Good morning. It's good to be back with you again. Thanks for having me back. We will continue on in our look through Ephesians. Let's go to chapter 4. As we've looked at the first three chapters, deal with how we think about God in our theology. And in our last three chapters, 4, 5, and 6, deal with the application. How do we think about it? And then how do we do it? How do we look at ourselves? And how do we look in the world? And chapters 4, 5, and 6 give us what we ought to mimic and how we ought to look like Jesus in the face of the world. And though our circumstances seem daunting at times, we are still to look like Jesus no matter what. And as Paul opens here in the fourth chapter, it goes back to his opening statement in the first. Paul is a prisoner, but he's not just a prisoner under the guise of being chained to a Roman soldier in Rome, but he's a prisoner of Jesus. captivated by Jesus and we'll see that in the fourth chapter. So let us go and hear what the Spirit has to say to the churches. I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love. endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. For there is one body, one spirit, just as you were called, and one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in you all. But to each one of us has been given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, he says, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and he gave gifts to men. Now this, he ascended, what does it mean? But that he also first descended into the lower parts or the lower quarters of the earth. He who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect or mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head, which is Christ. from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. who being past feeling, having given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, but you have not so learned Christ. If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and being renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and sin not. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, let him work, work with his hands what is good that he may have something to give somebody who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers. And don't fear the Holy Spirit. whom you were sealed, with whom you were sealed, sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all mass, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Let's pray. Lord, we love you and we thank you for the mercy that you give us and for the word that you speak. Lord, we know that Paul gives us the theology of how we are to view you and who we are and then how to apply it in our lives, Lord, and how we are to look like Jesus. Lord, I pray that you forgive your servant of his sins because they are many and increasing. And I pray that you forgive me and pray that you will speak and give us clarity in the spirit and that your word will speak forth. And we pray in Jesus name. Amen. There's a lot of things in this chapter that wear me out because I see who I am. Paul, the prisoner of the Lord, I can kind of identify with the prisoner situation knowing what it is to go through jail, to go through the DOC system. However, I went through the Hilton compared to what Paul went through. But what Paul is saying is he's not just a prisoner chained to a wall in Rome or in a house, but he is a prisoner of Jesus Christ bound by the chains of the gospel, which is far better than being bound by the lowliness of this world, no matter how much money we have, because it's fleeting and going. And he beseeches us, calls us out to walk in a worthy manner of the calling which we have been called. Now, Paul was a religious terrorist. We can kind of link that with what we see as bin Laden or these religious terrorists that we see in the Middle East. Paul was the very same thing as a Pharisee. Trained as a free Roman citizen, Had the best education. The man was a doctor of the law. He had a high education. But was a religious terrorist. And on the road to Damascus, the light met him. That's why he says, I am a prisoner of Christ. He understood where he came from. He had the law memorized. As a Pharisee, you had to have the entirety of the Pentateuch memorized. That's astounding. I can barely memorize John 3.16. But he had the whole of the Pentateuch memorized. And now he understands what it is to be bound by the chains of Christ so that he can go out and look like Jesus to the Gentiles. And as Galatians in chapter 3 and Colossians chapter 3 tells us, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile anymore. We are the same. We are the seed of Abraham. And that's why we baptize our children because it's the same thing as circumcision from the old covenants. So when we have babies, we're baptizing because I want the same covenantal blessings that I've got from my family and Samantha had from hers to see what it is to be born in Zion as we saw from Psalm 87. Paul is a prisoner of the Lord, and he calls us to walk. Now, if we remember in Psalm chapter 1, blessed is the man who does not walk or live according to the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the gate of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of God. And on that law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree that shall not wither. His leaf always brings forth fruit in its season. The ungodly are not so. Paul is bringing light to Psalm 1. Walk worthy of that which we have been called, that's how we apply it. And we do it with humility and gentleness. Our doctrine of predestination ought not to make us arrogant. It's humility. Because God picked us out of all this out in the world. Out of everybody else in the world, He picked me. That's humbling. To think about how arrogant and how rude I have been. And now I am a prisoner of Christ, and as Ezekiel says, that word is shut up within me like a fire I can't but preach. So let us speak to the dry bones, because we are those dry bones. Let us be revived by the word. Let us do it with humility and gentleness, with patience and bearing with one another. There's an example I give the guys at the lighthouse, at the mission. Some of those guys understand what it is to sharpen a knife. And as I was a chef, you know how to use your diamond steel and it gets these little shards on it. Well, you have to use a honing steel to knock the little nicks off your blade. Proverbs 27 says that the man sharpens the countenance of his friend and his iron sharpens iron. That's what we do. That's forbearing with one another and being willing to risk your friendship and what somebody thinks about you to tell them what they need to hear. And that's what we as Christians do, and that's what Paul does with us here in the first three chapters, and then tells us how to live it, four through six. How do we put it on? How do we look like it in the world? What do we do with our time, our possession, our money, with our thoughts? How do we apply it? Endeavoring to keep the unity, the oneness of the Spirit, the bond of peace. It's no wonder why the church is so factioned, because we don't have the oneness. We have lost what it means. And as we confess normally, the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed, Paul gives us a creed right here. There is one body, one spirit, and we've been called in one hope of our calling. There is one Lord, one Kyrios, one faith, one baptism. I love our charismatic brothers, but they missed the mark. There is one baptism. When we are converted, we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. We have all the tools that we need. We grow in grace, as Peter tells us. Continue to grow in that. It's just like a newborn baby. That little thing has got all the tools that it needs. It grows. It becomes mature. I hope that I am one day. That's why I need you all. To help me to be mature. Most of you all have been living with Christ longer than I've been alive. And I hope one day that I can say the same. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. That's how we get the Apostles' Creed. Nicene Creed. What do we believe? Or no, we confess it. Do we live? One God. Not many. We're not paragonists. God is not in the trees. He's not in the rocks. As Isaiah 44 says that, one day we will say to this piece of wood, you have forgotten me. This stone has become my mother. Don't we see that in evolution? In the teachings of our scientists. Blinded. One God, one Father who is above all, who's through it, and in all of us. And as we've talked about in the first three chapters, their order of salvation, their bouquet of salvation, we get all the flowers, we get all the blessings. Different times, we've got regeneration, conversion, number one's election, adoption, justification, sanctification, and ultimately glorification. He gives us the whole bouquet and it all looks like Jesus. Genesis 3.15. In Him. In Him. If we can get our mind around that this whole book is about Jesus, it makes us look at things a whole lot different. And that's why we confess what we do, one body, one spirit. We are called with one calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. Paul brings light to this in Acts chapter 17 when he's speaking at the Acropolis. arguing and bantering back and forth with the philosophers. You all have all these gods around and all these idols, and let me show you this one who you don't know, this idol that's meant for the unknown god. Let me tell you about him who made this. And he quotes from one of their philosophers, I think it was Zeno, that you are, we are all of his offspring. Romans 1 tells us that we suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Everybody on the planet knows who God is. And as Isaiah and Jeremiah say, the donkey knows his master and the ox knows where his crib is, but my people don't consider who I am. We walk away from the living God. Because we want to do what we want to do when we want to do it. And through the power of Christ, we actually have the ability to say no to sin. And as Greg was praying this morning, or speaking this morning, that we can walk away from that. The problem is we don't have the wants in it. Do we really want to stop sinning so much? Most of the time in my flesh, I don't. I like sin. I do it pretty well. That's my nature. But thanks be to God that He changes my heart. And gives me the actual want to, to serve Him and be pleasing to Him. So we continue to come back day after day after day and go to the bread of life. And I'm reminded all the time of how thirsty I get when I'm working. And I see that picture of Jesus going to the woman at the well. If you drink from me, you won't thirst anymore. I think I drank three of these, three big jugs of water last week mowing the ground. Three. Always thirsty. I came back thirsty again. And immediately I think of the woman at the well drinking from the well of Christ. I will forgive you of your sins. Now go and sin no more. Drink from this well, you will never thirst again. And Paul gives us what we ought to believe. To state it out. When we are converted, how are we going to believe it? How are we going to live it? But to each one of us He has given grace, according to the measure of Christ's gift. We can break down chapter 4 in three different ways. Verses 1 through 6, you've got walking in unity, in oneness. Verses 7 through 16, the spiritual gifts, which mimic Romans 12. The new man, chapter verses 17 through 24. And then grieving the spirit, verses 25 through 32. And you can break down all these chapters and do a little heading in each one so it's easier to study. But Paul gives us what we need to live this. Each one is being given grace according to the measure of Christ. He says, He that's ascended on high, do we confess that in the Apostles' Creed? He that ascended, He laid captivity captive, gave gifts to men. And then the question, what does this He ascended mean? But does that not mean that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth? The Greek means lower quarters. Does that mean that He descended into hell? As the Apostles' Creed said, I don't think it means that Jesus literally went to hell. He was in the grave. He was dead, physically. There was no life left in His body. And on the third day, He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. Paul gave us the base of that Apostles' Creed right here in chapter 4. And it explains Himself. He who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fulfill and fill all things. Reconciliation. Therefore, in that chapter 5, we just confessed in Romans 1, therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. In Romans chapter 8, verse 1, there is therefore no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. We have been reconciled. And this is how we live it tomorrow morning. He himself gave some to be apostles. We don't have apostles walking around anymore. Paul is gone. After the first century, that was gone. We have this. We have what the prophets and the apostles didn't have. The completed Word of God. There is no need for continuing revelation or words of knowledge because we've got the completed thing. 1 Corinthians 13 says, that which is perfect is come, the partial will be done away with. We prophesy in part or we preach in part. The apostles came and wrote scripture. The prophets came. They spoke the Word of God and wrote it down. And you see in Genesis 3.15, the bud of the Gospel, and it took 66 books to put it together. 1500 years, and now we have it. For us. And the hard thing to understand is that we know more than the Apostle Paul does about Jesus. Because we've got this. We see the completed Jesus. And I've learned to write in front of my Bible to have a working knowledge of the Word. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God. I am that bread of life, the Word that comes down from heaven. We have to have a working knowledge. That's our theology. That's our doctrine. What do we believe? And our doctrine, how we view the life to come is how we live right now. That affects our actions this moment. And how are we going to go do it tomorrow morning? Though I know the circumstances at Princeton look bleak, they are not. This is a wonderful time for us to look at what you all have right outside your door. How long has this church really been here? As a beacon of light for Johnson City, continue. Persevere. Is that not also what we read in Romans 5.1? 1 through 5, that perseverance produces character. Character produces hope. This is our hope. We're not done yet. You all have not finished your race. We're working towards Jesus. I want to see Johnson City revived with the gospel as it once was. We are still in the Bible Belt, no matter whether we like it or not. I want to see Bristol and Kingsport, our tri-cities, again, claim Jesus as Lord and Savior. Then we can do that here about how we look and how we live. Some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, those are still here. That's what we are. As we go out, we get people saved in the world, bring them into the church and teach them what Jesus is about. Now, how do we live? Some pastors or shepherds and some teachers. Each one of us is gifted with something else. We don't all have the same gifts, nor do we have the same measure of it. That's what Romans 12 is saying. And also 1 Corinthians 11-14. We all have something to give. That's why Paul speaks about the body being hands, fingers, eyes, feet. We each have a purpose. We need to figure out what it is. Exercise those gifts and go on. You all have the gift of shepherding. Because you are mature. You've been walking with Jesus a long time. We need your help. We need you all now more than ever. Because our generation is dying. And the ones behind us are even worse. We need your help. And as Paul beseeches us, that's what the letter is for. I beseech you to walk worthy of your calling. Don't finish your race yet. You're not done. It may be closing in for some. But you're not done yet. We've still got a long way to go. Paul, until his last breath, when he lost his head, did not stop preaching the gospel. In the face of Nero, he gave some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Until we all come to the oneness of the faith, our problem in the church is we've lost what it means to live by Scripture. What does the Bible really say? Sometimes it chaps our heart and we don't like it. I don't like it either. But I need it. I need to be disciplined. Then New King James says in one of the Proverbs that he that hates discipline and correction is stupid. Where are we in our generation today? We do not like discipline. I had a young man that's 12 years old in the cave this week rip my flashlight out of my hand. Twelve years old. And his mother and father said not one word to him. I'm glad I kept my cool. Had another little boy the other day. He just kept making noises and screaming the entirety of the tour. Mom and dad said not one word to him. My comments weren't very nice to the kid, but his mom and dad said nothing. We that hate discipline are stupid. The Lord chases those whom He loves. And the judgment begins at the house of God. And I pray that we do not continue in the backsliding that we are in. Though we may dwindle. But the great thing about God is that there's always a remnant. Look at the Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah preached for, what, 31 years that it's coming. Repent. If you do not repent, Jerusalem's going to be living. And you've got these false prophets, oh no, everything's cool, everything's fine. It's all good. Just come and bask in the love of God. He loves everybody just the way you are. 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar comes in and levels Jerusalem. Oops. What happens in 87? Jesus is speaking to his disciples saying, not one of these stones pointing to the temple will be left atop one another. AD 70, Titus comes in and levels the temple. Where is it today? Leveled. There's a Muslim mosque on top of the, called the Dome of the Rock, where the temple was standing. Do we not think God's judgment stands? Psalm 14 says that the fool says in his heart, there is no God. What does science tell us? There is no God. Okay. Explain to me the eyeball. If you want to see just how an atheist views God, steal his wallet. An atheist says there's no God. Well, steal his wallet and see how that works for him. If there's no God, then there's no reason that that shouldn't be okay. I can do what I want to you and have no repercussions. Two and two is four because there is a God who is, who is there and is not silent. There is a law that is given. And we saw that in our confession. What is in the third commandment? Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. And in a PG-13 movie, they can say GD all they want to. That's not considered a curse word. That's where we are. Lord, may your name be kept hallowed and reverenced. Thy will be done on earth in me as it is in heaven today. For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. That's what this is about. What are we using our gifts for? Are we just coming here on Sunday morning to fill the pew and then forgetting what we're supposed to do Sunday afternoon and Monday morning? What am I doing with it? Until we come to a unity of the faith unto the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature man. Our churches today are very immature in their faith because they do not want to know what the Word of God says. We put too much on the free will and not enough on God's sovereignty. That's why one of the owners of the farm, where we are, gave me something very wise one day and said, Work like it's all up to you and believe like it's all up to God. It is my responsibility to take action and take responsibility for my actions. But it's under God's supervision. The perfect reconciliation of God's sovereignty and my free will are together. My problem is I want to sin all the time, under my current nature. I need a new nature. God gave son to be apostles, so we can have scripture. We can have some bread to live on. Prophets to tell them that God's judgment is coming. Pastors to shepherd us, to take us to the bread of life. If we didn't have the Psalm 22, we wouldn't have the Psalm 23. My tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth with dryness. I thirst Jesus Christ from the cross. And in Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd. I have no want for anything. The pastors are the shepherds under Jesus. And now we teachers teach what's in here. That's why you have a catechism. What is the chief and highest end of man? To love God and enjoy Him forever? Love God, love your neighbor. On these rests all the law and the commandments, or all the law and the prophets. That's why we need a working knowledge of the Word. That when we speak, when we live, and when we have our very being, it is Jesus coming out and not us. Because we very well may be the only Bible somebody ever reads. And I hope that somebody sees Jesus in me, and not arrogant little Brandon. Because I make a whole lot of silly mistakes. And I sin a lot and it makes me do stupid stuff. But I want somebody to see the nature of Jesus within me. And why do I believe what I believe? Because I'm going to be challenged at every turn. And so will you. And I'm sure you have been. Why do we believe what we believe? How do we come together? For the knowledge of Jesus. And Isaiah says that the knowledge of God will cover the earth as waters cover the sea. That's not a subjunctive. That doesn't mean it might happen. It's going to happen. And that happens by the means of grace, of the preaching of the Word, and us going forth and living like Jesus out in the world. to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, which is the perfect man, that we should no longer be children. 1 Corinthians 13 says, When I was a child, I thought that way. I looked that way. I felt like a child. I understood as a child. I acted like a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. We need to grow up. And it's time to take action. And be responsible for what we are. The problem with our generations as younger is we have no responsibility. We have none whatsoever. And if we don't want to take care of ourselves, we can just go to nanny government. We're not taking responsibility, paying our bills. In our marriage counseling, Romans 8 was told, pay, owe nobody anything. Pay your bills. No matter how many hours I have to work, no matter what I have to sacrifice, I'm going to pay my bills, because I used to not do that. And I ruined my credit because of it. But now, Thanks to Jesus, I can work and understand what it is to have something and work honestly because it means a whole lot more than selling drugs. And I can do it for Jesus and help somebody out. We should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. We see that in churches today because whatever the world is doing, the church mimics. And you can go to church and get your donut, get your coffee, sit and watch television and listen to country music. Well, go to church with your flip-flops and your shorts on. If that's all you have, then very well. But don't tell me, even if you don't like the man, that if the president came to your house, you'd show up in shorts and flip-flops. How you go into the presence of God reflects how you view Him. With respect and honor is how we ought to go into the presence of God. I will not go uncouth nor unkempt into somebody's presence who is greater than I. And I'm not very great at all. But when I go into a man's presence, I will not look rotten or that I don't care about my appearance. What does that say about my respect for others? We have to do the same thing with God because we are the image bearers of God. How do we respect one another? And we carried away by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness and deceitful plotting. Psalm 2 says, Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing, saying, Let us cast their courts from among us? God, we don't need you anymore. We can get to heaven our own way. Well, Buddhism, Hindu, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, All these things are idolatry and fashioned after man's own image. The difference in Jesus is that He did it for you. No other religion is there a God who has died for you, who has come and did the work for you because we can't and we won't do it. That's why the world has infiltrated the church and we've lost our unity of doctrine. We've lost our unity of belief, our oneness with one another. and with Christ in our fellowship. But let us speak the truth in love that we may grow up into all things into Him who is the head, for whom the whole body joined and knit together, closely knit, by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does its share causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. That's the difference in Christianity. It's in love. He that does not know God does not love, because God is love. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the world. Be who you are in Jesus. They walk in the futility of their minds, having their understanding darkened, that's Romans 1, being alienated from the life of God. He that is not in God is dead because of the ignorance that is in them. and the blindness of their heart. I understand the periodic table pretty well. Why is it there? When we look at the Genesis account, how did God found this world? Proverbs says, by wisdom. He drew a circle on the face of the deep, separated waters from waters, called dry land out of it, made the elements. We have to make the elements first because hydrogen 2 and oxygen 1 makes 1. How did he do it? That's our science. The world is blinded in the ignorance of their hearts, suppressing the truth of the unrighteous no matter how complex and how close to a Creator we get. They will not see Jesus. And I pray for Dr. Hawking because he's looking for an equation how God founded the earth but does not believe in God. He's continuing Einstein's work. And Einstein was that close to seeing Jesus. Einstein was a Jew. But could not reconcile God's sovereignty and how He holds us accountable for our actions. He just couldn't get it. But in his cosmic religious feeling, he says that science is lame without religion and religion is blind without science. This coming from probably the most brilliant man we've had in science. Einstein says this, understanding that there had to be a God behind it. And Hawking says, no, I don't think so. Running the other way. But he's still looking for an equation. How did God found the universe? By wisdom. That's our mathematics, that's our science. And we see that played out in our art. Just go to the Sistine Chapel. Look at what Michelangelo was painting. I would love to see it. All I've seen is the pictures of it. But to see how the man viewed Jesus. And listen to Bach. Listen to Mozart. Where are those gentlemen today? Look at how they viewed Jesus. And how they understood the Creator of the universe. And how it came out in their art. And then also literature. Where are our great artists today? And our really great theologians, we've missed the mark. But one day when science catches up, you'll see the theologians sitting on the mountain saying, we've been waiting for you. It's about time to get up here. Theology used to be dubbed as the queen of the sciences. And that's what it was said at the University of Paris. But we have been deceived by the trickery of men and the cunning and craftiness and deceitful plotting. I say, therefore, and testify in Christ that we should no longer walk as the rest of the world, but let's have our minds not in futility and let's have some light. I am the light of the world. Colossians 2, everything fits in me, in Jesus. In Him rest all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Gentiles, who after they've gotten their hedonistic feelings, whatever feels good to do it, have given themselves over to lewdness. And that also goes to Romans 1. You want to sin, says God, go right ahead. See how far your sin is going to take you. And if I let my people go that far, how far is it going to take it to let a pagan nation go? We are not a Christian nation, folks. We were founded on Christian principle. But Old Glory has nothing to do with the cross of Christ. I wish we knew that. America does not have a covenant with Almighty God, though our founders wanted one. You can see that in the Constitution, why they wanted a nation as we have. Ludeness, to work all uncleanness with greed. I'm a new farmer, and I'm going to have a whole lot more time, or struggles, selling things in an open market than Smithfield Pork is going to have. Because of greed. Money talks. I don't have it. They do. So therefore, they're allowed to do whatever they want to. No matter what the EPA says. Just like our car people. They're allowed to do what they want because of money. And that goes back to this. They are left over and giving themselves up to work all uncleanness with greediness. But we, the church, have not so learned Christ, if indeed you've heard it. If you've heard Jesus and been taught by Him, as the truth is in Him, that you put off those things concerning your former conduct. The old man, which is growing corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. The old man is continually growing in deceit. And Paul says also, is that not where wars come from? Because the flesh wars against the Spirit, the Spirit wars against the flesh. Put off the old man. which grows corrupt. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, not in the spirit of your emotions. We are emotional beings, I get that. But emotions have to be thought about first. And as someone said, don't miss heaven by 18 inches. Don't miss it. We've got to have the understanding first. That's why Paul talks so much about understanding and philosophy. How do we think about Jesus? How do we think about God? Now, how are we going to live it? Put off the old man. Put on the new man. Which was created according to God and renewed in our new nature in true righteousness and in holiness. I wish I understood what holiness really is about. Because all I can see in me is a sinful man. But I do see Jesus through the Word. I wish I understood holiness completely. I will in the next life. Because I'll see Him as He is. And I'll be like you. That's pretty humble. Put away lying. Let each one of us speak truth with his neighbor. Because we are members with one another. Be angry and don't sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. And don't give place to the devil. James says, resist the devil and he'll flee from you. Resist him. And Paul also says that we understand the wiles and the tricks of the devil. And Martin Luther said that Satan is God's little monkey, his little ape. He mimics everything that God does. So all of these things that we see out in the world is a mimicking of what it ought to be, and it's twisted. And now we see in our churches today, our seeker-sensitive churches, mimicking the world just to get people in the pew. Not to hear what the Word of God says, and not to hear what the Spirit says to us, and how we ought to be true image-bearers of Jesus Christ. He made us. How then shall we live, as Francis Taper says? We are moral beings. We are moral beings in our essence. We are made in the image of God. How ought we to treat one another? Put off the old man. Don't speak lies to one another. Don't sin. Don't give place to the devil. Let him that stole, steal no longer. Is it not the Proverbs? Unless I misread my Bible that says if he doesn't work, he shouldn't eat. If you're not man enough or woman enough to get up off the couch, then I'm not going to pay your bills. Now, I'm not saying that welfare is wrong in its essence because it was a good program to start out with. Those that needed help really need help, and I understand that. But there's a time to get off the couch and not be handicapped. God did not make us that way. Read Genesis chapter 1, 2, and 3. He planted a garden. And before there was sin, He put Adam in there to till the ground. We are to work. Let him who stole still no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands, that which is good. And John Calvin said that farming is a godly calling. So I'm glad that God let me be a farmer. It's just kind of neat. That he may have something to give him who has a need. So with me and my needful estate, I can make enough to help somebody else out who needs it. And I'm just a beggar showing another beggar where to go for bread. Just as you all are when you go home tonight. And when you go out to your respective workplaces tomorrow. Show the world where to go to get bread. And if you hit your thumb with a hammer, try not to cuss. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. 429. But what is good for necessary edification because of all the nonsense that we hear on the media and in our music and on the news? Why don't we preach something that's good? Some good news for a change. Let's hear something positive. We have hope. Just like our quote says here in the first, there is one body, one spirit, one calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is in us. And that's why, that's for us to be reconciled back to God Himself. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit with whom we were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, let all wrath, let all anger, clamor, evil speaking be put away from you. And Paul tells Timothy not to be even named by it. Put no evil thing before your eyes. Be nice to one another. Be kind. Conduct yourselves as becoming Christians. If we don't love one another and are not being nice, we certainly are not looking like Jesus. Because Jesus loved sinners. He was nice to us. Ultimately, because of what we see back here. Hanging on the wall. And that ought to humble us to death. And that's why Paul says, that's why I bow my knees to God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ that has sealed me with the Holy Spirit. Who is the down payment of our inheritance. Be kind. Be tender hearted. Let's forgive one another. And here's the kicker. As God in Christ forgave us. I don't know your record. You know part of mine, but not all of it. God forgave me and He forgives you. So let us forgive one another, because the stuff that happens in this world is pretty petty. And it's fleeting. Let's love one another. This is how we look like Christians on a day-to-day basis, in the face of whatever we see out in the world in those ever-changing circumstances. What speaks more loudly? The Word of Christ, which is supposed to dwell richly within us, or is it our circumstances? Let's stand in Christ. The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ, our Lord. I really hope you all know your hymns well. And I'm sure you do. Know why they're written. Because our forefathers before us understood who Jesus is. And they tried to look like Him with all their might and all their being. And in your reading this week, I hope that you can do Colossians and Ephesians. And you'll see Colossians 3, 17 and 23. Let all things, whatever you do in word or deed, do it to the glory of God. In the name of Christ. So let's go this afternoon and continue to be in the worship and in awe of Almighty God who has called us and given us this great grace before us. In Jesus' name, Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we love You and we thank You for Your Word and the time that You give us to come before You and in Your presence and that we are not just here at Princeton, but we are in worship with the saints around the world and in heaven also. And as our prayer says, Lord, let your will be done on earth, in us, as it is in the heavenlies. And I do pray, Lord, that you will forgive us of our sins, because they are many and they increase. And I pray that we will sin not as much today as we did yesterday. And help us, Lord, to have the want to, to not sin, but to look like Jesus. To be the salt, to be the light, to put on the new man, to be renewed in our spirits and our minds, and have our minds set on things that are above. Let us look like Jesus. And I do pray for this church that you will raise up this congregation, and that you will renew it, revive it, and bring folks in, and let it not die, Lord. This place has been here a long time for the faithfulness and for the building up of the church, and I pray that you will bring someone here to help them grow and that they will preach the gospel, Lord, and that this place will grow and grow and grow as the mustard seed, and that this will be a beacon of light for the area. And we pray in Jesus name, Amen.