go home. Hello,
mother, hello, father. Really. You ever feel that way? Yeah, every so long. Well, bless
my heart. I'm sure it's like this. And God is my refuge. That's
what Paul said. Paul got to you off of the bowels
of Jesus Christ. In verse 9, and this is my prayer.
Here's my prayer to you, that your love may mine yet more and
more. We love one another. We love
the gospel. That's the whole commentary that I'm going to
give you. And Paul says, he prays, and I want to just repeat it
for myself, that our love for Christ is not bound or normal. It's bound. Acknowledged, real. Acknowledged. Real quickly, in
terms of Colossians chapter one, just a couple of things. This
love, this abounding love and admiration. This is good, I think. He says, I pray that your love
may abound in admiration. What's he talking about? Colossians
1 verse 9. He says, today we've heard, do
not cease to pray for you and desire you. Everything is going to God. But this is the will of God concerning
you. And everything is going to happen. This is what's going to happen.
We need to respond. You see, it's God's will that
we have. That's what he said. If you love Him, I am in love. And, first of all, with Him.
And in all of Jerusalem. In Jerusalem. Love, you know, like a parent
loves a child in spite of all his faults. Right? And, uh, if my first friend is thirteen,
he's a good commentary on this. Love does not behave self-satisfyingly,
seeking by her own is not easy to provoke, miracles, miracles,
and so on and so forth. If you love me, just do the Jessica. I just love you, Jessica. So are the ones that you love.
All right? Verse 1. And as you may have
proved, you are to try. Try things that are excellent,
not different. I wrote that psalm, things that
are higher, things that are nobler, peace and liberty, my sight. And a day, you know it's so different
from this world, but a day when men and women are taken with
vanity, vanity, vanity. It's all Christian. I pray for you,
for me, our minds, our hearts will be taken up with heaven
and hell. Things are higher, things are
nobler, That you may be sincere. That you may be sincere. A sincere,
a true believer. Sincere in love with Christ,
one another, without offense. Giving no offense in anything
that the minister do not mind. Until the day of the cross. He's coming. He's coming. And He's at the right time. Yes
He is. And she may be filled with the
fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the
glory and praise of God. So here it is, the Father's will
of God. Thank you very much for your time. I want to be idle
and give that cross, I want you to give that cross. The way that it's done, it's
just like it was over five years ago. The fellowship around here
has helped those here. All right, I thank my God for
you. Some of this, in a year, in one
or two years, I thank my God for you on the first day of the
fellowship around here. I don't know how to say it, but
I've had that contract for 40 years. I'm a man down at the
bank. I remember I was going to the
bank that first month or so when I was in town. She preached to
the preacher. You know, these preachers are,
they come and go just like the queen and the duke. They don't
think most people are going to get by three at a time. Really.
And I don't know why. That's too long. But most of
them come and go. They just come and go and move
on. The more you imagine, the bigger the church will be. And
I remember the lady tonight saying, that first time she said, well,
how long do you reckon you'll be here? I'm 30 years at home. I gave it to the family. And when I see the other family,
I just say, where are you? I said, where are you? She said,
that's your family. I said, sure. All right, Sandy. Thank you so much. Thank you. from the tide of sin, the gospel
of our salvation, Your grace, responsible for health, sovereign,
saving, keeping grace, saving grace. We thank You for Your
abundant grace. community. That's this congregation,
every person in it. Oh, we've had trouble. But you say it, you remind us.
That's our life, which is just our life for a moment, working
for us so far as to turn away, go away. And the former things,
some of that is very simple. The former things will not be
remembered. They'll come to mind. And we'll join each other. And
slowly, in the name of Christ, throughout eternity, and continue
this special fellowship that you started here on this earth. We thank you. That's all you're
doing. So we thank God, and thank you
for all you offer. In the name of Christ, let us
pray together. Amen. Amen. you