Well, good morning. Before Jonathan
comes and reads to us, we'll make a couple of announcements. Starting two weeks from today,
which will be the first Sunday in April, Lord willing, we plan
to go back to our normal schedule and we'll have our Bible classes
beginning at 10 a.m. and then the worship service
following. We're having our children's classes
after the service now, but we'll go back to our normal schedule,
have adult class while the children's are going on as well, and then
have the worship service following. I promise I will be very harsh
on myself to work on brevity, so there's plenty of time for
everybody to use the restroom, you know, between the two services. Eric suggested that like they
do the presidential debate, have a little light on and give me
like 60 seconds notice and Dan will shut the mic off. So one
way or another, we're going to get this thing. So I promise
we'll work on brevity so we got plenty of time between the services. But the different regulations
and things, it seems like it made it safe for us to do that.
So I very much look forward to that. Also, I talked to Brother
Todd Nyberg on Thursday, and Lynn is on the national registry
for a double transplant. She has to have a liver and a
kidney transplant, and that could happen at any moment. They just call, and it could
be today, it could be two months. They don't think it'll be much
longer than that for sure. Let's remember them in prayer.
That's going to be a major surgery, but the doctors feel like she
will feel much, much better once they get that done. So keep them
in your prayers, if you would. All right. John? Turn with me, if you would, to
John chapter 16. John chapter 16, and let's read
together, starting in verse 20. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice.
Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
A woman, when she is in travail, hath sorrow, because her hour
is come. But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth
no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world.
And ye now, therefore, have sorrow, but I will see you again, and
your heart shall rejoice. Your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask
me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall
ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Hitherto
have ye asked nothing in my name, Ask, and ye shall receive, that
your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto
you in Proverbs, but the time cometh when I shall no more speak
unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.
At that day ye shall ask in my name, and I say not unto you
that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father himself loveth
you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came
out from God. I came forth from the Father,
and am coming to the world. Again I leave the world, and
go to the Father." His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest
thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now we are sure that
thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should
ask thee. But this we believe, that thou camest from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now
believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea,
is now come that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own,
and shall leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because
the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto
you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation, but be of good cheer, be of good hope. I have
overcome the world. Let's pray together. Our Heavenly Father, what a privilege
it is in Christ to be able to address you and to be heard for
Christ's sake, to call on our Father and to be heard for Christ's
sake. What a privilege this moment
is. What a privilege it is, and we thank you for this time that
we have to meet together as a family, worship before your throne, hear
of Christ, praise his name, hear of sins forgiven and wiped away
by his work for his sake, We pray that this time that we have
together be all of Christ, that we may hear and learn and worship
him for your holy name's sake, that we glorify your name. We pray that you bless this time.
Father, leave us not alone here. Leave us not alone this upcoming
week when we do leave. Father, remember that we're dust.
We rely on you for every breath, for everything, spiritual and
physical. Give us a heart to remember that and faith to believe
that all things work for good to them who love God, to those
who are called according to your purpose. Give us faith to believe. Father, help thou our unbelief.
Be with us. We pray for those that are in
special trial at this time. Father, help us to pray that
we pray for the right things and give us faith to believe
that we do trust you, Father, be with us, give us the heart
of faith to follow. Where we pray selfishly, Father,
forgive us, but accomplish your will. We pray that your will
be done. We pray specifically for Todd
and for Lynn, for the congregation there, as she undergoes this
upcoming procedure, that you bless according to your will.
We pray for the situation with Greg Elmquist's daughter. We
continue to remember her in prayer. And we continue to remember those
congregations all across the world who are meeting even now
where your name is being declared, that you bless that time. Glorify
your name. Father, we pray for our country,
that if it be your will that you Revive this sinful race and
drive our hearts to you. For your sake, not for anything
in ourselves do we have any reason to even ask, but for Christ's
sake, glorify your name. We thank you for this time we
have together. We pray for our pastor that you bless this message.
We pray for ourselves as we listen that you give us ears to hear.
We pray this thankfully in Christ's name and for his sake. you Wonderful, merciful Savior Precious
Redeemer and friend Who would have thought that a lamb would
rescue the souls of men? Oh, you rescue the souls of men
Counselor, Comforter, Keeper, Spirit we long to embrace. You gave us hope when our hearts
had hopelessly lost our way. Oh, we hopelessly lost our way. You are the one that we praise
You are the one we adore You gave us healing and grace Our
hearts always hunger for Oh, our hearts always hunger for
Almighty, infinite Father Faithfully loving the lost Here in our weakness
you find us Falling before your throne Oh, we're falling before
your throne You are the one that we praise You are the one we
adore You gave us healing and grace Our hearts always hunger
Oh, our hearts always hunger for You are the one that we praise
You are the one we adore You gave us healing and grace Our
hearts always hunger for Oh, our hearts always hunger for Amen. Alright, if you would,
open your Bibles now with me to 1 Timothy chapter 4. 1 Timothy chapter 4. I've titled the message this morning,
A Good Example. 1 Timothy 4, beginning in verse
12. Let no man despise thy youth,
but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation,
in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Now, Paul writes to
Timothy here about being a good example of the believers. And
you know, this is one of the epistles they call pastoral epistle. Paul is writing here to young
Timothy, a pastor, and this is good instruction for pastors
and elders, but it's also good instruction for every believer.
to be an example of the believers. And I would tell you this, every
one of us, don't wait for someone else to be the example to this
congregation, but you be the example. Now, being a good example
can be a tricky matter. You don't, I would counsel you,
don't make it your goal to set out to make yourself everybody's
example. Because if you make that your
goal, everybody look at me, follow my example, I'll tell you what'll
happen. You'll get filled with pride and you'll be thinking
everybody ought to look at me and act like me. If you make
that your goal, that I want to be everybody's example, you'll
end up with the wrong spirit. You become judgmental and you'll
be critical because you'll begin to think that you're the standard
everybody ought to follow. And for every one of us, that
is wrong on so many levels, so many levels, but make it your
goal to do this, to genuinely follow Christ. Make that your
goal. Ask the Lord to make you faithful,
to make you faithful, to live a life of faith, to live a life
of faith. And I'll tell you what living
a life of faith means. It means to live your life, taking
care of all your daily responsibilities, doing them to the best of your
ability, but live depending upon the Lord Jesus Christ to be your
all. That's living a life of faith.
And strive to be an example of someone who truly believes Christ,
who truly trusts Christ, who faithfully worships the Lord
and serves him. Not so that you are admired,
but so that other people might follow your example and go to
Christ too, to look to him and follow him. Look at Philippians
chapter three. Now that would be a life well-lived,
wouldn't it? If the Lord enable us to live a life of faith in
such a way that other people might look to the Lord and follow
him and trust him. Philippians chapter three, verse
17. This is the reason Paul says,
to follow these examples, these people who are examples. He said,
brethren, be followers together of me and mark them which walk. So, as you have us for an example. For many walk, now be careful
who you follow, be careful the example you follow. For many
walk, of whom I've told you often, and now tell you even weeping,
that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is
destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in
their shame, who mind earthly things, For our conversation
is in heaven. For whence also we look for the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And if we live our life in such
a way that people know we, our conversation, our citizenship
is in heaven and we're looking for the Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ, that would be a life well lived, wouldn't it? It'd
be a life well lived. Look over back at John chapter
13. You know, our Lord, our Lord Jesus set an example for us.
And I always want to be careful when I talk about the Lord being
our example. The Lord Jesus Christ primarily,
chiefly, most importantly, he's our savior. He's our master. But, and he's our master, we
bow to, he's the Lord that we trust, the savior that we trust,
but he did also leave us an example that we should follow. Look at
John 13, verse 12. So after he had washed their
feet, the master had wrapped himself in the garment of a humble
servant and washed the disciples' feet. After he had washed their
feet and taken his garments and was set down again, he said unto
them, know ye what I've done to you? You call me master and
Lord, and you say, well, for so I am. If I then your Lord
and your master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash
one another's feet. You ought to take the lowest
position to help any of your brothers or sisters. For I've
given you an example that you should do as I have done unto
you. Now this is the example that
the master has set for us. Humble yourself to serve your
brethren. There's no task that's so low,
that's too low for you to take and do for your brethren. None
at all. So you be the example. Don't
wait for somebody else to set the example of faith and faithfulness. Don't wait for somebody else
to set the example of love and kindness and patience and forgiveness
and humility. You set the example. You set
the example of that. Now, this is a word of instruction
to every one of us here, but just so you know, everybody in
this room knows the apostle's talking to you. He makes it clear
that he's talking to the young too. You know, normally we think
of someone setting the example. We think some of the older men
and women, but, and that can be true, but the apostle tells
us here specifically, he's talking to the young. He said, let no
man despise thy youth. Timothy was a young man and Paul
still told him, you set the example, Timothy. And you know, we ought
not despise people who are young and not, not expect anything
from them. Sometimes the Lord mightily uses young people. Samuel and David were just boys
when the Lord called him. Hezekiah, there was none like
him. Oh, how he reformed Israel and
tore down the groves and restored the right worship of God. Hezekiah
was a young man, 25 or something when he began to reign. Solomon
was a young man when he began to rule. Charles Spurgeon and
Henry Mahan, maybe you've heard of them, were pastors at young,
young ages. And the Lord greatly, greatly
blessed their ministry, didn't he? So young and old alike are
told, you be examples to the believers. I'm going to give
you seven words to tell you, give you the pattern here of
how to be an example to the believer, to be a good example. Number
one is this. If you would be an example, you
must earn respect. Paul tells Timothy, let no man
despise thy youth. Now that doesn't mean you go
around yelling at people and saying, you've got to respect me. I demand
that you respect me because scripture tells you you're supposed to
respect me. Don't do that. Because if you do that, it won't
happen. People are not going to follow
your example at all. Remember this, respect is earned. It's earned. It takes time. Take
the time to earn the respect of others. Earn their respect
by being a respectable person. I mean, it's not real difficult
to understand. If you want to be respected, be a respectable
person. Act mature and be mature. I remember Brother Fortner teaching
the preacher school one time. Told the young man, the preacher
of the school, he said, act like men. Act like men. Dress like
men. Dress like men. Act like older
men. Be respectable. Be respectable. Don't be immature,
because then you're going to give people a reason to treat
you like an immature child. Be an honest person. I mean,
from your youth now, be honest. Be kind. Be forgiving. Be faithful. Be faithful to attend the services. Be faithful to your spouse. Be
faithful to the responsibilities that God has given you. When
you're supposed to work, work. And when you're supposed to play,
play. Be serious about serious things and laugh when it's appropriate. Don't laugh about everything.
Don't be so serious about everything. Laugh when you're supposed to
laugh and be serious when you're supposed to be serious. And be
willing to take on responsibility. I tell you nothing will mature
a person and make a person grow up faster than taking on responsibility. Don't shy away from it. Take
on responsibility. And this is the very thing I've
said to our young adults in our summer classes for the young
adults. About all of them I've known as children. Most of them
I held in my arms when they were babies. I knew them when they
were children. But I told them, I don't think of you as children
anymore, because you're not children. You're young adults. And I told
them, you serve in whatever way you can. I told the young lady,
I said, volunteer to keep the nursery. I know that's work,
but volunteer to do that. And we have fellowship dinners,
and someday we will have them again, won't we? I said, don't
just let your mothers and grandmothers provide all the food. You bring
things. You bring help. I told the young
man, you help out with the work around this building. You help
out in serving in whatever capacity, you know, that the Lord's given
you here in the services or at other times. Don't wait on your
parents and grandparents to do it all. I told them, now you
serve. And I want to tell you what, they've done it. I mean,
I'm just so proud of them. I just bust my buttons. I'm just,
I'm so thankful for them. The Lord has made them faithful,
respectable people. And this congregation's blessed,
aren't we? Aren't we blessed? It gives me hope. The Lord's
hands on the other generation. Oh, it gives me hope. It gives
me such hope. And they're young, they're young
adults now, they're young. But all of us can learn from
that example, can't we? Be respectable people, look for
opportunities to serve. Don't wait to be asked, just
do it. Be an example that way. Be a respectable person, earn
the respect of others. Number two, Paul says, be an
example in word. Look at Colossians chapter four,
be an example in word. Let your words be sound words. Let your words be words that
are sound doctrinally, that don't contradict scripture, but that
agree with the teaching of scripture. And let your words be sound in
grace. Now I've heard people whose words
are sound in doctrine, but that are not sounding in grace, and
it's not helpful at all. Let your words be both, sound
doctrinally, agree with scripture, and let your words be sound in
grace. This is what the apostle tells
us, Colossians chapter four, Verse six, let your speech be
always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you
ought to answer every man. Now let your words be seasoned
with grace. I tell you what, your words will
be easier to swallow if they're seasoned with grace, won't they?
And they'll be more useful too. Your words will be more useful
if your words are seasoned with grace. Let your words be words
that are helpful to people, not hurtful to them. Use your words
to encourage somebody, not to discourage them. Use your words
to forgive somebody, not judge them and condemn them. Can you
think of a time somebody's used their words to forgive you? How
helpful it was, what pressure that took off of you, how that
just washed over your heart? Use your words to forgive. Not
to judge and condemn somebody. Use your words to edify people,
to build them up, not tear them down. Let your words be wise
words, not foolish ones. And if the only words that you
can think of to say at the present circumstance are foolish words,
just keep your mouth shut. People think you're smart. Just
use your words to be wise words. Now, have fun, have fun. When it's time to have fun, have
fun. But don't be foolish. Don't let just all your words
be foolish because nobody wants to follow a fool. Ruth Atkins
told me one time, she said, sometimes you got to play the fool to have
a good marriage with you. She said, sometimes you got to
have fun. You got to play the fool. And that's true. Have fun, but
don't be foolish. Don't let that be the general
tenor of your words because nobody wants to follow a fool. Well,
how can I use my words like that? How can I use my words to be
words that are seasoned with grace, that are sound doctrinally,
that are helpful and edifying to people? How can my word, how
can I, I find the words to help somebody like that? Well, I'll
tell you, it's real simple. Be immersed in the word of God.
Be well taught in the word of God. If you're still there in
Colossians, look at chapter three, verse 16. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. Use your words to point one another
to Christ. Use your words to acknowledge
the Lord, to praise the Lord, to acknowledge his grace and
mercy and wisdom to us. Use your words like that. Quote
scripture. Read scripture to one another
and your words will be good words. Be an example in words. All right,
thirdly, the apostle says, tells Timothy, be an example in conversation. And that word conversation simply
means this, your behavior and the way that you generally conduct
your life. There are three things I want
to give you about this being an example in conversation, how
you conduct your life. Number one, conduct your life
in such a way that you live truly relying on Christ to be your
righteousness. It's not because you're doing
things to make yourself more righteous, but Christ is your
righteousness. Christ is your sanctification. Live your life
in such a way that you rely on Christ to be your salvation.
You're not doing anything to help contribute to this thing
or keep yourself safe, but you're relying on Christ to be your
salvation. Go to work every day, work hard, be the best worker
that they have in that place. And whenever it comes time for
a semi-annual or annual evaluation, make it your goal to have the
highest score possible, that you deserve a raise every time
it becomes available. But live trusting God to be your
provider. Trust that the Lord will provide. And it's not just
lip service, but truly live the grace, that by God's grace you
believe. Look at Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. Verse 22, act like you believe,
you really do believe what you say you believe. Ephesians 4.22,
that you put off concerning the former conversation, the former
way you conducted your life, the old man. which is corrupt,
according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit
of your mind, that you put on the new man, which after God
is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore, putting
away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we're
members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not. Let
not the sun go down upon your wrath, and neither give place
to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more.
but rather let him labor, working with his hands, the thing which
is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication
proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good, to the use
of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Now conduct
your life that way, in a way of honesty, that you just live
the doctrine, the gospel, that by God's grace you claim to believe.
Peter said this first Peter one verse 15, but as he, which I've
called you as holy. So be ye holy in all manner of
conversation in the way that you conduct your life. All right. Number two, look at the book
of first Peter. Number two, this matter of conversation, how it
is that you conduct and live your life. Just like you're not
to let someone despise your youth by earning their respect. Don't
let the unbelieving world despise your gospel because of your bad,
ugly behavior. Have you known people like that?
They say they believe the gospel, but people they work with, people
that know them in the community despise their gospel because
they have such an ugly, bad behavior. 1 Peter 2 verse 11. Dearly beloved, I beseech you
as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul, having your conversation, having the way
you conduct yourself honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they
speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works,
which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. And then Peter goes on to tell
us about submitting ourselves to authority and so forth. Live your life in such a way
that people cannot despise your gospel because you have a good
attitude. You submit yourself when you're
supposed to submit yourself and by your behavior, they see that
you really do live and believe the gospel that you preach and
that you believe. Thirdly, conduct your life in
such a way that someone just might think the gospel you believe
on Sunday really does affect your life every day of the week.
They'll see this person really believes that gospel that they
hear preached on Sundays and Wednesdays. Because you know
what? That just might make them seek
the Lord. That just might make them think,
I want what they got. It just might. Look here at 1
Peter 3, verse 2. Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection
to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also
may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives,
while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Now, no one's gonna be one to
Christ without the word, without God's word, without the preaching
of the word. That's not gonna happen. That's not what Paul
means here. But what he means here is maybe they don't hear
preaching. Maybe they don't hear the word
God preached and read, but they see the honest conversation of,
in this case, a wife and then someone else, that just might
make them seek the word, thinking, that made a difference to them.
Maybe I'll listen to that. See, is there anything to this
and that? And God will use that to save him. He'll use that to
draw them to hear the gospel and then he'll reveal himself.
Could be. I probably wouldn't have said that could happen,
but the Apostle Paul here writing under, or Peter writing under
inspiration of the Spirit said it could. Let that be your example
that your conversation is honest and in such a way that people
know you truly believe the gospel that you listen to. All right,
fourthly, be an example, Paul says, in charity, in love. Now,
this has to be a very, very important point, because our Lord told
his disciples, John 13, verse 35, by this shall all men know
that you're my disciples, if you have love one to another.
This has to be an important point, this matter of being an example
in love. The apostle Paul said, 1 Corinthians 13, he said, if
I don't have love, I'm nothing. Oh, I might have a lot to say,
but it's a vain jangling. It's an annoying noise if what
I say is not said in love. Be an example in love. And when
we talk about love, we gotta start where love begins, don't
we? With God's love to sinners. Almighty God loves sinners. The people that he chose to save,
every last one of them, are sinful, rotten, sinful, dead, dead and
trespassing sin men and women. And the proof that God loves
those people is he sent his son to be their propitiation. He
sent his son to suffer and die to put that sin away. Now be
an example in love. Let's preach, let's talk about,
and let's believe the gospel of God's love. Let's believe
that. God provided a substitute for
his people. because God loves his people
with an everlasting love. Now, let's never get over that.
By nature, I am not lovable, but God set his love upon me
and sent his son to die, to suffer and die, to put my sin away.
Let that love, the love of God, be the theme of our song. Then
when we talk about love, we have to talk about how the father
loves the son. Our Lord said, John 3, verse
35, The father loveth the son and hath given all things into
his hand. Now I'll tell you what that means.
The father elected a people and those people shall be saved. You know how I know that? He
gave them into the hand of his son to redeem and the son got
the job done. He came and obeyed the law for
them, to give them a righteousness, to make them perfect. He suffered
and died to put their sin away and their sin is gone. Now let's never ever cheapen
God's love and say that God loves everybody. That's not so. Scripture
says the father loves the son and he loves those people who
are in his son because the son made them righteous. He put their
sin away and he brought them to God. Then when we talk about
love, we've got to talk about the love of men toward God. Now I'll tell you, I love God. Truly, I love the Lord. Every
believer can say the same thing. Honestly, without hypocrisy,
you love the Lord, don't you? If you know him, you love him.
But now honestly, my love, it must right on about. Is yours? I bet it's not. I bet you feel
the same way I do. So when we talk about our love
to God, where do we major? What do we talk about the most?
Oh, we love God because he first loved us. It's the most amazing
thing in the world. He first loved us. Well, of course I love him. If
he loved me first, of course I love him. I love God and I
love this truth. My salvation is sure because
God loves me with an eternal, unchanging, unmeasurable love. I love God. I do. But my love
ain't much to write home about. And I'm thankful for this. My
salvation does not depend on how much I love God. But it depends
upon His love for me. And that makes it sure and certain. And if I truly love God, that
truth will show in my life, in my words. Oh, I love Him because
He first loved me. It all depends upon Him. Then
when we talk about love, we need to talk about our love for others.
Now, believers love other believers. They do. Maybe not all to the
same degree because of the flesh, you know, because of the weakness
in our flesh or the weakness in somebody else's flesh. I mean,
let's just be completely honest. Some people are more lovable
than others. But believers love other believers. I've been blessed
to travel all around this country, even to Mexico and meet God's
people. I travel to Mexico and meet a
bunch of them. I can't even speak the same language, But yet we do speak the same
language. It's a heart language. It's a heart language. This is
what John said, 1 John 5 verse 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. That's the reason that you believe
Christ. You've been born of God. And everyone that loveth him
that begat, loveth him also that's begotten of him. If God caused
you to be born again, he's given you a new nature and that nature
loves other people. who have been begotten of him.
Now let's show that love. Let's show that love. Be an example
in love. And to quote a great American,
love acts. Don't just say, oh yeah, I love
them, and say you feel love in there. If you love somebody,
let it act. Let it show. Show them. When they need help, when they
need, just don't wait to be asked. Show them that you love them
by your actions. All right now, Matthew chapter
five. Believers even love our enemies. Matthew chapter five, verse 43. Ye have heard that it hath been
said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say
unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you and pray for them, which despitefully
use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your
father, which is in heaven. For he maketh his son to rise
on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and
on the unjust. For if you love them which love
you, if you only love people that love you, what reward have
ye? Do not even the publicans the
same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more
than others? Do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven
is perfect. Love your neighbor and your enemy.
Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you.
Pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. How
you doing on that one? Not too good, are we? Not too
good. You know, I talk about our love not being something
to write home about, but my love for my enemies, I just do not
write to anybody about that. I'm not doing too good on that.
Well, let's go back to the first thing we talked about. God's
love for sinners. Now, that's a subject worth talking
about. And while we're told to love our enemies and pray for
them, which despitefully use us, The believer tries. We do have a heart that cares
about the lost world. But I'll tell you what, I'm thankful
for this. Almighty God commended his love toward us. And that
while we were yet sinners, while we're yet his sworn enemy, Christ
died for us. Oh, I'm thankful. That's the
gospel, isn't it? Now I know it won't be perfect. But you
do your best to imitate that love. If you know and believe
Christ, what I just quoted to you, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. That gripped your heart. That
just broke your heart, didn't it? Oh, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Now, I know it won't be perfect,
but don't use that as an excuse. Do your best to imitate that
love, to care for even your enemies, and you'll be an example to the
believers. Don't wait for somebody else to do it. Don't wait for
somebody else to love you first. You love them. You love them. All right, fifthly, Paul says,
be an example in spirit. In spirit. Now that word spirit
has several meanings. It means the spirit of God, spiritual
life. It means the life that's in us.
And it also means your disposition that governs your emotions. your
disposition that governs your emotions. Now, if you would be
an example in spirit, don't have a sour disposition. You know
people that just always have a sour disposition. Don't be
somebody that's frowning, scowling all the time, looking like you
just stepped in dog doo-doo. Don't be looking like that. Don't
put people on edge. Every time they have to deal
with you, don't make them think, oh my goodness, I got to go deal
with so-and-so. I got to go deal with Frank.
Don't put them on edge when they got to talk to you. Have a sweet
disposition. Just have a sweet disposition.
I used to work with a woman all the time. Remind her, be sweet.
She just, be sweet. Put a smile on your face. Just
put a smile on your face. I told Paula, I'm so happy to
have you back here. I'm just glad to see your smile. I know
she's smiling. She's got a mask on. I know it. Put a smile on
your face. Have a sweet disposition. If
you're a believer, You got a reason to put a smile on your face.
You got a mighty good one. God's love and mercy and grace
to you. You got a reason to put a smile
on your face. Now, don't be a hypocrite. I
mean, you know, the life of a believer is not, you know, sugar and spice
and everything nice all the time. In times of sorrow and loss,
weep. Don't be a hypocrite and, you
know, place a smile on your face and tell me it's all right. I
know it's not all right. In times of sorrow and loss,
you weep, and we'll weep with you. But generally speaking,
now for a child of God, look for a reason to have a sweet
disposition. Just look for a reason to smile.
And this word spirit, it also means breath. Breath. Don't have
bad breath. If you would be an example to
others, don't have bad breath. Your mother told you all the
time, have you brushed your teeth? Have you brushed your teeth? Spiritually
speaking, brush your teeth so you don't have bad breath. Don't
be offensive to people. Wash your attitude in the word
of God. Wash your attitude in the gospel,
in God's grace and his love to you, and you'll have good breath.
Have a good attitude. Don't have a harsh attitude where
you're critical of everybody all the time, and everybody always
feels like you're being judgmental of them. But have a good attitude,
a gentle spirit. and you'll be an example to believe.
You'll be helpful to the believers. Six, be an example of faith.
Now, there are many meanings of this word faith that Paul
uses. Two of the meanings I want us to look at. First, faith means
in conviction of someone or something, in conviction of something. Live
your life in conviction. of the gospel. I mean, live like
you really do believe the gospel of God's grace. And you know,
I see many of you. You do that. You live your life,
though. I'm thankful. But let me tell you, don't quit. If you're really convicted, convinced
of something, you're not going to quit. Live like you really
believe that all it takes to save you is the Lord Jesus Christ. Live like you really do believe
Christ is all. That's not just a good doctrinal,
spiritual-sounding phrase that we use, but live like you really
believe it. Christ is all. Live like you really believe
spiritual things are more valuable than earthly things. You know
earthly things are valuable. You gotta have food to eat, you
gotta have clothes to wear, you gotta have a house to live in, a car
to drive. But live like you really do believe now. Spiritual things
are more valuable than that. Live doing what it is you're
supposed to do. Going to work, going to school,
taking care of your responsibilities with your family. But all the
while, do what you're supposed to do with the best of your ability,
but all the while casting your life, casting your care upon
Christ our Savior. That's living a life of faith.
Well, how do I do that? I mean, what does that look like
in my everyday life? How do I do that? Let me give you an example
from scripture. The example of Abraham. Isn't
Abraham given as an example of faith to us? Abraham had faith. Abraham believed God, didn't
he? Does anybody here doubt that? You know why nobody doubts that?
Because when God told Abraham, take your son, your only son,
Isaac, and go to a mountain, I'll show you, and there offer
him as a burnt offering to me. You know what Abraham did? He
gathered together the wood and the fire and loaded him on a
donkey and set out walking. And he got to the top of that
mountain And he tied that son, his only son, on that altar. And God lifted up his knife to
slit his son's throat and to quarter his body and burn it
to ash. And the Lord told Abraham, stop. Behind him was a substitute,
a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. But in his heart,
Abraham had killed his son. You know why he did that? Because
he was convinced. Abraham believed God and he was
convinced. the promises to Isaac and to
his seed. And Abraham was convinced it was so. He was convinced God
did not lie. He was convinced of it. Even
if God had to raise Isaac from the dead to do it, Abraham's
going to kill that boy because he believed God. Faith in action. Now be an example of faith and
cast your life upon the Lord, our God, because you really do
believe. You're convinced his grace is
sufficient. And second, this word faith means
faithfulness of character. Be somebody who can be relied
upon. Be somebody that the rest of
us can rely upon you because you will do what you say that
you do. And whatever it is you do, whatever it is that you do,
don't quit trusting Christ. Don't quit coming to the public
worship service and identifying with His people and being there
to hear what God has to say to you through His Word. Don't quit. The Apostle Paul said he did
that. He got to the end of his ministry. You know what he said?
I've kept the faith. I've kept the faith. What did
he mean by that? He means that from that first
moment that the Lord revealed Himself to me and I came to Christ
I believed that Christ was all. I believed that I needed Him
and needed Him alone. That without any of my works
being added to it. And Paul said, I've kept the
faith. Here I've gotten to the end of my ministry. And you know
where I stand right now? Not one centimeter from where
I started. Still believing Christ is all. He's all I need. He's all my
soul needs. I trust Him. I haven't moved
an inch. Now, be faithful in that way. Be one of those of whom it can
be said, these all died in faith. That's the example I sure would
like to leave for others. These all died in faith. Not
so I get noticed, but so people will know Christ is worthy to
be trusted completely. Keep the faith. Be an example
of faith. And last, be an example, Paul says, impurity. Now the
word means sinlessness of life. Well, we're all gonna fail there,
aren't we? Sinlessness of life. We can't do anything sinlessly.
Sin's mixed in everything that we do. But I think the meaning
here is twofold. Sinlessness of life. Number one,
live like Christ is your holiness. Live like Christ is your holiness.
If you're a believer, you have a perfectly sinless life. You
do. And you know what that perfectly
sinless life is? Go over to Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John, you read about it. The life of the Lord Jesus as
a man on this earth is your life. If you believe the life he lived
in the flesh. Now don't live like you can make
yourself more holy by what you do or what you don't do. Be more
honest than that and be more humble than that. Live your life
humbly relying on Christ to be your holiness. That's having
purity of doctrine. Now live it. Live it. Live it. Don't just claim to believe it,
but live it. And second is purity. Treat people in purity. In purity. In purity of action.
Don't give somebody a reason to accuse you of open sin if
you can help it. I mean, you know, there's things
that you ought to do and things you ought not to do. Don't live
in open sin. I mean, I know everything we
do is sinful. I know that. But again, don't
use that as an excuse. Don't give somebody reason to
accuse you of open sin if you can help it. Purity of action. And treat people with purity
of motive. Treat people with a genuine love, a genuine care,
a genuine concern. Not because you're trying to
get something from them. Not because you're trying to impress
men. Not because you're trying to impress God. but just purity
of motive, because you want to be a loving, helpful, kind person,
because that's the spirit that God's given you. Now in conclusion,
let me tie all this together by asking this question. I want
each of you to ask yourself this question. What would this place,
what would Hurricane Road Grace Church be like if everybody here
were like me? What would this place be like
if everybody had my attitude? Well, as you think about that,
let me encourage you. Be an example in word, in what
you say, the way that you say it. Be an example in the way
that you conduct your life. Be an example in love, in your
spirit, in your attitude. Be an example of faith and purity
and earn the respect of others. Earn the respect of others. And
you be the example first. And keep it up. Who cares what
other people are doing? Who cares how other people might
react to you? What if somebody doesn't appreciate
you? What if somebody doesn't follow your example? Keep it
up anyway. We're all not told, you know,
follow this example. You be the example. That's what
we're told. Set the example of genuine faith and love, even
if it goes unnoticed and it goes unappreciated. You'll think it's
unnoticed, but it's not. It's not. Just keep it up. You never know when the Lord
will use something to bless his people and help his people. You
never know. And you know what? You'll be better off and you'll
be happier too if you just do the right thing and set the example
of following the Lord. Our Lord said, John 13 verse
17, if you know these things, And you know these things, you
know these things about this example of faithfulness and love
and kindness. Well, happy are you if you do
them. You know them, but happy are you if you do them. And I'll
tell you this, we'll all be an example. Every last one of us
will be an example one way or another. We'll be an example
of good or bad, one way or another. You just remember this, somebody's
watching. Now you may not know it, but
somebody's watching. Then let's seek to make our example
one of faith and faithfulness, one of love for Christ and love
for others. And you'll be an example to the
believers and helpful to the church of God. All right, let's
bow together in prayer. Our Father, how we thank you
for this clear, plain instruction in your word, how we thank you
for the love of God, how we thank you for the salvation of sinners
that's found in your son, found only in your son. How we thank
you for his obedience given to us. We could be righteous no
other way than his obedience. How we thank you for the sacrifice
of Christ that he gave himself to put away the sin of the people
that he loved. He gave his blood to wash his
people from their sin. How we thank you. We could be
cleansed no other way. We could be forgiven. no other
way. Father, I pray you to apply this
word to our hearts, that you give us faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, that you give us love for him, and that you might enable
us to humble ourselves in following his example and seeking to serve
and help our brethren in any way that we can. Father, I pray
you bless us. Bless us as we go back to our
homes. Bless the classes we're about to have for our young people.
Use this time, we pray, to plant your word in their hearts to
give, in your time, life and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Of course, in his precious name, we pray and give thanks. Amen.
All right, you're dismissed.