1 00:00:04,500 --> 00:00:07,400 It's good to see everybody. Today, I want to Echo what Alan 2 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:09,100 said, you guys sound great singing. 3 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:13,800 It's always a lot of fun together together on a Sunday 4 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:15,900 and worship together. Here you guys singing. 5 00:00:15,900 --> 00:00:20,200 And when we do a, we have a band like today, where there's just a 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,100 couple of people in it. You know, I love to have a full 7 00:00:23,100 --> 00:00:24,700 band. I love to be up here play and I 8 00:00:24,708 --> 00:00:26,800 think it's a lot of fun. But sometimes when it's a little 9 00:00:26,808 --> 00:00:30,000 bit more stripped-down and it's just the bare bones, you can 10 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,700 hear people singing better and it just it's a really sweet 11 00:00:32,700 --> 00:00:35,000 thing. So not that I Don't miss the 12 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,400 people that aren't here but you guys sounded good. 13 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,300 It all sounded good singing. So thank you. 14 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:42,800 Hope you guys had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 15 00:00:42,900 --> 00:00:46,500 so far. Today is the first day of 2023. 16 00:00:46,500 --> 00:00:49,500 So thank you for being here. Thank you for coming to worship. 17 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:51,000 It's good to see everybody again. 18 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,100 Welcome to any guests. If you are visiting, you don't 19 00:00:54,100 --> 00:00:55,700 know me. My name is Jasper. 20 00:00:55,700 --> 00:00:58,900 Jack, I am the associate pastor. Here at New, Life Community 21 00:00:58,900 --> 00:01:02,300 Church Kyle, and his wife Patricia and their family or 22 00:01:02,300 --> 00:01:04,300 traveling. They've been doing Christmas. 23 00:01:04,500 --> 00:01:05,600 Family. They're headed back today. 24 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,900 So y'all keep them in your prayers for safe travels, but 25 00:01:09,700 --> 00:01:11,900 it's good to be here and it's good to be preaching today. 26 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,300 So thanks for having me. Thank you for being here. 27 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,700 Kind of a funny story about Christmas. 28 00:01:19,700 --> 00:01:21,700 I know everybody has gathered with family. 29 00:01:21,700 --> 00:01:25,200 We've all got fun stories to tell and things that we've done 30 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,000 over the last week or so that have been a lot of fun. 31 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:30,900 I was trying to think of some really crazy things, you know, 32 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:33,200 gathering with my family can be pretty eventful over the 33 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,000 holidays. I'll spare you, some of those 34 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,000 Tails, but a lot of you guys know, we have a dog named Ace 35 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:44,200 and we got a see, a really cool Old Man sweater to wear and I 36 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,100 just knew that when we got him this sweater Like we put this on 37 00:01:47,100 --> 00:01:49,000 him, he is going to chew this thing to Pieces. 38 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,500 There's no way he's going to keep the sweater on, but 39 00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:55,100 surprisingly over Christmas. It was pretty cold and he liked 40 00:01:55,100 --> 00:01:56,500 it. He didn't didn't seem to bother 41 00:01:56,500 --> 00:01:58,400 him. He wore it with pride, and so I 42 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,700 came home the other day and he's sitting in his leather chair, 43 00:02:00,700 --> 00:02:03,100 reading the paper with his readers on smoking a pipe, and 44 00:02:03,100 --> 00:02:06,800 he's like an old man now so. But anyway, I'm I'm kidding 45 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,100 about that, obviously, but we had a good Christmas. 46 00:02:09,100 --> 00:02:11,600 I hope you did too. That's good to see you guys 47 00:02:11,700 --> 00:02:14,800 before we start. Let's pray, one more time and 48 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,500 just ask To be with us that he would speak through his words 49 00:02:18,500 --> 00:02:21,400 speak through me. This would not be me you here 50 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:22,900 today but that he would be with us. 51 00:02:22,900 --> 00:02:26,900 All right, so let's go to the Lord in prayer gracious. 52 00:02:27,100 --> 00:02:31,000 Good loving Heavenly Father. God, we thank you for the 53 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,000 opportunity to be here today in your house to worship you to 54 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,800 sing together as Brothers and Sisters in Christ. 55 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,700 And to humbly come before you and bow down and reverence. 56 00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:45,500 And in all God, we pray that you were magnified in this place 57 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:48,000 today. And pray that you were honored 58 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,900 that you are glorified in this place through our worship, we 59 00:02:51,900 --> 00:02:55,200 hope it is pleasing to you. And we ask now that you be with 60 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,400 us as we continue to worship. And we look at your word. 61 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,700 We ask that you speak to us through it, God, that you speak 62 00:03:01,700 --> 00:03:03,500 through me. Just use me and, however, 63 00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:06,300 whatever way you would see fit. And that we come away from this 64 00:03:06,300 --> 00:03:10,100 place today, full of the Holy Spirit Lord, we pray that not 65 00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:12,200 only here, but all across Columbia County today. 66 00:03:12,500 --> 00:03:14,800 We love you in Jesus name. Amen. 67 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,400 Hey And well 2022 is coming to an end. 68 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:23,900 We have officially begun the new year and as Alan is talked about 69 00:03:23,900 --> 00:03:25,100 today. What I'm going to talk to you a 70 00:03:25,108 --> 00:03:28,900 little bit about is not New Year's resolutions, but habits 71 00:03:28,900 --> 00:03:33,500 and the difference in that. But this time of year when you 72 00:03:33,500 --> 00:03:36,800 go from one year and to a new and it's a natural time to be 73 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,100 thinking about these things to be thinking about New Year's 74 00:03:40,100 --> 00:03:43,400 resolutions, and you kind of look back at the past year, you 75 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:44,700 think about everything that happened? 76 00:03:44,700 --> 00:03:47,700 You look forward to a new New Year and what all could happen 77 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:49,700 in the new year. And you start to think about 78 00:03:49,700 --> 00:03:52,200 goals and things, you really want to see change or things you 79 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,000 want to do. Can be really natural to think 80 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,000 about man this year, I want to set some goals for myself. 81 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,300 Maybe some things you want to accomplish, maybe a new job that 82 00:04:01,300 --> 00:04:04,300 you're hoping to get, or raise or promotion, or maybe, you 83 00:04:04,300 --> 00:04:06,700 know, like most people, the number one goal is to lose 84 00:04:06,700 --> 00:04:10,300 weight and get healthy, right? That's what most people set 85 00:04:10,300 --> 00:04:14,300 goals to do and so it can just be a natural time when we want 86 00:04:14,300 --> 00:04:16,500 to reflect back. And then think of Things that we 87 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:20,300 want to accomplish. Now, all of this, all of these 88 00:04:20,300 --> 00:04:24,100 resolutions are geared, to work toward a common goal, and that's 89 00:04:24,100 --> 00:04:26,700 usually to make life better, right? 90 00:04:26,700 --> 00:04:29,100 Like, not that life was horrible, but we're always 91 00:04:29,100 --> 00:04:32,200 looking for ways to improve, like, how can, how can things 92 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,300 get better at work, or at home, or with family, or with kids. 93 00:04:35,300 --> 00:04:38,900 And so, I set these goals to be a better version of me, or to go 94 00:04:38,900 --> 00:04:41,100 forward in a better way. I want this year to be better 95 00:04:41,100 --> 00:04:43,900 than last year, especially, depending on the kind of year 96 00:04:43,900 --> 00:04:47,600 you had. And so, We set these lofty goals 97 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,200 for ourself these pretty pretty lofty goals. 98 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:54,300 And then usually by February, we start to experience some 99 00:04:54,300 --> 00:04:56,300 failure. We start to see we lose some 100 00:04:56,300 --> 00:04:58,800 momentum there, especially when it comes to Bible reading and 101 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,700 stuff like that, you start to get into numbers and all that 102 00:05:01,700 --> 00:05:03,900 and it just it just goes downhill from there. 103 00:05:03,900 --> 00:05:06,400 Right? So we set these goals in these 104 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:12,600 habits and then as we start to fail, to do what we set out to 105 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,700 do, we start to experience some discouragement it kind of 106 00:05:15,700 --> 00:05:17,800 leaves. Feeling a bit defeated, right? 107 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,800 It never setting these resolutions hardly ever leads to 108 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,000 any kind of real Joy or real peace or happiness. 109 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,600 Now, occasionally occasionally, we'll see that black sheep that 110 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,100 sets that goal to like, lose weight and actually does it. 111 00:05:33,300 --> 00:05:38,800 And we're all like look at them losing all that weight but it 112 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:42,000 does happen occasionally. But it hardly ever leads to any 113 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,100 kind of real lasting true Joy. So I want to ask you this this 114 00:05:46,100 --> 00:05:49,200 morning as we get ready to talk about this a little bit. 115 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,000 What is the, what is the point of it all? 116 00:05:54,300 --> 00:05:57,600 What's the point of it all? when you really think about it, 117 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,400 when you start to set these, these goals, and these 118 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:08,400 resolutions, why When you go through a year like some of us 119 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:12,100 have just had and we have as a church especially the last four 120 00:06:12,100 --> 00:06:16,000 months, it makes you. It has a way of making you step 121 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,300 back and look at the bigger picture. 122 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:22,500 And really a lot of those smaller things. 123 00:06:22,500 --> 00:06:24,900 Just kind of seemed to fade into the background and you start 124 00:06:24,900 --> 00:06:27,700 asking bigger questions like what am I doing here? 125 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,800 What's my purpose on this Earth? You know, how am I doing as a 126 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:36,600 husband, or a father or what have you but you start to ask 127 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,000 bigger questions. It has a way of giving you some 128 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,000 perspective on what really matters. 129 00:06:42,300 --> 00:06:44,400 And so you ask what was I created to do? 130 00:06:44,700 --> 00:06:47,500 What roles has God given me? And how am I doing in those 131 00:06:47,500 --> 00:06:49,700 roles? Who cares about, you know, I 132 00:06:49,707 --> 00:06:52,200 mean, I need to focus on my health absolutely. 133 00:06:52,900 --> 00:06:56,700 But why? So let me explain where I'm 134 00:06:56,700 --> 00:06:58,400 going with this. I think you guys are following 135 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:03,100 it with me of a little bit, but these little habits and hobbies 136 00:07:03,100 --> 00:07:08,000 or whatever, all of that, those resolutions need to be lending 137 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,600 themselves toward your ultimate purpose or your ultimate goals 138 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,700 in life. Like you need to have that 139 00:07:14,700 --> 00:07:17,400 clearly defined. And then you need to build these 140 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,600 habits or whatever around that to help you accomplish what it 141 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,900 is, your put on this Earth to do a great example. 142 00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:29,200 We live in the south, we live in Southwest Arkansas, and so most 143 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,300 people around here are pretty familiar with chainsaws, right? 144 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:34,600 There's probably a few you that have one in your truck right 145 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,800 now. So when it comes to cutting wood 146 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,500 nowadays you have a chainsaw and usually a log splitter and some 147 00:07:41,500 --> 00:07:42,900 things like that. Back in the day, it would have 148 00:07:42,900 --> 00:07:45,500 been an Axe and a mall in a wedge and some stuff like that, 149 00:07:45,500 --> 00:07:50,100 right? So every one of those tools has 150 00:07:50,100 --> 00:07:52,700 an individual job a function, right? 151 00:07:52,700 --> 00:07:54,800 So the chainsaw you're going to cut the tree down. 152 00:07:55,100 --> 00:07:57,200 You're going to probably do in the tree, you're going to cut it 153 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,100 into smaller chunks. And then once you've got your 154 00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:01,100 smaller chunks, you're going to roll them over to the splitter, 155 00:08:01,100 --> 00:08:02,200 right? You're going to start splitting 156 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:06,200 it or if you are poor boy, like me, you loaded up on the trailer 157 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,600 and go get them all in the wedge and you go to work and you start 158 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,700 breaking a sweat and so. But each one of those tools has 159 00:08:11,700 --> 00:08:14,500 a different job, right? A different function, but the 160 00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:17,800 main point of it, all is firewood, right? 161 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:19,700 Or really even bigger? That's warmth. 162 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,200 I want to stay warm this winter. What do I do? 163 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:23,900 I need firewood. How do I get firewood? 164 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:26,500 I go you go do whatever. Or so, you get what I'm saying? 165 00:08:26,500 --> 00:08:29,600 The overall point is firewood, but all those things have 166 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,600 individual jobs, they do to lead to the firewood, right? 167 00:08:34,500 --> 00:08:38,100 So, for New, Year's resolutions or goals or habits that you want 168 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:41,299 to develop, you need to be asking, what is my purpose in 169 00:08:41,299 --> 00:08:42,600 life? What have I been put on this 170 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,400 Earth to do? What is it that God is expecting 171 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,100 of me? And I need to build those things 172 00:08:47,100 --> 00:08:50,800 around that. I need to ask questions, like, 173 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,500 why do I want to be healthy? Why do I want to lose weight? 174 00:08:55,100 --> 00:08:56,300 Usually, it's because I'm overweight. 175 00:08:56,300 --> 00:08:59,000 But why do I want to be healthy? Is it? 176 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,000 Because I want to be a better. Husband, a better, father, a 177 00:09:02,008 --> 00:09:04,600 better employee. I want to be able to serve the 178 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:07,200 Lord better, or is it just because, that's what I'm 179 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,300 supposed to do. That's what my friends do. 180 00:09:09,500 --> 00:09:11,400 It sort of the world tells me I'm supposed to do. 181 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,800 We have to ask and answer these questions? 182 00:09:14,100 --> 00:09:18,400 What's my motivation behind it? What's the motivation behind? 183 00:09:18,500 --> 00:09:21,900 Hind going into a new year and wanting some things to change, 184 00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:24,500 is it just for the sake of those things? 185 00:09:24,500 --> 00:09:27,300 Or is there something higher going on here, a bigger purpose? 186 00:09:28,300 --> 00:09:31,500 So all of those things, as I mentioned need to be lending 187 00:09:31,500 --> 00:09:34,000 themselves toward helping you accomplish your purpose. 188 00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:40,200 So, we need to go into 2023 with a renewed sense of purpose. 189 00:09:41,100 --> 00:09:44,300 Then we can start to build those habits and those, those things 190 00:09:44,300 --> 00:09:47,400 around that, that help lend themselves toward that. 191 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:51,700 So, last week, Kyle did a fantastic job of laying a 192 00:09:51,708 --> 00:09:55,100 foundation for what I want to talk to you about today at one 193 00:09:55,100 --> 00:09:57,100 point. He said this, he said the family 194 00:09:57,100 --> 00:10:01,300 that Christ came from showed the family that he came for. 195 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,200 Okay. The type of people that Christ 196 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,000 came from showed us, the type of people that he came for his. 197 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,800 If you look back through his genealogy and his family tree, 198 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,100 it was full of sinful people, right? 199 00:10:13,100 --> 00:10:16,200 We know that people like David were not sinless men, they 200 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,100 weren't perfect. And this show that Jesus came 201 00:10:19,100 --> 00:10:22,200 from this lineage of sinful broken people because that's the 202 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:26,600 people that he came to save. So a love when he said that. 203 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,800 But he also pointed out and he said this, we can't leave Jesus 204 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:33,600 in the manger, right? He didn't just stay a baby. 205 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,600 He is now king of kings and Lord of lords, and we must submit Our 206 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:42,800 Lives to him as such. So, again, he laid out 207 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:47,400 beautifully in his sermon, how we can be saved through 208 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:52,000 repentance and faith in Christ. And once we are, we are a new 209 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,200 creation and we were to go forward living a new life 210 00:10:55,200 --> 00:11:00,700 walking in newness of life. And so today, I don't want to 211 00:11:00,700 --> 00:11:03,000 talk to you about how you can be saved. 212 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:07,000 I want to talk to you about. Why you have been saved? 213 00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:10,900 Okay, don't don't miss that. We are going to talk a little 214 00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:13,200 bit about Out how you can be saved, how you can be a new 215 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:14,600 creation, but I want to talk to you about. 216 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:18,900 Why, why have you been created into a new a new person? 217 00:11:20,100 --> 00:11:25,600 Did you know that Jesus saved you for a reason for a purpose? 218 00:11:26,100 --> 00:11:28,500 It's not salvations. Not just the end of the journey 219 00:11:28,500 --> 00:11:31,000 for a Christian. It's not that I was a sinner and 220 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:35,800 I was lost and I put my faith in Christ and I was saved the end 221 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:40,500 just live life now know, he saves you for something and into 222 00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:43,500 something you've been given a new Mission. 223 00:11:44,100 --> 00:11:47,100 Once you were reborn and we're going to talk about that today. 224 00:11:47,100 --> 00:11:51,200 So turn with me to Ephesians chapter 2 That's where we're 225 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:52,800 going to read from. Now, we're going to we're going 226 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:54,600 to read a couple of different passages today. 227 00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:57,200 I'm not going to make you stand every time we do this. 228 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:00,100 But for this first one we will. So if you would stand with me, 229 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,700 we're going to read from Ephesians chapter 2, verses, 1 230 00:12:04,700 --> 00:12:08,200 through 10. And after I read this, I'm going 231 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,700 to say this is the word of the Lord and you are going to say. 232 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:15,400 Thanks be to God. Okay, so read with me. 233 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,000 Ephesians 2, verses 1 through 10 says this. 234 00:12:19,900 --> 00:12:23,400 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you 235 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,100 formerly walked, according to the course of this world, 236 00:12:26,100 --> 00:12:29,400 according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit, 237 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:35,200 that is now working in the sons of Disobedience among them, we 238 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,900 too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging, 239 00:12:38,900 --> 00:12:41,900 the desires of the Flesh and of the mind and we're by Nature 240 00:12:41,900 --> 00:12:45,000 children of Wrath, even as the rest. 241 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:50,900 But God being rich in Mercy because Because of his great 242 00:12:50,900 --> 00:12:54,200 love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our 243 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,400 transgressions, made us alive together. 244 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,900 With Christ by Grace, you have been saved and raised us up with 245 00:13:01,900 --> 00:13:05,200 him and seated us with him in the Heavenly places in Christ 246 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:09,200 Jesus. So that in the ages to come he 247 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,200 might show The surpassing Riches of his grace in kindness toward 248 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,000 us in Jesus Christ. For by Grace, you have been 249 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,700 saved through faith and not of yourselves. 250 00:13:18,700 --> 00:13:22,300 It is the gift of God. God, not a result of works so 251 00:13:22,300 --> 00:13:28,800 that no one may boast for we are his workmanship created in 252 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:33,400 Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand. 253 00:13:33,500 --> 00:13:38,300 So that we would walk in them. This is the word of the Lord. 254 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:40,700 Thanks be to God. You may be seated. 255 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:49,000 So here in Ephesians we see just a small little snapshot of what 256 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:53,800 Kyle talked about last week, okay, we see that according to 257 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:58,900 verse 1, we were dead in our sins and trespasses but God not 258 00:13:58,900 --> 00:14:01,600 us, made us alive. We didn't save ourselves. 259 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,000 God saved us and he made us alive together with Christ. 260 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:10,700 So that He did it for a reason so that he might show The Riches 261 00:14:10,700 --> 00:14:15,100 of his grace and kindness toward us there for we are his 262 00:14:15,100 --> 00:14:20,900 workmanship first 10 created for good works which God prepared 263 00:14:20,900 --> 00:14:24,100 beforehand. So we see two purposes at play 264 00:14:24,100 --> 00:14:27,800 here in this text. We are created for good works. 265 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:31,000 We see that in verse 10. That's why God saved us were 266 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,000 created for good works. He prepared them of had a ahead 267 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:38,300 of time, but even in that even In in doing the good works, we 268 00:14:38,300 --> 00:14:41,200 were made for were serving a higher purpose which is to 269 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:46,400 glorify and honor the Lord. We see this in the previous 270 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:50,100 verse 4, it says that he made us so that he could show The Riches 271 00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:52,600 of his Mercy. It brings him glory that he 272 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,300 redeemed, a people that didn't deserve to be redeemed That 273 00:14:55,300 --> 00:14:57,400 Glory brings glory and honour to the Lord. 274 00:14:57,700 --> 00:15:01,700 So all of it, the ultimate goal of it is to glorify God. 275 00:15:01,700 --> 00:15:03,800 That's the whole point of us doing the good works. 276 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,900 It's not just to do good works, it's to bring God glory. 277 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,800 Through the good works. That is exactly what we see in 278 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:15,900 Matthew chapter 5 verse 16. It says this in the same way let 279 00:15:15,900 --> 00:15:20,500 your light shine before others so that they may see your good 280 00:15:20,500 --> 00:15:23,600 works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. 281 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:28,500 You catch that let your light shine before others so that they 282 00:15:28,500 --> 00:15:30,800 will see it and give glory to God. 283 00:15:31,100 --> 00:15:36,200 That's the point, the glory glorify and honor the Lord to 284 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:37,700 give you another illustration. Illustration of this. 285 00:15:37,700 --> 00:15:40,000 I use the chainsaw earlier. If you think about a tire on a 286 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,100 car, what is the, what's the purpose of a tire? 287 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:49,000 Okay, a tire is round because it's made to do what role rights 288 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,800 not triangles, not Square drown because it's meant to roll and 289 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,800 it's got Rubber and are in it because that helps absorb 290 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,000 impact. It makes it rich. 291 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:58,800 Not a rough ride. It's a smooth ride. 292 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,000 So the whole point of the tire is role and help get you down 293 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,700 the road comfortably. Now, there are tons of other 294 00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:06,500 parts of a car. I'm not going to pretend to know 295 00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:10,000 them but As use the windshield wipers, their purpose is not to 296 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:11,600 roll. It's they serve a different 297 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,000 function but it all works together to do. 298 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,100 What get you from point, A to point B as comfortably and quick 299 00:16:17,100 --> 00:16:18,300 as possible. Right? 300 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:22,000 That's the whole point of a car. These things are serving 301 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,200 individual purposes, but the overall point is to help get you 302 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:30,300 down the road. So just like this good works and 303 00:16:30,300 --> 00:16:32,200 things like that are all meant to glorify. 304 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,400 God, that's the point. Yes, there are good words. 305 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,800 There are individual things that we do that are very different, 306 00:16:38,900 --> 00:16:42,600 but it all serves that ultimate higher purpose of glorifying 307 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:46,400 God. Now, one of the best ways that 308 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,900 this has ever been put into words and the human language is 309 00:16:49,900 --> 00:16:51,400 through. What is called Keisha's 310 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,000 catechism, or the Baptist. Catechism, a catechism is a 311 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,100 simple set of questions and answers. 312 00:16:57,300 --> 00:17:00,400 They've been used throughout church history to teach children 313 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,400 and to teach churches, basic theology. 314 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:05,800 So, some of you have heard us talk about the new city. 315 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,700 Catechism, it's a fairly A newer one, you can get Illustrated 316 00:17:08,700 --> 00:17:11,200 books, I highly recommend them for your kids. 317 00:17:11,500 --> 00:17:14,700 It's a simple set of questions and answers, you ask things like 318 00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:17,400 who is God? Why is God, why did God send 319 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,800 Jesus things like that. And question and answer that 320 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,700 kids can learn and memorize. They even have songs and little 321 00:17:22,700 --> 00:17:26,900 Jingles to go with it. So, in this catechism question 322 00:17:26,900 --> 00:17:30,400 number two is, what is the chief end of man? 323 00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:33,100 In other words, what is man's purpose? 324 00:17:33,700 --> 00:17:35,900 Why did God create us? What are we put on this Earth 325 00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:39,100 for? The answer is man's Chief in, is 326 00:17:39,100 --> 00:17:42,100 to glorify God and enjoy him forever. 327 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,100 Another way of saying this is that God created us to bring him 328 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:51,500 glory and enjoy him forever. That is today's big idea. 329 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:53,500 It's not original. I'm stealing it from the 330 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:55,800 catechism. My big thought for you today is 331 00:17:55,800 --> 00:18:00,100 it man's purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. 332 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:04,900 That is what we are put on this Earth to do, that's why God made 333 00:18:04,900 --> 00:18:07,200 us. That's how he designed us. 334 00:18:07,300 --> 00:18:10,600 Is to do that, right? And so when you when you take 335 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,100 something like a tool and you use it for something, it was not 336 00:18:14,100 --> 00:18:16,700 meant to do, that's called abuse. 337 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:20,000 If I try to take a chainsaw and make a hammer out of it, that's 338 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,600 not going to work out well. But when I'm using it for what 339 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,200 it's created to do, then it works wonderfully. 340 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:31,900 We are created for a purpose and it is to glorify God and enjoy 341 00:18:31,900 --> 00:18:33,800 him forever. That's the whole point. 342 00:18:34,900 --> 00:18:37,800 We are made to do this and we do it through these. 343 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:41,500 Good works that God has prepared for us ahead of time. 344 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,300 So, it sounds simple right do. Good works. 345 00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:49,100 Glorify God, the end but you and I know that this is not always 346 00:18:49,100 --> 00:18:51,700 easy. Doing good works, right? 347 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,500 Because we still live in a sinful Fallen World, right? 348 00:18:55,500 --> 00:18:59,300 We are still Sinners ourselves. I don't always want to do the 349 00:18:59,300 --> 00:19:02,800 right thing. Sometimes I'm I mean I'm sinful. 350 00:19:03,500 --> 00:19:06,000 And so This is, this is complicated and it can be 351 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:10,900 tricky. So, how do we do this? 352 00:19:11,500 --> 00:19:14,200 How do we do these? Good works that God prepared for 353 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,000 us ahead of time. If you start to look at the 354 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,700 world around you and consider the sinfulness of it, it can be 355 00:19:19,700 --> 00:19:21,800 overwhelming at times. Like man, there is no good in 356 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,600 the world. I look at humanity and I think 357 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,800 it's a losing battle. We have to understand that we 358 00:19:28,808 --> 00:19:33,100 can't do this on our own turn with me now to John chapter 15, 359 00:19:34,700 --> 00:19:37,200 John chapter 15. I'm not going to make you stand 360 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:42,500 for this one, but this is going to be Paramount to the 361 00:19:42,500 --> 00:19:45,400 discussion of doing good works and fulfilling our purpose to 362 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,900 glorify God. Okay, John chapter 15 verses 1 363 00:19:48,900 --> 00:19:53,400 through 12 say this. I am the True Vine and my father 364 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,900 is the vinedresser every branch in me that does not bear fruit. 365 00:19:57,100 --> 00:20:01,100 He takes away and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it. 366 00:20:01,300 --> 00:20:05,400 So that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of 367 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:11,000 the word, which I have spoken to you abide in me and I in you as 368 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,300 the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the 369 00:20:14,300 --> 00:20:17,100 vine. So, neither can you unless you 370 00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:20,000 abide in me? I am the vine. 371 00:20:20,100 --> 00:20:22,900 You are the branches, he who abides in me. 372 00:20:22,900 --> 00:20:26,900 And I in him, he Bears much fruit for apart from me, you can 373 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,600 can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, 374 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:34,400 he is thrown away as a branch and dries up and they gather 375 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:36,700 them and they cast them into the fire and they are burned. 376 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:42,000 If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you 377 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:43,600 wish and it will be done for you. 378 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:49,000 My father is glorified by this that you bear much fruit and so 379 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,200 prove to be my disciples, just as the father has loved me. 380 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:57,100 I have also loved you abide in my love, if you keep My 381 00:20:57,100 --> 00:20:59,300 Commandments, you will abide in my love. 382 00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:02,700 Just as I have kept my father's Commandments and abide in his 383 00:21:02,700 --> 00:21:06,200 love. These things I have spoken to 384 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:10,400 you. So that my joy may be in you and 385 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:16,300 that your joy may be made full. There's a lot to unpack. 386 00:21:16,300 --> 00:21:19,200 Here we saw the word Abide, a whole lot in this. 387 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,700 But what we see here is that we can only do good works. 388 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:30,000 We can only bear good fruit. If we abide in Christ we cannot 389 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:34,400 do it on our own. This will not be easy. 390 00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:38,600 We are told in verse two that he will prune us so that we can 391 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:41,800 bear more fruit and who knows that pruning is not fun. 392 00:21:42,700 --> 00:21:46,400 That is not a fun process but it is necessary for growth. 393 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:49,200 It is a grace of God in our lives that he prunes us. 394 00:21:50,700 --> 00:21:54,400 So, Jesus tells us here in verse 4, we cannot bear good fruit, 395 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:58,200 unless we abide in him. In fact, we can do nothing apart 396 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:03,000 from him according to verse 5, but if we remain in him, we will 397 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,600 produce good fruit. We will produce good works and 398 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,500 in doing so, God is glorified in verse 8. 399 00:22:09,900 --> 00:22:14,600 So this is how we do this, we abide in Christ and if we will 400 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:18,200 do this it's inevitable that the results will be good works and 401 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:23,100 good fruit, which glorifies God? So that's the key we have to 402 00:22:23,100 --> 00:22:26,300 abide in Christ. So, how do we do that? 403 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,000 How do I buy? What does that mean? 404 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:29,600 What does the word abide? Even mean? 405 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:36,400 The word abide means to stay in to dwell in to remain in to 406 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:40,200 inhabit? So to abide in Christ means that 407 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,900 I'm staying in Christ. That's where I live. 408 00:22:42,900 --> 00:22:45,500 I'm camping out. That's my comforter comfortable 409 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:46,900 place. That's my happy place. 410 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,400 I'm staying in Christ, always it. 411 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,800 Also this word abide has this connotation of endurance. 412 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,100 It's not an in-and-out thing. It's a steadfastness so I'm in 413 00:22:57,100 --> 00:22:59,500 Christ and I'm staying in Christ. 414 00:22:59,500 --> 00:23:03,000 I'm not in Christ one day and then out the other day and then 415 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,100 I feel like going to church today and I don't want to go to 416 00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:06,800 the next day. And again I don't want to get 417 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:07,900 real. Akan. 418 00:23:07,900 --> 00:23:10,700 This we're going to talk about some application here in a 419 00:23:10,708 --> 00:23:14,200 minute, but the idea is that we're staying in Christ. 420 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,300 Always, it's not an in-and-out thing. 421 00:23:18,500 --> 00:23:21,300 So how do we do this? How can we stay in Christ? 422 00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:24,100 How can we abide in Christ? Now that we know what that 423 00:23:24,100 --> 00:23:26,000 means. Well, the first way that we've 424 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,900 talked about already is to be in his word. 425 00:23:29,500 --> 00:23:33,100 He says that if my word abides in you than I will be with you. 426 00:23:33,100 --> 00:23:36,500 So, John 8:31 says this Jesus said to the Jews who had 427 00:23:36,500 --> 00:23:40,400 believed in him if you abide In my word, you are truly my 428 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,900 disciples and we just read here in verse 10. 429 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,500 If you keep my Commandments, you will abide in my love. 430 00:23:47,500 --> 00:23:49,900 Just as I have kept my father's Commandments and abide in his 431 00:23:49,900 --> 00:23:51,500 love. So we got to keep these 432 00:23:51,500 --> 00:23:52,700 Commandments. Well, how do we know what his 433 00:23:52,700 --> 00:23:55,100 Commandments are do? We get to just make those up 434 00:23:55,500 --> 00:23:58,000 whatever we think is right? No, we're told what his 435 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:02,100 Commandments are here in the Bible, so we have to be in it. 436 00:24:02,500 --> 00:24:04,500 If I'm going to follow God's Commandments, I need to know 437 00:24:04,500 --> 00:24:06,200 what they are and I can't know what they are. 438 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,800 Unless I pick this book up and Open it and read it. 439 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,100 Then I know what gods commanded. Then I can live it out. 440 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,600 This is how we know we have his word. 441 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,500 We abide in it. We study it, we immerse 442 00:24:18,500 --> 00:24:21,600 ourselves in it, we feed on it and then we take what? 443 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,300 We learn and we go put it into action and we live it out. 444 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:29,700 Second Timothy. 3:16 through 17 says, all scripture is breathed 445 00:24:29,700 --> 00:24:33,500 out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for 446 00:24:33,500 --> 00:24:35,600 correction, for training in righteousness. 447 00:24:35,900 --> 00:24:40,200 That the man of God, may be complete equipped for every good 448 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,000 work. So, we see that abiding in 449 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,900 Christ abiding in God's word. Makes us complete. 450 00:24:45,900 --> 00:24:48,300 It helps us know how to do these good works. 451 00:24:48,300 --> 00:24:51,700 It makes us whole as a Christian God's word. 452 00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:55,000 Does this Colossians 3:16 Says, let the word of Christ? 453 00:24:55,500 --> 00:25:01,000 Dwell in you or abide in you richly teaching and admonishing 454 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,800 one. Another in all wisdom, singing, 455 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:06,700 Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness to God 456 00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:13,900 in your heart, we are commanded to let God's word abide in US 457 00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:17,800 richly. Now, when you talk about letting 458 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,300 something abide in you or abiding in something richly, 459 00:25:20,300 --> 00:25:22,800 that doesn't mean that you're just sprinkled a little bit with 460 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,000 it, that's the idea if you're going to marinate a steak. 461 00:25:25,100 --> 00:25:28,100 Take and you're going to put it in something and soak it like 462 00:25:28,100 --> 00:25:31,200 you're going to cover it with some kind of marinade and let it 463 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:35,400 soak for hours or days even to where it is just saturated with 464 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,700 that marinade that's what we're talking about here. 465 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,600 We must dwell richly in God's word, this isn't a light 466 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:43,700 sprinkling or dusting occasionally. 467 00:25:43,900 --> 00:25:45,200 That's going to make no difference. 468 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:49,100 We have to be in God's word, constantly dwelling in it again. 469 00:25:49,100 --> 00:25:52,200 That's my happy place, that's where I want to stay. 470 00:25:54,100 --> 00:25:58,000 Another way that we abide in Christ is through prayer. 471 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:02,000 First Thessalonians 5:17 says, pray without ceasing. 472 00:26:02,900 --> 00:26:06,600 Who knows what without ceasing means, always right? 473 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,200 You don't stop. You're in a constant state of 474 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:12,200 prayer. Philippians 4:6 says, do not be 475 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,800 anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and 476 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:19,600 supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known 477 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,700 to God. And then Ephesians 6 tells us 478 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,600 take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which 479 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,300 is the word of God, praying at all times in the spirit with all 480 00:26:29,300 --> 00:26:33,200 prayer, and all supplication to that end, keep alert with all 481 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:35,400 perseverance, making supplication for the Saints. 482 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,800 So, over and over and over again. 483 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:39,700 We see these commands to be in prayer. 484 00:26:39,700 --> 00:26:43,300 Constantly to don't be anxious about anything but with 485 00:26:43,300 --> 00:26:46,500 everything present your requests to the Lord through 486 00:26:46,500 --> 00:26:48,700 supplication. Pray for your brothers and 487 00:26:48,700 --> 00:26:50,400 sisters. Pray for the fellow Saints. 488 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,600 And we're commanded to do this and speaking of brothers and 489 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,900 sisters and the fellow Saints. There's another way that we can 490 00:26:57,900 --> 00:27:01,500 abide in Christ, is to abide with one another to gather 491 00:27:01,500 --> 00:27:05,500 regularly as the family of God and worship together. 492 00:27:05,900 --> 00:27:09,600 Hebrews 10:24 through 25 says, let us consider how to stir one 493 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:12,300 another up to love and good works. 494 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,700 Not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some but 495 00:27:15,700 --> 00:27:19,100 encouraging one, another and all the more as you see the day 496 00:27:19,100 --> 00:27:23,600 Drawing Near Notice that we're not too, we're not to neglect 497 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,100 meeting together as some people do, we're to gather together 498 00:27:26,100 --> 00:27:30,200 weekly for what? Stir one, another up for love 499 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,700 and good works. Remember that's that's what 500 00:27:32,700 --> 00:27:35,400 we're created for. That's what we've been born into 501 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,400 the family of God for is to do. Good works. 502 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,400 There are times that I don't feel like doing good works and I 503 00:27:41,408 --> 00:27:44,900 need you guys to come alongside me and encouraged me and stir me 504 00:27:44,900 --> 00:27:48,100 up. And I know, Over the last few 505 00:27:48,100 --> 00:27:54,400 months, it has been tough, but I think we've all walked away from 506 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:59,400 this more encouraged to do. Good works to to gather together 507 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:02,500 to worship together. There's no way we can do this 508 00:28:02,500 --> 00:28:05,000 alone. We have to do it together. 509 00:28:06,100 --> 00:28:09,400 So through these things through staying in God's word and 510 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,200 through prayer and through gathering together at home, 511 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:13,900 groups, and Sunday mornings, all of this. 512 00:28:13,900 --> 00:28:19,000 This is how we can abide. Died in Christ and be equipped 513 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:22,200 for good works. This is how we do it now. 514 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:28,900 In the in the years past I have preached at New Year's a couple 515 00:28:28,900 --> 00:28:33,600 of different times. And I've talked with you, I'm 516 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:34,900 sure you guys don't remember this. 517 00:28:34,900 --> 00:28:38,000 I don't expect you to but preparing for this sermon. 518 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,800 I look back over some of my past sermons that I've preached on 519 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:43,700 this. And we've talked about spiritual 520 00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:47,900 disciplines were habits versus resolutions. 521 00:28:48,100 --> 00:28:50,500 We've talked about the difference and habits versus 522 00:28:50,500 --> 00:28:52,600 resolutions. We've talked about how these are 523 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,900 called disciplines, Because they require discipline and hard 524 00:28:55,900 --> 00:28:57,100 work. We've done that. 525 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,300 I did not want to come in here today and talk to you and set 526 00:29:01,300 --> 00:29:03,100 this up that way. I didn't want to say look today, 527 00:29:03,100 --> 00:29:06,300 we're going to talk about spiritual disciplines because I 528 00:29:06,300 --> 00:29:09,800 don't want you to hear me talking about legalism here. 529 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,800 I don't want you to think that I'm here saying, indeed be 530 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,100 reading your Bible and praying and coming to church. 531 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:18,600 That's what you need to start this year out here, and it's not 532 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:22,000 about that. It's not about that at all. 533 00:29:23,900 --> 00:29:26,800 I want to talk to you. What I wanted you to hear today 534 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,100 is our motivation behind those things. 535 00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:33,100 Why do we do those things? It's not about legalism, it's 536 00:29:33,100 --> 00:29:36,800 not about checking boxes. It's about loving the god that 537 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:41,000 saved you, and being in communion with him daily, in his 538 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,000 word and praying and being in communion with the other people 539 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,300 that he's saved around you, with your brothers and sisters in 540 00:29:46,300 --> 00:29:50,200 Christ, it is about finding true and Lasting joy. 541 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,300 In Christ. We've seen this in these verses, 542 00:29:53,300 --> 00:29:57,600 this Is this is how we can be joyful. 543 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:03,000 He says, in this John 15 text in verse 11, these things I have 544 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:07,900 spoken to you. So that my joy may be in you and 545 00:30:07,900 --> 00:30:13,400 that your joy may be made full. I don't know about you guys but 546 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:19,800 I want to go into 2023 joyful. I want to be more joyful, I need 547 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:23,300 to do that as a person, I'm naturally, pretty pessimistic. 548 00:30:23,300 --> 00:30:27,400 And so this isn't about checking boxes, it's not about legalism, 549 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:31,300 it is about finding life and finding it to the fullest 550 00:30:31,300 --> 00:30:35,500 finding true joy in Christ. That's why we do these things. 551 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:41,700 That's our motivation. This is where we find our 552 00:30:41,700 --> 00:30:44,500 ultimate. Joy are true peace in our true 553 00:30:44,500 --> 00:30:48,400 happiness is in following God's word, being in God's word and 554 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:52,700 following his commands loving and serving our creator. 555 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:55,300 That is what we are designed to do. 556 00:30:57,900 --> 00:31:01,400 Because God is so awesome and so omniscient. 557 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:03,300 And his ways are higher than ours. 558 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:08,500 He designed it this way. He made us this way to do this, 559 00:31:08,500 --> 00:31:10,900 this is our purpose. This is our function in our 560 00:31:10,900 --> 00:31:13,000 design. We often think of these things, 561 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:16,400 as burdensome God better read my Bible every day. 562 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:18,300 It's so boring and I don't want to do it. 563 00:31:18,300 --> 00:31:21,100 I've got to get up and go to church on Sunday, and got to put 564 00:31:21,100 --> 00:31:25,900 up with these people that I've but God made us in a way that if 565 00:31:25,900 --> 00:31:27,500 we will do what he's commanding us to. 566 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:29,800 We will find true, joy, and peace. 567 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:34,600 That is the most loving thing ever that our father, that our 568 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:37,600 creator, the one that made us and made us for a purpose. 569 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:39,900 Would tell us look, I made you a certain way. 570 00:31:39,900 --> 00:31:42,900 Now go do these things. If you'll do it sort of created 571 00:31:42,900 --> 00:31:45,100 you for you'll be happy. You'll find Joy, you'll find 572 00:31:45,100 --> 00:31:49,100 peace. It would be the ultimate wrong 573 00:31:49,100 --> 00:31:53,100 to not tell us to do these things to not command us to be 574 00:31:53,100 --> 00:31:55,800 in his word. So we have to understand that 575 00:31:55,800 --> 00:32:00,400 this is the most loving and kind act of Grace that God could ever 576 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:05,500 do for us is to give us his word and tell us hey be in this read 577 00:32:05,500 --> 00:32:11,100 this you will find a life here you'll find Joy here He's giving 578 00:32:11,100 --> 00:32:13,800 us the very thing that we need. The very thing we were created 579 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,500 to do. Not only did he send his son to 580 00:32:16,500 --> 00:32:19,700 die for our sins but then he gave us the tools. 581 00:32:19,700 --> 00:32:23,600 We need to be joyful and to persevere in this sinful world 582 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:28,700 that we still live in because he loves us and because he loves us 583 00:32:28,700 --> 00:32:30,900 so much. We should be motivated to love 584 00:32:30,900 --> 00:32:34,200 him and to be in his word and to gather together, that's the 585 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:38,900 motivation behind it all And you will find joy in this. 586 00:32:39,900 --> 00:32:44,800 This is how we abide in Christ. This is how we have our joy 587 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:49,700 filled to the full, and this is our chief end. 588 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:55,200 Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him 589 00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:57,600 forever. It's what we were made to do. 590 00:32:57,800 --> 00:32:59,800 This is how we do it, we abide in Christ. 591 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:04,800 So, again, These things Bible study prayer Fellowship. 592 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:07,100 This isn't just legalism. This isn't just. 593 00:33:07,100 --> 00:33:10,700 Hey, here's how you can be an A+ student in the school of 594 00:33:10,900 --> 00:33:13,900 Christianity. This is how you will find. 595 00:33:13,900 --> 00:33:16,800 True, joy, and happiness, in a sinful world around you. 596 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:22,200 This is how you make it. Through The Dark Night of your 597 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,400 soul. This is how you persevere 598 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:26,600 through Seasons. Like the one we've just come 599 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:31,100 through being in God's word, trusting in his promises 600 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:35,400 clinging to it daily encouraging one, another lifting, one 601 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:39,600 another up in prayer. This is how you find true joy in 602 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,500 the midst of all, that when it makes no sense to have joy. 603 00:33:43,100 --> 00:33:47,000 So, I encourage you go into the new year doing these things. 604 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,100 Let's talk about some practical application. 605 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:51,600 If you're a Christian in this place, Your believer. 606 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:56,200 Yes, I am recommending. I'm strongly urging you to read 607 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:59,500 your Bible to pray to gather together with the Saints on the 608 00:33:59,500 --> 00:34:02,100 Lord's day every week, as much as you can. 609 00:34:02,700 --> 00:34:06,000 When it comes to reading the Bible, look pick a gap, pick a 610 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,400 Bible reading plan, our church puts ones out every year, it's 611 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,300 on the website, you can follow that one if you want, but 612 00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:15,100 they've been making these, these things called a One Year Bible 613 00:34:15,100 --> 00:34:17,300 for a really long time. You can pick one of those up. 614 00:34:17,300 --> 00:34:20,100 You can get them in chronological order and you just 615 00:34:20,100 --> 00:34:23,000 open to Day's date, and it tells you exactly what to read, you 616 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,699 just read a page or two and you're done. 617 00:34:25,300 --> 00:34:28,400 You can get on a website called Bible reading, plan 618 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:31,800 generator.com, and you can tell it what you want to read this 619 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:33,300 year. If you don't want to set too, 620 00:34:33,300 --> 00:34:34,800 high of a goal. You just say, look, I just want 621 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:36,000 to read the New Testament this year. 622 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:37,699 If I can do that, I'll be doing great. 623 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,400 Get on there and put the New Testament, it'll divide it up 624 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:43,400 and days for you and every day you can get on your calendar, on 625 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:45,300 your phone. It will tell you exactly what to 626 00:34:45,300 --> 00:34:47,400 read, take it with you. Everywhere you go. 627 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:50,800 It's in your pocket. You guys know Their audience 628 00:34:50,900 --> 00:34:53,699 Audio Bibles out there, you can listen to it on your commute to 629 00:34:53,699 --> 00:34:55,400 work every day. I mean, I get it. 630 00:34:55,400 --> 00:35:02,100 It's tough time is at a premium but you can make it work. 631 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:05,800 So I encourage you to do that. There's no shortage of tools out 632 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:08,500 there for you. So I encourage you to pick a 633 00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:10,700 Bible reading plan and stick to it. 634 00:35:10,700 --> 00:35:13,300 Carve out time every day. The, you know, you can get 635 00:35:13,300 --> 00:35:16,500 somewhere and get quiet and read for 15, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 636 00:35:16,500 --> 00:35:19,600 whatever just make it happen. Be disciplined in it. 637 00:35:20,700 --> 00:35:23,700 When it comes to prayer, there are a lot of tools for that to 638 00:35:23,700 --> 00:35:26,400 their apps out there. The one that we've recommended 639 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:28,100 to you in the past called prayer mate. 640 00:35:28,300 --> 00:35:30,700 You can have different categories, you can put lists in 641 00:35:30,700 --> 00:35:33,400 there, you can build it and get as complicated as you want with 642 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:35,200 it. But you can have people in there 643 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:37,300 and you just get on there and just swipe, and pray through 644 00:35:37,300 --> 00:35:39,700 those things. Same thing that tons of tools 645 00:35:39,700 --> 00:35:44,000 out there, use a good old pen and paper, and keep a list, take 646 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,000 it with you, or you go. Keep a notepad in your pocket. 647 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:49,700 I don't care. Just pray, pray, pray, pray. 648 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:53,300 Ray. I don't know what that was. 649 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:56,700 Let's pray. It wasn't a bomb. 650 00:35:56,700 --> 00:35:58,000 Let's keep going. Okay. 651 00:35:59,100 --> 00:36:02,900 All right, so prayer, Bible study and prayer and now let's 652 00:36:02,900 --> 00:36:06,400 talk about one last gathering with the Saints. 653 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:09,300 So we know you guys know every Sunday morning, you can come 654 00:36:09,300 --> 00:36:12,100 into this place, we're going to be singing praises to the Lord. 655 00:36:12,100 --> 00:36:13,600 We're going to be reading from his word. 656 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,000 So gather together weekly now I want to also encourage you in 657 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:21,500 this things like home groups on Wednesday nights biblical 658 00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:25,200 manhood and Womanhood when they meet those things are fantastic. 659 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:31,000 And this is how you grow as a Christian and okay gathering 660 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,600 together once a week in hearing. Someone preach from God's word, 661 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:37,400 is absolutely essential, but those other things are almost 662 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:41,700 considered extracurricular. Now, I highly encourage you in 663 00:36:41,700 --> 00:36:43,400 that. This is how we grow. 664 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:44,900 This is how we grow in community. 665 00:36:45,100 --> 00:36:47,500 I know if it weren't for home groups, over the years, I 666 00:36:47,500 --> 00:36:50,100 wouldn't know half of you near as well as I do. 667 00:36:50,100 --> 00:36:51,800 This is how you get to know people. 668 00:36:51,900 --> 00:36:56,100 It's how you go through life together, I just can't and I 669 00:36:56,107 --> 00:36:59,200 can't encourage you enough to get plugged into a home group to 670 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:02,600 a small group of the church to get to know the church better. 671 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,800 It's really hard to do that if you only come on Sundays, but we 672 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:08,300 are commanded to gather together once a week and Worship the 673 00:37:08,300 --> 00:37:10,900 Lord. So do that commit to that, be 674 00:37:10,900 --> 00:37:13,700 here weekly. We need you here we need to 675 00:37:13,700 --> 00:37:19,500 encourage one another. So again Last week Kyle 676 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:21,600 actually, I Was preparing for this sermon. 677 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:22,600 I was talking to him a little bit. 678 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:26,300 He was encouraging me and in this and trying to just give me 679 00:37:26,300 --> 00:37:29,100 some words of encouragement. He said this encourage our 680 00:37:29,100 --> 00:37:33,300 people to read God's word, pray, God's word, live out, God's word 681 00:37:33,300 --> 00:37:36,400 among the saints and take God's word into the world. 682 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:38,600 And that's exactly what you will do. 683 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:42,800 That your purpose is to do, good works and glorify God in doing 684 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:45,700 those good works and you can't be equipped for good works. 685 00:37:45,700 --> 00:37:49,800 If you don't do these things. So that's our purpose. 686 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:53,800 And when we live in such a way that we are fulfilling that 687 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:55,900 purpose that God created us to do. 688 00:37:56,100 --> 00:38:00,100 We bring honor and glory to him and we find our own joy and 689 00:38:00,100 --> 00:38:02,900 happiness. And so that's my my point for 690 00:38:02,900 --> 00:38:05,200 you today. As a Christian is, this is your 691 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:07,500 Chief end. This is what you were made to 692 00:38:07,500 --> 00:38:10,200 do. Let's go into 2023, setting 693 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:13,300 goals and developing habits that lend themselves. 694 00:38:13,300 --> 00:38:17,900 Toward that help us glorify God, more and find joy in In him. 695 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:23,000 Now, if you were in this place and you have never placed your 696 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:28,400 faith in Christ, If you are not a Believer and I don't, I'm not 697 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:30,800 talking about church attendance. I'm talking about, if you've 698 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:35,000 never actually committed your life, to Christ committed to be 699 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,900 a follower of him than that is step. 700 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:42,100 One, there can be no fullness of joy. 701 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:44,200 Like we read about here in John 15. 702 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:49,000 There can be no fullness of joy apart from knowing and abiding 703 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:50,800 in Jesus Christ. Amen. 704 00:38:51,500 --> 00:38:54,900 You cannot do it. Apart from him, you must give 705 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:59,400 Give your life to Christ. Kyle said this last week, you 706 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:05,600 said we don't leave Jesus in a manger, we don't pray to and 707 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:09,400 sing to and worship little baby Jesus. 708 00:39:09,700 --> 00:39:16,200 Despite what Ricky Bobby says. We pray to, we sing to, And We 709 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:21,000 Worship the King of Kings and the Lord of lords, the one, who 710 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:28,100 conquered sin and death and one day, every knee will bow and 711 00:39:28,100 --> 00:39:32,400 every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 712 00:39:32,700 --> 00:39:35,500 And so I encourage you today. If you have never done that, 713 00:39:35,500 --> 00:39:40,800 don't wait until that day, do it now make Jesus Christ, the lord 714 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:42,700 of your life, give your life to him. 715 00:39:43,100 --> 00:39:45,300 Uh, it to him submit to his lordship. 716 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:50,600 Follow him and find newness of life and in doing. 717 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:53,100 So you will find fullness of joy. 718 00:39:53,100 --> 00:39:55,500 Repent of your sins and turn to Christ today. 719 00:39:55,500 --> 00:40:00,400 If you have never done that, you were made for a purpose. 720 00:40:00,500 --> 00:40:04,700 You were made to bring glory and honor to your Creator. 721 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:10,100 God Almighty, turn to him and know his Joy today and have your 722 00:40:10,100 --> 00:40:11,600 joy made full. Amen. 723 00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:13,600 Let's pray father. Love you. 724 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:17,000 God we are so grateful. Again to be in this place, we 725 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,900 are thankful for your son, Jesus, that you sent to die on 726 00:40:20,900 --> 00:40:25,000 that cross for us. God were grateful that you made 727 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:29,200 a way for us to be redeemed. And to be forgiven, I pray, God 728 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,200 that if there's anyone in this place, it is never committed 729 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:36,000 their life to you. That isn't a follower of yours 730 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:39,000 that you would convict them that you would turn their Heart of 731 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:43,600 Stone and a heart of Flesh that you would draw them to yourself 732 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:47,100 and that they would repent and submit their life to you and 733 00:40:47,100 --> 00:40:48,600 follow you for the rest of their days. 734 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:52,000 And God, I pray for those of us in this place that call 735 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:56,800 ourselves Christians, that claim to be your followers, that we 736 00:40:56,800 --> 00:41:01,700 would live our lives in such a way that prove it, that we would 737 00:41:01,700 --> 00:41:05,900 dwell and abide in your word. That we would be a people known 738 00:41:05,900 --> 00:41:10,800 for prayer and that we would gather together and worship 739 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:14,100 together and fellowship together as often as possible. 740 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:18,500 God I pray as we go into a new year that you equip us and 741 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:23,500 strengthen us and you help us to know your joy help us to know 742 00:41:23,500 --> 00:41:26,100 fullness of joy. God equip us for that. 743 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:30,100 So that we can do. Good works and bring you honor 744 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:34,100 and Glory forever. We love you in Jesus name. 745 00:41:34,500 --> 00:41:34,900 Amen.