Holy speaking to people, men
and women, who are partakers of the mercies of God, called
the sure mercies of David. And really, this is the only
way to begin a sermon to believers, to God's children. Exhorting
them, and appealing to them, and encouraging them on the basis
of God's mercies to them. Ephesians chapter 4, let me read
you two verses here. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 31
and 32. Paul, of course, talking to the
church believers here, he says, let all bitterness and anger
and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away
from you with all malice, and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another on this basis, even as God, for Christ's
sake, hath forgiven you." That's the way he begins this chapter,
Romans 12, I beseech you, I exhort you I appeal to you by the mercies of God to you.
You see, all that a believer is exhorted to be and to do and
to say and to give is not out of fear. We don't address them
using fear as the motive or duty. We're not exhorted to do certain
things because it's our duty. Or with hope of reward. If you do this, God will do that.
That's not the way to encourage the people of God at all. Or an exchange for heavenly favors. But this is the basis. This is
the motivation. Because of His love for you.
and your love for Him. As Paul says, the love of Christ
constrained me. If He died for me, then I'm not my own. I'm bought
with a price. I'm His. And I glorify Him in
my walk, in my talk, and in my body. So I beseech you, brethren,
by the mercies of God to you, that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, that you present a sacrifice? You know,
when we think about a sacrifice, we think about the Old Testament
sacrifices. The Old Testament priest and
the people brought dead lambs. They slew a lamb and shed its
blood. roasted the body on an altar,
lambs and bullocks and goats. They brought that blood offering
to God as a sacrifice, the priest. They also brought the first fruits
of the harvest. They'd go out in the fields and
gather the first corn and the first wheat, the first waving
of the sheaves, and they'd bring it to God. They'd bring the wave
offerings and the firstfruits and the sacrifices and all of
these, but these were material and dead sacrifices. And they pictured our Lord Jesus
Christ and His sacrifice dying for us. Well, we're priests,
and we bring a sacrifice. And what is the sacrifice? Well,
turn to 1 Peter chapter 2. We bring a sacrifice to God.
1 Peter chapter 2. Let's establish this thought
first. Verse 3 of 1 Peter 2 says, "...if
so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." Now, that's
the basis. Is He gracious to you? Have you
tasted? Are you, are we partakers of
his mercies? To whom coming as unto a living
stone, this is Christ, we came to Christ, disallowed indeed
of men, he was rejected, despised of men, but chosen of God and
precious. You also, as living stones, are
built up a spiritual house, the house of God. Lord dwells not
in houses made with hands, temples erected on the sides of a hill.
He dwells in his people, in this temple of living stones, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. And you are built
up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, where kings and priests
under our God to offer up sacrifices. What kind of sacrifices? Dead
lambs and goats and bullocks? Dead wheat stalks and corn? First fruits out of the field?
No. Ourselves. Living sacrifices. To offer up spiritual sacrifices
is acceptable to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 12, I beseech you, therefore
brethren, by the mercies of God and the grace of God to you,
that you present a living sacrifice unto God yourself. It says our
bodies, well God wouldn't receive a body without a heart. The Lord
certainly is not pleased with worship and prayer and gifts
and services where there's no heart and no love. He said, my
son, give me your heart. Keep thy heart, out of it are
the issues of life. So I present myself. Here am
I. Acceptable to God in Christ Jesus. Here's my heart, here's my life,
here's my being, here's myself. And listen, isn't that my reasonable
service? That is my reasonable service
to present myself to God, a living sacrifice. In verse 2, he says,
and be not conformed to this world. Be not conformed to this world. You know, the preachers and churches
talk a lot about worldliness. I gave a lot of thought to this
and I believe I can help us with this a little bit. Be not conformed
to this world. What does the word world mean?
Is it material world? Is it houses and lands and automobiles and materialism? Is that the
world we're talking about here? I don't believe so. I believe
the word world here, being conformed to the world and worldliness,
means the nature of this world, the character, the nature and
character and attitude and philosophy and opinions and the goals of
this world. In other words, the worldly person
seeks the praise of me. The worldly person is interested
in the praises of men. The spiritual person is interested
in the praises of God. He's not really greatly interested
in being accepted of men, but in being accepted of God. The
worldly man thinks of himself. The spiritual man thinks of others.
The worldly man's interest is this body. This body's comfort,
this body's prosperity, this body's ease, this body's recognition
and fame. The spiritual person is interested
in his soul. And he, with our Lord, says,
what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose
his soul? What will a man give in exchange
for his soul? The worldly person looks upon
what is seen. The believer looks upon what
is not seen, what is eternal, heavenly blessing, justification,
righteousness, redemption. The worldly person is taken up
with what shall I eat, what shall I drink, what shall I wear? Believers
are taken up with the kingdom of God, seeking first the kingdom
of God. So worldliness is not materialism. It's my attitude toward it. I'll
give you an example. I was with a friend one time
and we went into, he was interested in buying a car. And we went
into a car dealership that sold all kind of cars. And there was
a pretty nice big comfortable car there on the floor and He
was a believer like myself and And he looked at that said I'd
sure like to have that that car is so comfortable looking and
a nice car and a dependable car But he said it can't buy that
that'd be worldly wouldn't it? He said, I believe I better buy
this cheaper car over here. It's not worldly. Now, wait a
minute. This car is worldly and that car is not worldly? If that's
true, then David was the most worldly man that ever lived because
he had the best of everything. Solomon was the most worldly
man that ever lived. He had the best of everything.
The world in this is not in that material automobile. It's in
the thoughts and mind of the person who, if he buys it, to
show off. To have something better than
someone else. In a matter of pride and attract attention.
And in a matter of pride to exalt himself above someone. I'm the
only man in town that has this particular thing. Now that's
worldliness. You can be the only man in town
that has something. It depends on how you look at
it. That's it. And you ladies go into... I know
you love bargains. And you go into a place and here's
a coat. It fits you. It's everything
you want. It's beautiful. It's just right. But it costs More than this one
over here. That'd be worldly. No. That doesn't make it worldly. It's how you wear it. It's why
you buy it. You see what I'm trying to say?
It's why you want it. It's in us. That's where the
world is. Be not conformed to this world.
Don't be impressed with its opinions, its philosophy. It's nature,
it's goal. That's the thing here. It's in
here, it's in the heart. In other words, don't let the
world tell you how to live. Look at this statement, be not
conformed to this world, be ye transformed. Transformed, renewed,
renovated, changed in your thinking. Be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind. Look on things differently. That's
it. We're different. Our attitude
is not to attitude the world. Our feelings for others is not
the same. The pride is not that. Don't
let the world tell you how to live. Live according to the scriptures. Live according to the new heart
in you and the new mind and the new nature. Don't allow the world
to tell you what to believe, how to dress. What music to listen to? Well,
that's what they're all doing. Well, that doesn't mean I have
to do it. What movies to go to? What doctrine to believe? I was impressed with this football
player. I liked him anyway, Reggie White. I'm not impressed with his theology
too much, but he's a preacher too. well the most outstanding
defensive football players in the in the whole country place
for the green bay packers he made a speech before the wisconsin
uh... house of senators recently he
spoke a little longer than they wanted him to and he spoke a
little plainer than they expected him to he spoke about an hour
and he had some unpopular things to say Among which was this, he said homosexuality
is a sin. He says it's not a decision. It's not a genetic thing. It's
a decision. It's sin. It's evil according
to the scriptures. He said it's just like people
choose to be drunks and liars and backstabbers and wicked.
They choose this path, and it's wrong. He went on to say some
other things. Well, they had him on a special program
the other day after all this. The senators were upset. Some
of the gay rights people had really gotten uptight about it. They had him on a program, and
I just happened to Just happen to tune it in and hear it too. And there was a, one of the chief
media representatives was going to give him a chance. He said,
I'm going to give you an opportunity to put your words in context.
In other words, I'm going to give you an opportunity to crawl
down. I'm going to give you an opportunity to back out of this.
I'm going to give you an opportunity to explain that you didn't mean
what you're saying. And bless his heart. He said,
I don't need an opportunity to put it in context. I meant exactly
what I said. Homosexuality, he said, is a
sin. It's against the Word of God.
It's against God. And I'm a believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And I don't intend to take back
anything I said. Now that's, if he'd have compromised,
that's worldliness. He would let this world, and
let me tell you this, Campbell Soup, he's there, one of their
representatives, the paper said the other day, they're going
to fire him. Nike Shoes, he's one of theirs, and they're having
a board meeting to fire him. He was going to be retired this
year and be on television as a football analyst, is that what
you call them, analyst? He won't get that job. It's going
to cost him. But bless his heart. I wish I
had his address. I'd write him and brag on him.
Wouldn't you? I think he's going to hear from
a lot of liberals. But he needs to hear from some
of us. That's what it says here. Don't be conformed to this world.
Don't you allow them to push you to put your words in context. You keep it in the scriptures.
He said, I believe the word of God. Don't be conformed to this
world. Be transformed, renovated, changed,
renewed in our thinking, in our understanding. I know I know
God's way and you do. And listen, let me read the rest
of that verse. Don't be conformed to this world.
Don't let them tell you how to live, how to dress, where to
go, what to believe. But be changed, be renewed, be
transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove,
that you may experience, that you may experience and know and
understand What is that good and acceptable and perfect will
of God? I can't follow the world and
know the will of God in salvation. Because the world doesn't want
to know the will of God in salvation. That Christ is the only Savior.
That He is the Rock. He's our hope. He's our Redeemer. By His blood, by His righteousness. That He's our Mercy Seat, that
He's our only Mediator. There's no Mediator between God
and men but Christ Jesus. Now I can't be conformed to the
world and know and experience and prove that will of God. And I want to know the will of
God for my daily walk, my behavior, my conduct, and my talk. in word and deed to glorify God. And I can't let the world tell
me what that is. I've got to let Him tell me. And the world's going to do you
like they did wretched. They're going to make you pay
for it. And I want to know the will of
God for home and family, for the church and His kingdom, for
my life, vocation, eternal glory. But I can't know it and experience
it and understand the perfect will of God by allowing people
who do not know Him and who do not love Him and who do not seek
to glorify Him to tell me what to believe and how to live and
how to conduct myself and to try to please them. That's worldliness. Now, worldliness is not immaterial
things. Let me go back and say to you
ladies about that coat. You buy it if you can afford
it. If you can afford it. There's
the thing. If you can have this, if you can have what you have,
and know how to be abased and how to abound, and not be changed,
There's a poem, I can't remember, but I'll read it. If you can
keep your head when all about you're losing theirs and blaming
it on you, and if you can walk with kings and not lose the common
touch, or whatever, whomever you walk with, you remember that
poem? Read it sometime. It's just,
just walk with God. No matter where you are, with
whom you are, because worldliness is a mental thing. It's an attitude
of heart and mind. It has nothing to do with material
things. All right, look at verse 3. Here's
something here that's very simple. I say, through the grace given
unto me, to every man that's among you, not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly. according as God hath dealt to
every man the measure of faith." Now, Paul is exhorting us now
to, on a subject, the crowning grace. Mr. Spurgeon called it,
humility. Well, pride, like worldliness,
is a state of mind. Worldliness is a state of mind.
It's not material, it's mental. And pride is the same thing.
The Apostle Paul says here, now listen to him, I say through
the grace of God given to me. He was one of the proudest, most
arrogant religious Pharisees who lived. And God broke him
by his grace. God brought this proud Pharisee
down and this became his language when God stripped him and broke
him and enabled him to see what he was and who he was. He said
at one time after that, I'm less than the least of all the saints.
I'm not worthy to be called an apostle. I'm nothing. I'm the chief of centers, he
said. And that's what he's saying to us. It's a thinking process. To every man that's among you,
not to think, Not to think of himself more highly than he ought
to think, but to think soberly. Pride is a state of mind. If
you think soberly and sensibly, you will know that what you have
and what you are and what you know is all of God. I was thinking
soberly and sensibly and scripturally that everything I am, God gave
me. I didn't produce any of it. I
didn't manufacture any of it. It's not by my merit that I know
what I know or can do what I do or have what I have. It's a gift
of God. Listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians
4. He says in verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 4, who makes you to differ from
another? Who makes you to differ from
another? It doesn't matter who it is. What makes a woman of virtue
and character different from a woman who's a harlot? What
makes a man who is wise and studious different from an imbecile? What makes a man who's skilled
playing a musical instrument from a man who can't even play
a radio? Who makes you to differ? A man with a... a woman with
a family, a person who's alone on the street. What do you have
that you didn't receive? Now, if you received it, why
do you glory as if you didn't? There's priorities up here. When
I think soberly and sensibly and scripturally, I know that
what I have and what I know and what I shall be, is by the grace of
God, through Christ Jesus. Don't think of yourself more
highly than you ought to, but think soberly, listen, according
as God hath dealt to every man, the measure. Why does he use
that word measure of faith? You know, the Holy Spirit was
given to Christ without measure. Perfect. Our Lord was perfect. Perfectly endowed and endued
with the fullness of the Spirit of God. We have the Holy Spirit
in measure like we have anything else. We have faith in a measure. There are people here that faith
is stronger than others. The measure of grace is a measure
of gifts. as a measure of mental capacity. Some people can sit down at a
computer and just, I can turn it on and off. But some have that measure. It's a measure. And so let's
stop and think about this now. I say to every one of you, by
the grace of God that's given to me, I know what I thought
I was, And God showed me what I am. I know where I once thought
I had everything and received everything. I thought by my own
skill and hard work, but I found out it's by the grace of God that
I am what I am. I found that out. Now you don't
think too highly. You think soberly and sensibly. As God hath dealt to you the
measure. Measure me out a little more.
I'd be grateful. I would. But I'll be content
with what I have. I've learned in whatsoever state
I am, Paul said, to be content. He always said, I know how to
abound and I know how to be abased. But I've learned that whatsoever
state I am, be happy. God has dealt to me. the measure
of faith. And pride, it's a mental thing. It's think. That word is used
over again. Don't think about yourself what
you ought not to think. But think soberly, sensibly,
scripturally, according as God hath dealt to all of us. And
then verse 4, he talks about the union of believers with one
another. He says, we have many members
in one body, and all the members have not the same office. So
we, being many, are one body in Christ, and we're all members
one of another. He talks about this human body
having all of its different eye, ear, nose, hands, feet. Let's turn to 1 Corinthians 12,
you young folks will If you haven't seen this here in 1 Corinthians
12, it's a good illustration. Turn over and let's look at it
a minute. Talking about the church, the
believers, the family of believers, Christ's body is like this human
body. It's made up of many members.
And all members don't have the same function or office or duties,
whatever. Now look at 1 Corinthians 12,
verse 12, chapter 12, verse 13. For as the body is one, and hath
many members, and all the members of that one body, being many,
are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit have we all,
are we all baptized into one body by the Holy Spirit. Whether
we're Jews or Gentiles, whether we're bond or free, and we've
been made to drink into one Spirit. The body is not one member, it's
many members. But suppose the foot shall say,
well, because I'm not the hand, I'm not in the body. Is it therefore
not of the body? Well, I want to be a hand, but
you're a foot. But I want to be a hand. Because
you're a foot doesn't mean you're not of the body. If the ear shall
say, because I'm not an eye, I'm not of the body. I don't want to just hear, I
want to be seen. Is it not of the body? What if the whole body
were an eye? There wouldn't be any hearing.
If the whole body were hearing, there wouldn't be any smelling.
But now wait, watch this. This is the church. But now had
God set the members, every one of them in the body, as it had
pleased Him, I'm what I am by the will of God. I'm where I
am by the will of God. Isn't that clear? If the whole
body were one member, where would be the body? But now are they
many members but one body, and I can't save the hand, I don't
need you. Nor the head to the feet, I don't
need you. Oh no sir, much more, those members
of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. Necessary. This head is so obvious all the
time. But I'm sure glad I got lungs.
Nobody's ever seen my lungs. I'm sure glad I have interior
organs that function all the time. And that's the way it is
with God's church. And we think every member is
necessary to have a body. Every member is incomplete without
the other, no matter who it is. Every member has his ministry,
function, and can't be the other. He can't be the other, and he
can't do without the other. Every member is to rejoice to
be a part of the body. Thank God I'm in the body. Thank God I'm in the body. It
really doesn't matter where. It's so glad to be a part of
Christ's body, aren't you? I'm so glad to be. Thank God
He included me. Thank God He included me. I'm
so glad that I'm a part of you. I'm so glad God brought me here. I'm so glad He didn't leave me
in Alabama. I'd have never heard the gospel. I rejoice. I feel honored to
be a member of the body of Christ. And you should. I know you do.
And every member ought to strive to keep the body healthy and
in unity and functioning together. Don't want to go off that way.
I believe I'll go this way. No, you've got to go where I'm
going. Every member has got the glory of Christ, the gospel of
Christ, the honor of Christ, the good of the whole body. And
verse 6 through 8, you can look at it, let's read it together.
Having gifts differing according to the grace that's given to
us. Now it's mentioned some of those gifts, certainly not all
of them, whether prophecy, that's preaching, ministry, preaching,
teaching. Prophecy, let us prophesy according
to the proportion of faith, or ministry, ministering to the
needs, the welfare, the comfort of others, a lot of ministries.
Nursery, office, state minister, helping folks. I appreciate our ladies, how
they take care of situations that arise and so forth that
nobody ever knows about. Call one another, get together,
take food, help ministry. He that teacheth on teaching,
he that exhorteth. What's exhorting? Well, it's
encouraging, it's comforting, it's instructing one another.
Helping one another along the way. Exhorting one another. Exhort
one another daily. That's not done in the pulpit
all together. It's done privately and personally. He that giveth,
God enables him to give. God prospers him. Let him do
it with liberality, simplicity. He that ruleth, some of you elders
have been around here a while and God's given you a serious
responsibility. Do it with diligence. Take it
lightly. And do it with diligence, and
do it with sincerity, and do it with commitment to Him, to
Him chiefly. Finding His will, and do it with
patience. And He that showeth mercy. Do
all this with cheerfulness. That's an important word. Glad
to do it. Glad to do it. You know, what's
a proverb? What's a proverb? I thought I
knew what a proverb was. I think I do know what a proverb
is, but I looked it up, and this is the meaning given to it. It's
a short, wise saying. That's a proverb. It's a short,
wise saying. And I call these next verses,
I'm going to just read them over like Jim did, and they're the
Proverbs of our Lord. Short, wise. You talk about wise. This is perfect wisdom. This
is not my wisdom. This is His. Instructions for
His church. And here we go. Beginning with
verse 9. Let love be without dissimulation,
without pretense. That's the word. Sincere. Without hypocrisy. Abhor that
which is evil. Hate the evil. That's right. Hate evil. You don't hate people,
but you hate evil. Cleave to that which is good.
What's the word for cleave? Be glued to it. Be glued to it. Associate with. Keep company with good people. Your companions will influence
you. Either for good or bad. So, walk
with good people. Good principles. Go to good places.
Do good deeds. Cleave to that. Be glued to that
which is good. Be kindly affection one to another. With brotherly love. Love all
people, but especially the brothers. And I don't apologize for saying
that. The Lord commands us to love
all people. Especially the household of faith.
Now that's scriptural. Isn't that scriptural? Especially
the household of faith. Especially one another. In honor of preferring one another.
Somebody said about that one time, said, in making others
happy, you'll find happiness. In giving, you'll receive much
more than you gave. In promoting a brother's honor,
you'll be honored. And not slothful in business.
That works in two ways. That's your own business. Our work as workmen ought to
be done with diligence. It ought to be done with enthusiasm. It ought to be done with particular
care. We had a man in this church, Jeff Thornberry, gone on to be
with the Lord now. I learned to do carpenter work
under him. I wanted to build a house. 1957. So I got with Jeff. He was one
of our elders and a man who loved Christ and loved the gospel so
much. And I went to work with him to learn something about
building a house because I planned to build one. And I learned not
only how to cut a board, Like, for example, a pattern.
We had a pattern for the joists and a pattern for the rafters.
And he said, now don't ever use your pattern. He said, keep your
pattern here to mark the others by. Usually, take it, mark it,
and use it, and then mark the next. When you keep on, you keep
getting shorter, you know. So, he taught me the skill, but
he taught me something else. If you're going to do it, do
it right. And if he didn't, the first time,
make it right, he'd tear it out and do it again. I learned, if
you can't do it right the first time, when are you going to do
it right? Make it right. Don't be slothful
in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. And listen,
the second application of that is the business I'm in. And you are in worship. Don't come to worship service
half-heartedly. And our spiritual relationship
ought to be motivated by fervent spirit. Wholeheartedly. Preparation of heart. Anything
done for God, and in the name of God, ought to have preparation. It ought to require as much effort
and time and preparation as something done for a man's paying us. In
fact, actually, I'll tell you this, actually, whether you're
on the job, out yonder, building a house, Or whether you're in
the house of God, or teaching a Sunday school class, or preaching
a sermon, or singing a song, do it as unto the Lord. When
you're working on that house, you're working for the Lord Jesus
Christ. And here you are too. That's what he's talking about.
Don't be slothful in your business. But fervent in spirit, because
you're serving the Lord. Either way. I hope I made that
clear, because that's what that And listen, rejoice in hope.
Rejoice, we have a good hope. Be patient in tribulation. I
need to learn that. Be patient in trials. Be patient. Wait on the Lord. Continue in
prayer. When's the time to pray? All
the time. Distribute to the necessity of the saints. Be given to hospitality. Some have entertained angels
unaware. Bless them that persecute you. Don't curse them. Don't
get even. That's just normal. That's just human. I'll get you
for that. No. Don't do it. No. God said, vengeance is mine.
I'll take care of all your obligations. Rejoice with them that rejoice.
Weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward
another. Mind not high things. Be content
with simple things. Condemn sin to men of low estate.
Don't forget the simple little folks. Be of the same mind when all,
don't cater. Everybody has a place in your
heart. Condemn sin. Be contented with
simple things. Be not wise in your own conceits. Be not wise in your own... Don't
think that you have all wisdom and others have none. Recompense
to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the
sight of men. Not only in the sight of God,
but in the sight of men. It does matter what people think.
You've got to think about this right here. It does matter the
impression that we leave. So provide things honest, not
only in the sight of God. You say, well, God knows my heart.
I know that. I know that. But we have an obligation to
protect our testimony, don't we? We have an obligation to
protect our testimony. And there are certain places
you don't need to be seen, certain things you don't need to be seen
doing, and just protect your testimony. Because it does matter
the impression we leave. That's right. So provide things
honest, not only in the sight of God, but in the sight of all
men. And if it's possible, as much as life is, you live peaceably
with all men. And dearly beloved, avenge not
yourself. Give place to wrath. Give place
to wrath. Let it be put away. It's written,
vengeance is mine, I'll repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if
you're in any hunger, just give him something to eat. Give him
something to drink. In so doing, you'll keep coals
of fire on his head. And don't be overcome with evil. Don't be. There's so much of
it now, it's a flood of evil all about it. Don't let it sweep
you away. Resist it. Overcome evil with good. Alright,
I hope that's a blessing. It was a blessing to me as I
prepared it.