So thank God for his faithfulness. Turn to the book of Philippians tonight. We'll look at the book of Philippians. I'm going to leave Romans for a moment and finish up a little bit of this thought that I had started and begun some time ago. about sowing discord, and then how to, just some practical things of how to, what the Bible says that you can do to, you know, try to... with these, you're not only your own flesh, but also dealing with other people's flesh. And you have to do that when you're in church, and you have to learn how to get in these situations, and do the right thing. And it's difficult sometimes, because my nature is, that your enemies are my enemies. And if somebody hurts you, I'm on your side and I'll go with you and we'll go slap them. Now that's how I was raised. That's my nature. The nature is your enemies are my enemies and my friends are your friends, right? I mean, that's how most of us were raised in the South. And especially with family, family trumps everything. And again, I said, that's how we were raised in the South. I didn't say that's what the Bible said to do. but that's how we were raised, right? Family trumps anything, but that's not necessarily biblical. We have a new family now that ought to trump everything, and that's God's church. And so anyway, so we have to learn how can we get in these situations? You know, the Bible tells us to be wise, yet also harmless. the dove. So, wise as a serpent, harmless as the dove. And so, sometimes you get into these practical matters, you know, and you think, well how do I deal with some of these things that are not always spelled out exactly, you know down to every detail. And so, you go and you look over the Bible, and I was thinking about this today, and we'll look at this when we come to a couple of the verses. But not every single situation you're going to face in life is going to be spelled out in the Bible. Now, how to deal with that situation you will find in the Word of God. But you're not going to find in the Bible whether or not you should wear a mask. The Bible doesn't say anything about, now you've got the Old Testament, it talks about the covering over the lip there, but it doesn't say in 2021, should I be a good citizen and wear a mask? So what do we do? We turn to other verses in the Bible and we draw references from that. we build our lives and our decision-making process even down to masks and hand sanitizer, we try to build on the Word of God, right? And see what the Bible has to say about this matter. And we're going to get into some of that. I mean there is some of that that is dealt with even in Romans. We'll get to Romans in depth. but you know where there's some gray areas, there's some matters, some scruples. It talks about the Bible doesn't in particularly say exactly. So here's how, here's what ought to be dominating your thought process when you get in those situations. And so anyway, it'd just be helpful. We just looked at some things to stay away from strife, to cut it off quickly, hear the whole story before you pass a judgment. speak with purpose. I think that's a really good one. Try to speak with purpose or don't speak at all. And, you know, people say that, you know, old saying, if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything. I don't believe that. Now, I just don't believe that, because you can't be faithful to the wounds of a friend. So what I might have to say might not be the good that the world's interpreting that by, right? They just basically, what they mean is, if you can't say something positive about what I'm doing or about me, then don't say anything. Well, what you're doing may not be positive. And so I might have to say, no, it's wrong for you to do that. I love you and that's why I'm telling you. But I don't adhere to that kind of thinking. But so what we should be doing is speaking with purpose. How can I edify you? How can I build up your Christian life? And we looked at that. And then we ended last time in Philippians chapter number 2, and we went through that. And I want to turn back now to Philippians chapter number 1. looked at just some various things that in chapter 2 that we looked at. But I want to look at chapter number 1 and begin to kind of draw some conclusions as we get into a couple of other things here. That as we also keep the dominating thought in our mind should be peace, speaking to edification, and then here it is putting things into perspective. It's kind of where I want to talk about for just a moment. And I want to start in Philippians chapter number one. And what I mean by that is I think we need to look at what's most important. Sometimes you get into certain situations and if you step back, what you're really mad about is never going to matter in eternity. And if you put it into perspective as to what matters most, then it kind of loses, it will help you, I guess to say, to be quicker to forgive others and agree with an adversary quickly. You come to those verses because you think about, I'm not agreeing with somebody that opposes this gospel. That verse is not talking about stuff like that, right? We're talking about things in which matters that are never gonna affect eternity. Why are we getting so upset? Why are we in a fight? I know people that in their own family can't even get along long enough to go to Christmas or Thanksgiving together, and they're so mad at each other over something. When you find out what really happened, it's almost laughable. It's hilarious that they just can't get along long enough. You mean that's going to keep you from loving each other? What's wrong with you? And I'm sorry, I just don't understand that. And so, if you'll put some things into perspective sometimes, it will help you speak into the edification, but then also looking at the perspective. So, I want to start in Philippians chapter number 1 here, just for a minute. Back up with me and look at, let me start in verse number 20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. And I wish that I could say that with total, a completely pure conscience, that nothing, everything in my life, everything that I do, no matter whether I die or whether I live, my life is lived to exalt Christ. And I can say that's my will, but I don't know that I can say that I've always done that. Well, I know for a fact I can't say it. I won't make it pretty for you. I know for a fact I can't say that, but I know the will is present with me. See, that's what Paul dealt with. As Christians, we very rarely do we have the problem in the will. In our heart is the desire to do right. Paul said, for the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. It's not that I don't want to do it, it's that sometimes I find my flesh so messed up that I can't muster up the strength and figure out how to do what I want to do. Because what's inside of me, what I want to do, is everything that I'm preaching tonight. What I want to do is magnify Christ with my life. And then I'll get in a situation and get caught off guard and end up saying something I'll have to apologize for later because I said something about somebody I probably shouldn't have. I think, man, I didn't mean to do that. How did that happen? What I wanted to do was to do this. Are we okay? I mean, my will has been bent towards sin from the day I was born. I come forth out of the womb in my flesh speaking lies. Then I get saved, born into the family of God, and positionally, beginning on the inside, working itself out, God has birthed me into His family, adopted me into His family, born again from heaven. And from the inside, which will affect me practically, but from the inside out, God's made a new creature out of me. I'm something positionally new, but internally new that will work itself out practically. Well, I'm commanded to work it out. I'm commanded, it won't naturally lay aside the weights and sins that easily beset you. God told you to do it, right? It's my responsibility to lay those things aside. And so God can expect that because of what he's put in me. I never wanted, I never desired to actually do that, right? I never had the power, but I never really had the desire to lay aside sin. Anybody else? Before I got saved, I tried to get in as much as I could get my hands on, right? And God saved me, and I wanted to get as far away from it as I could. But I was found that I was just as close to it, naturally speaking, that caused my flesh. But now, anyway, so whether in my body, in my life or by death, I wanted to magnify Christ in my body. Isn't that a difficult thing? What did Paul say? Boy, I read across this the other day, and I wanted to memorize this verse, and I've let it slip. But I keep my body under. I think it was when I was looking under that word sold under sin, and I think it's that verse, if somebody can help me with it, where Paul said, I keep my body under. So sin had me under and then God saved Paul and Paul said, now I've got my body under. I've got the power to keep my body under subjection and my members. So anyway, verse number 21, let me get off that side of the message. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is a fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose, I won't not. I think saying there, not that he has the power to choose whether he lives or dies. I think what he's saying here is he doesn't know which one I really prefer. Anybody ever been there? Some of you have been so sick you kind of feel like, well look I know my family needs me, but I'd rather just go and be with the Lord. I've heard people that are down the end of their road and they sit there and say that very thing. I don't know if I want to pray God to leave me here or if I want to just go on and be with the Lord. And that's what he's saying there. For I know if I live in the flesh as the fruit of my labor, what shall I choose? I won't not. For I am in a straight betwixt two. I have a desire to part and to be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. I won't repeat myself. I've said it many times, but I can't get away from saying it. Here's a man that has been caught up, I believe, in the heavens and has seen the third heaven, has seen the glory of Christ, and he's seen all those wonderful things and was willing to stay here and suffer for Jesus for the betterment of other people. Most people won't even get up and go to church for other people, let alone choose not to go home and be with the Lord, as this man was able to do. It's humbling to read after this man, isn't it? Paul, this great Christian. And verse number 25, he said this, and having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith. I mean, does that help you some to die to yourself and try to see what Christ's desire for our life is, is to live a sacrificial life for the sake of others and the glory of God. Yes, we need to keep our bodies. Yes, we need to glorify God and our bodies, which are His and we're bought with a price. But here's a man that said, I have this confidence. So it seems like he knew what the will of God is. And if I'm right, he was two years and then he's released. So he was right in what he's saying here. I believe the will of God is, I have this confidence that I will abide and I will continue with you all for your furtherance and your joy of faith. I wish my mind consistently, it operates this way some, but I wish my mind consistently operated with that thought right there, that I would, God lets me continue down here on this earth for the furtherance and the joy of other people. Not for what I can get out of life, but how I can be a helper of their joy. How I can help them, encourage them, strengthen them, edify them. Boy, that's a humbling thought to have, because we do very little of that in action sometimes, don't we? But verse 25, he had this confidence so he knew. But verse 26 said that, you're rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. And here's his exhortation to them. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. Now, let me just give you just a couple of things here. That word becometh means worthy or belonging to the character of. So only let your manner of life, not just your speech, but your whole manner of life, let your entire life be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. Let it be befitting the character of the gospel in everything you do. I'm already getting cut down here. This two-edged sword cuts going out as it does coming in. And Lord, help us. All I can say is, oh me, I guess tonight. But here's a man that said that I want your conversation, your whole manner of life as it becometh the gospel, and let it be worthy of the character of what Christ. So I believe it was Raisman Hill or maybe Tozer said this, is what you're living for worth Christ dying for? And that's a similar thought that would fit into this kind of passage. What we're living for, let it be becometh the gospel. Let it be befitting of that character of Christ. That whether I come and see you or else be absent, which here, as he was saying about him with them, I think he just meant being alive. God's not gonna choose to take me next, but he was unsure as of yet that he was gonna be able to go and see them again. So anyway, so whether I come and see you or else I'll be absent, I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. So let me just begin here, this striving together for the faith of the gospel. So what that in my mind is he's telling these Christians, he's saying, I want your whole manner of life to be befitting to the character of the gospel. Whether I'm with you and whether I see you, they're not a man pleaser, see? Not to please the preacher, not just when you're at church, not when people are watching, but no matter whether I'm absent or whether I'm present with you, I wanna hear of your affairs. And here's what I wanna know. I wanna know that you're all together with one mind and one spirit. One mind and one spirit about what? What should be uniting us? how, you know, which, what color the carpet and the pews ought to be in here. If you think that we're going to get a hundred Baptists to agree on a color, you've absolutely lost your mind. It's not going to happen. In fact, it'll get so bad, somebody will get mad and probably leave because they didn't get their color. That's the nature of people. But here is the one thing we do have common ground on, and here's what God is exhorting us through His servant that we are all to be together on, no matter what. Put it into perspective. So when you get upset at things, let's just say in the church, and you get upset at somebody, or you see something that wouldn't be done the way you wanted it done, or you see things that bother you, things that make you mad, you're gonna see that all the time. You're gonna see them in me, and here's a newsflash, I see them in you. Right? This is what happens. And put it into perspective. I am not going to let anything come in between the unity and the unifying directive we have from Paul that wants us to be united and striving for the faith of the gospel. There's nothing so important that it ought to break that fellowship, that it ought to break that unity. Take all the pews out here and set them on fire and we'll sit on the ground before we get mad at each other and not strive together for the gospel and not be on one mind and one spirit. Hey, we're not changing the color of the pews. Calm down. I'm just using an example tonight. Right? I'm just thinking of examples and things. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Just the little things it seems like that gets you sometimes. There's nothing, nothing, nothing so important in your life or in the life of this church or anything else as maintaining the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace, striving together for the faith of the gospel. Now, most commentators mean in the propagation of, in the proclamation, in the promotion of the gospel. which is salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And so what they say is, let's all be united in this thing. And the ultimate goal for us is not to have the right color pew and not to have the most beautiful building. Those things are important. But what is absolutely essential is that we strive together for the faith of the gospel. If we quit getting the gospel out, I don't care if you paint these pews black, it's gonna make no difference anyway. We're dead anyway. Right? We quit sending missionaries. We quit supporting missionaries. You might as well just color them pink for all I care, because it ain't going to matter. God ain't going to be here anyway. Right? So what He's exhorting us is you're going to see differences, you're going to have problems, you're going to see things, you're going to have things that go on, but what we've got to maintain is one mind and one spirit. Our collective purpose as a church is the edification of one another and the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus to see people saved by God's grace. That is our purpose for existence on this earth. God left Paul to edify those people, so it's perfectly fine that we include that. The edification of one another and striving together for the faith of the gospel. Now, what's just as important to that to me is what is the gospel? So, it's not just the proclamation of it to me, but it's the preservation of the truth of it. Maintaining the truth of the gospel. Not everything that says Jesus Christ is something that I'm striving together with people on. Right? Just because it's got a fish on it doesn't mean it's I got anything to do with it. Or God. Right? But buddy, I wanna tell you something. We're united in here. We ain't got one mind and one spirit about the most important thing in this church. It's not me, it's not you, and it's not this building. It's the proclamation of the gospel. getting the gospel to the lost and dying world. That is the driving, and then in the process of that, because I believe this verse is just as important, as you have therefore opportunity, do good unto all men. So you cannot proclaim, preserve, you cannot strive together for the faith of the gospel at the expense of God's people. You can't trample over people to get the gospel out. Well, I'm trying to get the gospel out, and then your brother's sitting over here and has need. Right? And you don't have to forsake the one to do the other. So in edifying one another and just striving together with the faith of the gospel, he said, I want to hear of your affairs. And I don't care where I'm at, I want to be able to hear what's going on down at Philippian Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. And I want to know for a fact that you guys are united in one mind and one spirit about who's keeping the nursery. No. Come on, laugh a little bit at that. about who's doing, no. What he wanted to know, because he knows there's gonna be differences among people with stuff like that. It's human nature. What he wants to make sure, at the end of the day, folks, there's nothing worth laying your head down at night and keeping a grudge and bitterness and envy and hatred and malice and meanness in your, there is nothing so important unless it comes to that gospel. When it comes to that gospel, that's where I'm gonna part ways with people. But outside of that, there's nothing that we should be willing to lay our head down on our pillow at night and just say, you know what, they're not worth it. Not that I see in this Bible. If Paul said, I'd rather, I don't even know if I want to go to heaven. I've seen all that heaven is. I've only read about it, he saw it. And I'd rather stay here for you. I think there's nothing wrong with you having that same spirit in you that at whatever cost, I'm going to do all that I can to further the faith and the joy of God's people. And at the same time, it's not an either or, at the same time, I want to further the gospel. Amen. And everything else, I'm not saying it's not important. I'm not saying it's not important at all. God's business is very important when it comes to God's money, when it comes to things that we do around here, when it comes to the standards that we set, when it comes to how we treat our young people, when it comes to how we treat our widows and the fatherless, and there's a lot of things that are important, but I'm saying put things into perspective. That's what I'm trying to say. Whatever you're upset about and that you're willing not to strive together with somebody on, if it doesn't revolve around that gospel, there is nothing in this Bible that tells me that you shouldn't forgive them for. Well, what if I've already done it five times in a day? I think we already have that answer, don't we? Seven times 70 in a day. I don't see any buts, I don't see any ifs, I don't see any, you don't understand preachers, I don't see none of that. The most important business of this church is this gospel. It's the one thing that unites us, right? And the only hope for our country and our world. And so that is the first thing that I wanted to say in verse number 27. We're striving together for the faith of the Gospel, the teaching, the promoting of the Gospel, edification of each other, helping one another, and living our lives in a manner that is belonging to the character of that Gospel. Everything that we do revolves around that Gospel. That's the unity I have. So anybody that believes another Gospel, they're not in unity with me. Right? Faith plus circumcision is not the same thing as me. Right? Faith plus you have to do good enough is not the same message I preach. That's a different gospel. I'm not united with them people. I'm not united with Benny Hinn. We don't have the same God. I'm not along with the Mohammeds and Buddha and all that. We are not serving the same God with different names. Right? There's one gospel and one faith. And if you reject that one, you go to hell when you die. I don't care how sincere you are about what you believe. Your faith in this gospel, that's uniting us. So with one mind striving together, not one or two people doing it, right? We're together striving for the faith of the gospel. Well, I'm not gonna do it because I'm mad at you. Well, I gotta tell you something. You better just get used to that because if you hang around here much longer, you're gonna find plenty of opportunities to get mad at me. That's just the fact. My nature is just offensive. My face is offensive. My belly's offensive. No. No, no, no. Don't amen that, Brother Reed. I know you'd like to. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll use Brother Reed. Brother Reed's offensive. Did you hear that? Right? Hey, you young people especially, I want to help you with this. You are going to come, there is going to come some things that you're going to see out of people that are absolutely going to shock you. That you just don't, I don't know how somebody can do that. Can I say something to you? You don't know what you would do if you were the same as them. And so why don't we just assume we'd probably do even worse and why don't we try to love them and help them? I'm not saying approve of it. There's stuff people doing, I'm not approving of it. I'm gonna get into that. I'm not talking about being soft and letting everything go. But our driving motivating factor is that we fix anything that we can try to fix and sow things in peace for the purpose of the gospel sake, right? That's our business. We can't let anything hinder us from being able to strive together for the faith of the gospel, right? and there's nothing worth that, right? The color of your shirt doesn't matter to me when it comes down to the faith of the gospel, right? Come on, put it in perspective. Well, you don't know what Sally did to me five years ago. Well, you don't know what Sally said about me last week and I've had to get over it. So suck it up and get over it. I don't know what else to say. You just have to, at some point, we just gotta grow up and get over this stuff. Young people, same thing with y'all. There's nothing, just put it in perspective. When we get to eternity, none of that's gonna matter anyway. Let's just keep our eye on the prize, right? Let's just keep our eye on the goal, and that's striving together in the faith of the gospel. Now, I didn't want to get caught there. Now, verse number 28, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God. Now, I'm going to move on from this fairly quickly here, but this evident token of perdition, to them, can I just say something here? Two things I want to say. Number one, this helps me when I look at things like, you know, why are we facing so much opposition? Why is it when you try your hardest to get right with God and do right for God, you'll face the most opposition? Right? If you just coast along in the easy life of Christianity and just try to fit into the world without being noticed and just be like a closet Christian and just kind of get by, you're not going to face a lot of opposition. But the moment you try to do something for God, here comes all the attacks. And that's what happened, that's what he says is gonna happen, because to them you have adversaries that are your adversaries only because you're striving together concerning that gospel and they hate the gospel. Anybody that would strive against the gospel is an enemy. They're my adversary. Someone that's trying to hinder you from going towards the gospel is your adversary. Somebody hindering you, striving together for the faith of the gospel is not a friend. They're an enemy, they're an adversary. And it's an evident token, it's evidence, it's proof to me of perdition, of damnation to anybody that would stand in the way of the gospel getting out. Anybody that's been born of God wants the gospel to go forward because they know that's the only hope, the power of God unto salvation. The only hope for anybody to escape damnation is the gospel. And anybody that would fight against the proclaiming and the pushing and the promoting of the gospel and people striving together for it is an adversary and an evident token of perdition. Now, I don't know how else to put that into any plainer language, but he said, you all have some adversaries. Not everybody's gonna love you. The Christian life's not gonna be easy. Jesus didn't tell you it would be easy. He told you just the opposite. It's gonna be a fight from the day you're saved to the day God takes you home. You're gonna fight your own flesh. You're gonna fight the flesh, the devil, the world. Everything seemingly is against you on this earth being born of God. but there's one greater in you, what he said. So who is he that overcometh the world? Even your faith. Now, so you just got to understand that when you side with this gospel and you go forward striving together with like-minded people for the faith of the gospel, you are gonna run into some adversaries and you might be shocked at where they come from. I've been shocked at the people that would want to get in my way of me trying to get the gospel out. Who in their right mind would want to stop somebody from being as sold out to God as they can possibly be? Adversaries, read it with me again. Don't stop, here's what I'm trying to say. America is almost nearly 100% the proclamation of this gospel. We've almost lost our country. They hate God, and they hate the exclusiveness of the message of the gospel. Not everybody's going to heaven, only a certain group, and that's those that believe this gospel. And that's what they hate. The exclusivity that we preach. And so when we are not gonna need to be shocked as the sufferings continue to abound and they begin to continue to attack us for everything we do and believe, it's gonna continue to get worse in this country if we don't see revival and see folks saved. We've nearly lost our country. I seen a thing somebody put out, I don't even like talking about it, honestly. But if y'all ever see what that Candace Owens put out and talking about that Cardi woman, whatever that filthy trash is, what is that woman? You know, y'all see the news, that filthy thing was on the news and I've never seen something so disgusting. I mean, can you imagine people so twisted? that me preaching salvation to the soul of people through the gospel of Jesus is not allowed. The Ten Commandments, we don't want them in our church, in our courthouse. We don't want any monuments set up. We don't want any crosses over any graves. We want to completely reject God and His gospel from our country, but yet we'll embrace the filth of the world like that. That filthy reprobate, that's the most disgusting, I cannot imagine. See, that's where we've gotten to. We have gotten to a place where we call evil good and good evil. Brother Clint, bad. He doesn't accept LGBTQ, A's and Z's. Bad guy, don't listen to him. He's not loving, he's not preaching love. See, under this gospel of love, you just have to accept everything and everybody. I don't preach that gospel because I don't think that love accepts everything that defiles people. Right? So I'm the enemy. But people like that are okay. Like I say, I've never seen anything like it. I'm telling you, I've not heard one Christian. I sat there for almost, for how long were we at Calvary? 10 years we were at Calvary. And I don't know how many attacks I heard in the community because we had the 10 commandments up on our side. The only hope to get somebody to see they needed Jesus, the law being a schoolmaster to show them their salvation. It wasn't that we believed in righteousness by the law. They didn't care long enough to ask that question. But I've not seen nearly one person hardly say anything about them filthy, vile Hollywood reprobates. See, we are so messed up in our thinking. But here's what we have to do. So he's just exhorted us, I want you to strive together. If we've ever needed each other, it's in the face of many adversaries. We need each other, folks. And so that's why he emphasized on that. On a personal level, number one, you can't strive together with me if you're not gonna get the first part of the verse down. So first part is we gotta take care of ourselves. We gotta make sure that our conversation is become at the gospel on an individual level. Then we come together, we strive together with one another for the faith of the gospel. And then he said, I want to hear your affairs that you're in one spirit and one mind about that. I want to know that for a fact. I want to know there's unity in that church that we might, we might get upset with each other about a few things, but when it comes to the mission of this church, we're together on it. And then, and then we'll come down this next verse. Now just get ready because if you do that, you're going to face a lot of obstacles in your path. And it doesn't mean you're not doing right. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I've come to the place in my life when I'm getting attacked the most, it really assures me that I'm doing the right thing. I'm glad they don't accept me. I'd rather identify with old-fashioned, fundamental, King James Bible-believing Baptists than anybody else in this country. That's the decision I made. What you gotta ask yourself is, lock, stock, and barrel, are you gonna jump all the way in, and which crowd are you gonna hitch your wagon to? You gotta find out who is proclimate, who is preaching and promoting and teaching the faith of the gospel. And then jump in there with them both feet, and I'm telling you with everything that lies in you, do everything you can to edify them and to preach the gospel of Jesus to a lost and dying world. Hallelujah. Having the front of you is given on behalf of Christ. Now, terrified by your adversaries, which to them is an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God." Now, I don't want to get into that. There's no point. Let's move on. Verse 29, "'For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.'" So, long as I believe nothing matters." No, it looks like you've got another gift and it's not just believing on Him, it's to suffer for His name's sake. I don't want to go back into Acts and look at those verses, what a blessing this day thought it was to suffer for Jesus' sake. But verse number 30, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now here to be in me. Now, we've only got time for one more, but I've got a couple more. Turn with me to Romans 15, and let's look at Romans 15. I'll just give you a couple of these verses I could. So that'll help us put things into perspective. Romans 15. And we'll just start our reading in verse number one. Because I wanna say something in these verses here. that is just kind of on my heart here. When dealing with some of these matters that we are talking about, you put things into perspective, and then in these verses, the one thing I want us to see is, and I don't have a real catchy thing for this other than to just say this to you. I wanna say this. I'm gonna say it. Let me try to say this the best way. When I'd like to be real critical of you, I try to remember I don't have everything right either. And sometimes that'll help me deal with you when I remember that I don't have everything right either. Even things I think I'm right on now, I've learned pretty good. We saw Monday night, I went from one Monday night, and two Monday nights I was totally convinced about what a passage said, and then I chose not to teach it the next two Sunday nights because I wasn't so sure anymore. We are apt to change, folks. We need to be able to change. And so here's where that's coming from. Look at verse number 15, verse number one of chapter 15. We then that are strong, this is bearing in on verse 14, verse one. Him that is weak in the faith, receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. And he follows that whole part up there, weak in the faith, strong in the faith. In verse one of chapter 15, he says this. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Man. Sometimes I do that because it makes me feel good about what I'm doing. How insightful and what wisdom. Not to the pleasing of yourself do it, with them in mind. Give me a couple more minutes. Let every one of us please his neighbor, and this his is not possessive, this is not my edification, but I'm supposed to please my neighbor for his edification. That falls in line with the previous version we talked about, not in our speech only, but in the things that we do. We don't do them selfishly, right? I've used some various examples. Some people will love you as long as you reciprocate it. The moment you don't reciprocate a proper response to their love, they're mad at you now. Well that means they loved you for what they could get out of you, not just loved you because they loved God, and God said to love you, regardless of how you respond. It's a very selfish love. And so here's what he's saying here, let every one of us please his neighbor for his good edification. For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now, the God of patience and consolation grants you to be like-minded one toward another according to Jesus Christ. This like-minded thing is important, isn't it? So, you ought to have the same convictions as me, so you ought to be like-minded. Now, that's how most people take that. That's not what he's talking about here. When it comes down to the number one thing, we're on the same team. But I'm not gonna be like-minded with you on whether or not to wear a suit in here. Number one, because I'm a preacher and I think I've had a conviction about that since the day I got called to preach. And you may not think it's important for a preacher to wear a suit. So do you think he's talking about being like-minded on that stuff? No, being like-minded in Christ Jesus. One mind, one spirit, our purpose is edifying you and getting the gospel, right? So like-minded in that manner, that you may be one mind. And it's in verse number seven, wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God. So can I say something? And this is just in that verse is what I've said in my first part there. I'm to receive you as Christ received Paul. As much as we look up to Paul and you've heard me brag on him, God got no prize when he saved Paul. He got a rotten, low-down sinner just like the rest of us. In fact, one that was murdering and one that was wasting God's church. A pretty low-down one, to his own admission. So what he said was this, God received me, why won't you? God received you for all your faults with everything that you've got, God has faithfully loved you and has kept being faithful to you in spite of yourself, not because of you. So receive you one another. Why would you not receive me? Why would you cut me off because of, God received me for Christ's sake. Should I not receive you for Christ's sake? Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus is the Christ, right? I don't know how else to receive you, one another, as Christ. Why are we so hard to do that? If you don't fit into my little box and I'm not gonna receive you, Some of it, you know what, it takes you at least a, I would say probably at least a year to get in to a Baptist church and to be accepted. Am I telling it right? You feel like a stranger for about a year. Everybody's doubtful about you. Come on now. We smile about it, we pretend like we're not, but. And Paul said here in this verse, he said, wherefore receive you one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God. So can I tell you in these matters that you're holding on so tightly and refuse to forgive over and get so bitter and so upset about, can I say something? I know we've got a whole lot of other verses, but this is just one that stuck out to me. What if God refused to receive you? didn't get no prize, did he, Hunter? He's got a sinner, didn't he? Cam, he just got an old broken sinner. I'm not sure about you, Cody. Right? Receive ye one another as Christ also received us through the glory of God. Now, we can't do it tonight, but I'm gonna switch gears, and we'll pick it back up, maybe Sunday night. I'll probably go back to Romans Sunday morning, but if you wanna go ahead of me in 2 Corinthians is where we'll pick back up next time. We'll end up in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. But I think that's kind of good tonight, and Lord help us to. If you'll consider yourself that you don't have everything right either, it'll help you to deal with others more kindly. Because what if God forced you to be up to some certain measure before he received you? He didn't, did he? Now, as beautiful as that has been and as loving and as sweet as that all is, there's another side to this thing to make ourselves balanced in it. And that's where I was gonna go. Come on, Brother Reed, we'll get a verse. But to stay balanced, We need to look at the other side of things too, where there does come a point that Paul says, put out from among you that wicked person, right? There's another side to the thing. But even in that kind of judgment, even when we do get down to actually exercising sentence, not making a mental decision, but actually executing and exercising a decision in judgment against a fellow believer, even in matters like that, the thought process is restoration and edification. It's not for destruction. So, stand to your feet, we're done tonight. We'll go to that and look at that some, maybe Sunday night, but appreciate you being here tonight. If you need the altar, it's open to you. Lord, we love you tonight. Thank you for helping us in the word of God. Thank you for keeping us balanced in our Christian life. Lord, we're sometimes like the waves of the ocean, and I just thank you for being the stability in all of our lives. Thank you for every person that's here and those that couldn't be here, Lord. Help them. You know the needs in Jesus' name. If you need to come, altar's open for you. You can just feel free to come. Brother Reid.