1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the liberty Baptist sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,120 or contact us at mylibertybaptist.org or just 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,760 look us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,120 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you would. 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,320 You turn your Bibles, please, to Second Peter chapter #3 Now, 8 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,760 believe it or not, that's the last time I'm going to say that 9 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,880 for a while. Second Peter chapter #3 If 10 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,320 you've been with us since the beginning of 2024, you know that 11 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:41,840 beginning in January of 2024, we started our study of first and 12 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,080 Second Peter, and now we are in our 60th message. 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,360 I can't believe I'm saying that, but 60 messages. 14 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,840 And of course, if you do the math, that means we haven't been 15 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,000 every Sunday morning in first and second Peter, but the great 16 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,320 majority of the of says we have been in first and second Peter, 17 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:02,160 looking at these epistles that Peter wrote before his passing. 18 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,160 And we are going to look at the very last verse and look at very 19 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,600 last words of what he left us in the biblical record and talk a 20 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:16,640 little bit about Peter's legacy. You know, legacy is important, 21 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,160 isn't it, what you are remembered for? 22 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,800 And I was asking this morning, what do you remember Peter for? 23 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,920 There probably be a lot of different answers out there. 24 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,040 Maybe you're thinking has been skewed a little bit because 25 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,520 you've been listening to maybe these messages for the last year 26 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,000 and a half or so. But if you were just to ask 27 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,400 someone on the street, if you were to ask someone what they 28 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,040 thought of Peter, what would his legacy be? 29 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:40,960 They might say something like this. 30 00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:43,640 Well, he was a disciple. That could be something that 31 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,000 would be said. Perhaps people would mention 32 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,320 that he was a fisherman and that could also be something that was 33 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,280 said. I have a feeling that there were 34 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,800 probably more that would say something along these lines. 35 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:56,920 He was the one that denied Jesus Christ. 36 00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:59,720 They might say something like this. 37 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:04,240 Wasn't he the one that sunk like a rock in the water when he was 38 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,320 walking there and the next minute he was not? 39 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,400 They might mention many of his failures. 40 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,520 They might mention the fact that he always seemed to shoot from 41 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,400 the hip and out from the mouth in ways that were just not 42 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,720 appropriate, that Jesus had to over and over have to say, 43 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,240 Peter, you know, you really shouldn't have said that. 44 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,600 You really shouldn't have brought that forth in that way. 45 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,560 And listen, this isn't the fact that Peter did everything wrong 46 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,000 in the Gospels. Peter did some pretty incredible 47 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:31,320 things in the Gospels, didn't he? 48 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:35,240 By God's graciousness I think of his great proclamation that he 49 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,640 made in Matthew chapter 16. And it says there when Jesus 50 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:41,360 came in the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked the 51 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:45,320 disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, AM? 52 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,640 And they said, Some say, Thou art John the Baptist, some 53 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:52,040 Elias, some Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 54 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,280 And he saith unto them, Jesus said, But whom say ye that I am? 55 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,720 So Jesus asked his disciples, What do men say? 56 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,120 What? What is mankind think of me? 57 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,960 And they offered some suggestions of what the common 58 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,840 man would have said about Jesus in his life and his ministry. 59 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,000 But then Jesus asked the poignant question. 60 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,480 And by the way, this is the question that each and every one 61 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,200 of us still have to answer today. 62 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,080 Who do you say that I am? Jesus still asked all of us this 63 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,600 question today. Who do you say that I am? 64 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,520 And when all the other disciples, the other 11 in the 65 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,880 room said nothing, it was Peter who quickly said, Thou art the 66 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,920 Christ, the Son of the living God. 67 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,600 So no, it wasn't all bad of the things that Peter did. 68 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,000 It wasn't just all bad things that Peter said. 69 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,080 But it begs the question, how should Peter be remembered? 70 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,080 What is his legacy? What should be the first thing 71 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,920 that comes to mind when we think of the apostle Peter? 72 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,840 Well, I would think that our text here this morning, this 73 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,800 very last verse of his very last epistle, might give us a little 74 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,960 bit of a hint of what his legacy is, what should be. 75 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:06,080 But also a question for us this morning to ask ourselves is, 76 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,880 well, if Peter had this legacy, what kind of legacy will I 77 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,680 leave? Because each and every one of us 78 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,640 are going to leave a legacy as well, aren't we? 79 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,480 Each and every one of us will be remembered by something. 80 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,600 You say, well, no one will Remember Me or no one will care. 81 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,000 And the fact of the matter is, although sometimes maybe in our 82 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,960 discouragement, we think like that, that we're not isolated. 83 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:27,360 We don't live on islands on our own. 84 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,240 We will be remembered some way. We will be remembered by whether 85 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:33,400 it's the people we worked with or whether it was the people we 86 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,680 went to school with or whether it was the people who within our 87 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,040 friend group or most importantly, our family, our 88 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,760 church, we will be remembered for something. 89 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,760 And Peter, there's legacy, I believe, you know, the legacy 90 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,080 that we find here in Second Peter chapter #3 should be our 91 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:49,640 legacy as well. So would you stand, please, for 92 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:51,920 the reading of God's Word? And we're going to read one 93 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,600 verse, Say, Pastor, do I have to stand for one verse? 94 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,040 And the answer is, look, did I mention 2:00 AM? 95 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,200 See, I thought you weren't going to make us feel sorry for you. 96 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,240 I'm just saying, if you do, I appreciate it. 97 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,880 All right, Anyway, all right, first Peter, or rather Second 98 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:11,640 Peter chapter 3, verse 18. But grow in grace and the 99 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:15,120 knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to him be glory 100 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,120 both now and forever. Amen. 101 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,200 And while you might think that that's a quick verse to read by 102 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,520 remind you that's a culmination of everything that we've seen 103 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,400 over 8 chapters in first and second Peter. 104 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,440 And in many ways, it's a culmination of a life that Peter 105 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,400 had lived for around 60 years or so. 106 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,880 And he said this, but growing grace and the knowledge of our 107 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:40,720 Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to him be glory now and forever. 108 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,560 Amen. And Peter did a lot of crazy 109 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,640 things, didn't he? He said a lot of dumb things. 110 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,440 But I'll tell you, I believe his legacy is found in this verse 111 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:53,200 and it should be our legacy as well. 112 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:57,040 Will you be seated as we pray together, Heavenly Father, just 113 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,120 one more time, ask you that you'd help this morning. 114 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:04,280 And Lord, it is required of me that what people see of me is, 115 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,240 is you. And so I pray that as I speak 116 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,560 that it would be you that is seen, that it's your spirit that 117 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,600 would be evident. And it's your word that changes 118 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,200 lives. Lord, thank you for this time. 119 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,520 Thank you for the privilege of preaching, not just to be able 120 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,240 to preach that you found me faithful calling me in the 121 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,240 ministry as your word says, but Lord, to preach to these people. 122 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,040 There's no greater joy, there's no greater calling in my mind. 123 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,240 I thank you so much for it. Bless this time. 124 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,240 I do ask and I ask it in Jesus name, Amen. 125 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,640 Mankind has always been thoughtful when it comes this 126 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,240 issue of leaving a legacy. Now why is that? 127 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,080 Because no one wants to think they're forgotten. 128 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,120 Nobody wants to think that they live this life and then it just 129 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,560 didn't matter. We all want to matter in this 130 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,400 life and we all want to be remembered beyond our lives in 131 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,960 this life by those who continue to live after we depart from 132 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,080 this world. That's why people create 133 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:02,040 endowments and they create scholarships in people's names. 134 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:04,040 Why? To help people remember someone 135 00:07:04,280 --> 00:07:07,040 who has passed on. That's why there are times that 136 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,800 people have given enough money to have their name on a 137 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,160 building. You go to downtown Boston and 138 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,360 you see the hospitals and you see the colleges and the 139 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:16,600 universities. You're going to find a lot of 140 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:17,720 those buildings have names on them. 141 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,160 Names that you and I don't know, but someone gave millions of 142 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,360 dollars because they wanted to be able to leave a legacy so 143 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,760 that when some freshman came under the door frame of their 144 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:32,920 dormitory or when they went to one of the academic buildings, 145 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,760 they'd see a name there that might have been there 10/20/30 a 146 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,400 hundred years. And it might make a connection 147 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,720 with time pass. It might make a connection with 148 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,600 a legacy. People start businesses and they 149 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:46,320 want those businesses to continue that. 150 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,120 It's typically the case that if you have a business, you start 151 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:50,800 it. You want to grow you, you want 152 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,760 to make an impact in the area of which you are doing your work. 153 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:56,640 You don't want to be the smallest business. 154 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:58,480 Typically you want to be the most successful. 155 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:00,760 You want people to know you and sometimes that's not even a 156 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:04,160 prideful thing necessarily, just what you do, you want to do well 157 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:06,080 and you want to be recognized for that. 158 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:12,320 You know, we have we have record books and we have halls of 159 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:13,280 fames. Why? 160 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,720 Because we want to remember sports stars that have done 161 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,480 great things in the past. And there's one in Springfield, 162 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,320 there's one in Cooperstown, there's one in Canton, and then 163 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,360 there's all kinds of smaller Hall of Fame too. 164 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,200 Most high schools have a Hall of Fame or a Ring of Honor. 165 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,240 Why? To be able to remember those who 166 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:33,640 have given some sort of impact in the sports or in the city or 167 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:38,039 within the league of which they played a churches sometimes. 168 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:40,600 Now, we don't do this here. We don't really have opportunity 169 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:41,600 to. We rent this building. 170 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:43,799 I don't know that we'd necessarily put plaques around 171 00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:46,160 here for things that we rent, but you know, if you have a 172 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,040 campaign where maybe people buy hymnals or they purchased a Pew 173 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,400 or they gave money for a classroom, sometimes you'll see 174 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,720 a plaque outside, won't you? Given in honor of or given in 175 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,400 memory of what? We want the legacy to go on. 176 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,720 We want life to have meaning. We don't want to be forgotten by 177 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,200 the next generation. So as we consider this issue of 178 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,880 legacy, we ask ourselves, what's Peter's legacy? 179 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:14,960 How should we remember Peter? Is it for denying Christ? 180 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,160 Is it for saying I go a fishing? Remember that at the end of the 181 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,160 book of John where basically he just gave up. 182 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,800 And when he said I go a fishing, it wasn't that he just wanted to 183 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,280 fish for a little bit, but basically saying I want to go 184 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,880 back to my old way of living. I want to pick up my Nets again 185 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,920 and I want to go back because I'm worthless for Jesus Christ. 186 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,720 I might as well go back to fishing. 187 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,800 With his legacy sinking in the water, his hasty words, his rash 188 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,600 actions, Was it cutting off a man's ear? 189 00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:46,320 Actually, his legacy could be he wasn't very good with a sword 190 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,640 because he was trying to lop off a guy's head and all he got was 191 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:50,920 the year. So that was the legacy, right? 192 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,400 I don't know what. What would Peter's legacy be? 193 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,360 But maybe a more contemporary question, a question that's more 194 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,680 fitting for the here and now, would be this What do you want 195 00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:07,200 your legacy to be? What do you want your legacy to 196 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:09,720 be? How would you want to be 197 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,440 remembered? You know, it seems like the 198 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:17,120 world tries to take the worst of our times and the worst of our 199 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:20,160 life. And it's often times in those 200 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,840 moments, sometimes in our control, and sometimes they were 201 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,120 out of our control. And the world wants to define us 202 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:31,000 by those things. The world wants to define you by 203 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,760 having a business that went belly up. 204 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:37,880 The world wants to define you by the fact that you were divorced. 205 00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:40,800 The world wants to define you by being someone. 206 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:42,200 Oh, yeah. They were always angry. 207 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,440 It seemed like they were always angry at everything. 208 00:10:45,680 --> 00:10:48,000 The world might define you saying well, you had kids that 209 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:53,080 but they didn't stay in church, had trouble finding a job, they 210 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,480 had trouble holding on to money. They walked away from the 211 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,080 church. It seems like the world tries to 212 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,480 maybe in the fact that the world wants to lift themselves up and 213 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:04,040 try to make themselves feel better. 214 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,680 They try to pound us down, don't they, And try to make us feel 215 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:11,400 worse about who we are and try to define a life of, even if it 216 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,840 says in the word of God, three score years. 217 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,720 And if by reason of God's grace we have 3 score years and 10, 218 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,760 meaning 60 or 70 years, that that a 60 or 70 year life could 219 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:26,000 be distilled down to 1 sentence. And usually that sentence isn't 220 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,320 flattering. Oh, he was a Christian, but he 221 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:33,440 wasn't much of A Christian. She went to church, but she 222 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:39,080 didn't seem like a believer. And sure, our lives can be 223 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:43,040 defined by these things. How is Peter defined? 224 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,840 How should we be defined? Now, we'll say this. 225 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:49,120 We can't control what other people think. 226 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,320 I do think we need to be careful that we don't live our lives 227 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:56,720 trying to please other people in the sense of trying to make 228 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:58,720 everyone happy. Listen, if you try to make 229 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:00,320 everyone happy, you will make nobody happy. 230 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,200 That's a immutable law of life. What are we trying to do with 231 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,840 our life? Our lives are all about, if you 232 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:10,520 know, Jesus Christ, your Savior. Our lives are all about this 233 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,200 primarily and first and foremost, pleasing God. 234 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:20,400 Now in the realm of pleasing God, I believe you will please 235 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:22,720 other people. But I will say this, in the 236 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,360 realm of pleasing God, it will be unpleasing to some people. 237 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,320 So maybe we should look at it and frame it this way. 238 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,240 How did God want us to remember people? 239 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,160 Does God want us to be remembered? 240 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:37,480 Because again, maybe it's the opinion of others that we 241 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,480 shouldn't rely on so heavily here this morning, but but how 242 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:44,720 would God want us to see Peter? If God had the opportunity to be 243 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:48,360 able to tell us how we should have the last thought of him in 244 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,120 our mind, what would it be and how that would relate to us? 245 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,840 I believe we have the answer. I believe we just read it 246 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,960 because these are Peter's words, but we know they're inspired by 247 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:02,600 God. We know that what Peter wrote 248 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,000 was inspired by the Holy Spirit, meaning this. 249 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:09,720 This is what God wanted to be Peter's last word. 250 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:16,040 This is what God wanted us to see as the final glimpse of this 251 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,960 man who came onto the scene as a rough fisherman. 252 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:24,560 He was rough as a Cobb who said the wrong things, who did the 253 00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:27,480 right do the wrong things. Every once in a while did 254 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,720 something right and it was like a a blind squirrel finding the 255 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:32,160 nut. Once in a while it's like, yeah, 256 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:34,680 Peter, you did right, but it was like it was an accident. 257 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,880 How should we remember him and what does it say about us? 258 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:48,320 Well, it's in verse 18. But growing grace and the 259 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:52,520 knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to him be glory 260 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,040 now and forever. Amen. 261 00:13:56,080 --> 00:14:01,400 See, I believe this Peter's legacy could be boiled down to 262 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:05,960 one word, and that word was this growth. 263 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:13,560 Growth Peter grew. Everything that I've mentioned 264 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:16,400 to you about her came from the Gospels. 265 00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:21,160 Everything I mentioned came for the books of Matthew, Mark, 266 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,240 Luke, and John while he was walking three years with Jesus 267 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:29,040 Christ. But there is no doubt that when 268 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,440 we get to the book of Acts, there is no doubt when the 269 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,680 Gospels are left behind and Jesus has ascended into heaven. 270 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,720 And as the Holy Spirit comes and indwells within the lives of the 271 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,560 believers, including Peter. That Peter was a man who grew 272 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,160 from a man who was impetuous, a man who didn't say the right 273 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:50,600 things, who didn't do the right things, a man who denied he even 274 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:57,120 knew Jesus Christ. And he grew in a way that's hard 275 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,040 to even explain in Acts chapter one. 276 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:02,600 They were missing a disciple, weren't they? 277 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:07,280 Judas had taken his own life and it was Peter who stood up 278 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:11,600 amongst 120 in that upper room and said this we got to get to 279 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:13,520 work. We need to find another 280 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:15,680 disciple. And it was Peter who took 281 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:18,120 charge, by the way, wasn't because he had a leadership 282 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:22,360 complex, but I believe he understood that this moment had 283 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,760 been thrust upon him and he was able to the whole by the power 284 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:29,040 of the Holy Spirit to lead in a way that was gracious and right. 285 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,160 Acts chapter 2. You want to talk about a man who 286 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,280 always said the wrong thing the day of Pentecost. 287 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:39,160 He said the right things. He preached. 288 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:43,440 The Bible says that there are 3000 who were saved and baptized 289 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,680 and added into the church. Get to the next chapter. 290 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:48,960 What happens? Well, he and John are walking 291 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:50,680 together. By the way, that ought to be a 292 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:52,280 news flash of growth right there. 293 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:54,040 He and John are walking together. 294 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,160 Usually when he or John are together, I think of like, you 295 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,480 know, brothers or I think of guys that are, you know, 296 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,560 elementary school age, and they're like walking shoulder to 297 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:04,640 shoulder, but they're pushing each other the whole time. 298 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:08,120 I kind of imagine when Peter and John were going down the dusty 299 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,640 roads with Jesus in the back, they were always like pushing 300 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:12,520 each other and dudging each other. 301 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:14,480 And Jesus had to look back, say, hey, what are you guys doing? 302 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:17,720 They're like, oh, nothing. Like Jesus didn't know what they 303 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,560 were doing, but they're walking together and they're like 304 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,640 friends. By the way, people who are saved 305 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:27,280 ought to be able to get along with one another. 306 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:30,840 I got one, Amen. I was hoping for a few more than 307 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,040 that, but that's all right. It's a pastor. 308 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:34,600 I'd say, Amen. But I don't get along with you. 309 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:35,600 That's all right. OK Amen. 310 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:38,280 That's two. All right. 311 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:43,240 So Peter performs his first miracle. 312 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:48,720 Now, was it Peter that did it? We know it was the Lord, but 313 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,280 Peter is growing. Peter brought the gospel to the 314 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:54,120 Samaritans and then he brought the gospel to the Gentiles. 315 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:57,520 You get to Acts chapter 15, and Paul and Barnabas, their 316 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,960 ministry to the Gentiles is called into question. 317 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:02,800 And Peter stands up before the Church of Jerusalem and says, 318 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:06,160 no, these men have given to the gospel to the Gentiles, and it's 319 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,160 good and it's right that it's to be done. 320 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,520 I've received a vision and I was told that the Jews and the 321 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:14,920 Gentiles, there's no difference between the two in the eyes of 322 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:16,720 God, and they're doing the right thing. 323 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:20,000 They're given the gospel to all of the world and Peter is 324 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:23,000 standing up even to the establishment, if you will, to 325 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,040 be able to tell them no, you're thinking wrong. 326 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,160 We need to think rightly. We need to think godly. 327 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,600 We need to think biblically. Here is Peter, he's standing up 328 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:32,320 and he's doing right. And listen, that doesn't mean he 329 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:35,520 was perfect in the book of Acts. We saw a few weeks ago how even 330 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,520 in the issue with the Gentiles, he got a little bit cross ways 331 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,400 with Paul once and how he even got caught up in some 332 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,840 embarrassment of being with the Gentiles when he was around the 333 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:46,480 Jews. No, no, we're not talking here 334 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,560 about perfection. What we're talking about is that 335 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:54,000 as he got older, he wasn't perfect, but as he got older he 336 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,000 grew. A legacy of a. 337 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,240 Christian shouldn't be one of a flawless St. 338 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,320 But rather as a. Flawed servant. 339 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,840 But a flawed. Servant who's willing to grow 340 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:11,440 moment by moment, day by day, year by year. 341 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:15,960 You know, every time. I think I've gotten someplace in 342 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,520 my Christian life the Lord has a way of reminding me that I 343 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:20,640 haven't. Anyone else feel that? 344 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,560 Way start to feel like I'm I'm actually doing pretty good, he 345 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:24,600 says. Oh really? 346 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:26,320 I. Like to reveal a few. 347 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:27,840 Things to you and you get to the place like, all right, Lord, 348 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:28,960 stop revealing things to me. What? 349 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,000 About this and what about? This and all these things come 350 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:33,520 to mind. I think No, no, I'm sorry for 351 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:36,760 all those things. I. 352 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:39,360 I, you know, we've, we've had the opportunity to write a 353 00:18:39,360 --> 00:18:41,760 couple books. Diane and I have a particularly 354 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,280 special needs ministry and, and all of that. 355 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:46,240 And I thank the Lord for that. But I remember when we wrote our 356 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:52,640 first book, when I was done, it was, it was somewhere around 120 357 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:54,520 pages, somewhere around there. It took a long time. 358 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,920 We worked on it for quite a while, but we're done. 359 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,560 I felt like Moses coming down with the tablets. 360 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:01,600 Do you know what I'm saying? I wanted to hold that binder up 361 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:06,120 above my head, said this is it, it's perfect, It's incredible. 362 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:11,080 I was so proud. And then I read it again. 363 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:17,720 And I thought, this is a mess. And, you know, it took as long 364 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,880 to correct it as it did to write it. 365 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,680 And I would read, I said I caught everything, and I'd 366 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:26,600 reprint it. So I wouldn't see any of the 367 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:27,960 edits that I made. I wouldn't see where the 368 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:29,280 markings were. And I'd read it again. 369 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:30,600 I'd find more. I'd find more. 370 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:32,960 I think we at least did that six or seven times. 371 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,960 And then we had to pay someone to tell how wrong we were, which 372 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,960 is called an editor. We and. 373 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:41,600 She found stuff. You get to the place where? 374 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,040 Well, well, certainly she's not going to find anything because 375 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:45,560 we spent months trying to find all the stuff. 376 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:49,040 Oh, she found plenty. I'm glad we didn't pay her by 377 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,560 the error that she found, or else it probably never been 378 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:55,320 published. But in the Christian. 379 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:56,960 Life is like you think, well, I'm saved. 380 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,720 This should be it, right? I'm saved. 381 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:02,760 I know. Jesus Christ and my Savior. 382 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:04,120 I have arrived. Amen. 383 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,000 You've just begun. You've just started. 384 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,760 No, I don't mean you're just begun in your process of getting 385 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,000 saved. The moment you got saved was the 386 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,080 moment that that the Holy Spirit came in your life, that that you 387 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,200 passed from death into life, that you became a new creature. 388 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,080 You know, we're not talking about a process of salvation, 389 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,240 but rather we're talking about a process of Christ's likeness in 390 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:26,440 your life. It's something that takes 391 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:30,640 moments and days and years and a lifetime. 392 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,840 And it's like. I believe Michelangelo, who said 393 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,720 every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it's the 394 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:42,720 task of the sculptor to discover it being this, that Michelangelo 395 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:47,880 would start with just a block of marble chip here, a chip there, 396 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,360 over a long period of time and before you know it, something 397 00:20:51,360 --> 00:20:54,560 recognized. What is in our? 398 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,080 Life, it ought to be oh, oh sure you're changed, but it ought to 399 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:03,800 be a chip here, chip here. You grow a little bit here. 400 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,840 A little bit there, and before you know it, you're changed. 401 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:12,240 It's not just growth for the growth sake, but it's growing to 402 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,520 be like Christ. Who's our example. 403 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:19,080 We even talked about this on Wednesday night, First 404 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:24,120 Corinthians chapter #3 or as we build, our foundation is Jesus 405 00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:25,840 Christ. By the way, there is no further 406 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:27,480 foundation that you can build your life upon. 407 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:30,560 Every other foundation that you build your life upon is sinking 408 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,760 sand. There is nothing else you can 409 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,560 build upon the Jesus Christ. But when he's that foundation, 410 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:39,520 we have to build a top of him. Our life is built in such a way 411 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,240 that we were to be able to, to build something that's a 412 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:47,200 glorify, glorification of Him. And so we're not just to grow, 413 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:49,360 but we're to grow a certain way. Well, how is that? 414 00:21:49,360 --> 00:21:51,360 Well, I don't want to ignore the other words in our text. 415 00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:54,640 I don't want to just focus on the word grow and just harp on 416 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,600 that for 30 or so minutes. No, there's other verses or 417 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:00,520 other words that are there. Well, it tells us how to grow, 418 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,680 because growth just for the sake of growth isn't what he's 419 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,760 looking for. There's some very specific ways 420 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,480 he's told us to grow. First of all, it says, but grow 421 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,560 in grace. What has God? 422 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,280 Called us to do to be people of growth and we're to grow in 423 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,040 grace. Listen, who are gracious people? 424 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,560 I would put it to you. This way, gracious people are 425 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:27,760 those who recognize that they've received grace from God and are 426 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,400 willing to give that grace to others as well, in equal 427 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:32,760 measure. Let me run that by. 428 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:38,600 You again, gracious people or those who recognize they've been 429 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,760 given grace from God. Have you been given grace from 430 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:41,920 God? If you're saved this morning? 431 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:46,000 If you are saved and you haven't been grace from God, you can't 432 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,280 be saved for by grace. Are you saved through faith? 433 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:51,440 And aren't you glad that the spicket? 434 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,760 Of Grace doesn't just turn off the moment you got saved, but 435 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,640 that it almost seems like it's thrown even further wide open as 436 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,840 you are saying, you realize because now you can see God's 437 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:04,360 grace upon your life. You know, a gracious person, 438 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:08,280 someone who grows in grace, says I have received a great deal of 439 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:09,800 grace. You say, what is grace? 440 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,960 It's receiving that which I do not deserve. 441 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:19,000 And I am. Going to give it out in equal 442 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,880 measure, you say? To who? 443 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,200 To everyone else around me. A gracious. 444 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:28,920 Person realizes God, I don't deserve this life you've given 445 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,160 me. I don't deserve how? 446 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:36,280 You've cared for me. I don't deserve your love, but 447 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:37,480 you know what? There's a lot of other people 448 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,040 around me that need that grace as well. 449 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:41,360 And so I'm going to be a conduit. 450 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,240 Of that grace. To other people. 451 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,080 But listen, we often get so frustrated our situations. 452 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,760 We get so frustrated to other people that we don't even have 453 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:55,240 time to give grace. Listen, we all want it. 454 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,960 But we don't want to. Give it why? 455 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:00,720 Because life doesn't go the way we want it to go. 456 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:04,720 Even yesterday I'm. Sitting, I'm sitting there at a 457 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:09,560 gate and I'm, I'm checking trains and I'm checking cars and 458 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:13,000 I'm trying to figure out how I can get from Philadelphia to 459 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:14,880 Boston. I'm trying to wrap my head 460 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:19,320 around all this and, and I can feel myself getting aggravated. 461 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:21,960 I can feel myself getting annoyed. 462 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:23,560 I can feel myself. Some of you are looking at me. 463 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:27,800 You do the same all right. Don't judge me, the Bible. 464 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:29,760 Says don't judge me, all right? That's not what it says anyway. 465 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:33,080 That's that's the way people say it though, isn't it? 466 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:36,000 All right. But listen, I'm getting, I 467 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,760 realize. God's put me in a. 468 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,440 Safe place. I'm looking this. 469 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:45,920 Up on my computer, I have a laptop in my hand, I have a 470 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,880 phone by my side. I have any number of people that 471 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,040 if I asked them to help me in some way, and a couple of people 472 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,080 I did ask to help me with certain things and they did. 473 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,040 I was able to find a. Car I had safe travel. 474 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,280 I was able to get here. Do you realize God's grace all 475 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:03,680 through all that? But we don't look at it. 476 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:05,920 That way it's almost like we just expect God to do it. 477 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:08,720 God, just take. It's the way it's supposed to 478 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,840 be. What it's supposed to be is 479 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,080 death and hell. That's what we. 480 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:18,400 Deserve. But God in His graciousness sent 481 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:22,920 Christ to die in the cross. We need be growing as gracious 482 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,080 people. Are you more gracious now than 483 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,560 you used to be? Are you more willing? 484 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,680 To be a conduit of God's grace to other people than you used 485 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:32,960 to. Even. 486 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,960 When you get into those moments of aggravation, is the Spirit a 487 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,080 little bit quicker? Or rather, maybe I could put it 488 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:40,320 this way. Are you quicker to respond to 489 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:43,040 the Spirit when he tells you don't act like that? 490 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:46,280 And in those. Moments of frustration Or in 491 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:50,000 those moments of difficulty, are you able to offer grace to other 492 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,160 people even as you are inconvenienced? 493 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,640 That's growing in. Grace Elizabeth Elliott said 494 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,160 this growing in grace means daily yielding to the spirits 495 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:04,200 work, allowing God's love to chip away our pride and fill us 496 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,040 with his peace. When you have the pride chipped 497 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,080 away and to be filled with peace. 498 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:11,280 So it's a growing grace, but what else are we supposed to 499 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:12,680 grow in? To grow in. 500 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:14,480 The knowledge. Of our Lord and Savior Jesus 501 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,760 Christ. It's not a stretch. 502 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,960 To be able to say although the words are not together, grow in 503 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,080 the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 504 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:26,720 That word and that conjunction ties the two thoughts together. 505 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,720 Grow in grace. Grow in the knowledge of our 506 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:33,560 Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We need to be learning more 507 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:37,600 about God every single day. Every single day. 508 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,000 We should do a little bit more to be able to learn more about 509 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,920 him. Say, well, pastor, how on earth 510 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,520 am I supposed to learn more about Jesus Christ? 511 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,480 Well, the best place, well really the only place that you 512 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,520 can start to be able to learn about Jesus Christ is in God's 513 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,320 holy Word, because he is the Word. 514 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:55,720 Why is it so important that we read God's word? 515 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,880 Because you need to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior 516 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,480 Jesus Christ. Listen, if we're called to be 517 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,400 like Christ, how can you live like Christ if you don't know 518 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:07,240 Him? How can you mimic? 519 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:11,520 How can you imitate? How can you try to be conformed 520 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:15,400 into His image if you don't even know what that image is? 521 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:20,200 If you don't know His graciousness, if you don't see 522 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:24,480 how He treated those who were unsaved, if you see how how he 523 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:29,000 worked amongst mankind, if you don't see his tears, yes, his 524 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,240 tears. John 11 as he looked at the 525 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:35,000 faithlessness at that time as as Lazarus was dead. 526 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:39,080 That that should inform us and should help us how how we live 527 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:42,240 our lives. We got to grow in knowledge. 528 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:45,160 I guess I got to. Go to Bible college. 529 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:46,840 That's what you're saying, Pastor. 530 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:48,960 Well, I mean you. Can but. 531 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:51,280 I don't think that's what it's. Saying. 532 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:54,600 All right, so I got audit. Classes at some seminary? 533 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:55,960 No, no, that's not what I'm saying at all. 534 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,680 I'm saying the holy. Spirit is your teacher book of 535 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,200 first John. By the way, God's given us a 536 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:05,320 church where we learn as well. That's why being involved in a 537 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,960 church is is is so a vital. It's the way God designed you. 538 00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:12,280 Yes, I'll say that again. God designed you to be part of a 539 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:12,800 church. Amen. 540 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,880 Why? Because it's through that that 541 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:20,400 we learn more about Jesus. In fact, I kept thinking of that 542 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:24,200 hymn more about Jesus. The chorus says more about 543 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:26,160 Jesus. Would I know or rather, the 544 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,120 verse says more about Jesus, would I know? 545 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:31,720 More of His grace to others show that goes with what we just read 546 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,200 too. Isn't it more of His saving 547 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,920 fullness? See more of His love who died 548 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,840 for me meaning this. The more we know him, the more 549 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,760 gracious we can be. The more we. 550 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,360 Know of him, the more gracious we could be. 551 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,840 It's amazing to me how much people know about things that 552 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,960 just don't matter in this life. They know sport statistics. 553 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:55,320 They know what's how many seasons are of their favorite 554 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,080 show and who the characters are in the minor characters. 555 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,400 And they know all about cars and they know all about computers 556 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:02,720 and they know about all these things. 557 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:05,120 I'm not saying that there's not a place for some of those things 558 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:07,440 because like, you ought to know how a car works enough to like, 559 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:10,400 get it to go places. You ought to know what to do. 560 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,440 With the computer if it freezes. Which is, you know. 561 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,640 Call someone else to help you. Usually I think is what it is. 562 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:17,880 And you get to a certain age, I think, and I'm getting to that 563 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:19,920 age. I'm feeling it already. 564 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,560 But what is there greater to know than to know our Savior? 565 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:29,960 What could? Possibly be greater than knowing 566 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:33,520 him so that we can be gracious people. 567 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:40,680 No, Peter grew in grace. He grew in knowledge. 568 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:43,600 And then we also. See, the end of that verse says 569 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:45,480 this. To him be glory both now and 570 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,240 forever, Amen. And while I can't say that the 571 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:54,480 command of growth is directly connected to to Him be glory 572 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:58,280 both now and forever Amen in the verse, because obviously there 573 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,560 are two different sentences. But as we. 574 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:05,240 Are told to him be glory both now and forever. 575 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:07,520 Amen. I don't believe it's a stretch 576 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:10,720 for us to say, you know, we ought to grow in giving him 577 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:14,120 glory in our life as well. Because it's so. 578 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:16,680 Easy for us to take the glory that belongs to him. 579 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:19,880 We had a wonderful charge this morning from Brother Dan, who 580 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:24,320 got up in Daniel chapter 4 and talked about how Nebuchadnezzar. 581 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:28,200 Thought how? Glorious his Kingdom was. 582 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:31,760 And really, the glory. All belonged to him. 583 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,640 Know him as in the Lord. What happened? 584 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:39,760 The Lord. In a moment, made the most 585 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:46,360 powerful man in the world, like an animal that was of no stretch 586 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:51,280 of God's power to take the most powerful man on this earth and 587 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:53,920 turn him into nothing. And what do we find at the end 588 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:58,040 of Daniel chapter 4? He gives all praise and glory to 589 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,680 the God of heaven. God had worked him over for a 590 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,640 few chapters, hadn't he? He'd worked him over, but he 591 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,000 finally got to the place where he got it to him be glory. 592 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:11,360 It's so easy to be able to preach a message and maybe to 593 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,360 feel like I presented it. Well, maybe have somebody come 594 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,560 up to me and say, hey, I appreciate the message. 595 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:19,360 By the way, thank you. When you say you appreciate the 596 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:22,600 message or even if you want to be able to, to help me as a 597 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:24,720 pastor, encourage me. You can tell me how how 598 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:27,320 specifically God spoke to you during the message that that's 599 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:29,400 an encouragement to me. But certainly I'm not looking 600 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,360 for that. I don't, I don't need that in 601 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,000 the sense that if I, I'm looking, I don't stand in the 602 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,280 back hoping everyone's going to tell me how great the message 603 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:38,120 was. I want to stand in the back to 604 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:40,000 be able to talk to you and, and get I'm not going to I don't 605 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:41,280 know if I'm going to stay in the back today. 606 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:43,160 It's not looking good. All right, but I'll stay in 607 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:44,520 somewhere and talk to you. All right. 608 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:49,160 But here's what I. Know here's here's what I know 609 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:53,640 there have been times I've left here and thought that was pretty 610 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:58,120 good. You're laughing uncomfortably a 611 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,040 little bit. But listen, don't say that you 612 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:01,600 don't do stuff like that on your own. 613 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:04,480 Like you do something at work and you make a big sale. 614 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,720 Like I landed that sale. You. 615 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:11,080 Do the report and the report comes out perfectly. 616 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,360 You do something to the church and it comes out well. 617 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:16,240 And you get an attaboy from somebody or or from several 618 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:18,080 people. You build something and you look 619 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,400 at it, you step back and say, Oh yeah, and that's great. 620 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:23,480 You look at it and you start to think how great you are. 621 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:25,600 And I'll tell you, there have been times on Sunday morning 622 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:28,400 I've left here and I thought, let me tell you, this guy has 623 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:29,760 it. And it's like as if 624 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:31,560 Nebuchadnezzar in a moment lost it. 625 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:34,680 I get up in the evening service and go. 626 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,600 And maybe you don't feel. Like that, but that's how I 627 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:40,040 feel. It's as if the Lord. 628 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:42,040 Says. Oh yeah, Adam. 629 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:44,320 Because, by the way, the Lord calls me Adam, not Pastor 630 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,280 Rivera. He says. 631 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:50,760 Oh, yeah, Adam, he says. If you want to do that yourself, 632 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:56,440 go ahead and try. And I realized maybe I should 633 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,680 have gave him glory. Because I can't even. 634 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:01,520 Stand behind this. No, no, I'm not saying I can't 635 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:04,120 even stand behind this pulpit without his help. 636 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:08,400 We got to grow in. Giving God glory. 637 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:14,920 Peter Man. He, he had a weird life, didn't 638 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:20,720 he? He lived in a way in the Gospels 639 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,720 that was not good. Although there were flashes. 640 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,640 Of brilliance you find him, an axe you find more good than bad. 641 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:31,480 From Jesus, ascension and beyond. 642 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:35,040 But he grew. He grew in grace. 643 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,240 He grew in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 644 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:40,680 He grew in giving. God, glory. 645 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,000 The Bible talks. Many ways about how we can give 646 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:46,480 God glory. We can give God. 647 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,160 Glory by worshipping the Lord and the beauty of holiness. 648 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,240 It says that in Psalm 29. Two, we give Him glory through 649 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:53,640 worship. Why is worship so important? 650 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,160 Why do we have corporate worship at our church? 651 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:58,320 It's about giving Him glory. Why do we encourage you to 652 00:33:58,320 --> 00:33:59,760 worship at home and not just here? 653 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:02,200 Because we need to bring him. Glory. 654 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:07,120 Psalm 90. 6 verse 8 tells us that we can bring God glory by 655 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:09,960 giving him an offering. We glorify. 656 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:13,199 God with our ties and offerings. By the way, it's not just 657 00:34:13,199 --> 00:34:16,600 through our ties and offerings. We glorify God by giving Him of 658 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:20,120 ourselves. What's the the, the outline that 659 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:22,239 I often give you? Our time, our talents, and our 660 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:24,520 treasure. We honor. 661 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:27,520 Him, we glorify him when we say, Lord, look at what you've done 662 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:31,239 with my life. I can't do any of this, so I'm 663 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:32,920 going to give what you have enabled me. 664 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:35,719 I'm going to give back to you. That's glorifying to Him. 665 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,639 First Chronicles 1629 says give unto the Lord the glory, do unto 666 00:34:39,639 --> 00:34:42,560 his name, bring an offering, and come before him. 667 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,040 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 668 00:34:45,679 --> 00:34:48,600 So it incorporates all of those and then it adds an extra layer 669 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:51,880 saying this, that you glorify God when you live a holy life. 670 00:34:53,199 --> 00:34:55,199 Well, there it. Goes it's a Pharisee stuff. 671 00:34:55,199 --> 00:34:56,960 You, you, you independent Baptist. 672 00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:58,880 I know the way you are. You you just wanted to live a 673 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:00,080 certain way. This is what it is. 674 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,080 You probably you don't even want us to have any fun, Pastor. 675 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,320 We know the way it is. You just you, you, you're 676 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,440 miserable and you want to make everyone else miserable. 677 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,840 I don't think I'm miserable. And I don't want to. 678 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,360 Make you miserable? In fact, quite the opposite. 679 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:18,720 A good life comes from honoring the Lord and following His word. 680 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:21,920 Why? Because He wants to show us that 681 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:24,880 with sin comes pain. With. 682 00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:28,400 Sin comes aggravation. With sin. 683 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:32,240 Comes consequences. With sin, strings are always 684 00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:34,600 attached. But with God. 685 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:37,640 There's liberty and with God there's life. 686 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:40,880 And so holy living isn't about being a Pharisee. 687 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:43,280 Holy living is about trying to be better than other people. 688 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:46,240 Holy living is about trying to stick your nose so high in the 689 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:48,280 air that if you went out there, you drown right now. 690 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:52,800 Holy living. Is about this. 691 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:56,080 I'm commanded to grow and giving him glory. 692 00:35:57,320 --> 00:35:58,280 And so you know. What? 693 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:00,120 I'm not going to yell at people when I drive. 694 00:36:02,240 --> 00:36:03,040 Oh. That was the bridge. 695 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:07,080 Too far out of this all time. Oh, now I lost you after 30 696 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:07,720 minutes. Wow. 697 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:09,640 OK. You should see the Jersey 698 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:12,040 Turnpike, all right. It's a. 699 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,200 Yeah, so. Listen, listen. 700 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:17,760 We might as well have the invitation right now. 701 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:21,880 It seems like we lost it. All right, get angry. 702 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:24,720 Listen, you know how we give, how we grow. 703 00:36:24,720 --> 00:36:27,840 In giving God glory, We don't take His name in vain. 704 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:32,520 We don't put things. In front of our eyes. 705 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:35,360 Entertainment that is not honoring to God. 706 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:40,240 We don't gossip with people. Oh, I was just sharing a prayer 707 00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:42,280 request. Well, if it's a prayer request, 708 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:44,840 you got to pray for it. But most people just. 709 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:46,680 Share it as a prayer request and it's really just gossip. 710 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:49,680 I want to say most people. But that can happen if we're not 711 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:53,320 careful. We're thankful for requests, but 712 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:57,800 gossip over and over, you know, we're to glorify God. 713 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:04,600 Where to grow in these areas? So what's Peter's legacy? 714 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:09,000 Peter's legacy. Could be the denying of Christ. 715 00:37:10,720 --> 00:37:14,120 It's not mentioned. In this book, Peter's legacy 716 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:16,200 could be sinking like a rock in the water. 717 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:18,760 It's not mentioned. His legacy could be I go of 718 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:20,120 fishing. It's not mentioned. 719 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:22,760 By the way, his legacy wasn't even preaching of the day of 720 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:25,280 Pentecost. His legacy wasn't even the good 721 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,000 things necessarily in the sense that that's not mentioned. 722 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,280 The miracles aren't mentioned. None of those things are 723 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:33,200 mentioned. The very last word that Peter 724 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:36,240 gave us, but the very last word in essence that God gave us is 725 00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:38,880 this. Peter was a man who grew. 726 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:45,120 He wasn't defined by 1 moment. He wasn't defined by one event. 727 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:49,840 Listen, in God's eyes, Peter's legacy wasn't a moment, it was a 728 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:52,920 lifetime. A lifetime of growth. 729 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:57,920 And your legacy will not be defined on a moment. 730 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:01,280 If you live the way that. God wants you to live. 731 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:05,120 It can be defined by a lifetime of growth. 732 00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:10,120 It wasn't always. What you were, but you're 733 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:13,080 getting where you're supposed to be with the help of Jesus 734 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:16,360 Christ. And you'll get there when you 735 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:19,160 meet him in glory. And we'll be changed. 736 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,560 I know how many of you do this. We, we rented far too many 737 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:24,920 places to be able to do this. But some of you probably lived 738 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,960 in the same area long enough that you could when you had the 739 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:30,120 kids and they were growing up, you know, you had them stand 740 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,720 back against the door jamb or a wall in your house and you 741 00:38:33,720 --> 00:38:37,880 marked how much they grew. Like I said, we didn't live 742 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:39,440 anywhere long enough to be able to do that. 743 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:42,000 Do just have another renter come and say why is there 3 lines on 744 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,440 the wall here? You know, we really haven't 745 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:47,160 other than the last few years, but. 746 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:50,360 So we never did. That, but a lot of families do 747 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:52,080 something like that. They just, they want to see the 748 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:53,640 growth. And you know, it's always funny 749 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:56,760 is that you see the kids will back up into the wall to kind of 750 00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:59,640 do one of these because they want to see how much they've 751 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:02,400 grown over time. They enjoy seeing it. 752 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:05,040 They enjoy seeing the progress because they can't feel it even 753 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:07,200 though it's happening. But it's just so short. 754 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:10,800 It's. Over such a it's so small, so 755 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:13,320 minuscule. It's like the growth of your 756 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:15,640 hair in a day. It's so small you don't even 757 00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:18,320 perceive it until you look and say I need to get a haircut. 758 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:20,160 Or you look in the mirror and you say I'm bald. 759 00:39:20,240 --> 00:39:22,280 I don't need a haircut, but whatever it is. 760 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:27,400 Whatever it is, you. Don't see it? 761 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:31,520 Is your legacy. One of growth. 762 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:36,480 Are you further? Ahead before. 763 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:40,440 Or whether you're further ahead. Now than you were before. 764 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:44,400 Have you stagnated? Have you shrunk? 765 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:48,240 By the way, those aren't signs of health. 766 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:50,960 There's signs, there's. Something wrong? 767 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:55,480 Well, how do you? Know if you've grown? 768 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:57,160 Could I encourage you to do something? 769 00:39:58,200 --> 00:39:59,440 Over the next few. Days. 770 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:02,320 I want you to think. About this I want you to 771 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:03,640 consider this with your own life. 772 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:10,960 Just like someone was able to measure growth on a chart, a 773 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:15,920 doctor's chart, a wall, maybe you need to measure your own 774 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,520 growth in your spiritual life. Have something that you? 775 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:21,600 Mark down maybe? Maybe you need to get a notebook 776 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:25,720 from the dollar store, or maybe just need to take your notes app 777 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,360 on your phone. And say you know there's. 778 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:31,200 Three areas in my life. There's four areas in my 779 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:34,040 Christian life that I don't think I've grown as much as I 780 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:36,280 should. It could be something. 781 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,200 Like prayer? Could be something like. 782 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:45,000 Bible reading something like giving could be tense. 783 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:48,680 It could be your struggle with saying certain words that you 784 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:53,080 know you shouldn't. Could be your temper, it could 785 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:57,480 be pride and arrogance. And listen, anything that's a 786 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:02,400 plan, or rather anything that is a desire to change. 787 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:04,280 Without a plan, it's really just a dream. 788 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:06,400 And it won't come to. Pass. 789 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:10,160 So maybe you need to write something like this? 790 00:41:11,720 --> 00:41:12,800 Over the next few. Months or so. 791 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:15,440 I'll, I'll wait till January. Listen, if you wait till January 792 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:17,720 1st to make a New Year's resolution, you're not serious 793 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:21,520 because by January 1st this will be so far gone. 794 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,000 It's serious. Maybe you need to write down. 795 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:30,080 I want to. Write or I want to read this 796 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:31,920 much of the Bible. I'm going to read a chapter of 797 00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:33,880 the Bible a day. I'm going to read 5 verses of 798 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:36,240 the Bible a day. I'm going to pray for two 799 00:41:36,240 --> 00:41:38,600 minutes a day. I'm going to pray for 5 minutes 800 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:40,160 a day. You say only two minutes. 801 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:43,440 If you're praying, 02 minutes is good. 802 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:46,480 I know I'm not. Mocking. 803 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:48,480 I'm not even trying to be sarcastic, I'm saying you got to 804 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:50,840 start somewhere. You hear a sweet hour. 805 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:52,120 Of prayer. And you think, how can I spend a 806 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:54,040 sweet hour of prayer? Well, it's probably because you 807 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:57,040 spent 58 minutes in prayer once and spent 56 minutes in prayer 808 00:41:57,040 --> 00:41:59,080 before, and you worked your way to that place. 809 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:02,120 It's probably not going. To happen the first day you 810 00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:04,920 pray. Maybe you need to make? 811 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:08,480 Some grow a growth chart. And you can see. 812 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:11,880 That in three months, maybe every quarter, maybe every six 813 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:15,720 months, you look back and you can see where you've grown, you 814 00:42:15,720 --> 00:42:18,720 can see where you've shrunk, see where you've stagnated. 815 00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:23,200 God to help you to be able to be who you need to be. 816 00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:25,920 Listen, you expect your children to grow. 817 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:28,480 And God expects. You to grow. 818 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:33,920 A child that does. Not grow has real health issues 819 00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:39,040 that must be addressed and a spiritual being a Christian that 820 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:42,360 is not growing has very real spiritual needs that must be 821 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:44,760 addressed. Ask God to help. 822 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:47,000 You with it, He will help you with it. 823 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:49,160 Well, I. Just don't. 824 00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:51,400 I just don't. I don't. 825 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:53,920 Think it's going to help? How much power do you? 826 00:42:53,920 --> 00:43:00,040 Think God has he? Had enough power to. 827 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:03,720 Save you. You mean you trust? 828 00:43:03,720 --> 00:43:06,040 That He had enough power to pass you from death into life and to 829 00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:07,960 give you a home in heaven, but you don't think he can help you 830 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:11,240 with your sinful habit? You don't think he can? 831 00:43:11,240 --> 00:43:14,320 Help you with prayer. You don't think he can? 832 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:15,960 Help you with giving. You don't think he can help you 833 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:17,760 with holy living? He don't think he can help you 834 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:19,960 with worship? You don't think he can help you 835 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:21,560 in these areas? Of course he can. 836 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:26,000 Submit yourself to him. Plot the growth. 837 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:28,240 See where you're. Growing. 838 00:43:28,240 --> 00:43:31,640 See where you're anemic, write it down, check it daily, check 839 00:43:31,640 --> 00:43:33,320 it weekly. However you do it, there's not a 840 00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:36,240 right way or wrong way to do it, but understand this, your legacy 841 00:43:36,240 --> 00:43:39,480 can be this growth because your legacy is should not be just one 842 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:41,840 moment of your life. It is what Pete, what the Lord 843 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:43,600 gave us here. Your legacy is this. 844 00:43:43,720 --> 00:43:47,120 Did you grow as a believer? But I will say this. 845 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:51,800 And I'm and I'm done. I'm talking about your legacy 846 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:53,600 being a lifetime. And and they were talking about 847 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:56,720 a lifetime of growth, but there is one part of everybody's 848 00:43:56,720 --> 00:43:59,600 legacy that is created in a moment, one part. 849 00:43:59,960 --> 00:44:02,480 And that's this. The day you call upon Jesus 850 00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:05,080 Christ to save you. Because nothing. 851 00:44:05,080 --> 00:44:09,560 Can follow in Christ likeness if you haven't called upon Christ 852 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:12,960 to save you in the 1st place. So it's that moment of what? 853 00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:17,400 Realizing I'm a Sinner, only Jesus Christ can save me, and by 854 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:21,560 His grace and His power, I call upon him to save me today, and 855 00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:23,520 he'll help me pass from death unto life. 856 00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:26,200 And it won't be a process that takes days or months or years. 857 00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:28,800 It won't be something where I need to take the sacraments. 858 00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:32,400 It's not about joining a church. It's about Christ's blood and 859 00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:34,360 Christ's blood alone that saves me. 860 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:39,040 And from. That moment from that individual 861 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:42,240 decision. A life can. 862 00:44:42,240 --> 00:44:45,560 Be changed forever and your legacy can be one of growth. 863 00:44:46,280 --> 00:44:50,080 December 2nd. 1998, I decided to plot a different path. 864 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:54,400 I grew up in a Lutheran home and I was living that way. 865 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:55,920 I was going to a Lutheran college. 866 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:59,000 I've been looking at Lutheran colleges and I realized at that 867 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:01,200 point my life was forever changed. 868 00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:06,360 And you know that moment create a legacy of now I have a 869 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:09,160 beautiful wife. I have 4:00. 870 00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:12,400 Amazing children. One of them's married. 871 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:15,080 Another one's getting married and some some gaining more 872 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:18,960 children. They're expensive. 873 00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:21,200 You know what I'm saying? At least the wedding part is. 874 00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:28,920 Man, I get to be a pastor. All of that came. 875 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:32,560 From that one decision, but listen also a lifetime of having 876 00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:34,080 to grow a little bit by a little bit. 877 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:37,520 Well, you're pastor. You're, you're look, look at 878 00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:39,760 you, you got a suit. You, you talk right and do all 879 00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:41,560 that. Have I reminded you how I was as 880 00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:44,000 a teenager? Have I reminded you? 881 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:45,680 That I still struggle with things as an adult. 882 00:45:46,680 --> 00:45:48,960 So I remind you that even though I'm a pastor, I still have sins 883 00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:51,160 I have to ask the Lord to help me with every single day. 884 00:45:51,160 --> 00:45:52,920 And I'm like, why haven't I got over this yet? 885 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:56,640 Just got to grow and you got to grow. 886 00:45:57,680 --> 00:46:03,080 So I'll say this for the last time this week as we add to our 887 00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:05,160 faith. We need to grow. 888 00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:08,520 But you need to grow God's way. Thank. 889 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:11,240 You for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of Liberty 890 00:46:11,240 --> 00:46:13,760 Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 891 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:17,240 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 892 00:46:17,240 --> 00:46:21,840 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 893 00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:26,640 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 894 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:29,480 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 895 00:46:29,480 --> 00:46:30,680 grow in His Word.