Sunday Morning Service 10:30AM - Practical Instructions for Walking With Jesus ~ 1 Thessalonians 1-1

Good morning. You know, the Scripture says it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises to thy name, O Most High, to declare thy faithfulness in the morning. Well, you know what? I'd have to do the song to remember it right, I guess. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and declare. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord

and to sing praises to thy name, O Most High, to show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night. Thanks for bearing with me, God. I wanted that memory to work it out right, yeah. All right, and that's true, isn't it? You know, Pastor Mark wrote music to those two verses. Would you all stand? We want to welcome you here to Calvary Chapel this morning.

And just join us. With your voices, make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

Let's just trust the Lord this morning. Let's just look to Him. You know, we want to be, we want to hold back some time, you know. And Lord, help us, Lord, to not hold back but to let go and just worship you. You're worthy of our praise. We don't have to be ashamed of singing out, no matter how we sound. Because this is to you and it's for you. And we just thank you, Lord, that we can have this opportunity

to come and worship you in song. We give you praise.

Every song we could ever sing or bring, we could ever breathe. We live for you of every other name. Just the only one who could ever sing. That's our desire.

Share your love with those around us, Lord. You may be seated. We give you praise, Lord Jesus. Just as we are. Know that that simple definition of a humble is don't think less of yourself, but just think of yourself less.

Prideful. Oh, I'm such a jerk. Yeah, well, yeah. We all know we are. Don't think less of yourself, but think of yourself less. Yes. And we thank you, Lord Jesus. Oh, we do pray, Lord, that you'd heal our hearts and make us clean, Lord. And that you would just break our hearts. What breaks yours? That your love would reign, Lord. And we just give you praise, Lord Jesus.

Would you all stand? You're worthy of our praise, Lord. You're worthy of our praise. And we thank you for the opportunity you've given us together corporately here to worship you in song.

The saints adore.

Wait, isn't that awesome? The God of the universe could have just threw us out because we deserve death. We deserve judgment. But he said no. He gave. His son by in our stead, our sins upon him. As he said, my God, as he's hanging on that cross, my God, God can't look upon sin. And those sins were carried on him for us. You too today, if you don't know Jesus Christ, can have peace without understanding.

You're going to have your sins forgiven because he loves you. He died for you. If it were just you, he would have died. But see, he created man. In his own image. He breathed life, you see. We have a unique ability to communicate with him because of being born again. Our spirit becomes alive again in Christ. I want to encourage you.

Trust him because this world has nothing to offer.

Continue our service. Ask everybody to stand. And if I haven't already, and as we continue our service, we ask for your empowering. To be here today. We want to be here. We want to hear your voice. We want to hear your voice. We want to hear your heart. We want to hear your voice. We want to hear your voice. Let your voice be heard by the Holy Spirit. Feel Ryan afresh.

Feel us afresh by your Holy Spirit as Ryan teaches your word. May he do it by your strength and your power. And that you would be glory. Not only do you want to fellowship with us, Lord, but you want our glory. You deserve glory, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Let's have some fellowship. Good morning. If you could start to locate your seat. Grab your bulletin.

We'll get ready to go over some things. to go over some announcements. Welcome to Calvary Chapel. I'm glad that you've joined us this morning. Some things to take note of in your bulletin, as always on the left-hand side, what's going on throughout the week. But also we have a handful of events coming up. A reminder that we're having a time of prayer every Sunday evening until the election. So come

join us six o'clock this evening at the other end of the hall for a time of prayer together. Also, ladies, the Make It and Take It Women's Fellowship Gathering is November the 2nd. And the QR code is right here in your bulletin. And it also is hanging up a couple of other places around the church where you can get registered and have all the information that you need there. Just a reminder that Agape Fruits is starting up in November. And the t-shirt orders

are due by Tuesday for that. And then Operation Christmas Child, um, no, I have, oh yeah, there it is. Um, uh, they've got four weeks until we got to have all those boxes turned in, turned in. That's why when we first started announcing, it's like, oh, it's so early. No, it's not because it happens really fast. So we've got four weeks. Um, Tuesday, she is going to be hopefully getting us registered to go down to Dallas to, uh, to do the, uh, working

in the, um, uh, warehouse down there. So pray for her because I'm sure with all of the delays that they've had, that's going to be a little bit more hectic as well. And then there is a packing party for the kiddos, November the 3rd. Um, and so there'll be a little bit more information coming hopefully soon about that. And then we also have a little bit of a video to show for Operation

Christmas Child. My name is Dr. Jahaya and I come from Southeastern Europe. I was six years old during the war in Kosovo, which left a lot of people very poor. The place was just devastated. It was the, the houses were burned. The schools were, were destroyed. There was a lot of, there was a lot of, there was a lot of, there was a lot of, there was a lot of,

um, pain and poverty. My family decided to stay in Kosovo during the whole time to shelter from one place to another. We would try to sleep in my mother's lap with the whole neighborhood in, in one basement. So it was, it was tight. It was, um, hot, no room to play, no room to move loud to the point where we couldn't sleep. We couldn't rest. A couple of years after we had

this really cool group of people come in. They were like, oh, we're going to our school. These people came with their smiles and they came with, with a light heart. It was Christmas time. We heard the story of Joseph and Mary and how Jesus was born. I got lost in the story because it reminded me as a six year old in the basements when we were trying to shelter. It was just that parallel of, of how Jesus never had a place to be

born. And they had to put him in a manger, find whatever means they can to, for him to be born. I related to that and I wanted to know more. I was curious. Then we, we lined up, we got our boxes. It was the best day of my life. I had never received something that was my own. Together with the box, there was a pamphlet and it came from the church for a kids ministry. I was more

curious and it just kept building and building. About 10 years old, I decided to give my life to, to Jesus. I grew up to lead that ministry. And I believe to this day that whoever put that box together, prayed about that and prayed for an eight year old boy somewhere in the world to receive and it will come to know Jesus. Well, that's, that's what happened. An eight year old boy received a gift and changed his life forever.

Right. So just to remind you, that's what we're doing and that's why we're doing it. So, um, that's coming up. Okay. Then the last thing that I need to announce is that the next two Wednesday nights are going to look just a little bit different. Uh, this Wednesday we will not have service because it's our Kalala. And, uh, you should go enjoy town festivities and, uh, be, be a light out in the community. Uh, but

then Wednesday, October 30th, uh, we're going to have a special screening of a documentary called the 1916 project. And, um, the 1916 project, um, tells about, uh, the, the history of Planned Parenthood reveals, exposes the history of Planned Parenthood. And, um, uh, you just need to know that this is a pivotal issue and that's what he's, we'll show you a little trailer here in just a minute. Uh, abortion is an incredibly important issue. Uh, abortion is an incredibly important issue. Uh, abortion

is an incredibly important issue. Uh, abortion is an incredibly important issue. Uh, abortion is an incredibly pivotal issue. And there is one particular political candidate that this is their platform. Their platform is abortion. And so we need to pay attention to that because, um, God is the author of life. And, uh, so anyway, watch the, watch the trailer. What Christians often don't understand

in the culture wars and in the fight for life is that abortion is not just one issue among many abortion is almost the linchpin upon which the liberal establishment swings. But what happens when you pull out a linchpin? The door falls. It takes a long time to go from a few intellectuals believing some bad ideas to bringing those ideas into the culture more and more and more until they bear fruit. The answer how we got here is

because of the silence and inaction of the church. Somebody might say, well, you know, Margaret Sanger, she didn't quite know exactly what she was doing. Well, first of all, you're speaking from ignorance because she wrote about herself and she wrote what her plans were so much so that she, hello, impressed. Adolf Hitler. How do you impress Hitler? Father walks up to me wearing a BLM shirt and he says to me, why are you out here fighting a white

man's issue? But he was a walking poster child for all things CRT because in critical race theory, you see racism in all things. And at all times, even when a six foot four, 260 pound black man is trying to save a baby. We're going to expose and discover who the real Margaret Sanger was. And how her attack and assault against the family in America explains our current culture of death

and upside down world that we're living in today. This is where it all started. It was here that Sanger opened up her first unlicensed illegal birth control clinic in 1916. Study the past, not just to understand what happened then, but to understand what's happening now. This is a place to remember what happens when bad ideas are taken to their logical conclusion.

Stop waiting for someone else to grow a righteous culture of life for you and on your family's behalf. It will not happen. If not you, who? If not now, when?

Okay, so I could go on and on on that, but I won't. We'll show that Wednesday, October the 30th. So please invite everybody. I would love for us to not hold all the people that want to come see this. So take note of that. All right, those are the things that are going on. If you would make sure that your mobile device is silenced. And for our responsive reading this morning, we are going to

be in Psalm 20. Psalm 20. Looking at the new American standard for this part. So we sound the same. If you need a copy, you should be one of us. If you need a copy, you should be one of us. And as you are turning to Psalm 20, if you are able, please stand in the honor of the reading of God's word. I will read the odd verses if you will follow along with Pastor Allen and the even

verses. Psalm 20 for the choir director, a Psalm of David. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high. May he send you help from the sanctuary and support you from Zion. May he remember all your meal offerings and find your burnt offering acceptable, say law. May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your counsel.

We will sing for joy over your victory. And in the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.

They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stood upright. And read verse nine with me. Save, O Lord, may the King answer us in the day we call. And Father, we come to you and we thank you that we can boast in you, Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, the one who has saved our souls. And so, Father, be with us as we spend time in your word this morning.

Lord, may we draw near to you and may your Holy Spirit be at work in this place, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated. And if you would, open up in your Bibles to the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter four. 1 Thessalonians chapter four. So I want to give you a little bit of an update on something. So last Sunday, Lily got up and shared with us about an event that was going to be coming up

this last Wednesday night at the football field. It was called Fields of Faith. And I got to tell you, I have never seen anything like it. I've been a part of a lot of Fields of Faith events in the past, but this one was unlike anything that I'd ever seen before. And so I just want to share with you a little bit about it because it was so cool. We had over 750 people show up, I think most of which were kids.

And so we just, we filled up the stadium there at the football field. And it was really amazing. And from the beginning to the end, everything was just so spirit filled. And at the end, the pastor gave the invitation, a whole bunch of us pastors and youth pastors and leaders were standing out on the football field and he gave the invitation. And it's like, you just couldn't hold kids back.

It was so amazing. Somebody said it was 600 kids that came out onto the field to be prayed for, to be prayed with. And I held it together decently during first service. I'll do my best here too. But it was just so amazing. You know, this one little girl comes up to me. And I knew who she was and I prayed with her. And then when I get done praying with her, I look up and I'm just inundated, just completely surrounded with kids.

And it wasn't just me. It was every leader that was out there on the field was just completely surrounded with kids. And this one young man said he wanted to receive the Lord. And I look up and I'm just surrounded by teenage boys. And I said, do you all want to receive the Lord? And they said, yes. And I was like, what? And I'm just a bawling mess at that point in time.

But they were too, so it was fair. And so I'm trying to lead them in a prayer. And the young man goes, And every time I think I was done praying with people, more kids showed up. I just had to start being like, okay, you're next, you're next. Some wanted to receive the Lord. Some wanted to rededicate their lives to the Lord. Some just wanted to be prayed for and hugged because they're from broken homes and broken lives.

And things aren't going very well for them. Some of them just wanted to lay their head on my shoulder and cry. I've never seen anything like it. And it was so amazing. And so I just want to tell you, keep praying for these kids, okay? Because God's at work. And we've got to keep them plugged in. We've got to get them discipled now. Because that was just the beginning.

That's one of the things I'm going to talk about this morning. But that was just the beginning. Now we want to see them become disciples. But I wasn't making it up when I said God's at work in this area. I wasn't trying to use hyperbole when I said the Lord is moving in Cowley County right now because I'm watching it happen. And it's just phenomenal to see.

So please keep praying. Because I know that the prayers of the saints have an effectual work in the lives of people. So keep up the good work. Keep up what you're doing. And I'm just beside myself. I've been totally geeked up. Today's been the most I've been able to talk about this event without absolutely just losing it. I saw somebody the next morning out in Dexter.

I was out there to do a Bible study out there. And they were like, I heard that it was amazing. And I was like, it was. I can't talk about it. Otherwise, I'm done for the day. Because that's just kind of the way that it's been. So it was pretty cool. But all right, now to what we're doing here. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. As we move into chapter 4, it's more of the practical end of 1 Thessalonians.

We said that the first three chapters were very personal in nature because Paul had such a great love for these Thessalonian believers. And as he did so in chapter 1, he talked to us about the work of the gospel. He talked about how powerful the gospel is and how powerful it was in the lives of these Thessalonian people and that it set them free from their idolatry. But they turned from idols to serve the Lord.

Living in the true God. And so he talked about the power of the gospel. In chapter 2, he talked about the work of the minister. Because one of the things that took place is that Paul had been being downgraded or degraded by his opponents. And so he needed to defend his ministry. And so as he defended his ministry, we pulled from that some points about what it looks like to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But then as we came into chapter 3, he talked to them about the problem of discouragement. That he was discouraged because he was separated from them. They were discouraged. They were discouraged because of the persecution that they were going through. But that God, in only the way that he can, brought that encouragement into the lives of those believers. And now that he's dealt with the personal aspect of things, it's time to get practical.

And so I've entitled this morning's message, Practical Instructions for Walking with Jesus. And so we pick up in chapter 4, verse 1. And this is what it says. Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord that as you received from us instruction, as to how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you actually do walk, that you would excel in this still more.

For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification. That is, that you abstain from sexual immorality. That each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. Not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. And that no man... And transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things.

Just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So he who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now as to the love of the brethren, we have no need for anyone... You have no need for anyone to write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

For indeed, you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more. And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. And to attend to your own business. And to work with your hands just as we commanded you. So that you will behave properly towards outsiders and not be in any need. He tells us three things.

Three pieces of practical advice, practical instructions for walking with Jesus. He's going to tell us to grow in our walk. He's going to tell us to be holy in our walk. And he's going to tell us to be diligent in our walk. And so the first one that we talk about is he wants us to grow in our walk. Paul starts off the chapter by saying, finally then, because he's a really good pastor.

And even though he's got two chapters left, he says, finally. Right? That's kind of what pastors do. That's not really what he's doing. The finally there is actually a transition word to tell them I'm transitioning from the very personal to some practical things that I want you to know. Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort. He uses two words that are similar but different.

The word request carries with it a tenderhearted appeal. He's making a request of them. But the word exhort carries with it that apostolic authority. This isn't just something that I want you to do. This is something that you should do. This is an area where I'm actually telling you according to the authority that I've been given by God. But these are things you need to pay attention to and need to be implemented in your life.

He says, we request and we exhort you that as you have received instructions from us, that you would continue to walk. He says, as you have received instructions from us. It's fascinating how much doctrine Paul was able to give to those Thessalonian believers in a short amount of time. He was with them three weeks, maybe three months. And in that time, he's going to give them an incredible amount of instruction.

Instruction on who Jesus is. Instruction on who the Lord is. Instruction on holiness. Instruction on end times events. And he gives them a great deal of instruction. And what he's doing is he is recalling to their minds all of the things that he has instructed them about. Because he says, I work to make you a disciple. And now as you have been a disciple, he says, as you have received instruction as to how to walk and please God.

That you would accept. Still, more and more. As you had learned to walk and to please God. The Amplified Bible gives us an interesting translation of this. It says, as you have received instructions on how to pursue a life of purpose and gratitude. To pursue a life of purpose and gratitude. That's kind of how it describes a walk. And I thought that was an interesting way to describe it.

Because I was reminded that those two words really are kind of what it means to walk. To walk with Jesus. First of all, we pursue our purpose. I love to remind people that you were not only created on purpose. Because it's important that you know that God knew what he was doing when he made you. And he didn't make a mistake when he made you. But that you were made with a purpose.

And the purpose that you were created for is to know God. You were created for relationship with your creator. And in that relationship with your creator, there are things like service. There are things like prayer and communication. There's things like being. There's things like being in the word. There's things like being in community with each other. But all of those things all point us to our main purpose.

And that is our knowledge of God. Because that's what you were created for. And so as he tells us to continue to walk. He reminds us that part of that walk is pursuing the purpose for which you were created. And that's knowing God. But not only do we pursue that purpose. But in that process, we also realize that we are pursuing a life of gratitude. That we are pursuing a life of gratitude.

We talked about this last week. But you and I were created to be responders. To respond to who God is. To respond to what he's done for us. And the way that we respond is with a lifestyle of gratitude. And the best way to show your gratitude to God for what he's done for you is a wholehearted commitment of following him. A wholehearted commitment of knowing him.

And a wholehearted commitment of serving him. And so he says, As you have received instructions from us. About how. To walk. About how to pursue a life of purpose. About how to pursue a life of gratitude. We ask that you would continue to excel in it. In other words, that you would abound more and more. That you would super abound in your walk. In a growing walk with the Lord.

It's an important point for us to know. That you will never on this side of eternity. Reach a place where you have achieved. Where you know everything that you need. To know you're as sanctified as you're ever going to get. When you are exactly who you're supposed to be. We are all in process. We are all in process of who. Of becoming who God wants for us to be.

And that walk with him should always be a growing walk. Where we continue to pursue going deeper. And deeper into the things of the Lord. All those kids that I just told you about the other day. That that that came forward that was just the first step and that's what I've tried to convey to not only my leaders. But also to as many kids as I possibly can. What you took was a first step.

That first step caused you to be born again and now you're a brand new creation in Christ. But we don't stop there. Now that you're a brand new creation in Christ. You are now pursuing him in hopes of growing because it would be terrible if five years down the road. The only thing that you know is that you're born again. And you really don't have any kind of a deep relationship with Jesus.

And then once you start to grow in him. We realize that that pursuit never ends. Matter of fact. One of my favorite books Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer has this great line in it says to have found God and to still be searching for him is the soul's paradox of love. And it's such a phenomenal line because that's what we're created to do to continue to pursue.

And there is a danger especially for Western culture Christians who love to put 10 easy steps on everything that we do. Or these are the five easy steps. And once you've achieved these you can now ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Somehow the movie's over. And so. It's so dangerous for us to try to reach a point where we're just done. Hey I think I think I've arrived now.

We were talking about this yesterday morning at men's breakfast. Alan Brooke was sharing with us about his reading about King Uzziah. And I think it was Second Chronicles chapter 27. It was somewhere or excuse me. Second Chronicles 27 somewhere in that general range. Talking about Uzziah and Uzziah started off as such a great king. He was pursuing God. He was pursuing the things of God.

But eventually Uzziah got lifted up with pride. And he went into the temple to try to offer sacrifices by himself which God never intended for a king to do. And because of that he got struck down with leprosy. You know why. Because he thought he had reached a place where he had achieved. He thought he reached a place where he had arrived. And he didn't continue to humbly seek the Lord.

He began to think that he had come to a place that he had never truly arrived. And so that was a problem for him because he wasn't continuing to grow in his walk. And that's a warning for all of us. The warning for us is that we never stop growing. That we never stop pursuing. That we never stop seeking. That we never stop humbly understanding that I need the grace of God as much now as I did the day that I became born again.

And so he says if you want to know some practical instructions for walking with Jesus. Number one never stop growing in your walk. Number two he tells us that we are to be holy in our walk. We are to be holy in our walk. Starts off in verse 2 by saying. For you know what commandments we gave you. By the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. That word commandments is kind of a scary word for us.

We tend to be like oh commandments that's legalism right. We need to understand something. Not every rule is legalistic. And not all of grace is licensed okay. Like those of us that are kind of grace only people need to realize that sometimes rules are important. Because commandments are important because God still desires obedience. But also if you're a rule person you need to understand that grace is important.

And just because we're showing grace doesn't mean we're showing license. Those two things go hand in hand. Grace and law. But he says these are commandments. Now that word commandment speaks of a military order handed down by a superior officer. In other words you should pay attention to it. He says for you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Well what commandments did he give them? Well if we were to go all the way back into the book of Acts. Don't do it. If we were to go all the way back into the book of Acts. To chapter 15. We would find that there was a council that took place in Jerusalem. And this council that took place in Jerusalem happened because after Paul went on his first missionary journey.

All these Gentiles started coming to Jesus. And this very Jewish church said what do we now do with all of these Gentile believers? What do we do with all these new converts? Do we make them get circumcised and follow the law of Moses? What do we do? And they finally said listen let's not put any burden on them that we don't need to. Let's simply tell them to abstain from idols.

From things strangled and from sexual immorality. And so as Paul was now on this second missionary journey which took place after the Acts 15 council. He's giving them the commandments that were handed down through the authority of Jesus Christ by the early church. About what it looks like to be a Gentile believer. And so he says remember the commandments that we gave to you because this is the will of God.

Your sanctification. Listen I've worked with young people forever and I've worked with old people for a little while now. And everybody wants to know the same thing. What is God's will for my life? How do I know God's will for my life? I can tell you authoritatively according to God's word I know what God's will for your life is. God's will for your life is your sanctification.

Everything else is going to fit into that will. That word sanctification speaks of separation. It means being set apart from sin to holiness. Being set apart from sin to holiness. Now listen this is a really important point that needs to be made. You cannot just be set apart from sin. If you decide I'm just not going to sin anymore then you know what's going to happen.

All you're going to think about is sin. It would be like if I told you don't think about pink elephants. Right? The first thing that comes to your mind is a pink elephant. Or like when you're standing on a really high plateau or something. And there's nothing but ground underneath of you. And somebody says don't look down. What's the first thing you do? Right?

No we can't just separate ourselves from sin. We have to separate ourselves from sin to holiness. That's where that pursuit of God is so incredibly important. Because God's will for you is sanctification. God's will for you is to be set apart from sin. But the only way that we can live set apart from sin is if we separate from sin. And begin to pursue. God.

Otherwise that will leave a vacuum that needs to be filled. You see until you came to know Jesus all you knew how to do was pursue sin. All you knew how to do was to pursue the evil things of this world. And then you came to Jesus as your Lord and Savior. And you went well I've confessed all my sins so what now? What am I supposed to do? Well now you start to pursue God.

And separate yourself from sin. This is God's will. Your sanctification. And Paul brings up one main issue of sanctification. Now there was a litany of things. He could have brought up. But there's one main issue that he brings up with this issue of sanctification. He says this is the will of God for you. Your sanctification that you should abstain from sexual immorality.

Of all of the things he could have mentioned. He settles in on one particular point. Because there was one particular issue that dominated Roman culture. And that was sexual immorality. There was one central issue that dominated the culture of Paul's day. And that was the immorality that was around him. And I would tell you things have not changed. People love to say things have gotten so bad.

No things have gotten so the same. Right? Like everybody goes no you don't understand. It's way worse today. We can carry these phones around that have immorality all over them in their pockets. Really they had bat houses in Rome. Okay? I mean nothing has changed. Right? The way we partake in sin may look a little bit different. But sin has not changed. And its availability has not changed.

And so as Paul is writing to a Roman culture that is so steeped in immorality. As a matter of fact one philosopher of the day. I can't think of who it was right now. But one philosopher of the day is quoted as saying. We have prostitutes for our pleasure. We have mistresses for our daily needs. And we have wives to care for our children. You tell me immorality looked different than it does now.

This is a problem people. And it's a problem in our culture today. And he tells them that at the root of so many of the issues that we deal with. Is immorality. Therefore we are to abstain. Hold ourselves back from sexual immorality. What does that look like? Well he tells us here. He says that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.

That each of you would know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. In other words if you want to abstain from sexual immorality. You're going to have to exercise self-control. With your entire life. Your entire vessel. All of you. It can't just be the actions. It has to be the eyes. It can't just be the actions in the eyes. It has to be the mind.

It can't just be the actions in the eyes and the mind. It has to be what goes in your ears. There's every aspect of you that has to practice self-control. And listen that may mean you have to get rid of some things in your life. That may mean you have to cut off some areas in your life that need to get dealt with. That may mean that you need to cut off some relationships.

In your life that are unhealthy right now. Because they are leading you into sin. That may mean you have to cut off some technology from your life right now. Because it's leading you into sin. That may mean that you have to stop listening to some music right now. Because every time you listen to it, it leads you into sin. You may have to change your Netflix viewing habits.

Because they lead you into sin. Because you have to possess your vessel in sanctification and honor. Why? Notice what he says next. Because it needs to not be in lustful passion like the Gentiles, pay attention, who do not know God. Why do we need to do this? Because otherwise you're going to act like the rest of the world who has no idea who God is. In other words, your life won't look any different from the world around you.

Your life won't look any different from the world around you. And brothers and sisters, I bring this to us. Because we need to understand as a church that if there is not first judgment in the house of God, then we can never expect revival in the world. And in the house of God, we have to start dealing with this. Because sometimes there's an elephant in the room in the church.

And that's that oftentimes our viewing habits, our listening habits, and the fact that there are men and women who think it's okay to live together before they're married, are sitting in the church. And you need to know and understand that God has a plan for sexuality. And that is one man and one woman and the bonds of marriage. Anything else is sin. And it's just like the world around us who does not know God.

He goes on from there to say, And that no man, verse 6, would transgress and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger in all things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. Did you notice what he said taking advantage of someone sexually is? That it's actually defrauding them and debasing them. That you are actually transgressing against them.

Now listen, I'm going to speak a word to you young ladies that are sitting out here today, especially you young ladies that aren't married right now. I want you to know something. If there's some boy that likes you and he wants to know what your boundaries are, you need to send him packing. Because he shouldn't be asking about your boundaries. He should be setting the boundaries.

He should be not leading you into a relationship that would get you outside of the boundaries of what Jesus Christ has called for us to do. As a matter of fact, if you're with a boy and he wants to know what your boundaries are, why don't you have him come talk to me and I'll tell him what your boundaries are and I'll send him packing for you, okay? Because it's ridiculous. Or have him go talk to your dad.

That's embarrassing. Good. I hope he's so embarrassed he never wants to ask that question to any girl ever again. And listen, boys, you need to know something. You need to stand up for godliness. You need to know how to possess your vessel and sanctification and honor. And you need to decide now on Sunday morning sitting in church that you are going to save yourself for the right girl on the day of marriage.

Because if you don't decide now, I promise you won't be able to make that decision sitting on a couch somewhere. You've got to make the commitment. And listen. It's not just a lesson for kids. Adults, you've got to decide that you will live in honor and sanctification. That you will cut off sin. That you will deal with this aspect of sexual immorality that is so pervasive in the culture today.

Which is why we have churches in Cali County right now that will not make a stand on this. Because, you know, love is love. And we should just be accepting. Listen. Jesus invited sinners to his table, but he didn't leave them as sinners. Jesus sat with sinners, but he did not condone their sin. He always confronted them with the issues. Now the second thing I'm going to say is this.

Not only know your boundaries, stand for your boundaries, and stand for what's right. But listen. If you have failed in this area, if you have been someone who has given in to the sin of sexual temptation, I want you to know that the same blood of Jesus Christ that covers all other sins, covers that one too. And you need to go to Jesus, and you need to confess those sins to him.

And you need to let him make you brand new. You say, Ryan, I can never go back and have my purity back. Maybe not physically, but spiritually, you can be made brand new in Jesus Christ today. You can be made brand new, and like a brand new creation, you can be 100% pure in Christ. And so don't let the enemy lie to you right now and say, I'm damaged goods. I'm no good because of the things that I've done.

Jesus wants to put a brand new spirit inside of you to where you are totally pure in Christ. And so it's time to start making those stands. It's time to start being those people. And listen. I know we're putting on a little movie about abortion and the abortion industry, but I want you to know another thing. If you've had an abortion, and I know that there's people sometimes that show up to church

because they come to me later and they tell me about it. If that's you, I want you to know that there is absolute freedom and forgiveness in Christ. I do not want anyone. Anyone. Living in their guilt and their shame, feeling like they could never really be loved by Jesus because of the things that they've done. Listen. If that were true, I could never really be loved by Jesus.

But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that his grace saves to the uttermost. Amen? Okay, so we go on from here. We go on from here, and it says, why is this so important? Why do we care? There's three things he tells us. Verse seven. Number one. Because God has not called us for the purpose of abortion. The purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. God has not called us to be impure people.

He has called us to be a set-apart people. Why? Because sin brings death. It's been happening since the garden. When sin came in, death came with it. And now death continues to rule in sin. Why does he tell us to separate from our sins? Because those sins lead to death. Therefore, we were not called in impurity. We were called for separation. We were called to be different.

We were called to be dedicated and separated in our behavior in order to please him. Number two. Because it is a direct command from God. Notice what it says right here in verse eight. So he who rejects this is not rejecting man, but God. I think that's a really important point to be made. Because, you know, I hear some people say, did God really say it was that big of a deal?

Did God really mean it was that big of a deal? You know who else said that? Satan. Satan was the first one to say, but did God really say? So next time somebody comes to you with something from scripture and say, did God really say? Look at him and say, get behind me, Satan. No, don't do that. It's going to end in an argument and it's going to be bad. Then they're going to call you names and it's just going to be bad.

No, but you need to know that's directly from the enemy. Because he wants God's word questioned constantly. And we have to understand that when it comes to these aspects of purity and morality, these are not provincial man's ideas. These are from God. Because that purity comes directly from him. And then number three, because you have the Holy Spirit living in you.

It says the God who gives us, end of verse eight, his Holy Spirit. I want you to go with me one place in scripture. Go back to 1 Corinthians, chapter six. If you can't get there, it's okay, just write it down. 1 Corinthians, chapter six. I know sometimes I move fast and I don't mean to. And I hadn't put up there verse 19, but I actually want us to start in verse 18 for context sake.

The heart of what I want us to see is in 19, but 18 is a good spot to start. 1 Corinthians, chapter six, verse 18. Again, if you can't get there in time, that's okay. Just write it down and we'll roll on. Paul, writing to the Corinthian church, says this. Plea immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body. But the immoral man sins against his flesh.

But the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you? Whom you have from God. And that you are not your own. For you have been bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body. We have to understand something, brothers and sisters in Christ. The Holy Spirit is living inside of you.

You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, your body is no longer your own. It belongs to God. So glorify God with everything that your body does. From the things that your mind thinks, to the things that your ears hear, to the things that your eyes see, to the things that your body does. That's why I've always said the most theologically correct song that kids ever sing is,

Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see. Be careful, little hands, what you do. Why? Because the Father up above is looking down in love. So be careful, because you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. And He wants you to honor Him with every aspect of who you are. Back to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians. So He's told us that if we want to know some practical instructions for walking with Jesus,

number one, we are to continue to grow in our walk. It should be a growing part of who we are. Continuing to become more and more of who Jesus wants us to be and continuing to pursue a deeper relationship with Him. Number two, we are to be holy. Our lives are to be set apart from sin and they are to be pursuing God. Number three, we are to be diligent in our walk.

We are to be diligent in our walk. Now before I get into this last point, I want to point something out to you. These points may sound familiar and as I was writing them out, I'm like, I think I used these exact same points for the work of the minister. And it's almost like God said, you did. And it's because that's what Paul was doing. Paul was actually making the same points here that he made in the work of the minister

because he wanted them to know, the example that you saw in me is the way that I want you to live. These aren't just things I'm asking you to do. These are things I'm asking me to do. Because as believers in Jesus Christ, we should never require of the world what we do not require of ourselves. We should never expect from the world an example that we don't set ourselves.

And that's what Paul does here. He had set the example for these things and now he's living these things. Parents, I want you to hear me say something right now. Your kids will not do what you say, they will do what you do. And if you tell them you should do X, Y and Z and you're not doing X, Y and Z, they will eventually look at you and go, why? You don't do it.

That's what they'll do. Instead, what they'll do is they'll mimic you. They'll start doing the things that you do. So if you want your kids to live a godly life, you can preach till you're blue in the face, but stop preaching and start living. Stop preaching and start exampling. Give them out yourself and then instruct as they see your godly life. Because that's what Paul does here.

So he goes on to talk about being diligent in your walk. Notice what it says. Now, as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. For indeed, you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more. So the first area that he wants them to be diligent in their walks about is

diligent in brotherly love. He wants them to be diligent in brotherly love. Again, the word that's used here in the Greek is phileo, where we get our word Philadelphia, brotherly love from. And that's what he wants them to do. He wants them to have that deep abiding friendship love with each other. He says, but when it comes to love, I don't really need to write anything to you necessarily.

Why? Because you have already been taught by God. And isn't that a beautiful thing when God begins to teach us things in our lives? And that's what he does with love. We talked about this last week. If you want to have love for other people, you need to, first of all, have God poured into your heart, because then it sheds abroad to the people that are around you.

Because we can only love if we first know that we are loved by God, right? And so he says, God's already taught you what that looks like. And not only has God taught you what that looks like, but it's the example of who you are. Everybody in Macedonia knows you live in brotherly love, and that's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing that that church was known for that.

This is the second time Paul's brought it up, because in the first chapter, he thanked God for the love that they had for each other and for the saints, right? And so he says, continue in that brotherly love. And I love that that's what they're known for. Have you ever been around that Thessalonian church? Man, those people really love each other. And they love all the people around them.

And I think it's important to know that that's kind of what Jesus said the church would be known for, right? Remember the final instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples? He says, a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you. As a matter of fact, everyone's going to know that you're disciples of mine if you have love for one another.

That's the same idea. Everybody went, well, that must be a church of Jesus Christ, because they love each other. And that's what we should be known for as a church, too, is a church that loves each other. And so he goes on to say, I don't need to write to you, because not only are you already doing that, not only is it what everybody knows about you, but that's just what your church is known for.

He says, but brethren, excel still more. Again, some of your translations may say, abound more and more in love. The Kenneth Weiss translation says to super abound in love. So how does that take place? How do we become a people that super abound and excel in love? Well, I think there's two things. First of all, you need to keep having more and more of God's love poured into you.

I mean, you got to go to him every day. And every day you got to say, Lord, show me how much you love me and let him pour that love into you. But then you have to do something else. You have to show that love to the people that are around you, because otherwise you'll just get filled up with all the love, but never give it out. And then you become stagnant.

You know, there's a body of water in Israel. It's called the Dead Sea. And the Dead Sea has the highest salt content of any body of water in the entire world. Matter of fact, it's so salty that apparently, I've never done this, although I want to. I've seen lots of videos of this and pictures of this. Apparently, like if you drown in the Dead Sea, it's because you've tried to because everybody floats, right?

Because the salt content is so high that you're just buoyant there. Even a guy like me who sinks everywhere he goes, they tell me that I could still float in the Dead Sea. But do you know what else is true about the Dead Sea? There is no living creature in the Dead Sea. That's why they call it the Dead Sea, right? I love logic. That's why they call it the Dead Sea because there's no living creature in there.

Well, do you know why the Dead Sea has such high salt content? Because the Dead Sea has no outlet. It takes in all of the water as it comes down the hills when it rains, when they have the rainy season out there, and it only holds it all in. There is no outlet to take it out anywhere else in any other place around it. It's just a holder for water. And because of that, it becomes dead and stagnant,

and there's no life there. Do you know why sometimes you feel a little bit dead and stagnant in your walk? It's because you have no outlet for love. You want everybody else to do everything for you. I don't feel like anybody loves me. I don't feel like God loves me. I don't feel like anybody does anything for me. And you can't see what's going on right in front of you,

that what's happened to you actually is that you've become so stagnant. You've become so stagnant because you are only a consumer and not a giver. And if you want to see God really pour some life into you, start pouring into somebody else. Start giving out to the people that are around you. I'm here to tell you right now, I'm the only one that has said this this week,

I am more energized right now than I've been in a really long time. I'm more exhausted than I've been in a really long time, but I am more energized than I've been in a long time because of Wednesday night. Because I got to just pour Jesus' love into a whole bunch of people. And it's like I'm just over the moon. I'm beyond excited and energized about what's going on.

People, I have run faster when I've run the past three times that I've run than it's been in like two years. It's like, what did I do to shave the time off? I'm not eating any better. I'm not any skinnier. I'm not doing anything a normal runner should do. I thought about this yesterday when I got back from my run. I was like, it's like 45 seconds faster a mile than I've been doing in two years.

Why is that? And it's like God just said, because I'm doing it, man. Like, you're just energized. And it's because I've given out. And if you want that, if you want to run faster too. If you, listen, if you want some life in your life, then you got to start pouring the love of Jesus into other people. You can't just take it in for you. God pours it into you so that you can pour it out into other people.

That's what it looks like to excel more and more in love. And you should be diligent in the way that you handle that. Be diligent with the love that God pours into you to give it out to the people around you. Amen? So the second thing he says that if we want to be diligent, not only are we diligent in brotherly love, but we are also diligent in work. Notice what it says in verse 11.

And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands just as we commanded you so that you will behave properly towards outsiders and not be in any need. He says, make it your aim. Make it your ambition, make it your aim. In other words, aspire to, study to. That's what that word ambition or aim actually means.

In other words, this is something that you should dedicate yourself to. And what should we dedicate ourselves to? Number one, to live a quiet life. To live a quiet life. Does that mean you need to become all stoic and never talk? No, that's not what it means. Does it mean that you're always like achieving this sort of peace? No. It means you don't try to draw attention to yourself all the time.

It means you stop being the person that tries to draw attention to yourself all the time. Because that's what it means to lead a quiet life. Because people are not supposed to be looking at you. They're supposed to be looking at Jesus. And that's what your life is to point people to. And so first of all, make it your aim to lead a quiet life. And again, we live in a culture of pseudo-famous people, right?

Everybody wants to be famous. Everybody wants to be known. Everybody wants all the likes on their social media posts. And unfortunately, pastors have become no different than the world around them. But in a world where everybody says, make a name for yourself, Paul says, quit trying to make a name for yourself. Just lead a quiet life. The second thing he tells them to do is to attend to your own business.

Let me put that to you in an hour speak. To mind your own business, right? I have to choose my words really carefully now. I always do. And I rarely do it. I don't try to. Do you know how many problems would be solved in life if you just mind your business? Do you know how much less drama there'd be in your life? I always mind your own business. I always tell people, I don't have drama in my life until dramatic people come into my life

and they make other people's business my business. And I'm like, you know, if you just minded your own business, none of us would be dealing with this problem right now because it actually would have solved itself. Because then it would have never been over-dramatized and there wouldn't be these issues. Listen, you know what happens to me sometimes here at church?

This is just honesty from the Pastor 101. People come to me and they say, do you know what I heard? And sometimes I want to be like, I don't care what you heard, okay? If we're not solving a problem, keep it to yourself. If we're not going to pray about it next, keep it to yourself because what's about to happen is drama. And drama won't lead to any good thing.

He says, mind your own business. He said, Ryan, you told us we're supposed to be involved in each other's lives. There's a difference between being involved in someone's life and being a busybody. I read this somewhere. I want to read it to you. It says, hold on, I lost my place in my notes. Oh, there it is. Love cares about what's going on. A busybody just wants to know what's going on.

Love cares about what's going on. A busybody just wants to know what's going on. And you know what the problem too many times in the church is? Everybody just wants to know what's going on. Listen, I'm a firm believer in giving people prayer requests, but if you're not willing to keep that prayer request to yourself, maybe you shouldn't be the one asking for people's prayer requests

because I don't know how many times I've heard people go on and they say, I'd like to share this prayer request with you. And they then go on to tell me this whole person's dramatic life story. And I'm like, are we ready to pray? And they're like, oh, I hadn't thought about that. And it's like, well, then what was the prayer request for? I thought that's what we were doing here.

No, they just wanted to share the drama. He says, mind your own business. And then the third thing he says, work with your own hands. Work with your own hands. Listen, work is a godly thing. Work is a godly gift. Do you know what we're told in the book of Exodus? In the book of Exodus, when God handed out the directions for the building of the tabernacle, God talked about this guy named Bezalel.

Bezalel was given a spiritual gift of skill in order to be a craftsman. That means that his spiritual gift was work. His spiritual gift was the ability to work with his hands. And the problem in our culture today is nobody views work as a spiritual gift. Nobody views work as a gift, period. Do you know what our country was built on? Our country was built on something called the Puritan work ethic.

Do you know what the Puritan work ethic is? It's that work is a gift from God intended to glorify God. That's the Puritan work ethic. I don't think that exists in our culture anymore. I don't think we're working off the Puritan work ethic. I think we're working off the don't work ethic, right? That's kind of one of the issues we're having right now. He says, work with your own hands.

And listen, I have a job right now where I don't always work with my own hands, right? I guess I write things down and I type things sometimes. And so I go, okay, so am I working with my own hands? And the Lord just ministered to me and said, it doesn't mean that you have to do all of the work of the manual labor. It just means do your work and do it unto me.

And that's what we need to do, brothers and sisters. You should work hard as unto the Lord, so much so that the rest of the world around you takes note of it and says there's something different about that person because of how hard they work. Let me read this to you out of the Amplified Bible. It says, Exhibiting good character, personal integrity, and moral courage worthy of the respect of the outside world.

Let me read that to you again. I thought it was fantastic. Exhibiting good character, personal integrity, and moral courage worthy of the respect of the outside world. In other words, the world watches you work, and they respect you and praise God for it. Why? So that you will be in need of nothing. In other words, you won't have to be dependent on others. Especially the government.

Don't get me wrong. If there's something physically wrong with you, something that causes you to have to need some sort of help in order to become more self-sufficient, there's nothing wrong with that. I don't want to say that. But there are way too many people dependent upon the government who could absolutely be working, who could absolutely be doing what they are supposed to be doing.

But before we get too geeked up and say, yeah, all those people living on government dependence, I want you to ask yourself a question. If you really had an evaluation of how hard you work, if there was really an evaluation, and you had to reach a benchmark to keep your job, are you working with enough moral courage and personal integrity that there would be zero reason for them to let you go? Because that's what he tells us that we're to do. Why? Because that's what it looks like to walk with Jesus.

Because that's what a real relationship with Jesus produces in our lives. Brothers and sisters, we need practical instructions on walking with Jesus. And so number one, keep growing in your walk. Don't stop now. Keep going. Keep pursuing. Number two, be holy in your walk. Allow your walk with Jesus Christ to be separated from the sins around you. And number three,

be diligent in your walk. Amen? Let's all stand. Remember, no Wednesday night service this week. Go be in the community. Eat food that's really, really bad for you. And tell people about Jesus in a time when you're going to have that opportunity. Father, we come before you, and I thank you for the time that we've had in your word this morning. And I just ask that you would continue to strengthen us as we go out from here.

I ask that you would continue to do your work in our hearts and lives. Father, that only the things of you would remain and that your Holy Spirit would continue the good work that you've begun. Father, we thank you and we praise you for who you are. In Jesus name. Amen. Be blessed. Giving your only begotten son that whosoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life.

We thank you for that eternal life we have in you, Lord Jesus. And I pray that you would just now bless each one as we go out now, that we would be witnesses for you. Encourage us in our walk and witness for you, Lord. And give us strength to live out this walk, trusting in you day by day, knowing that in our weakness, you're made strong. In Jesus name. Amen.

All right. Have a great week, everybody.