God Is Light and in Him There Is No Darkness at All

April 21, 2024

Scripture referenced 12 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Luke 24 (closing passage) He opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in Jesus name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they and some others came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.
2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
3 They entered in, and didn’t find the Lord Jesus’ body.
4 While they were greatly perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling clothing.
5 Becoming terrified, they bowed their faces down to the earth. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
6 He isn’t here, but is risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee,
7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again?”
8 They remembered his words,
9 returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.
10 Now they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with them told these things to the apostles.
11 These words seemed to them to be nonsense, and they didn’t believe them.
12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened.
13 Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem.
14 They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened.
15 While they talked and questioned together, Jesus himself came near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
17 He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?”
18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?”
19 He said to them, “What things?” They said to him, “The things concerning Jesus, the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people;
20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
21 But we were hoping that it was he who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.
22 Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb;
23 and when they didn’t find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.
24 Some of us went to the tomb, and found it just like the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
25 He said to them, “Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?”
27 Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 They came near to the village, where they were going, and he acted like he would go further.
29 They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them.
30 When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave it to them.
31 Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight.
32 They said to one another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They rose up that very hour, returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them,
34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
35 They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
36 As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
37 But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts?
39 See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
42 They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
43 He took them, and ate in front of them.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”
45 Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.
46 He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.
49 Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”
50 He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
51 While he blessed them, he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven.
52 They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
53 and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

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Mark 16:9-20

briefly mentioned as a passage still to be covered in a future sermon

9 Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

11 When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.

12 After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country.

13 They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either.

14 Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

20 They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

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Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God, cited when explaining what was from the beginning

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

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John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, cited alongside Genesis to identify Jesus as what was from the beginning

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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John 17

The high priestly prayer where Jesus prays for unity among believers and all who will believe through the apostles testimony

1 Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you;

2 even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

3 This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

4 I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do.

5 Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.

6 I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word.

7 Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you,

8 for the words which you have given me I have given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

9 I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

10 All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

11 I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you have given me I have kept. None of them is lost, except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

13 But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves.

14 I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.

18 As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.

19 For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

20 Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word,

21 that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.

22 The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one;

23 I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.

24 Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25 Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me.

26 I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

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1 John 1:1-4

Eyewitness testimony of the word of life proclaimed so that others may have fellowship

1 That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life

2 (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us);

3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

4 And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled.

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1 John 1:5-2:2

God is light, three conditional if-then statements about sin, confession, and Jesus as advocate and propitiation

5 This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth.

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.

2 And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.

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Romans 3 (implied)

No one is righteous, no not one, all have gone astray, cited when warning against claiming to have not sinned

1 Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision?

2 Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God.

3 For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God?

4 May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, “That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.”

5 But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do.

6 May it never be! For then how will God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

8 Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.

9 What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.

10 As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one.

11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God.

12 They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.”

13 “Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips”;

14 “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood.

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways.

17 The way of peace, they haven’t known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

20 Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

21 But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets;

22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction,

23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;

25 whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance;

26 to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.

27 Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

28 We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,

30 since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith.

31 Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

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Romans 3:4

Let God be true and every man a liar, cited in context of not claiming to be without sin

4 May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, “That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.”

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James 1

Let not any say God tempted me, because God is good and light

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9 But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;

10 and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.

11 For the sun arises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass, and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits.

12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.

18 Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

20 for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.

21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;

24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

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Isaiah (unspecified)

Sin before God is put behind Him when we humbly confess, cited multiple times in the text

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2 Peter 1:10

Used as the benediction, be diligent to make certain of his calling and choosing you so you will never stumble

10 Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor Ray opened First John 1:5 through 2:2 as the first step toward a coming series on repentance, picking up the thread left at the close of twelve years of expository preaching through the New Testament. The message centered on one claim about God and three conditional statements John builds around it, each one testing whether a person's attitude toward sin matches what they say they believe. The practical point throughout was that humility about sin is not a detour around the Christian life, it is the road.

What was said

Pastor Ray began by noting where the congregation had just been. The final passage in Luke showed Jesus opening the disciples' minds to the scriptures and telling them that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations. That word, repentance, is the thread he intends to follow in the series ahead, and First John 1 is where he wanted to start because John is an eyewitness writing to produce fellowship, not mere information.

John opens his letter by staking everything on what he personally heard, saw, and touched. Pastor Ray pointed out that the entire introduction is one sentence in Greek, and its main clause is essentially this: I am telling you this because I know it to be true. The goal John states is that his readers would be brought into the same fellowship he has with the Father and with Christ, and that this shared fellowship would complete the joy of those who first witnessed the resurrection.

The one foundational statement John makes about God is that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. Pastor Ray offered the wooden Greek translation to let the weight of it land: God light is, and darkness in him not is none. He noted that the double negative is intentional. If God is leading anyone, he is leading them away from darkness, not into it, and sitting in judgment of that claim is a posture the passage does not allow.

From that foundation John sets up three "if we say" statements, each one testing a claim against reality. The first: if we say we have fellowship with God but walk in darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. The second: if we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. The third: if we say we have not sinned, we make God out to be a liar. Pastor Ray noted that John is not being harsh for its own sake. He is clearing the ground so that practical truth can stand on it.

The practical truth that stands against the second "if we say" is the one Pastor Ray spent the most time on. Confessing sin, he explained, is not a vague spiritual feeling but a specific act. The Greek word is homologeo, to say the same thing, to agree with God about what he already calls sin in your own life. When that agreement happens in humility, God is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse from all unrighteousness. Pastor Ray was careful to note that the "might" in the Greek construction is not uncertainty on God's part but contingency on ours. He will not force forgiveness on anyone. Our humility is the necessary part.

Pastor Ray then turned to John's stated purpose: "I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin." He called this the whole point of the letter and connected it to what he called victorious Christian living. It is actually possible, he argued, to walk in greater and greater purity, not because we are strong but because we confess what we see and God progressively shows us more. And when we do fall short, the contingency plan is already in place. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is himself the propitiation, the full payment for sins, not for ours only but sufficient for the whole world.

He closed by drawing the line back to where he started. The message carried from Luke into First John is the same one John says he received firsthand and proclaimed so that others would share in it. Walking in the light, agreeing with God about sin, and carrying the news of forgiveness forward are not three separate ideas. They are one life, and it begins with humility.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

John says he is writing so that his readers 'may have fellowship' with the apostles, with God, and with one another. What does that kind of fellowship actually look like in daily life, and what gets in the way of it?
Pastor Ray talked about the first 'if then' statement: if we say we have fellowship with God but walk in darkness, we lie. Where do you see that gap between talk and walk showing up most commonly, in yourself or in the church broadly?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Good morning, everybody. How are y'all? Doing alright? Yeah. Glad to see you.

Why don't we stand together and we will sing Jesus is coming again. That's a glorious, glorious sound and I might have to get a hymnal. So I usually something music magically appears. So 07:53, I think it was. Alright.

Here we go.

Glorious carol we sing, wonderful word of the king. Jesus is coming again, Coming again. Coming again. Maybe morning, maybe noon, maybe evening, maybe soon. Coming again.

Coming again. Oh, what a wonderful day it will be. Jesus is coming again. Amen. Forest and flower explain.

Mountain and meadow the same. All earth and heaven proclaim. Jesus is coming again. Coming again. Coming again.

Maybe morning, maybe standing before him at last. Trial and trouble all past. Crowns at his feet, we will cast. Jesus is coming again. Coming again.

Coming again.

Amen. That's so good. Do y'all miss Scott Humphrey when we sing songs like that? He he is constantly kind of in my mind that I'm missing that guy right over there. Take time to be holy.

Hymn number six fifty six. Well, Scott, we miss you if you're watching at home in San Antonio. And yeah, well, I'll to that in announcements. Hymn number six fifty six, Take Time to Be Holy.

Be Speak off with the Lord. Abide in him always and feed on his Make friends with God's children. Help those who are weak. Forgetting enough thing Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone by looking to Jesus like him thou shall be. Thy friends and thy conduct, his likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy. Let him be thy guide. And run not before him, service above.

Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I got a little unintentional yodeling there at the end of that one from starting to cry. I have been somewhat weepy all week considering graduating senior in the household and all that kind of stuff and boy, the words to that song are amazing. I'm gonna have to take your copy of that with me when I leave.

I need to spend a little time on taking time to be holy. The song, it's just beautiful and I don't I don't don't remember that one. My greatest hits collection and I think I'm putting it in there. So, okay. Super exciting.

Happy happy good times budgeting workshop. It happened last Tuesday night. It will happen this Tuesday night and next here at First Be. It's free. It's super exciting.

Happy happy good times budgeting workshop and you know I asked somebody how it went and they said it was super exciting and happy happy. It was a good time and we learned how to budget. This week, they'll be talking somewhat actually, I'll let Nick make this announcement. How about that?

Yeah. You never thought that a budgeting workshop could be so much fun. This last week, we had we gave away $25 gift cards in a raffle. And this next week, we have a $50 gift card for people who stick around for the whole event. It's it's an opportunity to it's an opportunity to to really look at your finances to take some of the stress out of your relationship with your spouse and with money.

And, all of our stuff is also online too. We're not we're not recording the sessions necessarily because we want people to feel free to be able to ask questions. But we are putting up there, the templates for being able to make your own budget at home. And if you'd like to schedule a time to do this outside of the super exciting happy happy good times budgeting workshop, you can also do that. Call the church office.

It's a a passion of mine. Richard Ewell and Jeremy Lieber are gonna be here there this week. Richard was so kind and and and easy just answering questions for people. It's just an opportunity to do that thing you put off all the time. Yep.

And then also possibly win $50.

That's good. Alright. Thank you, Nick. I appreciate that. Awana.

Oh my goodness. What in the world? But this is a volunteer recognition party. This So Awana is happening tomorrow night. I'll get to that in a minute.

But we want to thank the volunteers, and volunteer recognition party is going to be May 5, Cinco de Mayo. We're gonna have a big Mexican feast for the Awana volunteers here. Felix and Guadalupe have said that they would do that. Bring your families if you're a volunteer and you help out with Awana, whatever you do for Awana, please feel free to join us May 5 after church on Sunday, sort of a dinner on the grounds for the volunteers for Awana recognition party and Connect Hour. This morning, we had a new Connect Hour person.

Maria and Connor did it for the first time this morning. They gave it a thumbs up. They would do it again. 10 out of 10 would recommend. If the we need volunteers for the connect hour.

If you would like to do it, there are sign up sheets down there. This month is filled, but next month is not. So if you have any questions, you can ask Addie Hare at that number. We also have a men's. We're calling it a lunch study.

Although lunch is not provided, don't get that into your minds. We're just being here at lunch time. If you want to bring your lunch, please do. It's good. We're studying first Peter together and it's a really good way of understanding better, deeper the scriptures as we relate to one another and the passage.

We're up to towards the end of the first chapter of first Peter. You can come and go as you need to but it'll be over at 01:00. We pray for one another. It's good. Good time.

I love it. It's my favorite thing that's going on right now. Unintentional admission. Vacation Bible School is coming up. Amy Jordan is our children's director and she is here and she has this announcement.

There you go. You're welcome. Thank you.

Hi. So I'm used to Littles. That's my audience. So bear with me if I sound nervous or anything. First of all, I wanna thank everyone who volunteers in the children's ministry.

It would not be possible without y'all. Even the the littlest things we have an amazing teachers, volunteers, people that hold babies, and Awana's. I mean, our pastors are leading I want us every Monday night. And I told the last service, I was like, if y'all I mean, I just see so many I want us teachers here today. And if y'all just come in and sit in this room, there's no chairs in here.

That's why we have all the tape. Just come and watch. It is it is just amazing what happens during the iguanas. Our other big thing that we outreach to the community is VBS, and that is coming up. As you can see the dates and we're super excited.

If you have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, neighbors that want to come or you think that would be interested, I'm eventually gonna have little flyers y'all can take out into the community. I think it's super important. We've connected with all the churches around to make sure that we're not interfering because we want it to be a community wide outreach. One thing we do need is volunteers. So if your kid if your thing is kids and you wanna be there during these dates, please have my phone number up there.

We also have signs just to click in and you can fill out a volunteer form. If it's not your thing, that's okay. Kids, I mean, sometimes can be a little intimidating. Right? So we have things that need to be done prior to it.

Just cutting out big posters, decorating, and outreach and trying if you'll have companies or businesses that you wanna put something up to a fly or something, I would love for that. The more we can get out there and the more kids we can get in here to tell them how much they are loved, they are this is a safe place for them. And most importantly, tell them about Jesus

Amen.

And that Jesus loves them. So I thank you all for your time. I appreciate it very much.

So that decorating meeting is what it's calling on the slide. Sorry. Planning meeting is next Sunday between services.

Between services. And I did that so that hopefully everyone could have a chance.

Perfect. Thank you much. I appreciate it. Alright. And there is coming a potluck for Jean DeMarsh, May the seventeenth.

We want to just honor her no gifts, please. But that is happening. May 17 in the fellowship hall in the evening. Another sort of a dinner on the grounds but it's a supper on the grounds. I have biblical proof if any of y'all arguing over dinner and supper, alright?

Is it the last supper or is it the last dinner? And when it was evening, alright? Okay. Potluck for Jean DeMarsh. That's happening 05:30, May 17.

It's May 17, so it's a little ways away. We are having a congregational meeting also on May fifth, Cinco de Mayo twenty twenty four between services to vote on a few constitutional changes that are recommended by the elders. There are copies available in the church office. If you want one beforehand, you can get it. Study up on it if you want to and then we'll vote on those changes on May 5 between services.

And I think that's it. Anybody have anything else? Additions, suggestions, deletions, admissions, testimony? No. Would you stand?

Worthy of worship. Fantastic. Hymn number one fifty three. Amen. I think I'm ready.

Worthy of all the glad songs we can sing. Worthy of all of the offerings we bring. You are worthy. Father, creator, you are worthy. Savior, sustainer, you are worthy.

Worthy and wonderful, worthy of worship and praise. Worthy of reference, worthy of fear, worthy of love and devotion, worthy of bowing and bending of knees, Worthy of all this and added to these, you are worthy. Father, creator, you are worthy. Savior, sustainer, you are worthy. Worthy and wonderful, worthy of worship and praise.

Almighty father, master, and lord, king of all kings and redeemer, Wonderful counsel or comfort her friend, savior and source of our life without end. You are worthy. Father, creator, you are worthy. Savior, sustainer, you are worthy, worthy and wonderful, worthy of worship and praise. Amen.

Change my heart, oh God. Hymn number six fifty four. This one's got a syncopated little drop beat in it. If I remember correctly, arrest, I guess is the musical term that throws me every time. So if you know it, sing really loud.

I'll try to do my best.

Change my heart, oh God. Make it ever true. Change my heart, oh God. May I be like you. You are the potter.

I am the clay. Mold me and make me. This is what I pray. Change my heart, God. Make it ever true.

Change my heart, oh God. May I be like you. May it ever true. Change my heart, oh God. May I be like

Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I'm gonna invite the ushers to come forward and would you pray with me? God, I thank you that you are in the business of changing hearts. Lord, the heart that beats in us.

At the one time beats to do your will, oh Lord, but there is within us a human frailty, recognizing that individually is important. Recognizing that collectively, I think is important for the unity of the body of Christ. Lord, would you change our hearts to make them ever true? We want to be submitting to the spirit in the same way that our savior submitted to the spirit. His perfection, Lord is what allows us to walk in victory.

Would you allow us the grace of walking in victory behind Jesus? Humble, thankful, obedient. Lord, we pray to be useful to you in the spreading of your good news that it would go forward like it went forward from Jerusalem for those original apostles, lord, that it would go forth from this place with these small a apostles. Ones who have been sent out into this community, into this world. Lord, would you accompany us in every endeavor?

Would you allow us the grace of showing the light of life in Jesus Christ? May your will be done in your way here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory die. My richest gain, I count but loss and poor content on all my pride. Bidden Lord that I should boast, save him the death of Christ my God. All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. See from his his hands, his feet.

Sorrow and love flow mingle down. Float Did there such love and sorrow meet or thorns come forth so rich a crown were the whole realm of nature Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my own.

Amen. Thank you. Amen. Thank you, Jeff. First 1522.

Now. Think it's still the. Come on. There you go. Okey dokey.

Could y'all hear the song? Yeah. Yeah. Coulda heard it downtown. Yeah.

Amen. So, first 15222 is what I'm, that's where we're going today. That's where we're going to get to. I want to make a kind of an admission or confession or something up here. Last week, when we hit and y'all saw it happen, when we were in Luke last week, I went through and I and I realized in the first service that this is the end of twelve years of studying the New Testament for me, exposing expository preach expository preaching of the whole New Testament and it really overwhelmed me in the first service and then, it kind of did in the second and it has all week Like, thank God.

He is so faithful and so good, you know, and so, I thought, where do we go next? For years, y'all have asked me, where are going next? I'm saying, I'm just going to finish the New Testament. That's all. It's just what's next?

What's next chronologically? When we got through the end of chronologically, Revelation, you know, and then I said, well, we never covered Matthew, Mark, and Luke. So, we went back and did a harmony of the gospel study but Luke kinda closed it off, kinda. I've got one little passage that's left that I've mentioned briefly. I've had a few conversations since then.

I want to cover that. The passage from Mark sixteen nine through 20. I want to cover that. I'm still formulating that but I've got a couple of things coming up And the admission confession is, I have blank canvas syndrome. I'm an art major with blank canvas syndrome.

If you look at if I look at a blank white canvas and I could paint anything, it's really hard for me to decide what to paint. So, I need a scheme. My scheme for twelve years is just do what's next. Duh. And so now, I hit this passage last week and it was like taking that last step and God kind of showed me, okay, this is where we want to go next.

I'm thankful for that leading. Last week in Luke, we hit this. It says, then, he opened their minds. That's original. Capital A, apostles.

The ones that he was sending out. If you take Matthew's great commission, this is that same moment. He opened their minds to understand the scriptures. That's the Old Testament for them. He opens their minds to understand.

It says, he explained everything that was written about him in the law and the prophets and Psalms and so he did all of that to them and he opened their minds to understand it where they had been bumping their heads quite frequently up to that point and he said to them, thus it is written that the Christ should suffer. Do you get me now? I've been saying this since Matthew 16. Are you understanding thus it is written? It was written and it had to come to pass.

It was necessary. Thus, it is written that Christ should suffer and on the third day, rise from the dead. Here you are looking at me and this is a sentence. This is forty days later. They've had some time to dwell on this, right?

The third day rise from the dead and that what? Repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in Jesus name to all of the nations beginning from Jerusalem. So, repentance for the forgiveness of sins. If there is one criticism that modern day preaching gets a lot of, it's you don't hit repentance often enough because I can take that. For the past twelve years, I've been trying to hit as even handedly as I know how exactly what it says and in order that made sense to me, chronological makes sense to me.

So I've been hitting that as often as it mentioned it. If I don't mention it a bunch, it's because it doesn't mention it a bunch. But every time that repentance comes up, I mention it. Now, I wanna do a series that really focuses our attention on repentance. So that's what's coming next.

Today, my plan was to do a history lesson about the history of our Bible that we carry in our hands in English. Whether it's the King James, New King James, NIV, NLT, all of those, how can we know that this can be trusted? I didn't finish that sermon. It just wasn't there for me. I know it.

I could share it conversationally but I was not ready to get up here and do it and so, this and that was with the idea that if we know that this can be trusted and the Bible calls sin sin, then we need to call it sin. Does that make sense? If the Bible calls something sin and we need to call it sin and we're guilty of it, we need to admit that and agree about the sin in our own life. So, that led me to this passage, okay? Now, the next passage, the passage we're covering today.

Last week in Luke, it was that repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The burden of carrying your sin is a heavy, heavy burden. The wages of sin is death. You will carry it into death. And will be condemned by it.

If you don't hand that over to the way that God has made. Forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in Jesus name to all the nations. Repentance and behold, I'm sending the promise of my father upon you. That's the Holy Spirit but stay in the city until you're clothed with power from on high. Now, they have had their minds open to the scriptures.

They are going to be given at this point, going to be given the Holy Spirit which will motivate them and move them along as Peter says, to write down the New Testament. It can be trusted. The Old Testament can, the New Testament can, and I want to cover that but I want you to know that it is rooted in what God has said. First John one. Now, for the past few weeks, I have said, all of the original disciples, apostles died martyrs death.

John lived longer than anybody else. He served longer than anybody else. He was exiled to Patmos. He is as far as we know by tradition, good tradition because one of his students tells us that this is the case. He was buried in Ephesus.

We think that we can be pretty certain of that. He did die an old man but he still died testifying to the fact that Christ was dead and buried and raised from the dead on the third day. That is a testimony, Marturion, that is martyr. That is a martyr's death. Okay?

He continued to believe all the way up until he died at a ripe old age and this is the guy who wrote it. He is going to, Luke says in the beginning of his that he is going to make an orderly account. He's using eyewitness testimony. John is an eyewitness and so I'm going to cover this rather quickly and we get to verse five. I'm going slow down.

What was from the beginning? Tell me, what was from the beginning? In the beginning, God. That's Genesis. What is in the beginning in John, the gospel of John was the word.

He's saying in the big, what was from the beginning? Jesus. What we have heard? I heard Jesus with my own ears. What we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and we have touched with our hands, he leaned on Jesus's breath at the last supper.

Concerning the word of life and the life that was manifested, it was made very evident. As Hebrews says, he is the very representation in flesh of what God is. Life was manifested. We've seen it and we not only have seen it, we are testifying it to you. We proclaim to you the eternal life.

Now, what did Luke just say? Luke just said in our last section that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in Jesus name. Eternal life which was with the father and was manifested to us. What we have seen and what we've heard, we proclaim also to you so too that you may have fellowship with us. If we're looking at this, the introduction of this book, it's a short book by the way.

You can read it in thirty minutes. It's one sentence in Greek. This whole thing is one sentence. It's it looks like a run on. We break it up into multiple sentences in English, but this is one kind of a meandering thought.

What we've seen and what we proclaim also to you so that the eyewitness nature of this. That's the main clause of this sentence. All that came before it and all of that comes after it rests on this. I'm telling you this because I know it to be true. When he says in Matthew, now y'all be going and as you're going, you be making disciples.

I'm, you are my disciple and I'm asking you to make other disciples. Teach him to obey all that I've commanded you. I'm going to be with you. I've seen it. I know it to be true.

I'm proclaiming it to you. Why? So that you too may have fellowship with us. This takes me back to that high priestly prayer in John 17 where Jesus prays, father, I'm praying for the ones that you have given me. I'm praying for the ones that you have given me that they may be one and not just them but everybody who will ever believe because of their testimony.

I'm praying that they would be one, unified. The church triumphant. All who have trusted in me throughout all the ages. I'm praying that they would have fellowship together and be one just like we are one. John is saying, I'm saying this so that you may have fellowship with us so that there's not anything that comes between and so that our joy may be made complete.

Can you imagine how overjoyed John was at the resurrection of Christ? But the only thing lacking was not everybody knows it. Not everybody believes it. Not everybody trusts it, and not everybody has the peace of God available to them because they don't even know about this. So he's writing this in the hopes that you'll be brought into fellowship with the original apostles, with Jesus, with God, and that you would be making their joy complete because it's not just this little me, my 11, and no more.

So, here we are up to first John five. I'm a just tell you what's in there. I try to stick close to what it says and that's the difficulty for me. When I said that this week was going to be a history lesson, it was really hard for me because history has to be interpreted. The Bible is the Bible.

It says what it says. I can stand with it. If I stand with it, it's fine. I don't want to teach a history lesson that is that is questionable subject. So, I'm going to do the best I can to give us the history lesson of the Bible next week of in English.

I think it's interesting. I think it's fun even but seeing how God has protected his word and kept it and actually is very very trustworthy in the way that he breathed it forth and he's had the power to maintain and hold on to it. First John one five through two two says, there are claims to know God. Our claims to know God are tested by our attitudes towards sin. That's first of all.

There will be one outrageously true statement about God and then there's there are three conditional if then type statements. The if then type statements set up some practical truths that you can use, that you can know. Actually, that allow you to see where you are in the faith. Right? Then a very clear, that was just the carriage, was it not?

Okay. A a baby car seat just tumbled into the aisle. Thought I hope she I hope she I hope they were strapped in. Sorry. And usually, there there's almost nothing that distracts me in the realm of babies and children, but that one was a little much.

Okay. Alright. Sorry. Back to the back to the passage. A very clear purpose statement.

He tells why he wrote it. I love it when they tell why they wrote it because I don't have to guess and you don't have to guess. And then another true statement about Jesus to close. So that's what we're going look at. This is the message.

I love that. If you just stop right there, this is the message. He is carrying the message that Jesus gave him. He says over and over, I've seen it. I heard it.

I have seen it. I have heard it. I know what it is and I'm sharing it with you. Why would I hold anything back? What we've seen and heard, we proclaim also to you.

We've heard from him. We announce it to you. He says it again that God is light and in him, there is no darkness at all. That's the statement about God. Outrageous as it is.

God is light. He is good and in him, there's no darkness at all. There's not a hint of evil in him. Now, in our day and age, there are people that say, if God is all powerful, then he can't be all good because evil happens. His ways are above our ways and you don't understand it.

Are we to all be automatons where we have to choose his will? No. He has given us graciously responsibility and choice. God is light. Let not any of you say that God tempted me, James says, because God is good and he is light.

If he's leading us, he's not leading us into temptation. He is leading us away from temptation. God is light in him. There is no darkness at all. So, this is that one true statement about God and I love it in Greek.

I think it's funny when you're translating in Greek. You you have to make it make sense in English. You don't want for it to be something that is full of grammatical mistakes but I still like to do a wooden translation because it says so much and so here this is. This is what it says in Greek. God light is and darkness in him not as none.

Double negatives. There ain't no darkness in him at all. That's what it's saying. If you sit in judgement of God almighty, be careful. If you sit, God light is.

He just is. Let there be light. He is bringing light out of darkness. He's bringing order out of chaos. He is bringing healing to the wounded and he's bringing peace to those who are in strife.

God, light is and darkness in him not as none. That's that one true statement about God. And then here come the if then statements. The first one is, if we say, say, if we say that we have fellowship with him and yet, we walk in the darkness, we lie. And that by the way is sin.

Okay? So if we say that we have fellowship with that, I'm a believer. In fact, I'm a super believer. I believe it so well that I walk it all the time. I don't struggle with that brother but I will pray for you.

I'm just gonna keep on walking because I am indeed super Christian. If we say that we have fellowship with him and yet we walk in darkness, we lie. We'll get to victory in Christ in a minute but let's face the fact first. If we say we have fellowship and yet we walk in darkness, our walk does not match our talk, then we are actually lying which is a sin in itself and we are not practicing the truth. Let's face the facts.

That's what John is saying. Like a good old fatherly adviser. If we say that we have fellowship with him and yet we walk in the darkness, we lie and we do not practice the truth but this is the corresponding practical truth I was talking about. If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, that is possible. One of the standing stones at the seminary where I went, one of the things, their major core beliefs, there were five of them and one of them is victory victorious Christian living, that it is possible to walk in victory.

If you don't believe that it's possible to walk in victory, you're less likely to strive for it. Well, we all sin. Yeah, we all sin. That doesn't mean we have to, do we? Do we?

We can walk in victory. We can walk in sobriety. We can walk in humility. Oh, that's the point. That's the point.

Is how did Christ, though he was tempted in every way just as we're tempted, how did he walk it out in humility before the plan of his father empowered by the spirit, the Holy Spirit. He walked it out. If we walk in the light and we can because we have the plan of the father before us and we have the truth of scripture. We have the spirit guiding us. It is possible to walk in victory.

If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, then we have fellowship. That's the stated goal of John. Wasn't it fellowship with one another? The first practical truth is we can know that we are a part of the body of Christ if we are walking in the light as he himself is in the light and the only way to do that is humility before God. He'll get into in just a minute.

He'll get into how to know and how to what to do with the sin that you do see in your life by the spirit's leading. This is the practical truth. We can know that we have fellowship with one another if we're walking in the light. Now, amplified, he goes on to say, and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin. We can know that it is sufficient because we can experientially walk it out.

Though we may fall short at times, he brings us back. He restores us. In fact, the next slide should point to that. Now, if we say, this is the second of these if then statements. If we say again, if we say that we have no sin, we're deceiving ourselves.

Period. If you are bold enough to say out loud, what do I need to repent of? I have no sin in my life. You're deceiving yourself. There is something there.

If we say that we have no sin, we're deceiving ourselves and beyond that, the truth is not in us. We're not accepting the truth. The reason I want to make a case for scripture is because it can be trusted to be true and we cannot. Does that make sense to you? If we say we have no sin, we're deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us but if we confess our sins, this is the second practical truth that comes from that first one.

If we say we don't have any sin, that's a proud statement. Is it not? I am the righteous standard. I have no sin. Lord, have mercy.

If we confess our sins and I've said it a lot of times, this is another reason I came back to this. In our in our sermons, week by week by week by week, humility and pride come up almost every time because they come up in the text in some way almost every time. And I've said this about confessing our sins because it is the mechanism by which we can know that we are forgiven. If we homo, logao, if we are confessing, if we are homo is the same and is to speak or to say, if we are saying the same thing as God says about our own sin, then he's faithful and he's righteous to be forgiven our sins. That's the mechanism.

Do you all know what it's like to have a conviction from God that that last step you made was a misstep? I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have said that. Shouldn't have thought that. I mentioned one in the this is a made up one, please.

I do not wish any of you get hit by a bus. Alright? In the first service, I said to have a thought that goes through your mind and you just go, I can't stand that guy. I wish he'd get hit by a bus. That might surprise you that you even thought it but as you say, God forgive me.

I agree with you. I don't wish that guy got hit by a bus. That's a terrible thing to even think. My goodness. Where did that pernicious evil thought even come from?

Let that bird fly over your head. Don't let it build a nest in your hair. If we confess our sins, if we say, I agree with you. That was awful. He's already forgiving it.

He's faithful. He's faithful and he's righteous to be forgiven it because how do we get rid of it otherwise? We have no mechanism. Our mechanism is to agree with him in humility about our shortfall and when we do that, other places in the Bible describe it this way. He throws it in the sea of forgetfulness and remembers it no more.

He throws it as far as the east is from the west and remembers it no more. Though your sins may be as scarlet, he will make them as white as wool. He is able. In Isaiah, it says multiple times that the sin that is before God, our sin that is before God, when we humbly ask him or agree with him, he puts it behind him. How almighty God does that?

I don't know. But he says that he does and his word can be trusted. If we are agreeing with him about our sin, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and it this one's amplified it too. It's not just to forgive us of that sin that we mentioned, it is to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's a starting place for a progressing faith, a progressing sanctification where we are walking in greater and greater purity as we will turn over our shortfall.

I mentioned last night something from J. I. Packer and his definition of repentance and I put it up there and I saw a couple of scant looks, I promise. From up here, you see everything. And one of the looks was like, I don't agree with that about repentance.

Repentance has taken all that you know of your sin because you're not the best authority on your sins. All that I know about my sin and turning that over to all that I know about God. So, in our study coming up about repentance, I would like to and several of you have mentioned this to in the past. I I have now had twelve years of not just going through the New Testament but walking other people through getting set free from whatever And so, there have been a lot of folks who have found some light in the 12 step recovery process. Some people who are very dear to me, some dear members, dear friends, and so I wanna start looking at how this practically gets applied.

You can be forgiven of your sin and you can walk in holiness and that is that looks like sobriety for somebody from alcohol or from drugs. It looks like somebody that is not gracious and not generous, becoming gracious and generous by allowing God to take the stinginess and ugliness away. If we confess our sins, if we agree with God about our sins, he's faithful and he's righteous to be forgiving our sins and to be cleansing us from all of our unrighteousness. The whole point of the Packer thing is you don't know how sinful you are but if you will admit to the stuff you do know, he will progressively allow you to see more and you'll walk in greater humility and greater holiness. So here's the Greek tenses and moods I hope to convey the R McD.

This is Ray McDaniel version right here. If however, we should be confessing our sins. That's contingent. It's it's not saying you're going to do it automatically. It's a voluntary deal on your part.

If we should be confessing our sins, faithful he is and just that he may forgive us our sins. He is allowed to by his justice. He is able to when we admit to it. He is freed up to forgive us and he might, that's the same, that's subjective, is contingent upon our humility and bringing it before him. Cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness.

Does that make sense? Does the might bother any of you? It's not that he might forgive us. It's that he might, it's dependent on what we do. Our humility is necessary for him to do what he has offered to do.

He will not force it on us is what I'm saying. Now, if we say, oh, that looks like an if then being set up. This is the third of those three conditional if then statements. If we say that we have not sinned, boy, he's really beating this drum, ain't he? On this slide alone, if we say that we have no sin, it's how it starts off.

We're deceiving ourselves, the truth not in us. So, in 10, if we say that we have not sinned, that's a past tense. If we say right now in the present that I I have I I don't need to be forgiven. I don't need to repent because I don't have any sin. What do I have to repent for?

If we say that we have not sinned, then we make God out to be a liar because what he says is, no one is righteous, no not one, all have gone astray, all seek after their own self. We make God out to be a liar and let me just agree with the New Testament writer says, let God be true and every man a liar. Right? He is light and in him darkness, no is not none. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

What we're paying attention to at that point is not his word. It's our desire. It's our self. And we cannot survive that way. My little children.

I love that. John now advanced in age when he's writing this. Little children. My little children. Grandfatherly.

I'm writing these things to you. I love John because he gives us a purpose. Why is it that he's writing this? I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. That's the whole point of this letter.

So that you will be able to walk in victory. That's his very clear purpose statement. So that you may be able to walk in victory and not be confounded by your own shortfall constantly. My little children, I'm writing these things to y'all again, the Ray McDaniel version. I'm writing these things to y'all so that y'all may or should, that's subjunctive.

It's contingent upon your agreement, right? I'm writing these things. If if you don't want to sin, then trust me. Admit your shortfall. Allow God to cleanse you and allow him to move you through it so that you should not miss the mark.

And if anyone sense, we've got a contingency plan because we are human and we do have frailty. Admitting that is a good thing. Why? Because we have an advocate. Capital A, advocate is Jesus.

He's an advocate with the father, the way, the truth, the life, the only way, Jesus Christ, the righteous. John saw this with his own eyes. He heard it. He knew the life that Jesus was preaching and he says, if any of you fall, we have an advocate with the father. Jesus Christ, the righteous.

This is the third pack practical truth. There it is. An amplified, it goes to this, and he himself is the propitiation. He is the payment of the penalty. He has done everything required to cover our sins, past, present, and future.

We will live a harmonious life with him and have fellowship with one another if we will be humble and admit our sin. Agree with him about our sin. Get it under the blood of Jesus and behind us. He himself is the propitiation, the payment for our sins and not for ours only. It is sufficient for ours but it is sufficient for the rest of the whole world.

We don't know who will accept it. We don't know but we are to be carrying the message, walking in victory, carrying the message of the good news of salvation is available in Christ and in Christ alone. Latin for the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Would you all stand with me? I'm going invite Jennifer back up to do this.

The change my heart, oh God, that we just sang would be a really good one. We're going sing cleanse me because it's even better but the whole song today was really talking about the holiness and worthiness of God to be praised and then our need for sanctification, for cleansing, for purification. I would encourage you this week to consider anew because a lot of y'all been walking this path for a long time. As you're considering it, consider anew. Lord, is there anything that up to this point, I have been shielded from seeing?

Is there something in my life that is not as you would have it to be? Would you remove my blind spots? Would you allow for me to see myself the way that I am, So that I may be more like him. Agreement with God about our own sin is the way to holiness. Amen.

We'll sing all the verses of this.

And know my heart today. Try me, oh savior. Know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me. Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.

I praise thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin. Fulfill thy word and make me pure within. Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame. Grant my desire to magnify my name. Lord, with thy great love divine.

Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride. I now surrender, Lord, in me. Abide. On the last. Oh, holy ghost, revival comes from thee.

Send our revival. Start the work in me. Thy word declares. Thou wilt supply our need. Four blessings now, oh Lord humbly

I'm on use the benediction from second Peter one ten. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain. That's what this passage has been about. Certainty of knowing that you are walking in the light. Brothers and sisters, be all the more diligence to make certain about his calling and choosing you for as long as you practice these things.

It's about walking it out. You will never stumble. For in this way, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. We just sang about God's provision of the holiness required to walk it out, of the holiness required to bring a revival. Start the work in me.

Lord, would you do it? Would you allow us the the grace as we humble ourselves before you to be able to be plan A for the salvation of the world. In Jesus name, we pray that we'd be carrying forward the message. Amen. Amen.

Amen.

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Confessing Sin Fellowship With God Forgiveness Repentance Walking In Victory

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