It's good to see everybody here this morning and look forward to our time of worship together and pray for the Lord's blessing as always. Otherwise, it's just a meeting, but prayerfully a meeting with the Lord. Let's take our course books and on the inside, page 16, this is song number eight in that section. My sheep hear my voice. I think this is becoming a favorite of ours, so we'll sing it together. My sheep hear my voice. My sheep hear my voice, and the path that I take, they follow wherever I go. My sheep hear my voice, and come at my call, but a stranger's voice do they not hear? My sheep hear my voice, by day. They abide in the fold and go not astray. They love me because I have made them my choice, and they follow my call. O'er my sheep, hear my voice. My sheep hear my voice, and the pastures of green, where I lead them so often to feed. My sheep hear my voice, and the cool sparkling stream, where beside it still waters I need. My sheep hear my voice and day by day they abide in the fold and go not astray. They love me because I have made And they follow my call, for my sheep hear my voice. My sheep hear my voice, and the valley of death, through which I shall lead them someday. But no danger nor harm can touch one of them, for I will be with them always. My sheep hear my voice, and day by day they abide in the fold. They love me because I have made them my choice, and they follow my call. For my sheep hear my voice. Amen. Let's turn to Psalm 28, and Bob's coming to read for us. Psalm 28. Good morning. Please turn with me to Psalm 28. Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock. Be not silent to me, lest if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors and mischief in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors. Give them after the work of their hands, render to them their dessert. Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them and not build them up. Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart greatly rejoices, and with my heart I will praise Him. The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed. save thy people and bless thine inheritance and feed them also and lift them up forever may we pray lord we thank you for your word draw us closer to you through your word and let us not fall prey to wicked ways bless the preaching of the word and all those that hear it in jesus name amen Once again, in reading that Psalm, if you can read it as our Lord would have prayed it back to his father or son. A lot of times we don't think about our Lord singing with his disciples in his church, but the scriptures definitely speak of that. You say, well, what would they have been singing? It would have been the Psalms. And there it speaks specifically of the Lord delivering his anointed, that's Christ. So in all of that, that's, fulfilled in him. It's great to read the Psalms from that perspective. And I know I keep coming back through it and insisting on it, but it's because we've been trained the other way. Go to the Psalms to find some personal blessing or testimony for us. When, what's the song book of the Bible? It's the hymn book, H-I-M book. It's all about hymns. So may He always grant us that perspective. All right, let's take our bulletins and on the inside cover, we're gonna sing this hymn to the tune of, This is Our Father's World. This is Our Father's World. The Lord my shepherd is, I shall be well supplied. Since he is mine and I am his, what can I want beside? He leads me to the place Where heavenly pasture grows, Where living waters gently pass, And full salvation flows. If e'er I go astray, He doth my soul reclaim, and guides me in his own right way for his most holy name. While he affords his aid, I cannot yield to fear. Though I should walk through death's dark shade, my shepherd's with me there. In spite of all my foes, how does my table spread? My cup with blessings overflows, and joy exalts my head. ♪ The boundless of his love ♪ ♪ Shall crown my following days ♪ ♪ Nor from thy house will I remove ♪ ♪ Nor cease to speak thy praise ♪ There again, Psalm 23, Christ would have prayed that to his father because he was guided by his father as the shepherd of his sheep, and he's the forerunner. All this that he went through, the valley of the shadow of the dead, I'll fear no evil, was on behalf of sinners such as we are. Let's turn in our Bibles now to Revelation 22, and Robert's coming to read for us, Revelation 22. Good morning. Revelation 22. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. and there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth him light, and they shall reign forever and ever. And he said unto me, these sayings are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I, John, saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before his feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, see thou it not? For I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book, worship God. And he saith unto me, still not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still. And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. And he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according to his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, come. and let him that heareth say come, and let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book. He which testified these things saith, surely I come quickly, amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, amen. Let us pray. Father God, we come before you now and we thank you for the word, for your word is Christ. You are the light and life of our soul. Lord, we know that we come in this world sinners, and our very best state is vanity. Lord, we ask you to keep us a thirst of who you are. Remind us each and every day that we testify and declare that Jesus Christ is the root and offspring of David. He is the morning star. He is the Alpha and Omega. Father, we ask you be with brother Kenny as he delivers the word in Christ's name I pray. Amen. It's interesting that Revelation 1 begins with the things that should shortly come to pass. And we read it here in the end, Revelation 22, six, where the Lord speaks to show unto his servants, the things which must shortly be done. You talk about adding to the word. There's so much speculation today in revelation, all talking about end times and all these things. And it's, it's so contrary to the scripture. because this book of Revelation was written particularly for the encouragement of those churches in the first century, and they're named there, the seven churches of Asia, that would go through great tribulation at that time. Matthew 24 says it was unlike anything this world has ever known, and it was, leading all the way up to the destruction of Jerusalem, where God put a final end to that old Jewish economy, because why? Christ had come, paid the sin debt and established his kingdom. And so even here when it says, surely I come quickly, he was coming in judgment. And Matthew 24 says he did. He came in clouds of glory and led a whole army of Romans against Jerusalem, against the apostate Jewish nation. But guess what? He's got his remnant, his people. That's why we're here today. It's because he's been merciful and gracious to us. And I hope we never take that for granted. All right, let's take our hymn books and turn to hymn number 226. And let's stand and sing this together. 226, my savior. I am not skilled to understand what God hath willed, what God hath planned. I only know that His right hand is one who is my Savior. I take Him at His word indeed. Christ died for sinners, this I read. For in my heart I find the need of Him to be my Savior. That he should leave his place on high, And come for sinful man to die? You count it strange, so once did I, Before I knew my Savior. And O that he fulfilled may see the travel of his soul in me, and with his work contented be, as I with my dear Savior Great little hymn, isn't it? Let's turn to 1 Corinthians 16, 13 to 24, and David's coming to read for us. 1 Corinthians 16, 13 to 24. 1 Corinthians 16, verses 13 through 24. Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong, let all your things be done with charity. I beseech you, brethren, you know the house of Stephanas, that is the firstfruits of Achaia, that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. That ye submit yourselves unto such, that everyone that helpeth with us and laboreth I am glad of the coming of Stephanas, and Fortinatus, and Achaicus, for they which was lacking on your part they have supplied. For they have refreshed my spirit in yours, therefore acknowledge ye them that are such. Churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord with the church that is in their house. All the brethren greet you, greet you one another with an holy kiss. The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. If any man love not Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus, amen. Father, help us to be strong in the faith with understanding in Christ. For if we be in Christ, we're saved from the curse of sin and from eternal separation from God the Father. As Ken preaches the word, open our hearts to see Christ, amen. Well, we've come to the last portion of the last chapter of 1st Corinthians. It's like the end of reading a good book. Makes you feel like going back and starting it all over again. But thankfully we have 66 books of the Bible that are inspired and we can look at and the Lord continue to teach us and bless us. I've entitled this particular message, Standing Fast in the Faith. Here, Paul encourages these Corinthians. He had already spent some time with them. He was not with them now, but he's writing to them from Macedonia. which is if you look on the map in Greece was the Northern part, Corinth was down toward the Southern part. You'd say, well, that wasn't that big a distance, maybe some 200, 300 miles at most. But back in the days when you just didn't hop in a car and speed on down the highway, it took some planning. And the Lord had kept him where he was, but he wrote this epistle to them to encourage them in spite of all of the trouble Now, if you think back of what we've looked at, what kind of congregation this church of Corinth was, you would probably think, well, that congregation is anything but a gospel congregation. But the Lord had raised up men to preach it. And guess what? Any congregation is a congregation of sinners. And that's why we need to hear the gospel message. We dare not think we're here because somehow we're purer than those that are still out in the world. No, we're just as needy and desperate sinners as anybody out there. And so we come to this final chapter where Paul is encouraging them to stand fast in the faith As an evidence, this isn't something that you just pull yourself up by your bootstraps and think I'm gonna make it. No, this is the faith once revealed on the saints that God himself grants every one of those sinners that he's chosen and Christ is redeemed and the spirit called. So we're gonna finish this off, the Lord willing. I've been praying about where to go next. I've had several different ideas from different people. When are you going to preach on this and where are you going to go there? Right now, I'll give you a little hint that appears that I'll be heading on into the epistle to the Hebrews. I had thought that I'd already preached through Hebrews and I have, but it was in French. So now I'm going to come back and Lord willing, preach through it starting next week in English. And there's a bunch of French messages out there. If any of you want to practice your French, you can go listen to it, but we're going to do this in English, Lord willing, next time. But here in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, we come to these closing words of Paul. And we're reminded that, as I said, this letter was written to a troubled church. There was some false doctrine that had crept in unawares, or maybe with knowledge, but just like leaven, at first when it gets in the dough, you don't see it, it's hidden, but then all of a sudden that dough just blows up and you realize there's leaven in this. And I'm not gonna repeat my story about my first experience with bread dough. I think you all know that. but also just exhortations as a pastor. They had different preachers coming through, but this was a congregation that the Lord had used Paul to establish through his preaching of the gospel. And so naturally there was a concern for these that he considered to be his children in the faith. And over the years as I've preached, now going on over 40 years of preaching the gospel, I got a lot of children in the faith around the world. I know we visit here and you think, well, we meet in small numbers, but there's just all kinds of people around the world that the Lord has been pleased to call to Christ and I'm thankful. The Lord gives you a heart. for those for whom you preach. And each one is dear. There's a story for each one that I thank the Lord for it. But I thank the Lord for you. I thank the Lord for these here that he's taught over the years. It's hard to believe it's been over 30 years now in Shreveport, Louisiana. And some of you have been there from the beginning. Some have come in of late, but when the Lord teaches your soul and your heart, we're endeared to each other. And so there's that concern for each other. I don't say in the sense of worry, but that this message being preached week in and week out of Christ, it be brought to our hearts, not just up here in the hayloft, but in the heart. but that's the spirit's work to do. So Paul having to deal with many of these issues, divisions, immorality, even confusion in worship. I'm just summarizing some of the things that we've looked at, doctrinal deviations that have come and gone. And yet here he exhorts these that they stand fast in the faith There is one faith that has been delivered unto the saints that we find in scripture. And when we talk about the faith, we're talking about Christ. When you see that word faith, it is the revelation of Christ and his finished work through this word. That's what the faith is. So any that have the faith, means that this Christ of this scripture particular has been revealed in the heart of those that God has purposed to hear it. Otherwise you wouldn't believe. A lot of people talking about keep the faith brother. That's not it. It's not us keeping the faith. It's the faith keeping us that revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so here he exhorts these to with a charge, stand fast. in the faith. If you see that in verse 13, these are just, these are commands. These are not invitations. I invite you now to stand fat. No, these are commands. Watch ye stand fast in the faith. When it says that it doesn't mean stand fast in your personal believing, if that were the case, we'd sink. That'd be just like a person drowning that holds onto themselves and floats for a while, but eventually you're gonna sink. No, this is the faith that reveals Christ and it is the gift of God. We would not believe, we would not know of Christ now were it not for this gift brought in us by the spirit and through the work of Christ. You see, it's the fruit of what Christ accomplished on the cross. I can't insist enough on that. Those before the cross that were the Lord's, they were given this faith to look to the one who was to come and pay their sin debt. Now that Christ has come and in one time and one place at one sacrifice has justified forever, reconciled forever, redeemed forever everyone that the father gave him. We look back now to the cross, but it's still the same focal point where the faith looks. That given to the old Testament believers, look to the Christ who was to come. We look back to the Christ who has come and that's the foundation of scripture. So first of all, let's look at verse 13. We talk about standing fast in the faith, we're talking about a call to watchfulness and steadfastness. Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. That's pretty. good charge. I remember listening to some of the speeches given by generals and lieutenants and others before the invasion of Normandy as those young men were called upon to go into battle, into a scene that they knew that many of them would not be coming back. And it was somewhat of the same message that was given to these soldiers, these young men who went and laid down their lives so that we might enjoy some freedom that we enjoy today. but it was much the same. Be careful, stand fast, quit you like men, no turning back and be strong. Well, how much more so spiritually? This first command here, watch ye, we're called to spiritual alertness. In other words, stay alert because we're mindful that Not only in the world are there all sorts of enemies of the cross and of Christ, but guess what? We sleep with the enemy every night. That is in his heart. This flesh, the scripture says, wars against the spirit and it's not going to change so long as we are alive This flesh is going to battle. And I used to be before the Lord taught me under the delusion that somehow you could tame this flesh. You could work on it and make it improve, but such is not the case. This flesh is not going to improve. It can't the Lord's purpose that we be in this flesh and this nature as we are until we die. But he gives us his spirit. that we might look to Christ and it's the Spirit of Christ that draws us over and again to Him. But this is not the effect or fruit of any kind of human effort. A lot of people when they see that, watch ye, now all of a sudden they get into that gear of doing things, prayer meetings, extra devotionals, and holding people accountable, calling each other up and how you doing today with your temptations and all these things. That's just one drowning man asking the other drowning man, how's it going? That's not where this is. It's not by human effort, but it is by the Spirit's quickening work. If you look over in 1 Thessalonians chapter five and verse five, This isn't just something that Paul is writing to the Corinthians, but he has addressed to others in other epistles. And this is the same language that we see here in 1 Thessalonians 5, 5. You can read it with me. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. In other words, we're not of the night in the sense that the Lord by his grace has brought us out of darkness and we are children of the day. It's like when the day dawns and you wake up, your mind goes into action and you're alert. And that's really the description of what it is for us to be the children of the Lord doesn't mean we're not going to get sleepy at times or drift off, but it's the spirit that keeps us alert and looking. And so this is why there's a difference between us and the world out there. The world left to itself is dead in, in darkness because the spirit of Christ has not been revealed in them. But if there's a difference, it's not come from us. It's the Lord. And so we see here how God in his sovereign grace has translated us, taken us from darkness to light, from death to life. That occurred first of all, at the cross. When all the sin that was against us, the charge Christ put away, that darkness was changed into light. Christ being the light when he rose from the grave. But there comes that time too, when the spirit of God takes us from our ignorance and our unbelief, because that's how we're born in this world. I was born justified already before God because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I just didn't know about it. And for a while, many years, the Lord left me in that state to pursue and to think that's what this flesh is going to do. It's always going to strive to be better, to do better and somehow enter in until the Lord lays you so low. and teaches you that you're nothing but a rotten, wretched sinner, unable to do anything. And it's the Lord by His Spirit that takes you now and points you to the Lord Jesus Christ. But that was because of what was accomplished already at the cross. So we are of that number that have been translated from darkness to light and from death to life. And therefore what? We are enabled to watch. If we're children of light and the spirit of God has been put within us, he's going to give us a keenness to discern between truth and error, not to follow after strangers. Like Christ said, my sheep hear my voice, a stranger they will not follow. Maybe we did for a while because we were yet in darkness, but when the spirit of God has revealed Christ in us, he makes us alert. It's like somebody that's got an ear for music and a tune. And you can tell when it's not being played on tune, doesn't take a lot of rocket science, but that's an ear that the Lord gives. And so even here, we're enabled to watch, we're made alert. By the gospel, I love it when I talk to some of you and you say, I just happened on this preacher on the radio and I was listening for a while and all of a sudden I turned it off. I thought, no, I'm not hearing of Christ. That's good, that's the alertness. Don't think that by listening to these that are not taught of Christ that somehow it's gonna benefit you, it isn't. We don't need to listen to error in order to more appreciate the truth. We don't need to go back into darkness in order to appreciate the light. That's why if you're in your house and all of a sudden the lights go out, isn't there a certain panic? It's like, oh no, lights are out. What are we gonna do? Well, that ought to be that alertness and awareness that we have with regard to error. When we hear of the word being preached, because it's an enemy of Christ. It's anything, there's only two spirits in the world, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of Antichrist. And it should not take you long. It's like one person I was talking to, he said, I've been sitting listening to our preacher now for a while, and I'm just still trying to figure out, you know, he says some good things, well, get out of the garbage bin. If you have to spend that long trying to figure out, then he's not. I believe anybody that is preaching the gospel, there ought to be clear as a bell from the beginning that there is that people that God the father has chosen from before the foundation of the world and given to his son and his son has paid that sin debt. It's not an open invitation to anybody. And that the spirit is the one that's drawing them and calling them. How long did it take me to define that for you? I don't even think a minute, but that ought to be clear in our minds that salvation is of the Lord. no matter what the text. And even if the text may seem obscure to us, we cut a path as quickly as we can to Christ. When you open that word, that's being attuned and alert as we read this word. What does this word have to say to me about the Lord Jesus Christ? That's what Paul means here, coming back to my text in 1 Corinthians 15. He said, watch ye, that's the first command. And then he says, stand fast in the faith. This is not some general faith or believing of which he's speaking. Notice the definite article, the faith. And in most cases, Wherever you see that word faith, if you were to go back and look in the original Greek, you would find that there is a definite article there. Why the translators didn't put it every time, I don't know, but it's there. And it's referring to the gospel of Christ in connection with his person and his finished work. That's why the Lord directed me to write that trifle that sits back there on the table. I'm glad to see some of y'all are taking those and handing them out. At least they're disappearing because I keep printing more. But it's a simple declaration of who Christ is, why he came, what he accomplished, where he is now, and for whom he did it. That's pretty simple, isn't it? And you read it, it's all scripture. It's all it is. That's what the faith is. It's the message of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ. And here, Paul exhorts the saints. When we talk about the saints, we're talking about the sanctified ones, the ones that have been set apart in Christ, declared righteous in Him to remain rooted in that faith. Just like Paul said over there, Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8 which we know I suppose pretty well, by grace ye are saved and that word saved actually is a perfect tense, it means at one point you were saved and you continue in that state. People ask me different times, well do you believe in once saved always saved? when the Lord does a saving, absolutely, but not man's decision that I made my decision so I'm saved. No, it's only by grace you're saved and you can change the word grace to Christ because there's no grace outside of Christ and His death and through faith It's not that faith is the instrument of your salvation, it's the fruit of yourself. It's the proof, it's the evidence that if this faith has been granted to me, then it's because God has already done the work and Christ has finished it in his death. And it goes on and says, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. What part of gift don't you understand? You don't add to it, don't take from it. So to stand fast, is to remain rooted and settled. I like that word settled. Are we settled in this message of Christ or not? If you're hymn-hawn and going back and forth and doing the bobblehead, then clearly Christ has not been revealed in your heart, but to stand fast It's not to cling to our own resolutions and determinations and I want to carry on today and improve in the faith today. No, it's not anything emotional, any kind of emotional zeal, but it's to rest. Again, I keep coming back to it in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, because that's the object of faith is Christ and his finished work. And it's the Lord, first of all, who stood fast for us. He's the foundation on which is laid now everyone for whom he paid the debt. So don't think it's necessarily your standing fast, stand fast means to rest in that work of Christ that he finished. And it's by his strength then that we're kept. If you look over in Jude 24, there's only one chapter in Jude. Look how Jude summarized his epistle. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty dominion power both now and ever amen. How on earth can a wretched sinner be presented faultless without spot or wrinkle before a Holy God, it can only be in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That work that He accomplished and God the Father imputed to the spiritual account of every one of those that He chose and gave to His Son. So that's watch ye, stand fast in the faith. And then He says, quit you like men, be strong. The strength is not due to any fleshly strength that we might have, but here it has to do with that spiritual fortitude, if you will, grounded in Christ. Everything is founded on Christ. Over in Ephesians chapter six and verse 10, and I know I'm running through some scriptures here, but if you get a little bit behind, just write it down, Ephesians chapter six, In verse 10, that's the same language Paul uses with the Ephesians as he does in all these epistles. Finally, my brethren, be strong in what the Lord and in the power of His might. And then when he says, put on the whole armor of God, what is that armor? That's Christ. Every bit of that armor is what Christ accomplished on behalf of His people. He's the helmet of salvation. He's the breastplate of righteousness. He's the truth with which our loins are girded. And he's the one who shods our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. All of this is in the power and might of the Lord. There's none of us that can claim that we believe or rest or trust or continue today because of any strength we have in ourselves. We know that all the Lord has to do is change one little chemical in your body and you'd be a blithering idiot. All he has to do is put one little disease in your flesh and body and you'll be flat on your face, flat on your back. We live and move and have our being in him. That's true physically, but it's also true spiritually. And I know people look at this and say, well, it's talking about manliness, Christian manliness. When he says quit you like men, he's talking about a day when men were men. There wasn't any argument about gender and all these things that we hear going on today. No, man's a man and the man's to lead. There was a man that came from heaven and worked out this salvation in the flesh. People may not like that. I know there's a whole new translation out right now where they're trying to make it gender free. They don't like the idea that somehow this has given glory to a man. Well, the man, Christ Jesus, Adam was a man when he fell and the second Adam was a man that came in the flesh and is the leader. That's how God purposed it in the hierarchy. First he created Adam and then out of Adam, he created Eve, brought Eve. First there's Christ who came and accomplished the work and out of his riven side, he has created his bride, the church. And so when it speaks here of quit you like men, it's talking about what it is to be a man and to lead and be strong. And he's speaking specifically here to even those that were leaders in the congregation of Corinth, that with unwavering confidence, they were to lead and to live according to the work of Christ, the man of God. that God the Father approved for the salvation of his people. Now, secondly, when we're talking here about standing fast in the faith, in verse 14, he says, let all your things be done with charity, with love. I believe this is the effect or fruit of what it is to stand fast in the faith. The faith in which we stand is not just some cold doctrine where we learn it and we spit it back and we spew it at people. I know we've all been through those particular phases, if you want to call it that, in our life, where we're looking for people to hunt them down and be headhunters. I'm going to beat this into them today if I find anybody that doesn't know the truth. We used to have a gentleman that attended here. He's gone now for years, but when he would visit, anytime we'd have a visitor, he'd corner him and collar him, and he had a certain list of questions that he was gonna ask them on what they believed or didn't. And if they didn't, boy, he let them know that they were a reprobate. That's not how we deal with others. How is it the Lord has taught us? And I'm thankful that He drew me in his love and his kindness, but in the truth. And so different ones that come in and sit down, we're all at different places, perhaps in our understanding and thinking, as far as this word is concerned. But that's why Paul says, let your things be done with charity. In other words, prayerful, and I'm not delusional to think that everybody comes and sits here for a while and listens that they're one of the Lords. We've had a number come and go. I don't know, the Lord knows the heart, but I do know this, if the Lord is gonna teach them, it's gonna be the same way that he taught us. And that's gonna be through the gospel. And it's gonna be through understanding and being shown the love of God. Not that we loved him, but that he loved us. and send his son to pay our sin debt. So I believe this is just a manifestation of what it is to be in the faith and to stand in the faith. It is to manifest itself in love. That word charity, and there's three, four different words in the Greek that are used for love, but this one is the strongest form. You've heard it before, agape, love. And again, that's the fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, not the fruits of the spirit, the fruit. It's all one bound up in the person of Christ as revealed by the spirit. But it's not the work of the flesh. I remember years ago, and this was in a congregation in which I was involved back before the Lord ever taught me the gospel, but they had different times of the year where they were putting the focus on the love of the body. And so there was a committee that came up with ideas on how to manifest our love for one another. One was sending different people cards. One was making sure you got on the phone and called somebody and let them know you loved them. And it was all just fleshly works. You went through the checklist and you divided up the congregation. That's the way it was. And it was a mechanical thing. That's not what Paul is talking about here. When you look in, for example, Romans chapter five and verse five, when he says here, let all things be done with charity. My prayer is that the more we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord and hear this gospel of the faith of Christ, that it indeed make us by his grace to be loving, even though toward those that are without. this idea that somehow I don't know who are the elect and who aren't so I can't show love to this one or that, that's just fleshly thinking. Here in Romans chapter 5 and verse 5, Paul says, hope maketh not ashamed, that is the true hope. Christ maketh not ashamed to stand in this faith because what? The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us. That's that manifestation of love. And so it is that being strong in the faith, I believe those go together. Don't faith, hope and love, that's the fruit of the Spirit. So all that we do as God's children, whether it's watching and being discerning and standing, or contending, we don't lay down and just let error proceed when we hear it and we see it, but it's to be done, what? In love. Out of love, we see somebody following a false gospel. Out of love, we speak to them. In love, speaking the truth. But it's not the love of self, it's not the love of wanting to gain or win people. No, it's the love of Christ that flows through us. Understanding how he has manifest that love in our hearts and therefore we manifest that toward others. We're not serving in any way to earn God's favor, we can't, but it's because we have already received all favor already in the beloved. were already accepted and beloved. Now that's a comforting place to be, isn't it? While the world's striving and we see it in religion, all the end game that they're after is how we started. We started already justified. We started already redeemed. We started already reconciled with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's just that in time, the Spirit revealed that in our souls and Therefore, what they strive after, you know, if the Lord's delivered you out of a pit, don't stand over the pit, beating those that are still down in a pit. Why can't you see? Why can't you understand? Just acknowledge and realize that the Lord delivered you or me, that was his mercy. That was his grace. And so that's how this love is manifest. Yes, toward Christ. because He first loved us and yet toward one another. And that's manifested in ways that is not part of this flesh and I'll be the first to confess it. Humility, anybody think they've got a handle on humility? Well, if you think so, then probably you haven't. But patience, forgiveness, knowing how greatly we ourselves have been loved and forgiven. Therefore, that's how we deal with one another. That's who he's talking about here within the body, particularly. Let all your things be done with clarity. That's what it is to be strong in the faith. That doesn't weaken you. Put your arm around somebody and tell them you love them and that by the grace of God, you're thankful. that the Lord has made us one in Christ. And then in verses 15 to 24, here for the rest of this chapter, we see here where Paul, strong in the faith, uncompromising, and yet showing that very spirit of love in this epistle that he writes, as much as he had to correct I'm sure that as a spiritual father must have pained him to have to deal with some of the things he was dealing with. And yet here in verses 15 to 24, acknowledging and loving those who labored with him in the gospel, he understood that he was not alone. And that's something the Lord has taught me. This is not a one man. stance where everybody is just silent observers and one person is carrying on the ministry. Paul here, as we read it in verse 15, commends the house of Stephanas and he speaks of those who addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. Isn't that an interesting word, addicted? That means that his concern and love was for the ministry of the saints, the ministry of those that have been justified already by the death of Christ. And I'll tell you what, when you run into those, there's a friendship, there's a bond that is forever. I was talking about that this week, thinking of different places, not far from here, that if you took off and traveled in those particular towns that you pass through, that there are the Lord's sheep there. I was mentioning the men this morning, if I had to take a trip for a month and just go visit places in the States, just in the States, where I would mark on the map where I know there to be one of the Lord's sheep and do nothing but show up, get a hotel, take them out to eat, visit and fellowship and then go on to the next. You could spend the whole time just traveling and visiting these different places where the Lord has his sheep and then expand it beyond the United States, throughout the world. I know we get kind of, Microscopic in our thinking, because we look around and think, I don't see too many people that believe this God. Believe me, there's a whole world out there that the Lord has taught. And you know, it's just, it's an amazing thing when you think about it, but that's, that's, he's addicted. He's addicted himself to the ministry of the saints. No other reason to live than that. And I believe this is the fruit again of God's sovereign grace, whereby God takes these otherwise selfish hearts that would be proud and self-serving and gives hearts to reach out and to serve others of those that he has saved. Reminded then that the church, it's not built by charismatic personalities. That's the big thing today. Who's the superstar? And we've seen that recently, different ones, the Lord's taken out. They've been false preachers all their life, but they're well-known. The Lord said, beware when all men speak well of you, and yet they're nothing but deceivers. That's not the church. It's not in personalities or any kind of central authority. I think one of the things about our congregation that I run into more often than not, who are you attached with? Where's your headquarters? All these things. Isn't it wonderful to know that we have but one head, that's Christ. I'm just part of his body in there somewhere, but he is the one to be exalted. And I believe that's why Paul here acknowledges some of these that we've never heard of. Stephanos. You say, well, who, who in the world is that? Well, he was addicted to the ministry of the saints. And that's why Paul says here that you submit yourselves unto such. We have men here that the Lord's taught the gospel. This isn't just about me. And if the Lord's taught them, then we can learn from them and ought to, I can. I've said many times that, you know, I don't have to preach. I can just as well sit and listen to somebody else. If they're preaching Christ, stand here and minister my soul and I'll be quiet and sit there. But if the Lord tells me to stand up and preach, then what I've got to do is preach Christ. and declare Him unto those that hear me. But that's what the work of the ministry is. That's what it is to stand fast in the faith. I pray above all that as the years go by, this particular congregation right now be understood for one thing, that it stands for the faith because it's the work of Christ. Otherwise, we might as well turn out the lights, shut the door and be on our way. But for now, the Lord has purpose that we meet. For now, the Lord at this moment has purpose that we hear of His blessed Son. And that's the power of His working in our midst. It's through vessels of mercy, but it's not dependent upon any one person. So notice here how Paul closes with this benediction. He speaks of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus that for that which was lacking on your part, they have supplied." The Corinthian church got so introspective and self-serving that they forgot all about Paul and his needs, but here were these that the Lord touched their heart and spirit that they took care of Paul, ministered to his needs. I can tell you that there are so many different ones that the Lord uses to minister to me that you've never met. Could be a word of encouragement. Sometimes they'll send a gift and say, use this however the Lord directs. But I thank the Lord for these. I mentioned the other day, talking to one of the men about a man that I've never met in my lifetime. But back in 1987, he started sending a gift every month. to the work of the ministry. I've never met him. And this past month opened up the letter and there it was again, consistently. I've never met him. I don't know him. If he showed up today, I wouldn't know who he was. But the Lord has laid on his heart to give to this gospel ministry. He listens to these messages. He rejoices in it. I've never met him, but he's one of the LORDS. I liken that to one of these Fortunatus and Achaicus that has given what was lacking on the part of others. A lot of people like to sit back and just listen and yet never think about what it takes to support the gospel ministry and that's okay. I'd rather be that way. I'm not telling anybody to give just to give, but there are many of the Lord lays it on their heart to give. I don't even know who they are, but that's how the Lord is purposed here because he says in verse eight, for they have refreshed my spirit in yours. That's what it's all about. It wasn't that Paul was seeking any gift, but his spirit being refreshed. therefore acknowledge ye them that are such." And then he speaks of the churches of Asia, Aquila and Priscilla, you know that story, they were tent makers with Paul, that's how they met in the marketplace, laboring, working. He says they salute you much in the Lord and what the church that is in their house, this whole notion of big buildings and have to be something that stands out to be what they call a church. Now the church that is in their house, the church meets at 2970 Baird Road. This is not the church, the building, but the church meets in this place because that's where the Lord purpose, this is the house. It doesn't look like much to those that pass by, but it's a sheepfold. How fancy does a sheepfold have to look really? it's just enough to take care of the sheep that the Lord brings in, I'm thankful for it. And so he says, all the brethren greet ye one another with an holy kiss. That's a kiss of affection. I know we give hugs to express our appreciation for one another, but in other parts of the world, you better get ready. because when you show up and you're one of the brethren, they're gonna be kissing you on this cheek, kissing you over here, come back, kiss you again, kiss you here, and then raise your hands up like this as a sign of blessing. I've had that in places of people that I've just met, but such as the love of the Lord, and that's their way of expressing it. That's the way it was here. Greet one another with a holy kiss. It's talking about in the Lord, in the love of the Lord. But then he gives the warning here, if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, that's a strong word, let him be damned. And then he says, Maranatha, the Lord be pleased, hallelujah, may it be so. So notice how he closes with this benediction, what strong words. In fact, an entire message could be preached on that. And yet what a contrast we have between grace and judgment. If the Lord has been gracious to us, then I thank him. But there are many that the Lord has passed by and they love not the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't they? Because they've not been given that love. They love a Jesus. They fabricated in their minds an idea of who He is and that's the Jesus they worship, but He's an idol Jesus. And I know it because when you come along and tell them of the Christ of Scripture, The one who's sovereign in all things saves whom he will. He didn't come just to offer himself to everybody and anybody, but to lay down his life for that people that the father had chosen given to him. You find out in a hurry, the people start getting upset and they'll even tell you that, well, that's not the Jesus I know. Well, you're right. It isn't. That means just one thing. We don't worship the same Lord Jesus. And Paul says here in strong language, those outside of Christ, this Christ, I've had people get up and walk out because they're upset that somehow they think, and I had one tell me that one time, he says, you think that we have to believe like you believe? No, but you better believe as God has revealed the record of his son. And if I am been taught of him and preach him, it's because he is so taught me, but you can't just walk out that door and think you're done. Because unless the Lord has bought you and draws you back in his time, those outside of Christ remain under the curse. That's why over here, I'll show you this one last reference in John chapter three. Everybody likes to go to John 3 16. But John 3 16 doesn't even say what they say it says. They're saying, well, the Bible says he loves all the world. It doesn't say that. It says God in this manner loved the world. That's what that soul means. That he gave his only begotten son that what whosoever believeth in him, doesn't have anything to do with those that are left in unbelief, might not perish, but have everlasting life. So it's still a particular people. Who believes? It's those that God grants this faith to believe. And when it says over there in John 3 36, he that believeth on the son, in other words, believes this Christ of scripture, what does it say? It doesn't say shall have everlasting life. It says half everlasting life. That's why they believe. It's because God has given that faith to know of Him. you can sit and argue all you want to, that's not how I see it. Well you're blind because there's only one way, that's God's way and it says there, he that believeth not the son, that means they've been left to their own devices, shall not see life given a thousand years. if they could live that long, would never see life, but what? The wrath of God abideth on him. That's the sign that the wrath of God abides upon you is when you turn from this one Christ. And that's what Paul's speaking about over here in 1 Corinthians 16. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be damned. I said that one time when I was a little kid and looked at his mind, he said, Oh, he just swore. But it's not in that sense, it's anathema and that's strong language. But he says the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. There's the distinction. If any do believe it's because the grace of the Lord is with them. And my love be with you all in Christ Jesus. That's the difference. Those in Christ have received that grace, have that love and it's unchanging. But the line is clear, isn't it? And it's God's sovereign grace that makes the difference. We love Him because He first loved us. And where that love is absent, there is no salvation. All right. Strong language, but let's heed what the Lord has told us here. Stand fast in the faith. That is the rest. Be settled. I like that word. The bricks are put on the foundation, it's settled on that foundation. Stand fast in this one who bore the wrath, fulfilled the law and rose because of our justification. Let's take our handbooks and we're gonna turn to one final hymn, 224 and then we'll be dismissed. Notice the words, it doesn't say I know what I have believed, but I know whom. I have believed. So we'll stand and sing this together. 224. I know not why God's wondrous grace to me he hath made known. For why unworthy Christ in love redeemed me for His own? But I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able that which I've committed unto him against that day. I know not how this saving grace to me he did impart, nor how believing in his word wrought peace within my heart. and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing man of sin. Jesus through the Word, creating faith in Him. But I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. I know not what of good or ill may be reserved for me, or weary ways or golden days before his face I see. But I know I have believed and am persuaded that he is able ♪ Which I've committed unto Him against that day ♪ ♪ I know not when my Lord may come at night or noonday fair ♪ ♪ Or if I'll walk the vale with Him or meet Him in the air ♪ ♪ But I know I have believed it and am persuaded ♪ ♪ That he is able to keep that which I've committed ♪ ♪ Unto him against that day ♪ Amen. All right, well, that will be dismissed. Look forward to the next time, the Lord willing. We know that.