called racial reconciliation. The tensions are high in our country. Race relations probably are all time low. In my 53 years of life, I haven't seen it this bad. If you're older than I am, you may have experienced other times in the history of our nation where it was this bad or maybe worse. But the reality is that what I want to share with you before we pray is what should be our response. And when I mean our, I want to underline our as Christians. Regardless of our ethnic diversity, regardless of our ethnic position, what should be our response? And let me tell you, your response to this situation will depend on your worldview. If your worldview includes the Lord and is centered around the Lord and His word, you will respond to this biblically. If it's not, or if it's wavering, if it's not solid, you may fall prey to the culture around us. So let me, as your pastor, just remind you of three things that I want you to do. I want you to be careful. I want you to be careful with what you're posting. I want you to be careful with what you're taking in as gospel truth. I want you to be careful not to live in the extremes. What's fueling a lot of what you're seeing and what I'm seeing and what's burdening my heart, and I'm sure it's burdening yours, is being fueled by hatred and vengeance, not justice. I'm going to say that again. What's fueling a lot of what you're seeing The destruction that you and I are seeing is being fueled not by a sense of justice, but of hatred and vengeance. And that is not from the Lord. To create an autonomous zone anywhere on the United States of America is going against God, for He has established authority. Government is a divine institution. So child of God, be careful what you attach your name to. You are not ultimately an activist. You are always an ambassador for Christ. Your posts, my posts, my interaction, regardless of how that leaves me standing in my community, is as ambassador of Christ. So we definitely don't want to be part of the rioting. We definitely don't want to be part of the looting. But even the protest, be careful because you're putting your name to placards that are being shown that are very dishonoring to the Lord. And you are an ambassador for Christ. Your presence there does say something about your commitment to representing a kingdom that's way beyond the United States of America. So be careful. Be careful you don't. OK, be careful with the slogans that you and I swallow and repost, perhaps, and believe. If silence is violence and if silence is compliance, then Jesus is a sinner. Therefore, he's not a savior. Do you understand the evils that were around when Jesus was on planet Earth? Do you understand the evils that were part of the Roman Empire when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem? Do you understand the evils? At the very least, Israel was an oppressed people. Did Jesus address directly every evil in the Roman Empire? No. Because Jesus did not come to redeem a culture, he came to redeem sinners. So if silence is violence and silence is compliance, then apply it to our Lord and Savior. He's a sinner, therefore he's not worthy of a Savior. Do you understand the logic sometimes that we fail to apply from a Christian worldview to slogans that we swallow, hook, line, and sinker? Child of God, as your pastor, I need to warn you. Be careful. Be slow to write posts nowadays. Be slow to comment on things. There's a reason why God has given you two ears and one mouth. Listen more. Explore. Take a look at the subject matter. Then give your opinion. And may your opinion and my opinion be rooted in God's Word. That's the Christian's response. Be careful. Be careful. Be informed by the scriptures, not culture. Be informed. What's out there is this cry against systemic racism. Let me tell you about those two words. Racism, you and I are taking it as if it's a carton of milk with an expiration date on it. do this, do this, do that, do this, do this, or do away with that, and you get rid of racism. Are we really thinking as Christians, biblically informed Christians, that you can root out racism that easily? I hope not. First of all, race is not a biblical term. There's only one race according to the Bible. Acts 17, out of one man, we're all the race of Adam. He has made everyone. That's the reality. Now, that we have ethnic diversity, yes. Therefore, the sin that you and I should be coming against is the sin of ethnic prejudice. And inside of me, there's so much, so I have to control my emotions. Ethnic prejudice is a reality in the United States of America. It is a reality in the Church of Jesus Christ. It was a reality in the church in the first century. Ethnic prejudice is nothing new for the people of God. Just go back with me to Moses' time. You remember, he takes on a wife and she apparently was a little darker than Miriam liked. She spoke against the man of God, against the color of the skin, the ethnic diversity of Moses' wife. What did God do? He said, you don't like that color? I'm gonna make you white with leprosy. You think white is really white or something. Ethnic prejudice is a reality. You fast forward into New Testament Acts chapter 6, you have something brewing there. You fast forward to James chapter 4, the sin of partiality. That's what's at the heart of all this, is me being partial to one over the other. So that you and I can round our efforts and say we come against, as Christians, against the sin of ethnic prejudice. And the first thing you and I need to do is recognize that we're all prejudiced. And if you think you're not prejudiced, not only you, you're also dumb. Because we all have prejudices in our hearts. We all do. So be informed. Systemic? Listen, according to the scriptures, the only thing that's systemic is sin. Romans chapter 5, for the sin of one man entered mankind and it spread through humanity. That's systemic. You want to come against something systemic? It's sin. Therefore, ultimately, the answer that you and I should be proposing is an answer that's rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. who changes hearts. And even with the hearts changed by the gospel, we now need to be sanctified. It doesn't just go away, right? Just like any other besetting sin, the Lord has to sanctify and work in the life of His people. So now that He's broken the power of that sin, now He then deals with the influence of that sin. So child of God, as you and I interact, There's a lot of heat going on, but very little light. There's a lot of friction, there's a lot of extremists, but there's not the middle voice, the voice of reason. And you and I should be the voice of reason from God's word, not anchoring our position on popularity, not anchoring our position on this preacher said that, this preacher said that. It's what God has revealed. So be informed by the scriptures, not culture. Be informed about what you're talking about. And lastly, be encouraged. The racial reconciliation that the world so much desires is already ours. It's already ours. In Christ, in your Bible, look at Ephesians chapter 2. That's what I talked to you about on Friday. Let me just look at it. Let me highlight it. And let me frame our time of prayer. Child of God, you and I are privileged in that we know what God has done in Jesus Christ. and you and I should be modeling the racial reconciliation that does exist in the body of Christ. Use your influence to point people to the cross. Will we have to change laws? Do we need to address this or that? Probably. But what's at stake here is the reality that there's sin in America, there's sin in the church, and only the gospel of Jesus Christ can make a difference. Ephesians chapter 2, you know the first 10 verses are the ones everybody loves those. It's 11 through 22, that's the stepchild. That's the one we don't tend to look at. And if you have your Bible or your Bible app, let me just remind you what it says. Therefore, remember that at one time, you Gentiles, you non-Jews, Paul is writing to a church that was ethnically diverse. But their ethnicity wasn't superficial like skin color. It was real. God made these designations, Jew and non-Jew. There was the people of God and then there was everyone else. These are real distinctions. He says, remember you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh. Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Now that is bad news. No different than the beginning of the chapter. He says, there's a real bad news. You're dead in trespasses and sins. You're following the prince of the air, but God. In this section, he says, but now in Christ Jesus. Now in Christ Jesus. Not only does he bring peace, not only does it make peace, but he is our peace. And how does this look He's reckoned. He says that he might create He is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the laws of commandment the law of commandments Expressing ordinances that he might create himself one human in place of the two so making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross there by killing the hostility and what the man of God is saying here is what paul is saying is listen he took these two different these two distinctions of jew and gentile and reconciled them not only to god but to themselves he is our peace peace is one thing we want peace in the streets but the peace that jesus brings is a lot more than just a truce you know it's a truce Alex and I, we hate each other. But because as Ma Marina steps in the way, she says, put down your guns. We say, OK, we'll put down our guns. We won't attack each other anymore. Not because anything has changed in the relationship, but because out of respect for Mom. We've accomplished peace. We signed a peace treaty. But that's really truce. What you see here is not only did Jesus accomplish us to put down our arms and not fight one another, he has made us become one another. That's a whole different ballgame, child of God. So this is the best we have to offer our community. Ethnic diversity, and yes, unity in Christ. Jesus has accomplished that. What you and I are called to do is to walk in it, to protect it, to deepen it, to listen, to see how it impacts my life. But we go beyond the level of melanin in my skin. Says there, so then you are no longer strangers and aliens. Remember at the beginning he said you are. You're no longer stranger and aliens. With your fellow citizens, with the saints and members of the household of God. He reconciled two people that really had problems with each other. And blood might be thicker than water, but it's not stronger than the cross. We lose that in our conversations today. We have Christians saying things and posting things, pastors, presidents of conventions that are not clearly thinking what they're saying. So then you're no longer strangers and aliens, but you're fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him, you are also being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Do you understand the unity within and there's still yet diversity? Child of God, if nothing else, please start changing your conversation. When you're talking about racism, let's define the terms. Let's remain biblical about our approach and looking and discerning the times that you and I are living. As your pastor, I needed to share that with you, because I'm seeing so much that's not fully understanding that the picture is distorted. And the problem is much worse than we think. You're not going to legislate anti-racism. You're not going to root it out of somebody, of a society. Sin is not an institution. Sin is in the heart. Change whatever institution you want. If you don't change the heart, it'll find expression in the new system. That's why you and I need to be clearly thinking about what's going on, being discerning about the voices that are filling our minds and our hearts. How should we pray in light of who we are in Christ? We should pray that we'll be careful. Perhaps you've just been copying and pasting too quickly, tweeting too quickly. Maybe you need to stop. You need to be careful. You need to examine what's going on. We need to examine. We need to go back and realize, who's informing my opinion? Is it the word of God? Or is it culture? Am I too easily saying silence is violence and silence is compliance? Really, child of God? Think through it. Think through it. Let's be encouraged. You and I are called to be agents of reconciliation. We model it here, and we take it to the streets. We model it here, we live it here, and we take it to the streets. Do that. Let's be about that. Just a few moments. David will play, and while he plays, would you pray that the church would rise and give a prophetic minority report? about the spiritual condition of the land. You would just close your eyes if you're watching through the web. Would you do the same? Would you ask the Lord to help you? to search your own heart before we start pointing fingers and tearing down institutions and doing harm to others. That we as the people of God would ask the Lord to search our hearts and see if there's any wickedness therein. That God would show us through the mirror of His Word and through the ministry of His Spirit the prejudice that perhaps exists in our life. Would you praise the Lord for the reconciliation we have? We enjoy not only with God, but with one another. We can walk in anywhere on planet Earth and join the Fellowship of the Saints. And even though we may not know the language, we know we're home because that's my family, the Fellowship of the Saints. Regardless of where I'm at in this country, regardless where I'm at in this on earth. Looking forward to that day described in Revelation where before the throne there will be people representing all tribes and all languages and all ethnos, not races, ethnos, tribes and tongues. And they will have all everything in common, the worship of the Lamb. Would you pray that that day would hasten? So truly as we sung, injustice would bow to Jesus. The king, the perfect king, the righteous king. Father, do your work. Thank you for the clarity of your word. Thank you that when you speak, you don't stutter. We may not understand it rightly, so we're thankful to you for the ministry of your spirit. I'm personally grateful for the ministry of men who have influenced me lately to think about this crisis biblically, not minimizing the pain, not minimizing the problem, but properly framing it with your word. not giving in to the extreme. Father, we're mindful of those who have suffered because of what's going on. There are families that are hurting, truly hurting. People who have been the object of the sin of ethnic prejudice. Help us to look at our own lives, how we speak, how we treat one another, how we joke about one another. Perhaps that's where the sin finds its fruition. When we joke about this ethnic group or that. Guilty as charged, my Lord. Help us not to be self-righteous. And every heart that's not redeemed by Christ is dark. We're seeing it on the streets. Pray that that will come to an end, a peaceful end. You would use the means necessary to bring that to an end, that violence, the hatred, the vengeance, that justice would prevail. Help us to represent you well during this time. To lean on one another and both lean on you. Searching the scriptures, asking you to reveal, to give us opportunity to share the hope that's within us. that the community here in Pembroke Pines and beyond would look at Pines Baptist Church and the fellowship of these saints and they would see the different tribes and tongues and ethnicities and how we love one another. We don't look to see A or B, but we are one in Christ and we share and we care for each other regardless of where we're at and the level of melanin in our body. Whether we speak one way or another, whether we have this accent or this other, may we serve true as true agents of reconciliation. Modeling what's there, already there, purchased by you, O Lord Jesus, at the cross. Achieved by you, O God, through your Son. Father, help us to be hopeful, pointing others to the cross. And now, as we continue to study your word, that you will continue to do your work. Thank you. We love you. We need you. In Jesus' name, and God's people said, listen, if you need to speak with me personally about anything that's going on with your kids, you need something to be explained, just contact me. We'll sit down. We'll talk. If you need some more help in this area of thinking through these things biblically, let me know. I'll share with you the resources that are influencing me besides the Word of God. people who are seeing this correctly, biblically, biblically, which is important. This is important. Well, we go back to our study of revival. So if you're here in person or through the website or through Facebook or a website, let's remind ourselves, if you have your sermon notes, we sent it out to you in your mailing list, all right? We begin with revival, the definition we've been using, which is the extraordinary movement of the Spirit of God in the hearts of God's people. Okay, that's the reality. Revival is for God's people. Revival is not for outside. Revival is not for those who do not know Christ. Revival is for those who do know the Lord Jesus Christ as the reviver at work in the life of his people. Is God doing a special thing, a new thing, addressing us in a special way? God's people. Those are the key words you would put in, you fill in in your sermon notes. Listen, take this with you. A revived heart loves and serves. You want to see what's going on in your life? A revived heart loves and serves. The revived heart looks ways to love the Lord and to love people, looks for ways to serve the Lord and serve people. So if you find yourself in a season of life Not just a snapshot, but a season of life where you're looking for ways not to serve Him, beware. If you're in a season of life where you're looking for excuses not to go deeper with the Lord, beware. I think you can advance one more slide if I'm not mistaken. A revived heart looks for ways to love, looks for ways to serve. Now, why aren't we seeing more of this? And we can give different reasons, and I think all of them would be valid, but there's one that comes from my preparation this week, and it's because we're not desperate. We really are not desperate about it. Desperation can cause a lot of things in life, right? It can be very negative. But it also can be very positive. Let me share with you what I mean. The author here of The Power of Desperation writes the following. Feeling that my lungs were about to explode, I kicked desperately against the river's strong current as it drew me inexorably down under and downstream. What had started out as an innocent boyish escapade, diving with my friends off the pier of a bridge, had now resulted in a situation so perilous that I was near panic. Seeing the sunlight through the murky waters above me, I stretch for the water's surface, ultimately bursting through to the top as I simultaneously gasp for one commodity that had become more precious to me than gold, air. Desperation is a powerful force. Desperation forces our attention and energies on the things that count. While none of us enjoys the desperate experience, we revel in the result. Lungs are filled with air, a family is rescued, a body is healed, a nation is saved, a sinner comes to God, a wandering believer whose desolate life has become dry and damaged is driven once again to the fountain of living water into which he plunges with total surrender. But it is not the dive that brings most of us to the point of desperation these days. We're not given to that kind of risk. It is the drift. Slowly, unwittingly, and with seeming innocence, we drift further and further from fellowship with God. The shores of His grace may seem distant and diminished, but we still have them in view. A turn in the wind, a couple of swift spiritual kicks, and we'll be back where we belong, or so we think. A friend of mine once confessed over lunch that he was broke. When I assured him that I had sufficient resources to cover the meal, he protested saying, no, that he's not broke financially, but spiritually. He then told me how he generally met these times of spiritual drift with renewed focus on the things of God. A conference here, a convention there, maybe pumped up quiet time. But something strange has happened, my friend continued. I'm away from God, and this time, I can't seem to get back. My friend likened himself to the proverbial turtle on its back in the middle of a highway. I can't get back to God, he said with a note of panic in his voice. His journey had brought him to the shores of desperation. The author finishes this with these words that will be on the screen. See, if desperation turns your heart away from the Lord, then it's not a good thing. But if it turns your heart toward the Lord, it is a good thing. And we find that in the pages of Scripture. We see that. Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord, desperately seeking from the Lord. We see that. I wrote here in my notes. The widow in 2 Kings chapter 4. She has insurmountable debt. She needs someone to intervene. She turns to the prophet of God and her need is met. We see it in Psalm 63, the psalmist expresses desperation for the Lord. Peter in Matthew 14, a storm at sea, he's desperate for the Lord. Mark 5, the woman with the issue of blood, she receives more than she expected. We see it in the blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10. We find it in Mary and Martha in John 11. They're watching their brother die. And God seems late. And you and I know that God is always on time. But desperation is a good thing if it turns our heart toward the Lord. So if you find yourself this morning desperate for the Lord, that's a good thing as long as you focus, you channel that desperation toward the Lord. When that desperation exists, that's when you and I really crave the revival, what God can only do in our lives. And we've been looking at that, and my prayer has been that God would do that in the lives of our church, because renewal happens at the personal level, revival happens at the corporate level. A spiritual awakening happens when it spills over to the streets, and God's people are God's people, and God pleases. He's pleased to use the body of Christ to create a spiritual awakening. We started looking at that starting point of revival, which is humility. If you have your notes, that's the key word, humility. That's that attitude that draws the gaze of God, right? I shared it with you. There's two ways. If you want God's attention, there's two ways. Negative, sin. If you're a child of God, you'll have his attention, like that. Sin. You want it on a more positive note, OK? Be humble. Recognize who's God, who's not, and in light of that, make an assessment. Revival begins with humility. Proud hearts do not respond well to God. God does not respond well to proud hearts. So when humility is there, the next step is honesty. That's your key word, honesty. That's that confession of sin. There's a time in the life of the Christian where silence is not golden. There's a good time in the life of the Christian when silence is golden. When you're dealing with the Lord and you're trying to justify your sin, you're trying to justify rebellion, you're trying to justify self-righteousness, you're trying to justify... God would look at you and say, shut up. Shut up. So there is a time. when silence is golden, but there is a time when silence is not golden. Honesty must prevail in the confession of sin, calling the sin like God calls it, agreeing with God about the sin that He's exposing your life. We call it, and we're honest, and we confess it. And at the heart of that honesty is that turning point called repentance. That's your key word, repentance. We looked at it in Psalm 51. We looked at it in James chapter 4. Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of behavior. You end up loving that which you hated and hating that which you loved. The fruit of repentance. The best way to know whether you're repentant is you look at the fruit. Not regret, not remorse, repent. It makes a change. Repent is a 180. If you do a 360, you end up right where you started, right? So it's not doing a 360. Oh, yeah, I'm going to do a 360. I'm still heading the wrong way. If I'm heading the wrong way, sinner's row, I've got to turn away to righteousness row. That's a 180. It starts with a thinking, sin is sin. And then it finds its expression in a behavior that says, sin is sin. And repentance is there. Repentance is not given to you and me to make us feel better, but it's given to you and me as a gift from God to restore a relationship with Him. When that's in place, we looked at what God provides, because if you and I are serious in our walk with the Lord, if you and I are serious in identifying those sins that are affecting our walk with God, if you and I are truly trying to walk humbly before Him, knowing to confess sin, if you take it seriously, it can be overwhelming. And that desperation will take you to despair. Well, God intervenes and provides what you and I need. And we saw that a couple Sundays ago, and it's called grace. Grace, His provision for our need. He grants us what we need, whether it's saving grace, we saw that out of Ephesians chapter 2. But the grace that saves also sanctifies and teaches us how to live like a Christian. That's sanctifying grace. Again, you break the stronghold of ethnic prejudice, but that doesn't mean that you become so easily not affected by it. Though the power is broken, the influence is there. So sanctifying grace says, this is how you live, child of God. Because we belong to one another, this is how we live. That's sanctifying grace. And when hard times come, then you and I have the sustaining grace of God. It doesn't matter what we face, God sustains us through it. The last time we looked at holiness, that's the key word. A family trait, we called it. Why is it a family trait? Because God looks at His kids and says, because I am holy, what? You are holy. Because I'm set apart, you are set apart. Because I've redeemed you, because I have regenerated, we created you, I expect you to live differently. Any dead fish goes with the stream here, with the current. You're going against the current. If you're uncomfortable being the minority in this community, in this sinful community, you got something coming to you. By being a follower of Jesus, you said, I will go against the sinful tide around me. Holiness we what does this mean? We provided some helpful words last time. They're on the screen again. Holiness can be defined on two levels By the blood of Christ shed on on the cross Colossians chapter 1 God imparts Christ righteousness to us and makes us holy and blameless before him. That's our spiritual position in Christ That's why you and I can die right now with unconfessed sin, and we still make it to heaven. Amen or amen? I'm going to make it easy for you. Amen or amen? That's right. That's right. Because of our position in Christ. This is Christ, the book. This is me. I'm in Christ. My position in Christ is secure. I do not lose the fact that I belong to him. His grip on me is stronger than my grip on him. He reached farther down than I could reach up. He grabbed me, and that's it. John chapter 10 says, I'm in the Father's hands. That which you did not earn, you do not get to give away. That's your spiritual position, child of God. Now, personal holiness, it's on there, or practical holiness, on the other hand, is the outworking and fruit of positional holiness evidenced by the way we think and live. Because we belong to God and His Holy Spirit indwells us, we are commanded and divinely equipped to live according to His will every day in every way. That's what we're after. That's the holiness that you and I are called to develop. For this morning, The joy of experiencing personal revival includes all that we have looked at, plus the next thing, which is obedience. It's there in your sermon notes. It's the acid test of love, obedience. Obedience. Why do you do what you do? We want to get there. Why do you do what you do? The authors of seeking him provide again some words and needed perspectives on the screen behind me God loves his children Obeying God is not meant to be a sterile cold requirement Excuse me Excuse me Rather it is a willing glad-hearted response to one who loves us extravagantly and has our best interest in mind God does not stand by at a distance demanding our obedience rather He blesses us by allowing us to be a part of accomplishing His purposes. He calls us to surrender, invites us to follow, empowers us to serve, and then blesses our obedience. Amen? What comes to mind when you think of obedience? What comes to mind? How would you describe obedience? You don't need to tell me, but in your mind, when I see Christina has her kids there with her, so if I was to ask her kids, hey kids, when I say obey your mom, what words would you use to describe that experience? From what place in your hearts do you answer that? I have Mason over here. Mason, when your mom says, obey, clean up your room, again, again How would you describe that experience what comes to mind? Well my wife says throw out the trash we have learned through times of intense fellowship She says throw out the trash now You got a dummy proofing because you say throw out the trash. I got pretty much 24 hours I That's just me. But through the sanctifying grace of the Encouraging Word ministry that my wife shares with me, she says, now. OK, now when convenient, now. John chapter 14. If you have your Bible, John chapter 14. It's a rich passage. This is the upper room discourse. It's the last night Jesus is on planet Earth. John 13 through 17 give us the most intimate of conversations between the Savior and his disciples. He's preparing them for his departure. In the midst of all this, and I'm going to confess to you on the front end, we're not able to cover everything that this passage has, but I want to explore one thing with you. John 14, 15 through 24. If you love me, you will keep my commandments and I will ask the father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him or nor knows him. You know him for he dwells with you and he will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you will also live. In that day, you will know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by the Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. Judas and Iscariot said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not the world? Jesus answered him, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words and the word that you hear is not mine But the fathers who sent me let me just draw three things from the relationship between love and obedience That's what I want to draw out from here There's a lot more But just the relationship, number one, number one, love is your key word for Christ, must fuel our obedience is the other key word to Christ. Love for Christ needs, must, remember the word is must, not should, must. Why do you do what you do? Is love for Christ fueling your obedience to Christ? Verses 15 and 21 and 23, listen, it says, if you love me, you'll keep my commandments. This is not like a promise. This is almost like a definition. If you love me, you keep my commandments. If you don't love me, what I say to you doesn't have no authority. And we've said that already. Are we a generation of Christians? Are we a fellowship of saints that tremble at God's word? When God says it, he means it. So we're not open to discussion. We can see what the application means and how that affects me and you. But if He addresses a certain aspect of life through His Word, He means it. He's not giving you suggestions. He's telling you how to live. And your love for Him because of who He is, because of what He's done for you, it fuels my obedience. Love for Jesus is not just an attachment to Him. Listen, it's one that because of who He is, I walk the way He walks. I live with what He means me to live with. Love and obey. Love and obey. The key question is not what words you are keeping or how to keep them, but does love for the Lord fuel your obedience? Because if not, you see, I use the kids. If there's not a love relationship, obedience is at best sterile and distant. We kids, I was a kid too, many, many years ago. Many, many years. I looked at it as if my parents were just picking on me. But the reality is that when my parents asked me to obey, they actually meant it most of the time. Most of the time, okay, because I had imperfect parents just like you have imperfect parents. And if your parents think you're perfect, yeah, you're also confused. But I had imperfect, and most of the time what my parents had for me was in my best interest. So they taught me how to, you know, take a bath, use soap this time. Guilty. My mama said one time, no, my mama and daddy were out. My sister was in charge, so I had to buck the system. She goes, go in there and take a shower. She was playing street football, and I'd take a shower. I didn't take no shower. I let water run through my body. I walked back out. I walked right by my sister. And my sister said, Lou, yes, go back and use soap this time. Now, I could have told that guy, I can't believe you're asking me how you're diminishing my self-esteem. Or, dude, because I have the best interest in, you know, your best interest in my mind, I don't want you to be looked at as a skunk. So obedience in the relationship of love is something that you and I, we do it. We subscribe, we do what we need to do. God not only looks at what we do, but why we do when it comes to obeying Christ is equally important or more the why you do things. In his book, The Discipline of Grace, the author makes the point, and I'm going to read a little bit, and then I'll put some words on the screen, okay? But this is what he writes. Love for God then is the only acceptable motive for obedience to Him. This love may express itself in a reverence for him and a desire to please him, but those expressions must spring from love. Without the motive of love, my apparent obedience may be essentially self-serving. Negatively, I may fear God will punish me or at least withhold this blessing from me because of some disobedience. I may abstain from a particular sinful action out of fear I will be found out or because I don't want to feel guilty afterward. Positively, I may be seeking to earn God's blessing through some pious action. I may conform to a certain standard of conduct because I want to fit in with and be accepted by the Christian culture in which I live. I might even be outwardly because I have a compliant temperament and it's simply my nature to obey my parents, my teachers, civil authorities, or even God. He concludes with the following words on the screen. All of these motives, both negative and positive, may result in an outward form of obedience, but it is not obedience from the heart. Our behavior may appear outstanding to other people but not be acceptable to God because it does not spring from a motive of love to Him. Only conduct that arises from love is worthy of the name of obedience. Now with that in mind, let me see if I can apply it. I think it should be on the screen behind me. Why do you obey Christ? If I were to ask you, why? Why? Why do you do what you do in his name? Why are you serving the Lord the way you're serving? What brought you here this morning? What brought you? What fuels your obedience to Christ, duty or delight? It works like that in any type of relationship, by the way, too. Friendships, marriage, family, with Christ. If it's duty, if I look at my wife and I go, I gotta love you because I have to, that's only gonna go so far. I usually bother you, there's not gonna be any sugar in the coffee. Duty's only gonna take me so long, but if it's delight, If I delight myself in obeying, if I delight myself in living in such a way that puts a smile on God's face because we enjoy relationship, then when delight is a little hard pressed, duty kicks in and says, hey, remember. So what fuels your obedience? Duty or delight? Number one, our love for Christ must be fueled. Number two, obedience is a key word. To Christ is the evidence of our love for Christ. When a couple says that they love each other, do they really mean it? Maybe. Maybe. I mean, we throw that word out. I mean, I love my wife, I love chocolate cake, I love Don Pepe. I'm hoping that my love for Don Pepe is a little less than my love for my wife. They got bread and steak, but, okay, we throw that word out. So love, you know, maybe, maybe. What's the evidence? The test is that it's practical. See, just like true faith is practical, true love is practical. God's grace, okay, and our obedience are not at odds. Titus chapter two, we shared that with you last time. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. Hallelujah. Instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age. In other words, God's grace instructs us to live obediently and unite, glorify Christ. We make much of him when we obey him from love in our hearts because we get to enjoy obedience. Is it always easy? No. Is it always best? Yes. And if you haven't caught this phrase from me yet, get it. Easy is not always best. In fact, seldom do they walk hand in hand. Easy is not always best. If you're teaching your children, if you're teaching your spouse, if you're teaching people around you that just find the easy way, you're not getting them ready for life. There ain't no easy ways in life. They're the best ways. And even if they have to choose between easy and best, what are you going to teach them? To choose best. It is easy to do certain things. It is best to do certain others. Easy and best don't walk hand in hand. Reality is you and I, you and I, you know, obedience is the evidence. And again, we don't obey so we can earn God's favor. We obey because we belong to Him. The Bible is clear, true faith is active faith. So again, by means of application on the screen there, what does your life say about your love for Christ? If you were to come to my neighborhood and interview my neighbors that know me, okay, what would they say? My coworkers, church members, what does my life say about my love for Christ? When it comes to obedience to Christ, what is your life's message? Do it when convenient? Serving when necessary? Or is it Isaiah chapter six, here am I? Here am I. Put me out of the comfort zone. Put me wherever you need me. Do others draw a clear conclusion about your love for Christ because of your obedience to Christ? That's application. So love must fuel and obedience is the result. And lastly, number three, love fueled obedience to Christ will result in increased intimacy and enjoyment of God. Intimacy and enjoyment are the key words. When you and I choose to obey, there's a blessing that accompanies it. You see it in the passage if you obey me Let me see 21 whoever has my commandments and keeps them he it is who loves me and you and he who loves me will be loved by the Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him you want greater enjoyment of God draw nearer to him Doesn't that work in any relationship Right? And I see the lovebirds out back here. I'm not going to say who they are, but Jose and Carmen. You know, I had to pick on you guys. You know how they, they're going to, they want an enjoyment of that relationship develops as they, as they go deep in who they are and in the pursuit of holiness and righteousness before the Lord. They can keep it up here, but because they want what God wants for them, they will be about peeling the onion, those layers after layers, so by the time they get to enjoy the intimacy of marriage, the intimacy already has been started because they've been open and honest with one another. Amen? I didn't see amen from you, Carmen. What's up, girl? Okay. Take that mask off. Let me see. There we go. All right. Jose was clear. My girl was like, no habla, no habla, okay? But it's true and I pick on them because that's my desire for them and that's God's desire for them. And as you and I draw near to the Lord and get to know him better, more intimately, we get to enjoy that better. 32 years into this, I'm enjoying my marriage better today than it was when I was 21 years of age. Hispanic punk that thought he knew everything. And I had to be 21 to get married. So I waited my birthday in August. 10 days after my birthday in August, I got married. But I was 21. Really? One equals 20. OK? 32 years later, I can say life now in our marriage is better than it was before. And if you're honest, and if you're married, you'll say that too, because you've grown in that relationship. You've grown. I tell people who are getting married, I'll tell Jose and Carmen the day if it gets there. And you listen, marriage, first 100 years are the toughest. I think I told that to DJ one time, I don't know. First 100 years are the toughest. After that, smooth sailing, baby. Smooth sailing. When we disobey, we cut ourselves off from fellowship. We erect a barrier. When we obey, we open. We're open to the Lord. So where do we go from here? My friend, if you haven't trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that's the first step. That's the first step. Believing the gospel does make a difference. If you continue to resist His grace, you'll experience His judgment. I mean, that's how the Bible presents it. You can believe that or not, but it's not going to make a difference ultimately because the Bible presents that God has spoken. Resist my grace, experience my judgment. So if you're here this morning and you're resisting His grace, my plea to you would be stop resisting. Cry out to the Lord. But for you and me, my brother and sister in the Lord, let's take a stroll down a few a few slides, okay? If you have your notes, it's in here, so I'm just gonna look at the notes here, and just a few slides, and how do we do this? Let me ask you three questions. Number one, number one. Is there anything I know God wants me to do that I have not done? And here's some examples. Read them through in your mind. Is there anything I know God wants me to do that I have not done? Forgive someone, be reconciled. Calling a writing to encourage. Honoring my parents. Devoting more time to my spouse. Getting out of debt. Getting rid of some material thing that has captured my heart. You don't own it, it owns you. Sharing Christ with a particular person. Showing special honor to the Lord's day. There'll be another slide soon. Developing a daily habit of Bible reading and prayer. Showing hospitality to someone. Giving sacrificially to the Lord's work through his local church. Is there something that God is asking and you're not done? It's a matter of obedience. It's not a matter of persuasion. It's a matter of obedience. Question number two. Am I continuing to do something that I know God wants me to stop? For example, there will be two slides here. A recreational activity or hobby that is consuming too much time. Overspending, failing to pay what I owe, arguing, cursing, bad language, flirting, gambling, gossip, slander, critical spirit, holding a grudge, losing my temper, lying, cheating, stealing from my employer or someone else, acts of violence, viewing pornography, overeating, smoking, drinking, or other addictions, adultery, emotional or physical, too much or the wrong kind of television, movie viewing. When was the last time you evaluated that? Am I continuing to do something that I know God wants me to stop? And question number three, have I placed any limits on what I am willing to do for the Lord? Am I reluctant to sacrifice my time in order to serve others? To give sacrificially, to set aside time on a daily basis for a study, Bible study and prayer. Associate with others not like me in order to reach them with God's love. Reduce my work hours, and if necessary, my income, in order to meet the spiritual needs of my family. Break off friendships and relationships that draw me away from Christ. Stand alone for righteousness, even at the risk of being misunderstood or ridiculed. Make a commitment to be an active part of a local church. Husbands, are you loving your wife more than you love yourself? Wives, are you respecting and supporting your husband? Parents, are you loving your children? And children, are you respecting and obeying your parents? See, that's the practical nature of obedience. So where are you, child of God? Where are you viewing online? Where are you here in person? Just a few moments, I'll pray and we will be done with our Bible study and then I'll give some announcements and we'll get out of here. But the reality of God's word will be with you. And if you're pursuing revival in these times of crisis, if you're pursuing revival in these times of crisis, you will give yourself to evaluating your obedience. Not only if you're being obedient, but you'll be evaluating why you're being obedient. I know how to play the game. I was raised in a Christian home. I can fake it, but the Lord knows my heart. I could come to this pulpit, and the Lord knows my heart. That's the most, that's the best and scariest reality I live as a Christian, that the Lord knows my heart. It's the best thing, very comforting. It's the scariest thing because He does know. So if you're here serving in any capacity, you're a church leader here, you're a church leader watching, why do you do what you do? If you're a Bible study teacher, why do you do what you do? If you're a participant in Bible study, if you're discipling people, if you're pursuing the Lord, why are you doing this? Why are you choosing obedience day in and day out? May the Lord help us to be honest. And he provides what he requests, what he desires. What he demands, he provides. Let us pray. Father, we're grateful to you for this time. We're grateful to you for being with us and allowing us to take a look at your word. We're grateful to you for for choosing us, for loving us when we were so unlovable. Thank you for choosing. Thank you for doing what only you could do in our lives, reconciling us to yourself and to one another. Help us to live that out. Help us to enjoy living that out. that we will not forget how much you love us. And because of that, you call us to live in ways that honor you and to enjoy that relationship. Help us not to get caught up with culture and society and all that's going on. Help us to shine like a city on a hill. Father, we love you, we trust you. Help us now to obey. because we love you. To you alone be the glory. In Jesus' name and God's people said, Amen.