Amen. Please be seated. And like the hymn writer said, none but Zion's children know. And what glorious things we know as Zion's children. Well, this morning, as we come to take up the topic of the church that pleased Paul, despite her shortcomings, I invite you, dear ones, to turn with me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 15 Romans chapter 15 and please follow with me as I read verse 14 in your hearing Romans 15 at verse 14 Paul by the direction and aid of the Holy Spirit writes the following and says Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Well, brethren, let's once again pray and ask the Lord's blessings upon our time. Let's pray together. Our Father, we come to you this morning in that mighty and magisterial name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. We are thankful that it is through him that we have access by the Spirit into your very presence. Oh God, we are thankful that we are no longer outcast, that we are no longer strangers from the covenants of promise. But oh God, through the blood of Christ, you have brought us near to yourself. And we have this grand access to you, our great God. Father, we bless your name. We thank you for your magnificent love demonstrated in the doing and dying and rising of Jesus Christ, our Lord, on our behalf. Lord, we're so thankful that for many in this room we have experienced a new birth. We're so thankful that we have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of the son of your love. Again, Lord, we bless your name. We thank you for such salvific mercies which are ours, your children. Father, as we come this morning to your word, we are very conscious of our need of grace and help from on high. We are mindful, O God, according to your own word, that a man can receive nothing except it be given to him from above. So God, we pray this day that you would give it to us in copious measure. Lord, that you would open your word to us and feed our needy souls. Lord, do us good, we pray. Minister to each one we ask, we pray all of these things in that exalted name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. It was John Calvin who rightly said that when one gains a knowledge of the Book of Romans, he has an entrance open to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture. And so, dear ones here this day, the great Reformer was saying that if you and I truly understand this book, this epistle before us this day, then we will understand much of what the Bible says to us as a whole. Now as I'm sure most of you are aware for a few years now we have been working through this book verse by verse and God has taught us much yes as we've taken up such matters as sin and salvation sanctification Sovereignty and service, the treasures of scripture, to use Calvin's language, have been opened up to us so that we've been challenged and we have been helped and we have been encouraged by the God who is wonderfully described in Romans 15 and verse 13 as the God of all. Well, with all of that material now behind us, stuff again we've considered for the past few years, someone might be wondering if or could it be possible that there is any more for us to receive from God in light of the fact that we are almost done with this epistle. I mean, as Paul from this point forward in this letter just puts forth his passion, his plans, his prayers, and then some personal greetings in chapter 16. Is it just going to be ho-hum from this point out? Dear ones here this day, let me say that this is not the case at all. Yes, let me say that since the Apostle Paul tells us in 2nd Timothy chapter 3 that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, then brethren, you and I still have much to learn from the rest of this epistle we have much to receive for the benefiting of our lives as the people of God. Well for today as Paul begins to wind down this letter he says something in verse 14 of this chapter which is absolutely crucial for you and I to get our text under consideration. You see here in this verse, Romans 15 and verse 14, it's as if Paul says to the believers, the Christians at Rome, that even though I just spent a whole lot of time writing to you in chapters 14 and the opening of 15, concerning how you are to act toward one another, with reference to personal preferences and opinions, etc., Paul says nonetheless, I want you to know that this does not mean that I do not think very highly of you as a local congregation. You see brethren, here Paul says to the Roman believers that in spite of all of his corrections, all of his commands, all of his challenges, again from 14 into chapter 15 that we've considered for several weeks now, that he realized nonetheless that because they in fact were true Christians, even saints, as he speaks of them in chapter one of this book, saints whose faith was being spoken of throughout the entire world, Paul realized nonetheless that there were still many aspects in their lives which were glorifying to the Lord our God. And so you see, dear ones here this morning, the lesson straightway from this is that even though at times you and I as the people of God will not always be all that we should be in every single area of our lives, this does not mean that God just thinks that we are a pitiful group of people. No. Rather, it means that while in fact there are many areas in our lives in which we definitely need to grow in as Christians through the process of sanctification, nonetheless, because of Jesus Christ our Lord, our God fully and freely receives us to himself glory be to his name. Well here then is what Paul teaches us in verse 14 of this chapter for this day and dear ones I am convinced that this is a vital matter for each and every one of us to get this is crucial for our lives as Christians and as Paul speaks about all of this notice with me first in 14a of our text in view his confidence his confidence here as he begins to express these words these very thoughts that I put before you just a moment ago to the Romans he says first in 14a look at the words with me there in your Bibles he writes saying now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren." Now it's interesting to note here that Paul could say that he was assured of all that he's about to say with reference to the Romans. It's interesting to note that he can say that he's confident of this very thing seeing that Paul himself had never actually met them right? I mean remember with me again from chapter one in this book Paul says that I long to see you all that I might impart some spiritual gift to you and this was because again at this point in his life Paul had never officially met the church. Now of course we know that Paul, in fact, did know some of the believers there at Rome, for he will mention them in chapter 16 of this letter, a chapter which we'll get to in a few weeks. Ah, but again, in general, Paul did not know most of these believers, and so in view of this we ask, how do we account for his opening words here in 14a? Well, apparently, Paul had gotten some positive news or reports, we might say, about the believers in Rome from those whom he did know in the church. Like who? Like a Phoebe, for example, and like Priscilla and Aquila. Again, those whom he mentions in chapter 16. And so you see, listen, along, no doubt, with Phoebe and Priscilla and Aquila, telling Paul that there was some judging going on in the church, negatively speaking. We've seen it over the last few weeks and some despising in the lives of some with reference to other members in the congregation. They told him nonetheless that there were also some very good things going on in their midst. Well, in view of all of these things, again Paul says in our words in view, look at the language in your Bibles, he writes saying, now I myself am confident concerning you." He says that he is fully assured of this, and his words in our English Bibles, which read, I myself, are emphatic in the Greek text, highlighting to us that Paul is absolutely confident about this matter. I myself am absolutely confident with reference to all that I am going to say about you. In fact, Paul says here, Now I myself am confident concerning you. The verb confident is in the perfect tense in the Greek text and the perfect tense could be translated here as Paul saying now I myself stand I am confident concerning, or we might say, with reference to you, and then he adds those two little sweet words at the end of the sentence, very warmly, I am confident concerning you, my brethren, the Greek words mu adelphoi, which highlight to us how very dear these brothers and sisters were to the apostle. I stand persuaded, Paul says concerning you, my dear, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. And so, having put forth his confidence concerning them, come with me now secondly for this morning to note in the passage in 14b Paul's commendation of them. Look at his words again with me in your Bibles he writes saying, Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that, the conjunction putting forth the content of his confidence, he says that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Now in these last few words here in our text and view, the Apostle puts forth three consecutive positive clauses concerning these Roman believers. consecutive encouraging clauses so that even though, remember it again, even though in their lives as believers they needed work just as the case is with every single one of us here this day, Paul could nevertheless say by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit firstly that they were quote full of goodness. Now what does Paul mean here when he says this about them? I mean, certainly he did not mean to say that there was no remaining sin in them, because clearly there was that very thing. Yes, clearly these Romans knew, just as we know, that in our own flesh dwells no good thing just as Paul says to them and to us as well in Romans chapter 7 well brethren even though this was the case nevertheless listen carefully because these Roman believers had been redeemed by Christ and given new Christian hearts through regeneration and in fact had been made partakers of the Holy Spirit who according to Galatians chapter 5 produces goodness in us brethren this in fact was what was true of them you see the fact of the matter was even though practically speaking just like with us they were not flawless no they were still nonetheless by virtue of salvation full of Goodness, full of goodness. Ah, but the question is, what kind of goodness is Paul speaking of here in our passage? Well, while the term goodness can describe one's moral character so that they shun evil and seek to live uprightly, et cetera, when Paul speaks here of the Romans being full of goodness, he's speaking about that active goodness. or benevolence which is kind and has a specific interest in the welfare of others as one Greek lexicon notes simply stated listen goodness in God's people which again Galatians chapter 5 is a fruit of the Spirit is a positive moral quality which seeks to do good to others according to the rule of scripture even at one's own personal expense. And so again, follow with me, even though the Romans still had some problems with being judgmental at times, etc., as Paul spoke of several times in the previous chapter. Nevertheless, he says here that you are full of goodness. He says, even though When they were unsaved, they were, quote, filled with all unrighteousness, as Paul says in chapter one of this book. Now, however, by the transforming power of the gospel, they were a changed people. By the transforming of the power of the gospel, they were a changed people. Well, brethren, I say what a glorious truth this is. I mean, this shows us the power of the gospel in the lives of people, which would cause all of us here this day who are saved to bless the name of the Lord our God. We too were once filled with all unrighteousness, but now, according to Paul, the Christian is filled with all goodness. Glory be to God. Ah, but having said this, listen, I am also convinced that based on what we read here in our verse, it should cause us who name the name of the Lord to examine our own hearts to see if in fact this is actually true of us. Oh yes beloved I believe that we need to ask ourselves are we really full of goodness or not. We need to ask are we the real deal or not because This, in fact, according to the inspired apostle, is what is true of all true Christians as a general rule with reference to their lives. Well, thankfully again, that for us who have truly been saved, we can say that this is what is true of us. We could say by God's grace and the Holy Ghost working in us that we do seek to do good to others, right? Yes, by God's grace in our lives, we seek to do as much physical good, as much financial good, as much practical good, and most importantly, as much spiritual good as we can do to others as we seek to share with them the glorious gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. We are full of goodness. We have Christian hearts. The Holy Ghost produces goodness in us. And so we seek to do as much good as we can to others. Well, not only was this first matter true of the Romans and all believers after them by virtue of regeneration. Because Paul says next in our passage, look at the language, that they were also filled with all knowledge. They were filled with all knowledge. When Paul says this about them, what kind of knowledge is he speaking of? Well, clearly he's not speaking of all the knowledge that one could gain or possibly gain in the world, no. Rather, he's speaking about all spiritual knowledge, which is connected to our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, here when he says that he's confident that they're filled with all knowledge, he's speaking about all knowledge which is connected to the gospel. Even the gospel which Paul has been presenting to the church at Rome throughout this epistle. And so you see dear ones here this morning, in this sense I think it's true, not prideful, I think it's true that you and I are also full of all knowledge. Right? By God's grace, you and I have been filled with a true knowledge of who He is and a true knowledge of our desperate need of the Savior, Jesus Christ, who in love died in our place and paid our sin debt in full at the cross. Glory be to His name. From a biblical perspective, dear ones, this is what it means to be filled with all knowledge, for this is all the knowledge that an individual needs in order to enter into heaven at last. God is holy. He is not. Christ is the Savior. He died for sinners. The knowledge that we need to enter into heaven at last is found in the gospel. It is found in Christ. Therefore, as believers, we have all knowledge. Well, thirdly then, As the Apostle puts forth his final consecutive positive clause concerning the Roman Christians, he writes saying that he's fully convinced that they were all able or continually had the ability, present tense participle, also to admonish one another. The third thing that he says to them about them despite their shortcomings. Now the verb admonish here in our passage means to instruct if you're taking notes or to warn or to lovingly confront someone as a friend so as to encourage them down a right path biblically speaking. This Greek word here for admonish is a word which is made up of two other Greek words, and it literally means to place in the mind. That's what the word means. And as some of you will know, this word here is where we get our English word, newthetic, which is often connected to newthetic counseling, which is a type of counseling which became very popular by the Christian who's named J. Adams. Now, it's important also for you to note, as a side note here, that euthetic counseling stands in sharp contrast to secular counseling. And this is because euthetic counseling uses the Word of God in order to help people instead of the words and ideas of fallen, unsaved men and women. Euthetic counseling puts the Bible in the minds of men and women. It uses scripture to bring about solutions in people's lives as they, by the power of the Spirit, seek to obey the Word of God and align themselves with it. This is what euthetic counseling is all about, and this is how it stands in contrast to secular counseling. Well, again, follow with me back to our point in our passage. Paul says here, with reference to the Christians at Rome and all other Christians after them, that he was fully persuaded that they were competent to counsel, to use the title of a book written by J. Adams. He says that he was fully convinced that since they had been saved, since they knew the gospel of God's grace, that this in fact was true concerning them. Now notice again, here with me, that Paul says that he was convinced about this with reference to each one. Look at the words. He says, I am convinced that you are able, you have the power, you have the strength, you have the ability to do what? To admonish, look at the language, one another. One another. and so pastor you ask what's the point well the point is plainly the apostle believed that this act of admonishing of counseling in the church was not just that which was for some special class of Christians among them who, for example, went to seminary and got a degree in euthetic counseling, which, by the way, is not a bad idea, no. However, according to Paul here, he believed that this was something which was to be going on among all of the people of God in the church as they came alongside of each one, encouraging each one to higher things in Jesus Christ the Lord. Brethren, simply put, according to Paul, this action here of admonishment Encouragement, warning, directing someone down a right path, biblically speaking, is not something just for the so-called experts know, rather it's something which is to be happening among the rank and the file of all of God's people as they graciously express this to each one when necessary. Now, Having said that, having opened up that point as I believe it is plainly put in our passage, brethren this presents a real challenge to each and every one of us here this day, right? I mean, churches, I was studying this passage to bring it to you all today. I kept asking myself this one question. Could Paul say these specific words to us here at Grace Community Baptist Church, Rhode Island? Let me make it more personal. I ask you here this day who named the name of the Lord. You who say, I've been saved by Christ. Let me ask you, could Paul say of you specifically that you in fact are able to instruct others in this place down a path of biblical correctness if the situation called for it? Well, beloved, I hope that Paul could say this very thing. Again, he assumes it to be true for the church at Rome. I hope that he could say this with reference to each and every one of us in this place. And if he couldn't, why not? Why not? Well, perhaps it's because some of them needed more Bible training. Maybe that's why. Maybe they needed another epistle written to them. Or maybe some of them needed some shoring up in their lives as Christian men and Christian women. Well, brethren, whatever the case might be why we couldn't be commended by Paul in this regard, I say that we all need to do whatever we can do so that Paul's words here can in fact be true of you and I at Grace Community Baptist Church, Rhode Island. I mean, beloved, listen, I'm convinced that if Paul could say this to the Romans with the limited knowledge that they had, just maybe the one epistle. Who knows how much Bible they had. I'm convinced that if he can say that to them, that he most assuredly should be able to say it to you and I in this place. I'm persuaded, Paul says, that you all can do this. How much more us living centuries beyond them? and so may God help all of us in this place in this regard right yes may he help us to grow as believers so that we can lovingly admonish each one to the end that we will be the kind of church that our text is portraying to us one which does good to our brethren, and one which glorifies and honors our God in all things. Well, in the time that remains for today, I want to say Two things to those of us who are Christians in this place by way of application, to those of you who are saved here this day, two things. And the first is, I believe that our passage for this morning is to help you, dear brethren, to see yourself in a better light. which is to say that despite all of your shortcomings before God, and you know, and God knows there are many, you were still nonetheless beloved by Him and highly viewed in His sight since He sees you in His Son, thus you are to be very encouraged by this fact. That's the first application. Right, that's what I get from the passage. Romans 14, again, commands, challenges, charges, receive one another. Stop looking down your nose at others. Stop judging. Would you stop judging already? All those negative things they needed to be corrected on, et cetera, brethren. But then Paul comes and says, not by way of flattery, no, but by way of inspired truth. Verse 14, even though those things are true of you, nonetheless, I'm also confident that you're full of goodness, that you're full of all knowledge, and that you're able to counsel others in the church. What does that say to you? What does it say to me? Well, it says that I think we need to view ourselves in a better light, which is to say, despite our shortcomings before God, and again, there are many, He still loves us and we are still highly viewed in His sight because of Christ and Christ alone. Thus, we are to be encouraged in this fact. This is a balancing perspective. It's a perspective that we spoke of this morning in the Bible study hour. There's all balances that we need as the people of God. God is holy, absolutely. Thrice holy, holy, holier and holiest is the Lord our God. Isaiah chapter six. And we can so focus on just one aspect of his character. that we cower before Him because we see our own sin. We, again, see as Paul said in Romans 7, that nothing good dwelleth in me. And we just look to ourselves and we just say, I'm the worst saint who's ever lived. Why does God even love me? Answer, He loves you because of Jesus. And He will never stop loving you because of Jesus and Jesus alone. And so I think that if we just focus on the one aspect of God's holiness and our sinfulness and we forget the gospel which says that God in Christ has made us 100% righteous in His sight, we fall into either a depression or despair and we miss the biblical portrait that God would have for us to understand And we fall into great error if we don't keep all of these things in balance. So let's think about it. Paul, you had these things to say about the church at Rome. And maybe they were feeling pretty bad at this point because you laid it on pretty thick, Paul. I mean, that's a lot of writing about an issue of Christian liberty, Paul. Maybe their heads were hanging low. Oh, I shouldn't have been judging my brother. The apostle heard about this from Phoebe. Oh! Priscilla and Aquila told him. I'm just a horrible person. Well, it might be, in fact, that you are a horrible person. In and of yourself, we're all horrible. But brethren, God does not see us in and of ourselves. He sees us in Christ. And because he sees us in Christ, though albeit horrible within myself, so that Paul says in Romans 7, when I would do good, evil is still present with me. Oh, wretched man, not that I was no, but that I am still true of us. Ah, but nonetheless, even though this man here is still full of dead men's bones and all manner of evil, Jesus has covered me in his righteousness. And I am accepted in the beloved. I am beloved of God, Romans chapter one. I am a saint separated unto the Lord my God. I am justified, legally declared, not guilty in God's sight to the end that there is now and there will never be any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Oh brethren, I say glory be to God. Though we sin, though we fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3 verse 23, nonetheless we have a Savior who commends us 1,000, 1,000,000, 100,000,000 times infinitely before the Lord our God. And we need to always keep that in mind. We need to keep it in mind. It'll help us. It won't, if we're true Christians, give us an excuse for sin, no. But when we sin, and when we repent and confess and grab on to 1 John 1, that if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, we'll feel grieved over our sins, as we should feel. Sad that we ever sinned, as we should feel. But then, nonetheless, we will look away from ourself and our sin and remember our Savior. That because of His doing and dying and rising, God accepts me 100%. And it will cause us, as I said at the end of this application, to be very encouraged in this fact. very encouraged, very thankful that God in grace has loved us in his son. But then secondly, by way of application, dear brothers and sisters here this day, I am convinced that our passage will also help us to see others in this place in a better light, which is to say that despite their shortcomings and their failures, they're still beloved of God and highly viewed in his sight, since he sees them also in Christ. Thus we are to love them and to be long-suffering with them. Personal application, oh. Thank God even though I sin and I do things that I don't want to do and I repent and I ask God to forgive me for them as I should, not so that my union with God could be restored. No, my union with God will never be broken, but my communion with God will suffer. So I repent quickly. But then I remember that Jesus loves me and Jesus has clothed me with his righteousness so that God will always be my father. Praise be to his name. That's good for me personally. Ah, but we move on beyond the what's good for me. But how does this affect the brethren in the church? Well, I think again, as Paul wrote this to them there in Romans 15, 14, they might have been saying, aha, I told you, you should have stopped judging me. You're so evil. You should have stopped condemning me. Paul says, again, 1410, but why do you judge your brother? Why do you show contempt toward your brother? You see, you're one of those people. And we could be hard on them, and we could think very little of them. I would have never committed such a sin. No, brethren, our passage teaches us that, as with us, we are to see other believers in a better light also, which is to say, despite their shortcomings, God still loves them. They are still highly viewed and valued in his sight, since he sees them also through the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are to love them, and we are to forgive them quickly. These are blood-bought saints. God loves me, thank God for it, but you know what? He loves that other one who sinned against me last week. What does that mean? You better not withhold, rather, forgiveness from that one. That's Christ's child if you do not forgive your brethren. Do not expect God to forgive you. Ah, but they treated me this way. It wasn't nice, uh-huh. Ought they to ask you for forgiveness? Of course. And when they do, receive one. Accept one. You see, sometimes we're very quick to receive the forgiveness of God for ourselves, but then we become very stingy when it comes to forgiving others. Or we have a higher standard. I'll forgive you in maybe six years when I get over it. No, brethren. the one comes you forgive them or in many times the case is you just draw a blanket of love over the thing because that's one of God's children and God is so merciful to me I need to be merciful to this one if you've really received the mercy of God friend then I say you're gonna be one who's going to be very merciful to others If you've seen the grace of God, if you've received it, then you're gonna freely give it. Freely we receive, freely we give. Receive so much from God. He's gonna keep on loving you, gonna keep on forgiving you. And so I think our passage helps us in both of these ways. And it's a unique passage. Again, it's worthy of one sermon. It's worthy of understanding it. get underneath it, put it in its context. And again, I don't believe that Paul here is flattering the Romans, as some commentators say. I don't believe, as some commentators say, that Paul's using hyperbole here. You're full of this, you're full of that. One commentator even said that Paul is flattering them here because he's going to ask them to support him. later on in the chapter, so he's buttering them up to ask them for money as he goes to Spain. I say it's blasphemous. He's not buttering them up, he's telling them a true fact. Did he even know you're not all that you should be as the people of God? You've got many qualities which glorify God and bring honor to him, he's saying, don't forget it. Even though I had to speak thus, Paul says, You're still the apple of God's eye. You're still beloved of Jesus. You're still saint by calling, rejoice in all of these things. That's what Paul is saying. He's not flattering them. He's not buttering them up. He's saying this is what's true of you, even though you have remaining sin within. That, brethren, is the fact of the matter. And I think that is something we should take to our hearts, take to our lives, think about how it applies to us specifically in our walk with the Lord, and then think secondly about how it applies to our brethren in this place when they sin and fall short before us in our walk with them. I close then this afternoon with a word to any non-christian in this place before we come to the table of remembrance. To you who don't know the Lord, what can I say to you, oh my friend? What I can say to you is it's sadly, sadly, a Paul's description here of what he was confident concerning the believers at Rome would be a much different description than he would give for you. This is the case, and why? Well, it's because Like before the Romans were saved, before they were saved, just like them, you also are currently filled with all unrighteousness. Romans chapter one. Paul says being filled with sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, envy, strife, and disobedience, et cetera. So you see, Paul's description of you has already been given. Where? Chapter 1 in this book. He doesn't say there that as non-Christians they were filled with all goodness. No. There he says you're filled with all sin. You're filled with wickedness. You're filled with envy and grief and fornication and sexual immorality. He says you're filled with covetousness, you're filled with envy, you're filled with strife. You say pastor well having heard that I don't feel too good about myself and I say amen. Because you know what? It's not until you start feeling bad about yourself that you seek Jesus Christ the Lord. And when you start feeling bad about yourself, like, you know what, I am a mess, and I am filled with all these sins, and a whole lot more. It's not until you see yourself in truth, it's not until that time, that you will then seek the Savior in truth. The world will tell you the exact opposite. Listen to Disney, you are filled with a good heart. You have a good heart. Really? Is that what the Bible says? You've got a good heart? That's not what my Bible says. My Bible says that as an unsaved person, my heart is full of deception. It's beyond cure. Who could know it? My Bible says that from the top of my head to the sole of my feet, there's no soundness in it. This is biblical anthropology, not the kind of stuff The secularists are going to tell you, or the Disney movies, or your unsafe friends, come on, you're a good person, ease up. Oh, my friends, it's a lie from hell. Paul has said it already very plainly, Romans 3, there's none who are good, no, not one. That's the truth about ourselves. That's hard truth. That's truth I don't like. Well, fine. I may not like it either, but it's Truth nonetheless. And again, as I said, it's until we understand the truth about ourselves, it's until we get this, or not until we get this, that we will then seek the Savior. And so here God's assessment of you this day. You're filled with unrighteousness, you're filled with wickedness, you're filled with covetousness, envy, strife, disobedience, et cetera. You say, that's not a good thing to be filled with. I know. And that's why you need Christ. That's why you need Jesus. That's why he came into the world. Because he came into the world sinners to save. Sinners like you. Sinners like me. That's the good news of the Bible. Christ didn't come for the self-righteous, no. He says, rather I've come to call sinners to repentance. What do you need to do, my dear unsafe friend here this day? You need to repent. You need to turn from your sins. Oh God, your record concerning me is true. I'm ungodly. I don't put you first in my life. The first of the 10 commandments, you shall have no other God before me. God's to be first. You haven't been first in my life. My desires, my business, my pleasure, my ways, my ideas, my thoughts, my career, those are first. I hope God blesses them, so he's over here somewhere. But he's not first in my life. God has been first in your life. And you've broken all of the commandments of God for whosoever keepeth the whole law yet stumbles in one is guilty of them all. You're full of lies. You're full of theft. You're full of pride and lust. You're full of those things. That's what God says of you. That's what he says of me. If we're unsaved. You say that's terrible. It is. But the glories of the gospel tell us that Jesus came into the world sinners to save. And the point is, my dear unsaved friend, is that Jesus Christ is the Savior who is perfectly suited for you and your sin. The Bible doesn't say clean up your act. The Bible says repent and believe the gospel. Clean up your act? What is that? That's nonsense. That is secular buffoonery. Clean up my act, okay. I'll do that and then I'll mess up again. I'll try again, try again. I'll pull myself up by my own bootstraps. I'll do all I can. I'll stop cursing for at least six weeks. I'll stop fornicating at least for a month. Friend, you are full of unrighteousness. But Jesus Christ is full of grace, full of love, full of mercy. The Bible says all who come to him by faith, he'll clean up and he'll change and he'll give them a new Christian heart so that they love God and hate their sin. So that they begin to say, not my will be done, but your will be done. Oh my dear unsafe friend, come to Christ this day, by faith, with all your sins, with all your wickedness, all your unrighteousness, all your immorality, all your pride, just come to him and say, Jesus, wash me, cleanse me, forgive me, make me a believer, oh God. Save my soul, oh Jesus Christ. For you could do it and you alone. If you read the Bible, my dear non-christian friend here this afternoon, you will see that Jesus invites sinners to one place. It's himself. He says, come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come to me. So you're reading the Bible. Jesus says, come to me. What do you do? You come to him by faith. You come just owning all your sins. You say, Lord, I need you to forgive me. I need you to cleanse me. Lord, you died on the cross as the sinner's substitute. You paid their fine in full. Lord, I am a sinner in need of your forgiveness. Forgive and cleanse me of my sin. Jesus is the friend of sinners. Come this day, my dear sinner friend, and receive from him grace and mercy and peace and reconciliation with the Lord your God. Come and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for life and salvation. Let's pray together. Our Father, we are thankful that despite our many shortcomings, the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin. We're thankful that in the gospel you have credited to us his flawless, his impeccable virtue. So that for us in this place who belong to you, there is no condemnation. That you love us now and you will love us forevermore. and you will receive us in that final day, we will hear those words, come ye blessed of my Father, enter into the glories of heaven. We thank you, oh God, that all of these things are so. Might they cheer us on our way to the celestial city. Might they encourage us as we continue to fight against sin and say no to the flesh, And even at times lose the battle, O Lord, might we quickly look to you and remember, Lord Jesus Christ, that you and you alone are our only ground of acceptance with your Father. Help us, we pray. And as we partake of the ordinance, O God, might we be encouraged some more. As we remember all that Jesus has done for us, his people, we pray and ask it all. In his wonderful name alone. Amen. Amen. Well, as we prepare our hearts for the Lord's