Okay. Good morning, everyone. As we prepare for our time of worship, there are a couple of things that we want to make note of. Number one, good to see Sister Jill back with us this morning. And not only is she back, but this time she drove herself, so that's progress. You'll notice that on our back page here, 61st church anniversary, Sunday, April 28th, and our theme is empowered and equipped to represent Christ, actually should be to represent and reflect Christ in this present age. And so we will have a light lunch that will be served at the end of our morning worship and a brief time of fellowship. And at that time, we will also welcome in or extend the right hand of fellowship to our new members. You notice all of the April birthdays and anniversaries. The anniversaries, Michael and Mary Floyd. Oh, David and Kristen and Pastor Rufus and Sister Grant. So we have everything from 69 years to 50 years, and I think David and Kristen is what, four? So, or two, two years. Okay, so all of those anniversaries, all of them, to God be the glory. All of the birthdays for the month. those that are upcoming and those that have just passed. So, let us remember all of our special days as we share with one another in the body. Also, a reminder that we are on our, in our Monday, our Sunday school we are studying through Michael Michael Horton's book ordinary and so far our Discussion and studies have been very profitable So if you haven't been if you haven't been a part of that you still have time we're only in chapter 2 and you'll see the information where you can purchase the book and then on Wednesdays we are studying through the book of acts and And we are continuing, or actually we will start Acts chapter three on this coming Wednesday. Ladies, we are excitedly anticipating our time of fellowship and getting acquainted this Saturday, April 20th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. And the meeting will take place in the fellowship hall. Did I see Sister Michelle? Yeah, yeah, there you are. Yes, Sister Michelle Moore, we want to continue to lift her in prayer. We had the funeral services for her mother, Sister Moore, on this past Friday. So we know that her load has been heavy in these past few weeks, and we want to continue to extend our love and support for her. Do we have any first-time visitors with us this morning? I don't think so. Okay. All right, that being the case, would you please stand and we will have our call to worship, which is taken from Psalms 27, and we'll read verses one through four. Psalms 27 verses 1 through 4. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war rise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, and that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. May God richly bless the reading and the hearing of His Holy Word. At this time, we will confess our Nicene Creed. Nicene Creed is found on page three of your bulletin. and let us confess. We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made, who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, And the third day he rose again according to the scriptures and descended into the heavens and is seated at the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified. We spoke by the prophets, and we believe in one. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. Gracious God, our Father, we thank You for this time of worship. We pray Your blessings upon every aspect of our worship, Your Word as it is read, Your Word as it is preached, and the Zion songs that we sing. We thank You for Jesus, who makes all of our worship acceptable to You, and it is in His name that we pray, amen. Our first hymn is on page 450, I Need Thee Every Hour. We are most gracious Lord Through tender voice like thine I need you. Oh, bless me now, my Savior I come to Thee I need Thee every hour In joy or pain Come quickly and abide For life is vain Bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee. I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will. Thy promise is so rich in me fulfilled. Every hour I need Thee, O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee. I need Thee every hour most whole. Our responsive reading is found on page 701 or 702. Yeah, joy and triumph. My little children, these things write I unto thee, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is justification for our sins, and not for our own, but also for the sins of the whole world. Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that, and we shall appear. We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure. You love us, believing not every spirit, but try the spirits, for though they be not God, because many false prophets are going out into the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them. Because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. These things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace altogether. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Amen. Our final hymn is page 524. We're marching to Zion. We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. Those we used to see, who never knew our God, were children of the heavenly King. The children of the heavenly King. Their joys are promised, their joys are promised. We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion We're marching our way to Zion, that beautiful state of God The hills of Silent Hills are thousands sacred streets Before we reach the heavenly fields Before we reach the heavenly fields the golden streets we're marching up And let our songs abound, in every tear we cry. We're marching through the meadows brown. We're marching through the meadows brown. Together, worlds on high. Together, worlds on high. We're marching to Zion Beautiful, beautiful Zion We're marching onward to Zion That beautiful city of God We're marching to Zion Beautiful, beautiful Zion We're marching onward to Zion That beautiful city of God Maybe see her. Your presence follow me Every day that I live With every breath I breathe Let the rain of Your presence follow me Everywhere that I go Lord, let Your presence fall, rain on me Let the rain of Your presence fall on me Every day that I live With every breath I breathe, let the rain of your presence fall on me. Everywhere that I go, Lord, let your presence fall right on me. Love divine, joy unspeakable Overflowing in my soul This heart of mine is refreshed and at rest in your presence Let the rain of your presence fall on me. Every day that I live, with every breath I breathe, let the rain of your presence fall on me. Everywhere that I go Lord, let your presence fall rain on me Love divine, joy unspeakable Let the rain. Every day that I live, with every breath I breathe, let the rain of your presence fall on me. Everywhere that I go, Lord, let your presence fall right on me. Our scripture this morning is taken from 1st Timothy. We'll look at chapter 3, verses 14 through 16. That's 1st Timothy chapter 3, verses 14 through 16. I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up in glory. May God richly bless the reading and the hearing of his most holy word. At this time, we'll go to the Lord in prayer. Gracious God, we come to you in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank you for this, the gift of another Lord's Day and another opportunity for us to gather in fellowship as one body in Christ, lifting our voices in Zion songs, making our petitions known to you, confessing our faith together, and being in the presence where your word will be open to us. We thank you for the fellowship that you've given to us. We thank you for the gift of a local fellowship, and we pray that we lift all of the names and the needs of this local fellowship before you. You know our needs even before we ask them. but you have given us the privilege where we can pray not only for ourselves, but for one another and for others. And so, Father, we pray for all of the needs of this local fellowship. We pray that you will continue to move upon the hearts of those that you have united here, that you would strengthen us in our faith and in our resolve to continue to serve you. We thank you for the provisions, both physical and spiritual. material and those things that are immaterial that you've given us to do the work that you've assigned to us. We thank you for the gifts that you've given within the body, within the fellowship, and pray that we would use those gifts that you have given us opportunities to do so. We pray for all of our sick and shut in. We lift all of them before you. Those whose faces we've not seen, those who are not able to come out, we lift them before you. We pray for the needs within the fellowship. We thank you for the names that have been solicited on behalf of other members within the fellowship. We pray, Father, for sick and shut in. We pray for bereaved families, that whatever is needed by your mercies that you would You, by your spirit, would make those things anew to those that are in need. We thank you for answered prayers, faces that have returned to us, situations that have been resolved. We lift families before you. We pray for mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, children, and even and especially for our caregivers. those who have the responsibility of caring for those who have once cared for them, or those who are not able to take care of themselves. And so we pray for them. We pray for patience as we deal with all of the situations of life that we go through individually as well as corporately. Father, we thank you for the gift of church, because we know that we are only one part of your greater vineyard. And so as we pray for the needs of this church, we lift every other church where the gospel is clearly and properly preached. We pray for pastors that we know and those that we don't know, who have remained faithful in proclaiming your word to your people. We pray, oh God, that you would strengthen us, that we would know who we are, and that we would serve you according to the gifts that you have given us and the opportunities that you've presented to us. We lift all of those who are in positions of leadership within the church. We pray for missionaries and teachers, pastors and elders and deacons, those who rule, those who govern, and those who minister in your word. We also pray, Father, that you would help us be good citizens as we serve you in this present age. There are so many things that are going on around us, so many things that we can be easily overwhelmed by. But give us a steady understanding of your grace and of your mercy. Give us an understanding of your sovereign will, knowing that there is nothing that takes place within the created order that is outside of your will or beyond your power. So help us to understand who we are, that we would better represent you and help us to be what we are supposed to be in the world that you've called us to. Not that we would be overtaken by the world, not that we would be confused with it, but you've called us to be ambassadors of a heavenly kingdom. So strengthen us in our witness to this dying world. Father, we know there are so many things that are going on, so many things that are vying for our affections and our attentions, but ground us in who we are in Christ so that we might better reflect you and represent you even in this present moment. We come to you this morning and we confess that we have sinned against you. And we do trust that you, by your spirit, would give us the ability to see our sins and own it as sin, that we would not excuse it as anything other than rebellion against your will. Let us see our failure to love you as ourselves or to love you with our whole heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Make us mindful of words that we have allowed to escape our mouths that have not been seasoned with grace. Make us mindful of even wayward affections that we have housed that are contrary to what you've called us to be. And Father, if we have failed to do what you've called us to do, let us see that. And if we have made haste to do the things that You have commanded us not to do, let us see that. And we pray that You, by Your Spirit, would bring us under conviction. And even as we are brought under conviction, let us see our Savior. Let us see in His wounds the blood that has purged us of all unrighteousness. And therefore, we pray that even as You have nailed Him to the cross and raised Him from the grave, that we might walk in newness of life, that we would be strengthened by the same Spirit who raised Christ to put to death the deeds of the flesh. That it would be our intention and our aim, consistently and consciously, to live every moment to your glory. That whether we eat or whether we drink, whatever it is that we do, we would do it to your glory. We would not be shamed by the disapproval of men, and we would not seek that which you have not given us in Christ. Thank you, Father, for your word and your spirit. And so as we are brought under conviction, give us the assurance that we belong to you and you will never forsake us or fail us. Father, as your word has been prepared for us, we pray for the man who is going to deliver your word to us. Give us ears to hear as we ought to hear, that we would hear you speaking through your servant. that we would have a fresh reminder of who we are as a collective body of Christ. Be with him, strengthen him and his family as you have called him into your service, and we thank you for this sweet fellowship that you have allowed us here locally. We pray now that as we hear your word and as we sing your word, prepare us to go back out into our homes and be reflections of your joy and of your grace and the joy that we have received from you and your grace towards us. Thank you for Jesus. And it is in his name that we pray. Amen. Lord, I thirst for you and I long to be in your presence. My soul will wait on you. Father, draw nearer to the beauty of your holiness. Lord, I thirst for you. How I long for you, Lord. And I long to be in your presence. Lord, my soul. My soul will wait on you. My soul will wait on you, Lord. Father, draw me nearer. Draw me nearer. Draw me nearer to the beauty of your holiness. Lord, I'll wait for you. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord. Oh, I wait for you, Lord Lord, I thirst for you. Father, I thirst for you. And I long to be in your presence. Oh, how I long to be with you, Lord. My soul will wait. My soul will wait on you, Lord. Father, draw me nearer. You're such a good guy. Father, I wait for you Lord, I wait for you You're such a good guy. In the beauty of your holiness. I will worship you. in the beauty of your holiness. Morning. Amen. Turn with me to the scripture that was read earlier, please. First Timothy chapter three, verses 14 through 16. Again, that is 1 Timothy 3, verses 14 through 16. Scripture reads as follows, these things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly. But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh. justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of his holy word. Pray with me and for me this morning as I speak to you from this subject, the mystery of godliness. Let us pray. Our Father and our God, Lord, we thank you today for allowing us to be present. Thank you, O God, for the privilege of your word. God, we ask today that you would speak to us. Encourage our hearts today, God. Correct us. Hide me behind the cross, O God. Move me out of the way, Father God, and allow the people to see you. Allow them to hear you, Father God. Strengthen us today. Encourage our hearts. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen. I have three headings this morning. My first heading is, the church is the pillar and ground of the truth. Truth actually does not come from the church, it comes from God. And the church maintains and supports that truth. And when the truth is gone, the church is no more. And so my next heading, number two, is what is the mystery of godliness? He, Christ, is the ground and foundation of the church and all believers. He is also the foundation of all true doctrine, the doctrine of his person and his work. And a truth hidden in the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. And lastly, my third heading is really six concise lines that form a summary of the truth of the gospel. And I just read them to you. Number one, God was manifested in the flesh. Number two, he was justified in the spirit. Number three, seen by angels. Number four, he was preached among the Gentiles. Number five, he was believed on in the world. And number six, he was received up in glory. And so what we find here in this letter, of whom the recipient Timothy is today, we see Paul is addressing doctrinal errors in this letter. He's dealing with practical problems in the church at Ephesus. He gives instructions concerning pastoral responsibilities, the qualifications, and the duties of church leadership. And so it's very important to know how parishioners or church members should behave in the church, how the church should behave in the world, how the church is to be guided and guarded, and how the church should be a good witness in a time when people were abandoning the faith. Even now, people are abandoning the faith. And so Paul recognized the importance of the Ephesian church. He knew that the Ephesian church, like this church, was strategically placed in society. This church was an important church in an important place. And so Paul was not surprised when he noticed that the church of Ephesus was attracting the attention of heretics. A heretic is anyone who rejects the doctrines prescribed by the church. A heretic is also a false teacher. And so in Acts chapter 20, Paul warned the Ephesian elders of what was going on at that time. And so Paul could see the dangers lurking on the horizon. And so now to Timothy, this danger has materialized. It has now become a reality. False teacher had come into the church, and they were now attempting to undo the foundation that Paul had laid down. They were trying to bring these now free Gentiles up under the bondage of Jewish law. So as a result of the activity of these false teachers, Paul thought it was necessary to leave Timothy and Ephesus so that he could deal with their schemes. These men who were pretending to speak the words of God while speaking the words of Satan. Then in chapter 6, Paul says, they were depraved in the mind. They were deprived of the truth. They were imagining that godliness is a means of gain. That still happens today. But men will use the church as a means of gain. In fact, they have their video right now teaching men who want to get into the ministry. If you want to be a preacher and you want to make a lot of money, there are videos right now to show you how to do that. They exist even today. So that's why Paul wanted Timothy and every preacher to take a stand on the word of God. To lift up a standard of truth, no matter how difficult it may be. They were called to defend the truth of the gospel, no matter what you lose in doing so. And so in verse 15, after Paul gives Timothy instructions on how to conduct himself in the house of God, he refers to the house of God as the church of the living God. This is the place where the living God dwells. Right here. This is the place where the living God dwells and is at work. Right here. And so the church is really more than an organization. There may be an organizational aspect to the church, but our existence is more than just a social service agency. We are more than a community liaison. Our existence is in the living God, the foundation of life. In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 1, he says, the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in God. We're not just hanging out. We're not just expressing certain ideas. We are actually in God. We are in vital spiritual union with the Almighty God. Just take a moment to think about the weight of that. We are in union with the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present God who has always existed. We are in union with Him. We are one. To steal a line from Frankie Beverly and Mays, we are one. No matter what we do, we are one. We are organically in him, as the branch is in the vine. We are in Christ. There's no greater place to be. There's no other place I'd rather be but in Christ. It is in him we live, as Pastor Jones mentioned earlier in Sunday School class about the Apostle Paul quoting their own poets. In him we live. It is in him we move. It is in him that we have our being. And in him all things consist, even the church. And so Paul refers to the church as the pillar and the ground of the truth. And this imagery of the pilling ground may refer to the magnificent temple of Diana or Artemis in Ephesus that was supported by 127 gold-plated marble pillars. It was a thing of beauty. Held firmly in the ground or the foundation, it looked impenetrable and immovable. And so I believe the focal point of this letter is that the church is the pillar and the ground of the truth. The truth is what it is because God has declared it so and made it so. And so the function of the church is to support and transmit to the world the truth that God has revealed. I don't care how people feel about it. I don't care what they say. It is the truth that God has given us and he has called us to be truth transmitters. All truth must be defined in terms of God who is the very nature of truth. And I know people, you hear people in our culture today talking about, no, no, you need to hear my truth. Let me speak my truth. Yeah, your truth may not be true truth when you measure it to God, which is a standard of truth. In other words, when we say, let me speak my truth, you say, let me tell you what I believe. Let me tell you what I want to do. So the church is not a place where you get motivated. It's not a marketplace for ideas where you speak your truth. Been there, done that. The church of Jesus Christ is the pillar and the ground of the truth, the standard. It is the truth that God has given us. And sadly, there are so many churches that don't transmit this truth. So many churches are known for everything but the truth. Watching Food Network the other day. Yes, I watched Food Network with my wife. She got me. Yes, yes, my wife. I'm watching Food Network. And I'm watching Food Network. And there are a list of churches that are debating who has the best barbecue. These churches are known for the fish fry. And it is a sad thing when the church, now if I go to the gas station, I know there's gas at the gas station. But when I come to church, I expect to hear the gospel. When I go to Home Depot, I can pick up some stuff for the house, some paint, some whatever. But when I go to church, I expect to get the gospel. And sadly, when I go to church, some churches, man, you get everything but the gospel. Known for barbecue. Known for the fish fry. And on Sunday, ain't nobody there. The line is around the corner on Saturday night. And they're known for the food, but the gospel now, I'll pass. I'm supposed to get the gospel in church like I get my gas from the gas station. But it hadn't worked out that way in a lot of places. I don't know if you guys remember some years ago before Pastor Jones became the pastor here, a young man, he preached for us and he stood right in this spot and his thing was, he's gonna feed the homeless. And that was his thing. Dr. So-and-so from Southern Baptist sent him here, and he came, and he preached. And his thrust was that we're going to feed the homeless. And it's a good thing to feed the homeless. I don't disagree. Man, amen. Give to your charities. Volunteer. Help out. Feed. But the main thrust of the church is to present the gospel to the world, to reveal Christ as Savior. Everything else is secondary. Some churches are known for their choir, for the clothes, the giving away clothes, and every other thing. We're known for programs. We are program driven. We are known for everything else but what we should be representing, and that's the gospel. The church is the pillar and the ground of the truth, and we've been called to transmit this truth. If we're going to be known for anything, be known for the Word of God. It's not that the truth depends on the church. The church is the support of the truth. The church exists to support and uphold the truth of God. God is the source and the author of the truth. Sin is whatever God says it is. Well, I don't agree with it. Where I come from, you know, I'm a different lifestyle. Sin is whatever God says it is. And the wages of sin, come on somebody. And you can't change it. I don't care how many degrees you have. I don't care where you came from. I don't care what your father name was. Whatever God says sin is, it is. Salvation is whatever God says it is. Heaven is what God says it is. Hell is whatever God says it is. Well, I don't believe in hell. Well, whatever God says it is, it is. Does not matter how you feel. It does not matter what you think. Let God be true. And every man a liar. There are many aspects of the church. There is a social function or fellowship of a church where there's an interaction with the saints, but its main function is to uphold the truth. Nothing is permitted to replace it, and nothing is allowed to weaken our resolve to uphold the truth. It's easier said than done, but how many people we know who have membership in churches where they have watered down the truth? They maintain memberships in these places even though Christ is absent. You know what's sad about it? They don't even know it. They don't even know it. They have seen everything else. How to be a mechanic. How to weave baskets. how to train your dog on the west side of the church, and cooking one-on-one on the east side. But they have never seen Christ. We remain in church for trivial reasons. I'm here at this church because this was my grandma church. But the truth is watered down, and it does not matter. The churches have become therapeutic, but not the gospel. It's moralistic, but it's not the gospel. We have no biblical right to remain in a church because of secondary reasons in a place that no longer has its basic function of upholding the truth. So that's how you know it's a true church of Jesus Christ. It upholds the truth. And the church must keep itself pure in doctrine and in practice. so that it will support the truth of God and not weaken its testimony. This was of great importance to Paul with the last few lines of this letter. He sums it up with these words in 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 20. He says, oh Timothy, God the deposit entrusted to you. And so what Paul is talking about, the sound doctrine of the gospel, and Paul likens the gospel to a treasure committed, deposited into his trust. And so God wants us to guard what he's given us. It is the metanarrative, the one story of the Bible, and that's Christ. That's the gospel. It's like a play. A play has many parts, but there's one story. And so this scarlet thread runs throughout the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation. That one story is Jesus Christ. And so here in verse 16, Paul outlines the contents of this truth. And we see the words mystery of godliness, great is the mystery of godliness. What is the mystery of godliness? It's Christ. And everything after the colon refers to Christ. He's the one that's described as the mystery of godliness. Godliness is godly conduct, it is godly living, it is holy living, which suggests reverence and loyalty. This appropriately stresses Paul's major emphasis in this epistle. Sound doctrine and faithful living. A mystery in scripture is a truth inaccessible to human reason or human investigation without divine revelation. But it has been revealed by the grace of God. A mystery is not something that's forever hidden from our understanding. It's something that we couldn't understand or grasp ourselves, but God has revealed this secret to us. The church is important because it reveals Christ, even as Christ reveals God in human flesh. The secret of true godliness is Christ. There is no devotion to God without the revelation of Jesus Christ. There is no approach to God without Jesus Christ. There is no acceptance from God apart from Jesus Christ. The confession of the Christian church centers on the uniqueness and the necessity of Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ, you have no godliness. So now Paul begins to describe Christ as the mystery of godliness. This rhythmic construction of Paul's summary suggests that he may be quoting the remnants of some ancient hymn or creed or confession. Some would say that this scripture, along with the Psalms, provides us an example for Christian music today, Christ-centered music. I believe what God wants us to see today is the incomparable importance of the church in its role in revealing the risen, ascended Christ. And in order for us to see this, we must understand the significance of Christ's incarnation. And so the first thing Paul mentions here in verse 16, he says, God was manifested in the flesh. And this speaks of an actual point in history when God came into the world. God was made flesh and he dwelt among us, he tabernacled. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. See, man could never work his way from earth to heaven, so God stepped down from heaven and he came to earth. He condescended. God came down. Man could never unite himself to deity. Man gets progressively worse. Worse. You cannot improve upon dead. So God unites himself to humanity. That's the miracle. God came down. The little baby in the manger was the Almighty God manifested in the flesh. The embryo that was growing in Mary's womb was the Almighty God. No one can understand the incarnation of Christ His virgin birth, the union of the two natures, divine and human. No one can understand this mystery unless God reveals it to us. As I mentioned before, you don't just walk into this. That's why we have family and friends and strangers say, man, I read the Bible all the way through. Man, I don't believe that stuff. I don't believe that God had a son. You don't just wake up and believe this. God has to reveal it to you. And I thank God that he opened our eyes and we know God had a son, our Savior, who has died on the cross for our sins and has lived for our righteousness. Aren't you glad today that you understand and know that today? Glory to God. Man, you can't pay for that. I don't care how many pennies you got, you can't buy that. We have been chosen by God. It is not because that you look so good. It is not because they say you cute on your job. God has chosen us. Paul says it is without controversy. It is beyond all question. It is without dispute, debate, or argument that God was manifested in the flesh. Boy, you can be right on a lot of things, but if you miss that one, you miss eternity with the Father. The second thing he says is, he says that he was justified in the Spirit. Justified means to vindicate or to declare as just. At his baptism, the Holy Spirit publicly descended upon him. His words, miracles, and wonders convinced, convicted, and converted hearts and lives. Even before his death, the disciples worked signs and wonders in his name through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Jewish leaders said that he was an imposter. He was a blasphemer. The crowds who followed him thought he was a good man, a prophet. The apostles at times thought he was the Messiah. It was not until the death and the resurrection of the Savior that they were sure that he was God. Romans chapter 1 and verse 4 says, he was declared to be the son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead. Now this does not mean that Jesus became God's son through his resurrection or that he somehow achieved sonship at the resurrection, but it does mean that his nature as God's son was made clear by his resurrection from the dead. So on the day of Pentecost, during the initial stages of the church, the Holy Spirit, whom he had promised to send, fell upon 120 believers, and 3,000 sinners were converted in one day. And even today, countless of millions would follow. The church began and will continue forever. And the Spirit still declares him to be justified. And so thirdly, Paul says here in this ancient hymn that he was seen by the angels. Before his birth, the angels who knew him in heaven told Mary and Joseph that they were going to be his earthly parents. He was seen by the angels. The angels said that he would save his people from their sins. They told the shepherds to go see the Savior on that first Christmas. And it was an angel who warned Joseph of Herod's plot And he took Jesus safely to Egypt for a period of time. And then another angel told Joseph it was safe to go back to Israel. He was seen by the angels. Angels worshipped him. Fallen angels, demons recognized him when he walked the earth. Angels told of his resurrection, attended his ascension, and will blow the trumpet to signal his second coming. He was seen by the angels. And so fourthly, Paul goes on to say that he was preached among the Gentiles. He's being preached right now. Christ, our Savior, has brought many sons and daughters to glory. He's the captain of our salvation. He's the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. A new covenant in His blood was made with the elect. He commanded the gospel to be first proclaimed in Jerusalem and then in the rest of the world. So he has called the believers to occupy until he comes. And so when Christ returns on earth, he desires to find his children doing all his will to his glory. He wants us to tell everybody of their need for salvation. And next Paul said that he was believed on in the world. Not all believed, but many did. Some of his own people didn't receive him. He came to his own, but his own mistreated him. Many of his own people, many of his own people, many who heard the word believed, and a number of men came to be saved. So why is it so great that Jesus was believed in the world? Because the gospel is foolishness to many people. Because to many, Christ is a stumbling block. So thank God that even today, multitudes believe in Christ all over the world. Amen. He was preached among the Gentiles. And lastly, Paul says he was believed on in the world, and then he says that he was received up in glory. And so after many appearances to all people, he ascended into heaven. And as the lamb of God, the high priest, his blood atoned for our sins. And so he now lives to make intercession for the believers. He's praying for you. Our Savior was welcomed by our Heavenly Father, and He's seated right now at His right hand, making intercession for all of us, crowned with glory and honor, glorified with the glory He had before the world was. Glory to God that He has been received up in glory. I must admit when I pray, I don't always know what to pray for. But I'm so glad that Jesus is interceding on our behalf. Stuff is coming our way we don't even know it, we can't see it, but the Lord is orchestrating the affairs of men. I wanted to go left, but he said go right. He has covered us with his blood. This is the mystery that speaks of Christ. This is a broad scope of his person and work. The knowledge of this as we reflect upon it, it has a sanctifying effect. It produces godliness. That's the gospel. And we're to reflect upon it. We're to know who Christ is and what he has done. We should also reflect upon the importance of the church, that God has left it here on earth to reveal his son to the world, even as Jesus revealed God when he was on the earth. And so as the house of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground and support of the truth, we are his visible tangible expression of Christ in the world until he comes. Now I know the thought of that can be overwhelming, but he has called us to be his hands, his feet, and his mouthpiece until he comes. Come on, say amen, somebody. Amen. I know it can be a daunting task, but amen, give God praise for His grace. Because boy, I got to admit, there's some days I just don't have it. Can I be honest with you today? Sometimes I act ugly. But I'm covered by His grace. I'm flawed, but I'm covered. And if you just tell the truth today, sometimes we ain't where we need to be, but we're covered. and nothing could be of greater importance than these truths we heard today. These truths need to be guarded and treasured. They should also be defended and proclaimed. Let's pray. Father, we thank you today for the word Thank you, Lord, that this word cleanses us. It really is a sanctifying effect. We thank you, God, for this gospel that encourages our heart and gives us a little bit of strength, a little more strength as we move further forward on this journey. We thank you, God, that we are the house of God, the household of God, which reminds us that we are in relationship with each other in the same house. But we also, God, we are a part of the church of the living God, which reminds us that we are also in relationship with you. And God, thank you for giving us your truth. You have given us the responsibility of transmitting this truth. I know many don't want to hear it, God, but give us boldness, God, to share it, God, with those who are lost. There's so many people who are lost, so many people just waiting to hear what the church has to say to me. They don't even know it. God, create opportunities, create scenarios so that we can share this word, and God, strengthen us. along the way. Thank you, God, today that we understand the mystery of godliness, and that is Christ Jesus, our Savior. Thank you today for what our eyes have seen, for what our ears have heard. Strengthen us, encourage us today. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Amen. Let us stand. Let us stand for our benediction. Amen. Let us receive our benediction. Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen. This is Sam. Oh, that's it. Did I go over my time? You're a copycat. I do TDJ stuff, but I ain't gonna be a copycat. You don't need it again. Amen. All right. This is $15.37. Oh yeah? Amen. Okay. Oh boy. Tina, you look tired.