1 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,960 I pray everyone got enough sleep, especially the crowd that 2 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,040 was having a lot of fun last night. 3 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:30,480 Hope you got your caffeine and you've been well fed and well 4 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,480 rested over these few weekends. Some of us may not be feeling 5 00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:36,560 well. Abby is having a stomach 6 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:38,400 problem. If you could lift up remembering 7 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:43,240 your prayers and praying for good health for us, especially 8 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:44,600 as many of us will. Yeah. 9 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,200 I mean, all of us will be jumping right back into work 10 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,760 tomorrow. Sorry for that reminder. 11 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,440 Go ahead and turn your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 4. 12 00:01:00,810 --> 00:01:02,490 You can. If you don't have your Bibles, 13 00:01:02,490 --> 00:01:05,570 you can also find the passage I believe provided for you in the 14 00:01:05,570 --> 00:01:08,090 booklets. There's also a space where you 15 00:01:08,090 --> 00:01:11,640 can take notes. And really as elders, we really 16 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,880 want to see in our church a habit of note taking, entering 17 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,000 sermons, and so just not not taking notes like you're in 18 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,600 class, everything that like as if there's going to be a test, 19 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,880 but just important key things that you do not want to forget 20 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,120 as God is speaking to you through his Word. 21 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,240 Now we are as we are at the end of our time together at this 22 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,480 retreat. Yeah, there's no better way to 23 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,320 gather around God's Word to learn again who we are and what 24 00:01:37,320 --> 00:01:40,760 we are called to do in our lives with one another. 25 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,360 So, so far, we've seen a prayer for the church, a charge to the 26 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,880 church, and today's sermon is about the life of the church. 27 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,720 Now, we all enjoy transformation stories, don't we? 28 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:58,920 You know, even where we it's, it's interesting to see the 29 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,720 photos where it shows you the before and after picture where 30 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,480 it's so starkly different. And you just have to you're just 31 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,160 so curious, how could someone go from this to that? 32 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:14,440 How can how can this area or this land go from this to that? 33 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,360 How can this company that was failing to be turned around go 34 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,040 from this to that, that before and after? 35 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,000 But you have to remember that the kind of transformation that 36 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,840 the world exalts is the kind where you do it. 37 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:33,320 You put in the hard work, hashtag the hustle and the grind 38 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:35,720 and outcome success on the other side. 39 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,320 Your dreams come true. The life you always wanted is 40 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:44,600 yours, all because you made it happen with your blood, sweat 41 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:46,280 and tears. That's the kind of 42 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,360 transformation the world worships. 43 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,200 So that's the very message that the world preaches. 44 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,600 You can do it if you just work hard enough at it. 45 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,320 The Christian life is also about transformation. 46 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,480 Indeed. But it's distinct, unique on 2 47 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,240 levels. It is first a deep and profound 48 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:11,000 change within us that lasts forever. 49 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,480 The tools and the solutions of this world do not get deep 50 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:22,800 enough, are not powerful enough to have long lasting eternal 51 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,600 effects. Christian transformation is also 52 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:31,280 distinct and unique because of how good it is, how how long it 53 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:37,000 goes for, yes, but also how it's not dependent on how we do it. 54 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:42,840 It's not dependent on us. It only depends on the almighty 55 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:47,840 all knowing God who changes us and transforms us from the 56 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:52,440 inside out. And this is really good news for 57 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,680 us in a world that heralds that message that you just need to 58 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,360 try harder, just need to try work harder. 59 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,480 And when we found and we and how we feel hopeless when nothing 60 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:09,440 changes, when the before and after pictures look exactly the 61 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:14,800 same even after months and months and months of hard work. 62 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:21,640 The good news is that we though we cannot work to be transformed 63 00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:26,920 because we are too weak, the good news is we are still indeed 64 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,200 changed by the grace and the power of God. 65 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:36,920 He caused this transformation in US and then He calls us to live 66 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:42,400 out that transformation and we have the very same resources to 67 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,600 be faithful in this, the grace and power of God. 68 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:47,800 We see this in Ephesians chapter 4. 69 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,040 So please follow along with me as I read from verses 17 to 32. 70 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,840 Now this I say and testify in the Lord that you must no longer 71 00:04:56,840 --> 00:04:59,840 walk as a Gentiles zoo. In the futility of their minds. 72 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,800 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from 73 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,120 the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. 74 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,560 Due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and 75 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,080 king, and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to 76 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:16,880 practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you 77 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,400 learned Christ, assuming that you have heard about Him and 78 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,800 were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus. 79 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,000 To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of 80 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,080 life, and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be 81 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,760 renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new 82 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:35,080 self created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and 83 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,840 holiness. Therefore, having put away 84 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:40,640 falsehood, let each of one of you speak the truth with his 85 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,440 neighbor, for we are members one of another. 86 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:46,480 Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on 87 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,000 your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. 88 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:52,640 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour doing 89 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,320 honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to 90 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,240 share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out 91 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,560 of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up as fits 92 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,080 the occasion, that it may give grace to those who are here, and 93 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,240 do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for 94 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,880 the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and 95 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,360 anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with 96 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,640 all malice. Be kind to one another, tender 97 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:23,280 hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. 98 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:30,640 Mr. Word of God, Amen. This is the life of the church 99 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:35,800 that we are called to, and we have to make sure that we don't 100 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:40,960 import that perspective of the world, that we must do the hard 101 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:44,560 work of creating this, of transforming ourselves. 102 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,160 We bring that over into the church where we feel that our 103 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:51,920 church is lacking in this or lacking in that. 104 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:57,360 And so somehow we need to put an extra effort to change. 105 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:03,800 Rather we must lean and depend upon the power of God and the 106 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:10,480 grace of God that changes us to let him do the work of the 107 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:16,760 before and after and then to live out in the after by the 108 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:18,560 grace of God. So if you're taking notes, 109 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,640 either the three points of the sermon, first, the old Life 110 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:27,600 without God, verses 17 to 19, 2nd we see new life with God 111 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:32,480 verses 20 to 2124. And lastly, new life with one 112 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:36,800 another. So let's jump right in to old 113 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,720 life without God verse 17 to 19. We saw yesterday in the first 114 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:44,360 half of chapter 4 how Paul emphasized growth and maturity 115 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:49,920 of the church by the word of God equipping members and and by the 116 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,200 word of God equipping members and that truth spoken in love as 117 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:56,920 members to one another. He continues in today's passage 118 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,600 with the example of speaking truth and love speaking this 119 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,040 truth for the benefit of the church and we can see the 120 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,000 seriousness of the truth that Paul is saying. 121 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:12,600 He starts in verse 17. Now this I say and testify in 122 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,720 the Lord. And So what Paul is saying, he's 123 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,800 not just simply saying he is as if he just wants to share like 124 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,240 interesting facts that we didn't know. 125 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,200 He is testifying in the name of the Lord. 126 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:28,400 It's like he's in the middle of a courtroom scene. 127 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,240 Underoath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the 128 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:33,720 truth. For as an apostle of the Lord 129 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:38,640 Jesus Christ, whose life, his own life was transformed, Paul 130 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,840 was a witness of the Lord, and his testimony came with the 131 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:43,840 authority and the truth of Jesus. 132 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:49,200 And by such authority he says in verse 17 that you must no longer 133 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:54,360 walk as the Gentiles do. The action of walking was used 134 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,880 to describe the way of living your daily life. 135 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:01,640 Just like you take one step at a time as you walk, we live in one 136 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:06,600 moment at a time and what we do and say in those moments make up 137 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,320 our walk. The strange thing is that Paul 138 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:14,200 was writing to a bunch of Gentiles telling them don't walk 139 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,760 as Gentiles. Gentiles were non Jewish people 140 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:21,000 who were transformed indeed by the same gospel. 141 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,280 And there were some Jewish Christians in the church. 142 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,320 But Paul has been specifically addressing the Gentile 143 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,960 Christians like he did back in Ephesians chapter 3. 144 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,440 He tells them you must not walk like the Gentiles walk. 145 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:37,080 It's because when these Gentiles became Christian by repenting of 146 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,480 their sins and believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, 147 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:45,000 they went through a radical transformation, a complete 148 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:51,000 identity change. These Gentile believers in 149 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:56,560 Ephesus, their lives had a clear before and after because the 150 00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:58,880 rest of the city that they continue to live in, they 151 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:02,360 worshipped idols. The Greek goddess Artemis, there 152 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:07,680 was a designated temple, a grand temple and then and a statue of 153 00:10:07,680 --> 00:10:10,480 Artemis sold as well as throughout the city. 154 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:16,240 These these idols sold throughout the city and, and any 155 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,320 regular Ephesian person worship this fertility goddess. 156 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:22,760 That's how they walked. That's how they lived. 157 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:25,880 That's what their world revolved around. 158 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,000 But that's not how Christian Ephesians walked. 159 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:33,320 And so they turned heads because they looked Ephesian, but they 160 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:40,200 did not walk Ephesian. There were Christians walking 161 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,320 with Christ, walking like Christ. 162 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:45,080 This is still true for Christians today. 163 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:49,400 The old way and the old walk goes away for believers in Jesus 164 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:55,360 Christ, even though where you walk might remain the same if 165 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,960 you're a Christian. The rest of the world around us 166 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:03,960 is a picture of who we were before it was the past how we 167 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,600 used to walk. Now our families, our Co 168 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:12,080 workers, our friendships might not have changed, but we have, 169 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,400 even as we strive to maintain these relationships, but now for 170 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,880 a different purpose. It's for the sake of the gospel, 171 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,040 for the glory of God that they may come to know and believe in 172 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:28,040 Jesus Christ with us, that they too may, may, may experience 173 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:29,920 this radical transformation of God. 174 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,880 So to my Christian friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ, 175 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:40,560 will you honour the new identity you have in Christ as you 176 00:11:40,560 --> 00:11:43,720 continue to live in a world that does not? 177 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,520 Will you honour strive to honour your new identity, the 178 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:53,280 transformation that God has done in you, while we live in a world 179 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:56,560 that does not honour Christ? While you're living with your 180 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:59,560 family who does not honour Christ, While living among your 181 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,840 Co workers and friends who do not know and believe and honour 182 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:08,360 Christ. I encourage you to reflect on 183 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,520 that question. Question how then will you 184 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:16,480 honour this identity you have in Christ while you live in a world 185 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:20,400 that does not? Because we are called by the 186 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:24,640 authority of Jesus. You must not walk as the 187 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,320 Gentiles do now. If there's ever a time you look 188 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:35,720 back to your old life and it just seems like those were the 189 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:41,040 good old days. Looking back to the time before 190 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:45,000 you believed in Christ and you for a moment you desire the 191 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:49,520 things of the world that you used to have where there was 192 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,720 wealth, power, or fame. Or you start thinking that your 193 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,720 old life apart from Christ was somehow better than what you 194 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:57,400 have now. As a Christian. 195 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,840 Then, friend, you might be forgetting where the end of that 196 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:07,120 walk leads to, because our walk always leads to a destination. 197 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:10,760 Look at the description Paul gives of the Gentiles who are on 198 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,080 the wrong path. Of the two options, the 199 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:18,800 descriptions at the end of verse 17 and 18, the futility of their 200 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:22,320 minds they're described by darkened in their understanding, 201 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,160 the ignorance that is in them. Now notice how these 202 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:30,880 descriptions emphasize the mind. What we have in our mind indeed 203 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:35,880 effects what we say and do. It is also true with what we 204 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,400 don't have in our minds. And that's what Paul points out 205 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,360 here when he when he says futility. 206 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:46,160 Futility is uselessness or meaninglessness, something not 207 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:51,160 doing what it's supposed to do. Now what were our minds supposed 208 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,080 to do? What were our minds created and 209 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:58,880 designed for? To think about the one true God. 210 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:04,960 To wonder and marvel at the depths of God, to understand who 211 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:09,160 God is and what He does. God created our minds to know 212 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,360 Him. But the unconverted 213 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:15,680 untransformed mind fails to have such knowledge of God. 214 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:20,000 In fact, a natural sinful mind rejects such knowledge with 215 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,480 arrogance and rebelliousness against God. 216 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:27,000 Romans 8 chapter 8 verse 7 says that the mind is set, that is 217 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:31,400 set on flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God. 218 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:37,560 So such minds, such few minds that are marked by futility, are 219 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:41,280 minds that are darkened in their understanding and that makes 220 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:45,600 sense spiritually. The light is the truth of God, 221 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:49,680 the truth of sinful man, and the truth of the gospel. 222 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:59,560 Then darkness is the absence of that truth, and those who walk 223 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:07,680 in this way suppress the truth, even if it were to be presented 224 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:10,600 right before them. This is their ignorance. 225 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:15,000 There is this dullness or a cluelessness about God in their 226 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,720 minds. They have no concept of God, no 227 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:22,200 definition of right and wrong according to God, to walk 228 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,120 according to His ways. And so when they walk like this, 229 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:30,600 their end is death. That's the destination of such a 230 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,640 walk, death. We see this in in verse 18. 231 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:38,560 They are alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance 232 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:42,000 that is in them. This has been the sad reality 233 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,720 ever since Genesis chapter 2. In the Garden of Eden, humanity 234 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:49,400 was created to be with God as Adam and Eve walked and talked 235 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,440 with God there. But soon their sinful 236 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:57,200 disobedience broke that relationship and they were cast 237 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:01,520 out of paradise because of their rebellion, because of their sin, 238 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,400 alienated from God, separated from him. 239 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:11,880 Because God is holy and for a sinful man to be in His 240 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:14,640 presence, we would not live to tell about it. 241 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,360 It is because God is the source of all life. 242 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,240 Being separated from Him means being dead. 243 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,000 Physical death, yes, as it's as it's the curse of sin, but 244 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,960 spiritually dead in our sins, as Ephesians chapter 2 describes so 245 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:36,680 vividly. We're not spiritually sick, as 246 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:39,920 if all we need was some spiritual rest and spiritual 247 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:44,600 vitamins, but spiritually dead, in need of a miraculous, 248 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:49,000 powerful resurrection. So if sin is the problem that 249 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:53,200 keeps us from the truth and having true life, then isn't 250 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:55,960 this what everyone needs to hear about? 251 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,760 Everyone, including our unbelieving friends and family 252 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:04,359 members. And I know it's not easy. 253 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:07,560 I struggle with this too. To talk with a non Christian 254 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:11,800 friend or family member whom we love, but to talk with them 255 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:15,319 about how they are sinners and how their ultimate problem is 256 00:17:15,319 --> 00:17:20,359 that they cannot solve their own sin, no matter how hard it may 257 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:22,240 be. Isn't can't. 258 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,560 Don't you see that this is what they absolutely need to know? 259 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:33,400 That their way of sin and their walk, sinful walk, will lead to 260 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:35,320 death and eternal separation from God. 261 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:40,800 So prayerfully and lovingly, we must include these depressing 262 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,480 realities, these harsh realities of sin, and the outcome of 263 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:46,080 walking in the ways of the world. 264 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:51,200 Because remember, that is how all of us came to know the 265 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,920 truth. That is how we turn to Jesus 266 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:58,640 Christ in our conversion. We realize how sinful we were, 267 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:02,240 as someone explained to us how sinful we were. 268 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,800 So let's not somehow think that our unbelieving friends and 269 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:10,080 family members will come to believe in Jesus some other way 270 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:12,960 without talking to them about their sin. 271 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:20,560 Lord help us in this. Now there is a deeper reason for 272 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:23,400 the problem of our minds. See the rest of verse 18. 273 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:28,920 The ignorance that is in them is due to the hardness of heart. 274 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:33,000 The root of the problem of our minds is our stubbornness and 275 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:37,960 rebellious, rebellious against God in our hearts and no one is 276 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:42,400 excused. I'm not sure when my children 277 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:46,120 picked up this habit, but whenever I explain to them, I'm 278 00:18:46,120 --> 00:18:49,520 trying to explain to them what they did wrong, why it's wrong, 279 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,880 how they should not do it the next time, they automatically 280 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,160 respond saying, oh, I didn't know. 281 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,280 Oh, I didn't know. That might be true the first 282 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,560 time, right? But not the fifth time. 283 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,360 The 10th time. I mean, it's, it's, it's an 284 00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:10,360 excuse trying to get out of the guilt of the wrong that has been 285 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:15,720 done now before God. We also cannot say I didn't know 286 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:20,000 as if a way, as if we can just get away from our guilt because 287 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:25,760 our ignorance is willful. It is a deliberate ignorance due 288 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:31,080 to the hardness of heart. This is another picture of our 289 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:34,240 deadness because a hardened heart does not beat with 290 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:38,040 spiritual life. There is no spiritual pulse and 291 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:42,080 in such a heart there is no desire, no affection for God, 292 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:47,280 just excuses. We can only expect one kind of 293 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,760 life from a heart and heart. It's in the next verse, verse 294 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,200 19. They have become callous and 295 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,400 have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice 296 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:59,960 every kind of impurity. Being callous as being numb to 297 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:04,760 God, having an insensitivity toward God, meaning the truths 298 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:11,080 of God doesn't excite you, doesn't give you joy as much as 299 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:16,000 making money excites you, or the thrill of making friends or or 300 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,360 anything else in this world. Such a person continues to walk. 301 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,800 By giving themselves up to sensuality, they have let 302 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:28,240 themselves become undisciplined. Unrestrained, losing self, all 303 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:33,120 self-control, chasing after worldly pleasures and they are 304 00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:37,000 never satisfied. Says they're greedy. 305 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:42,440 Can you feel such a greed to practice every kind of impurity? 306 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,040 No. And so they left hungering for 307 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:51,320 more, thirsty for more of impurities in the things, the 308 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:54,600 evil things of this world, evil things in the face of God. 309 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:04,600 Even though these descriptions are of worldly, ungodly ways of 310 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,120 living for those who are apart from Christ, there is an 311 00:21:07,120 --> 00:21:11,520 exhortation for us who are Christians that we live 312 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:17,600 vigilantly, checking our hearts that we are not growing numb to 313 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:23,960 God. If I place my hands on burning 314 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:29,720 hot metal and it's sizzling my skin, you can hear it, but then 315 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,640 for some reason I don't feel the heat and I don't let go. 316 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,880 You would conclude that there's seriously something wrong with 317 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,280 my brain, my nervous system. I need to get it checked. 318 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:43,200 So it is true. When we are numb to the things 319 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:48,040 of God, we are burning our lives away with sin and we don't even 320 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:54,000 feel regret or remorse. That is when we really need to 321 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:59,200 get our hearts checked. So it's a call to press on, 322 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:02,720 checking our hearts and fighting our sins. 323 00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:06,320 Have you made an excuse for your sin? 324 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,200 Sin that offends God that you know is wrong? 325 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,360 Have you justified it in any way? 326 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:14,440 Are you blaming other things for your sins? 327 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,640 Is traffic always the reason for your sins? 328 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:25,160 Work difficult people. No, we sin not because of our 329 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,760 situations. We sin because of our hearts. 330 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,320 And so we ought to ask ourselves, what do I really 331 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,160 desire in the depths of my heart? 332 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:41,040 What is it that that I really get excited and passionate 333 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,640 about? Dig away at your desires. 334 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,400 Discuss it with other, with another brother, with another 335 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,520 sister, as you confess your sins to one another. 336 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:54,600 The heart, as the book of Proverbs says, it's a wellspring 337 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:58,600 of life. And by God's grace we can 338 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:04,000 understand, we, we can guard it with the truth, we can 339 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:08,160 understand it more how wicked our heart is so that we can 340 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,960 continue to honour Christ. So Paul testified in the Lord 341 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,640 this gloomy, hopeless picture of sinners, but praise God, the 342 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,400 story does not end there. Because by faith we can say that 343 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:21,200 was our old life, that's who we were. 344 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:24,040 So let's now consider the new life with God. 345 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:28,400 Look at verse 20. But that is not the way you 346 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,880 learn Christ, assuming that you have heard about him and were 347 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:32,600 taught in Him. As the truth is in Jesus. 348 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,440 To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of 349 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:38,600 life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be 350 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:41,320 renewed in the spirit of your mind and to put on the new self 351 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:44,680 created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and 352 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,800 holiness. I hope you noticed the sharp 353 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,800 contrast here between the new life and the old. 354 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,640 The before and after are complete opposites. 355 00:23:55,440 --> 00:24:01,440 How does this happen? Verse 20, by learning Christ, we 356 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:03,480 go through life learning a lot of things. 357 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,880 You know, students here, you're learning a lot of subjects in 358 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,520 your different classes. And I know you can have up to 359 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:13,560 like a dozen different exams, final exams at the end. 360 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:20,000 Sorry if that was another bad reminder, but but importantly, 361 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,200 we also go through life learning people, don't we? 362 00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:27,360 Especially if you have a particular interest in that 363 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:33,800 special someone, you take the time, the energy to observe, to 364 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:39,480 investigate, to learn him, to learn her in personal and 365 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:42,840 intimate relationships. And so so it is with our 366 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:45,200 relationship with Christ. Our relationship with Christ 367 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:47,320 must also be personal and intimate. 368 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,440 And that's Paul explains that here by saying how we have 369 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:54,600 learned Christ, not just a subject, not just a topic, but a 370 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:58,560 person. It will happen as you become 371 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:03,520 students of Christ. As believers, we are students, 372 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:07,600 disciples of Jesus Christ enrolled into a school of truth. 373 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,600 The next verse, verse 21, explains how we have come to 374 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,160 learn Christ. Verse 21, assuming that you have 375 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,640 heard about him and were taught in him as the truth is in Jesus. 376 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:23,080 It's possible here to keep the translation heard about him as 377 00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:28,440 the original language puts it, as simply heard him without the 378 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,920 word about. It's literally written that way. 379 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,040 And so how do you hear him hear Jesus? 380 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:37,200 Well, it's by the reading of Scripture. 381 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:40,520 It's by hearing the preaching of God's Word. 382 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:46,320 Through God's Word we hear, yes, about Jesus, but we also hear 383 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,440 Him. And how do you know if you hear 384 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:51,080 him? Well, Jesus said in John chapter 385 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:56,320 10, My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. 386 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,760 We know if you have heard his voice, we have heard Christ 387 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:04,880 because we are overtaken by the gospel and there's a willingness 388 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:08,240 to forsake and abandoned everything else in life to 389 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:15,440 follow him. These are the people, the people 390 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,400 who have heard Christ or those who have been mastered, taken 391 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:23,080 over, for Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. 392 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:24,880 That's how we know if we have heard him. 393 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:29,880 Now if this does not describe you as someone who has heard 394 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,480 Christ, who have been overtaken and then so moved deeply by the 395 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:39,160 love and grace of Jesus Christ, then I exhort you to desperately 396 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:42,760 pray and ask God the very prayers that we've been seeing 397 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:48,400 in the book of Ephesians that the God that God may give you 398 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,600 the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of 399 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:53,760 him. And we saw in chapter 3, verse 400 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:57,640 17 to asking to be strengthened with the power of the Holy 401 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:04,240 Spirit to comprehend Christ and his love for the teens here. 402 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,200 I just want to make this one note. 403 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:09,160 If you don't listen to anything else, this is important for you 404 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:12,800 to hear, especially if you grew up in a Christian home where 405 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,360 your parents have been teaching you what it means to be 406 00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:19,840 Christian. Because it is easy to miss the 407 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:24,320 target of all these lessons. The point of Bible teaching is 408 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:28,160 not so that you learn about Jesus as if he is a textbook you 409 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:30,680 know yesterday if you didn't know all the obscure Bible 410 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:35,600 details, even if you knew it, it's still possible to miss the 411 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,480 main point. If you didn't know all the 412 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:45,360 lyrics to all the songs of praise, even if you did, you 413 00:27:45,360 --> 00:27:50,000 could still miss the main point because the main point of all of 414 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:54,520 God's Word is Jesus Christ beginning from Moses to the 415 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,760 prophets. All the scriptures are about 416 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:04,360 Jesus. Jesus is the teacher you want to 417 00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:07,680 learn from, His school is a school you want to learn in. 418 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,440 And there is no entrance exam. There is no requirement because 419 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:13,280 all of us would fail anyway miserably. 420 00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:18,320 It is simply to hear Christ and I pray that you and all of us 421 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,200 are doing that. Now through the sermon in the 422 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,880 next verses, we see three lessons that we learn in the 423 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,200 school of Jesus Christ. First lesson, chapter, verse 22, 424 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:31,120 to put off your old self, to put off your old self is like 425 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:34,120 putting off dirty clothes, putting it away. 426 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:37,560 You know, after our outdoor activity yesterday, I had mud on 427 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,200 my clothes, so I just did the right thing to put them away. 428 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,120 But imagine the clothes that you had on became so we're so 429 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:49,120 filthy, so disgusting that you didn't even want to wash them. 430 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:51,360 You know, such accidents can happen. 431 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,960 OK, So what do you do? You don't try to wash them. 432 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:59,720 You just throw them away. That's what the radical change 433 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:02,400 of the Christian experience is like. 434 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:07,080 Christians are freed from the hardness of heart, freed from 435 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:10,960 the darkness of mind, freed from the deadness of their souls as 436 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:14,120 they heard Christ. And by his grace, they put away 437 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:17,320 their old self, their old way of life once and for all. 438 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:21,080 They put away what was corrupted by evil, deceitful desires. 439 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:26,080 So Paul reminds him that by saying these don't ever want to 440 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:28,760 go back. It's as ridiculous as putting 441 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,480 wanting to put on dirty soiled clothing again. 442 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:36,400 This leads to the next lesson. Jump down to verse 24 to put on 443 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:41,920 the new self again. This is a another one time once 444 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:44,800 for all action to put on the new self. 445 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,400 Don't put on your filthy clothes again, but remain in your new 446 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:53,360 fresh clean clothes. Remember Paul is not suddenly 447 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:56,960 saying that you need to change yourself here as he's been 448 00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,400 preaching grace. No, remember that this is what 449 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:03,720 Christians learn when they learn Christ to put on the new self. 450 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:11,720 It also says here in in verse 24 that in verse 24 that Christians 451 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,440 have become a new creation. God did the work of creating 452 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:18,840 them to be like God in His righteousness and holiness. 453 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:23,480 We considered these truths of God at the start of our surface 454 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,520 service. Being righteous means that we 455 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:30,840 are right with God, that we satisfy His standard of 456 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:36,440 perfection, of perfect love, perfect obedience to a perfect 457 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:40,200 and worthy God. Being holy is being set apart to 458 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:45,920 love God and to serve Him only. There is a unique, singular 459 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:50,320 purpose for God. We have no other master, no 460 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,560 other king, but God and Him alone. 461 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,640 The only way we can be like God, righteous as He is, holy as He 462 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:00,440 is, is by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 463 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,560 We learn to trust Christ when we learn Christ, and we learn to 464 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:07,960 put on the new self, put off the old self, and put on the new 465 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:12,360 self. It's only possible because Jesus 466 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,840 came to live the perfect life of obedience that sinners should 467 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,200 have lived as fully God and fully man. 468 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:25,920 Jesus was righteous like God is, yet He chose to die on the cross 469 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:30,080 for our sins in our place and by grace alone, through faith alone 470 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:35,760 and Christ alone, we receive. Simply receive the perfect 471 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:40,040 righteousness of Christ and we put that on like a fresh, clean 472 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:43,880 robe. This is the only way to be made 473 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:46,320 right with God. This is the only way that we can 474 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,600 walk in this new life with God, no longer separated from Him, 475 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:54,760 but not walking with Him. When we believe we are born 476 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:59,160 again, as the gospel writer John puts it, and we put off our old 477 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:02,760 self and put on the new. Now the last lesson is found in 478 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:04,680 the middle of these two defining actions. 479 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:07,360 Unlike actions that we have learned to take, to put on, to 480 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:10,040 put off, this one is clearly done to us. 481 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:12,680 It's written passive, but it's passive voice. 482 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:15,560 But it's also something that happens not just once, but 483 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:17,680 progressively again and again over time. 484 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:22,600 Verse 23 and says to be renewed in the spirit of your minds. 485 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:27,560 Again, God is the one doing the work, renewing our minds, and it 486 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,920 has provided the context of where that happens. 487 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:38,680 God has provided, just like a flower that blooms, needs soil 488 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:43,960 to grow in, so Christians are planted into God's word to grow 489 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:48,360 and mature in our sanctification, in the renewing, 490 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:52,720 constant renewing of our minds. We're also planted into God's 491 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:57,120 family, into a church where believers help one another, not 492 00:32:57,120 --> 00:33:00,520 to be deceived, not to be swayed by the things of this world, not 493 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,280 to make excuses for our sins, but to repent. 494 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:09,360 We're planted in his family, God's family, to hear regular 495 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,960 preaching of the gospel and through faithful preaching here 496 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:17,320 Christ through his words. This is what God is doing now in 497 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:20,720 the life of Christians who have put off the old self and put on 498 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:24,400 the new. And Paul is reminding us, and so 499 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:30,120 we must remind one another as we seek to be renewed in the school 500 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:35,960 of Christ, to remember the gospel, to remember what he has 501 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:42,640 done that motivates us to live in his likeness as new 502 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:44,760 creations. Which brings us to the Third 503 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:46,800 Point. What does that life look like? 504 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:49,800 Specifically? If you were to detail it out, 505 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:54,840 what would that look like? We see the new life that we have 506 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:58,080 with one another, not just with God, but with one another in 507 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:02,120 verses 25 to 32. Now, if you notice here as I 508 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:06,600 read it earlier, you probably noticed the the change of pace 509 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:10,960 in the writing because there's a lot of these quick fire commands 510 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:14,440 that come one after another. And you can rightfully come to 511 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:17,520 the conclusion, yeah, our new life together seems to be filled 512 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:21,840 with a lot of commands, 12 commands packed in here, grouped 513 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,840 in about 5 or 6 categories depending on how you group them. 514 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:30,159 But before we think Christianity is just another list of do's and 515 00:34:30,159 --> 00:34:35,960 don'ts in order to be right with God, let's consider one word 516 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:38,440 that starts the whole list of commands in verse 25. 517 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:44,320 Therefore, it means that all the commandments of God are rooted 518 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:48,840 in God's grace. The melodic line of Ephesians, 519 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:52,800 if Ephesians was a song, the melody that is repeated is 520 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:58,280 throughout is is all things for the praise of the glory of God 521 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:03,640 and the glory of His grace. And so we read the whole book 522 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:08,880 with this melody in mind that we cannot work to be like God, as 523 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:13,080 if God is like the last level of a game that we can beat. 524 00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:17,800 No, by our own merits and our own efforts, we will also fail 525 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,800 and fall short again and again fall short of God. 526 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:26,520 We have to understand that it is that God does not call us 527 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:29,960 knowing this about ourselves. God does not call us to say you 528 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:33,040 just need to try to be a better version of yourself. 529 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:41,720 No, because we will fail. The commands are not for us to 530 00:35:41,720 --> 00:35:44,680 do that. The commands of God are to 531 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:48,960 remind us of what God is like, to remind us of what life, what 532 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:53,000 life with God looks like. And that we were created new, 533 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,360 that we have put on the new self with new desires, new attitudes, 534 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,560 new practices. So now that they have been made 535 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:03,760 right with God. Therefore, Paul says, having put 536 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:06,760 away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his 537 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:12,480 neighbor, for we are all members one of another, our God, He does 538 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:15,480 not lie. He has no darkness of deception 539 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:19,080 or any fraud in him. He only speaks the truth. 540 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,720 And we have been made to be like God, so we are to do the same. 541 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:28,640 Yet the main reason Paul emphasizes here is relational 542 00:36:29,240 --> 00:36:31,840 relationship with God. Yeah, is assumed, but what's 543 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:36,000 made clear is our relationship with one another as the reason 544 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,840 why we should speak. Not lies, but truth. 545 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:53,240 The reason is that our right living is of doing good, is not 546 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:57,400 done in a vacuum, isolated from other people, other believers. 547 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:02,120 Our right living is in the reality of living with other 548 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:07,680 believers in the church, for we are members one of another, Paul 549 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,560 says. This is the foundational reason. 550 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:15,960 We do not lie to each other. We do not, we do not choose to 551 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:20,920 pass on any deception or deceit the truth, because the truth 552 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:26,360 that we speak benefits the whole body, including ourselves, the 553 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:28,280 man. We were spending time realizing 554 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:32,280 that looking into that in God's Word yesterday during our 555 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:37,560 fellowship time, how if one part of the body suffers, all 556 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:44,840 suffers. So what happens when members lie 557 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:50,240 to each other? Imagine a body is eating food 558 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:54,760 with a fork. The hand does the work of moving 559 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:57,120 the food and placing the food into the mouth. 560 00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:00,240 The mouth does the work of opening and chewing, and so on 561 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:05,240 and so forth. But imagine if the eye begins to 562 00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:08,800 lie to the hand and the hand is confused where the mouth is. 563 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:12,200 The hand might just poke himself, poke itself in the eye, 564 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:15,800 poke it's and and and cause hurt to the own eye. 565 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,400 And and that's I think what Paul is getting at here. 566 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:23,000 Because if we lie to one another, that keeping truth back 567 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:27,280 from each other, yeah, we hurt the body, we hurt others, but we 568 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:31,120 hurt ourselves. And so have you kept back the 569 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:34,040 truth in your relationship with with other members? 570 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:41,840 Have you lied and deceived when they ask you just honest 571 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:46,520 questions out of love for you? By doing so, you do hurt your 572 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:50,480 neighbor, this whole body. We all suffer, but you hurt 573 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:54,040 yourself. Repent and and and believe and 574 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:57,120 may each one of us speak the truth to one another. 575 00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:00,560 It's meant for the benefit of each other. 576 00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:04,920 Paul continues to address our relationship with one another. 577 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:08,560 He addresses anger next in verses 26 and 27. 578 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:11,800 Be angry and do not sin, and do not let the sun go down on your 579 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:14,680 anger and give no opportunity to the devil. 580 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:19,960 We all know there's such a thing as righteous anger, but I don't 581 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:22,240 think we that's the one we struggle with, do we? 582 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:26,600 Because even when our anger may be righteous, if we let it go on 583 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:29,160 too long, it becomes unrighteous. 584 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:31,640 That's the warning here. That's what he's Paul's teaching 585 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:37,400 us. If we do so, verse 27, we are 586 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,080 giving an opportunity to the devil. 587 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:46,680 It allows the door. That gap allows the door for 588 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:53,680 satanic activity if we let our anger go on too long, as we 589 00:39:53,680 --> 00:40:00,480 allow anger to boil over into bitterness and division even, 590 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:06,400 what opportunity do we give the devil when we stay angry and 591 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:11,560 keep grudges other than, I mean, that's the big one, division in 592 00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:18,640 the body, but it's an also giving an opportunity to the 593 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:23,640 devil to make a mockery of God. Remember, we were created new in 594 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:26,960 God's likeness. But when we stay angry and keep 595 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:30,600 grudges, we become bad witnesses of God to the world. 596 00:40:36,680 --> 00:40:40,560 Instead, we are called to do the spiritual work, the spiritual 597 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:44,440 battle of being reconciled, and reconciled quickly with your 598 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:48,360 fellow church members, all by the grace of God. 599 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:56,960 We do not want to be on Team Satan in this, of course, and we 600 00:40:56,960 --> 00:41:00,960 serve God's purposes when we do not sin in our anger and we do 601 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:03,880 not let our anger go on too long. 602 00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:08,080 More on how we're going to be reconciled at the end of this 603 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:10,600 verse, but for now, let's see what he addresses. 604 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:13,520 Third, he addresses stealing in verse 28. 605 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:17,000 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor doing 606 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,880 honest work with his own hands so that he may have something to 607 00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:24,400 share with anyone in need. Now, it's probably obvious that 608 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:27,480 in the life of the church, they should not be stealing from one 609 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:28,840 another. We actually, we don't know 610 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,640 exactly what kind of problem that they had regarding this, 611 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:35,680 but obviously it would seriously attack the unity of the church 612 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:39,520 if members were scamming one another, stealing money, 613 00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:42,920 property from each other, taking advantage of each other for 614 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:45,440 their own financial gain and benefit. 615 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:49,560 But what's interesting here is that, and just quickly note that 616 00:41:49,720 --> 00:41:54,080 Paul is addressing the problem of stealing with positive 617 00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:59,600 instruction instead of stealing. The life of the church should be 618 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:06,320 marked by this, that each one works hard, does honest work, so 619 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,680 that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 620 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:13,320 That's the life of the church. That's what it looks like, that 621 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:17,200 we do work, do honest work, hard work, and then we give it away 622 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,400 to each other as others are in need. 623 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:25,200 So just imagine with me, a group of people living like this in 624 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:30,760 any city in any part of the world where they're willing to 625 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:32,680 work hard. Where when everyone else is 626 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:35,840 working hard for themselves, to make a name for themselves, to 627 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:39,320 secure a life for themselves, to see a group of people working 628 00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:43,320 hard, doing honest work so that they could share and benefit one 629 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:46,120 another. How compelling, how attractive 630 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:52,160 would we be to those in need, to the lost in need of the gospel, 631 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:58,640 where it shows that we're not just here to to bring religious 632 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:02,720 teaching and make you change your religious identity. 633 00:43:02,720 --> 00:43:07,800 But no, we're here to serve and meet your real needs so that we 634 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:11,880 may serve the ultimate need for you to be forgiven of your sins. 635 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:18,800 By doing so, as a church, we will also show the world that 636 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:23,240 money, greed for money, is not our master, that we don't serve 637 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:25,360 money. No, instead we show the world 638 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:30,880 that no, my money is meant to serve you if you are in need. 639 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:36,080 So for some of us who are as members in the church who are in 640 00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:40,840 financial need, whether now or maybe later on, because that's 641 00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:42,440 just how life is, money is fleeting. 642 00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:46,120 No matter how much you want to be secure in finances, it's 643 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:50,040 always fleeting, isn't it? Especially in a world that's 644 00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:52,520 ridden with war and economic crises. 645 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:57,880 Whenever you are in financial need, you don't have to feel bad 646 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:02,480 to to ask and receive help and support because as a church 647 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:07,560 that's what we are working for. Paul says Next, let's consider 648 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:13,480 our words speaking speaking in in in general verse 29. 649 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:16,400 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as 650 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:19,800 is good for building up as fits the occasion that it may give 651 00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:23,880 grace to those who hear. Let's just do a thought 652 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:28,280 experiment and imagine you had an audio recorder that never ran 653 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:30,400 out of batteries that's waterproof. 654 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:34,800 You can bring it everywhere and it's recording every single word 655 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:44,240 that you have said, recording any, any and all words and, and 656 00:44:44,240 --> 00:44:47,280 speech. Yes, there might be good words 657 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:51,360 there, but there might be some bad words, corrupting talk, 658 00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:55,560 degrading, insulting, condescending, perhaps even 659 00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:59,400 complaining. Later in Chapter 5, it includes 660 00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:06,160 foolish talk, even crude joking. Now I know that illustration 661 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:09,560 falls apart because some of us might say, well, I never curse 662 00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:11,480 out loud. I just keep it inside. 663 00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:17,760 Well, imagine that audio recorder records even those 664 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:25,400 words. But to be to be honest, Jesus 665 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:29,600 keeps record of every word that has come that comes out of our 666 00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:32,080 mouths. In Matthew 12, chapter 12, verse 667 00:45:32,080 --> 00:45:35,160 36, He's 37, He says this. I tell you, on the day of 668 00:45:35,160 --> 00:45:38,760 judgement, people would give account for every careless word 669 00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:40,800 they speak. For by your words you will be 670 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:44,280 justified and by your words you will be condemned. 671 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:51,480 And so we are to be a people that speak in such a way that 672 00:45:51,480 --> 00:45:57,120 gives grace to those who hear. We must strive to speak words. 673 00:45:57,120 --> 00:46:01,800 Not only are we responsible to yeah, to not let those bad words 674 00:46:01,800 --> 00:46:06,560 out, but to speak the words of grace, to build up and to 675 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:12,600 encourage as it fits the occasion. 676 00:46:13,520 --> 00:46:16,640 For those who are discouraged, to encourage them, those those 677 00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:19,040 who are anxious and unsettled, to speak peace to them. 678 00:46:23,240 --> 00:46:27,880 For those who feel isolated and alone, words of care and 679 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:33,960 comfort, there will be a people who speak to give grace to one 680 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:36,880 another until the day Jesus Christ comes. 681 00:46:41,160 --> 00:46:45,720 What's interesting is that such wrong behaviour in our speech, 682 00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:48,760 it really offends God. We see that connection there the 683 00:46:48,760 --> 00:46:52,720 word and in the next verse, verse 30 and do not grieve the 684 00:46:52,720 --> 00:46:56,120 Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of 685 00:46:56,120 --> 00:47:03,960 redemption. That connection there it's it's 686 00:47:03,960 --> 00:47:06,320 again we note the connection there to speech. 687 00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:10,400 The Holy Spirit is especially grieved. 688 00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:15,560 That word is means to cause severe distress. 689 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:20,000 So, if you can imagine, the Holy Spirit is severely distressed 690 00:47:20,720 --> 00:47:23,960 when we do not speak to one another in the way that we 691 00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:30,440 should, when the followers of Christ are speaking unkindly to 692 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:35,760 each other, engaging in such sinful behaviour, that would 693 00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:39,640 destroy the unity and bring one another down. 694 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:42,920 Because that is not what the work, that is not what the Holy 695 00:47:42,920 --> 00:47:46,200 Spirit worked for to cause in US. 696 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:54,040 But even as we fail, we can we have this hope that believers 697 00:47:54,200 --> 00:47:56,600 are sealed for the day of redemption. 698 00:47:57,160 --> 00:48:01,160 And so by by looking again to the work of the Holy Spirit and 699 00:48:01,160 --> 00:48:05,120 the assurance that we have that He is at work in us, in the 700 00:48:05,240 --> 00:48:11,960 guarantee that we have of our, of our future inheritance at the 701 00:48:11,960 --> 00:48:17,640 day of redemption. Verse 31, we should live in 702 00:48:17,640 --> 00:48:21,360 lives contrast to verse 31, to let all bitterness and wrath and 703 00:48:21,360 --> 00:48:25,000 anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all 704 00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:29,840 malice. These things should not be any 705 00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:32,520 words that describe the people of God. 706 00:48:33,320 --> 00:48:38,200 So we must not speak this way primarily along with not acting 707 00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:45,800 in ways in these ways either. Lastly, in verse 32, be kind to 708 00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:49,840 one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another as Christ 709 00:48:49,840 --> 00:48:56,000 as God in Christ forgave you. If we consider what can be the 710 00:48:56,840 --> 00:49:01,400 the ultimate way to to care for one another, to love one another 711 00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:08,360 to serve one another to speak the the ultimate kindness that 712 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:11,600 we can speak ultimate tender heartedness that we can have to 713 00:49:11,640 --> 00:49:15,440 one another. It's this to forgive one another 714 00:49:15,520 --> 00:49:18,400 another. Forgiving when we have been 715 00:49:18,400 --> 00:49:22,680 wronged and when we have been sinned against is the greatest 716 00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:25,040 kindness that we can do to one another. 717 00:49:27,760 --> 00:49:32,600 I realized and I learned as I got married and I started my own 718 00:49:32,600 --> 00:49:38,320 family, something that I forgot when I was growing up with my 719 00:49:38,320 --> 00:49:42,840 parents and my family, that the people who are the closest to 720 00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:48,600 you, who love you the most, hurt you also the most. 721 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:54,680 You know, I grew up in a pretty tough environment. 722 00:49:55,160 --> 00:49:58,400 All sorts of things spoken against me to insult me and 723 00:49:58,400 --> 00:50:02,480 offended me, whether it was who I was and what I did. 724 00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:06,800 But it was the words of my parents that always struck me 725 00:50:06,800 --> 00:50:09,280 most deeply. I said, anyone can say whatever 726 00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:13,120 to me, but you're nothing to me. But the people who I love and I 727 00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:16,920 care for so deeply, their words, their actions meant the most. 728 00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:21,320 I realized that even as I'm married now, the the woman I 729 00:50:21,320 --> 00:50:25,520 have given my life to, my heart to, that that has loved me and 730 00:50:25,520 --> 00:50:30,240 understood me so deeply, why is it that she has the power to 731 00:50:30,240 --> 00:50:35,480 hurt me the most? Often times it's unintentional, 732 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:40,360 but still, that is the reality. And so it is true with our 733 00:50:40,360 --> 00:50:45,560 spiritual family as well. It comes from this expectation 734 00:50:45,560 --> 00:50:48,360 that if we are the family of God, yeah, we should love one 735 00:50:48,360 --> 00:50:49,840 another, we should care for each other. 736 00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:53,640 But why is it then there are moments that when we are hurt, 737 00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:56,280 that we are hurt and offended by each other. 738 00:50:57,880 --> 00:51:01,160 But I think it's the same like in our biological families, 739 00:51:02,040 --> 00:51:05,840 because those whom are the closest to us, yeah, we, we, we 740 00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:10,560 expect more from them. But not only that, it's because 741 00:51:10,720 --> 00:51:13,000 we spend the most time with them. 742 00:51:13,040 --> 00:51:17,920 We interact a lot with them, and they see the depths of who we 743 00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:19,760 are. We see the depths of who they 744 00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:21,720 are. There are much, many more 745 00:51:21,720 --> 00:51:25,720 opportunities then to be disappointed, to be discouraged 746 00:51:25,720 --> 00:51:28,040 and disheartened from one another. 747 00:51:30,280 --> 00:51:33,840 You know that brother's supposed to love me, but why did he say 748 00:51:33,840 --> 00:51:35,880 that to me? You know that sister is supposed 749 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:41,600 to be my friend, but why did she forget about me or leave me out 750 00:51:41,600 --> 00:51:44,840 of this? And there might be a whole bunch 751 00:51:44,840 --> 00:51:48,360 of combinations of ways that we hurt one another. 752 00:51:51,240 --> 00:51:54,560 And so here at the end of all the things of what we are, what 753 00:51:54,560 --> 00:52:00,560 we ought to do, these commands that should describe who we are 754 00:52:01,200 --> 00:52:04,200 come. This comes this command that we 755 00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:09,600 forgive one another. That is the greatest kindness. 756 00:52:10,520 --> 00:52:13,200 It it requires much tender heartedness. 757 00:52:13,680 --> 00:52:19,240 We cannot forgive somebody with a hard heart as we remember how 758 00:52:19,240 --> 00:52:22,440 much our God in Christ forgave us. 759 00:52:23,160 --> 00:52:25,720 When you are hurt by a fellow member in the church. 760 00:52:25,720 --> 00:52:30,160 I didn't say if when. When you are hurt by a fellow 761 00:52:30,160 --> 00:52:35,080 brother or sister in Christ in this church, would you then 762 00:52:35,520 --> 00:52:45,440 direct all your energy and efforts not to make a list, Make 763 00:52:45,440 --> 00:52:48,400 a full list of how wrong they were and what they did to you, 764 00:52:48,760 --> 00:52:52,760 but would you direct your energy and efforts to remember how God 765 00:52:52,840 --> 00:52:56,320 in Christ forgave you? Go there first. 766 00:52:58,120 --> 00:53:01,160 Don't think about if they deserve your forgiveness or not. 767 00:53:01,200 --> 00:53:04,760 Go to Christ first. Who did? 768 00:53:04,960 --> 00:53:09,600 Our God, our Father, who did not spare even his own Son, but gave 769 00:53:09,600 --> 00:53:15,760 him up, gave him up for us all. Our God in Christ who welcomed 770 00:53:15,760 --> 00:53:22,960 undeserving sinners, rebellious sinners into His family, and who 771 00:53:22,960 --> 00:53:29,200 then pours out upon us new mercies for every day, for each 772 00:53:29,200 --> 00:53:33,800 day, grace upon grace upon grace. 773 00:53:36,000 --> 00:53:38,840 How could we not treat our brothers and sisters in these 774 00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:42,680 ways? Then God commands us to by His 775 00:53:42,680 --> 00:53:47,240 Word, so that by His Word we know that our God is a God of 776 00:53:47,240 --> 00:53:49,720 forgiveness. But also by His Word He has 777 00:53:49,720 --> 00:53:54,840 given us the ability to forgive. He has shown us not only by 778 00:53:54,840 --> 00:54:00,600 example as He demonstrated His love, that while Christ as we 779 00:54:00,600 --> 00:54:04,480 were still sinners, Christ died for us, but He also radically 780 00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:09,760 transformed us so that we can forgive one another. 781 00:54:13,160 --> 00:54:20,720 In light of this passage in the reality of the old life without 782 00:54:20,720 --> 00:54:25,360 God and the new life with God, and now all these commands that 783 00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:30,360 are that that define the life of the church, we see that it 784 00:54:30,360 --> 00:54:35,320 matters to God how you treat others in the body of Christ. 785 00:54:36,480 --> 00:54:42,000 It's we cannot go out thinking, Oh, it's enough that I just, I'm 786 00:54:42,000 --> 00:54:45,200 just in a good relationship with God that I'm buddy buddy with 787 00:54:45,240 --> 00:54:47,640 Jesus and that's, that's all that I need to know. 788 00:54:47,800 --> 00:54:52,000 It matters to God how we treat and relate with other believers 789 00:54:52,000 --> 00:54:58,400 in the body of Christ because he has given us new life with him 790 00:54:58,720 --> 00:55:02,880 and with the church. But let's remember again God's 791 00:55:02,880 --> 00:55:07,760 grace as we close. If we fail class, yeah, we fail 792 00:55:07,760 --> 00:55:09,800 out of school, we don't get that degree. 793 00:55:10,600 --> 00:55:14,280 If we don't hit our yearly targets, yeah, we don't make it 794 00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:18,320 through performance review. But not so with God. 795 00:55:18,560 --> 00:55:23,320 Not so in the school of Christ. Not so in his family, in the 796 00:55:23,320 --> 00:55:28,040 church, because we have been brought together, brought in by 797 00:55:28,040 --> 00:55:32,120 the grace of God, and we'll be sustained by the grace of God, 798 00:55:32,600 --> 00:55:39,000 empowered by the grace of God, motivated by the grace of God to 799 00:55:39,000 --> 00:55:43,800 live out the new life, the new walk, the new creation, that we 800 00:55:43,800 --> 00:55:48,480 are created in the likeness of God, in his righteousness and 801 00:55:48,480 --> 00:55:52,360 holiness. So may we lean all the more on 802 00:55:52,360 --> 00:55:56,360 the grace of God to be the church that He calls us to be. 803 00:55:57,720 --> 00:56:01,320 All to the praise, to the glory of God, and to the glory of His 804 00:56:01,320 --> 00:56:02,960 grace. Let's pray together. 805 00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:08,920 Heavenly Father, we thank you for your grace. 806 00:56:09,240 --> 00:56:12,720 And by your grace, Lord, would you make us into a people that 807 00:56:13,040 --> 00:56:20,240 rightfully reflects who you are ultimately that you are a 808 00:56:20,240 --> 00:56:23,880 forgiving God. Give us a grace in our give us 809 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:28,320 this grace in our weakness to then forgive one another and 810 00:56:28,320 --> 00:56:32,440 help us to the be the people who lives out the life of Christ. 811 00:56:32,600 --> 00:56:37,800 Where where we can say when we look to Scripture and we glance 812 00:56:37,800 --> 00:56:40,560 up at our church and look back to scripture and look back at 813 00:56:40,560 --> 00:56:44,440 our church, we can say our church is becoming is growing 814 00:56:44,560 --> 00:56:47,600 and maturing more and more into the church that you call us to 815 00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:50,920 be. Lord, help us in this for your 816 00:56:50,920 --> 00:56:54,680 glory in Jesus name, Amen. Let's take a moment to 817 00:56:55,400 --> 00:56:59,320 personally reflect on the word of God that was preached. 818 00:57:01,400 --> 00:57:06,000 Consider for yourself, is your life this, if you, is your life 819 00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:12,280 described by the faithfulness to these commands, not only to be 820 00:57:12,280 --> 00:57:18,400 faithful to God, but to be faithful to one another in all 821 00:57:18,400 --> 00:57:22,160 the ways that we fall short. Let's depend upon God. 822 00:57:22,160 --> 00:57:26,360 Let's come to him, remember him in all the ways that we have 823 00:57:26,880 --> 00:57:30,840 done successfully. Perhaps at this retreat. 824 00:57:31,520 --> 00:57:34,200 Let's turn to God still and thank him for it. 825 00:57:34,200 --> 00:57:40,760 Was his power at work in US. In that way, let's look to God. 826 00:57:40,760 --> 00:57:42,400 What do we learn about God? Who is he? 827 00:57:42,400 --> 00:57:48,400 What is important to Him? And if we truly believed in what 828 00:57:48,400 --> 00:57:50,800 we heard today, how would our life look different? 829 00:57:51,520 --> 00:57:57,520 As we leave this place, as we go back into our individual lives, 830 00:57:58,200 --> 00:58:01,840 our lives with one another, what would our lives look like? 831 00:58:02,200 --> 00:58:05,440 How would it be different? What would be that before and 832 00:58:05,440 --> 00:58:06,960 after? Picture that after picture? 833 00:58:06,960 --> 00:58:10,320 What would that look like? Consider these things before we 834 00:58:10,320 --> 00:58:12,160 close out together in song and in prayer. 835 00:59:01,440 --> 00:59:43,330 The. Music.