Open—T. Roach, P. Jennings, R. Mackewich
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In 172.
And I'm going to play.
Right, our godfather, we so we sing this song. It's a it's a prayer of ours that indeed thou would teach us more for God bless ways. We thank thee again for the opportunity and the time before us. And so with the thought that we've had before us that we might know thee better. And so we asked for help as we go forward to guide and direct us.
In that night we pray Lord Jesus, Amen. Amen.
I'd like to speak on just a few things that have been before us over the last couple of days before most of you arrived, the young people together and we're talking a little bit about some of the things that we've continued to talk about.
The end of the first man in the flesh and hell, that's all come to an end before God at the cross, but then also what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, that new life that we have. And so I just want to talk about one part of that in connection with what we had later in the meetings and specifically with respect to grace.
If we could just turn to a verse in Romans.
Romans, chapter 6.
In verse 14 it says For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you, not under law, but under grace.
And.
Just wanted to speak for a few minutes about grace because that's where we are as Christians. God has taken up with us the new principle, grace and under grace he deals with us in a way completely different from how he had dealt with man before the cross. And it's really important that we understand that and.
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How that relates to us right now in our life?
Now when it comes to the apostle Paul, you see he goes right on in verse 15. He says, what then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? And he says God forbid. And that's the question that naturally arises. If the principle that we're under isn't law or some means by which we can know restraint, then what keeps us from sinning?
And so the apostle Paul goes on here and explains a little bit about that, and I don't wish to take that up from the standpoint of Romans.
Right now, but only to make that point and you'll find out as you go through the book of Romans that he was accused of taking up this principle of grace and because of that, umm, being insensitive to scent. In fact, let's just look at that for a moment. If we go to Romans chapter 3, we see the accusation written there in verse eight, it says and not.
As and not rather as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say, let us do evil, that good may come.
So some were slandering the apostle Paul and saying this is his doctrine. He just says we're under grace, and because we're under grace, the grace of God covers everything and therefore let us do evil that good may come. He says. Others agree and say, yes, that's what Paul teaches. And in fact, you can see something of maybe what they're even talking about if you go to the end of Romans chapter 5.
The middle of verse 20 is the apostle Paul writes here, but but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. And so the grace of God is great and it does cover.
But in no way does the grace of God make light of sin. And that's the charge they were making against this teaching. And it's the charge that ones make today. And it's very natural and it's something that may come up in every one of our minds because.
Each one of us who has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ has got the old life that we were born with the old nature and we've got a new life and the old nature thinks that way, the way these ones are speaking about, and our new life responds to grace and so.
I just wanted to try to explain it from 1 standpoint, perhaps could be taking up from many standpoints in the word of God, but.
What was on my heart was just to go over Titus Chapter 2 for a few moments.
Just a few verses there in Titus chapter 2.
And verse 11 Says, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Now we find something about the grace of God.
It has now appeared, and what does it do? It brings salvation to all. That by itself teaches us something that they would none who could come any other way. God had to, by His grace, bring the salvation to all men, because none could marry any other way but by God's grace. And so now it's come to all, and then it does something. It doesn't just come to us all and save us so that we can be.
Uh, continue on where we were, let us do evil. That good may come, as they said. And some people think, well, let's just, you know, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. We hear it all the time. And once you've done that, then it doesn't matter what you do in your life. The grace of God covers all and you can live any kind of life you want. You're going to heaven, so you might as well have a good time. Live it up.
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Also Paul went on there and and Romans chapter 3 to say whose damnation is just the ones who speak that way. It's not at all with the grace of God teaches us.
And here we find the grace of God doesn't just leave us to do whatever we want. It actually teaches us something. And it teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, OK, maybe those grosser things, all the ungodliness that would be in the world, but then the worldly lust too, not just those really bad things, but maybe, well, fame. How are these things that would attract us in the world? Grace teaches us to leave that.
Instead, deny that we should live soberly.
Righteously and godly in this present world and suggested that that soberly would be inside how we are right in our hearts, that we're sober and very careful as to how we think. The innermost part of our being, our thoughts, but then righteously is toward others that are around us. The grace of God teaches us about that too, that we're not gonna go on and deal unjustly with others.
But instead, we're gonna act in the right way and then godly towards God.
In this present world.
In all these spheres of our life, the grace of God would teach us to rise above and live a different way and.
We see that in no way does it allow us to just go and do what we want. Let us do evil. That good may come and it does something else. It continues on says, looking for that blessed hope.
And glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Two things here. The Lord Jesus is about to come at any moment. And so the grace of God teaches us about that, reminds us about that. And if we're waiting for him to come at any moment, that's going to have an effect in our lives. But then there's something else here too.
Looking not only for the blessed hope, but also the appearing glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. And so the Lord is going to come again into this world, and we're going to come with Him when He does. And when He does come, everything that is here that would attract their hearts now is going to be completely judged. God will be judging that as soon as He takes us away, no doubt, from this world.
But what does that do for us?
You know in Second Timothy chapter 3, the apostle Paul says, henceforth there is laid out for me a crown of righteousness.
And then he says, And not for me only, but for all those that love is appearing.
Now why does he say that? We're talking about the same thing, the appearing of the Lord when he comes again and he's going to reign in power and glory.
Well, it could be because, and God appreciates so much that we would have the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ before us, that he will just give us that crown.
It could be, but I don't think that's the thought there really. I think it's more of one of those lessons that praise teaches us because.
When the Lord Jesus comes again, like we said, the world is going to be judged, all that is around us, it's going to come under the judgment of God, and all of his enemies are going to be put down and he is going to reign supreme above everything and he.
Even now it's rightfully the King of King and Lord of Lords. But then he will be universally acknowledged though.
And when we get our minds and our hearts on that, it takes our hearts away from this world that's under judgment, and it puts our hearts and our eyes and our minds on the one who's going to have his rightful place. And it does it right now, even though it hasn't happened yet. And because of that, it has an effect not only in our minds and our hearts, but it goes right down to our feet. You get that thought. And at first, John, chapter 3.
Where it speaks again about the appearing there, and it says he that has his hope in him purifies himself, even if he is pure.
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And so grace gives us that hope to have an effect in our lives. But I want to just go back to the 12Th verse.
It says teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live.
Right soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, he might say, how does Greece really teach? I might see it a little bit in in what it brings before us to the coming of the Lord. But how can grace actually teach that? I can understand if you said it's the word of God that teaches that.
Or even it's pretty easy to understand if somebody said, well, the law teaches to do right, doesn't it? But how does grace do that? I mean, grace isn't a set of rules. How? How can it?
Actually teach these things.
And I used to wonder that.
And I still have much to learn about that. I'll be glad to hear anybody else's thoughts on it. But I believe we get the answer right here in Titus. One of them is given the next chapter very beautifully. Titus chapter 3.
Verse three says we ourselves also are sometimes foolish.
Disobedient, deceived, serving divers lost and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
But after that, the kindness and love of God are Savior towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy. He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. This is a lesson that grace teaches, and it's a powerful one. It's one that the law could never teach.
First of all, it shows me what I am.
Not that crease occupies me with myself, that wouldn't do any good, but it does show me what I am. It brings me into the presence of God, and it shows me in the presence of God what I truly am there.
There's nothing before him, in fact worse than nothing as these verses layout.
But it doesn't stop there. It shows me all that God is in the face of what I am. It shows me how the kindness, the Word really is philanthropy, How God without any merit in ourselves, he has come in now and he's showing out that kindness to us.
And it occupies me with that, with what God is, in spite of myself.
And what does that do to me?
Well, it produces in me, I said, a a sense of gratitude.
Noah could never do that the way I was when I was born into this world. All I had was an old nature. This could never work that way. The grace of God did something first, of course. We've been talking about that in these meetings.
The grace of God, when it brought salvation, the first thing he did was it gave me a new life, a life of Christ.
And that life now is able to understand all that I ever was under Adam and his, able to understand that all of that is judged and condemned worthless before God is able then to understand by these lessons of grace what God has done in spite of it.
And when I understand that grace now lifts me up and it wants me, wants to make me more.
Like him. And it does that not out of the sense of duty, although that certainly is there, but it does it out of the sense of love and gratitude to him. It's a much higher lesson, a lesson that could never be taught by the law, but a lesson that takes us on more and more in our hearts, being drawn out after him. And the more we see of him and the more we learn of him, the more.
Grace teaches us about that.
Tremendous what it is, it's so opposite to the principle of the law.
So why we insist on it? The law came by Moses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ, they're put there together. Grace and truth work together in the truth. That's there is not in any way to be confounded with the law, because the principle of the law could never begin to work on that new life that we have. All they could do is condemn our old life.
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Let's just go back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5.
Those verses that were mentioned this morning.
So really enjoyed what was brought out there.
For the love of Christ constraineth us.
Because we we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead.
And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. And so our brother was explaining to us what this word constrained me. And I thought that was so beautiful. That's how it works. And that's why grace couldn't even teach lessons, because we've got a life in us, a life from God, divine life, the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Paul says I'm dead, he says. But yeah, I live. And yet it's not me, but Christ lives in me. That's the life that we have, that life.
Responds to these lessons that Grace teaches.
And it's the love of Christ now that constrains it pulls that life, and that life now is drawn out more and more after Him. And so it is. I just wanted to say these few thoughts because we need to take up with the grace of God in our lives, we could take up this book and we could look up all those instructions that are here as to the things that we should not do, and we'll miss the point.
Yes, they're here in the New Testament. The warnings, the instructions are all here as well. But the grace of God is what really teaches us, and that's what answers to that life that we have. That's what constrains it, and that's what's going to draw us along in our Christian pathway to follow after Him.
Just like to share some thoughts that I'm sure will be consistent with thoughts that have been brought out. Umm, I enjoyed this, the last reading meeting that we had. And as a result of some conversations that we had after the meeting, I realized that there might be some scriptures that would be a help. So let's turn to, uh, Romans chapter, uh, John chapter 8.
The Lord Jesus was here on the earth.
To set us free.
In this chapter, we have two instances.
That that the Lord Jesus speaks of, of being set free.
The first one.
Is let's start at verse 29. I'm not exactly sure where to start.
Verse 29 of John chapter 8.
So see, that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things that please Him. This is maybe a definition.
Of liberty, of being set free. You know we can always find our example of truth in the Lord Jesus.
Let's read it again.
For I do always those things that please him.
That's what we want is Christians as believers, isn't it? We want our lives to be so consistent with the life of God that there is no ******* or hindrance to fellowship with Him. That's liberty. That's freedom. No connection with that which is opposed to God, the world.
Totally enmity with God the flesh.
Has no fellowship with God, the devil in complete opposition to God that all of those things are have been used as our enemy to keep us in *******.
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And so the Lord Jesus knew perfect liberty. None of those things had any power over his soul. There was only one thing, one desire of His heart.
Was to do what pleased the Father.
And so as he spoke, that there were those that recognized what liberty was, what freedom was.
And he said, and they said in verse thir 30 says as he spake these words, many believed on him.
That was the one they wanted to follow, the one whose life was perfectly in accord with the heart, the will and the mind of God.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him. If you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
As we were speaking about some of the comments that were made in the last reading, we were saying that sometimes it's easy to know what the answers are in our Christian life, but it's hard to be consistent in living, in the enjoyment, and in the liberty of them we are especially speaking about.
Spiritual pride and I, I don't have to look out into the room and give examples of spiritual pride. I can say that I know all too well what it is and what it has been in my life. And maybe a little bit of the keys that God has given through His word that would deliver from that tendency which.
Uh, doesn't produce righteousness.
We know that those that are born of God.
They're characterized by righteousness.
That righteousness which produces pride is not righteousness.
It is not the fruit.
Of my new nature.
It's the fruit of my old nature.
And yet it has such a tendency to have power over my soul that I need deliverance from this so that I can be free.
What is it?
That will set me free.
Well, in this case, when the Lord Jesus is talking about liberty and freedom, he says if you keep.
Let's read it again.
If you continue 30 verse 31.
If you continue in my word.
Ye shall be my disciples, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. So here is a key.
For enjoying liberty as God's children, you know, as God's children we should not be bound to that which is not characteristic to being a child of His and having His nature. It is not natural.
As a child of God, to be bound by things that are not characteristic of God.
It may be that there is a learning process by which the Word of God will have to have an effect upon our soul so that our lives can be changed by it. That process may take time for us to learn.
But the net result of the word of God.
Will always be the result of producing that which is consistent with what God is, because as we've been speaking, we have God's nature and so.
As the Lord Jesus was telling those that had received him, that had believed upon him, he told them that it was the truth.
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That was going to set them free.
Oftentimes, not long ago, I was on an airplane. I don't ride airplanes a lot, so don't think anything about that. But I was sitting next to a man and he had a book in his lap, and when I looked over, it was a book.
That I hadn't read read when I was a very young believer had to do with learning about my position in Christ. When I looked over there, I realized I was sitting next to a believer who was interested in the very same truth that I was. And it was a joy to my heart because that was the fastest plane trip I ever took. We, we opened up this subject, the word. We began to speak about things that we had in common.
But at the very end of our conversation, just as we're about to land.
He made a concession to me, he said. You know, I have a problem, even though.
I, I, I enjoy this truth. I have a problem that I just cannot overcome. It was clear that he knew the truth, and yet because of where he was in the development of his soul, the truth being made good to his soul, he still did not know the truth, how the truth would set him free.
Well, I didn't tell him to try any harder. You know, if you'll just try harder.
In in applying those truths.
You'll get liberty, you'll get free. That's really not how it works.
I believe that it's the truth itself that will set us free. Let's read this verse again.
And ye shall know the truth.
And the truth shall make you free.
It is the truth, the truth that we have been enjoying today.
Applied by the Spirit of God.
As the Spirit of God has liberty to make them good to our soul.
As we see the truth in Jesus, there will be a change in our lives. The change it says is that we will be conformed more into Him, His His likeness and in His image. Brethren, I believe that one of the greatest hindrances to our growth.
Is our attempt to grow.
I was talking to a brother recently and I was telling him that I had the Lord had brought my soul me and my soul into the good of some truth and I was trying to concentrate on it so that it would have effect upon my my soul. I was spending a lot of time thinking about it and his advice to me was.
It's not necessarily that.
You concentrating on that truth that is going to make the change, but it's more you spending time in the presence of God.
And that will have the greatest effect, because there's liberty in the presence of God, and the Spirit of God, when there is liberty in our soul, will take the truth, and He will.
Set us free.
I know that we all understand what this is.
To lay a hold of truth and say this is going to be the answer.
So all of my needs and then somehow we don't get the effects that we we're wanting, maybe because we're trying to apply it in our own ability and strength. But if we will go on in the presence of God.
Says if you continue in my word.
So.
We continue in the word.
We continue enjoying the presence of God, and the Spirit of God will apply the truth in such a way that we will understand its liberty. I just wanna bring out the second part of this chapter 2. Umm.
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Verse 36. Verse 36 says that the sun therefore shall make you free. You shall be free indeed. I'm not gonna spend much time on this.
But.
The Lord Jesus is talking to a different group of people here.
He's not talking to those who in the first instance needed to be set free, but they were on the right course because they had received the Lord Jesus. They had actually believed on the sun, and so it was going to be the truth in that regard that was going to set them free. Here it was those who were actually rejecting the testimony of the sun, and they were in complete and total *******.
To sin. They were lost, and they absolutely knew nothing of the liberty that the Lord Jesus had expressed of being obedient and doing always those things which please the Father. They knew nothing of the deliverance from the power of Satan and from everything that unsaved man is in ******* too. And So what did they need?
They needed to receive the sun, they needed to open their heart and receive God's answer to their need so that they could enjoy the liberty of the ******* that they were under. And so there's several, you might say there's several types of ******* that a soul can be under. It can be under the total ******* of sin and the, the, the umm, the penalty, the guilt of those sins.
And he can know absolutely no liberty, but he, there's, there's another type kind of, of ******* you might say that we might be under. And that is, uh, that which God as, as believers.
Umm, we we need to be set free by the Word of God. These wonderful truths that we're having in our meetings will have the effect of setting our souls at liberty.
And we will not have to struggle and be in ******* to things that we have difficulty with.
To start with a verse in the Psalms.
I didn't have the privilege of being here with the radiating or I just caught the tail in the brothers comments about the love of Christ constraining us and liberty.
So my question to you and I why is there no smile on her face? Why are we not happy?
We should be and express happy Christians as we journey through this world, but some of us haven't smiled for so long that her faces would crack if we did. Let's turn to Psalm 56 for reverse. I want to speak just to the young people in all of this too. Only have a few minutes left, but coming up here, I was on this cool St. Highway 232. Is it 332? And I thought it was on a roller coaster just going up and down, up and down. And sometimes young people your life.
Seems like a roller coaster.
And sometimes you have to think on your feet. Sometimes you have to answer questions and difficulties on your feet.
Well, let's turn to a verse in Psalm 56.
Just the last part of verse 9.
We had if the sun shall make you free, he shall be free indeed. And to know these things and to enjoy them. And I want to start from square one, if you would. Psalm 56 and verse 9.
Into the verse. This I know for God is for me. Some of you may be sitting here and brought up in a family like I did.
There wasn't much Gray shell and there wasn't much love shown. And yet you say, well, where is this grace? Where is this love that these people are talking about? I don't see it. And yet here is a verse from God himself that the psalmist that entered into and he realized as he was journeying through his life and all the trials and difficulties he was in that God was for him. And we like to impress it on each one of our hearts this afternoon.
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That God is for you. Romans 8 says If God before us.
Who can be against us? So if you have a problem or difficulty in your life.
God is for you. Well, how do I know he's for me? I have to read the scriptures, don't I? Let's turn over to Ephesians chapter one.
I had the privilege of speaking on this once at Saint Thomas. I trusted brethren here would forgive me those who are at Saint Thomas.
In the gospel, but here it's important for us, I believe, to realize.
A few things. Ephesians chapter one.
Verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us. Wow. Here's how we start off. You have been blessed. You may not appreciate the family you've been brought into, but you've been blessed. You may not appreciate the assembly that you've been brought into because you're born.
Where you are, but you have been blessed. God has looked down through the ages and saw this little room here tonight, this afternoon, and you have been blessed just by being here who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings. That's the problem. We as Christians seem to think that our blessings are earthly.
We think that we have to have the best house, the best car, the best boat, the best whatever.
But God has blessed us with spiritual blessings, and in order for us to receive them by faith, He has done a few things for us. He has delivered us from the wrath to come so we don't have to worry about what's coming on this world. We've been delivered from it. Don't get your heart occupied with the world that's going to come under the judgment of God. You've been delivered from it.
Galatians and Colossians, he has delivered us from the power of darkness that was mentioned. Think of it, the power of darkness is gripping this country, gripping this world. This country just celebrated 4th of July with celebration. Why liberty? They were excited, and we should be excited with the liberty that we have in Christ. It's real. It isn't just something that's up here, but it's here, here and here.
Remember the high priest, he had his ear with blood. He had his right thumb with blood in his right toe. And as we walk through this scene, we are, as it were, since we're all priests, been stained, if you would, with the blood of Christ. And this world has cast him out. We've been delivered from the power of darkness. We've been delivered from this present evil world. And so you're trying to make your life in this world, young people, it's evil.
It's in the hand of the evil one, the wicked one.
But you've been delivered from the truth. She'll set you free. Are you delivered? Yes. Are you free? Yes. How come you're not happy?
The sole thing, isn't it? You have to realize that it's true, and it's true. He actually did this. Then we find that we've been delivered through fear of death all our lifetime. Those that are subject to violence, you're afraid to die. Is there someone in this room who's afraid to die? God has delivered you from that fear. Fear is what keeps us from enjoying the things of Christ.
I believe it's the devil's number one enemy. The number one tool, rather, is fear. Just so little seed. Oh, God doesn't really love you. God doesn't really care about you. Why did he allow this to happen in your life? Why is it happening now? Because it's the trial of your faith. So it'd be tested with fire. My wife and I were talking on the way down. If you and I were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, how would we have responded?
To the King, we've been delivered. From the wrath to come, we've been delivered. From the power of darkness, we've been delivered. From this evil world, we've been delivered. We've been delivered, said at liberty.
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When Charles de Gaulle came to Canada, I believe he said Viva la Canada, Quebec, freedom for Quebec. People want freedom, but they don't realize they're under the power and ******* of Satan. You and I, brethren, young people, you have been delivered. You have been delivered. Don't put yourself back in the *******. Paul says. Shall we continue and sin, that grace may abound? No, we are to judge, we are to reckon.
But it's not an easy thing to reckon ourselves dead. We can do it up here.
But if something flashes across their eyes, something flashes in our ears, well, that old nature just jumps right out, it doesn't it? The thing is that we've been delivered. You don't have to rely on that. You don't have to search for things that you can't reach.
Verse 440 Necia chosen us in him. Not only is he for you, not only has he blessed you young people, but he's chosen you. What a thrill that is to my soul to realize he chose me just like I chose my wife and wait 10 years for her, but I chose her and sometimes God in the sovereign love has to wait many years, young people for you to come to Christ.
Brought up in a Christian home and perhaps don't know the Savior.
But he's chosen you. He wants you. He wants you to be part of his bride and win before the foundation of the world. And we look at our little life story and we say, oh, pity me, look at all the trouble I am. Nobody loves me. Nobody cares. Nobody's interested. Look up, look up. There is one who cares. And believe it or not, young people, your brother care for you.
We care for you, we care about you. We don't want you to be empty chairs.
We want you to be pillars. We want you to be established in the truth. Why? Because the truth sets you free. It's not just words, but it's a reality. The truth shall and does set us free. Verse 5. Having predestinated us, how can it get any better? We've been blessed. We've been chosen how we've been predestinated.
What's the next thing?
For six to the praise of the glory of His grace, where he has made us accepted, and the beloved marvelous, you've been brought into the very heart of God, and you've been accepted.
Oh, these things should encourage your heart. These things should motivate us to indeed reckon ourselves as dead. Paul says I die daily. Pray we have to confess. We don't even know what that means sometimes we die daily, but it's true.
Paul he could say that, but here it says here verse six to the praise of the glory of his grace. Grace comes back to grace, doesn't it? The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Marvelous grace.
Have you tasted young people that the Lord is gracious. Lord is gracious. Well, what's the next thing he's done for us? Verse eight. He has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence and is made known unto us the mystery of as well. Not only has he brought us into every blessing that we can possibly think of the relationships, but now he's poured out his mind, He's poured out his soul and he's informed you. He's informed me.
What the plans are for his son and for you and I. He's made that known to us.
Let us through the scriptures. We need to spend time in the scriptures. You go to school, college, you spend 2-3 hours in a class, You got six hours of homework. How much time do we spend in this book? How much time do we spend meditating on God's Word? What's the next thing?
Chapter 2.
Thought it was rich in mercy.
For his great love wherewith? What's the next word?
He loved us.
Not just simply that Jesus died on the cross for us, that Christ loved us, that it's the love of Christ that constrains us, but God himself loves you, dear young people. He loves you and he wants you to have a happy life. But it's a Christian life he wants you to have, not a life of lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. This world, this city, this country is turning into Sodom and Gomorrah.
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And yet Lot pitched his tent closer and closer to the world until he was there as a judge. And when he tried to speak to other people, they mocked him. They thought he was a comedian.
Is your life sometimes like that? A comedian? People don't really take you serious. This is serious stuff we're talking about. This is serious.
He loved us even when we were dead and since have quickened us.
Let me ask you a question. Can I throw out a name out there? Luke, you don't mind if I throw out a name? It could be anybody's name, could be done, It could be anybody. What's the operative word that we're talking about this afternoon?
Two letter word.
Anybody.
What do you think?
You're good at spelling 2 letter word.
That's with EU and ends with an S.
What is that word? That's a tough one, isn't it?
U and us, what's the middle word of truth?
Middle letter of truth TR blank TH middle letter brother Jennings.
What's the middle letter for the word truth?
You, that's right, you and the truth will set you free and then you can set your brethren free because some of us are still under *******. Some of us still live in the past, still have baggage we have to deal with, but we bring it all to Christ. And then I like verse seven, I realized time is short. Verse 7, the age is to call me might show the exceeding riches of his kindness.
And it's great.
In his kindness toward.
Everything that he's done in the pre chosen Bless now in the future, he's gonna show the kindness of his heart to you, to me.
Has he been kind to you this weekend?
We perhaps may not realize it, but he's been kind. We made the wrong turn coming down here and got off on the wrong exit. And so this place doesn't look right. And that's how you shouldn't be. Young people, as Christians, you get yourself into a situation. You should say the Spirit of God has the liberty to speak to your heart that this isn't right, this isn't right. You have an unction from the Holy One. You know all things.
And you have the mind of Christ, you have the capability, you have everything that God has provided for you and for us, all these things. This is just the beginning, this is Ephesians. You can go through the rest of the New Testament and find all the things that He has done for us.
And so as we started this little talk, realizing no matter what your situation is, no matter how far you perhaps feel you slipped away, God is for you.
And if God is for you, there's no power on earth or hell that can touch you.
But if you're walking in path of disobedience, beware. Isaiah speaks about those who walk.
In their own life, the sparks of their own campfires. And it says this shall you have of my hand. You'll lie down in sorrow. God loves your Voi boys and girls, young people. He wants you to be happy. It's a privilege to be able to realize that's the love of Christ that constrains us. It isn't head knowledge. It's the realization there was a man in the glory who suffered on Calvary's cross because of what I did. So what I did.
And he loves me just the same, and he's forgiven me, and he'll forgive you.
Let me just close in one verse.
Thessalonians.
First Thessalonians, chapter 5.
00:55:00
This is my prayer, and I trust that's the prayer of each older one here for you young people, verse 23, first lesson only is 5/23.
Laveri, God of peace, that's what liberty does for other young people. It gives you peace. And here's the God of peace. You can read in Romans and others about the various attributes of God, God of mercy, God of grace.
But here it's the God of peace, and these people are going through terrible times. They were going through difficulties. You may be going through difficulties right now, but it's the God of peace that's going to sustain you. And this is our prayer. The very God of peace sets you apart, holy and I pray God, your whole spirit, soul and body.
They preserve the blameless under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithfully see that all of you who also will do it.
He will brother, he Will Young people.
Spirit, soul and body. Remember Gordon Hayhoe used to tell us that if you get those three mixed up, you're gonna have problems in your life. It's spirit, soul and body. If you allow your soul to take over your life, things are gonna get out of hand. You're gonna find loving the wrong person. If your body gets in control, who knows what's gonna happen but to have your mind preserved and kept by the power of God.
Your affections, your soul in control, your body will be a blessing to the Lord. May the Lord bless the reading of His precious Word.
Our Father, we are thankful that our thoughts have been directed towards the grace of God and, uh, the liberty which we are to stand and we just do. We thank Thee that, umm, we know that God is for us.
Just to, uh, pray that we might live in this world with these rather simple thoughts before us.
And just go on in simplicity to honor the one who laid down his life for us.
Dying in we give thanks for Jesus.