Praise the Lord. It's so good to gather together. There we go. I forgot a friend. There we go. Oh, praise the Lord. God is so good. We praise him and we're so thankful for him. So thankful again for this text. In fact, we started to open up Acts chapter 16 a number again of weeks ago, and we've come back to it again this morning, and it's amazing to look at this. We realize that Paul takes Silas and he starts to revisit many of the churches that him and Barnabas planted on their first missionary journey. The whole goal, again, is going through this whole region is to deliver this letter. We're introduced to this letter in Chapter number 15. It's a letter that was written by the Jerusalem Council as far as in the nature of salvation. We realize that gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that gospel of grace really won the day. Last time we looked at this text, we realized Paul is introduced to a young man and his name is Timothy. We learn a lot about Timothy in the Book of Acts. We learn a lot about him also in the Epistles. We realize that he was brought up by his mother who happened to be again a Jew, and he was brought up again trusting in this great Jehovah. His father happened to be again a Greek. Most expositors think by this time because not much is said about him, that he happens to be again dead at this time. But when you look at Timothy, he has a great reputation among those who happen to be Lystra and Derbe and Iconium, and it's talking about the believers that happen to be again right there. He was active in the church, serving in the church, and Paul wants to take him with him on this missionary journey, which is absolutely amazing when you consider, as you look at the end of chapter number 15, that Paul doesn't want to take young John Mark along, but he wants to take Timothy. In other words, he saw something in Timothy. He saw some love for the Lord Jesus Christ. He saw how the Holy Spirit of God was moving in his heart to truly be a blessing for others. One of the things I find so outstanding so often is when God calls young men into the ministry, many times it's apparent to those who happen to be in the congregation long before it is the one who happens to be called into ministry. And let me just say this, the gifts and calling, as far as external calling, are absolutely necessary. Others have to see a love for the Lord Jesus Christ. If there's not that love for the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's not apparent to those who happen to be around, you're probably not called to the ministry. You know, and we looked, again, something about Timothy last time we were together. We also said, you know, this is part and parcel of the ministry, isn't it? to take those who are younger in the faith and build them up in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think a lot of times we look and we say we need more leaders in Christianity. We need more leaders in Christianity. And we ask ourselves, how do we get mature individuals to lead the church in Jesus Christ? And here it is, by maturing leaders in the gospel of the Lord Jesus. In fact, it's even present in what we call the Great Commission. We read again, these are the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 28. He says, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And listen to what he says next. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. And so when we look at this, we realize it's not just the pastor who is preaching and teaching these truths. We saw that, again, even from that passage that was read from Ephesians chapter four this morning. But all of us are involved in this. All of us are to be discipled in the truths of Jesus Christ, at the same time discipling those that happen to begin around us. And it's a great truth. You know, I think a lot of times we talk about legacy and we think about the things we have, bank accounts we have and passing them down to others. But there's only one legacy that really matters, and we can pass down our faith. The truths that we teach about Jesus Christ and him crucified, he risen from the grave, are passed down one generation after another generation until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing more valuable that happens to be in our life. But today, I want to examine that question that we left off a number of weeks ago, and that happens to be again with Timothy. You know, because Paul says that he wants to bring Timothy along, but in order to bring him along, he has to be circumcised. But the whole last chapter is about, again, the gospel, isn't it? And one of the main stipulations, we realize that these individuals were coming from Jerusalem to these various Gentile churches and saying, you have to be circumcised in order to be saved. The question we asked a number of weeks ago and we never got to was basically this question, why does Paul want Timothy to be circumcised? Why does he even demand again that this happen before he takes him with him? If the gospel is by grace alone through Christ alone, again, why does he make this stipulation? We're going to look at that question again this morning. But one of the things I want us to not get lost in, in this passage of scripture, is that real ministry takes place. Real ministry, again, among the people of God, the up-building of the people of God. It really brings questions into our heart and into our lives as we look at the involvement of other people, as we look at our involvement in our society, as we look at what we do. Because we either ask two sets of questions. When we do what we do, we ask two sets of questions and they really reveal the heart. One is this, am I permitted to do this? Is this permissible? Is there anything that happened to begin in the word of God that's against this? Can I do this action? Can I go to this place? And when we start to ask those questions, it really reveals something about our heart. The reason why we're asking, is it permissible, is this. Because there's a want in our heart. There's a want to do those activities. There's a want, again, to go to those places, or whatever it happens to be. Or do we ask a different set of questions? Do we look at the circumstance of the people that happen to be in our life? Do we ask this question, what is the best way that I can represent Jesus Christ? What's the best way that I can be this gospel representative for the glory of my Jesus? What's the best way? That really reveals what? Our wants that happen to begin in our heart. The question is, again, which one really reveals you? Which questions do you ask that happen to begin in your life? Because I think we live in such a self-indulgent Christianity that it happens to be, again, all about us. But has the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ touched your soul? touched your heart so much so that it really changes your wants, really changes what you want to do, what you want to accomplish, how you want to function among those who happen to begin outside of Christ and those who happen to be inside of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the things I don't want to get lost in this passage of scripture is that real ministry is taking place. And when you look at that real ministry, it should challenge us as far as how we function in our society, how we function in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so with that challenge in mind, I just want us to see a couple things. And one of the things I want us to see again in this passage of scripture as we look at it, is I want us to see that we want to live in such a way where we reflect Christ. We want to live in such a way where we show him, right? Where we don't bring unnecessary offenses against those who happen to be around us, but we want to give people the greatest opportunity as we talk, as we function, as we do, to see Jesus Christ. I think that's fair, isn't it? You know, if you have a heart for Christ. So look at verse number three. You know, this is the one that we talked about, again, with all the controversy around. It says, Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Now let me just say this about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think we all know this. The gospel comes with a built-in offense, doesn't it? And it comes into a built-in offense not because it's not good news, not because it's the greatest news that has ever been heralded. It is. It's not because it's full of grace and love and glory and mercy and all that. But the offense that happened to be in the gospel is because, again, of self-righteous hearts, isn't it? It's because, again, of independent hearts that think that we are better than we truly are. So when the gospel is preached, it basically says this. Even your best works are filthy rags in God's sight. You know, there's enough of yourself that happens to be in even the best works for God to condemn you for all of eternity. And we haven't even got to those sins that happen to begin in your life. You know, and to self-righteous individuals, that's offensive. To be told that your only hope is to trust in the righteousness of another. Let me tell you, if you're an independent person, that is very offensive to you. And I think again, all of us realize that built into the gospel, because again of the sinfulness of the human heart, is an offense. And that is so different. I want us to hear this. That is so different than being offensive. Isn't it true? I think a lot of believers, when you look at them, they're very argumentative. They're looking for a fight. They're looking for a verbal spat. You know, and they go there. Many times, again, they're mocking those who happen to be around them who believe differently. Many times when they go to work, they don't put their best effort for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And guess what happens? Opposition comes in their life. And the moment opposition comes in their life, they say, oh, I'm suffering for the cause of Christ. I'm suffering again because I'm a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me just say this. You're suffering not because of your faith in Jesus Christ, but your lack of faith in Jesus Christ. Your lack of testimony of this great Christ that happens to be above. And the way that we want to live, the way that we want to function, the way that we want to speak, the way that we want to even act that happens to be in our life, is we never want to give an offense where all of a sudden somebody would reject the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ because of us. You know, if they're going to reject it, they're going to reject it because of their proud and self-righteous heart. But we also want to give people the greatest opportunity to see Christ, manifest Christ, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ through our actions. and through our words. And so think of it, think of everything that I just said, and let's read verse number three and think of why Paul's demanding this. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Now this is really strange, it really is. You know, even the passage that you read this morning, I mean, we find what, here's Paul, and he happens to get right after salvation, he goes and he spends some time that happened to be again of himself, he's given this revelation by God, of the greatness of Christ, of the saving efficacy of the Lord Jesus Christ. And 14 years after he is converted, he goes to Jerusalem. He brings Barnabas with him, but he also brings Titus. And here's the amazing thing about Titus. Titus goes into the hotbed of Judaism, and guess what? Titus is Greek, and he's uncircumcised. In fact, in that passage of scripture, our brother read this morning in Galatians chapter 2 and verse number 3, it says, but even Titus, who was with me, was not forced. Think of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has done it all. Was not forced to be circumcised. though he was a Greek. So think of it, Paul says, come on, we're going to Jerusalem, come on Titus, and does not force him to be circumcised. So why does he want Timothy to be circumcised? I think a lot of people, again, when they're reading this and they see all the pressure of the last chapter, think that Paul is capitulating. He's letting down. He's somehow again going back on this gospel again of grace. And let me tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, we cannot come to that conclusion. We can't come to that conclusion because of three reasons. One is because he's going into these churches and he's not demanding people be circumcised. He's delivering this letter. And this letter, one of the main stipulations of this letter is you don't have to be circumcised. And why? because Jesus has done it all. Everything that's necessary for life, everything that's necessary for godliness, we stand absolutely complete in Jesus Christ. So it'd be very contradiction, right? Here's this letter, Timothy, go get circumcised. It has nothing to do with that. You know, and the second thing you have to realize is Timothy's already a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's recognized in this whole region. Whether it happens to be Derbe, whether it happens to be Leicester, or whether it happens to be at Ciconium, he has a good reputation. He is a believer in the Lord Jesus. So the reason why he's being circumcised is not because he needs some extra righteousness in his life, some extra standing before God. He's already a believer. He has a perfect standing of Christ. And the third reason we can't say that Paul is capitulating is because he tells us why Timothy is being circumcised. It's right there in the passage. Let me read it to you. Because. Because is a reason, isn't it? He wants Timothy to be circumcised. Why? Because. And here's the reason. Because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew, they all knew that his father was a Greek. Now, notice it's because of the Jews. And when you look at a Jew, it's the words that happen to begin right here. It's not the believing Jews. It's not again these holy brethren. you know, where we're in fellowship with. But these are the unbelieving Jews. And there's something you have to realize, and this is true in the Judaic families, but also the Greek families in the ancient world, and that is that the father was responsible for the upbringing of the children, the spiritual upbringing of the children. He was responsible to imbibe in them what he believed. Somehow, Timothy's father seems to have abrogated again that right that happened to be in his life. Maybe he didn't want anything to do with it. He must have said again to his wife, listen, if you want to take Timothy, if you want to go down to the synagogue Sunday school or whatever it happened to be, Sabbath Sunday school, go ahead, have at it. But Timothy is not going to be circumcised. Now, think of it. Because when we look at the Jewish nation around Jerusalem, they're all Jews that happen to be again in that region. As you go out in Galilee, they're mostly Jews. But when you get into regions again of Galatia and all these other regions, they're small pockets. That's all there is. And because there's small pockets, here's the thing. Everybody knows everybody else. And they know their history. I mean, I'm amazed. I go home sometimes with my wife. And my wife is from a small fishing village. And I often quip, if you want to know how small it is, it takes about two hours to get to the nearest Tim Hortons. That's how small it is. You know, and it's incredible, because when you go into these houses, everybody knows everybody, and they know their family lineage. They know, again, all about their lives. They know all about their children. Well, it's the same in these Jewish circles. They knew all about that. They knew, again, Eunice. They knew, again, about his grandmother. They knew, again, that he was not circumcised. They knew that his mother was married to a Greek. And think of it, because the one things that the Jews could not tolerate, didn't matter where they lived, was basically this, that they went against the covenant community, that they didn't live for the nation, that they somehow in all of this rejected the Jehovah. God, they would rub shoulders with Gentiles, they would interact in business deals, but they would not interact with somebody, some Jew, who had rejected. the covenant nation. And by not being circumcised, he had rejected the covenant nation. So think of all of this. Think of everything that happens to be going on, because here is Titus. Titus, again, goes to Jerusalem. And what's Titus? He's a full-blooded Gentile, isn't he? He's a full-blooded Greek. But when you look at Timothy, it's absolutely different. So why is Timothy, again, a glorified? Let me just say this. Just before I answer that question, I think this is a great text to remind us of this. Men, you need to be leaders in your home. You need to be again, not again the idea of an authoritative figure, but you need to be spiritual leaders, truly training your children in all righteousness. I think it's such a shame, such an offense against us that we don't have stronger men who have a heart for Jesus and want to pass that on to their children. You know, that should be natural in us when we realize what Jesus Christ has done for sinners such as us. And we need to be, we need to take that responsibility. But in order to take that responsibility, we have to let God do a work in our hearts and in our lives. Why was Timothy circumcised? And let me tell you why he was not circumcised. He was not circumcised for salvation. He was circumcised that he might give a testimony of salvation. This is why it is. You know, he recognized the greatness of Christ. He recognized all of this. And so this would give him an opportunity to go into these communities and preach gospel. And think of it, because where's the first place that Paul always goes, every single stop that he goes, he goes into, begins with an S. He goes into the synagogue. And here, all of a sudden, Timothy, we know you're, come on in. And it gives him the opportunity to be this testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. And let me just say, this is Paul's whole goal, this is Paul's whole heart. is that he might be a testimony, that he might have entrance, that he might not give undue offense, that he might again clear away any obstruction, that people might hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, you see this over in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Let me just read some of those verses that happen to begin over there, starting at verse number 19. It says, For though I am free from all, Listen to what Paul says, I have made myself a servant to all. And why? Why have I made myself a servant of all? I have such a heart, such a longing that Christ might be magnified, that I might win more of them. How does that work out? To the Jews, I became a Jew. Why? In order to win Jews. To those under the law, I became as one under the law. Though not being myself under the law, that I might win those under the law. To those outside of law, I became outside of law. Not being outside of the law of God, but under the law of Christ. And here's the reason, that I might win those outside of law. To the weak, I became weak. That I might win the weak. I become all things to all people that by them means I might save some. I do all of this for the sake of the gospel that I may share with them. in the blessings. So think of it, again, as Paul comes and he's living in a Jewish context around Jewish people and here's the Passover, what does he do? He observes the Passover that happened to begin with them. When Paul's over here and there's a whole bunch of Gentiles and they're sitting down to eat pork, he sits down and eats his pork dinner with them. He becomes all things to all people. He gives no unnecessary offense. that he might proclaim and make known Jesus Christ. It's always the question, again, it's always coming because of what's in his heart, because of the want that happens to be in his heart. We want to do what we want to do. So the question is always in his mind, how can I reflect Christ? How can I be the best witness? How can I make known Jesus Christ in this situation? It's never this, Paul never lets down his morals. He never capitulates again to the world that happened to begin around him. But he lives in such a way. Think of it, because the whole context in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 is about meat offered to idols. You know, if it's an offense to some, he's not going to eat. If they're serving him again over here and he's going to be a gospel testimony, he's going to eat it. You know, but he's going to do all things, what? For the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so think of Timothy. Here's Timothy again, and all of a sudden, they don't want to give unnecessary offense, where all of a sudden people shut their minds, shut their hearts, shut their thinking, and will not listen to the gospel. So he goes through this painful procedure, and it would have been, again, absolutely painful in his life to open up an avenue to make known Jesus Christ. And think of how different that is than today. Because what do we want? I've got the right to do what I want to do. There's nothing in the word of God that prescribes that I can't do this or can't do that. You know, and we look at it, and if we're saying, I have the right, I have the right to dress this way, I have the right to speak this way, I have the right, again, to do these activities, and we realize that we're not under law, but we're not asking the question, what is the best way that I can represent this great God that happens to be again above? You know, and I think, again, as you look at this text, it's easy to see that it's dealing with cultural sensitivities, especially, again, among the Jews that happen to begin right there. But I think we can apply it in so many different areas that happen to begin in our life. Because God has given us freedoms. And in these freedoms, what's in here is going to come out. And do we have a love for the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we have a desire to minister to others for the welfare of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? I don't know how many times I hear this. You know, I wish I had more time to study the Word of God. I wish I had more time to minister to other people and get involved in whatever it happened to be, discipling, mentoring, counseling, or whatever it is, but I just don't have the time. And then we'll take, again, 20, 25 minutes, and we'll go like this again on the phone. We'll look again at these YouTube, again, videos, and all of a sudden, an hour, two hours, we'll go by, and guess what? I don't have time. I don't have time. And we wonder why we're so cold. Let me say beyond a shadow of a doubt, if we're not investing in the gospel, if we're not looking at what Christ has done for sinners that happen to begin like us, our inner person, our inner wants are not being changed. And the question is, again, what are we doing with our wants? What are we doing with our time? We can even say it another thing. We're going to have a panel discussion that would begin up here about money. And the stewardship, again, of money. And let me tell you, again, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I'm sure this is gonna be repeated, money is never the problem. It's never the problem. It's the problem how much you have or how much you don't have. That's not the problem. The problem, again, is my human heart. Look, I have earned this, and I have a right to spend it the way I want to spend it. There it is, want coming up. What am I in love with? All of these things down here. And think about again, if the gospel really touches our heart, how can I make known Christ? How can I reflect him? How can I advance his kingdom? Do you see the difference? So when you look at this, Paul wants him to be, it seems like such a small detail in the text, doesn't it? Paul wants him to be again circumcised. Why does he want him to be circumcised? Why go through this painful surgery? Because it is about, represented him. And that's an amazing thing that happened at the beginning of the text. And I wonder as we look at our lives, as we look at our testimonies, as we look at what's going on in our heart, do we have that dispossession where we want him to be magnified? We want him to be glorified. You know what questions go through our minds again as we think of others and we think of ministry and we think about making much of him and we think about again how we use our freedom. Now that's point number one. Point number two is I want us to realize how ministry really functions, how it functions in a local church, how it functions, again, in our life, or how it's supposed to function. And you really see that in verses four and five in our text. And let's just read it. As they went their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and the elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. You know, one of the things I love about studying the Word of God and studying it weekly and going through again expositionally and looking at this and looking at this, there's always more in a text than I thought was there. You know, and it's the same with this text that happened to begin right here. And it really answers many of the practical concerns, many of the practical outworkings that happen to begin in our lives. And one of the questions, again, that we ask so often is what emphasis should we have on ministry? What's the emphasis, again, as far as in our lives, as far as in our hearts, as far as the outreach that happens to begin around us? You know, and I think a lot of times we either go into one or two extremes. And the problem with these extremes, if we can call it a problem, is that they're biblical. We can find chapter and verse on them. And so many times, they've placed all their effort with outreach, all their effort with trying to win those who are outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's about going out, going out, going out, going out, witnessing, testifying, whatever it happened to be. And then there's other churches where it's all about maturing the saints, undergirding the saints, changing them in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they might be testimonies, that they might be witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we can say it again really simply this way. A lot of churches spend their time in quantitative growth. It's all about numbers, all about numbers, all about numbers. A lot of churches, again, spend all of their time in qualitative growth. It's all about, again, what we look like. It's all about what's going on in our lives, in our arts. You know, and they spend all these times. And for those who are over this extreme, where it's all about quantitative growth, when you look at those churches many times, they're big. You know, many times they're a mile wide, but they're only an inch thick. And a lot of times when difficulties and trials come into their life, they don't have, again, that gospel again undergirding their lives to recognize their relationship with Christ or even why these things are going on in their life. You ask the average Christian out there, What is the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, which was what all the Reformation was all about? And they can't answer the question. They can't say simply, this is my holy standing before God of being absolutely righteous in His court. Nothing can change that. It doesn't matter what sin in my life, it doesn't matter what omission that happened to me in my life. If I'm truly under the blood, if I've truly trusted the Lord Jesus Christ, I have this holy standing forevermore. And they don't have that security, they don't have that undergirding. So when the waves come, they're tossed to and fro by every single wind of doctrine. And folks, we don't want to be there. On the other side, again, we can be so enraptured. Let me just say this about the gospel. The gospel is so simplistic, a child can understand it. And so deep, so glorious, that if we spent a thousand lifetimes, we wouldn't be able to plumb its desk. And I think a lot of times, because we're studying, we're studying, we're studying, we're studying, we get in love. with the intellectual stimulation that it really brings. Because we can study justification by faith alone. We can talk about, again, Luther. We can talk about Calvin. We can talk about, again, history. We can talk about, again, all these things that happen to be there. We can just talk about sanctification, how it goes on in our hearts, what ultimate glorification looks like, what the sovereignty of God, again, is all about, and how it's taught in the scripture, about the doctrine, again, of election. And it really stimulates our minds and stimulates our heart. and we can go deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper, but the problem is many times when we go deeper and deeper, instead of letting it change us, what it causes us to do is implode. So we want to talk about these things, but there's only a few other people who know these doctrines. There's only a few that understand this. So we get in this holy huddle and we never come out of it. We're never witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me just say this, it's us four and no more, right? Nobody can understand these things. And we never come out. As you look at that, you realize both extremes are wrong, aren't they? We want people to be undergirded with the gospel. We want them to persevere. We want them to have the assurance of salvation, the security that Jesus Christ has done it all. We want them, again, to be gospel testimonies going in all of our communities and make forth, speak forth, again, the glories of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. But let me just say this, and I want us to realize this. that there is a logical order. We want both quantitative growth and we want qualitative growth, and every church should have both of them, but there is an order from that. And the order is, again, reading this passage of Scripture. You know, when you look at this passage of Scripture, let's just read verse number four, because this is what's happening. As they went on their way, through the city, so he delivered to them four observant decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So again, this would have been a region, again, of Galatia. This would have been many of the churches that Paul and Barnabas, even as we said, already planted. These are the churches that were disturbed by these Judaizers who went in there and said you had to be circumcised in order to be saved. And they went again into these churches and they began again to read this letter and teach the implications again of this letter. And you can imagine the excitement. First of all, here's Paul again. Here's this one who planted the churches. Here's this one again who was instrumental. Through God, again, God using this man to bring us to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and tell us the wonders of the truth that Messiah has come. God in human flesh to take away our And to read this and realize the pillars of the faith, those again who were first saved, the apostles, the elders at Jerusalem where Christianity began, agree with this. I mean, it must have been such a celebration. And one of the things I love is I love that letter that was written because it has two main components. And one main component is basically this, it's all of grace. Right, what's grace? Again, we give that simple definition, unmerited favor, but it's even further than that, isn't it? It's really undeserved. It's not only unmerited and undeserved, it is ill-deserved. I deserve the exact opposite. But look at what Christ has done. Look at the one took the punishment. When you look at the horrors of the cross, it shows us what our sin deserves, but it shows us the love of God. And that's the other aspect, isn't it? Because they realize that there's these Jewish sensitivities again in how they live and how they function. You know, and that's the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, this is what it does. As we realize that he has done it all, as we realize that he's the great victor, he begins to change us. Now think about it. Here's the question. Why do you sin? Why do you find sin so appealing to happen to begin in your life? Because I think we think of Christianity, again, this way. Christianity is all about what I cannot do, right? I can't have premarital sex, right? I cannot fornicate, cannot cheat, cannot lie, right? I cannot be lazy. And it's all about what we don't do. And this is what I think we think many times. God takes all the fun things of life, and he leaves them aside that happen to be in our life. And why? And why do we come to that conclusion? We come to that conclusion, I want you to hear this, it's because of the want in my heart. I want to fornicate. I want to lie. I want to do this. I want to do that. It's something inside of us. And what God says, I have something better for you. I have something better for you. When you go over this gospel, when you preach this gospel, when you teach this gospel, when you house this gospel, when you're reminded, when you meditate upon this gospel, this is what it does. It changes our want. I look at fornication. Why would I ever do that? I look at a lying talk. I look again at this or that. I look again at laziness. Why would I ever want to go in one direction when this is my Christ? This is what he's done for me. And this is what happens in the gospel. What happens in the gospel is he changes my wants. That's the great thing about it. And that's why, again, when we look at the gospel, the gospel's not just for those who are unsaved, but for us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it changes our wants. Why is Timothy? Circumcised? His wants are changed. Why does Paul want him to do? Because his wants are changed. You know, and I wonder, has that gospel in our lives gone that deep? Is it going that deep? It's really changing who we are inside. The problem's not out here. The problem isn't with the billboards and magazines, the internet pornography that happened to begin out there. The problem again is not that we live in a very licentious and a very in love again of money that happened to begin there. The problem is right here, my want, your want. God came to save us, not only from the penalty of sin, the control of sin. And guess why? Because he wants something more satisfying, more joyous, that brings a greater peace to my life in this life. And think of it, because here they are, they're delivering this letter, they're teaching the implications again of this letter, they're showing again the gospel of Jesus Christ, how Jesus Christ has done it all. And then we read in verse number five, so this is the outcome of this, right? They teach and teach and teach and teach. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and they increased in numbers daily. Don't you love that? That's the outcome, isn't it? People came to Christ. Don't you love that? Don't you love to hear testimonies of faith? I didn't even recognize my sin and all of a sudden the gospel of Jesus Christ and what was dead in me all of a sudden came to life. I saw my need. I saw how he treated this God. I saw God would be absolute just if he sent me to hell, if he sent me again under his wrath forever and ever and ever. But I realized one paid my debt. One ransomed my soul. One gave me forgiveness. One took the penalty that I deserved. And all we can do is celebrate. And when we hear that in the baptismal tank, when we hear this profession of faith, what can we do? We can only celebrate, right? And we had that opportunity last week to hear some of those professions that happen to begin a faith. But I want to see that there's an order here. And the order is this. Here it is. The churches were strengthened in what was happening. Then there was added to their number daily such as would be saved. Did you see that? How are they strengthened? They're not strengthened like this. They're not strengthened like this. They're not strengthened physically, right? You don't know those guys with the belt and everything, and all of a sudden like this, right? I do that. I don't go to the gym very often, but I used to go to the gym, and I used to try and go by a guy who was really, really big, and I'd go there with my shrugged body. I'd move my neck back and forth, and I'd try to lift something up, and I couldn't lift anything up. But anyways, it's not talking about that. It's talking about, again, that we're strengthened in the inner man. So much so that we see Christ, so much so that no matter what we are going through, we see we deserve far worse. No matter what we're going through, we realize how God is relating to us at this moment. It's pure grace. And when you get to that point, you're a changed person. Isn't it true? I love the book of Romans. And I love the Book of Romans because it teaches the truths of salvation, right? I mean, think about it, for eight chapters, Paul's going through, you're a sinner, doesn't matter who you are, Gentile, Jew, doesn't matter who you are, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and then he shows this wonderful doctrine, Jesus has done it all, I have his perfect standing in Jesus Christ, I rejoice, I have peace with God forevermore. And we celebrate that, then he shows how it's outworking in our life, You know, through the process of sanctification, how he's changing. We mourn the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only is the penalty taken care of, but he's working out that tyranny, that control of sin that happened to be in our life. Then he talks about, again, our final glorification. We will be with the Lord Jesus Christ! And he just can't take it. He breaks out and prays right at the end of chapter number 8. And have you ever looked at that and seen Paul, you know, he's teaching and teaching. He says, oh, I can't contain myself. I have to speak of the glory of this great God. And listen to what he says. This is Romans chapter 8, beginning at verse number 31. What shall we say to these things? All these things I've been teaching again you. If God is for us, then who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against you and me, God's elect? Why, it is God who justifies. Who is it to condemn? Christ Jesus, think of it, none other than God in human flesh is the one who died. More than that, who was raised, and guess what he's doing today? He is at the right hand of God who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us? from the love of God shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword, as it is written, for your sake, we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. Have you ever come to that conclusion? Because he says, no. In all of this, I'm sorry, no, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us, for I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation will able to separate me from the love of Christ, Jesus our Lord. Can you sense that? Paul says, I'm amazed. And think of it, if you're that controlled by the gospel, if you're that control saturated with the love of God and how he has loved us, what do you think is going to come out of you? Well, am I allowed to do that? No, what's going to come out of you? How can I represent this great God? How can I glory in him? And what happens? What happens? It tells us, right, they're strengthened. And what happens? There's addition. Listen again as I read it again. It's right there. It says, so the churches were strengthened in the faith. And they increased in numbers daily. Isn't that incredible? We wonder why our lives do not have an impact with Christ and ask ourselves, What's my wants? What truly is my desires and my deepest heart? Because this is going on every single week. Every single week throughout the world, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is being preached, and God is taking this individual, that individual, and calling them to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and giving them life through his people that have been strengthened in the gospel of Jesus Christ. So ask yourself, What's the greatest question that you ask in Christianity and in the functionality, again, of your life? Is it this? Am I permitted to do this? Is there anything in the word of God that restricts my behavior, tells me I can't do this? Or is it this? I love my Christ so much. I am so amazed at what he has done. I'm so amazed at the redemption that's found in him. I'm so amazed at this great hope that one day that I will be I represent him. How can I be that gospel testimony? That's Christianity. That's growth in Christ. And here's the amazing thing. I think a lot of times we try to engineer it. We try to say, how can we have a revival? And we try all these different things. And we try to say no to sin. But let me tell you, this is what it is. It's being strengthened in the inner man through the Let that gospel saturate your soul. Let it change you from one degree of glory to another. I'll guarantee you, God will use your life, God will use my life in amazing ways for the glory of Christ. Let's bow our hearts in a moment of prayer. Father, what an amazing text. What an incredible text. Lord, and as we're giving these, various different things that we see the functionality of the church. We realize, Lord, that this is supposed to be our functionality. Lord, our love, our desire to make much of Jesus Christ. Lord, so often when we look at things, we look at things, we blame things that happen to begin outside of us of why we don't have a heart for Christ, why we're not witnessing for Christ, why we're not serving the Lord Jesus Christ. And so often, Lord, we're not looking at our own hearts. We're not looking at our own wants. We're not looking at our own desires. We're not looking at what really captivates our minds as far as a life, as far as security, as far as joy. Lord, we're not looking at Christ, the only one who can truly satisfy and give us meaning. God, we ask that you would help us. We're needy people. Help us to concentrate on the gospel. Help us to see Jesus and him crucified, yea, risen from the grave. Help us to be amazed that he would save such people such as us. And Lord, change us. Change our wants. Change our desires. Lord, that we might manifest Christ in every situation, in every relationship that you've called us into. We thank you so much. Just be with us now, in Christ's name. Amen. Well, God is good, is he not?