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 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,480 Can you turn your Bibles, please, at First Corinthians 8 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,440 chapter #6 We're going to finish by God's grace tonight. 9 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,760 First Corinthians chapter #6 in a message that I have entitled 10 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,960 this What's the matter with you? That's a great way to start, 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,240 right? What's the matter with you? 12 00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:43,600 Many of you know that there was about a 2 1/2 year period while 13 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,960 I was here at Liberty or I have been here at Liberty that I was 14 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,840 driving for Uber. We had church support that 15 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,120 started to go down and the church support went far down far 16 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,840 faster than anything that Liberty would be able to help 17 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,000 with. And so it was not unusual for me 18 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,360 2-3 nights a week, sometimes even more, to be able to go out 19 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:04,920 when I was done with church work and to go out for several hours 20 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,720 and to be able to do the things that I needed to do to provide 21 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,760 for the family. But, you know, it's interesting 22 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,400 that people will ask me what was it safe? 23 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,200 Did you have any problems? Was was there anything that was 24 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,760 really out of sorts, You know, for 2 1/2 years, but probably 25 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,120 over 1000 rides that I gave people. 26 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:25,240 I never really had a problem except for one major problem. 27 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:29,040 And that was something that took place less than a mile from 28 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,600 where we're standing right now. Well, I'm standing here sitting 29 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,800 and that was over at a local watering hole just right up the 30 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,000 road from here. And so I got the call to go to 31 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:40,880 this place. I got into the car. 32 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,360 I remember it was raining, but it was also kind of warm. 33 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,240 It was just a very seasonably unusual night the way that it 34 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:49,720 was. And I went to pick up this 35 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,200 gentleman and it was obvious that he had had a little too 36 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:54,800 much to drink. And by a little too much, I 37 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:56,640 mean, he had a lot too much to drink. 38 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,680 And he got into the car and listen, I, I kind of struggled 39 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,200 with this sometimes. And my thought process was, 40 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,960 well, I'm glad that I'm taking him home compared to him driving 41 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,199 himself home. And so I was thankful to be able 42 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:10,479 to be doing that. And so I was starting to take 43 00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:18,520 him down the road and he was just, he was in another world, 44 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:20,400 let's just put it that way, than where I was. 45 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,800 And as I'm driving, I'm trying to take him to his home. 46 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,480 It was probably less than 10 minutes from where I picked him 47 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,160 up because of the unusual weather, because of the way that 48 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,720 was the windshield that I was fogging up a little bit on the 49 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,600 inside. And so I was trying to be able 50 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,640 to fix what was going on, change, you know, put the 51 00:02:39,640 --> 00:02:42,040 defrost on, you know, do do all these different things. 52 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:47,640 And he starts to grab the wheel. Let me just make sure we're all 53 00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:49,880 awake tonight. He was grabbing the wheel. 54 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:51,720 All right. He did not think that I was 55 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,040 paying enough attention because I had my hand on the knob of the 56 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,320 AC. So he decided to grab the wheel. 57 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,520 And I said, hey, get your hands off the wheel. 58 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,440 And we start arguing about him holding the wheel or I'm holding 59 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:05,480 the wheel. And next thing I know he yells 60 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,240 stop sign. And I went right through the 61 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:09,720 stops. I didn't even know the stop sign 62 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,160 was there because we were fighting over the wheel. 63 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,840 And I finally kind of did one of these to him, got his hands 64 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:20,800 back, and I kept driving and it was silent the rest of the time. 65 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,800 We said nothing, I said nothing. He said several things. 66 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,680 I didn't want to say anything because I was afraid if I did 67 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,960 say something, it would be very unkind and very uncharitable. 68 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,440 So I thought the most charitable thing to do was to say nothing. 69 00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:36,720 But I remember when he opened the door, I don't know if I said 70 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,720 the words exactly like this, but it's certainly was very close to 71 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:41,520 this. As he opened the door to get 72 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,840 out, I just asked him what's the matter with you? 73 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,160 What's the matter with you? Now let's understand, when I 74 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,080 asked someone the question, what's the matter with you? 75 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:52,080 I knew what was the matter with him. 76 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,200 I understood exactly what was the matter with him. 77 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,040 It was all of those drinks that he had consumed before he had 78 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,640 got into the vehicle. It really wasn't the issue of 79 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:06,880 what was the matter with you. It was the idea of of don't you 80 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,320 know you can't do that? That's what I'm saying. 81 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:10,560 I'm not saying what's the matter with you. 82 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,400 You explained to me exactly what's the matter with you. 83 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,320 It was my way of saying, don't you know you, you can't do that. 84 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,200 You can't act that way in the car. 85 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,320 Now, Paul is going to ask a rhetorical question in our text 86 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:23,560 tonight. In fact, he's going to ask it 87 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,040 three different times as we read it. 88 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,320 He's going to say this, no, ye not. 89 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,840 He's going to say, basically, don't you know that this is the 90 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:35,360 way the Christian life is? And then don't you know that 91 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:36,960 this is the way the Christian life is? 92 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,640 And don't you know that this is the way the Christian life is? 93 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,120 And he's going to present this three different times in our 94 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,360 text tonight. And really it all comes down to 95 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,920 this issue of Christian Liberty. Remember, we talked about that 96 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,240 last week, The idea of just because we are free in Christ 97 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,160 does not mean we're free to no longer serve Christ. 98 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,320 In fact, it makes us Christian Liberty, makes us free to serve 99 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,160 Christ. That's really what it is all 100 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,880 about. And so he's going to continue to 101 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,160 really pound into the people of Corinth the fact of what 102 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,680 Christian liberty is about. And basically he's saying to 103 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:10,560 them over and over again, what's the matter with you, Corinth? 104 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:13,440 What's the matter with you? And it's not that he doesn't 105 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,840 know what's the matter. He knows the issue is sin. 106 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:18,200 He's just trying to help them understand. 107 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:19,760 You know, you can't act like this. 108 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,480 You know you can't do this. You know, this isn't what you 109 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,920 were supposed to be doing as a Christian. 110 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,360 And it's going to lead us to the last two verses of this text, 111 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,120 which are really some of the most well known verses of the 112 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,720 New Testament that I think you will be aware of and really have 113 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,520 even more context and really more power when we understand 114 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:40,200 the verses that have come before it. 115 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,720 So we're going to start at verse #15 and we're going to read the 116 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,240 end of the chapter. And here's the first of those 117 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,800 three questions. Noting not that your bodies are 118 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,720 the members of Christ. So I then take the members of 119 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:53,520 Christ and make them the members of it. 120 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:58,400 Harlot, God forbid what Know ye not that he which is joined to 121 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,560 and harlot is 1 body? For two saith he shall be 1 122 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,360 flesh, but he that is joined unto the Lord is 1. 123 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:08,720 Spirit flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth his 124 00:06:08,840 --> 00:06:11,960 without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth 125 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,480 against his own body. What know ye not that your body 126 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,720 is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have 127 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,160 of God, and ye are not your own, For ye are bought with a price. 128 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,800 Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which 129 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:27,640 are gods. I dare say you're probably very 130 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,840 familiar with verse #19 and 20, even if you aren't with the rest 131 00:06:30,840 --> 00:06:33,360 of the text. But I do believe that as we look 132 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,960 through these questions, what know ye not three different 133 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:38,400 times? It'll help us to truly 134 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,160 understand exactly what is being said in verse 19 and 20 and why 135 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,160 it's still applicable to us today. 136 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:46,920 You know, this phrase know ye not is an interesting one 137 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,440 because again, we would probably put it this way. 138 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,960 Don't you know we wouldn't say no ye not. 139 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,120 I wouldn't imagine going up to someone saying no ye not. 140 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,320 They'd probably say why are you speaking like that? 141 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,200 But we would ask the question, don't you know, isn't this 142 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,680 something you understand? Now the phrase know ye not as 143 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,920 Paul says it is one that Paul uses in eight times in this book 144 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:08,640 alone. And it's interesting because he 145 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,560 just keeps coming up to the Corinth, the people of Corinth, 146 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,080 and he's just saying this. What's the matter with you? 147 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,720 Don't you get it? Don't you know, have, haven't 148 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,680 you processed this? In fact, Paul only uses this 149 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,720 phrase four other times in all of his other epistles. 150 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,680 It seems like he saves it quite a bit for the people of Corinth. 151 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,840 And it seems like he saved a lot for this particular text right 152 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,120 here because he's trying to get to the bottom of people who are 153 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,960 not living the way they're supposed to live as believers. 154 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,760 And he's saying, don't you know this isn't wise? 155 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,920 Don't you know this isn't right? Don't you know that this isn't 156 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,000 what Christian liberty is all about? 157 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,280 In essence, What's the matter with you? 158 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,560 And so I want us to look at all three of these Know ye nots here 159 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:50,600 tonight. Look at all of them and see what 160 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,400 the connection is and how it will help us to understand how 161 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,720 we're supposed to live as believers tonight. 162 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,840 So the first one is this. Know ye not that your bodies are 163 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,960 members of Christ? That comes from verse #15 read 164 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,440 it again. Know ye not that your bodies are 165 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,400 the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of 166 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:10,960 Christ and make them the members of an harlot? 167 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,920 God forbid. Now this first question. 168 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,880 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? 169 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,920 This speaks of connection. This speaks of connection. 170 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,840 And really this is an extension of the last phrase that we read 171 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:29,160 before in verse #13 where it says, but for the Lord the body 172 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,679 is not for fornication, but for the Lord and the Lord for the 173 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:34,640 body. We have to remind ourselves as 174 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,120 tonight, that we are not our own, that our body is not ours. 175 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:39,880 Remember, we were bought with a price. 176 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:43,440 Therefore, glorify your. The Lord in your body and in 177 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,360 your spirit, which are gods. And so we see that this says 178 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,000 right here for us. Don't you know that your bodies 179 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,720 are the members of Christ once you're saved? 180 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,920 Listen, you can't. You aren't just casually 181 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:02,160 involved with Christ. You are intimately connected 182 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:03,480 with Christ. There's there's an intimate 183 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,560 connection that we have once we know Jesus Christ is our Savior. 184 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:12,440 John 15 verse 4 Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot 185 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,160 bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine. 186 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,880 No more can ye except ye abide in the vine. 187 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:22,920 John 17 verse 21 That they all may be one, as thou, Father art 188 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:27,280 in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the 189 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,960 world may believe that thou has sent me. 190 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:34,600 That when we are saved, there is a real connection that takes 191 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,960 place. This is not just a casual 192 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,680 commitment that we have with Jesus Christ. 193 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:43,560 No, when we're saved, it makes clear here that our bodies are 194 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,120 members of Christ. And then it asks the question, 195 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:51,000 shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members 196 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,960 of a harlot? Paul's saying if you are that 197 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:58,240 intimately connected with the Lord, then why on earth would 198 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,880 you want to connect yourself to that which is opposed to Him? 199 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,600 You are now connected to Jesus Christ. 200 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,520 You have an intimate connection. I'm not trying to be weird about 201 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:10,840 this tonight, but there's an intimacy, A closeness that we 202 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,040 have that really the unbelievers can't understand. 203 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,400 They can't even fathom. We couldn't understand before we 204 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,440 got saved, but we have that connection now that we are 205 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,160 saved. And so basically Paul's saying 206 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,640 why would you take that connection and try to instead 207 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,880 connect with that which has nothing to do with Jesus Christ? 208 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,240 Talking of the harlot. Now listen, the harlot here in 209 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:37,480 its primary application is talking about sexual immorality. 210 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:39,960 There's no way around that because we have seen that 211 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,520 mentioned before in our text. You go back up previously in 212 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,120 First Corinthians chapter 6, there's been talk of sexual 213 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:47,760 immorality before. We don't have to go very far to 214 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,480 go First Corinthians 5 and know that it was spoken of all in 215 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,440 that chapter as well. And as we continue, you can see 216 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,600 in verse #18 well, it's pretty clearly fornication. 217 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,440 So when it's talking about a harlot here, I believe it's 218 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:03,520 literally talking about a sexual immorality And saying this, if 219 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:07,560 you are a believer, if you know Jesus Christ your Savior, don't 220 00:11:07,560 --> 00:11:11,600 try to take that intimate connection that you have and 221 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:13,920 then try to connect yourself to something that God said. 222 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,800 Don't connect yourself with. But I can also say this, and I 223 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,960 think I could say this with all authority, that we can more 224 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:26,600 broadly apply this to all sin without abusing the text, not 225 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,600 just fornication, because that is part of sin. 226 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:31,680 That certainly is sin and of itself, but it's not the only 227 00:11:31,680 --> 00:11:34,080 sin. And really the broader 228 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:38,320 application here is this. Why would you reattach yourself 229 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:40,880 to something that Jesus Christ saved you from? 230 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:45,040 Why would you go back to those things and reattach yourself 231 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,720 when Jesus saved you from it in the first place? 232 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,480 No, no, that doesn't make sense. Just as much as someone who is 233 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:55,400 an intimate marital relationship should not then turn around and 234 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:57,400 then go into another relationship. 235 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:01,040 No, no, why would you take the relationship that you have with 236 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,000 the Lord and then go back to that which He saved you from? 237 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,320 But here's the problem. We do it all the time. 238 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:11,480 We do it a lot more than we want to really recognize within 239 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:13,480 ourselves. Charles Spurgeon talks about 240 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:17,080 this when he says this principle applies to more than our sexual 241 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:19,640 conduct. If our bodies belong to Jesus, 242 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:24,720 we also have no right to be idle with or wasteful of what belongs 243 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,520 to Him. Our bodies should be put to use 244 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,760 glorifying God. Therefore, glorify God in your 245 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,200 body. Your body was a willing horse 246 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:34,880 when it was in the service of the devil. 247 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:39,280 Let it not be a sluggish hack, now that it draws the chariot of 248 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:40,360 Christ. I like that. 249 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,360 But how do we know That also is an application. 250 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:46,720 Go back up to verse #9 It says this. 251 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,880 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of 252 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:51,440 God? Be not deceived. 253 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:55,200 Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor 254 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,600 effeminate, nor abusers of themselves, mankind, nor 255 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,800 thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor 256 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,040 extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. 257 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,560 And such were some of you meaning this, that now you, you 258 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:11,120 belong to Jesus Christ. So don't go back to those things 259 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:14,720 of which you were before, because there's a connection 260 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:17,120 that takes place. And there's a very real 261 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,960 connection that it's not just, well, I'm going to dabble and 262 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,880 sin for a little while. And I don't know that God cares. 263 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,000 And I don't know if anyone else knows if it's a really big deal. 264 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,760 As long as my spouse doesn't know, as long as my family 265 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,280 doesn't know, as long as the church doesn't know, it's not a 266 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,280 big deal. Here's the thing, God knows, and 267 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:38,120 that intimate connection that we have with Him has now been 268 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,840 strained as we reattach ourselves. 269 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:44,000 And we'll look more at this in a moment as we reattach ourselves 270 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:47,520 to that which God saved us from. And I couldn't help in my mind 271 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,400 going back. You don't have to turn there, 272 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:52,840 but to Colossians chapter #3 We've been there the last few 273 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:56,000 weeks in our series Christ is All. 274 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,840 But I couldn't help going back to some verses that we had read 275 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,400 there. Colossians chapter #3. 276 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:08,800 And it says this in verse #8 But now you also put off all these 277 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,520 things, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication. 278 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,640 Out of your mouth lie not one to another, seeing that you have 279 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:19,000 put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new 280 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,320 man, which is renewed and knowledge after the image of him 281 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,200 that created him. Those things that we had before, 282 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:27,360 put them off. These other things, put them on. 283 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:31,040 This is what God wants from us. Don't take your members, your 284 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:35,840 body, your ears, your eyes, your mouth, your nose, your feet, 285 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:39,520 your hands, whatever they are, don't just take them and attach 286 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:43,280 them back to those things of which you were rescued from. 287 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,520 Don't go back to those things. This is about the connection. 288 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,480 And he's saying, don't you know this? 289 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,760 What's the matter with you? Don't you understand it? 290 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:54,840 But here's the thing, We know it, but we forget it a lot. 291 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,960 And we think that what we look at, it's really not a big deal 292 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:01,360 as long as no one else knows. It's really just between me and 293 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,640 the Lord and the things that I think in my mind, listen, as 294 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,560 long as they don't come out of my mouth, it's not like it 295 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:09,560 really makes a big difference. But the Bible says out of the 296 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:11,480 abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. 297 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:16,960 And even if it doesn't come out of your mouth, He knows sin that 298 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,960 Christ died for. And it really just takes that 299 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:24,120 intimate connection we have with the Lord, and it kind of gets us 300 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,600 to reattach with the things that we ought not to. 301 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,120 Which goes to the second question, the second part, which 302 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,800 goes hand in hand with the 1st. And that's this. 303 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:37,400 Know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is 1 body? 304 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:41,320 Know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is 1 body? 305 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,760 Now read verses 16 and 18, and the question says, What? 306 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:48,080 Know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is 1 body? 307 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:51,960 For two saith he shall be 1 flesh, but he that is joined 308 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:55,280 unto the Lord is 1 Spirit Flee fornication. 309 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:59,360 Every man, every sin, rather than a man doeth, is without the 310 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,800 body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his 311 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,400 own body. So in verse #16 he begins by 312 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,760 speaking specifically about sexual immorality. 313 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,560 And really, what is being said here is this. 314 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,560 When it comes down to it, there is no such thing as casual sex, 315 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:18,960 no matter what the world would say. 316 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,320 They try to make the point here that the world does rather that 317 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:25,400 well, you know it. Listen, it's my body. 318 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,200 I'll do whatever I want. Or, you know, it's just a little 319 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,600 bit of a fling or really we just kind of got together, we hooked 320 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:32,720 up. These are the things that the 321 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:37,200 world tries to do to to say that it's dismissive, but the Bible 322 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,680 makes it clear that's not the way God looks at it at all. 323 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:44,080 By the way, mankind understand that's not true, no matter how 324 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,280 much mankind wants to make it frivolous or tries to make it as 325 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:49,280 just, well, it's just a natural function of the body, you know, 326 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:51,320 meats for the belly and belly for meats. 327 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:52,880 That's what the world will try to say. 328 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,120 But in the end the world understands that no, there is a 329 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:59,600 real intimacy, there's a real connection that takes place that 330 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:03,280 you can't just write off. And so he says though you not 331 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,839 that he which is joined in the harl is 1 body for two sayeth he 332 00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:09,920 shall become one flesh. So why would you confuse 333 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:15,440 yourself in comparison to go back to those sinful things? 334 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:19,680 Don't you realize what confusion it will cause within your own 335 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:21,359 spirit? The Bible tells us in the book 336 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:25,040 of James that the double minded man is unstable in all of his 337 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,240 ways. You know someone who is unsaved 338 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:29,960 is not unstable in their sin because they're all in for their 339 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:34,480 sin. Someone who is saved but wants 340 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,200 to go back to their sin is probably the most unstable 341 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:38,240 person of all. Why? 342 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,000 Because the Holy Spirit inside is saying don't do that. 343 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,800 And they're trying to go do that which their flesh wants to do. 344 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:49,000 And it caused a great instability within. 345 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:50,800 Why? Because you have this intimate 346 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:52,960 connection. And could we maybe put it this 347 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,280 way, You're cheating on your Savior. 348 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,920 And because of that, you're not going to be stable. 349 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,080 It's not going to feel right. That's why people say we'll just 350 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:05,840 follow your heart and do whatever you want to do, do what 351 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:07,600 makes you happy. What we're going to see in just 352 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,880 a moment, what great folly that is, to even be able to suggest 353 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:15,400 such a thing, to join yourself with someone else brings 354 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:17,360 intimacy. Intimacy which leads to 355 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:20,360 confusion. This is why sexual immorality is 356 00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:23,400 so damaging. It's a sin that goes right to 357 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,680 the soul of man. It says in verse #17 He that is 358 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,200 joined unto the Lord is 1 Spirit. 359 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,520 When we are saved, we have that union with Christ. 2nd 360 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:37,400 Corinthians 11 verse 2 For I am jealous over you with a godly 361 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,800 jealousy, For I have espoused you to one husband, that I'm a 362 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:44,480 present you as chaste, A chaste virgin to Christ. 363 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,760 To willingly reattach yourself to that which you were saved 364 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,640 from is confusion. Now here's where people will 365 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:53,400 start to shout Christian liberty. 366 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,520 I could just do whatever I want. Now that I'm saved, there's no 367 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:00,040 ramifications. There's no repercussions. 368 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:04,160 I can do whatever I want. And sure, you can do whatever 369 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:06,320 you want, but don't pretend there's no repercussions. 370 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,400 Don't pretend that there's going to be no issues. 371 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:15,520 I've married my wife in 2003. I'm just kidding, all right? 372 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,440 In 2003, Diane and I got married. 373 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,640 So we've been married now 22 years. 374 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:23,640 Hey, I don't have to stay with her. 375 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,800 I can do whatever I want. Well, who is she to tell me when 376 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,760 I come home at night? Who? 377 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:34,360 Who is she to tell me where, who I can be around and who is she? 378 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,760 I can do whatever I want. Well, is that technically true? 379 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,080 Technically. But that remind you, one, what 380 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:42,880 the Bible says and two, she's a redhead. 381 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:51,120 And either one of those is enough to say no, no, you know 382 00:19:51,120 --> 00:19:54,360 what it comes down to. I could, but but you know what 383 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:58,880 it causes? Pain, heartache, confusion. 384 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:07,040 How many marriages destroyed, children harmed go right down 385 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,400 the list. Oh sure, you can do it. 386 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,600 But if you think there's no consequences, you're a fool. 387 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:17,080 And we think that once we have entered a union with our Savior 388 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:21,240 that we can just turn around and under the guise of Christian 389 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,960 liberty. Do whatever we want and there's 390 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:27,080 no repercussions, friend. That's just foolhardy. 391 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:32,520 What don't you know? He was joined to an harlot, his 392 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,720 one body. You're becoming one that that 393 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,200 there's nothing casual about this, that that there's 394 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,520 something that is deep and that there's intimate. 395 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,840 When you go back to that, it don't go back to those things 396 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,960 and don't say that it's just because of Christian liberty. 397 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:51,480 And that's why in verse #18 it says this flea fornication. 398 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:54,800 And maybe the best advice that I can give you tonight is not my 399 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,920 own advice. It's just the word of God where 400 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,720 it says this, these two words, flea fornication. 401 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,080 Let me remind you that word fornication there, the word 402 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,160 pornea, which covers the gamut of sexual immorality. 403 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,560 It does not say try to be brave and resist. 404 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:14,000 It says flee from it. There's a lot of men who think, 405 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:19,440 well, I mean, I can handle it. I can handle looking at these 406 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:20,360 things. It's not a big deal. 407 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:24,120 I can handle flirting a little bit with that woman that's over 408 00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:26,160 the next cubicle. I mean, I won't go too far. 409 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:30,160 I just, I can handle it. It's not what it says. 410 00:21:31,120 --> 00:21:34,440 It says flee from it. Only there was someone in the 411 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,840 Bible who exemplified that in the workplace. 412 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:45,600 Oh wait, Joseph when Potiphar's wife in a situation where nobody 413 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,240 would have known, nobody would have said anything. 414 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:53,240 Of course we know the folly of that, but yet maybe on the 415 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,200 surface it would seem that nobody, humanly speaking, would 416 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:57,760 know. He says this. 417 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,960 I can't sin against. Didn't say Potiphar can't sin 418 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,240 against the Lord. He can't do this. 419 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,400 He fled and he literally fled fornication. 420 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:12,400 He was the literal embodiment of fleeing fornication. 421 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:19,560 God gave sex as a precious gift to mankind and the powerful bond 422 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:23,400 between a husband and wife in a true one flesh relationship. 423 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:25,840 Remember, the Bible says in Hebrews 13 verse four that the 424 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:29,480 marriage bed is undefiled, that this is God's blessing. 425 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,200 But yet at the same time, when it is taken in the way that man 426 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:38,200 wants to, it causes nothing but difficulty and pain and hardship 427 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,920 and whatever little bit of pleasure there might be for the 428 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:45,520 short term boy, what comes on the other side of it is never, 429 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,920 ever, ever worth it. Flea fornication. 430 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:53,240 That's why when men tell me, well, well, I should be able to, 431 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:55,720 I should be able to handle what's on my cell phone. 432 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,320 I mean, having a blocker on my phone or a filter on my 433 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:01,200 computer, that's only for weak men. 434 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:06,600 I would disagree. It says flee from it, get away 435 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:08,480 from it. You know, I don't want to be a 436 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:10,920 couple clicks away from porn on my computer. 437 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:13,440 I'd like to have a barrier to help me. 438 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,640 I don't want to be a couple clicks away from porn on my 439 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:18,720 phone. I want to flee from it. 440 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:21,360 It's not well, I I know I can handle it. 441 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,840 Well, there may be maybe you can and maybe you can't. 442 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,560 And again, I understand that God tempts people differently. 443 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:31,840 Some people are are more tempted in areas than other areas. 444 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:36,440 But I just say this, listen, don't be to the place where you 445 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:40,520 think I can be brave and resist, says Fleet. 446 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,960 Every sin that man doeth is without the body, but he 447 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:47,440 committed fornication sinneth against his own body. 448 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,000 Fornication is a sin against your own body. 449 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:53,880 And Paul isn't saying that sexual immorality is worse than 450 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:57,120 any other sin, but he does teach that it has a unique effect on 451 00:23:57,120 --> 00:23:58,760 the body and and who can argue with that? 452 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:01,560 Who could argue with the fact that that would be the case? 453 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,600 The effect is physical, but it's also moral and it's also 454 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,000 spiritual. So don't cause confusion by 455 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,200 attaching yourself to that which will harm yourself. 456 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:11,600 Abide in the vine. Which brings us to where I 457 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:13,920 really want to spend the most time here this evening in these 458 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:15,880 final 2 verses. Which is this? 459 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:20,240 It speaks of a verse #3 There it is. 460 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,840 Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. 461 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:28,800 This is a again some of the more well known verses of the New 462 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:30,360 Testament, particularly the Epistles. 463 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:34,200 What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, 464 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,360 which is in you, which you have of God, and ye are not your own, 465 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,840 For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your 466 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:44,760 body and in your spirit, which are gods. 467 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:49,440 And this speaks of consecration. This speaks of consecration. 468 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,680 You say, what is that word consecration about? 469 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:54,360 Well, according to the 1820 dictionary, it's the act or 470 00:24:54,360 --> 00:24:59,040 ceremony of separating from a common to a sacred use, or of 471 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:03,200 devoting and dedicating a person or a thing to the service and 472 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,440 worship of God. It is taking something that is 473 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:09,320 common and it is giving it a devotion and a purpose to God. 474 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:13,440 Now I'm going to give you an example, one that is not 475 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:16,160 actually a godly example, but one I think that you can 476 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:19,000 understand, at least as you know, I was growing up, I was in 477 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,600 the Lutheran Church and in the Lutheran Church they have the 478 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:25,920 teaching of consubstantiation. Now the Catholic Church teaches 479 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:29,320 transubstantiation. That means that when the host, 480 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:33,720 the wine and the bread are given, that the wine and the 481 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,920 bread are no longer present and it literally becomes only the 482 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,840 body and the blood of Christ once the consecration is given. 483 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,040 Now the Lutheran Church teaches something different, which is 484 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,720 transubstantiation or consubstantiation rather, and 485 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:53,120 that is that the body, that the bread and the wine are still 486 00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:58,320 there, but it also at the same time becomes the body and blood 487 00:25:58,320 --> 00:25:59,840 of Christ. Now we believe what the Bible 488 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:03,400 says when it says this due in remembrance of me, that it does 489 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,800 not actually become the literal body and blood of Christ for a 490 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,200 host of different reasons. And we'll use that for a 491 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:10,880 different time when we're actually preaching on that. 492 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:14,360 But I do remember that the pastor would always consecrate 493 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:18,960 the host, the bread and the wine right before it was the Lord's 494 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:20,920 Supper. And I know that because I was 495 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,960 part or at least party to it, because as an acolyte or an 496 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,040 altar boy, I would be standing nearby while the pastor was 497 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:29,840 doing that, and I had to help them with the different linens 498 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,880 and different things like that. Well, after church, there would 499 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:37,480 be leftover wine from what was at the Lord's Supper because 500 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,960 they would prepare a common cup that was filled to a certain 501 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:43,560 amount, and only a certain amount of people would drink it. 502 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,360 And there would be wine that would be leftover. 503 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:49,760 Well, once that wine was consecrated in Lutheran thought 504 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:53,640 process and Lutheran theology, you couldn't just dump that out. 505 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,040 Why? Because it's still the blood of 506 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:58,360 Christ. So what do they have to do? 507 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,160 You had to have an elder that would come back after church. 508 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,080 And as the ladies, my mom was one of them that would clean up 509 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:07,960 after the Lord's Supper and clean up after their version of 510 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:09,840 the Lord's Supper. Not a biblical version of it, 511 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,240 but they would be cleaning up and the elder would say, is 512 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,480 there any consecrated wine that is left? 513 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,120 And if there was, then he had to drink the wine. 514 00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:21,240 And it seems like the elders really love coming back after 515 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:22,960 church. Had to be able to check on if 516 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,240 there was anything you leftover, but you could not pour it in the 517 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:29,080 sewer or the sink because the sink went to the sewer. 518 00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:34,080 At best, the church, when we move churches, there was a sink 519 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:35,680 that had what they call an earth sink. 520 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,240 And the drain just went right outside and into the ground. 521 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:40,320 And they thought, well, if you have to dump it out, it would be 522 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,360 better to just dump the blood of Christ out into the ground than 523 00:27:43,360 --> 00:27:46,160 to put it into the sewer. There's so many problems with 524 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:47,280 that. I can't even begin to explain 525 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:48,920 that to you right now. It's not the point of the 526 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,880 message. But I will say this, that the 527 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:54,160 consecration that they were serious about was this. 528 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:57,160 We have set this apart and it's only for this use. 529 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,400 I think even we can understand that, even if we understand the 530 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:01,760 theology is wrong, Amen. We know the theology is not 531 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,600 right, but you understand you have been set apart for a 532 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,560 certain use and this is the only use. 533 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:13,080 Any other use as an abuse, this is the use, and any other uses 534 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,240 and abuse, that's what consecration is. 535 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:19,160 Now Paul lays out his argument here why they should be 536 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,520 consecrated and in essence why we should be as well. 537 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:27,480 And he gives 5 truths in rapid succession in verse #19 and the 538 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:29,840 beginning of verse #20 he says this. 539 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:33,280 Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. 540 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:36,720 Now I want you to understand some of this evening, a lot of 541 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:39,640 times people have issue with their body and how they don't 542 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,720 like who they are or they want to change this or change that. 543 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:44,840 May I help you with something this evening? 544 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:47,600 When it comes to those things, your body is precious. 545 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:49,360 One, because you're a creation of the Lord. 546 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:54,320 But two, you're, you're, you're also body is the temple of the 547 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:56,480 Holy Ghost. No matter what you think of 548 00:28:56,480 --> 00:29:00,240 yourself, if you are saved, you are precious because one, you're 549 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:04,440 created by a holy God, but also because the Holy Spirit dwells 550 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:07,120 within you. You are the temple of the Holy 551 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:08,480 Ghost. No, no, I'm not calling you God. 552 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:10,400 I'm saying God resides within you. 553 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,920 And there's something uniquely special about that fact. 554 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,560 I think of the Tabernacle that was out in the wilderness. 555 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:18,440 What was it? It was curtains. 556 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,760 Now, the temple was grand. Solomon's temple certainly was, 557 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,200 and there was many ways that the Tabernacle itself was also grand 558 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,240 in its construction. But yet at the same time you 559 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:32,880 break it down, it's curtains and metals and rocks and different 560 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:34,440 things like that that are made together. 561 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:36,760 What made that Tabernacle so great? 562 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,920 Was it because of the special curtains or the gold that was 563 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:43,720 overlaid or anything like that? No, it was the dwelling place of 564 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,160 God. God chose to dwell there. 565 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:50,240 That that that was what made it special Is what makes you 566 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:52,120 special. Your fabulous looks. 567 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:57,600 Is it anything on the outside that manifests itself? 568 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,880 No, It's the fact that the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. 569 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:06,200 If you're saved, No, Awesome. And I use that word awesome in 570 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,600 its actual term. Not like wow that meal was 571 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:14,400 awesome, inspiring all the fact that you and I could be the 572 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:18,240 temple of the Holy Ghost. Know ye not that your body is a 573 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:20,400 temple? The Holy Ghost first truth which 574 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,720 is in you and this goes along with the 1st that the Holy Ghost 575 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,040 lives inside of you. You are the temple, but the Holy 576 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:29,480 Ghost lives inside of you. Ephesians 114 which is the 577 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,600 earnest of our inheritance under the redemption of the purchased 578 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:36,120 possession under the praise of his glory that the down payment 579 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,760 of heaven lives inside of you, the Holy Spirit that the fact 580 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:42,760 that you know that you're saved because the Holy Spirit lives 581 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:44,120 inside of you talking before church. 582 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,920 Yet your Spirit, the Spirit testifies to your spirit book of 583 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,240 Romans that we are the children of God. 584 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,320 That's the second truth. The Holy Ghost is in you and you 585 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:57,840 have him of God. Let's not confuse ourselves that 586 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,680 we achieved having the Holy Ghost's presence within us 587 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:05,200 because of anything good within us because we are unholy, but 588 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:08,640 Ephesians 2 verse 22 says in whom ye also are builded 589 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,800 together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 590 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:15,920 So your body is the temple, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost is in 591 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,240 you. You have him of God, the 4th 592 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,280 truth. You are not your own. 593 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,120 You're not your own. This is really the rub. 594 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,000 And we got to this last week about our eminent selfishness 595 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,040 that we have, which is why we enjoy Christian liberty. 596 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:33,160 We enjoy abusing Christian liberty rather because we want 597 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,520 to sometimes use it as a cloak to be able to do what we want, 598 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,840 but we're not our own. I read this quote. 599 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:43,600 Any honest person will take better care of something that 600 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,200 doesn't belong to them. Our bodies belong to God because 601 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:49,560 He bought them. We don't have the right to 602 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:51,800 pollute and abuse God's property. 603 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:56,880 You know, when I rent a car, when I borrow a car, I feel like 604 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,880 I drive it a little bit differently when I drive my own. 605 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,000 Now that may not seem right. You say well you should drive 606 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,560 your car well. Well, I feel like I drive my car 607 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:06,320 well. I'm not saying I go around 608 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:08,800 saying you know, I'm going to speed and take chances while I'm 609 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:09,960 out. That's not what I'm saying that 610 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:13,560 I do, but there's just that extra little something when I'm 611 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:16,120 out in someone else's car. Hopefully that makes you feel 612 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:19,200 good, Dave, but there's that little something extra. 613 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,280 Why is that? It's not my car. 614 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:24,120 You know what, I if I borrow Dave's car, I don't want to say, 615 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,800 hey Dave, thanks for the car. By the way, the back half 616 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:29,840 smashed in. You want to get back to the 617 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,200 rental car place. I don't want to say hey, thanks 618 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,520 for the last few days, but wished I bought the insurance. 619 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:37,120 You know, I don't want to do that. 620 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:40,240 I'm going to probably drive it better than my own. 621 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:44,600 They don't belong to me. But if our body is not our own, 622 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:47,560 doesn't that really change the way we should think about 623 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:51,120 Christian living? Instead of seeing how little we 624 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,920 can do for the Lord and still get away with being holy, 625 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:59,720 Shouldn't we say, if this isn't my own from head to toe, 626 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:04,120 everything I have, boy, I want to give it to him because it all 627 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:08,200 belongs to him. And then the last goes part and 628 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:09,640 parcel with that. Look at the beginning of verse 629 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:14,200 #20 you're bought with a price. What was the price? 630 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:18,600 The precious blood of Christ first Peter 118 and 19. 631 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:20,480 For as much as you knew that you were not redeemed with 632 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:24,040 corruptible things as silver and gold for your vain conversation 633 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,360 received by tradition from your Father's, but with the precious 634 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:31,200 blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without 635 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,160 spot. If someone bought me something 636 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:38,120 of great value, you would think it would change the way that you 637 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:43,160 handle that artifact or that item because you knew the amount 638 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:47,760 of money or time that somebody put in to that which was made or 639 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,520 given to you. And if we were bought with a 640 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:54,680 price, that price being the greatest price that's ever been 641 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:59,600 paid, the blood of Christ, then shouldn't that affect the way 642 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,160 that we live? Shouldn't that affect the way 643 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:05,840 that we handle ourselves? And so we asked this question, 644 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:08,920 maybe not that your body is a temple, the Holy Ghost, and he 645 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,440 gives, that is one of the reasons and four other reasons 646 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:17,280 of what to do. But the beginning of verse #19 647 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,560 the beginning verse #20 basically says, because of this. 648 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,239 And then the word therefore is there. 649 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:26,360 And as I was taught in Bible college, when you see the word, 650 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:28,400 therefore you want to go back and see what it's there for. 651 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:34,239 So meaning those five things I just taught you are real. 652 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:39,600 Paul is saying, therefore, because of the fact that your 653 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:42,320 body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, because of the fact that 654 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,000 the Holy Ghost is within you, because of the fact that you 655 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,960 have him of God, because of the fact you're not your own, 656 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,080 because of the fact you're bought with the Christ. 657 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:57,200 Therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are 658 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,520 gods because of all those things. 659 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:01,640 What do I do with it? Glorify Him. 660 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,640 See, what does that mean? Glorify is one of those nice 661 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:09,160 Christian words that we use sometimes that we talk about it, 662 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:10,280 but we don't even know what it means. 663 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:14,040 Want to glorify the Lord? What really a word that goes 664 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:18,840 along with glorify is magnify. In fact, if you look at the term 665 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:22,160 or the definition rather, for glorify means to praise, to 666 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:27,640 magnify and honor and worship, to ascribe honor to in thought 667 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:32,600 or words. Well, if I'm trying to magnify 668 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,480 God, then we have to ask ourselves these, this question, 669 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:41,120 when it comes to that which I do in my life, is it making it 670 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:44,520 easier for people to see Jesus or harder? 671 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:49,240 Because all because of all those things, I have to magnify God in 672 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:52,600 my body and in my spirit. I have to make sure that 673 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:58,160 everything I do makes Jesus easier to see for the world and 674 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:04,240 not harder. We'll ask the question that Paul 675 00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:07,560 asked here first. If a Christian is involved in 676 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:12,640 fornication, does it make their Christian testimony easier for 677 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:16,480 people to see Christ or harder? It's an easy question to answer. 678 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:21,000 It's harder. It's hard to be able to witness 679 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,560 to somebody about Jesus, to truly witness to them when you 680 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:28,000 were involved in fornication. And so that's not magnifying 681 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,640 God. In fact, it's making it harder 682 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:32,280 to see God through your testimony. 683 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:35,360 But remember, it's not just that. 684 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:42,280 Does a Christian using foul language, does it make it easier 685 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:43,920 or harder for people to see Christ? 686 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:49,760 That magnifying Christ when a Christian is lazy Christian is 687 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,800 not the hardest worker at the job site or at the school? 688 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:57,520 Does that make it easier for people to see Christ or harder? 689 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,720 When a Christian doesn't show the joy of the Lord, does that 690 00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:04,920 make it easier for people to see Christ or harder? 691 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:07,720 So this is really where the rubber meets the road, isn't it? 692 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:12,360 Well, why should I? Why should I magnify? 693 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:15,840 Why should I magnify God? Well, there were five really 694 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:18,520 good reasons, and any one of them would have been enough. 695 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:22,640 But He gave us five in a very short space. 696 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:27,160 And so because of that, He is asking us to glorify Him in His 697 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:28,160 body, His Spirit. Why? 698 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:32,400 So that other people can see Christ in US, the hope of glory. 699 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:34,680 And maybe you've wondered, why can't people? 700 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:36,480 Why don't I lead people to Christ? 701 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:38,640 Why why don't I seem to be able to be around people? 702 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:41,880 Now listen, I understand you can't force anyone to get saved. 703 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,120 You can't. You can't force a fish to jump 704 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:45,320 on the hook. I get that. 705 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:50,000 But I do have to wonder that you would ask yourself at some 706 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:54,680 point, is there something within me that is not magnifying God to 707 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,160 the people around me that they can't see Christ in me? 708 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,920 I'm not making an accusation, I'm just saying it's something 709 00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:05,920 to ponder and to pray about in your life as I have to. 710 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,640 Because it's not just about the big things, it's about the small 711 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:11,600 things too. Am I able to hands attract to 712 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:15,600 someone at the store if I've been a jerk while I was at the 713 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:17,320 store? Probably not. 714 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:23,320 Am I able to witness to my neighbor if I've not been kind 715 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:25,560 to my neighbor before? Probably not. 716 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:30,920 So why do we do this? Because we glorify God in our 717 00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:35,800 body, in our spirit, and in the end, they belong to him. 718 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:40,200 We're not our own. It's the last part, which are 719 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:43,560 gods. Your body is God's, your spirit 720 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,720 is God's. So give it to him. 721 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,960 You know, there's a point I mentioned this last week that 722 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:58,160 popular Christianity that most of the stuff that that goes 723 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:02,240 under the broad umbrella of Christianity has a hard time 724 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:07,080 with preaching like this because they say, look, once you're 725 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,120 saved, listen, you're going to heaven. 726 00:39:10,720 --> 00:39:12,840 Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. 727 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:18,240 Hey pastor, chill out, find a hobby, just calm down, man. 728 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:19,040 What are you? What are you? 729 00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:22,480 What are you preaching about? Just just just enjoy life for 730 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:26,200 all it is. But there's something 731 00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,400 fundamentally wrong about that thought process. 732 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:30,840 Consider what Paul was talking about with the people at 733 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:34,120 Corinth. They were living however they 734 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:38,080 wanted before they got saved. How is that working for them? 735 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:42,320 Not very well, right about that, sister. 736 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:48,360 It was not working well at all. They trusted Christ, but then 737 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:50,800 once they got saved after a while, guess what happened? 738 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:54,960 They went back to those things that they were doing before. 739 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,320 Let me ask you this. How'd that work out for him? 740 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:01,840 It worked out as well for him as it did the first time. 741 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:06,040 Not very well, they're not. They didn't lose their salvation 742 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:10,000 now they were saved, but yet they were just as miserable and 743 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:13,080 double minded. Now they're saved and they're 744 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,520 not living for Christ because they haven't joined themselves 745 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:20,440 to a harlot, both physically and metaphorically speaking. 746 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:24,840 So it wasn't working out before and they tried it again. 747 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:30,080 And it still didn't work out. So Paul is just stating the 748 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:33,760 obvious. A Christian should live like a 749 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:38,320 Christian, not because we're better than everyone else, but 750 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:41,840 because your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, because the 751 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:47,240 Holy Ghost is in you, because you have him of God, because you 752 00:40:47,240 --> 00:40:50,400 are not your own and you're bought with a price. 753 00:40:51,720 --> 00:40:54,080 Who are you to tell me, pastor? Who are you to make me feel 754 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:56,520 guilty on? Listen, I'm not the priest of 755 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:59,680 your home. I'm not going to go through your 756 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:03,000 house and go through your history list, go through your 757 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:06,280 cell phone, go through your CDs. Anybody have CDs anymore? 758 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:11,760 All right, go through your TV, go through your reading 759 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:15,400 materials, going to go through those things I have. 760 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,320 I have no desire to do that. I'm not the priest of your home, 761 00:41:20,720 --> 00:41:25,800 but I will tell you this, that there is One who does know and 762 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:29,760 sees and understands and loves you so much. 763 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:34,760 No, no, He loves you so much. He's told you these things are 764 00:41:34,760 --> 00:41:37,080 going to harm you. They harmed you before. 765 00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:39,760 They'll harm you again if you go back to Him. 766 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:44,080 And in His love, He's telling you stay away from Him because 767 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:47,480 there's a connection that you have with the Savior and it 768 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:50,320 causes confusion when you go back to the world. 769 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:55,040 It doesn't come without a cost. Just like marital infidelity 770 00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:58,560 comes with great cost, infidelity spiritually comes 771 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:01,040 with great cost as well. There's a lot of believers who 772 00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:05,600 would say, I wandered for many years and it cost me a lot of 773 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:06,960 things. There's a lot of believers who 774 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:11,080 would say that. But when we understand this, 775 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:17,520 when we understand that we are to act as believers, that we 776 00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:20,240 don't use our Christian liberty as an excuse to drift away from 777 00:42:20,240 --> 00:42:23,520 God, when we understand that we're to use it as a reason to 778 00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:27,720 draw closer to him, you know, change the way we live our life. 779 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:32,120 Corinthians were a mess. If they just got a handle on the 780 00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:37,360 fact that they belong to God, it would solve a lot of problems. 781 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:40,280 By the way, I believe it did solve a lot of problems by the 782 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:43,200 time you get to 2nd Corinthians, but it would help us tonight. 783 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:45,920 Do not just use the cloak of Christian liberty just to be 784 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:48,880 able to excuse ourselves. Do whatever we want and it's OK. 785 00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:51,560 I can get forgiveness eventually you can. 786 00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:55,080 You can get forgiveness. Thank the Lord you can get 787 00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:59,040 forgiveness, but don't think it comes without consequences or 788 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:02,200 cost whatsoever. Man soweth that Shelly also reap 789 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:06,720 and you can't join yourself to that which was before casually 790 00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:10,560 and think that it won't harm your life, your testimony, or 791 00:43:10,560 --> 00:43:13,040 your ability to glorify God to the lost. 792 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:16,280 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 793 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:19,200 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 794 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:22,680 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 795 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:27,240 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 796 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:32,080 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 797 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:34,920 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 798 00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:36,120 grow in His Word.