1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,040 Let's turn in our Bibles this morning to 1st Thessalonians 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,200 chapter 4. We're going to read verses 1 to 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,440 8. First Thessalonians chapter 4, 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,440 verses 1 to 8. Let's hear the Word of God, 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:21,840 reading of course from the Authorised Version, or as many 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:30,720 affectionately call it, the King James Bible, First 7 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:35,240 Thessalonians, chapter 4. We'll read verses one through to 8 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,920 8. Let's hear the word of God. 9 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:49,320 Furthermore, then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by 10 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:54,880 the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us how you ought to 11 00:00:54,880 --> 00:01:00,600 walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more. 12 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,840 For ye know what commandments we give you by the Lord Jesus. 13 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:13,240 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that 14 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:18,320 you should abstain from fornication, that everyone of 15 00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:23,160 you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and 16 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:28,800 honour, not in the lust of concuptions, Even as the 17 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:33,760 Gentiles, which know not God, that no man go beyond and 18 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:39,600 defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is 19 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:44,720 the adventure of all. Such as we also have forewarned 20 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:50,160 you and testified. For God has not called us unto 21 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:58,320 uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, 22 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:08,160 despiseth not man, but God, who also who have also given unto us 23 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,720 His Holy Spirit. Amen. 24 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,120 We know that the Lord will stamp with his own approval and 25 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:19,240 blessing this reading of His own precious and infallible Word. 26 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,600 Now this morning, as you're aware, we are in the middle of a 27 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:32,360 series of expository sermons as we go through this New Testament 28 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,560 letter written by the Apostle Paul to a church in the ancient 29 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:42,200 Roman Empire in a city known as Thessalonica. 30 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,720 Now my text this morning is found in First Thessalonians 31 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:51,120 chapter 4, verses 1 and 2, and I want to take the theme that I've 32 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,880 entitled the Christians Pathway to Pleasing God. 33 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:01,160 Or are you walking to please God? 34 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,200 Look at First Thessalonians chapter 4, verse one. 35 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:11,880 The first word there is furthermore literally that word 36 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:20,800 means as to what remains or in addition to or the next item. 37 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,080 You're standing at the checkout and you hear next, please. 38 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,200 Well, that's what the word furthermore means, in addition 39 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:36,800 to to what remains the next in line. 40 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:42,040 This word stands to indicate a shift from Paul's affirmation as 41 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:47,120 to what doctrine we believe to what duty we must therefore 42 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,480 display. The Apostle Paul is going to 43 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:57,400 offer some very practical instruction for holy living. 44 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,840 In chapter 1 he's talked about the conversion of the 45 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,200 Thessalonians to Christ. He says in chapter 1, verse 8. 46 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,320 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in 47 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,440 Macedonia and Ikaya, but also in every place your faith to God 48 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:17,000 were to spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything. 49 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,640 In chapter 2 he's explained the nature and character of the 50 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,440 gospel ministry that he had among them. 51 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,880 Remember that was amid all the standard of certain Jews who 52 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,720 falsely laboured him as a con artist and who misrepresented 53 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,200 him. He explained to them why he 54 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,960 wasn't literally back in the city of Thessalonanka after his 55 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:44,600 hasty departure. This was because of what in 56 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,880 chapter 2 verse 18 we read. Wherefore we would have come 57 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,560 unto you, even I Paul once and again. 58 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:57,800 But Satan hindered us. He rejoiced in Timothy's 59 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:02,560 ministry amongst them, and Timothy's faithful report about 60 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:07,880 them in chapter 3, verse 6. But now when Timothy came unto 61 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,520 you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and 62 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,920 charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always 63 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,320 desiring greatly to see us as we also to see you. 64 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,520 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you and all our 65 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,000 affliction and the stress by your faith. 66 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,280 He urged them to stand fast in the Lord. 67 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:32,440 Verse 8, chapter 3. For now we live if you stand 68 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:37,680 fast in the in the faith in the Lord and then he assured them of 69 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,240 prayer. He says night and day verse 10 70 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,280 of chapter 3 praying exceedingly that we might see your fears a 71 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:48,520 night perfect that which is lacking in your faith. 72 00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:55,800 Now having done that, having said all that in his mind in 73 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,280 addition, he wants to add something else in his mind. 74 00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:03,920 He wants to go to the next thing, and the next thing is to 75 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:08,440 remind them of the practical duty of living out to Christian 76 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:12,840 life, literally having disclosed certain doctrinal truths to 77 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:15,640 them. Now here's the devotional. 78 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:20,880 Here's the practical outworking of this in application. 79 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,360 It's as if he's saying you who are now truly converted in 80 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:31,160 Thessalonica, this is the conduct that will follow. 81 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:36,680 And of course, what follows is practical instructions for holy 82 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,400 living. And we're just thinking today of 83 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,800 one of those practical instructions. 84 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:46,080 And it's rooted in the words, as you have received of us, how you 85 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:50,440 ought to walk and to please God. So you would abound more and 86 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,760 more for you know what commandments we give you by the 87 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,960 Lord Jesus. I have three things this morning 88 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,960 and I know you're tired after last night, but I I pray that 89 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:06,840 you'll be able to listen well and receive this instruction. 90 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,840 I want you to think of the priority in the Christian's 91 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,720 walk. Notice the words here. 92 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:21,240 And to please God. The pleasing of God ought to be 93 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:25,320 the greatest ambition of the Christian life. 94 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,440 It ought to be the great ambition of every individual 95 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,880 born of the Spirit. Notice the word, brethren, he 96 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:38,280 says in chapter 4, verse one. Moreover, then we beseech you, 97 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:44,600 brethren, and exhort you, he's writing to born again believers. 98 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,560 It's as if he's saying to them, if you've truly believed in the 99 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:52,840 Lord Jesus Christ, believed that he was born for you, believed 100 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,600 that he lived the sinless life, died in atoning death, rose 101 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,800 again bodily from the dead, deceive us from God's wrath, 102 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,840 deceive us from the power of sin, deceive us from hell 103 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:07,360 itself. Then our priority, our purpose 104 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:13,760 in this new life in Christ is to walk and live in a manner 105 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:19,600 pleasing to God that sought not just to be a passing aim. 106 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:24,320 No, this is to be a matter of great priorities. 107 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:29,720 Get your priorities right. I heard that years ago. 108 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:36,960 It resonated with me. Our great priority and ambition 109 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,400 ought to be to please God, and our great ambition to please Him 110 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,640 is not the ground of our salvation. 111 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:50,880 We're not pleasing Him in order to be saved or to be accepted by 112 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,560 him. No, it's because we are saved. 113 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,360 It's because we know Him now as Lord and Redeemer. 114 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,160 It's because we love Him all but feebly. 115 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,960 It's because we are indwelt by a spirit. 116 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:12,000 Remember Romans 8 and 9 says if any man of not the Spirit of 117 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:19,520 Christ, he is none of his. We're born of the Spirit, we're 118 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:23,680 indwelt by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God indwells these 119 00:09:23,680 --> 00:09:29,440 bodies of ours. We are led by the Spirit and 120 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:33,360 this ability to please him. This eeman ambition is 121 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,200 ultimately the result of his work in us, and our aim is to 122 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,400 walk with him as children of the light. 123 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:44,400 Remember what Paul says to the church at Ephesus. 124 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:53,840 There in Ephesus chapter 5 and in the verse 8 he says this, For 125 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:58,800 ye were sometimes darkness, but now are you late in the Lord? 126 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:03,280 Walk as children of the light, for the fruit of the Spirit is 127 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,360 in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving 128 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,920 what is acceptable unto the Lord. 129 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,240 So the question for us this morning is this, is this our 130 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,480 priority? Is this our number one aim? 131 00:10:15,680 --> 00:10:21,440 Am I living with an I to pleasing God to hear well done, 132 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:23,680 good and faithful servant. Now that's not easy. 133 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,520 I admit that that's a struggle. Why? 134 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,960 Because even as born again believers, it's so easy to come 135 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:36,040 to the natural bend of pleasing ourselves, putting self first 136 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,920 rather than the saviour. I wonder when we wake up in the 137 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,800 morning, do we think to ourselves? 138 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,200 I wonder what's going to make me happy today? 139 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:50,480 What's going to make me smile? What's going to make me to know? 140 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:54,640 Joy and contentment. You see, when we wake up in the 141 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:58,560 morning with that mindset, we're not naturally or necessarily 142 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:03,040 consumed with the thought of what is going to please God 143 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,400 today. See, often our priorities 144 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:11,680 revolve around who we are and what we do and what is going to 145 00:11:11,680 --> 00:11:14,920 bring us satisfaction and happiness. 146 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,840 For as the aim and ambition ought to be when we wake up in 147 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,960 the morning, what is going to bring the greatest pleasure to 148 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,720 God today? So as true born again believers, 149 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:34,120 we have to fight in a spiritual sense to overcome this mindset. 150 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:41,240 See let's remember the Bible says in Hebrews Chapter 11 verse 151 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,360 6. But without faith it is 152 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:49,160 impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe 153 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:54,640 that He is, that He's a rewarder of them that diligently seek 154 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:58,120 Him. So I asked, do you know the Lord 155 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,400 Jesus Christ? Is he your Lord and Saviour this 156 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:05,120 morning? Have you faith in him? 157 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:10,520 And because you have faith in him, this is your great ambition 158 00:12:10,680 --> 00:12:14,240 and aim in the Christian life, to live and to walk in a manner 159 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,600 that's pleasing him. Not what pleases me, but what 160 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:21,520 pleases the Master. Remember Paul emphasised this, 161 00:12:21,680 --> 00:12:26,120 he says in the book of Corinthians and 1st Corinthians 162 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:30,400 chapter 6 and in the verse 19. What know ye not that your body 163 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:32,760 is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have 164 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,560 of God, and you're not your own, for you're bought with a price. 165 00:12:35,560 --> 00:12:39,360 Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which 166 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:43,240 are gods. These believers were being 167 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:47,920 encouraged to walk in fellowship with the Lord, not stand still, 168 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:56,240 not going backwards, but walking speaks of progress. 169 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,920 Because they knew and loved the Lord, they were walking in 170 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,520 fellowship with Him and therefore they were encouraged 171 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,960 to be less careless. They were encouraged to be less 172 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,720 inclined to sin. They were encouraged to be less 173 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:16,840 taken up with themselves and prioritise the Lord in their 174 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:18,320 life. They were being exhorted. 175 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:24,360 Notice that word he says and exhort you by the Lord Jesus 176 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,760 that that's stronger than encouragement. 177 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,520 Exhortation includes encouragement, but it's more 178 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,640 than that. It's it's really saying we 179 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,160 exhort you. We've already come alongside 180 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,560 you. This was a humble, gentle 181 00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:42,680 exhortation from a fellow brother, from a from a pastor's 182 00:13:42,680 --> 00:13:46,360 heart, not trying to browbeat the people of God, not not not 183 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:51,880 trying to be overbearing, but but exhorting by the Lord Jesus 184 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:55,800 in light of his service and sacrifice, in light of his 185 00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:02,360 salvation. He tells them here in the verse 186 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:07,880 one as you have received of us. In other words, it was not a new 187 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:09,840 thing. He was not telling them 188 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:11,840 anything. He hadn't told them before. 189 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:13,920 He had already told them by word of mouth. 190 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:18,920 He had told them face to face. He had told them by this letter. 191 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,320 He had told them by his holy walk before them. 192 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:27,200 The matter for here is walk. He ought to walk a decisive, 193 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:33,000 deliberate commitment to choose to obey the Lord, to know His 194 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:38,360 Word, to know His will. So do we really have this aim 195 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:41,120 and ambition? The priority of the Christians 196 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:46,080 walk is to please God. We do it willingly, we do it 197 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:50,440 gladly, we do it sacrificially, we do it steadily, we do it 198 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:55,840 joyfully, we do it dearly, we do it progressively. 199 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:03,920 I want you to search your heart. Are we doing this in this way 200 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:08,320 that I've described? I came across something that was 201 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,600 tremendous, a little quote from Thomas Watson. 202 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,720 Let me read it to you. I beseech you, keep your 203 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:17,760 constant hours every day with God. 204 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,360 The godly man has set apart not only because God has set him 205 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,520 apart by election, but because he has set him apart by 206 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,280 devotion. Give God the best of the day. 207 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:35,640 Begin the day with God. Visit God in the morning before 208 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:40,200 you make any other visit. Wind up your hearts towards 209 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:44,720 heaven in the morning, and they will go the better all the day 210 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,720 after. Or turn your closets into 211 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,280 temples. Read the scriptures. 212 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:54,440 The two testaments are the two lips by which God speaks to us. 213 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:56,720 They will make you wise unto salvation. 214 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:03,400 Scripture is both a looking glass to show you your spots. 215 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:09,720 In other words, your sin. And scripture is a lever to wash 216 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,560 away that sin, because the blood of Jesus Christ His Son 217 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,240 cleanseth us from all sin besides heaven. 218 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:21,800 With your prayers, perfume your house and keep a constant 219 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,240 fellowship with heaven. I received that this morning 220 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,640 from her brother in England in reading a tremendous 221 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:32,240 encouragement and I thought that I would include it in to this 222 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:38,240 priority very quickly. And secondly, the pathway of the 223 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,240 Christians walk. Notice these words. 224 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:45,480 If you look again at the text, it says how you ought to walk, 225 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,560 so you would have bound more and more. 226 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:53,520 You see the aim and ambition to please God. 227 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:57,400 Where does it begin? It begins in your heart. 228 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:04,319 Well, you're born again and led by the Spirit of God. 229 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:10,640 We discover this desire to please Him begins in the heart. 230 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:15,560 You see, for God to walk with us and for us to walk with God and 231 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,800 to know Him and love Him and serve Him and be in fellowship 232 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:22,560 with Him, we must walk in the light as He is in the light. 233 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:27,880 That's what he says in first John chapter one, verse seven. 234 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:33,040 The first reference to walking in the Bible is Genesis 3, verse 235 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:37,320 8, where God came walking in the Garden of Eden and the cool of 236 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:42,160 the day to walk with Adam in union and communion and 237 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:47,440 fellowship. The Lord was with Adam, Adam was 238 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,920 with God, and they were walking in the light of who God is. 239 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,640 That's the picture. That's the pathway of the 240 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:59,800 Christian's walk. It must begin in the heart. 241 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:06,040 It's a heart relationship. It refers, of course, here how 242 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,920 you ought to walk, not just to the manner of living your 243 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:13,640 lifestyle, but it also refers to your motivation. 244 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:19,160 We must have a heart for God. And if there's anything we need 245 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:23,200 to discover or rediscover in the Free Presbyterian Church coming 246 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:27,560 up to the 75th anniversary in 2026 is this. 247 00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:32,360 We must have a heart for God, not just belief, not just say I 248 00:18:32,360 --> 00:18:35,760 believe in God. See, see hundreds today in 249 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,560 Northern Ireland into their thousands, say if we asked them 250 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:42,040 do you believe in God? They would say yes, but does 251 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:43,840 that impact upon their behaviour? 252 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,320 Does that impact upon their lifestyle choices as they live 253 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,400 out their lives before God and before man? 254 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:57,320 You see, if I say this is my creed, I believe in God, I 255 00:18:57,320 --> 00:18:59,840 believe in Christ, I believe in heaven and hell, I believe the 256 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:04,520 Bible, then that creed must impact upon my conduct. 257 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:08,880 It must impact upon me. You see, before we can give God 258 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:15,240 our hands and our feet and our tongue and our ears, we must 259 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:19,040 give him my heart. Give me thine heart. 260 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:22,360 We must have a heart for God. Our hearts must be true and 261 00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:25,320 clean to walk with God. Our hearts must be in harmony 262 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,400 with Him. We certainly can't be against 263 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:31,520 Him. Hearts have to be changed. 264 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:33,720 If any man be in Christ, as you new creature, old things have 265 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,000 passed away, and all things become you, there has to be a 266 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,840 radical difference. See, many today are involved in 267 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:43,520 service, but they have no heart for Him. 268 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,640 They have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof. 269 00:19:49,360 --> 00:19:52,240 That's why many are not flocking to the House of God in the day 270 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:54,200 of God. That's why many churches have 271 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,120 become empty. It's not just to do with the 272 00:19:56,120 --> 00:19:59,640 demographics that have changed, and I understand that. 273 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:04,200 But there's many ministers in the pulpit who have given their 274 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:09,000 hands to him, their mouth for him, their their, their feet for 275 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:10,760 him. And they're doing things for 276 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:13,200 God, but they have no heart for him. 277 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:16,520 And what is true of the minister has to be true of the elder, the 278 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:18,600 Deacon, and the professing Christian. 279 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,840 Many are involved in doing lots of things for God, but they have 280 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,880 no heart for him. They're not born of the Spirit. 281 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:30,960 They do not know Him and to walk with him, remember, God is 282 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:34,320 light, and Emma's no darkness at all. 283 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,080 He's a God of truth, a God of righteousness, a God of 284 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,160 holiness. You need a new heart to walk 285 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,960 with God, to walk in purity, to walk in truth. 286 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:48,760 Not a fleshly performance, but a joint participation with God. 287 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:51,920 See those that walk in fellowship with God, with a new 288 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:55,360 heart and harmony, with an eye to purity, righteousness and 289 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:57,280 holiness. They'll abhor falsehood. 290 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,200 They'll abhor all the filthiness of this world. 291 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:03,240 They will abhor the lust of the flesh, the pride of life. 292 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,480 They'll they'll hate the world, the flesh, the devil that they 293 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:13,560 will love sin, and their heart all but imperfectly, will strive 294 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:18,480 to be in total agreement with God and with the things of God. 295 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:23,160 And what God loves we will love, and what God hates, we will 296 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:25,440 hate. Amos three and three asked the 297 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,280 question, Can two walk together except to be agreed? 298 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:34,840 Agreement means standing for all that the Lord is. 299 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:41,120 Hearts that are open and transparent, Open to the truth 300 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:46,960 of who God is, open to purity and holiness, open to the great 301 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,600 doctrines of grace. Open to embrace all that God 302 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,160 says about himself, about righteousness, about heaven, 303 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,760 about hell, about judgement to come. 304 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,160 Hearts that are open to kneel before him in prayer and confess 305 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:07,120 their sin and cry out for help. Isn't it wonderful to know what 306 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:09,920 a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear? 307 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:13,000 What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. 308 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,600 Maybe you've come with a burdened heart, your burden for 309 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,360 a loved one not saved your burden for a loved one who's ill 310 00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:22,600 and you, you really don't know what way to turn. 311 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,920 And at times you feel, you know, I'm standing here on the edge of 312 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,880 what's in corner and, and, and how am I going to get through 313 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,560 today? Well, here's the answer. 314 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,960 Kneel before the Lord in prayer. The Bible says, let us therefore 315 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,080 come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy 316 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:43,360 and find grace to help in time of night. 317 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:47,400 See, our hearts, if they're right, our hearts, if they're in 318 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:52,480 harmony with him, if they have a new heart, then that heart will 319 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,040 be motivated to do things out of a sense of thankfulness and 320 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,120 gratitude that they'll be done in love and devotion. 321 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:02,440 And it impacts upon every area of life, impacts upon me as the 322 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,040 minister. It impacts upon ministry of you 323 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,800 and your service for God. It impacts upon our marriage. 324 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:12,200 It impacts upon our money, it impacts upon music, it impacts 325 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:16,040 upon our merriment, it impacts upon materialism and, and, and 326 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,480 how we have an attachment to things. 327 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:21,920 We'll have a loose attachment. Why? 328 00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:23,920 Because they'll say they're all his. 329 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:29,040 They're not mine, they're his. And if he wants them, then I'd 330 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,360 readily give them to him. That was the mindset that the 331 00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:36,680 late Fanny Crosby lived in a life of sacrifice and service 332 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:41,880 for God impacts upon every sphere of life with no 333 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:47,880 restrictions, no regrets, no retreats. 334 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:53,960 I want you to finish this morning on the precepts of the 335 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,040 Christian's walk. Notice verse 2. 336 00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:00,120 It says for you know what commandments we gave you by the 337 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:07,040 Lord Jesus. You see, here's the standard in 338 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:13,960 walking to please God, underline the word commandments. 339 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:23,760 One standard defines this holiness of life, this holy walk 340 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,480 to please God. And I believe the reference to 341 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,560 commandments here refers to the moral law. 342 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:36,200 The moral law, there's 10/2 tables, one in our relationship 343 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:41,880 to God, 1st 4 commandments, the next six are relationship to our 344 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,080 fellow man. And those 10 commandments are a 345 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:49,440 summary of the divine will of God for the life of his people. 346 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:54,520 And we could unpack the 10 commandments this morning, only 347 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:58,280 we don't have time. But it impacts upon every kind 348 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:02,880 of behaviour in relation to God and relation to our fellow man. 349 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:06,080 To me, they're clear and transparent. 350 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:12,160 To me, they're transcendent. Isn't it tremendous that they're 351 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,520 written them down? I was sharing at the Bible 352 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:19,520 Beginners Bible Course on Friday night about this man who had 353 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,520 broken some very expensive ornament in his house. 354 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,360 It was valued at 500 points. He was trying to reclaim it on 355 00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:29,800 his house insurance. What am I paying insurance for? 356 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,320 The insurance man came and he said to him, will you have 357 00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:36,680 excess here that you're going to have to pay £50. 358 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,760 I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll write into the book here. 359 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:43,680 The item costs £550. You won't have to pay any 360 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:46,720 excess. The man looked at him and said, 361 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:52,880 thank you, but no, why not? He says, well, the Bible teaches 362 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:57,360 thy shall not steal. And because he was confronted 363 00:25:57,360 --> 00:26:01,440 with that commandment, with this thought, God is watching me, 364 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:06,680 Then the moral law not only confronted him, but the moral 365 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:09,760 law comforted him that he was doing the right thing. 366 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,040 This was how I ought to walk. You see, the Spirit of God 367 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:16,040 brought the word of God to his mind, and he applied it in his 368 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,760 life situation. And he was saying, desiring to, 369 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,560 to, to live a heart of holiness unto God. 370 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,320 If you're born again by the Holy Spirit, I believe you should 371 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,600 love the 10 commandments. I believe we should live by the 372 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:37,800 10 commandments, not as a ground of salvation, but as the 373 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:41,280 evidence the Bible says. They shall love the Lord thy God 374 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:43,400 with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, 375 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,480 and with all thy strength, and they shall love thy neighbour as 376 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:49,440 thyself. And these hang all the law and 377 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:51,280 the prophets. And yet the reality is in our 378 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:55,440 natural state, we can't love God until we're born of the Spirit, 379 00:26:55,720 --> 00:27:00,360 then dwelt by Him and then LED to this law of love. 380 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:06,680 John 14 verse 15, the Lord Jesus said, if you love me, keep my 381 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:11,000 commandments. Not only the explanation of the 382 00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:15,240 commandments, but think lastly of the experience of these 383 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,640 commandments. See, these commandments produce 384 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:24,240 love for a life of holiness and happiness and harmony unto God 385 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,960 in our hearts. The Lord Jesus said, now you're 386 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,920 clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 387 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,960 It says there in First Corinthians Chapter 9 and in the 388 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:42,320 verse 21, First Corinthians 9 and 21, Paul says to them that 389 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:47,160 are without law as without law being not under being, not 390 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:50,920 without law to God, but under the law to Christ, that I might 391 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:55,960 gain them that are without law. See, there's no conflict. 392 00:27:56,840 --> 00:28:03,360 The gospel liberty brings us to the law of Christ, and the law 393 00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:09,080 of Christ is comprehended in these 10 laws that become the 10 394 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,920 commandments, and they are a rule for life. 395 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,520 The Lord Jesus applied them in the Sermon of the Mount, didn't 396 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:15,840 He? He talked about murder. 397 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:18,840 We think of the physical act, but He talked about murdering 398 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:23,040 someone in your heart. He talked about adultery, the 399 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,920 physical act, and then he talked about lust in the heart. 400 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:30,240 He that looketh on a woman lustfully have committed 401 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,560 adultery with her already in his heart. 402 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:34,120 You see, it's a matter of the heart. 403 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:44,680 That's what we need to discover and the precept to guide that is 404 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:50,200 the law of Christ and love remembers the fulfilment of the 405 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,600 law. See, if we see a brother or 406 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,040 sister, they're in trials and troubles. 407 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,880 What we should we do? We should listen to them. 408 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:04,560 We should feel a sense of sympathy with them and for them. 409 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,640 Their burden should be our burdens. 410 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,760 We should pray for them. We should practically help them 411 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,440 if we can. We should not only sympathise 412 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,440 but of empathy. Try to walk in their shoes. 413 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:21,000 Before we judge someone, let's try to get out of our shoes, 414 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:25,160 into their shoes and say why would I react in that situation? 415 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:31,600 What would I do in that context? Let's not be callous, let's not 416 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,560 be cold hearted. Let's not be bitter and harsh. 417 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,200 Let's not be selfish. Why? 418 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:42,800 Because out of love to God and love to our neighbour, we're 419 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:49,640 guided by the law of Christ. In Isaiah 8 and 20 we read this 420 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,520 to the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to 421 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,360 this word is because there's no light in them. 422 00:29:56,280 --> 00:30:01,280 We must learn as a church, we must learn individually to judge 423 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:05,200 all things by the Word of God. The Lord has given us the Bible 424 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,840 as the only infallible rule of faith and practise. 425 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:12,480 Here's the yardstick to measure every doctrine, every clium, 426 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:17,360 every practise, and we dare not adopt any other standard. 427 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:22,240 We're not going to add tradition to the Scriptures. 428 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:26,160 Do you know why? Because we'll soon end up tuning 429 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:28,920 the Scriptures to accommodate the traditions of men. 430 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:34,160 We're not going to add science to the Scriptures because we'd 431 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:37,240 end up denying the Word to accommodate some passing 432 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:40,320 scientific theory from the lips and mind of a man. 433 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:44,000 We're not going to add church councils because church councils 434 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,200 can err. We're not going to add the 435 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:50,040 creeds of men because the creeds of men are subordinate to the 436 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,720 Scriptures. Even our Westminster Confession 437 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:56,440 of Faith, the Baptist Confession of Faith, the Savoy Declaration 438 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:59,280 of Faith, is all subservient to the Scriptures. 439 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:04,080 We're certainly not going to make our experience the standard 440 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:07,600 because we'd end up making the Bible agreeing with our 441 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:12,640 experience and we could defy all sound principles of biblical 442 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:17,240 truth and interpretation. The Bible alone must be the 443 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:19,440 standard of our belief and behaviour. 444 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:23,320 Only the Bible. Listen to what I say as I finish 445 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:28,000 to the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to 446 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:33,840 this word, it is because there's no light in them and things that 447 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:35,960 today are contrary to sound doctrine. 448 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:43,120 It's because there's no light. It's because they're agent of 449 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:46,840 darkness. It's because they're energised 450 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:51,360 by the Prince of darkness. Every Bible rejector. 451 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:53,160 You know how the Lord describes them. 452 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:59,560 They're dark and fools today. Their folly has wounded many 453 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:03,880 churches. Rationalism has spread it's 454 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:09,200 poison in Northern Ireland. Rationalism has closed churches. 455 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,880 Good churches. I heard of 1 yesterday when I 456 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:16,680 was down in Lurgan. Breaks my heart. 457 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:22,920 I take no joy or delight as a Free Presbyterian minister to 458 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:26,360 see what's happening in other denominations, whether it be 459 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:31,840 Presbyterian Methodist or Church of Ireland or Brethren or 460 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:38,560 Pentecostal. How many Bible rejecters have 461 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:44,360 undermined faith in Christ under the guise of the claim of 462 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:51,800 scholarship we must surrender to the authority of the Scriptures? 463 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:59,760 You'll never be misled, you'll not be misguided when you bow 464 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:03,840 the knee to the scriptures. Let's learn the scriptures of 465 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:07,400 truth. Summarise for us in the 10 466 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:12,040 Commandments. Let's love the 10 Commandments. 467 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:18,160 Let's live by them. Let's hold all to the touchstone 468 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:22,240 and if it's biblical and it's in the Bible, believe it. 469 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,440 And if it's not biblical and if it's not in the Bible, then 470 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:30,920 let's say no. We have to expound these 471 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:35,080 commandments, but they have to be experienced in our heart. 472 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,560 That is the precept for the Christian's walk. 473 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,680 I've just given you 3 simple things this morning, how we 474 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:47,880 ought to walk and to please God. Let's make this a priority in 475 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:52,320 our life. Let's walk this pathway, making 476 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:55,000 sure that our hearts are in harmony with God's heart. 477 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:58,000 We're walking in agreement because we have a new heart born 478 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:01,920 of the Spirit. And let's make the precepts of 479 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:07,920 our Christian walk the Word of God as embodied in the 10 480 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:13,159 commandments, and let's live that out to the glory of God. 481 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:18,040 Thus saith the Scriptures. May the Lord apply this word to 482 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:22,480 our heart, and I pray that the Lord will help us going forward. 483 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:26,920 Now we're going to close in a moment. 484 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:28,600 We're going to sing our final hymn. 485 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,560 But before we do, could I encourage you to pray for next 486 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:34,760 Lord's Day? We're going to deal with the 487 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:37,320 very difficult subject of sanctification. 488 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:42,000 If you look at verse 3 and there's a lot of hard things to 489 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:46,120 be said in relation to the subject, and I pray for wisdom, 490 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:49,760 I pray for grace, I pray that you'll come and you'll listen to 491 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:53,199 what the word of God has to say on a very, very important 492 00:34:53,199 --> 00:34:57,160 subject, the will of God, even your sanctification.