Would you turn your Bibles this evening to first Corinthians chapter number six, first Corinthians chapter number six. I won't be very long this evening. We have a business meeting afterwards. It's shouldn't be a very long business meeting either, but, uh, I'm going to deal something found here in first Corinthians chapter number six. It's for us always just to Reminder for us this evening, we live in a very body conscious society today. We're very consumed and concerned about our body. The beauty industry generated over $100 billion last year. According to Groupon, the average American woman will spend $3,756. $556 a year on beauty products. Some of your ladies are like, what? There's no way I spend that. Who's spending that kind of money? I know some of the ladies in here. You're like, no. Yeah, $3.75. It's closer to where you are. But this is the average American, OK? $3,700, $556. I think I got an extra number in here, $3,756 on beauty products. But here's the thing, men. You guys think that we're exempt from that, that men aren't vain in their appearance? And the average man in America spends $3,100 and some dollars on his appearance every year. They believe that men's personal care is projected to hit $276 billion by 2030. Men are becoming more vain and more concerned about their personal appearance than ladies. And it shouldn't be that way. but it's becoming more and more that way. We're very concerned about our bodies, what our bodies look like, this external facade that's here. There's an ever-increasing concern today about even your personal health, and you ought to be concerned about your health. You ought to take care of yourself. Miss Rebecca always tells me, Pastor, less mountain dew, more water. And I appreciate her concern and her love for me and wants me to be healthy. You know, that's that's a good thing. That is a good thing. But I mean, you just see our complete people are completely, totally occupied with this today. If you look at the ever flowing new diet programs that are available. the new exercise equipment that is bigger and better and supposed to make much more difference than the piece that you have in your basement right now that you don't use. You know, it's supposed to be better. So you've got to get a new one. I mean, we're just all consumed with the taking care of our body. But tonight I want to speak to you, us as Christians, that there's something concerning our body that is of utmost importance. Something that should be Ever in the front of our minds, I would remind you this evening of the fundamental truth that's found in 1 Corinthians 6, verses 19 and 20. Look with me at the Word of God as we pull from this text a message that I've entitled, Your Body, His Temple. Your Body, His Temple. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6, verses 19 and 20, what? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you? Which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, for you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. We're going to break these two verses into three points this evening. First, the expressed reality. the truth that is stated very clearly, the expensive ransom that was given and paid for you and I, and the established responsibility. In light of the fact that we've been bought and paid for with a price, in light of the fact that our body is a temple of God, what responsibility do we have? Let's look first of all here, it's expressed reality in verse number 19, he says, what? There's kind of that almost a rhetorical question. The statement given that it's something as God's people, it should be prevalent on our mind, something that should be understood, that should not be called into question. He says, what? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? Your body, beloved, is the residing place, the home of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, there was a temple made with hands where God's power and God's spirit rested. It was a holy place, a holy of holy place, and only the high priest could enter that place, and God's power was present there. And we see it several times in the Old Testament when the Ark of the Covenant was present, and the children of Israel were excited because God's presence was back again with them, but they had to go to that place made with hands. Just listen to the words as it's described for us as the dedication of Solomon's temple. In 2nd Chronicles chapter 7 verses 1 through 3, he says, Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifice. And the glory of the Lord filled that house. And the priest could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down and how the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon pavement and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. This place where they saw the Holy Spirit, God's power, come and rest. But let me remind you tonight that you, as a child of God, because the veil was rent in two and Jesus Christ gave him a sacrifice, that here under the New Testament, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Your body is the place where the Spirit resides. You know, beloved, today this building, it doesn't matter how fancy the facade, it's just a building. It doesn't matter what the name is on the outside of the building, it's just a building. It may say church on it, but it's just a building, a place where the church meets. The church is you and I. We are the body of Christ. We are the church. This is just a facility, a building, a structure. God's power is not in this place. except in the fact that where two or three are gathered together, there am I in the midst of them. And there is something special about a place that's set aside and that's a sacred place and that's a holy place, a place that's not used for other things. And often people will come by the church and say, can I just go sit in the auditorium? Can I just sit and pray? And there is something special about God's house and about this place that's been set aside for worship to Him. But I want you to know that His power rests and resides in those that are present. Not just in this building or in this facade or this place because we called it a church. It's because you, as God's people, have the Holy Spirit in you. He says, the Holy Ghost, which is in you. You know, I can't really explain it. I can't give you the somehow, like, how is this possible that We believe in the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and we believe that they are all three one, but they are also one individual. They are people, the person of the Godhead, God the Father, the person of the Godhead, God the Son, the person of the Godhead, God the Holy Spirit. And how is it that He can come and reside in us? I don't have a good explanation to try and expound that for you, but I know that God is all-powerful and if God can form man from the dust of the ground and breathe into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul, that God can make it so that His Holy Spirit would dwell in the life of every believer. I believe it to be so. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6, verse number 17, he says, but he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. The Holy Spirit is with you. Jesus said it was so in John 15, verses 15 through 17. He says, if you love me, keep my commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever. Even the spirit of truth. whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him. But ye know him, hear these words, he says, for he dwelleth within you, and shall be in you, and shall be in you. He shall be in you. This is the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ said at the time, I'm gonna send you a comforter, and he is in you, he's gonna be in you, he's in your heart. It is an expressed reality. It was an expensive ransom that made it possible. He describes it here for us where he says, you're not your own for you've been bought with the price. What is a ransom? We sang in numerous songs this morning about being redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the lamb. A ransom is a price that is paid for the liberation of a captured person. A price that is paid for the liberation of a captured person. You and I were captured, bound by the chains of sin, but Jesus Christ gave himself a ransom and paid your sin debt. He paid the price. so that we could be set free. What was the ransom that he paid? What was the cost? We know according to 1 Peter 1 19, that it was the precious blood of Jesus Christ. His blood that had to be shed. I think about young men and young ladies sometimes who will be kidnapped and held for ransom. And parents going through that time will do anything to save the life of their child. Parents would gladly trade themselves for their child. Let me take his place so that my child may live. Doing all they can, doing whatever they can to try and get their child back, hoping against all hope to see their child again. Willing to pay whatever price it was. Well, God was willing to give his own child for you and I. 1 Peter 1, verses 18 and 19 says, For as much as ye know, that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversations received by the traditions from your father, but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot. His precious blood is what ransomed you and I. The Bible tells us who the ransom was paid for, not just an elect few, not just The chosen. But he says in 1 Timothy 2.6, for he gave himself a ransom for all. He gave himself a ransom for all. God said he's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He paid that price and paid sin debt for all mankind, for any who would willingly turn to him. He paid that ransom for us so that we could be delivered from bondage. Job chapter 33, 24 says, then he is gracious unto him and saith, deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom. A ransom was paid, delivered us from bondage. First Thessalonians chapter one in verse number 10 says it delivered us from the wrath to come. He says, and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. So Jesus paid the price for our ransom. We know that to be true. And there is an expressed reality, an expected knowledge that should be in the heart of every believer that the Holy Spirit lives within us. So if that's the case, we know that the Holy Spirit lives within us, that your body is His temple, then there is a responsibility that is established for us in verse number 20. Let's see what that responsibility is. He says here, Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's." It doesn't make much sense for me then to claim the name of Christ and to claim to be forgiven for all of my sin and on my way to heaven, and then say, but I get to live however I want to live then. It doesn't make much sense because my responsibility, my ultimate goal in life now, understanding that Jesus paid my sin debt, and the fact that the Holy Spirit is present with me everywhere I go, that He beholds everything that I see, and He participates in every activity that I participate in, and that I'm carrying the Holy Spirit of God with me in everything that I do, that it would behoove me, it would constrain me to live a holy, godly life, that I would glorify God in my body. He says, in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Your body is the temple and every bit as holy as the temple of Solomon's day. You and I must be careful what we do at the temple. We must keep it clean. We must keep it pure. The Holy Spirit is with you everywhere you go. He sees everything you see. He hears everything that you hear. You don't just get to leave him home. You don't just get to check him at the door. You don't get to set the Holy Spirit aside and go do whatever sin Satan has tempted you to participate in. The Holy Spirit is with you. We have a responsibility then to glorify God. He says in your body and in your spirit. That means to glorify God in what people can see with your body, but also in your spirit. The things maybe that people can't see in your spirit, in your attitude, in your thought life, It shouldn't be that hard for people to understand. There is in these verses here almost an implication of this is something that you should understand. What? No, you not. Isn't this something that you've been taught? Isn't this something that you have a working knowledge of? But sometimes it seems as though Christians have a hard time grasping a hold of it. They're encouraged and exhorted and challenged to live a holy life, They want to say, oh, well, I don't know what their excuses are, but they just don't want to do it. It shouldn't be that difficult. Sometimes it is. Reminds me of an aircraft control tower that was calling in a plane and giving him directions for where to land. And as he was approaching the runway, the pilot asked the tower, tower, could you tell me what time it is? And the tower responded. And he said, well, who am I speaking to? He said, what difference does that make? He said, well, if this is a TWA, then it's 1800. If you're a redneck, well, The big hand's sittin' on the 12 and the little hand's sittin' on the six. Sometimes there's things that are a little harder for other people to understand. Depends on maybe how you're lookin' at it. But Christian, this shouldn't be that difficult. We've been bought with a price. The precious blood of Jesus Christ and We, your body is his temple. And because of that, we must glorify God in our body. We are glorifying something tonight. Are you glorifying self? This is what a lot of the world is consumed with. Glorifying self, making this body look as amazing as it can. in society so we can get some nice pics to drop on Instagram or throw up on Facebook. So people will be impressed with us. Are you glorifying self? Maybe you're participating in and be involved in things in this world that no Christian should be involved in and you're glorifying Satan. This world loves to call things that are good evil and call things that are evil good. They like to mock and make fun of things that are wicked and shouldn't be portrayed and talked about and put out into public, but it's praised today. Maybe you're glorifying Satan, but as Christians, our goal, our responsibility, the desire of our heart should be to glorify God. Beloved, if there's no difference between the life of a blood-bought, born-again child of God and that of a lost and lonely sinner, there's something wrong. There should be a difference. When we glorify God, men see a change in us. They see a change in us. You say, well, how can we glorify God? Can I just give you a couple things from the scriptures, what the Bible says about how we glorify God? The Bible says very clearly that we can glorify God when we pray for and see answers to prayer. What a privilege as a church for us to, on Thursday nights, gather for prayer and many times to see answer after answer after answer of prayer. Baby Frederick, an answer to prayer. Caroline, an answer to prayer. The progress and the good news in the last report that Ms. Leanne got. Her successfully coming through that surgery that Brother Lee was very concerned about, an answer to prayer. Just answer to prayer after answer to prayer where the Bible says in John chapter 14, 13, he says, and whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do that the father may be glorified. In the sun. When we pray for and ask and seek prayer, seek, ask for prayers and God answers them, God's glorified. God's glorified. We glorify God when we walk by faith and not by sight. In Romans chapter four, verse number 20, he says, he staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. It glorifies God when we walk by faith and not by sight. When you can just trust him, and the world doesn't understand, it doesn't make any sense why you do this or how you can do that, but you follow God and you trust him. And it glorifies God. We glorify God when we bear fruit. John 15, eight says, herein is my father glorified that ye bear much fruit. So shall you be my disciples. You glorify God when you bear fruit. Have you been born any fruit recently? Is the fruit of the spirit evident in your life that people can see it? Are you seeing souls saved? Are you being a witness out in the world? Are you bearing fruit? That glorifies God. It glorifies God when we endure suffering. First Peter chapter four, verses 14 through 16, he says, if you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. For the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On the part he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. There's people in the world, they mock and they laugh and they make fun. They may even speak evil of you. But as you go through it, he is glorified. He goes on, he says, none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evildoer. He says, don't suffer because you're doing things that are wrong. That's not the reason, that doesn't glorify God when you're suffering because you've done wrong or stupid things. He says, don't do that. He says, but or as a busy body in other men's matters, verse number 16 says, yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. When you endure suffering, it glorifies God. I know we don't wanna go through it and that our suffering It's hard to endure sometimes, but it glorifies God. There's things that he teaches us in the storm that you never learn anywhere else. I read the story of a man who is 75 years old, and he said, in my 75 years, I can tell you unequivocally that the days or times in my life where I learned the greatest lessons that I look back upon with having been the most meaningful are the days of heartache and burden. Do you know that most of the Psalms that we love and enjoy reading were born out of difficulty? Most of the epistles that are so meaningful to us were written from the prison. Most of the greatest thinkers of bygone days have been men that endured great, terrible hardship. You think about that great book, Pilgrim's Progress. It was written from jail. And what God has done in and through that. Sometimes it seems that when God is about to use a man in a great way, He first brings them through the fire. We glorify God when we endure suffering. We glorify God when we confess and forsake sin. The question is, are you willing to glorify God? Do you see it as a goal, as a responsibility, as a duty that we have as believers? Not just something that would be nice or good to do, or maybe sometime I could participate in that. but it's a calling put on the life of every believer. What know you not? That your temple, that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. We have very clearly here the expressed reality. It's a reality. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. It was bought and paid for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. And therefore we have a responsibility to glorify him. to glorify Him in all we do.