If you would now, grab your Bible and turn with me to 1 Timothy 6, verse 11 to 16. 1 Timothy 6, beginning at verse 11, down to the end of verse 16. Friends, I've entitled this morning's sermon, Fight the Good Fight. Fight the Good Fight. 1 Timothy 6. Friends, let's read together, beginning at verse 11, down to the end of verse 16. Beloved, the word of God says, but as for you, oh man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time. He who is the blessed and only sovereign, the king of kings and Lord of Lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. Amen. Friends, this is the Word of God. Thanks be to God. Let's pray together. Gracious Father, have mercy on us now as we study your Word. Oh Spirit, please come. Put knowledge in our minds, put understanding in our hearts. Grant that we would become wise, Lord. Grant us the fear of you that we may not sin. Grant that, Lord, we may see your glory, Father, in the face of Jesus Christ. Help us this day as we study, and please teach us to fight the good fight. We ask it all, Father, in his name, amen. Well, friends, it's fall, and we are coming up on many a championship, whether it's high school football or whether it's the World Series of baseball. Friends, championships are all around us. And friends, we know the thrill of pursuing a championship. Many of you, many of us have been involved in sports, or at the very least, we follow different sports teams, and we know all of the energy that gets put into that. Friends, when you compete at those high levels, it almost consumes your whole life. You are wrapped up in that sport. You're wrapped up in that activity, in the pursuit of that trophy and the pursuit of that prize. And friends, when you do get to that championship match, it is what you've been preparing for. It is the good fight. It is the good match. It is what you've worked hard to win. Friends, today, Paul is exhorting Timothy that gospel mission, the Christian life, following after Christ and fidelity to him is the good fight. And indeed, it is the best fight. It is the most worthy fight that you and I could be engaged in. It is the enterprise. It is the activity. It is the battle that is worth pouring our souls and all of our energies into. That it is the good fight, because we share in the victory that belongs to Christ, and because we know, even though the battle is difficult, the war has been won. So friends, today we are looking at the good fight before us. Now remember, Timothy here in is being instructed by the Apostle Paul. Remember that Timothy is the pastor of the church at Ephesus. He is the teaching elder. Remember he's not the only elder. There is a whole body of elders who are helping him in the business of ruling and of shepherding and teaching. But he has the helm, he has the wheel of the ship. And so here he is being instructed by Paul on how to shepherd the flock of God that's among him. And remember the last couple weeks we've looked at the portrait of the false teacher. And what Paul has taught us is that the false teacher is marked not only by erroneous, heretical doctrine, that is, not only are they teaching a different gospel, which is not a different gospel, which is not another gospel, they're teaching something heretical, but their false thinking is also being demonstrated in their immoral, ungodly living. And so, friends, we saw that there's this tight connection between what we think and how we live. And what we understand about God, who we believe Him to be, will always work itself out in the way we live our lives. Friends, theology is practical because it has ramifications for the very decisions that we make day in and day out. So the ungodly, immoral, wicked teacher is also seen to be ungodly in the way they live their lives. And one mark, Paul tells us, was greed, that these false teachers were greedy for unjust gain. And the gospel remedy is true contentment. So last week we looked at true contentment, which is found only in Christ, only in the gospel, only by the Spirit. We come back to this word, to drink more deeply of Christ, the fountain, of living water. Now, in contrast to the false teacher in verse 11, we see how Timothy is to live. So this is how Timothy is to conduct himself as a pastor, as a minister of the gospel, but also as a Christian believer. So friends, this is not simply an exhortation for Timothy as a pastor, but this also applies to us as believers, Christians, all of us. This is a calling to holiness. a call to holiness. But before we move into the call to holiness, I want you to see in verse 11 how Paul reminds Timothy of his identity. Paul reminds Timothy of who he is. He is a man of God. Now, friends, this is a rich title, a rich name, a significance of an office that goes all the way back to the Old Testament. Friends, in the Old Testament, we saw that God would often raise up prophets, and you know the role of the prophet is to speak for God. The prophet was God's prosecuting attorney, and the Lord God would raise up a prophet. He would empower him by his spirit. He would give to him his word, and like that prosecuting attorney, we see that the prophet would come and he would take the people to the bar of God's judgment, and he would say, You, O men, you, O children of Israel, you, O people of God, you have broken the commands of God, you have transgressed His law, you have turned to idols, and God is rebuking and disciplining you, and yet God is merciful, and God here today is calling you to repent, to return to Him who is the faithful Lord of the covenant. And so the prophet would speak both of the curses of God and judgment, but also the blessings of God in his promise to forgive sin. So the prophet speaks for God. So we're reminded, friends, that Timothy is God's man, called by God, entrusted with the word of God to minister to the people of God. And so friends, that is a particular calling for each gospel minister. And friends, that's something we can always remember. So let me encourage you to pray for me as a pastor and minister, that the Lord would remind me of that. Friends, even as believers, Do you not know that God has called you, that you yourself have a vocation, that you yourself have a high and holy calling? You've been set apart for God. You have been set apart as a people for His own possession. Friends, as Romans tells us, you as a Christian are a vessel of honor. You're a choice trophy of the Lord. You have been called to His service and you belong to Him. Friends, this call to sanctification, it's very easy for us to move to simply changing our behavior. And we need to do that. We need to be able to identify by the Word and Spirit, these are things in my life that don't look like Christ. These are vices, these are sins that need to be mortified. And here is Christ-like virtue that God is cultivating that I must pursue. It has to get there. It begins by remembering who we are, and more importantly, whose we are. Friends, you must remember who you are in Christ. You must remember that you are belonging to the Lord. You are His people, just like Timothy was God's man. You are a people. whom God has redeemed. You are the children of your Father in heaven. He has put his name upon you. You, as the church, are united to Christ. You share in his righteousness. You share in all of his goodness and love. You, O church, have had your sin atoned for and your guilt removed. You, as believers, stand before God holy and acceptable. Therefore, because reckon to be holy, because you already belong to God the Father. Therefore, friends, we're living out that holy calling. Friends, again, this illustration, you are royal children. You have been brought into the court of the king. You are his sons and daughters. And now the father is saying, this life of holiness that I've called you to, is family business. It's life in the royal capital. It's life as those whom he loves, whom he cherishes, whom he blesses and cares for, friends. If you forget whose you are, this call to sanctification will be a burden that will crush your back. You will be discouraged. You will be disheartened. You will begin even, I fear, to loathe the God who puts such commands upon you. But if you remember that you belong to your Father and that you belong to Christ, friends, this call to holiness not only becomes something that you want to do, but something you find joy in doing. So remember who you are. Remember you are royal children. And there's the call to sanctification. Now, friends, remember, sanctification has two sides. We can think of it two sides of the same coin. There's a mortification and there's a killing of sin, what Paul calls here fleeing ungodliness, and there's a cleaving, right? We are fleeing this and cleaving to this. And so we are turning from sin and we're turning to Christ and his righteousness. So friends, sanctification begins with us saying, okay, I know who I am in Christ. I know that God has called me to holiness. Therefore, I am seeking, resolving by the word of God that he would show me what areas in my life I need to flee from. So friends, when greed arises, We kill it, we identify it, we repent of it, we turn from it, we give it to the Lord and ask, Father, forgive and renew and restore our hearts. Friends, when sin is revealed in our life, it's like weeds in the garden. And we're asking God to say, Lord, bring us to repentance, bring us to remove, to kill, to flee from. all of this ungodliness. Friends, we can't do it in ourselves, but we are called to flee. So we're fleeing. But again, friends, sanctification is not just getting rid of the bad stuff. It's not just getting rid of vice. It is the pursuit of virtue. It's not only getting off the love affair we've had with sin, but it is find a price to be more lovely, more beautiful, more desirous to us. You see how these things go hand in hand? It's not just me saying, I have to stop doing this, I have to stop doing that. Those aren't bad, those are bad. God is saying, yes, that is sin that needs to be removed, but you must replace it with something or someone. So that's why, friends, when you read the New Testament, when you read God's Word, you notice it's always a killing of sin and a walking in the Spirit, a living unto Christ. There's a substitution for something better because, friends, we sin because we want to sin. At the moment of choice, friends, when you and I hear the command of God, when we know what Christ has called us to and we choose to sin, friends, it's because at that moment we have a greater desire for the sin and whatever comes with it, then we have to please Christ. And friends, when the moment of temptation comes, the moment of decision comes and we stand, it's because at that moment Our desire to please our Father and to love Christ was stronger than our desire for the sin. And friends, sin has power because in our fallen hearts, in our fallen nature, there is something we desire from the sin. And that's why we sin. So friends, that desire has to be trained on something else, on someone else. it must be trained on Jesus. And so that's why, friends, not only is ungodliness to be fleed from, but here Paul says to Timothy, you are to pursue these things. And he enumerates Christ-like character. Notice again, righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Does that remind you of Galatians? It does. The fruit of Notice it's not fruits, but it's the fruit. It is the evidence of new life in Christ. It is the proof of our union with Christ. It is the demonstration of our true and living faith that this Christ-like character begins to emerge. In short, friends, as God's royal children, indwelt by His Spirit, we begin to reflect something of the character of Jesus to those around us. Isn't that mind-blowing? Feeble, yes. Frail, yes. Speckled with sin, yes. But friend, if you are a believer, if you are in Christ, if you have been translated into the kingdom of God, these character traits, these virtues will begin to emerge. in some degree, because it is the very character of Christ. Now, friends, this is what you need to do. When you see these enumerations of virtues, don't think of it as virtue in the abstract. That's not how the Bible talks about virtue. You know, that's really worldliness. Like, for example, friends, you know, you have philosophies that inundate you all the time. And they talk about, you know, good ways of living. And so many false religions all have all of these lists of virtues. They say if you do all of these things, you'll make yourself pleasing to God. Friends, the Bible does call us to pursue virtue and righteousness and godliness, but it's never in the abstract. It's always rooted in the character of God. It's always demonstrated in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is manifest in the character of God, the Holy Spirit, friends. It's never virtue in the abstract. It's always Christ-like character. So friends, here's a helpful devotion. When you're thinking about these virtues, ask God the Father to, for example, give to you the righteousness of Christ. Now friends, in one respect, that's already been imputed to you. When you believe, you are reckoned to be now righteous in the sight of God. But what Paul has in view here is what we discussed last week. a righteousness of conduct, that the way we conduct ourselves day in and day out, the way that we deal with other people, the way that we keep our promises, all of this is that conduct of righteousness, that character of uprightness. Let us ask God that he would give to us that same desire and zeal. You remember Jesus once stood up and he said, which of you, O man, convicts me of sin? which one of you could condemn the Lord Jesus? And so, friends, that's our, we're looking at Christ's character, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. Friends, you may be surprised at some of these here. For example, gentleness. You know, we don't always think of holiness as gentle. Many times we think of holiness as strong, and it is strong, friends. The character of Christ is strong, and the Lord Jesus saw the temple being overrun. And he saw that in the court of the Gentiles, there was a tables of the money changers and people were selling pigeons so that these Gentiles could not come and worship the Lord and could not seek his face. But there was all this distraction from the mission of God's people. Jesus had a holy and righteous indignation and he overturned the tables of the money changers and he drove those out who sold pigeons. And he said, do not make my father's house a house of trade. And yet, friends, when the disciples would forbid some of the little children to come to Jesus, telling the people, don't bring your snotty little babies to him, Jesus rebuked his disciples. He rebuked them for their hardness of heart. He said, some of the little children come to me. Do not hinder them. Friends, our Lord Jesus was so very gentle. so very kind and good, this broad-shouldered man stoops down to pick up these little babies in his arms, to cuddle with them and to look upon them and to bless them. Friends, we see how Jesus loves children and is gentle in his kind concern for them. Friends, That's a mark of true holiness. That's what Christ-like character begins to look like. Not just being strong in conviction, but being gentle in love and grace. So 1 Corinthians asks God to transform our character, that we may begin to exhibit something of the Lord Jesus Christ. to those around us. That's our calling, friends. Holiness is not an option. It is the pursuit of the people of God. But you know, that's hard. Friends, holy living is not easy. And sometimes, friends, it's exhausting. So in verse 12, Paul reminds Timothy, it's worth it. The call to fidelity to Christ, Paul says to Timothy, fidelity in your personal devotion And in your preaching and teaching, it is the fight worth fighting. Fight the good fight. You know, friends, we have battles all the time that aren't really that serious. We get very wrapped up in things that even in retrospect, we think, you know, that probably was not as a big deal as I thought. Take sports teams, for example. You know, when we're in the midst of it, friends, it means a lot to us when our team gets to go to the championship. When we get to compete, that trophy means a lot to us that season. But friends, I would venture to guess that 10 years from, you know, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years later, it's not quite as profound or captivating as it was, right? Because that was not the good fight. It was something good in the midst of it, there was good being done in it, but it wasn't the best thing. Friends, we long to pour our lives into something that counts. We long, friends, to spend ourselves for something that won't just pass away, to invest our lives for something that's not just a trophy on a shelf or just some other thing to enjoy. Friends, we long for our lives to have meaning and purpose. Why is that? Friends, it's because you were made in the image of God. It's because God made you to know him and love him and worship him. And friends, it is only when you are reconciled to God in Christ that it all comes together. This is what I was made for. This is why I'm here. I am here for the glory of God. I am here to be on his gospel mission. I am here to serve Christ, a kingdom that won't pass away, friends. We must see this gospel mission as the church, as the fight worth fighting, as the good fight whose outcome is not in doubt. You know, friends, we have no doubt who wins this battle. The Christian, it's been said, Luther said it, that we have a three-front war as Christian believers. On the one hand, friends, you have the external enemy. You have the prince of the power of the air, Ephesians 2 tells us, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. We have the devil himself with his legion of Demons. Friends, they are a real threat to the Christian life, and they do promote evil, and they do promote ungodliness. But friends, the second enemy is other people. Those who are in rebellion against God, who have not yet fled to Christ. Those who are still under the dominion of the evil one, who oppose Christ and his church. There is a real opposition to living a holy life from the world around us. And don't we feel that pressure, friends? A world that wants to condition your values and reshape your priorities. cause you to celebrate what the Bible condemns and to condemn what Christ celebrates. Friends, that's real pressure from the world. But the third, friends, is an internal enemy. That's the flesh. We've talked a little bit about the flesh much in this time together. But friends, when you were born again, you have a true love for God, but not a perfect love for God. You have a true hatred of the darkness, but not a perfect hatred for the light, for the darkness. There is still within us, friends, this remnant of fallen humanness, a bit of us that has not yet been completely glorified and sanctified. So, friends, that enemy within And those enemies from without, they make the battle so difficult. But first of all, friends, we have to remember that the fight is worth it because it's for the glory of God. endeavor to spend our life for, and because we know that we will share in the victory. And that's what Paul says in verse 12 when he tells Timothy to take hold of the eternal life. Friends, we only can fight with confidence, with joy and perseverance, if we are holding fast to the life we have today. Take hold of the eternal life. Friends, eternal life is not just a prize that you win at the end of the race. It's not like, friends, when you die, you get to heaven, and then Christ meets you at the door, and he brings you into the kingdom, he shuts it behind you, and then you say, whew, I made it, now I begin eternal life. No, friends, Jesus said that the one who believes in me has eternal life, it is a present, perpetual possession of the believer. You have eternal life. It is the life of the ages to come brought into the here and now. It is the life that Jesus Christ enjoys with the Father. So friends, if you want to see what eternal life looks like, it's the very same communion and relationship that Jesus has with the Father. That's what eternal life looks like. a relationship of reconciliation, of joy and peace and love, and that is yours the moment you're in Christ, the moment you turn to trust in Him. And friends, God has given to you this life and it's eternal. So friends, remember, eternal life can't be lost because a losable eternal life is a contradiction in terms. God is saying, I'm giving to you something that time and circumstance can't erode or change. God doesn't give to you temporary life. He doesn't give you five years of life. He doesn't give you two years of life. He gives you eternal life. in Christ. And as it's been said, what has been settled for eternity cannot be undone in time. So remember not only whose you are, but what you have in Christ. Friends, this battle against the flesh and the world and the devil is difficult, but you have life today. You have the victory assured because Jesus has risen from the dead. You share in that victory. And friends, just like Timothy, we have been called to bear witness to it, and to give the good confession. You know, Timothy was converted, and we see that Paul finds him as a young man, and he had a good report, and Paul brought him into ministry with him, and many times over the years, Paul would send Timothy out to this church and that church, and he would pastor, or he would minister, and then he'd come back, and so he was used greatly by the apostle himself. But Timothy's been giving the good confession wherever Paul has sent him. And even now in Ephesus, Timothy is giving the good confession of Christ and him crucified and risen again. Friends, that was part of his calling. That was part of his vocation. And friends, it's no different for us. Not only, friends, are we called to a holy living, but we're called to be ambassadors for Christ. We're called to be those ministers of reconciliation. You know, friends, as we take hold of life, as we take hold of Christ, as we have this joy in knowing and being reconciled to him, friends, we have to be reminded that, you know, our witness, our evangelism, it's not just a, you know, it's not just a different slice of the Christian life. Friends, sometimes we think of evangelism, it's almost like the cafeteria tray you got as kids. You know, here's my personal devotional time. That might be like my milk. And then I have my worship time. That's my meat dish. And then I've got my little sides of different service and things. And evangelism is kind of just another compartment, another piece of the Christian life. For instance, evangelism, our witness, our confession, is the overflow of our love for Christ. It's the overflow of our joy and delight in knowing him. And dear friends, when you and I find it to be difficult to be ambassadors for Christ, when we find our courage waning in the face of opposition, when we feel disheartened in our attempts to declare Christ as the only way of salvation to others, friends, we need to go back to the root. Am I pursuing Christ? Am I drinking of him? Am I holding fast to him? Because friends, this evangelism is the overflow of our love and our delight in Christ. So Paul is exhorting Timothy to keep the good confession and Jesus is the example, verse 13. He's charged you in the presence of God who gives life to all things. We see God standing before Paul, standing before Timothy as the source of all life. Friends, whatever opposition we may face, we know that it is God who gives life. It was God who brought us to new life in Christ, and it is God who sustains and preserves us. And just like our father preserved Christ Jesus, When he went to Pontius Pilate, when he was on trial for his life, that same faithful father and that same loyal Holy Spirit that was with Jesus the night of his crucifixion, the day of his crucifixion, friends, he is with us as well. Friends, Jesus is the example to us of fidelity, a faithfulness to the gospel mission, a faithfulness to our Father. And so, friends, we pray, O Lord, help us just as you helped Christ, that we also, verse 14, might keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach. Now, friends, again, what Paul is saying is that as a minister of the gospel, Timothy is called to not only be faithful to preach the word of God faithfully, but to live in a way that reflects what it means to belong to Christ. It's a fidelity both in doctrine and devotion of faith and practice. And that's a higher responsibility, friends. And so we pray for our ministers and friends also, even as some of us are non-ministers, we are reminded that in our own conduct, in our own confession, we are bearing witness to the glory of Christ. And we're reminded that in verse 14, There's a time of the Lord's return until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time. So friends, what motivates us to live holy lives for the glory of God? First, we know who we are in Christ. We know what we have in Christ. We know the calling before us. We know that the battle continues. The war has been won. But friends, also we're reminded that the labor's not in vain. Have you ever felt like your ministry endeavors are in vain? Have you ever felt, friends, that all those prayers that you've offered up didn't amount to anything, didn't change anything? Have you ever been discouraged, friends, witnessing to your children praying and serving your grandchildren, and you think, what's all this for? Friends, remember, The word of God tells us that God is faithful. We are reminded that promises of his word that says, my word I send out from before me, it will accomplish the purpose for which I have it. We are reminded, as Paul told us, that some are appointed for planting, some are appointed for watering, but it is God who gives the growth. And friends, these are promises that are meant to encourage us. And one day, when the great shepherd of the sheep appears, when the Lord Jesus himself returns, we will see the fruition of all that Christ has done for this church. We will see the fruition, the fulfillment, and the completion of all these gospel endeavors. When Christ gathers in all of his sheep. when Christ gathers in all of the wheat of His harvest, friends, we will see that it was all worth it. So friends, I pray that the return of Christ motivates you and I to speak, that your labor for the Lord is not in vain. At the proper time, friends, you will reap a harvest. if you don't give up. And so friends, practically speaking, that's how we as a church think of our own ministries, planting gospel seeds in the hearts of children, planting and watering the word of God in the hearts and minds of men and women all around us. Well, in verse 15, it ends with doxology. So friends, sometimes we can substitute service for worship. Sometimes we can be so zealous in our desire to do things for the glory of God that we forget that the priority, the primacy, the first step is worship. It's very easy to get busy about serving God, about doing great things for the Lord and to not take time to worship Him. We're reminded of Mary and Martha, right? Here, Martha is doing a lot of very godly things with her servant. She is blessing the disciples. She's blessing the Lord Jesus, providing for them a good meal, providing for them hospitality, godly things, good things that God honors. But in her busyness, she gets frustrated because she says, I'm serving so much more than Mary. Mary's being lazy. Mary's not pulling her own way. Mary's just sitting there at the feet of Jesus. She goes to Jesus, and what does she say? Lord, tell Mary to come and help me. What does our Lord say? Martha, Martha, you are concerned about many things, but only one is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken from her. Jesus said the priority is worship. The priority is to come first and give glory to God. It is to come first and worship the Lord of hosts. It is to come first and to see his face, to draw near to him. Friends, we don't have any ability to serve in our own strength. And we lose the joy of pursuing holiness when our gaze is not captured by the glory of God. And so, friends, here we see that Paul helps us to catch a glimpse of the glory of God. Our God is the blessed and only sovereign. Remember that, friends. He is the one ultimate sovereign. Kings pass away. Presidents are elected and kicked out of office. Governors in their turn. Friends, all of these powers of the world, they'll pass away. Every dictator, every tyrant, every military, every empire will fade away, but the glory of our God and his Christ will endure forever. So friends, look above. Here, Paul is helping us to see something of the transcendent majesty of God, that glory of God for which we live, that glory of God that motivates us for holy service. He is the blessed and only sovereign. And not only is he the one who reigns over all things, but he rules over me, over my life. Friends, how wonderful it is. Your life is governed by the king of kings, by a good lord of glory who is ordaining and orchestrating every step of your life, friends. Have you wondered, friends, what good providence marks your steps? Have you thought what good and gentle hands hold your life? Friends, what a wonderful king we have. He's king of kings, lord of lords. All of these lower princes are accountable to him. All of these lower powers are under his thumb and authority. Just like Nebuchadnezzar, he could take their mind away in a moment. Just like Pharaoh, he will bring them low. We serve a king who will not pass away, a lord whose dominion endures forever. In verse 16, he alone has immortality. Kings die, princes die, leaders die, but our God remains forever. He is life, life eternal, and his glory is splendid. He is arrayed in holiness, unapproachable light, friends. What that means is that when we catch a glimpse of the glory of God, and we do get a glimpse of the glory of God in the word of God, See friends, what happens is the spirit of God takes the word of God and shows us the glory. of God our Father in the face of Jesus Christ. We are, the gospel message is giving to us a glimpse of the majesty of God. And this unapproachable light, friends, is signifying to us how perfectly pure our God is, how unstained and speckled by sin it is. It is the perfection of his moral purity, and it is the condensation of his almighty power. Friends, we're reminded of Moses on Mount Sinai. Friends, here's Moses. He's discouraged from his ministry. Israel just heard God speak and give the Ten Commandments, and then no sooner did Moses go up the mountain to commune with God and to receive the law than the people began worshipping the goat calf. And Moses is frustrated. He says, God, what am I going to do with these people? And he goes back up to the mountain. And what does Moses want to see more than anything? Oh, Lord, let me see your face. Let me catch a glimpse of you. And what does God say? God says, Moses, no man can look upon my face and live. But here's what I'll do for you, Moses. I will... put you here in the cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand, and I will make all my glory to process before you, and I will proclaim to you my name, and you will catch something of the refracted glory of my being. But my face, Moses, you shall not see. And in that exchange, friends, we see that what God did was he began to proclaim his character to Moses. He began to remind Moses of who he is, that he is the Lord, the Lord, a God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. God is reminding Moses, this is who I am. I am holy. I am good. I am steadfast in my love. I am faithful and true. And friends, that glory is what we need to see. We need to see the glory of God in his word and principally in his son, Jesus. No one has ever seen or can see. Friends, one day, When every trace of sin is removed in your life, when Christ returns or calls you home, friends, you will behold God. You will see Christ as he is. And friends, at the resurrection, you will receive a new body after the likeness and the similitude of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you will see him as he is. Friends, there is glory awaiting you. There is glory to be held in the Lord our God. And we end with Exaltation to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. Friends, worship is a prerequisite to service. You cannot serve Christ. You cannot pursue holiness with joy and faithfulness unless you are first coming to worship. And that's what we do, friends, on these Sunday mornings. We gather to give glory to God. We gather to give him praise. And we know that he has promised us in his word that as we draw near to him, he will draw near to us and that he will equip and enable us to live for his glory. So friends are closing today. Maybe this call to holiness is not very tasteful to you. Perhaps today you are wrestling with this and you think, this can't be the Christ that I serve. This can't be the Lord that I worship. Friends, I pray that if you struggle with this call to holiness, that you would ask God to come and to give to you a new heart, to awaken you to see the joy and delight of living under the reign of Jesus. Friends, Jesus says that his yoke is easy, his burden is light, and under him you will find rest for your souls. Friends, I pray Today, if your heart is restless, if this call to holiness is distasteful to you, I pray that you would ask God the Holy Spirit to give you a new heart to see the rest and joy under the reign of Jesus. And dear believers, I pray that this is not only a exhortation to you, but I pray that you find great encouragement of the God of all grace who leads you. So friends, let's pray. Father, we thank you that to you belong the glory forever and ever. Friends, our lives are to be spent for your glory. Lord, we pray that you'd help us to find great joy and delight and purpose in that. Father, in this week to come, we do ask that, Lord, you would cause us to flee from sin and to pursue righteousness. Lord, we pray that you continue to cultivate Christ-like character within us. And your spirit, we pray, teach us to labor for that which is eternal, to fight the good fight of the faith, to trust Then Lord, it'll all be worth it. Father, have mercy on us. We pray in Jesus.