Such Were Some of You
First B Jackson
2014-08-31

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Alright. Well, it is 09:00, and we are glad to see you. And then I'm glad you are here and welcome you to First Bee. And I think it's fitting that we stand and we praise God to begin with. How about you?

Yes. Let's do that. Alright. Children of the living God, come and sing.

Children of the living God, come and sing. Sing out loud. Children of the living God, sing to the living Sing to the living God.

Let's sing for the morning.

Let's sing for the morning when he comes. Holding my glorious sun. Sing for the morning when God.

Children

of the living God. Children of the living God. Sing to the living

God. Amen. Can we pray together? God, thank you. Thank you for this morning, this beautiful day that you have created.

And we we are your your creation and we thank you God that you've created us and you've created us for you. Give us a heart to praise and worship you this morning. In Christ's name, amen. You guys can be seated.

Well, good morning. Glad y'all are here. I've got a couple of announcements and I mean that pretty literally this morning. There are two. I was going to mention the women's study that's starting up 12:00 noon, one hour study, women's study starting September 10 and I want to mention the women's retreat which is October the tenth through the twelfth and Ann Stalker, she just stood up right there.

Ann is going to be out back. I'm in between the services today during the connect hour. Ann will be out back signing people up for that. We're letting you know early and we'd like to get as many folks who normally attend here at First B going to that as possible. So, Anne, we'll be back out in the vestibule out there during the connect hour.

So, that is October 10 through the twelfth. It's a $100 and she's gonna sign people up and if you wanna write your check today, that'd be great. I also wanted to announce Old Bills Fun Run and Chuck's gonna speak a little bit about that too, I think But old Bills fun run, this is the time of year, September 5. Before we get back together again, we're gonna have that big old fiesta downtown. So for old bills, what we use the money for here at First Bee do y'all know what old bills is?

Most of you do. Those of you who are visiting, it's a philanthropic organization that matches donations given to specific nonprofit organizations around town. Now what we per use it for here is to be able to say yes to local benevolence. When somebody comes through, when they're living in town and they're having a hard time or sometimes when people are coming through town and they have a car breakdown or something like that, we can say yes because we have local benevolence funds on hand to be able to do that. So, the old Bills Fun Run actually amplifies those gifts.

If you would like to give to First Baptist for local benevolence, you can give through Old Bills Fun Run and your gift will grow. Put it that way. Last year, we received 7,000 something dollars through donations but it went through old bills and when it came out the other side, it was 12,000 something dollars in donations and that has kept us able to say yes for the local benevolence. I think those are the two announcements that I had. Renzi, is there anything else that I'm forgetting?

Good. Thank you. Well, I'm going to introduce then Chuck Biedroff and Chuck is the director of the Good Samaritan Mission. Just a few blocks away, y'all have known him for a while, but he has a video that he wants to share and welcome, Chuck. Glad you're here.

Our mission is to provide an environment conducive to the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of those in need. And by working together with other Jackson Hole nonprofits to assist each of our residents and guests toward independent living, evidenced by self sufficiency, employability, and being a healthy and contributing member of society. Hunger and homelessness is real in Jackson Hole. The Good Samaritan mission exists to serve the hungry, hurting, and homeless in Jackson Hole. We do that by providing food, clothing, shelter, and guidance to help people become productive members of our community and move them forward.

Did you know in an average year, the Good Samaritan Mission provides 6,500 nightly bed stays in our shelter? 10,000 pounds of food are distributed through Children's Totes of Hope program. 12,500 meals are served to the hungry in our community. We provide short term housing for employed seasonal workers. The mission provides food boxes for families and individuals in need in our community when the Jackson cover is closed.

Each week, the mission provides 30 back packs of food for needy three to five year old children and their families. And we help develop life plans for self sufficiency and employability.

Well, was born and raised in a Christian home and I knew the right from wrong. I knew the Bible pretty well. I was born again when I was 18. Played in a Christian band. That was one of the Jesus rigs.

I had hair down over my shoulders and singing about Jesus. That was back in the seventies. That was the early seventies. And somewhere along the line, lost it. I got into drugs, I got into alcohol, got into sex, got into all the sin that you could find.

I was in it and ended up finally, and lived here in Wyoming for most of that time. Finally ended up in Vegas and that was the demise. I worked as a bartender in a casino down there and drank up most of the profits or at least as much as I could. Finally lost my job there and kind of hit bottom and I went to the Salvation Army and went through their rehab. It was a good program.

Went on to South Lake Tahoe and worked as a residential director up there in their program, and then I came back to Jackson and totally lost my focus. I got back here and worked, and at that time we call it functional alcoholism. I was a functional alcoholic. And the problem with that is you stop functioning after a while. It finally became a point where I I I lost my job, lost my home.

All I had to live for was alcohol anymore. And the last night that I the last drunk, I spent that night in the grass behind the bar that I used to drink in, almost alone, raining. The problem with the rock bottom movement is you don't notice the rock bottom movement. You're all you're still looking for a way to get around it, A way to to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. A way to to make it happen on your terms.

And when you come to that rock bottom moment, you're what you finally figure out is that is the rock bottom moment. You don't have the options and you don't have the strength. You don't have the wherewithal within yourself to get that done. There was only one place left that I could see that I had an option and that was the Good Samaritan Mission. I'd had a relationship with them before, a long long time ago.

I knew the founder and it takes a lot of pride to enter that, especially with the preconceived notions you have about a mission. But going there and getting into the setting captives free program and getting getting my life together and straightening up. And sure, it's it's a place for the homeless and it's a place for the helpless, but there's but there's a restoration that happens through the ministry of the mission. And I realize that people think of it as a plow pass, but it's not. For some people, the mission is what you get, what you put in to it is what you get out of it.

So when the hopeless go there, there is hope. And when the helpless get there, there is help. I work in the community now. I've I've had that job for over a year. In fact, I'm looking at a possible supervisory position in that job.

I've got a home now. I've got a life now where I hadn't been. And that's what the mission allows you to find. It allows you a place to put it back together. And if you choose to take that opportunity, it's a perfect place to launch yourself into into a new life.

You don't have to resume your old life If you take what's given you, the mission, and put it to work, you can make it happen. I'm as I'm as happy as I can be right now. I have a life. I have a job. I have a relationship with Christ.

What else do I need?

The board of directors is passionate toward helping those in need in the Jackson Hole community. Please feel free to contact any one of them. Volunteering your time and abilities is a great way to support our mission. Not only does this benefit the mission, but it also contributes to the greater Jackson Hole community at large. Volunteer opportunities are available in the following departments.

Gardening and landscape maintenance, building maintenance, custodial duties, food prep and service, Bible study, and counseling.

Every time I watch that, it's humbling to be a part of it. Any changed life is what I live for. What Greg said the other night when we showed this video, he says, now that you've seen the video, what I charge you to do is go out and become ambassadors of the mission. Tell the good story about the mission. Tell us how lives are being changed and what's going on at the mission.

You know, we've got 30 beds for men and five for women, but the ones I'm concerned about, the one that come in there for a changed life. The other day, we were sitting, Jeff Brown does a Bible study on Monday, and, one of the ladies in the program, she looks at Jeff Brown and she says, you know, since the birth of my children since the birth of my children, I've never felt happier. This is a lady that's in a mission. You know, like Joe was saying, he's never been happier. She's in a mission, never felt happier.

There was a guy right next to her that came to the mission right out of detox from the hospital and he says, you know, that's the way I feel too. I don't think he ever had babies but you know, but that's the way, you know, in a mission, these people are getting their life changed. Such a joy to have Jesus into their life. Joy unspeakable like they've never had before. Old Bills is coming up.

We've got a week from Friday. It's the last day to give at Old Bills. What I'd ask is is please give and if you can't give, even if you can give, please pray. Right now, I think we're God is working in a wonderful, magnificent way at the mission and when that happens, the evil one likes to come in and take take it out. So pray for the mission.

Pray that more people would be saved. Right now, we've got three people at the mission that are just living a life of joy and completeness in Christ and we just ask that that would continue to go, that more people would come to know. We average about one a month coming to the Lord. Amen. And taking Jesus as his lord, master, and savior.

So, if you can, come down, volunteer, take a tour, see what it looks like, and thank you for all your support as a church body and as individuals. There's many many good donors in here. And I just thank you and I appreciate all you've done.

I don't wanna take a minute here just to to pray for what's happening at the mission. Can we do that? God, we do give you thanks for this mission, for your mission. First of all, God, the gospel, the good news of grace and forgiveness, full and free, to all those who would receive it. And, God, this mission, here in Jackson Hole is making a difference in people's lives, and we would pray God for its continued effectiveness.

We'd ask, God, that you would fill people's lives with hope and joy and peace just as you do, and continue your good work that we pray in Christ's name. Amen. Let's sing our hope is bill nothing less.

I dare not trust the sweetest pray, but I'll trust in Jesus' name. Should we sing that again? My warp is built on nothing else. Now, I should stand. I dare not trust the sweetest pray, but only trust in Jesus' name.

Praise the Lord.

Darkness seems to ride in space. I rest in his unchanging reign. In every high and stormy gale, Oh, and he shall come

worthy God. Let's give him praise.

Hear your set song. Heaven's mercy sing. Sing of the holiness of God. Holy, holy,

Lord, we give you thanks for you are holy. You are God, and we are your people. And we wanna give you praise and sometimes it's hard to know how. What do we do? How do we do it?

But I pray God that, you would give us that desire deep inside of us to wanna praise you, to wanna worship you, and adore you. I thank you God for your presence, not just here in this place, but God all day long, we can have the the joy of of being in you, being in Christ. Thank you God that you haven't left us here as orphans, but you've adopted us as sons and daughters into your kingdom. What a joy. What great hope that gives us.

Amen. Older song here, but I want you to hear this verse. Let the message about Christ and all its richness fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

Shall we do that? Alright. Sing them over again.

Wonderful words of life. Christ, I'm this and one key instant home, wonderful words Beautiful words wonderful words wonderful words alive.

Thank you, God, for your wonderful words. Amen. I'm pumped this morning. I am. I'm so excited about this that we, as a church, we get to listen to the gospel and hear it and take it in.

And I really do pray church that our hearts would be like that soft fertile soil that we would take it. It wouldn't bounce off, wouldn't be snatched away. You can be seated. We're going to, pray here and participate in the worship through giving. And, I've got a verse here.

It's been ringing in my head the last couple of weeks since Ray's preached on it, but it was from first Corinthians four seven when he says, what did you have that you did not receive? And I just I just kept ringing in my head over and over and over again. What did you have that you didn't receive that everything that we have is a gift from God. And that when we realize that, that gives us the joy to give and to serve. Does that make sense?

So whether it's a spiritual gifts or material gifts or whatever, it it comes from God and just to know that, acknowledge it, ought to give us joy and giving back. Not not like, oh, fine here but like, hey, I'm excited to give. Should we pray? God, we thank you because really, what do we have that hasn't been given from you? And so, we wanna rest in that here and and let it just swim around in our brains this week that everything that we have, it's a gift from you.

And I pray that you would increase our joy as we give and serve. Amen. The words will be on the screen and I always encourage you to jump in. Even if it's a new song you haven't heard it before.

I'm not straight praising you enough. And take my voice and pull it out. Let it sing the song's mercy I have found. For I have nothing, I have nothing without

you.

All my soul needs. All my soul needs take

my time here on Earth

and take my time on the earth and let him glorify all you are worth. For I am nothing. I am nothing without you. I am nothing.

Hey, guys. I just wanted to give a plug for a really cool women's retreat that's coming up. I know we have a lot going on this fall to get excited about. There's a lot of neat things that from the women's ministry but one in particular that I just would love for y'all to get on your calendars and make a commitment to is this women's retreat, October tenth through twelfth. It is in your bulletin.

I know it's been announced a million times but there is a table in the back today and what I just want to say is anybody who's been on a retreat knows how memorable they can be and this is I think a lot of women during this time of the season just need to get away and especially people who are new to our valley, new to our church. It's a fabulous time to get to know other women in the body of believers and to connect with them and make memorable friendships. So, I just encourage you. It'll be a wonderful time to get intimate with the Lord and to just rest and relax and have a lot of fun. So, thanks.

Amen. Be still my soul. It's beautiful. Well, today, I have a couple of things before we get to first Corinthians six. It follows that first Corinthians six comes right after five.

So, that's where we are going but I want to jump back for a minute and just mention this slide is going to keep on coming up. It's going to keep on coming up all the way through first Corinthians and actually, pretty much in life. This is it. This is what Paul lays out for them in first Corinthians one. He says, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God and those are the two options.

Either you are not believing the good news that Jesus lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial, perfect death in atonement for sin, was resurrected, ascended, and seated at the right hand of father. Either you believe that and it is transforming you and you are being saved, that divine passive or you think that's foolishness and you actively are perishing. That's the first chapter of first Corinthians and I'm going to go back even a little bit further than that when we were at the last part of first and second Thessalonians, we just studied through. Now, you remember Thessalonica was a very different place than Corinth. When the word hit first when the word hit first in Thessalonica, it hit the ground.

Paul says, running like warm syrup. It hit the ground running like crazy and it spread out from this central location and everywhere that Paul went, he was hearing good news of the way that the word had reached them because of Thessalonica. So, in the Thessalonians epistles, there are there's no mention really of any grave sin. He doesn't talk a lot about sin. He does mention laziness and he does mention a couple of other things but mainly, what he concentrates on is this, God chose from the beginning how there would be salvation made available for sinful man.

God chose from the beginning how this would be. The way that that would be is Calvary, Christ's work, which includes his perfect life. Born of a virgin, lived a perfect life in all the same ways that we are tempted. He was tempted but without sin, offered his life as a ransom for many, was brutally beaten and killed on a cross at Calvary, buried, and then on the third day, he rose again, and now is seated at the right hand of the father. If you wanna go that far for his session, that's great too.

We just sang of it. That is the process, the mechanism by which man can be saved and God chose that from the beginning. It is the option. It is the only option. The message of the cross is either you believe it or you don't.

The gospel witness. Paul says that we have the opportunity as people who believe in him. We have the opportunity to fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. Now, what could possibly be lacking in the afflictions of Christ? People don't know about it.

When Paul says, we can fill up what is lacking, he means, for anybody who doesn't know, we can tell them this good news. Jesus would say it like, go. Y'all go. Therefore, into all the world, teaching them to obey all that I've commanded you, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. The gospel witness must go forth so that people can hear it and be saved.

Belief, at that moment, when a vilest sinner truly believes, that moment from Jesus, a pardon receives. You are saved at the moment that you put your trust, your faith in God. Now, in between belief and that salvation experience and the day of the Lord when you are ultimately transformed, glorified, receive your new resurrection body, and you meet Jesus in the air. Until then, it's the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to be sanctifying us. Can we quench the spirit?

Yes. Can we resist? Yes. God can still use that to sanctify us but the work of the Holy Spirit, he will be. He promises to be that still small voice.

He promises that he will at the moment that we believe, write the law on our hearts so that we know what we should do and what we should not do. So I want you to base when we go into this, it's just a couple of precursors, slides you've seen before. The day of the Lord, I did have it up there, ultimate salvation because it is ultimately. Paul said to them that in between belief and ultimate salvation, you are being saved all through this process. That make sense?

Already saved but not yet completely glorified. Already and not yet. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We should lives our live our lives yielded to him. As Paul says in the end of one of those recent chapters chapter four, he goes, we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way.

First Corinthians six one through 11 says this, oh, and this is, by the way, a continuation of a rant. Paul started at least two chapters ago and he's just been rattling it off. He's been going, going, going, going. And every time I think of the word rant, I think of Tanya because I asked Tanya to marry me in the middle of one of her rants. We actually had not been dating for very long at all.

I I really liked and appreciated her but as we were riding from my parent's house to Columbus where both of us went to school, I told her something that it was about the church. It was about the Baptist Union, the college where I attended, and I mentioned something that one of them had called me and had made a gossip statement. And when I mentioned it to her, it was about us actually. When I mentioned it to her, she said, but, I mean, that's not Christian. But and then she went into it and it was just a stream of consciousness rant that went on for some time and it was fantastic and every word she said was absolutely true.

I grew up in church my whole life. I know it here and God has been progressively moving my understanding to my heart. Tanya did not grow up in church. She knew it here and here. She felt it in her stomach and in her heart And so when she's letting off all this truth and it made so much sense to me, she was probably five minutes into a rant, she finally needed a breath and said, and I said, will you marry me?

I love passionate rants. I just love it when people do that. And Paul is doing that right here. So, this is the continuation of a rant and so and I knew it when I when I asked her. I knew exactly what I was getting which is fantastic.

Paul continues his rant this way. She is passionate. So, Paul continues the rant this way. He comes from five which was harsh on church discipline. He just said, expel that wicked brother from among you.

And when one of you has a grievance against another and another thing, basically, it's what he's saying. When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare to go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels?

How much more than matters pertaining to this life? So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? This is the English standard version of the Bible. If you have New King James or King James or NIV or the New Living, you're going to see a various assortment of what this last verse says right here. I think this is pretty accurate.

It's certainly one way to take it. It could either be this. Why do you lay em before those who have no standing in the church? Meaning, you're laying them before judges that don't have anything to do with church, don't know anything about Jesus. It can be that or would you not lay them before even the least in the church ahead of that?

Does that make sense? At least, they're Christians. You could give em to the baby believers and you would be better off than giving em to these folks that know nothing of our way, the way. So, we have two basic parts. The first part is about taking believers to court.

The second part is is great. It's rough. It's three verses at the end. I'm going to try to dispense with this but Paul says all of this, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame.

Now, in chapter four, he said, I'm not trying to shame you here. He's admitting it. Now, he is. He's saying, y'all are doing something that doesn't make any sense whatsoever. We say that we are the called out ones, that God has cleansed us.

He's taken care of us. He's pulled us into a new family and we should through one Holy Spirit that's in each of our lives, be able to get along But shameful. Can it be that there's no one among you that's wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers? Is that for real? But brother goes to law against brother and that before unbelievers.

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you Christians. Come on. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud, and even your own brothers.

So this is remedial stuff. Every once in a while, Renzi will come in and he's only joking when he does it, but he'll come in and he'll go plop all, throw his backpack down and say, come on people. Y'all heard that from people before, right? He says, come on people. You're killing me here.

That's what Paul is saying. Come on. This is remedial stuff. I spent eighteen months with you. We talked about this.

Don't you remember? Don't you know? In fact, let me go back to the don't you knows? Or do you not know? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?

Do you not know that we're to judge angels? He says it four more times in this chapter. He says it one more time in our passage today. But he's saying it like, come on people. Have you all not seen?

It kinda reminds me of Isaiah 40 where it says, have you not heard? Have you not known that God is an everlasting God? That passage from Isaiah forty twenty eight through 31. What he's saying is, you already know this. I taught you.

I know you said you understood and I saw it make a difference in your life. You know this already. Do you not know this? It demands a yes response grammatically. That's why we say, do you not know?

It's used three times in this passage, six times in the chapter, and it's a greater to lesser argument. If you look at it is, do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by us, why is it that you think we're incompetent to try trivial cases? It's a greater than to lesser than argument and look at that. The saints are the ones who are going to judge the world.

If the saints are going to judge the world on the day of the Lord, the end of time, at the at the judgments that are coming, if the saints are going to judge the world, then why in the world right now do we have it reversed? And we're saying they are more competent and their law more competent than our ability to come together as a body and humbly resolve our differences. And then the do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more matters pertaining to this life? It's like for eternity and then backing into time.

The can it be? Really? Are y'all being for real with me? Seriously? Paul says, Can you really not get along without outside intervention?

Do you have to have a teacher or a tutor or a soldier that will carry this for you and say, you must do this, you must do that, we will hold you in contempt if you don't. It has to go this way. No. Is there not anyone wise among you, he says? There's not a brother here that could figure this stuff out?

Seriously? And then, do you remember Jesus' example at all when he says, why not rather be wronged, suffer the wrong? Like a sheep before his shearers was silent, Jesus spake not a word. Why not rather be the one who is defrauded? On the construction site, when there are squabbles, not saying they're always Christian but when there are squabbles, eventually, somebody will, it'll either go to law or it will go to the point where somebody say, I'll just eat that and if both of them will say, well, I'll just eat the cost of the materials and so, well, I'll eat the cost of labor.

That's what we're talking about. It's like, you just just eat that, you know? And if both of you could say it, that's even better. You can't can't come to law. Our whole system was set up on Judeo Christian fairness values.

It was set up that way but it's gotten to be where nobody wants to admit to any guilt ever. And so if we could, truthfully, admit guilt or wrong, that's what he's asking for. Just be honest with one another. Do your best. Now, I'll say the golden rule is a great way to live.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But Paul says when he says this last verse right here, verse eight, he says, but you yourselves wrong and defraud. You, Christians in the church, you're the ones who are doing the wronging of people. It seems like he's implying at least that he's saying, you set yourself up as all Christian in the beginning but then you lower the boom. Does that make sense?

You set yourself up. Oh, I'm a Christian and I would love to do this for you and then, you take advantage of people and brothers, even brothers in the church. So the golden rule there turns into not the golden rule, do unto others before they do it unto you. That is that is kind of the way of the world. It's do unto others.

You have to protect yourself. Always look out for number one. You cannot trust anybody and since you cannot trust anybody, go for it. Get them wherever you can. If you can find a loophole, go for it.

And the law will protect you. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be able to come together and get through the situation. Especially, if we will, and remember this is following up the church discipline issue. If we have a strong body of godly leaders that will take situations like this on and will help mediate and arbitrate through so that both sides come out as fair as can be. That's what Paul is arguing for.

There are some cases that need to be in court for sure. But the he's saying, don't drag the dirty laundry out and certainly don't set somebody up because you know the law and you can twist it. Remember the Corinthians had lots of sophists or sophists among them, and the sophists are the earliest of lawyers. They're people who were mercenary with words. They would, for a fee, defend you or promote you in a court of law or into a position in a job or in the government.

They would speak for you on your behalf and try to sway people to their opinion so that you end up winning. He's saying, don't do that and don't take advantage of the law just because it is. Definitely don't take advantage of a brother or sister in Christ. Come together. There's one Holy Spirit we need to find out what the best way out of this.

Eat it. Wrong. Be wrong or to be the one who is defrauded. If you're gonna on that side the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you want for people to be polite to you, by all means be polite to people.

Alright. And that is the end of that part. Now, will say about the law thing, a few years back I got an example from, actually from Rich Stig, he said that several years, many years really back, there were two Christians that were involved in a car accident. Both of them had the same insurance company. And it was really not either one of them's fault that I could tell, but when they bumped one another, they had to have a police report.

So one of them had to plead against the other and they did not want to do that, and they argued over whether they would or not. Which one would and neither one of them would even hear of it because they didn't want to be in danger of breaking this. Well, the insurance company needed to pay for that. That's why you have insurance. But since it was the same insurance company, they had to have the law say.

So in that case, Rich just told him, file the police report. Make sure that you do this. You're not defrauding one another or the insurance company. That's why you have it. That's why you did it.

So we can always, you know, overextend things. But he's warning them and saying, there's already a problem when you're squabbling and fighting among you. He's been pointing out for five chapters that divisions and factions were absolutely rife in the church. Alright. So, this is where it gets hard.

Or do you not know? Here it comes again. Do you not know that the unrighteous, the asterisk there is to remind me, the wrongdoers. The word there is the wrongdoers, unrighteous, will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, and the asterisk there is to remind me that that is what it says.

Men, it's specifically male at this place. There are multiple other places where it's male or female. It is male people who practice homosexuality and excuse being graphic. It is both passive and active people who are practicing consensual homosexual acts. That is, nor men who practice homosexuality just as it is written, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Do you remember the list we went over last week and the week before? They're looking like a lot of the same list but each time he gives it, it gets a little bit longer. The list gets a little longer and if you look throughout the rest of the New Testament, you'll see that that those lists grow or they are different. What do you think the main sins in the city of Corinth were? What do you think the main sins in The United States Of America are?

It could be any. But this is current. It's absolutely what everybody around them, this is what the culture looked like, and the church had begun to look exactly like the culture around them. That's the reason for the letter. So he says, do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor greedy, nor drunkers, nor revilers, nor swindlers, and I say those all every time I say them because we want to pick one of them so bad.

Greedy. No, I'm just kidding. We don't want to pick greedy. Greedy is a little close to home for a lot of us. Homosexuality is one that gets it's just a lightning rod, especially in our culture.

It's easy to say something you don't have a struggle with, you don't have a problem with, But that list is pretty all inclusive. Sexually immoral, I'll say again, was porneia. I mentioned that last week, and that is a very, very broad term, just as broad as sexually immoral, and that can be any sexual activity that is outside of marriage as God designed it. It can go from pornography all the way to any of the others that are listed here and elsewhere. So I'm gonna move on.

I wanted you to get that, and I wanted you to see this, and such were some of you. I made a big bold in red, were some of you. That is an imperfect past tense verb. Some of you were continually like this. This is what defined your life.

When I pointed that arrow back up to the do not be deceived, I've told you a couple different times. Factions are raised up in the church. One of those factions believes that anything is okay. He'll go into it in the next few verses for the rest of chapter six. Food for the body and the body for food.

They would say the same slogan for sex. Sex for the body and the body for sex. They would say the same thing for other sins that the body did not matter. It's a very early form of gnosticism where knowledge is what's important, the ability to speak that knowledge is elevated, very, very high but what happens in the body? Who cares?

It's just the body. It'll be dead and decaying before long. Do what you need to do. Eat, drink, and be merry. For tomorrow, we die.

That's the normal thinking process and they were trying to convince the church that that was the way that it was. So, Paul exhorts them. Do not be deceived. Don't let this false teaching stand. Do not be deceived.

These wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God and such were some of you. Now, I say that so strongly because of this huge red but you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of God. Remember how I was saying that this is the plan that God has given.

He chose it from the beginning. Christ's work would be it. The gospel witness goes forth and Paul was with them for eighteen months. He saw them accept this. Now, was everybody that would be hearing this Corinthian letter read out loud to them in church?

Do you think every single soul there was saved? Probably not. Probably not but he was writing it for the church's edification. He says, at the moment that you believed, you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified by the authority of Jesus Christ and through the spirit of God. That's what happened when you believed, and if you see this, I'm going to try graphing this kind of not a big graph guy but in a span of our life, from the moment of belief until glorification.

Glorification, I made that long line. We would think that we hope that we're on an upward trajectory from the time that we believe until the time that we're ultimately glorified. It says, in Romans that he is conforming us more and more into the image of his son as we are yielded to him, as we use our human choice to yield ourselves to him, God will sanctify us. So, this is what Paul's seeing. He saw them maybe over that first or eighteen months.

They might have had some hard times but he's seeing them that they're on an upward trajectory even if they flatten out every once in a while or drop. He's seeing that they're overall on an upward trajectory, and since he's been gone, he has seen this happen. He might have written that second letter in there. You know, another letter that we don't have, first letter I should say, that we don't have before first Corinthians. He heard some things so he called them.

They had gone off the deep end. They were plummeting fast so he wrote a letter and then, oh, that clarifies that. They come back out. They're paying attention to the word of God and so, as we, if we are paying attention to what the word of God says and we are putting it into practice actively in our lives, trusting Jesus to give us the power that he said he would do through his Holy Spirit, we will be on an upward trajectory of sanctification but Paul has heard from Chloe's household. It says in chapter two that from Chloe mentioned that these things are a problem, divisions, factions, oh my goodness, sexual immorality, all of these things.

So, they are tapering off and being misled by some of their self appointed leaders. So, their sanctification is taking a nose dive. Paul is writing this letter to arrest this and to call them into holiness and so, when he says, do not be deceived. Don't don't go for that bump that says, you gotta join in with them to be friends. You got, you need to be friends but you need to be friends on the terms that Christ has set before us.

Do not be deceived and he talks about all these things of wrongdoing. You are wise. You are sanctified. You are justified. What identifies you?

So for the Christians here, what identifies you? I have been talking to a guy recently who is a new believer and he does not even understand who he is anymore. All he can see is who he is in Christ, and that's what should identify you. What identifies you? What you were?

Well, this is the list. Sexually immoral, idolater, adulterer. Is that what you want to have identify you? Practicing homosexual. Thief.

Greedy person. Drunkard. Reviler. The list is so uncomfortable. Reviler is someone who slanders another, somebody who just says bad things about other people.

That's on the same list with homosexuality. It's on the same list with adultery. They're all sinful. Swindler, somebody who tries to scam other people for their own gain. Unbeliever.

That's what that says. That's what all of those say because God has put the message of the cross out there. Now, at the end of time, at the judgment, is this gonna be what defines you? What are you, Christian? If you are someone who has believed, you're someone who's put your faith in Christ, Paul is calling you out of your plummet and asking you to accept the fact that you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified, and that you were a believer.

He wants to encourage you to believe, to continue in belief, to be kept by the power of God. That's what he's calling you into. I do personally. I do believe in the perseverance of the saints. I do believe that once you are truly saved, you will always be saved.

I don't want to cast doubt but the way that you can know is where do you put your identity and what shows. The Holy Spirit has put within us. I mean, that God has put within us tells us and shows us the right way to go. If we will yield ourselves to him, our trajectory will do this again. No matter how far you have fallen, surrendering your life.

It's not just for salvation. It's for sanctification. You can surrender to Jesus. His atonement was good for sanctification as well as salvation. So, we would like to see that upward trajectory again until the day of the Lord.

When we will be made complete, completely glorified, and able to spend heaven everlasting with him. It comes back down to the message of the cross. To those who are perishing, this idea is foolishness. But if you ask Alcoholics Anonymous, they say that true conversion is the only thing that works. The only thing that works to get someone who has an addiction free from that addiction is the presence of the higher power, Jesus Christ, in their life through surrendering day by day.

The program works if you work it. Surrendering, yielding your life day by day by day. And if you look at that and go, hogwash, how in the world could that possibly help some imaginary God? First century Jew. What in the world?

That's stupid. It's foolishness to those who are perishing and eventually, they will spiral down and perish. It's a result of continuous sin over time but to those who are being saved in the process, still might slip, might fall, but they are on an upward trajectory. To those who are being saved, it's the power of God and they know they can't take credit for it. It's God.

Okay. I'm gonna read Colossians three, if I still have my paper up here, Colossians three. And I'm gonna ask you, if you would, just close your eyes. You can grab your Bible if you want to and look at it. That's fine.

If you wanna see your version, I'm gonna read from the English Standard Version. It's the same exact message as those last two, really last three verses, but it's somehow just a little bit more k love. It's positive and encouraging. And I think that those other ones are a little bit of a downer if you take them, especially if you wrestle with them and go, but I still fall into that. I still fall into that greed.

I still fall into that lust. I still fall into that and that bothers me. Well, he said it to bother us. He said it to afflict the comfortable but to comfort the afflicted. Colossians three, I'll read the whole chapter says, you can close your eyes or read your own version if you'd like.

If then you have been raised with Christ, he's saying, Christians, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you, Christian, have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, mortify it.

Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you, sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil, desire, and covetous, covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming. In these, you too once walked when you were living in them But now, you must put them all away, anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here, there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all in all and in all.

Put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. And above all these, put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God and whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. Giving thanks to God the father through him. Wives, submit to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything. For this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bond servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye service or as people pleasers, but with a sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ for the wrongdoer, the unrighteous, will be paid back for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality. I do want y'all can open your eyes and if you want to stand up and join us as we sing, Judy, you can come forward, and Scott, I want to read this to you because the do you not knows just hit me this week. You can trust in the power of God to get you through whatever the malady is. We all have our specific bent towards specific sins.

I didn't go into it in as great a length because I went twenty five minutes long last service. Homosexuality comes up so often in our society, and it's a pet one for Christians. Where it is sin, God loves that person. They have apparently a specific bent towards that. What is your specific bent towards sin?

Is it that you want to lie, that you want to cheat, that you want to practice immorality? What is it that it is that you want to do? Do you want to drink? Is it something that you are drawn to? Just by your very DNA, you're pulled that direction.

Just by your nurture or example, you're pulled that direction. Whatever it is, God is sufficient to take care of that. So this to me says that. We all feel down sometimes, but have you not known? Have you not heard the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, he neither faints nor is he weary.

His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might, he increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait and trust in the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary.

They shall walk and not faint. Amen. Would you stand with us and we're gonna sing.

We do have a closing song, but I have a really important announcement, and it's about next week. Next week is our combined service, and it starts at 10:30. So when is our combined service?

10:30. When? 10:30.

Yeah. And next Sunday. So who's gonna be here at nine? Yep. A few of you.

Don't. Come at 10:30. That's where we'll be.

Practice if you like.

Yep. 10:30 next week. Hang out with the band. 10:30 next Sunday. But I wanna close in this song.

And the message is take my life and let it be consecrated to thee. You agree? Let's sing together. Take my life

Let them flow in seas, they as praise. Let them flow in seas, they as praise. Take our hands, Lord. And take my hands Take our will.

Let's sing, I surrender all.

I surrender all.

And and for the benediction today, John and Sharon, would y'all come up to the front? Please? Would you mind? Any current or past elders, would y'all come forward to right up here? John and Sharon are heading out, right?

Last Sunday with us besides visits. I just wanted to bless them as as they head. I have a microphone so I'll pray for them. Thank you so much. John has been, they have both been fixtures, fixtures in this church for quite some time and this is a good godly couple that I'm sure would appreciate your prayers as they go.

Oh God, thank you for John and Sharon Fixtor and for the for the strength that you have given them and for their yielded lives, lord. I thank you that John has served here as an elder through some of the darker times and lord has always been a man of encouragement. When he stepped off of the elder board earlier, this past year, he brought flashlights to all of us. So, when we go through the dark times, to know that we have the light. God, would you bless them as they go and their family as they serve.

In Jesus name, lord, thank you for the fixtures at First beep. Amen. Amen.