It's a blessing, as always, to
be here amongst you to worship Christ together and learn Christ
together and obey Christ together. If any of you are interested,
I meant to announce this a few weeks ago, but we do have a booth
at the Statesboro Fair. If any of you would be interested
in coming to that to give out gospel tracts and pray for people
and give the gospel to people, we'd love to have you come. It'd
be a good way to share the gospel with people before they'll be
walking by you. So if you're interested in that, just get
with me after service. We'll be in 1 Timothy chapter four
today. It's a book that I've been, Walking through my Bible
study with at my house through and we've done this one of this
These verses a few about a month ago It's really been on my heart
I've learned most time when you're asked to preach you normally
preach that where you're at But we've been in first Timothy of
chapter 4 we'll start with verse 1 But maybe we'll try to cover
6 through 10 today. If we don't we'll just pick up
next week but verse 1 It says, now the Spirit especially says
that later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves
to deceitful spirits, teaching of demons, through the inserity
of liars whose conscience is sheared, who forbid marriage
and require absence from food that God created to be received
with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For
everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected
if it is received with thanksgiving. For it is made holy by the word
of God in prayer, If you put these things before the brothers,
you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. Being trained in
the words of faith, of good doctrine that you have followed, have
nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths, but rather train
yourself for godliness. But while bollying training is
of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds
promise for the present life, and also for the life to come.
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.
For to this end, we toil and strive, because we have our hope
set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially
of those who believe. Let's pray. Father God, I would beg of you
at this very moment, Lord, that you would do nothing more but
preach through me today, Lord, that you would help me in my
dying hour, Lord, as I stand before your people, God, that
you would give me the grace to feed your sheep, God, that you'd
give me the grace to preach nothing but the truth And Lord, as Doug
prayed, Lord, as you always open hearts and minds, Lord, but I
pray as you open their hearts and minds, Lord, and the word
hits them, Lord, it would cause them to rejoice, cause them to
strive after you, the Christ, who is down on the cross for
their sins and rose again, Lord, that we might always be a people
who are repenting and trusting in Christ alone for salvation,
Lord, that we might always be a people who gather together
to worship your holy and precious name, Father. And Lord, may you
be glorified through our lives from this day forward and all
the days that you give us breath in our lungs, God. And we ask
this in no other name but the Alpha, the Omega, the beginning
and the end, the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, Paul
writes this letter to Timothy, and we know Paul treated Timothy
as a child, but mainly he writes this letter to Timothy that he
might give instructions to the churches that Timothy is pastoring,
those whom he is leading, that the church might know how to
operate when they come together. And also he writes this letter
to Timothy that he might encourage him to do right by God, by holding
fast to the gift that God has given him, which is preaching
the word and truth. And also he writes to Timothy
that Timothy might not only preach the truth, but study the Word
of God and examine his own self to make sure that he himself
is in the faith, to make sure he himself will not fall away
from the truth. As we see in verse 4, I mean
in verse 1 of chapter 4, Paul writes that many will fall away
from the faith. due to false teaching. And I believe these
people are not just denouncing Christ. I believe these people
are continuing to profess Christ, but as they, false teachers come
in to these local churches in Timothy, and as we see it in
our day, people turn into what they believe on another Christ.
They go after other things rather than Jesus Christ. I've noticed
that when you read the New Testament letters, it's always Jesus and
something else for the gospel. It's never just faith alone,
and we see the same thing in our day. that you must believe
in Christ and you must do this and you must do that, you must
do this in order to be saved. But really, the scripture teaches
us only by faith alone in Christ that we can be saved. And notice,
beloved, that false teachers will always come in and try to
steer people away from the Word of God. That's why it's so important
for us as members of a local church but also so important
as believers in ourself that we might study the Word of God
for ourselves so that we too do not fall away from the faith.
I believe the majority of people who fall away from the faith
are those who do not study the Word of God. Hear that? They go by whatever their pastor
says. There are many times on the street
I give people truth. Well, that ain't what my pastor
believes. That ain't what my pastor says.
I understand that but we're not talking about what your pastor
thinks, what your pastor believes. We're talking about what the
Word of God says. Because it doesn't matter what I think.
It doesn't matter what James thinks. Only thing that matters
is what the Word of God says. So, as I study to preach God's
Word, James studied to preach God's Word, and all who have
called on God, studied to preach God's Word, they do it with fear
and trembling, knowing that they do not want to mislead the people
of God. For it is a dangerous, dangerous
thing, beloved, to mislead the people of God. You'd be probably
better off to be a Muslim, taking the heads off of Christians.
than to be a pastor who teaches falsely and misleads the people
of God. Hear that. So I would encourage
you to stay in the word of God that you might examine the things
I say today. That you might examine the things
that James says every week. Why? That we might hold me accountable,
we might hold James accountable, but also so that we would not
only hear the truth but believe the truth and walk in the truth
and test the truth. Then verse six. What do you say? It's maintenance. If you put
these things before the brothers, you'll be a good servant of Christ
Jesus. Other places in your scripture,
like in Jude, you see, now, Jude says, we will remind you of this.
And in 1 Peter, no, 2 Peter, he says the same thing. Brother,
I will remind you of what you already know that you might continue,
what, progressing in the faith. See, sometimes as preachers,
not sometimes, but as preachers, we must always be reminding the
people of God of what the truth is. What the truth is. Why? Because we need to be reminded.
We need to be reminded the gospel every day. There's not a day
that goes by that I probably do not think about the gospel.
Why? Because I must always be repenting
and trusting in Christ alone for salvation. And any person
who is called to preach the gospel and anyone who is called to disciples
others in the gospel, which is all of us, if we're going to
be a good servant at that, we must stay on the Word of God. And we must teach and preach
and counsel people with the full Word of God. That's what I love
about preaching and teaching verse by verse. As a teacher
of God's Word, I can't skip over anything. Can't skip over anything. That means if I go verse by verse,
I have to teach God's Word as it is written. But if I didn't
have that practice by the grace of God, then I could teach this
scripture, and I could teach this scripture, and what I could
do, I could just bounce around and what? Preach the things I
like about what Jesus says in the Bible. Men do it all the time. But what are we to remind people
of? We remind the people of the full
counsel of the Lord God. We remind people about the holiness
of God. We remind people about the righteousness of God. We
remind people about the sovereignty of God. We remind people about
the wrath of God, the love of God. Faith alone saves. We remind people about repentance.
We remind people about their sin. We teach on sin. We remind
people of false teachers. This is what someone does as
it comes up in the text. We teach it. Hear that? And how does that apply to your
lives as you counsel your loved ones, as you at work try to make
disciples? When you get asked questions,
you teach the word of God, you don't skip over any of it. You
give the truth as it is written. Because in our day, one of the
popular lost doctrines of our day is repentance. You never hear about repentance
anymore. Men don't even mention it in their pulpits anymore.
Repentance has went out the window, and that's just ask Jesus into
your heart. Because the word repentance has always been offensive. Hear that? Always been offensive. When you call people to turn
from their sin, they hate you. When you tell people that they're
worshiping a false god and they need to turn away from worshiping
that god and trust in Christ, they hate you. They hate you. Isn't that the reason why they
attack the apostles? The apostles would come and preach
Christ to them people. And because they were so in love
with their religion, they would attack apostles. So they would
call them to what? Turn away from everything they're
trusting in to save them and trusting Christ alone for salvation. When we cry out to people to
realize that they're not good people, that their goodness will not
save them, their good works will not save them. They don't want
to hear that because everyone wants to proclaim their own goodness.
But who can find a good man amongst us? Apart from being born of
God, none of us are good. Hear that, my love? Then we must
teach the Word of God. And I think mainly what Paul
is telling Timothy right here in this thing that what we must
remind people, especially right here, about what false teachers
will teach and what false teachers will preach as it comes up in
the text. Because normally, when you correct
people in false doctoring, or you do something like that, then
what are you labeled as? Judgmental. Unloving. While I was at the abortion clinic
Friday, there were some young Catholics there, and this was
probably the first few times they'd been down there, so they
asked me would I join in prayer with them. And the way they asked
me, Jesse, because the guy was new, Jesse, did you bring your
rosary today? Well, no offense, but I don't
find that in scripture. Well, you know, we can pray together
and you hear my prayers and I hear your prayers and maybe we can
learn from each other. Well, I just gave you the truth
that it's not in scripture. It's not found in the word of
God. Well, we can't judge people. Well, we must decipher whether
it be true or false. You have to pass judgment to
see whether something is true or false. And if we're not teaching
people the correct word of God, then what happens? People fall
for another teaching. They fall for another Jesus. Believe me, beloved, there's
more false teachers than there are true teachers. There's more
teachers teaching a false Christ than there is people teaching
a true Christ. Hear that? One of the most popular
gospels in our day in the big churches and in the small churches
with 10 people is the prosperity gospel. Sometimes we think of
prosperity as just Joel Osteen and all them guys. No, they're
right here in Claxton. Every time I go door to door
in Claxton, by God's grace, I have to confront the prosperity gospel.
Every time. I'm not talking big churches,
small little churches. Come to Jesus and get rich. Give me your
money, get rich. And Jesus has not promised any
of them things to us. And what was it in Timothy's
day? Well, we know the Judaizers would
come in. They'd hear, well, if you get
married, you're sinning. But we know scripture teaches
that marriage, especially right here, that marriage is giving
up God and if anything God gives is good. And also what they were
teaching, well, you must abstain from foods. Then if you abstain
from foods, then you're really holy. But we know what God has
created is for good if it's meant for thanksgiving and prayer.
All things that God has created is good for us. He might well
say, Brother Jesse, I don't think we have to really worry about
people telling us we can't eat certain things. Well, you never
know. You never know. I mean, I went
into prison probably about a month ago, and I thought this guy was
growing in his faith. And the next day, he starts telling
me that, well, we can't eat certain things. And then we got to go
on Saturday to worship Christ. And we got to live by Moses'
law. So it's everywhere. It's everywhere. So we must, what? We must always,
always, as the people of God, be standing on the Word of God
alone and reminding people of the Word of God. And me and as
our homes, as we're at our homes, we're constantly teaching our
wives and our children the Word of God. And our wives is constantly
helping us with that and constantly teaching the children and helping
us teach the children. And when we go to work, what
are we doing? We're constantly reminding people at work about the gospel. Because we're willing to stand
on the word of God, even if it costs us our families, right?
We're willing to stand on the word of God, even if it costs
us our job. We're willing to stand on the
word of God, even if the people tell us, look, you can't come
back to our program no more. We're gonna stand on the Word
of God even if grace truth says you can't be a member here no
more. We're gonna stand on the Word of God
if we're the only ones in class that are doing it, or if we're
the only ones in men that are doing it, or if we're the only ones
in states that are doing it. We're gonna stand on the Word
of God. Even if they take our heads off our shoulders, we're
gonna stand on the Word of God and preach the truth. We're not
gonna cave in, beloved. The Spirit of God will not let
us cave in. The Spirit of God will not let
us denounce Christ crucified and risen from the grave. He
will not let us denounce that Jesus isn't God in the flesh. Won't let us do it. How do we
know that? Because all the apostles died
for his namesake. We know men across countries,
women across countries die every day. When ISIS come in, you profess
their God to be God, or you profess Jesus to be God. And there's
no power in the flesh to honor Christ in that moment. The flesh
is weak, but the spirit is willing, and the spirit is what is faithful
to finish the good work in us. So it's not a maybe if we're
going to preach Christ at all times. It's an absolute guarantee
that we're always going to hold fast to the Word of God. Why? Because the Spirit of God dwells
in us. He says, if you put these things
before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus.
This is what a good servant does. A good servant obeys its master. A good slave obeys its master. Our soldiers in America, what,
they train? And they go across seas? And
what do they do? They take orders from their drill
sergeants. And what do they do? They don't
worry about what it's going to cost them their life when they
go in these places. No, they go anyways. Why? Because they're a sergeant. I
certainly know. And they go directly, directly by the orders. They
go directly by the blueprint. Why? Because that's the order
they have given. That they're fighting for their country so
that we can have freedom so we're willing to go. Beloved, how do we ever remind
people of the truth? How ever will we ever teach people
the truth if we ourselves are not staying in the Word of
God. If we're not staying in the Word
of God, I can't teach nobody nothing. There's nothing there
to teach in my heart to teach you. A good servant stays in
the Word of God. This good servant abides in the
Word of God. A good servant not only abides
in the Word of God, but a good servant is ready at all times.
Isn't that what Paul tells Timothy? Be ready in season and out of
season. What does that look like? Well,
today I'm in season. I knew I'd be preaching today.
But I'm out going to Miss Rogers after lunch and someone approached
me and God fills me and gives me the great desire in my heart
to give them the gospel or they come up and ask me a question
about the gospel. Then I must be ready at all times
to come on the hook that lies within me. Christ crucified. Because people know that you're
a believer at your job, don't they? So you should, there's
opportunities at our jobs that if people know we're in the faith,
they're always there prone to ask us questions. And we gotta
be ready. And we will be ready if we're
abiding in the word of God. We will be ready. He says you will be a good servant
of Christ Jesus I kind of got ahead of myself a little bit.
Being trained, being trained, being nourished in the words
of faith of good doctrines that you have followed. So a good
servant as a sinner is abiding in the word of God. Why? That
they might be fed the word of God. That they might be nourished
in the word of God. Why? That they might continue
to grow in their salvation. But most Christians in America
are weak. Most Christians in America are
skinny. Why? They're not feeding on the
Word of God. They're unhealthy. Why? Because they spend all their
time doing something else than being in the Word of God. And
they wonder why God doesn't use them on a daily basis. They wonder
why their marriage is falling apart. No wonder why they're
not never had no joy and never had no peace in the midst of
trials and sufferings and tribulations. Because they're not abiding in
the Word of God. Because it's only the Word of
God, beloved, and the work of the Spirit, of course, praying
that we can continue in the faith, that we can stay strong in the
faith. Only three things that God has really given us to keep
us strong in the faith. What? The Word of God, prayer,
and being in fellowship. That's good. It's only three
things He's gave us. And if we backtrack on one of
them three, then we're becoming weak in the faith. We're giving
ourselves over to something else that is not worth anything. First Peter chapter two would
say, like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk,
that by it you may grow in your salvation. If indeed you have
tasted that, the Lord is good. See, it's not a maybe if a believing
Christian's gonna be in the Word. It's an absolute guarantee. I
mean, beloved, if we are the church, not this building, but
we are the church, that we are the temple of God, and God's
Spirit dwells in us, what sense does it make to say that I'm
not in the Word of God in the practice of being in the Word
of God? What sense does that make? What makes that sense?
Surely if we have tasted Jesus Christ, if we have beheld the
beauty of Christ, then we must always be learning about Him.
We must always be studying about Him. Why? Because we love Him.
We want to be like Him. We want to know more about Him. Why? Because He has saved us. The Spirit of God dwells in us,
gives us a craving for the Word of God. Gives us a craving. And if we don't have a craving,
if we don't have a deep craving in our hearts, For the word of
God, beloved, we must ask ourselves, have we really been born again?
Or are we just soaking up head knowledge when we're in service
together? Sometimes I believe in reformed
circles that people think they're saved because they got a good
doctor. They think they're okay because
they know we're saved by grace through faith, which is not our
own doing, but a gift from God. None of the results of works,
so none of them can boast. They think they're good to go
because they got an election figured out. And then they can go day after
day, and not even pick up the Word of God. But they're good
to go! because they know the gospel,
and they know about predestination, and they know about election,
so they're surely good to go. It scares me about how many might
find themselves standing before God and hearing a part from me
I never knew. Not that being in the practice
of reading your word saves you, beloved, but if you are saved,
you will be in the practice of reading God's word. You're willing
to skip physical meals to be in the word of God. You wouldn't
wake up early in the morning if that's the only time you had
to be in the Word of God. We wouldn't stay up late at night
if that's the only time we had to be in the Word of God. Because
it's that important. It's football season. People
won't skip football. You let Georgia Bulldogs play
at 3 o'clock, they'll cancel everything going on that day.
They'll watch the Bulldogs. I mean, how many people stayed
up when Hillary Clinton and Trump had their debate? I wonder how
many people stayed up and watched that, but they touched the Word
of God all day. Why? Because Hillary and Trump
are more interesting than the Word of God to them. How many people devote themselves
to watching their daily TV shows? but they ain't got time for the
word of God. And they wonder why they can't
overcome sin in their life. They wonder why they can't overcome
temptation. They're too busy filling their bellies full of
the world. They're just too busy filling their bellies full of
the bread that perishes there rather than the bread that endures
the eternal life. I can't live off, Brother says, we can't live
off what we ate yesterday. Because if we do, we will not
be weak today. I'm talking about physical food.
Be weak? No, but it's the same way with
spiritual people. What Jesus says, man cannot live
off bread alone, but every word that proceeds out of the mouth
of God. We eat, we eat, we eat till our bellies are full. But
the thing is, why do we treat the word of God that way? How many people are going to
bust a gut over here later on because it's all you eat buffet? They're gonna eat all they can
eat. They're gonna get their money's worth. True. But don't we try to overfill
ourselves every day with the Word of God? How will we ever
stay gospel-minded? How will we ever stay sober-minded
if we're not in the Word of God? We can't. We can't. He says, being trained in the
words of faith and of good doctrine that you
have followed. So we know as we study the word
of God, we arrive at true teaching. We arrive at sound doctrine.
I love it because when you think about Timothy, Timothy was a
young man that grew up in the faith. His grandmother and his
mother were people who were believers. But I believe Timothy just didn't
rest, especially when you see Timothy in scripture, Timothy
didn't rest on just what his family was teaching him. I imagine Timothy was a studier
of God's word, even before he became a preacher of God's word. He wasn't just resting on what
his family members were telling him. I don't think he rested
on what Paul just told him. I think he was like a marine,
he was always in the word of God, that he might see it for
himself. Because as we study the Word
of God, we become more indoctrinated. But the thing is, as we become
more indoctrinated, that we might share that truth with others.
And also, if we study the Word of God, we hold fast to sound
doctrine. That's the reason when I go to
the prison, I tell the men when they're getting out, when you
go to the church, find out what they believe. Find out what their doctrines
are, their set of beliefs are. That if they are not sound, then
you know you ain't got no business fellowshipping with them. That's why it's important to
know what great truth believes. It's important. Because we don't
want to be associated with people who have false teachings or have
false doctrines. of good doctrine that you have
followed. Who else studied the scriptures?
How do you get a man around the truth? John the Baptist. John
the Baptist's call was on his life from the moment he was born.
And he could have just said, well, God's already called me,
so I can just relax. You know, I know the gospel.
I can just relax. I ain't got to continue studying.
You know, I imagine John the Baptist, you probably never caught
the guy without being in the Word of God. That he studied
and studied that he might continue to grow, grow in his key truth
of God's Word. And we know that all that studying
he did, God grew him into what? Full of the Holy Spirit. Really
full of the Holy Spirit. And he what? Preached for six months.
Remind me of men who want to preach God's word and they want
to start preaching, they already want their church. But they're not willing to labor
in the word of God that God might use them one day if he sees fit
to call them to be pastors. A good doctrine that you have
followed, and then he says, had nothing to do with irreverent,
silly myths, See, look, he said, look, he's
coming back to this false teaching thing again. He says, look, Timothy,
had nothing to do with false teachers. Had nothing to do with
those who preach another Christ. Had nothing to do with them.
Why? Because their brothers are like
Granny Green. That's why he tells him in the
second letter. What happens if you get that?
It spreads all over your body. It ruins it. False teacher comes
in grace truth, and he's not pointed out, he's not disfellowshipped
with, he destroys the whole church. Destroys the whole church. And
we must stay away from them type of men. And a lot of times if we don't
stay away from them, what happens? One, we either start believing
what they believe, cause they start twisting our minds, or
we'll continue fronting them with it and then we end up sinning.
What happens when you hear of a false teacher or you hear somebody
say some truth to you? You get that righteous anger.
Or that sinful anger. And if you're not careful, what,
you end up getting so angry that you end up sinning yourself over
their false teaching. And you fall exactly into the
trap that Satan wants you to fall into. Thinking in our minds that if
we continue giving them that truth, we continue giving that
truth, that we're gonna change them. Brothers and sisters, we
can't change nobody. Oh, I wish we could, but we can't. We just give them the truth and
let it be. Give them the truth and let it
be. I think that's what, when Jesus
taught, throw in your pearls before swine. That's what he's
talking about. Continue to throw your pearls
before those who don't really want to hear it now turn and
attack you. We sometimes spend so much time
trying to find what is false that we miss the truth. We should know false things. But how does that false things
come to us? Because we're so much into the word of God that
when we hear it, we go, well, that doesn't line up. I'm not off looking
and reading and studying false teachers. And it's easy to do. It's easy to do. I've been in the bad habit a
time or two of doing it. And it's not fruitful. must stay in the Word of God,
so when these people come to us, we go, okay, they're not
legit. They're not sound. And we avoid them. He says, have
nothing to do with irreverent silly myths, but rather train
yourself for godliness. Don't give yourself over to these
false things, but rather give yourself over to the Word of
God that you might walk in godliness. Now, when we think about godliness,
most of the time it comes to our mind as sustaining from that
which is evil. And that is godliness. But it
isn't so much sustaining from that which is evil, but it's
also learning to do good. True godliness is what? Loving
your brother as yourself. True godliness is laying down
your life for believers. Isn't it what Paul says, I do
all things for the sake of not Christ, but it is Christ for
the sake of the elect. Well, because if we're saying
that we're walking godly before God, but we're not laying down
our life for each other, we really ain't walking godly before God.
So many people say, I'm laying down my life for Christ. Are
you laying down your life for his body? Jesus is the head and we are
the body. So if I'm laying down my life
for Christ, I'm automatically laying my life down in his body.
That's true godliness, beloved. But how will we ever lay down
our lives for our brothers and sisters in Christ? without prayer
and the Word of God. Because it does not come natural
to be godly. It does not come natural to abstain
from evil things. The natural thing what? Is to
want to be all about self. The natural thing is what? Is
to want to participate in evil. That's the natural thing. It's
hard to love people who sin against you. It's hard to love people
who hate you. Is it not? But what's the godly
thing to do with them people? To pray for them. The blessing. That's true godliness. Not to
turn and attack them, but rather to turn the cheek. I think I've
told a few before that true Christians walk in godliness by being doormats
to the world. and only being doormats to the
world, but at times being doormats to the brethrens in Christ. Not always ready to comment back
when they sin against us. Not always ready to slay them,
not always ready to gospel about them, but rather encouraging them,
being gentle with them, loving them, forbearing with them, being
patient with them. He says, train yourself for godliness. Why? He says, for while bodily
training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way as it
holds promise for the present life and also for the life to
come. See, Paul brings in this physical
training. Physical training is of some value. I mean, it's not
a bad thing to be in shape. But how long does that really
last? Not long. It's hard for, as we get older
and aged, to stay in shape. And we know that some people
give themselves over to the body training each and every day.
And many of them give themselves over that wine so they can win
rewards. They become famous basketball players and football players.
I think in other countries, they start at the age of five or younger,
and they start running. So maybe one day at the age of
18, they might go off to the Olympics and win a what? Perishable reward. But they trained their whole
lives for something that will perish in the end. She trained her whole life, sweetie.
Look at Michael Jordan. I love using Michael Jordan as
an example. He's probably one of the best
basketball players that ever lived. And Michael Jordan has
got all them trophies. He's got the Olympic trophies
as well. I mean, he's just got everything that most people would
love to have, the money and everything, the houses, the women. But what
is all that in the eyes of eternity? Well, if you realize that everything
that we work so hard for in this life that does not pertain to
the gospel is worthless. That's hard, is it not? That's
hard. It's hard, but brothers and sisters,
it's worthless. The only thing that is of value
is training for godliness. Giving yourself up for Christ. waking up every day and dying
to self and putting all the Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome with him,
not just today, but tomorrow as well. Welcome with Christ
each and every day, beloved. It matters. Not only for the life to come,
but it matters for this life as well. There's no joy in disobedience. There's no peace and disobedience.
I've never disobeyed God and been joyful doing it. I never
disobeyed God and been peaceful doing it. No, there's great joy
to be had in obedience to Christ. Great joy to have God's. Great
peace that we have. Of course, we don't strive after
Him or walk in godliness to earn our salvation. No, we walk in
godliness because we love the Father. We love Christ. So what? We want to be like Christ. So we strive after Him, knowing
that if we walk with Him the way we're called to walk with
Him, it's not I, but it's He who lives in us that walks with
Him, His Spirit. But only is it joy for this life
to come. I mean, joy in this life, the
present life, but we know that we'll have everlasting joy in
walking God. Everlasting. I can't fathom everlasting
peace. I can't fathom everlasting joy.
I can't fathom seeing Christ one day. I can't fathom it. But one day we will. One day He will see us and when
we hear these blessed words, come in my good and faithful
servant. Come in my child. Why? Because we have walked with Him
by putting our faith in Him. That means we wake up every day
and we put our faith in Christ. We're gonna put our faith In
our job, we don't put our faith in our family, in our wives,
our spouses. That's not godly. Not godly at
all. We put our faith in Christ, knowing
that when we stand before him, we will receive the full reward. Let's read in the next verse,
in 9, he says, the saying is trustworthy and deserving of
full acceptance. I believe they can put that before
every scripture in the Bible. Because all of it's worthy of acceptance. Because God has said it. What? For this end, we toil and
strive because we have our hope set on the living God. For this end, what we labor.
For this end, we suffer. And we're not to see Christ.
that godliness, walking with Christ, standing on the truth,
loving people as you love yourself, will cause great harm to your
flesh. Everyone who desires to live
godly will be persecuted. Everyone who desires to walk
with Christ will be hated as Christ was hated. But it's worth it. It's worth it. There's no doubt
as Stephen was having stones piled up on his body, that it
was not worth having those stones piled up on his body the moment
that he saw Christ standing right next to the Father. He didn't
wish, oh, I wish I could continue living to see my grandkids. No. He had the mindset of, Paul,
it's better I go. It's better I go. But for your
benefit, Paul says, well, I'm going to stay. That for your
benefit, I'm going to continue on this earth, that you might
continue growing in Christ. So we labor, not in vain, but
we labor for the glory of God, for the glory of Christ Jesus. We labor, brothers and sisters.
Walking godly, walking with Christ is no easy thing. It's no easy
thing. What would be easy is just to
turn away from the faith and go back living in the world.
That would be easy if you're not a believer, of course. But
to be a believer, Jesus said, the way's narrow and the way's
hard. It's hard being a believer in
Christ. It's hard walking with Christ. Because all the trials that we
would experience, all the tribulation we would experience, because
we believe in Christ. Hear that? It's me, James. Don't be alarmed, brothers. When
you go through various trials, something strange is happening.
You've been predestined for them trials. All the suffering, when you read
Corinthians and you read all the suffering that Paul went
through, God put him through all of it. And Paul says it was life, momentary
reflection, that God was using to prepare him for a way to glory
that he will experience on the great day that is with Christ. But sometimes people, Instead
of focusing on Christ, they're too busy looking back. Too busy
looking back. They're too busy looking back
at their failures. They're too busy looking at their
past sin that they quit laboring. They quit striving. Brothers
and sisters, we have forgiveness in Christ Jesus. The moment we
go to the Father, In the name of Christ that we ask for forgiveness
in Christ alone. Brothers and sisters, we're forgiven.
We're forgiven. So we go back to the welcome
of Christ. It isn't like I gotta wait till the next day. It isn't
a diet plan. You know, you're always gonna
start the diet the next day. Or Monday. Well, that's the beauty
about Christ, that that very moment, whether if it's two o'clock
in the day or one o'clock in the morning, I can repent by
the grace of God and trust in Christ and continue on in the
upper call. Continue on. I love what Paul says in Philippians
3.12 and kind of go along with this. He says, talking about
the upper call and receiving Christ and His glory. He says,
not that I've already obtained this or already made perfect,
but I press on to make it my own because Christ has made me
his own. Brother, I do not consider that
I've made it my own, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies
behind me and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on
towards the goal of the prize of the other called God in Christ
Jesus. Let those of us who are mature
think this way. If anyone thinks otherwise, God
will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what
we have attained. So not only did Paul forget what
lied behind him as far as sin, but Paul even forgot his goodness
that he did for Christ. He left that behind too. So how
many people in our day are dwelling on what they did last week for
Christ? Or how they walked with Christ last week? Or how many
people are dwelling on the fact that 30 years ago they went down
to an altar and professed Christ? That Paul, you figured Paul was
like, well, you know, I'm good to go now. I mean, I walk with Christ this
far, I mean, it really doesn't matter how I coast through the
rest of this life. I mean, I've done enough goodness,
I believe long enough that I can just take the rest of this life
off. I can just go over there and sit on the sideline. But that
ain't what Paul did. One part of the Corinthians,
what does he say? God was, what, beat my own self in submission.
through after preaching to others I myself be disqualified. This
is Paul still saying this y'all. Paul's saying, look, if I don't
keep a close watch on myself as he tells Timothy later on
in chapter four, if I don't keep a close watch on myself, I will
fall away. That's Paul saying. And Paul writes, tells Timothy
to keep a close watch on himself so he don't fall away. Timothy. And we read Timothy and we go,
wow. And we go read about Paul and we go, wow, man, them was
some mighty men of God. I mean, I could imagine being
on that letter and Timothy reading that letter through church and
thought, Timothy, we ain't worried about you. We ain't worried about Timothy.
Timothy's good to go. But Paul tells Timothy, keep
close watch on yourself, Timothy. Stay focused, Timothy, on the
upper call each and every day. Because everything you've done
in the past means nothing, Timothy, if you do not believe today.
Your faith means nothing yesterday if you don't have faith today. Because so many, beloved, we
know the parables of the seed and sower. So many rejoice at
hearing the good word. and what trials and persecutions,
love of the world, what sucked the life out of them, showing
they never had the gospel to begin with. That the rejoicing
they did within themselves, it wasn't because they were full
of the Holy Spirit that caused them to rejoice. And I imagine when
you see, when they saw this, people, when Jesus gave that
parable, so many in the early church, they go, wow, God just
saved that man. And then a year, two years later,
he falls away from the faith. Why? Because they didn't keep
a close watch on themselves. They were never of Christ. Why
did David fall into sin? Because David quit keeping a
close watch on himself. He just got used to being the
man of God. He got used to being the king.
And what did he do? He took his eyes off of God. And he fell away. Sometimes we
get so comfortable in knowing who Christ is, beloved, that
we really do not keep a close watch on ourselves. And then
that sin comes in our life, and it's a big deal. And we repent
of it. And then gradually it comes again.
Well, it's still a big deal, and we repent of it. But then
it comes again, and next thing you know, we go to, well, it's
not that big of a deal. Then we start repressing the
truth of our own sin, and it creeps into our lives. And next
thing you know, we're either so weak in the faith, or we're
lost, and don't have Christ at all. But if we ask, yeah, I got Christ.
Look at what all I've done. Look at my resume for Jesus.
Look at all the times in the past I believed in Christ. Beloved,
our hope cannot be in what we've done in the past. Our hope cannot
be in the faith that we had in the past. Our hope has got to
be in Christ. And if our hope is in Christ,
then we will endure to the end. Why? Because he has promised
in his word that he will finish the good work that he started.
So if God began a good work in me, he will continue that work
until I take my last breath. But I'm still always working
my salvation out with fear and trembling to make sure He is
working in me for His good pleasure and for His will. I'm not resting
on the fact that I have a head knowledge of Christ. I'm resting
on the fact that God is faithful. I'm resting on the fact that
Christ has been crucified for my sins. As I love to tell people,
because my preaching, beloved, I can preach every day, James
can preach every day, and we can bust hell wide open. if we
trust in our preachers. Why? Many of you are going to
do it. Matthew 7, Lord, Lord, did we not do this in your name,
that in your name? Apart from me, I never knew you. Because
our hope was in what they did in the past when they stand before
him. Rather than our hope being with him alone when they stand
before him. For the sin we toil and strive
because our hope is set on the living God. So we endure all things for the
sake of Christ. Why? Because he's dead? No. Muslims endure everything for
the sake of their dead God. But our God is not dead. Jesus
has risen below. Were we there when he was crucified? No, we were not there. Were we
there when he was buried? No, we were not there. What about
when he rose again? Were we there? No, we wasn't. But the spirit of God that dwells
in us testifies to God's word that Christ has risen. So it
doesn't matter whether we were there or not. We believe that
truth, so we give up our lives for this truth. Hear that? We risk everything, we give up
all our possessions for this truth. Once we were all about
our possessions, once we were all about seeking and chasing
and loving and watering and the good things that we would call
good in this world, and then we come to Christ, we see that
He's fully has risen, that He's fully died on the cross for our
sins, and what do we do? We forsake everything for Him. Everything. Why? Because He is risen. I mean,
because Christ ain't risen, we want to shut our Bibles and go home. Everything we've done this
far has been in vain if Christ hasn't risen. But He has, beloved. He is risen in the promise of
us that if we hope and put our faith in Him, what? That we one
day will rise with Him in glory. Beloved, keep your eyes on Christ. As he says, in verse six, who
is the savior of all people, especially of those who believe?
Now, the universals, they love this verse. He's going to save
everybody. God's love. He's not going to
throw anybody in hell. God's love. See, he's savior
of all people. Paul, what meaning universalism here? Paul could have been talking
to all different types of people that God would save. Or he could
be talking about the grace of God to all people. Because does God give grace to
all people? Yes, He does. He listens to what
rained on the just and the unjust. It's not when the women who are
unborn again walk in the abortion clinic, I ask them the question,
have you ever went a week or days without being clothed or
eating and putting a roof over your head? Have you ever went
days without all that or weeks or months without all that? And
they always go, no. I say, well, who is giving any
of them things? God has. God gives even the wicked good
things. He raped everything that Pharaoh
had, God gave it to him. Everything that Hitler had, God
gave it to him. The very air that the wicked
breathe and the righteous breathe, by God's grace, God gives it
to them. That is grace. Because if you
really think about it, when I just think about my life, not anybody
else's life, God should have slayed me the moment I come out
of my mother's womb. It was just mere grace that He
would let a wretch like me be born. Knowing all the things
that I would do against Him, He should have just threw me
into the lake of fire right then. But even God is patient in long
suffering with the wicked. Who is the Savior of all people,
especially of those who believe. So God isn't going to save everybody. God's only going to save those
who have put their faith in Christ. Not those who put their faith
in Christ and their faith in their religion or their good
works. Not those who put their faith in Christ and their faith
in being a Southern Baptist. No, there's faith in Christ.
Isn't that what you love when you go to tell somebody about
Jesus? What church you go to? I'm a Baptist. I'm a Pentecostal. I'm a Church of God. It's like they got it written
across their forehead with a sharpie. They love the clarity. And that's
where all their hope is in and what part of church they're in,
rather than Christ. Beloved, only those who believe,
look at that, believe will be saved. Only those who believe
will Christ be their Savior. What is He saving us from? Judgment. What is He saving us from? The
full cup of the wrath of God. He saved, has saved us from the
lake of fire. Not that He had to. I think about that and I go,
wow, God, why? It blows my mind that God can
love that much. I mean, I've got a beautiful
little boy and I just couldn't imagine crucifying him for a
bunch of wicked people. I mean, could you imagine taking
your only child and let A murderer go free, and
your only child take the penalty. Who would do that? I wouldn't
do that. Would you do that? You know what
scripture says? That one, Romans 5, that one
was scared to die for a righteous person. Perhaps for a good person,
one wouldn't even dare to die. But why yet, we were sinners.
Christ died for us. Why yet we were enemies to God.
Christ reconciled us back to the Father. Through his death,
beloved. It isn't that he forgot about
our sin. No, Christ fully took on every
sin that we've ever committed. And took what we deserve. Drunk
the full cup of the wrath of God that should have been poured
on us for all of eternity. No one will ever suffer The way
that Christ suffered on the cross. Not one sinner in hell will ever
suffer the way that Christ suffered on the cross. What do you mean?
Well, a sinner in hell takes his own punishment. Jesus took
many people's punishments. We've learned to say that Christ,
our Savior, pretty much took hell on the cross for us. But
what love. what love has been granted to
us. And then we want to question,
when we think about Him being mocked, when we think about Him
being nailed, when we think about the Father turning His back on
Him so that He can look at us, we want to question whether we're
going to lay down our possessions and follow Him. We want to question
whether we're going to turn away from the things of the world
and follow Him. What is there to question? Christ
has been crucified, Christ has risen. Hallelujah. And that,
what, it is finished. That the wrath of almighty God
has been satisfied for the wicked, vile people of the world who
believe upon Christ. Like me. Beloved, have you trusted,
fully trusted Christ? I don't care if you just trusted
Him last week. I don't care if you trusted Him
a year ago. Are you trusting in Christ today? Are you trusting in Him today? Are
you believing in Him today? Are you satisfied with Him this
very moment? That's what belief is. It's being
satisfied in Him alone. Nothing else I want but Christ. And how do we know that? Because
the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, causes us to profess
that, causes us to think that. Of course, if the Spirit of God
does not dwell in me, I will never think such craziness as
that. Isn't it crazy to follow Jesus
Christ? It's foolishness to the world. What do you mean? that Christ
is risen. What do you mean that you're
going to turn away from all the things you used to do with me
and follow Christ? I am, because He is risen. And not only has
He risen, but He is alive, and He has saved me for His glory. He has made me a Gentile dog,
His people. Made me His people. He has grafted
me in. None of these ain't done by me. It isn't like he looked down
from heaven and said, oh, I could use Jesse. No, God looks down from heaven
and sees there ain't nobody he can use. It isn't like he looked
down and said, oh, Moses would be great. He looked, oh, Paul, man, Paul's
got, he's got good potential for my kingdom. No, God looks
down and he sees the foolishness, the wicked, and the vile, and
he says, I will save this person despite who they are, and I will
use them for my glory. You know all these lost people
that we pass by every day? It's all about God's grace, it's
not us. It's all God's grace. You know, I
talked about false preachers today. Talking about God's grace,
God not would. Talking about God's saving grace. So sometimes what we do, we become
boastful in our belief as though it was us who did it. We look at the wicked and we
just can't believe they do stuff like that. Won't they follow
Jesus? Why don't we follow Jesus? Grace
of God. What causes us in the midst of
sin to come out of it by the grace of God and continue believing
upon Christ? The grace of God. What causes,
when the scripture says that many will fall away, why am I not one of them yet?
Because my flesh is always prone to wander. Why haven't I just
dropped everything and went back to living in Christ? Oh, is it
because I'm something? No, it's because Christ has saved
us. Why do I continue to fight to
make Jesus center of my marriage? By the grace of God, because
he has saved me. Why do we fight? to make Christ the center of
the people we come into contact with. Because He has saved us. You know, sometimes we forget
that. We forget the only difference
between me and those who are dwelling in our sin is the grace
of Christ. That's it. Well, beloved, Christ
has risen, and I would encourage you I would love to stay in God's
word and stay in prayer and stay in fellowship that you might
continue growing in your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let's
pray. Lord, I'm thankful, Lord, that
your word was read. If nothing else was said that
would encourage, Lord, we know your word is enough, Father.
There have been just enough to stand up here and read it and
leave, Father. It would have been the same purpose
that you intended it to be, Father. Lord, I pray, Lord, that you
would take your word and stir up your saints to press on with
you, cause them to always be hoping in you, cause them to
always be forsaking this life that they might grab hold of
the next. Lord, I just pray, Lord, for the children in here, Probably where they don't rest
in the fact that their parents are of Christ. They don't rest
on the fact that their parents are preachers, the teachers of
the word. But they themselves, even as
babies, Lord, as young as one father, that they would be born
again in this moment through trusting in Christ. We ask this
in Jesus' name. Amen.