never mind hey all right good morning would y'all stand in with us a little stretching time before you set more i want to welcome you to calvary chapel this morning and we want to welcome those who are joining us online and would you join me in prayer father we thank you for this opportunity to worship and song to study your word this morning father as we come we want to just pour our hearts to you lord we thank you lord for your love your mercy your grace your sovereignty we just come to you lord we're going to just trust you and look to you every song we could ever sing is we could ever breathe we live for you just the name above only one who could ever say we live for you jesus you may be seated you

we love you lord we praise you we thank you lord jesus for who you are lord we thank you for the life that assurance that were yours and you give that to us lord as we look to you we trust you lord jesus but oh give us a heart for you and we know there are those things that want to get in the way we want a heart that's pure before you we want to trust you we want to look to ask that you'd help us when there's those times that we want to things to get in the way of worshiping you it's hosanna seeing us raising from the dead ascending to the father on his right hand making intercession for us we praise you we honor you would y'all stand the saints he suffered passing time has made me name is above all jesus every knee

will there was above on the earth in heaven under the earth and we just praise you we thank you for who you are we love you we thank you for loving us in spite of us lord weak vessels lord but in our weakness you're made strong amen father bless now our time in your word anoint pastor ryan by the power of your holy spirit to teach your word this morning in jesus name amen good morning if you could begin to find your seat grab your bulletin we'll get ready to go over some announcements welcome to calvary chapel i'm glad that you have joined us this morning some things to take note of in your bulletin as always everything on the left hand side of the screen and on the right hand side of the

left hand side but we do have a lot coming up in the next few weeks first of all just a reminder that there's intercessory prayer tonight as well as every sunday night until the uh until the election takes place um the make it and take it women's fellowship gathering is coming up on november 2nd all of the info is right there including the qr code that if you're interested you can you can click on that and you can get registered ladies for that just a reminder the agape fruits meal ministry is on the left hand side of the screen and on the right hand side of the screen um the is starting up in november and they need to wrap up the t-shirt order this week

i think by tuesday so uh just a reminder for that um also operation christmas child it is that time again you've got four weeks four weeks left i know it didn't sound like you say it was like it was ridiculous why are we announcing this so early it's because it goes fast um four weeks left until uh until you need to have your boxes in we have a small little fledgling pile of boxes right now and so hopefully we're going to see that grow um she said that tuesday no uh no this coming tuesday they will open up the registration for dallas so we're hoping to be able to uh to get uh the the spots for that so pray for janna that she can get on because i'm sure with the fact that they have delayed it it's going to make it even more hectic

with her getting on to get us registered for that and then a reminder that there is going to be a packing party november the third and there will be a more information coming along those lines but while we're at it there is a little video did we get the video rolling there is a little video to show for this my name is kreshnik 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 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 hot no room to play no room to move loud to the point where we couldn't sleep we can rest a couple years after we had this really cool group of people come in 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 share a little bit of how that story happened so i'm going to to that and I wanted to know more. I was curious. Then 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 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 what happened. An eight-year-old boy received a gift and changed his life forever.

Just a reminder about what we're doing with Operation Christmas Child. And then the last announcement is that the next two Wednesday night services are going to look just a little bit different. First of all, there will be no Christmas Child. There will be no Christmas Child. There will be no Christmas Child. This coming Wednesday, because it's Arkalala, so go enjoy some community festivities.

But then the Wednesday after that, Wednesday, October 30th, we are going to have a special viewing of a documentary. It's called the 1916 Project. And if you don't know what the 1916 Project is, in just one quick second, I'll have a little trailer to show you about that. But as you watch this trailer, I want you to think what he's talking about is so important.

I don't want want there to be an empty seat in here that Wednesday night because I think whatever he's talking about, this documentary is so important for us to pay attention to because it is the central issue. You may not realize this, but it is the central issue in the election. It is the one thing that one of the candidates stands for. And so you need to pay attention to this because it's really, really important. We're in the middle of a culture war and we want to be on the right

side of that culture war. So go ahead. 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 off. 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? My 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 Leviathan. Doc, how it's a fitting 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?

Okay. So again, Wednesday, October 30th is when we're showing that. So please come join us for that. It's a really important thing for us to do, and it's going to cause a lot of frustration from some people from a particular side of the political aisle. But we want to do it and we want to make a difference for what's right, because he's right. God is the author of life. And so if we don't stand

for life, then what are we even doing here, right? Okay. So 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 so we sound the same. If you need a copy of the New American Standard, it should be one around you.

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 it, 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. 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 do find our boast in you. You, the God of love, the author of life, and the giver of hope. And so, Father, we pray this morning that you would move in our hearts

by the power of your Holy Spirit in the way that only you can. And Father, I just want to pray for you. I just want to pray for you. I just want to pray for you. I just want to pray for you. I just want to pray for you. I just want to pray for you. And so, Lord, may you just bind the enemy from hassling right now. And may your word go out with power in the way that only you can bring it through the power of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.

You may be seated. And if you would, open up in your Bibles to the book of 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. Before I get into the Bible, I'm going to read a little bit of the book of 1 Thessalonians, the word, I want to give just a little bit of an update. A couple of wonderful young ladies came up

last week and shared with you about Fields of Faith that was going to be this last Wednesday. And I got to tell you, it was just, it was such a phenomenal experience. We'd been praying about it for a long time, putting a lot of prayer, a lot of thought, a lot of work into it. And I'm just, I have a confession to make. My faith was not big enough for what God was going to do. I genuinely

should have had a bunch of Bibles there. I should have had a bunch of response cards there. I expected there to be a good number of people. I expected the Holy Spirit to move, but I had no idea what we were about to encounter. Because there were about, just a little over 750 people that showed up, most of which were kids. I have cried more in this last, and that's saying

something, right? I have cried more in this past four days than I have in a really long time, and it's not just me. I have talked to some of the people who are not criers by nature, and we've all just been blubbering messes because of what we saw. It was just wild. I think 600 kids came out to get prayed for. He gave the invitation. It was Pastor Branson from

up in Winfield, and he gave the invitation, and one young girl comes up, and I pray with her, and I look up, and I'm just surrounded by kids. It wasn't just me. It was a whole bunch of us out there. I'm just surrounded by kids, and I said, do you want to receive the Lord? And this group of teenage boys is standing around me, and they say, yes, and I said, all of you? And they said,

yes, and I'm just in tears, and I'm trying to lead them in a prayer. One of them said, you got to repeat that last one. I couldn't understand it because I couldn't even hardly gather myself. I was just, and it didn't stop there. I just started being like, okay, you're next, and you're next, and you're next, and one kid after another that either wanted to receive the Lord or wanted

to rededicate their life to the Lord, or they live in a broken home, and they just needed prayer. They just wanted somebody to give them a hug and pray with them. I mean, it's just, and every time I think I was done, somebody would bring more of their friends to me. I'm like, okay, I think I'm about wrapped up, and then somebody brought three more kids to me that all wanted to receive Jesus, and it was just, it was just an overwhelming experience, and so I tell you that because what have I been saying? God is on the move here in this area, and I've been sensing it,

and I've been feeling it, and he's not done yet, and that's what I told him. I'm like, listen, this is only the beginning, okay, because that's just the first step. Now, we need to make disciples. Now, we need to see them really grow in that walk, and so be in prayer for all those kids because God moved, and he wants to continue to do so. It's not just here. This is

taking place. There's pockets of this going on all over the country right now, and so just keep praying because it was pretty cool, but the enemy wants to attack it, so you need to know that, but keep praying for this because God's moving right now, so it was just, and I end every conversation about it going, it was just overwhelming, so hey, that's the best I've made it through that conversation without crying than this in the past few days. So, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, we said the first three chapters of 1 Thessalonians were very personal in nature. Paul really talked about the work that had taken place in Thessalonica while he was there. In chapter 1, he talked about the work of the gospel and how the gospel had changed the

lives of those people, that they had turned from idols to serve the living and the true God, and then in chapter 2, Paul had to defend his ministry because there were detractors of him that were opposed to the things that he was doing, and so they tried to say bad things about him, and so he defended his ministry, and in so doing, taught us a lot of lessons of what it looks like to be a minister of the gospel, so we looked at the work of the minister, and then last week, we saw that there was a great deal of discouragement. Discouragement on Paul's part because he had to leave and didn't know the condition of the Thessalonian people. Discouragement potentially on the part of those living in Thessalonica because of the persecution and the suffering

that they were enduring and being, separated from Paul, but then we saw how God brought encouragement through Timothy and through the presence of Timothy and through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and so we saw that work of encouragement. Well, now, again, as we come to chapter 4, we transition to something very practical, so I've entitled this first part of chapter 4, Practical Instructions for Walking with Jesus, and so I like to read through these first 12 verses, and then we'll go back and talk about them. It says this, Finally, then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you received from us instruction as how you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually do walk, that you excel

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 be saved from the evil of the devil, and that you be saved from the evil of the devil, and that you be saved from the evil of the devil, and that you be saved from the evil of the devil. For 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 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.

For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity but in sanctification, so he who rejects this is the one who is going to be the firstborn of heaven, and he is going to be the firstborn of is not rejecting man, but the God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 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 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 work with your hands just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

And so in this he gives us three main practical instructions that we need 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. So the first thing he tells us is, that we should grow in our walk. And he starts off with that famous line that every preacher uses,

finally then, as he has two more chapters. No, it really is a transition statement that he makes, because he transitions from the very personal to the very practical in nature. He says, finally, we request and we exhort you. Now he uses two words there that are very interesting, because the first word has a very tender-hearted aspect to it. We request of you, but then he uses the word,

exhort you, or other translations say, we urge you. And it has a little bit more apostolic authority to it. In other words, this is something that in our hearts we desire that you should do, but also you need to understand that this is not just a request. This is something that's coming from God. We request and we exhort you, that as you received from us instruction as to how to walk and please God.

Paul had given this, he had given them many instructions. He had already given them a lot about what it looks like to walk with Jesus. And it's fascinating, in the short amount of time that Paul had with them, anywhere from three weeks to three months, he had given them instructions on so many different things. It speaks, first of all, to Paul's desire to give out the truth, but it speaks also to the Thessalonian believer's desire to take in the truth.

You see, it's a beautiful thing for somebody to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. All of the heavens rejoice, we're told, when that takes place. But remember, that's just the beginning. Now there's a process of learning and growing that goes into it. And he says, you have already received instructions as to how you should walk. He says, but now I want you to excel still more.

It's interesting the way that the Amplified Bible translates the idea of walking with Jesus. It says, to pursue a life of purpose and gratitude. To pursue a life of purpose and gratitude. Have you ever looked at your walk with Jesus Christ as a pursuit? Not only a pursuit, but a pursuit, first of all, of your purpose, but also a pursuit of showing your gratitude to the one that saved you?

One of the things I love telling people is that you were created not only on purpose, you're not an accident, but you were created with purpose. And the purpose that you were created for is to know your Savior. And in knowing your Savior, there will be other things that come into play. Because in your knowledge of your Savior, he will call you to community, to get to know each other.

In the knowledge of your Savior, he will call you to service. In the knowledge of your Savior, he will call you to prayer. He will call you to these depths of understanding that will have an outworking in every aspect of your life. And so he says, I want you to excel more in the way that you pursue your purpose. But we also are reminded that he wants us to excel as we pursue gratitude.

Because as we mentioned last week, our lives are made to be a response to what God has done for us. Our lives are intended to respond to the call of the gospel. And the way that we respond in gratitude is by wholehearted commitment to him. You have given me brand new life, and now I will dedicate that life to you out of my gratitude for who you are. Out of my gratitude for everything that you've done for me,

I will now give you all that I am. And that's what he tells us that we are to do. He says, excel in that. But I want you to notice that the word excel is used. Excel still more. Or grow more and more. Some of your translations may even say super abound in your walk. That tells us something. That tells us that our walk with Jesus Christ should never come to a place on this side of eternity where we say,

I think I figured it out. I think I've arrived. I think I've grown as much as I'm going to grow. Because there will always be a new step for you to hit. There will always be a new plateau for you to reach because we are to continue to grow in our walk with Jesus Christ. The day that you came to know him as your savior, you said, I want to get to know who this Jesus is.

Yes, you'd achieved an amazing thing in that you'd put your faith in him and now you're born again. And now you have this. This newfound desire to know God. This newfound desire to do the correct things, to do the right things, to show up to church, to bring your Bible, to take some notes. But that's not where it stops. You see, now you need to go a little bit deeper

and maybe you walk for a few years and you say, hey, I'm starting to understand what a devotional life looks like and what service looks like. Well, now it's time to go even deeper. Now it's time to go even deeper into your devotion, into your pursuit of God, into your pursuit of who God is. And everything that he wants for you and the knowledge of him. That's what we're to continue to pursue.

Yesterday in men's breakfast, Alan brought to us a little devotion out of the book of 2 Chronicles. And he brought to us the story of a king. A king who started off so well, who started off so good and found himself slowly but surely slipping away. Why? Because he had stopped his pursuit. He had decided perhaps he had achieved, he had reached a place where,

where things were good now. Where he was in a pretty comfortable spot in his walk with the Lord. Where he was in a pretty comfortable spot in his relationship with his Savior. And when he found himself in that place, pride swept him away. And listen, we need to understand something as believers in Jesus Christ. You are never done. You are always pursuing. I believe it was A.W. Tozer in his book,

Pursuit of God said, to have found God and still be searching for him is the soul's paradox of love. And that's what we're to do. We have found God, but now we continue to pursue him. Now we continue to pursue a deeper knowledge of him. Because that's what a growing walk looks like. And as believers, especially Western culture believers who have so many things at our fingertips,

we must never come to a place where we say, well, I think I've pretty well figured it out. I think I've pretty well figured it out. I think I've pretty well figured it out. In a culture that wants to give us 10 easy steps to a happy life and a happy home, we have to remember that there is really only one step, and that's the continual pursuit of our Savior.

So I have a question for you this morning. Have you become content? Have you become a little too content in your walk with Jesus? Because you know what a really good synonym for contentment in your walk with Jesus is? Apathy. Usually when we become content, we become apathetic. Because we've kind of got everything in front of us. We've kind of got everything working for us.

In a few weeks, we'll get back into our study in 2 Samuel, and we'll find that David makes the biggest mistake of his life. And do you know how that chapter starts of the mistake that David makes with Bathsheba? It starts out saying, in the time when the kings went out to war, David stayed home in the palace. You see, in the time when everybody else was gone, everybody else was going out to fight their battles, David was sitting in his recliner.

And it was sitting in his recliner that he saw Bathsheba, and the game was over. You see, he had stopped his pursuit. He had stopped his fight. And we as believers must continue to pursue. We must continue to fight. We must continue to grow in who God wants for us to be. And so the first instruction that Paul gives us is to grow in faith. To grow in our walk.

To grow in our walk. The second thing that he tells us that we need to do is that we need to be holy in our walk. To be holy in our walk. Notice what it says in verse 2. He says, As he starts this conversation about holiness, he says, I want to remind you of the commandments that we gave you. Now that's a little bit of a scary word in our world, isn't it? Usually what we do with rules

is we take rules and we say, oh, that's legalism. We can't have rules because that's legalism. Listen, not every rule is legalism, just like not all of grace is licensed, okay? There has to be a balance. But this word commandments is an interesting word because it has military roots. And it speaks of a commandment that is a particular military order coming down from a superior officer.

That's the idea of a commandment. And so something that we submit to, something that we put ourselves under the authority of. And Paul says, you remember the commandments that we gave to you by the authority of Jesus Christ. Back in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 15, the disciples came together to decide what are we going to do with all of these Gentile believers?

Paul had gone on his first missionary journey and now all of these brand new Gentile believers had just come into this very distinctly Jewish church. And so they were like, well, what do we do with them? Do we also make them keep the law? Do they need to be circumcised? Do they need to follow all of the Mosaic law? And so a really good amount of healthy debate took place

with all of those Jerusalem leaders. And they came up with what were the commandments, the instructions that they needed. And of course it was to keep themselves from idols, keep themselves from things that had been strangled and to keep themselves from sexual immorality. That was one of the commands that came down. One of the things. And he says, you know what we commanded you

because on Paul's second missionary journey, which is when he founded the church in Thessalonica, he would have told them what the decree of the Jerusalem council was. And so he says, you remember what we commanded you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. He says, for this is the will of God, your sanctification. Now before we get into what sanctification looks like, I want you to pay attention to something.

Everybody wants to know one thing in their life. What is God's will? What is God's will for my life? I just read to you what God's will is for your life. I just spoke directly from the scripture and told you exactly what God says. God's will for your life is your sanctification. What does it mean to be sanctified? The word sanctified means to be separated, to be set apart from sin to holiness,

to be set apart from sin to holiness. That means that God's will, your life and your walk with him is that you would continue to walk on a path that takes you away from the things of sin towards the things of holiness. Now we must understand that those two pursuits have to go together. You cannot just try not to sin without also pursuing God. You cannot just try not to sin

and not pursue holiness. You have to replace that pursuit because up until you came to Jesus, your life was filled with a pursuit of sin. Some of those sins were really crazy in nature, the ones that the whole rest of the world says, oh, this is really bad stuff and you knew that it was wrong. And some of them are sins that the rest of the world kind of condoned, but God still says are wrong.

Whether they're the socially acceptable sins or the non-socially acceptable sins, you were pursuing sin. And so now as believers in Jesus Christ, you turn from sin, to follow the living and true God. Therefore, his will, his desire for your life is that you would live a life that is sanctified, that is walking away from the things of sin and walking towards the things of holiness. And so you fill the vacuum that not pursuing sin has left by now pursuing God, by now pursuing that holiness.

This is not some aspect of legalism and now let's try super hard. No. It's a complete reversal of priorities. Because as believers in Jesus Christ, we, our worlds were turned upside down or perhaps right side up and now it's about pursuing what God has always intended for us. This is the will of God, your sanctification. But I want you to point out the main thing.

I want to point out to you the main thing that Paul says that means in the lives of the Thessalonian believers. He says that you abstain from sexual immorality. That you abstain from sexual immorality. Of all of the things that Paul could have brought up for sanctification, the biggest thing he feels like he needs to tell the people, that he needs to tell these Thessalonian believers to remind these Thessalonian believers of, I knew that was coming, I was just waiting for it, is to abstain from sexual immorality.

Why? Because sexual immorality was so much a part of the culture of Rome at that particular point in time. Sometimes we say, oh, things have gotten so much worse in our culture right now. Read any book about Rome. Read any book about the culture that they lived in and you will actually say, hmm, actually it's a little tamer than I thought it was right now. Because that culture was debased.

People say, oh, the Bible doesn't really apply today because it's so much worse. No, it's not. The Bible doesn't apply today because we have different issues today. Really? Because they had the exact same issues back then. Pedophilia was a major issue in the Roman Empire. Homosexuality was a major issue in the Roman Empire. Immorality of every sort was a major issue

in the Roman Empire. And so Paul tells them, hey, don't forget, God's will is your sanctification, to abstain from sexual immorality. The word used for immorality there is the Greek word pornea, and it is a very, very broad-reaching term. That's why Paul used it. Some of your translations may say fornication, because that's oftentimes how that word is translated,

but it speaks of any illicit sexual behavior. And he tells us that we are to abstain from that. It's about the most applicable thing I can imagine for our culture today. In a culture where love is love, and you should just do what makes you happy, and you should pursue your truth, we are reminded that what he tells us that we need to do is to, abstain to keep ourselves from sexual immorality.

And listen, we have to do it in every aspect of our lives, because it is rampant in front of us constantly right now. The one thing that we may have over the Romans is that we have phones that we can carry sexual immorality in our pocket all the time, to view any time that we want to. But quite frankly, they had entire bath houses all over the place there, where it was accessible at any time as well. And so really, we're no different.

Don't act like we live a more difficult life than they did. Because it's still just sin, and they still needed to abstain from it. But we need to abstain from it in every way possible. Because it's one thing to abstain from acts, but remember, we are told by Jesus that even when you think about it, even when you consider it, even when you entertain it, it's as if you've already done it.

And so that means that it can't just be a purity of action, it has to be a purity of mind. It can't just be an abstaining from, an action, it has to be abstaining from thoughts. Therefore, we are going to have to change the way that we think. Therefore, we are gonna have to change some of our habits. Because you can hardly watch a football game without all kinds of things being plastered in front of you.

But he tells us that you need to abstain from sexual immorality. What does that look like? That each of you, verse four, 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. Now, there are some ways in which some say that that means taking care of your spouse,

to take care of your wife, but I tend to lean towards the ones that say, it means taking care of yourself. That your job is to make sure that you take care of your own vessel, that you maintain your own vessel. Let me use another word there, that you would have self-control. Because in a world where self-control is almost seen, as old-fashioned and provincial, it is something that we absolutely need in our lives today.

This aspect of self-control is so important because we need to know how to possess our own vessels. How, and here's that word again, in sanctification and honor. To know how to possess our vessels in such a way as to set ourselves apart from the rest of the world. He says, to know how to possess your vessel in sanctification and honor. Notice what it says in verse five.

Not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. In other words, our lives should look different from the world around us. Our lives should look different from the world around us. And that's the biggest reason why it's called sanctification. Because it's being set apart from the rest of the world around us. He goes on to say, and that no man transgress

and defraud his brother. In this matter, because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. He says, because God knows how to take care of situations like this. God knows how to take care of those who take advantage of someone else in these ways. And it kind of goes along with that statement, be sure your sin will find you out.

And I always like to speak a word to young ladies that are listening to me. If you're listening to any of these conversations, and that's this, if a young man ever tells you that the only way he'll date you is if you do certain things, if he starts asking you questions about your boundaries, then you need to get out of there immediately. Because that means he doesn't have any. And if he doesn't have any, then he's not the guy that you need to be with.

As a matter of fact, if he doesn't have any boundaries and he's asking you about yours, why don't you send him to come talk to me? Because I'll let him know what his boundaries should be. Because as young men, they need to learn to be honest with themselves. They need to learn what it looks like to be leaders. And young men, you need to know your boundaries need to be

exactly what the Bible says, that you are to abstain from sexual immorality. And that doesn't just mean the act, it means even in your thoughts. Therefore, a holy life is everything that you should be pursuing in your life. A holy life is everything that you should be pursuing in your walk with Jesus Christ. And your boundaries need to line up with what God's word has to say.

This is just a set of scriptures for young people and unmarried people. I need to remind all of us that God, God's desire is for one man and one woman for life. That's his ultimate desire. That is his perfect plan for us. Therefore, in everything that we do, our eyes, our minds, everything should be set upon one man or one woman for the rest, and I'm gonna tell you that God's desire

is for one man or one woman for the rest of our lives. Now, before we get into everything else Paul has to say, I do feel compelled to say one thing. If you have stumbled in this area of sin, if you have failed in this area of sin, I want you to know that your forgiveness is one step away. It is simply you coming to Jesus and saying, I have absolutely failed in these areas.

I have failed in the area of lust, I have failed in the area of immorality, I have failed in the area of sin. The main thing is, I just have failed in all there is going to be no forgiveness in this area. And the same blood of Jesus Christ that covers all sins can also cover that sin. I do not want you to live in condemnation. But I also do not want you to live in sin.

What he goes on to tell us why it's so important that we live in this sanctification, why it's so important that we live in this holy life. And he gives us three reasons. impurity but in sanctification. Because God has not called us in impurity but in sanctification. We need to understand what God has called us to. And again, this is missing in the church today.

This is missing in a lot of churches today. Because we think, oh, well, we'll just get people to come to church. And as long as they can be pretty good people that love the people around them, you know, their personal life is their personal life. No, God invades every part of our life. God invades every part of who we are. And God did not call us to impurity. This is why all

of the people that are like, oh, but Jesus ate with the sinners. Yes, but he didn't leave them that way. Oh, but you don't understand. Jesus was tolerant of sinners. Yes, but he was not tolerant of sin. And he always dealt with them on that. Everybody that came across the path of Jesus, when they left, he would say, now go and sin no more. Because he did not call them for the purpose

of impurity. He called them for the purpose of sin. He called them for the purpose of impurity. He called them for the purpose of sanctification. He called them for the purpose, and I love the way the Amplified Bible translated this one as well. He called them for the purpose of being dedicated and separated in behavior that pleases him. To be dedicated and separated in behavior

that pleases him. Why does this matter? Why does it matter so much? Because God didn't call us to impurity. He called us to be set apart. Why? Because sin brought death. And if sin brought death in the garden, don't we think that sin continues to bring death now? I don't think that's changed. I don't think God's policy on that's changed at all. And he tells us God did

not call you to impurity. Instead, he called you to sanctification. Number two, because it is a direct command from God, not from man. And it says it right there in verse eight. So he who rejects this is not rejecting man, but God. I think that, again, that's a pretty important thing to point out in the culture right now, especially the culture of church right now. Because in the

culture of church right now, there seem to be a lot of discussions about, well, now, did God really mean? Did God really say? You know who that reminds me of? It reminds me of Satan, right? Because remember the first thing that Satan said to Eve? Did God really say? Did God really mean? So when people start saying that, you need to go, get behind me, Satan. Be careful calling people

Satan, okay? They tend to get offended by that. But you should be thinking that in your brain. Did God really say that? Do you think God really means all of this purity stuff? Well, it seems to be talked about a lot in the Bible. So it seems like maybe he meant it. It is a command from God, not from man. Now, that means we should make sure that we really understand what God says.

But it is a command from God and not from man. And that's why it's really important for us to pay attention to. But then number three is because God has given us the Holy Spirit. He says right there, so he who rejects this is not rejecting man. He says, God has given us the Holy Spirit. But the God who gives his Holy Spirit to you, why does that matter? What does it matter that he's

given us the Holy Spirit? Well, where does the Holy Spirit dwell right now? Well, he dwells in you, right? We're told, matter of fact, go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Back to your left.

If you hit Acts like I did, you've gone too far. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And I hadn't put verse 19 up there, but I want to start in verse 17. Excuse me. Verse 18 of chapter 6, where Paul says, flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, 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? Verse 20, for you have been bought with a price. Therefore, you are not your own. And you are not your own. And you are not your own. And therefore, glorify God in your body. You see, the Holy Spirit has made his home in you. Therefore, your vessel, where the Holy Spirit is dwelling, should be maintained in sanctification and honor

because it is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Your body is not your own. You have been bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body. This was important for the Roman and Greek culture to hear at that point in time because they thought, well, as long as the Spirit's holy, it doesn't matter what the body does. Kind of sound familiar? But Paul tells us, under the authority of God, that our bodies are that temple of the Holy Spirit.

And we are to honor God in every aspect of our body. And so he tells us, first of all, that if you go back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, he tells us, first of all, that you should be growing in your walk. That your walk should be an ever-growing, ever-increasing, ever-drawing, closer to the Lord sort of walk. But number two, he tells us that we should be holy in our walk.

That there should be a sanctification, a being set apart unto God aspect of our walk. But then number three, he tells us that we need to be diligent in our walk. To be diligent in our walk. Notice what it says in verse 9. 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. He's going to tell us there's two things that we need to be diligent about in our walk. And the first thing he tells us that we need to be diligent about in our walk is that we need to be diligent in brotherly love. Now, I want you to think about something. Do these sound really similar to what we talked about in the work of the minister?

Do any of these sound similar? Because these are all kind of some of the same points that we talked about in the work of the minister. It's almost like as the work of the minister, Paul was himself being an example of the things that he was going to teach to the people. And before we get into this point, I wanted to point that out to us, is that I can't tell people to do something if I am not living that example myself. And you can't tell people to do something if you're not living that

example yourself. Because other words, I can't tell people to do something if I'm not living that example myself. I can't tell people to do something if I'm not living that example myself. And you can't tell people to do something if you're not living that example yourself. because otherwise that makes you a hypocrite. But these are all things that Paul had said

was the work of the minister. And now he's reminding them, you saw it in me. You heard it taught from me. And now I am reminding you of the instructions that we gave you. But he says, now as to brotherly love, because that's the first thing that we're to be diligent in, as to brotherly love, you are already doing this. Now, remember there's three main words

used in scripture for love. There's eros, that physical attraction sort of love. There's agape, which is the perfect divine sacrificial love. But then there's the word Philadelphia or phileo, where we get our word Philadelphia from. And it speaks of a brotherly love. That's the word that's used here. He says, now as to brotherly love. In other words, the kindness that you show

to the people around you, the kindness you show to your friends, that friendship sort of love, we don't even need to write to you because you are already doing it. Why? Because you, have been taught by God. And we are reminded in this, once again, that you and I were created to be responders. They had been taught by God the great love that he has for them. And as they had been taught by God

the great love that he has for them, they responded to that by showing that kind of brotherly love to the people that were around them. That church was known for the love that they had for each other. As a matter of fact, Paul thanked God for that in the very first chapter. Not only were they known for the love that they had for each other, but they were even known for the love that they had for the other brethren in Macedonia.

Because it says, for indeed, verse 10, you practice it toward all the brethren who are in all of Macedonia. In other words, it was something that was well known about those Thessalonian people, about the most loving group of people you've ever been around in your life. They will give you the shirt off of their back. They're always there with a kind word. They're always there with an arm around you

to pray for you. They always care about you. They always care about the people that are around them. Can I just tell you what a beautiful reputation to have? What a beautiful reputation for a church to have. Because when a church has a reputation for loving the people that are around them, they are acting more like Jesus than anyone could ever imagine. Because do you remember what Jesus told his disciples?

He said, they will know that you are my disciples by the love that you have for one another. And Paul says, this is amazing, but I need you to know something about this love. Don't. Don't. Don't. Don't. Don't. Don't. Don't. Don't let it stop. Notice what he says. He says, brethren, excel still more. We urge you to excel still more. Again, in the Greek, it means to super abound

in your love for each other. To not only let it be something that you say, hey, we're doing pretty good. We're a pretty loving church. I think we can kind of lay back on the love thing right now because I think everybody's pretty well figured that out about us. Let's maybe work on some other things, right? No, he says, he says, just keep going. Keep making it known.

Continue to grow in your love for each other. Well, how do you grow in love for each other? How do you excel in that? How do you super abound in that? Well, the same way that you started in that. Number one, you have to receive it from the Lord yourself. We can only shed abroad what God has first poured into our hearts. And so you need to have the love of God poured into your heart.

But listen, you can't just allow the love of God to pour into your heart. It has to flow to the people around you. Otherwise, you will become stagnant in that because you were not created to be a container. You were created to be a vessel. You were created just to hold the love of God. You were created to pour it into the people that are around you. Many of you know the story of the Dead Sea in Israel.

The Dead Sea has the highest salt content of any body of water in the entire world. I've never been there, but I've seen lots of videos of people floating in the Dead Sea because if you drown in the Dead Sea, you've tried because, because the, the water is so, so buoyant, you just float in it. Not only that, nothing can live in the Dead Sea. That's why it's called, wait for it, the Dead Sea, right?

I love logical names. That's why it's called the Dead Sea. But do you know why the content is, the salt content is so high and there's no life in it? Because it has no outlet. It collects water. It has no way of distributing, distributing it to anywhere else. So the salt content continues to build and the death continues to exist. That's what we can become as believers in Jesus Christ.

Sometimes that happens to us. Oh, we take in all the things of God, but pretty soon as we take in the things of God and we never give them out, we can almost become a little bit bitter. We can almost become a little bit angry and wonder why more people aren't reaching out to us. And why aren't more people nice to me? And why aren't more people doing this for me?

And why aren't more people doing that for me? Well, it's probably because you just became like the Dead Sea. You're taking in from God. You're taking in from others, but you're not giving out to anyone else. Therefore, death is living in you. I got to tell you, I have been geeked beyond anything I can imagine this last week. My times when I go run are faster than they were in like the last year and a half.

And I'm like, I've not gotten any skinnier. I'm not eating any better. What happened? Well, God flowed through me the other night, just like God flowed through a whole bunch of other people. And we've all said the same thing. We have more energy than we could have ever imagined. Why? And because we cleared a whole bunch of love Jesus out to a whole bunch of people around us.

And now we are more energized than we've ever been before. And we're ready to take in a little bit more from Jesus. It's amazing how it happens. You say my life feels stagnant. I feel like my walk with God's a little bit more stagnant. Well, maybe it's time for you to start giving out. Maybe it's time for you to excel in brotherly love. And that doesn't just mean a really good feeling.

It means a really good action to start to put it into action with the people that are around you. Listen, even the unlovable people. Now, I know there's none of those in this church. I know I'm not one of those. I don't think any of you are one of those, but I have heard that some people are hard to love. Even with those, you pour out the love of Jesus, even if they don't deserve it.

He says, excel, be diligent in the way that you handle brotherly love. But the second thing that he tells us that we need to be diligent in is our work. I want you to notice what it says. And make it your aim or make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and to attend to your own business and work with your hands just as we commanded you so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

He uses a handful of great, great words there. Make it your ambition. The word ambition means your aim or your aspiration or to study to do now that tells us that what he's about to tell us is something that we're going to have to learn about something that we are going to have to make an ambition in our lives, something that we are going to be diligent in. And he tells us that we need to be diligent in a handful of things.

We need to be diligent to lead a quiet life to lead. Now, that doesn't mean you'll just sit there and don't talk, right? Like, I know lots of people who are like, I, I lead a quiet life and that's not what he's talking about here. The idea of leading a quiet life is a life that does not seek to draw attention to oneself or to try to seek fame. Now, that's a pretty important thing to point out in the culture that we live in today,

a culture that is always looking for quick fame and and a little bit of attention. And too many of us are, you know, we just want all the attention. We want everybody to pay attention to us when everybody to pay attention to me. And Paul says, you need to make it your ambition. You need to make it. Your aim in life study to do this to be someone who leads a quiet life who's completely content just to fade into the background and not draw attention to themselves to be those kind of people.

But the second thing he tells us that we need to do is that we need to attend to your own business. Attend to your own business. You know how we would put that in today's speak mind your business. That's literally what he says. You're like, Ryan, you told us to invade each other's lives. Yes, because you care. There's a difference, see there, the difference between being a busybody and someone who cares.

I wrote down something that I read, and I thought it was really good. Okay. Where's my notes? Here we are? They behave properly. No, not that one yet. Don't be a busybody. Love cares about what's going on. Being a busybody Just wants to know what's going on. Love cares about what's going on. Being a busybody Just wants to know what's going on. Love cares about what's going on.

just wants to know what's going on. Being a busybody Just wants to know what's going on. what's going on. And there are too many people in the world today that just want to know what's going on. And there's too many people in the church today that just want to know what's going on. You don't care. You're not trying to care about what's going on. You just want to be able to be

the one that gives the news. You just want to be able to be the one that has all of the gossip. Ryan, I'm a Christian. I don't gossip. I give prayer requests. Well, at some point in time, they become gossip, right? Because you know what I find with all of the people that say, I want to give you something for prayer, is they never pray about it. They just want to tell you,

oh, should we take time to pray about this now? Oh, I mean, yeah, I guess we could do that. Like, well, why were you telling me that we should pray about this if you weren't thinking about praying about it, right? Don't be a busybody. Don't be somebody who wants to be in everybody else's business. There's too much of that. If you care, invest. But if you just want to know what's

going on, you don't have to be a busybody. You don't have to be a busybody. You don't have to be mind your business. And that will save a whole lot of problems in the world today. And listen, it will save a whole lot of problems in the church today. Real talk from Pastor Ryan. Sometimes the biggest issues we deal with in the church is that somebody comes to me and says, do you know what I

heard? And I don't want to know what you heard, right? Unless you're about to start praying about it, unless we're going to go solve a problem, I don't care what you heard. Because usually when it starts off, do you know what I heard? There's drama that goes along with it. And that drama can't get solved, right? He says, make it your aim to lead a quiet life, to mind your own

business, and to work with your hands, to work with your hands. Work is a godly pursuit. Work is a godly pursuit. And I think it's something that we need to be reminded of as believers, is that work is something that's holy. Work is not a result of the fall. Work not being fun is a result of the fall. But work is not a result of the fall. Adam and Eve had jobs in the garden. In the millennial kingdom and in the new heavens and the new earth, we will

have jobs. They just won't be a bummer like they are today, right? I won't get sweat in my eyes because my bald head can't keep the sweat out of my eyes any longer, right? Like that won't be what it's like. But work is of God. As a matter of fact, our society was built on, what's called the Puritan work ethic, that work is divine. And it's given to us as a gift from God

for us to glorify him. That's something our culture was built on. And listen, something that's being eroded in the culture right now, because work is not seen as a gift from God any longer. And there's something about working with your own hands. Now listen, I work a job now where I rarely work with my own hands unless I'm writing something or typing something. Hey, I do work

with my hands. Anyway, I don't work with my hands like I used to. Every now and then I'll put on the makeup I used to. And I'll put on my makeup. But you wouldn't play with something like that if it was no longer enough. And if you would choose to stay at the house, if you would choose to stay in a room or mow or something like that. But the idea is not just that you do manual labor,

it's that you would do your work and that you would do your work as under the Lord. Why is it so important to do that? Notice what he says, verse 12. So that you will behave properly towards outsiders and not be in any need. That you will behave properly towards outsiders. Again, I borrow that otherwise, he says in Romans 11. And Matt wrote this chapter in Romans 11. As He said when he told the

personal integrity, and moral courage that is worthy of the respect of the outside world. Let me read that to you one more time. Exhibiting good character, personal integrity, and moral courage that is worthy of the respect of the outside world. In other words, the world will see the way you work, and they will praise God for it, because they will say there's something different about him. There's something different about her, and that you won't need anything.

As some of your translations may say, so that you won't be dependent on anyone. So many things I want to say right now that I won't, but that you will not be someone who is only a dependent and not independent in the Lord. Amen? And so brothers and sisters, if we are to walk as Jesus wants us to walk, he's given us some practicality. He's given us some practicality.

Practical instructions. Number one, grow. Don't be content where you are right now. Continue to pursue to a deeper level that walk with Jesus Christ. Number two, be holy in your walk, and may holiness be that which envelops every aspect of who you are. And number three, be diligent. Diligent in the way that we love each other, and diligent in the way that we work

in the world that's around us. Amen? Let's all stand, and if you'd bow with me. Father, we come before you, Lord, and I thank you that you have given us Lord, another opportunity to gather as your body. Lord, another opportunity to be here as the body of Christ, growing together, learning together, and Lord, becoming the men and women of God that you created for us to be. And so Lord, I pray that you would use your word powerfully in our lives,

that we would continue to draw close to you, and that you would continue to do the work that only your Holy Spirit can do in us. In Jesus' name, amen. Be blessed. Give your heart to him. If you don't know him, forgive your sins to make you the person he wants you to be. Just let him in. Cling to him and trust in him. And that's a walk by faith. Lord, bless now in Jesus' name. Amen? All right. Have a great day.