2026 Summer Gospel Meeting: James Luedecke - Holding These Bible-Based Convictions in a Church-Like Manner

It's good that we can be together this morning.

I've been so thankful to be able to be here with

my family over the last week. This meeting has

been a tremendous blessing to us. I hope that

this meeting has been a blessing to you. You

know, a lot of the times the speaker gets a lot

of the attention during a meeting, and it's easy

for people to see the work that he's done to

prepare and deliver his messages, but... There's

a whole lot of people that work and put forth

a lot of effort to make a gospel meeting a success

and I just I'm thankful for everyone everyone

coming together working behind the scenes doing

all the things That have helped to make this

gospel meeting a success in my mind So thank

you so much for your collective effort this week

Thank you for being here this morning. If you

consider yourself a visitor, we're especially

happy that you're here We hope you find us worshiping

God in a manner that's acceptable and in line

with the teachings of the Bible. And we hope

that our message this morning is uplifting to

you and informative to you. We're going to continue

today as we finish this series of lessons about

restoring New Testament Christianity. Our focus

has been this week on going back to the Bible

to find our faith, to find our doctrine, and

to find our practice. We've talked a lot about

a lot of doctrinal things over the course of

this meeting and this morning we're going to

turn our focus onto how we should hold these

Bible -based convictions in a Christ -like manner.

You know, I think it's important that we do from

time to time go back to the Word of God and study

the doctrine that it gives us and study the practices

of the New Testament Church. I think it's important

we search the scriptures to make sure our faith

looks like just like that of New Testament Christians.

And we feed on the Word of God. We bring it into

our heart and mind so we can develop strong Bible

-based convictions that we can know the truth

and be willing to teach that truth with others.

But there's something that we need to be aware

of when it comes to having Bible -based doctrinal

convictions. How are we going to hold those convictions?

What kind of heart, mind, and attitude do we

need to have toward the things that we've studied

this week? You know, I think it goes without

saying we all want to be right before God and

it should be important for us all to stand in

a Manner that's pleasing and acceptable and right

before God and at the same time We also want

others to be right with God. Also, we want our

family We want our friends our neighbors our

schoolmates our co -workers. We want all the

people around us also to be right with God But

what do we do? What do we do when we find ourselves

in a position where we are convinced from the

scriptures that we are right, but we have someone

close to us that is wrong? What if they don't

know the truth? What if they don't understand

the scriptures? What if they've been taught and

they believed doctrinal error? What do we do

then? What should be our response? What should

be our reaction? There's a couple different things

that we could do when we find ourselves in this

situation on one hand We could have that this

attitude right here the attitude that says you

know what I really hate to do it But I'm gonna

have to straighten this person out I'm gonna

have to tell them how the cow ate the cabbage

I'm gonna have to show them and tell them how

wrong they are and I'm gonna make sure that they

understand it very clearly I really hate to do

it, but you know, I'm gonna have to straighten

all the people out around me who don't know the

truth. I've got the truth and these people don't,

but if I can have my way with them and get my

hands on them, I'll make sure that they come

to know the truth one way or another. Now, I

sure hope I didn't look like that guy right there

this week through the course of the meeting,

right? I don't think this is necessarily the

right attitude or the right heart we ought to

have toward people. When we feel like we're right

and people around us are wrong, this is not the

right way to respond. Now, I don't want you to

misunderstand me. It is important that we do

what we can to try to convert the sinner from

the error of his way. The Bible teaches us that

in James chapter 5 verse 19 to 20. It says, Brethren,

James 5:19–20

if any do err from the truth, if someone has

erred from the truth, It says, And one convert

him, let him know that he which converteth the

sinner from the error of his way shall save a

soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of

sins. So it is important that we care. We should

care enough about people around us if they're

wrong if they're an error We should care enough

about them to try to help them and to try to

convert them The Bible says when we do that when

we convert the airing brother It says we save

his soul and we hide a multitude of sins But

the way that we go about trying to help them

see their error and trying to convert them makes

all the difference doesn't it? If our approach

is 100 % truth and little to no grace, patience,

mercy, or love, I don't know that we're holding

our convictions in a Christ -like manner. If

this is what we look like, pointing the finger,

condemning everyone around us, you know, sometimes

it feels good. If we were to be honest, you know,

sometimes we might thrive on the opportunity.

to show someone how right we are and how wrong

they are, you know, to put them down and push

us up. And we got to fight and battle back against

that temptation, to feel that way, to act that

way, and to teach people with that kind of heart

and that kind of mindset. So what are we going

to do? If that's not the right response, if that's

not holding our convictions in a Christ -like

manner, what am I gonna do when I'm right and

the people around me are wrong? Well, you'll

notice there the sign on the screen. We tried

going left and it didn't work. Let's try going

right. There's another way to respond. And it's

the response that says, you know what? We just

really don't need to worry about who's right

and who's wrong. All we just need to do is just

love one another. Just love one another The idea

that says it did don't matter if you're right

or you're wrong, you know, you have your opinion.

I have my opinion I have my interpretation. You

have your interpretation. It really doesn't matter

We just need to get the focus off who's right

and wrong and we just need to love one another

Now this sounds really good. This sounds really

good You know a lot of people in the religious

world would tell us this is the way that we need

to be And it's really easy to take this approach.

All you got to do is just go to the internet

and find some image or meme that says we just

need to love one another and you can, you know,

upload that to social media and you can advance

this idea that we just don't need to focus on

who's right or wrong, just love one another.

As good as that sounds, I don't think that's

the right response. Don't believe that this is

the right response, you know, we see in first

1 Peter 4:8

Peter chapter 4 verse 8 That love is important

We should love one another fervently. We should

show brotherly love one to another First Peter

4 8 says above all above all things have fervent

charity That's love among yourselves for charity

shall cover the multitude of sins The Bible says

showing grace love and charity covers a multitude

of sins You know we also read there in James

5 19 to 20 that when we convert the airing brother

we hide a multitude of sins. You know we got

a verse that says we need to tell people the

truth and try to convert them and that hides

a multitude of sins and then we got another verse

that says we need to love one another and that

too is involved in helping hide and cover a multitude

of sins. But at the same time this idea that

it's all a hundred percent grace Just love one

another, have good feelings toward each other,

and just don't focus on what's right and what's

true and what the Bible teaches. A hundred percent

grace and no truth. This too is not the right

response. This is not how we should respond when

we feel like we're right and the people around

us are wrong. So what do we do we're back to

where we started right we tried going right that

didn't work We tried going left that didn't work.

What are we gonna do? Did you notice I changed

the sign I introduced a new sign on the screen

I Introduced a sign with three arrows There's

another approach there's another answer to this

situation let me tell you what we do need to

do we need to look to Jesus We need to look to

Jesus. I want you to stop for a moment. I want

you to think about Jesus. When Jesus came to

this world, He was the incarnate, the living

and only begotten Son of God. He was God in the

flesh. He had all power. He had all understanding.

He knew everything. He could do anything. If

there was anyone who could stand up and say that

they were right It would certainly have been

Jesus in fact Jesus was right Every hour of the

day Every day of the week every day of the year

Jesus was always right and you think about the

type of people that Jesus interacted with on

a daily basis It was easy for him to see how

wrong they were Jesus was surrounded by wrong

people Every day, all day long. I wonder how

Jesus felt being the rightest man in the room

on all occasions. In every occasion, no matter

who he found himself with, Jesus was always the

rightest man in the room. And he could always

find something wrong with the people around him.

And so how did Jesus respond to that? How did

he respond? Let's look at John chapter 1 verse

John 1:14

14. John 1 and 14 talks about Jesus being the

Word, the Word that was made flesh, the Word

that dwelt among us, John says. And John says

we beheld His glory, the glory of the Word, the

glory of Jesus coming in the flesh. It was the

glory as of the only begotten of the Father.

And when this Word was made flesh in the form

of Jesus, notice it says He was full of grace

and truth. The truth that I want you to take

away from John 1 -14 is that when Jesus came,

He was full. He was full of both grace and He

was full of truth. What's that look like? That

looks like this. A hundred percent grace and

a hundred percent truth. Now you know what? I

don't think I've ever managed at any moment in

my life To be like Jesus in this way I don't

know that I've ever found the right balance between

a hundred percent grace and a hundred percent

truth if I'm going to be honest with you You

know, there are times that I'm probably too much

truth to the expense of grace Or I'm too much

grace at the expense of truth Maybe times I'm

too hard and heavy -handed with people. They

got to know the truth I got to tell them the

truth, but in the process I sacrifice maybe mercy

patience and grace When I get to feeling bad

and you know next time I'll show more mercy grace

and patience than maybe I should maybe at the

at the expense of watering down or not sharing

the whole truth like I should and I'm always

striving to find the right balance in that and

I to be honest I don't know that I ever find

it but Jesus did Jesus didn't have any problem

with that wasn't hard for him because when he

came to this world he was a hundred percent grace

he was a hundred percent truth and we see that

illustrated very well in the story that brother

David read to us from John chapter 8 this morning

John 8 · chapter mention

John chapter 8 verse 3 to 11 remember they brought

John 8:3–11

that woman taken in adultery and they brought

him to Jesus and they said Jesus we caught this

woman in the act of adultery well what do you

think that we should do for her the law says

stoner and the law of Moses did say that the

Word of God said that the punishment for adultery

was public execution by stoning Word of God was

very clear about that. That was in God's law.

And so they bring this woman to Jesus and they

say Jesus What do you think we ought to do to

this woman now? They didn't really care about

this woman. They were using her as a pawn Right

in their scheme to try To trip Jesus up and turn

the people against him in their mind. They were

thinking this You know, we're gonna put this

woman before Jesus and say the you know, the

law says stoner What do you want to do Jesus?

If Jesus were to respond by saying, okay, that's

fine. Just go stoner What was their response

gonna be their response was gonna be why Jesus

that's awful unmerciful of you Can't you show

this woman a little grace? Can't you show her

a little love compassion and mercy? So they thought

they would have him, you know, if if he responded

well, just go ahead and stoner They they say

you don't have enough grace and mercy Lord But

you know if Jesus was to say You know, don't

worry about it. Don't stone her. Just show her

a little grace and mercy. You know what they

were going to say then. They were going to turn

around and say, well, Jesus, you don't believe

the Word of God. The law says we must stone her.

And you're not honoring, you're not being true

to the scriptures. You see, they thought they

were going to catch him either way he responded

to this situation. But Jesus was so much smarter

than they were, right? He's seen this coming

from a mile away. How did Jesus handle this?

Bible says he stooped down on the ground and

began writing in the ground. We don't know what

he he wrote We could only speculate and I'm not

interested in speculating about it It'd just

be my opinion if if I told you what I thought

he wrote But I do know this his audience the

people who were standing there watched him right

on the ground And he stood up and he said we

can stone this woman We can certainly do that.

He said but I want the the person who is without

sin to be the first one to cast a stone at her.

And then he stooped back on the ground and continued

to write. And what happened? The Bible says that

those who were gathered there to accuse and condemn

this woman one by one, they walked away until

it was only Jesus and this woman. And Jesus stood

up and looked around. He said, woman, where are

those people who brought you to me to condemn

you to death for this sin? They they're gone.

They're not here. They're gone Lord and Jesus

said neither do I condemn you neither do I condemn

you He said go and Sin no more now I want you

to consider what Jesus did here. I think Jesus

demonstrated the perfect balance of being full

of grace full of truth. He was full of grace

in the sense that he said neither do I condemn

thee. Now don't misunderstand what Jesus said.

Jesus wasn't saying that this woman's sin wasn't

serious, that it wasn't terrible, that it wasn't

wrong. Jesus says neither do I condemn thee.

What he's saying is that I'm not going to condemn

you and see that the punishment that you deserve

is carried out. That's what he was saying here.

I'm not going to condemn you to death I'm not

going to Execute the punishment that the law

prescribed for this woman who was caught up in

this great sin Jesus wasn't being weak on sin

here. He wasn't saying that sins not a problem

He wouldn't saying that we shouldn't condemn

sin. He condemned sin the Bible condemned sin.

We should condemn sin But he what he was saying

here is he was going to show mercy grace and

compassion and see that this woman had another

chance and that she wasn't put to death for the

great sin that she committed. In that way he

showed grace and he showed mercy. But he didn't

do it at the compromise of the truth because

you know the next thing he said? The very next

words out of his mouth he said, neither do I

condemn thee but he told her go and sin no more.

You need to go and you need to stop committing

this sin. He told her the truth that what she'd

done was a sin and she needed to quit. She needed

to stop. He didn't hold that truth back. He didn't

tell her, don't worry about it. You're okay.

Everything's fine. You didn't do anything wrong.

He made sure she knew she committed sin, but

he wanted her to go and sin no more. Isn't that

beautiful? So simple. In one sentence, Jesus

demonstrated the perfect balance of grace. And

you know, Jesus has left us an example, hasn't

he? I think Jesus would have us to do likewise,

to try to show that same level of grace and truth

as we deal with people and try to hold our Bible

-based convictions. Jesus is our example. First

1 Peter 2:21

Peter chapter 2 verse 21 says that Jesus left

us an example that we should walk in His footsteps.

We should hold our Bible -based convictions.

In this way, we should hold them in a Christ

-like manner and this morning I want to talk

about several different ways that we can hold

those convictions some thoughts some attitudes

that We need to hold on to we need to keep in

mind To make sure we have conviction. Yes, but

we're holding it in the right way. Here's the

first thing We've got to do we've got to love

the truth More than we love just being right.

It's a difference between loving the truth and

loving to be right Okay, we need to be truth

-seekers and we we need to love truth more than

we do just being right, you know The Bible says

we if we're not truth -seekers if we don't love

the truth we can fall under a strong delusion

That's what Paul told the Thessalonians 2nd Thessalonians

2 9 to 12 He talks about even him who's coming

is after the working of Satan with power signs

and lying wonders with all deceivableness of

unrighteousness and them that perish why he talks

about a group of people being deceived by the

lying wonders and signs of those who work with

Satan and they are deceived by Satan in his lies

because as it says they receive not the love

of the truth they receive not the love of the

truth that they might be saved for this cause

God shall send them a strong delusion that they

should believe a lie God allows us to believe

lies if we don't have a strong love and desire

for the truth That they all might be damned or

condemned who believe not the truth but had pleasure

in unrighteousness we need to Listen very carefully

to what the Bible is teaching us if if we don't

love the truth if we don't seek after the truth

if we aren't open to learning and Knowing the

truth God will allow us to come under a strong

delusion. He will allow us to believe religious

lies He'll let us believe whatever we want And

you know, a delusion is a very dangerous thing

to be under. And you know, the Bible calls this

not just a delusion, a strong delusion. A strong

delusion. You know what the problem with a delusion

is? Every single person in this world who's come

under that strong delusion, they think that they're

right. There have been times that I didn't understand

the truth, that I was wrong, but lo and behold,

guess what? All along I thought I was right.

I couldn't see that I was wrong. That's what

it means to be under a delusion. When you're

under a delusion, you're delusional. You think

you're right when you're actually wrong. Now

that's a dangerous place to be, isn't it? The

proverb is true, Proverbs 21, 2. Every way of

a man is right in his own eyes. We think we're

right. If we don't have a love for the truth,

we may never see that. We might be wrong in one

area or this area or that area We will never

come to find the truth and know the truth if

we don't love the truth And if we just think

every way of everything in our everything we

believe everything we know is right We could

come under this strong delusion and never come

to know the truth So to do this we have to be

open to the idea that we might be wrong. That's

not easy is it? It's not easy to be open to the

idea that you might be wrong. Now don't misunderstand

me. I'm not saying that we should be so wishy

-washy and not commit to understanding or knowing

anything that we just question everything and

we can't ever come to the truth on anything.

We can't have confidence in what the scripture

teaches. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm

saying is we should be open to the possibility

and the idea that in some things We might be

wrong We might be able to learn something From

the Bible when it's needed. We need to be willing

to say I was wrong If we need to change to get

right with God and a part of our faith a part

of our doctrine a part of our practice We need

to be willing to say I was wrong will never be

able to Honestly say we're right until we were

willing to say that we were wrong If you're wrong

about something if you study the scriptures and

you come to find out you're wrong about something

We need to love the truth more than we might

hate to say I was wrong No one likes to I don't

like to confess that I was wrong Nobody does

But if we are wrong, we need to love the truth

more than we hate admitting that we were wrong

all along Proverbs 23 23 tells us to buy the

truth and sell it not if we come to learn something

That's new that's different from what we've always

known always been taught when we find that truth

the Bible says by that truth By the truth sell

it not When you find the truth take hold on it

invest in it latch on to it hold on tight to

it Don't sell it. Don't give it up for anything

buy the truth and sell it not Pay the price to

know to understand and to obey the truth no matter

what it costs you Here's the second thing. We've

got to do if we want to properly hold our convictions

in a Christlike manner We got to be careful that

we don't let knowledge puff us up You know, knowledge

will do that to us if we're not careful. The

example is from 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verses

1 Corinthians 8:1–2

1 to 2. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8, 1, he says,

Now as touching things offered to idols, we know

that we have knowledge. Paul, what he's telling

the Corinthians here is that he understood, and

there were some of these Corinthians that understood,

that meat that was offered in an idol's temple

then later sold on the streets in meat markets

in 1st century Corinth. Paul knew that that meat

was just meat. It was not contaminated in any

way because it was offered in an idol's temple.

Paul had that knowledge. He understood he could

eat anything as it was sanctified by the Word

of God and by prayer. That's what he told Timothy

in 1st Timothy chapter 4. Paul understood that

he could eat meat offered in the idol's temple

because that meat was just meat. The idol was

nothing. The meat offered in the idol's temple

was just meat, and Paul had every right or privilege

to eat that meat. But he says, you know what?

Knowledge puffeth up. Paul says we need to be

careful. He tells these Corinthians, be careful

that that knowledge and that understanding doesn't

puff them up with pride. Knowledge puffeth up,

but charity edify. Charity is what builds up.

If any man think that he knoweth anything, He

knoweth not nothing yet as he ought to know We

got to be careful that our knowledge our understanding

of the scriptures and what they teach Doesn't

cause us to develop this attitude that Smith's

I'm smarter and I know more than you therefore.

I am better than you You know if we let knowledge

puff us up, that's the attitude that will develop

That we're better than everybody else because

we know so much more about the scriptures than

everybody else You know, we could know it all

we could know everything But the Bible says if

we don't have love in our heart, it don't matter

how much we know. It's all for nothing It's all

for nothing. 1 Corinthians 13 to Paul says though

I have the gift of prophecy and understand all

mysteries and all knowledge Paul said I could

understand it all and have all the knowledge

in the world about God and about the scriptures

and though I have all faith which comes from

the Word of God so that I could remove mountains

Paul says if I have not charity if I don't have

love he says I'm nothing you can know it all

and it don't matter one bit if you can't have

love in your heart Ephesians chapter 4 verse

Ephesians 4:15

15 it tells us we do need to speak the truth

truth is important important knowing the truth

is important But it tells us we need to speak

the truth in love so that we may grow up into

him That's Christ in all things which is the

head of the body of the church God causes to

speak the truth and love but do it from a humble

and sincere heart And I want to show you this

later in first Corinthians chapter 8. That's

1 Corinthians 8 · chapter mention

that chapter where he introduced the idea You

can eat meat that's offered to idols. It's not

sinful Paul says but you need to be careful about

doing that Tells the Corinthians you need to

be careful about doing that. You might have every

right to do it But what does he say in verse

13 he says wherefore if meat make my brother

to offend He says, I know I can eat meat that

was offered in the idol's temple. I can go buy

it in the meat market and eat it. I got no problem

with that. But he says, you know, if that's going

to offend my brother and cause him to stumble,

if he don't have the same knowledge and understanding

about that that I do, he says, here's what I'm

going to do. If that's going to cause my brother

to be offended, he said, I will eat no flesh

while the world standeth, lest I make my brother

to offend. He says, I won't eat another bite

of meat my whole life. If I thought that eating

that meat was going to offend or cause my brother

to stumble so you see godly knowledge always

acts with consideration and love toward others

It takes both the knowledge and the understanding

of how to hold that knowledge and love others

at the same time When we're holding our Bible

based convictions, we can't let knowledge puff

us up and make us proud Something else we've

got to do is make sure that we don't ignore the

weightier matters. We don't want to develop the

mindset of the person who said, you know what,

I just can't see the forest because there's too

many trees in the way. Right? We don't want to

miss the forest for the trees. In Matthew chapter

Matthew 23 · chapter mention

23, Jesus told the scribes and the Pharisees,

he said, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites. By the way, that's not something

you want to hear from the Lord. Okay? When the

Lord says to you, whoa, you're a hypocrite. That

is not what you want to hear from the Lord. That's

not good. But he told these scribes and Pharisees,

whoa unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,

why? For ye pay tithe, you give one tenth of

mint and anise and cumin. Those were some of

the tiniest spices among the Jews at that time.

He said, you give a tenth of these tiny spices,

You give a tenth back to God, but you have omitted

the weightier matters of the law. Judgment, mercy

and faith. He says, these ought ye to have done,

and not to leave the other undone. The idea here

is that we shouldn't get so focused on the minor

details that we lose sight of the big picture.

That's what Jesus is trying to help the Pharisees

to understand now don't misunderstand it giving

10 % of their spies Spices tithing of their spices

that was important to God. They needed to do

that. That wasn't wrong They needed to do that.

They needed to give a tenth of those things But

you know what the problem was they were so focused

on that That they overlooked the weightier matters

of the law. They overlooked judgment. They overlooked

mercy. They overlooked faith Both are important

The small things, the weightier matters, it's

all important. We don't need to get too focused

and fixated on one or the other and focus on

one to the exclusion of the other. So we shouldn't

lose sight of what matters most. Yes, these doctrinal

things matter. Yes, having Bible -based convictions,

having the right faith, having the right practice,

teaching the right doctrine, all of those things

matter. And we've tried to emphasize that over

the course of this meeting. But don't lose sight

of what matters most. What matters most? Loving

God and loving people. When you boil it down

to its most basic elements, loving God and loving

people is what it all boils down to. In Matthew

Matthew 22:35

chapter 22 verse 35, a lawyer comes to Jesus

and says, Master, which is the greatest commandment

in the law? Jesus tells him, love the Lord thy

God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with

all thy mind. That's the first and great commandment.

The second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy

neighbor as thyself. Jesus said, look, on these

two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,

everything else in the law. Believe the law had

613 commandments in it. All the law and then

all the prophets hang on these two commandments

to love God and Love our neighbor and Jesus recognized

that that was the motivation for obeying the

entirety of the law obeying the whole law boiled

down to the motivation of loving God and Loving

our fellow man. So we can't lose sight of what

matters most loving God loving our fellow man

Here's something else. We can't lose sight of

we can't lose sight of the gospel the death burial

the resurrection The gospel that saves us and

washes us clean and makes us right with God.

Yes, these doctrinal things matter. But this

is one of the things that matters most. The death,

burial, the resurrection of Jesus. We can't lose

sight or ignore the weight of your matters. Here's

something else that will help us hold our doctrinal

convictions in a Christ -like manner. You need

to keep a mirror handy and use it often. What

do I mean by that? We need to look in the mirror

and genuinely try to see our own faults and failures.

We're not careful. We get really good at pointing

out the faults and failures of everyone around

us But then when we look in the mirror guess

what it's hard for us to find fault and see our

own failures Do you ever you ever get that way?

You ever get that way it's really easy for me.

I can tell you all of my wife's faults and failures.

I'd be easy But then I might struggle to tell

you maybe even one of my faults You're be honest

you ever been that way We need to be careful

of that We need to keep a mirror handy and use

it often for ourselves Matthew 7 1 we need to

consider our self before we'll overly scrutinize

those around us Judge not that you be not judged

for with what judgment you judge you shall be

judged with what measure you meet It shall be

measured to you again why behold us thou the

mote That's the tiny speck that is in thy brother's

eye, but consider is not the beam That is in

nine oh nine how will thou say to thy brother?

Let me pull out the moat the speck out of thine

eye behold a beam is in thine own eye Thou hypocrite

when Jesus calls you a hypocrite it is not good

So we don't want to be guilty of this he says

thou hypocrite Cast out the beam out of thine

own eye and then shout thou see clearly to cast

out the moat out of thy brother's eye now Don't

misunderstand what Jesus said Jesus didn't say

we shouldn't try to remove the speck out of our

brother's eye That's not what he said If we see

a speck in our brother's eye, yes We should try

to remove it if we if someone we know and love

is in error and they don't understand the truth

We should try to help them and we should try

to help them see the error of their way Jesus

didn't say don't try to remove a speck in your

brother's eye. He said look before you do You

need to make sure you're also looking in the

mirror to check your own eyes first Need to be

willing to see our own faults and failures and

not just those of the people around us Matthew

7 and 12 we need to treat others the way we want

to be treated Therefore all things whatsoever

you would that men should do to you do do ye

so even Do ye even so to them for this is the

law and the prophets? When we are confused, when

we have a misunderstanding, when we don't know

what's right, how do you want people to approach

you and teach you the truth? Do you want them

to come heavy -handed, 100 % truth, no grace?

Come with a proud heart, humiliate you, talk

down to you, make fun of you. Is that how we

want people to correct us and bring us to a knowledge

of the truth? No. I've never appreciated anyone

who came to me with that attitude. I have appreciated

those who've come to me kindly, lovingly, and

patiently to try to help me see something that

I didn't understand. And if that's the way we

like to learn and be corrected, that's the way

we not need to try to help others learn when

we're trying to correct them. Second Timothy

2, 24 -25, servant of the Lord must not strive

or quarrel, but be gentle unto all men, apt to

teach, patient, in meekness instructing those

that oppose themselves. We need to correct the

airing with gentleness, patience, and meekness

in our heart. That needs to be our attitude.

Keep a mirror handy and use it often. And then

the last thing that'll help us to hold our convictions

in a Christlike manner is never forget what makes

you right. Never forget what makes you right.

I'm gonna ask you a question. Does knowing what's

right really make you right with God? Does knowing

everything Right and having a correct and perfect

knowledge of everything. Is that really what

makes you right with God Yes, and no I hate it

when people answer questions by saying yes and

no Kind of wishy -washy, isn't it? But let me

let me explain what I mean When I ask the question

does knowing what right is that really what makes

you right with God? Let me explain what I mean

when I say yes and no John 8 31 John 8 31 Jesus

said to those Jews which believed on him if you

continue in my word Then are you my disciples

indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth

shall make you free. Jesus is telling us plainly

here that we need to continue in the Word and

when we do that we shall know the truth and it's

important that we know the truth because Jesus

says here it's the truth that makes us free.

So on one hand yes, it is important that we know

what's right. We continue in the Word to understand

what's right, to know what's right, to learn

the truth. When we know the truth that's what

makes us free. But I want you to notice something

about this passage. Who's Jesus speaking to here?

Jesus is speaking to those which had already

believed on him He's speaking to those who were

already his disciples. He says you are truly

my disciples If you will continue in my word

know the truth and that truth will make you free

Jesus says this to those who had already believed

and were already his disciples So look after

we come to Christ after we become his disciple

there's a lot of learning to do and then we need

to give a diligent effort to grow in knowledge

and understanding we need to come to understand

and know what is right by the truth of God's

Word so we can be made free from error and False

teaching and false doctrine so that we can know

that we're in a path of truth So on one hand,

yes, it is important for us after we've come

to Christ to continue to study and grow in a

knowledge of the truth. But what about before

we come to Jesus? What about before we believe

on Him? What about before we become one of His

disciples? I want to tell you the truth that

we need. If we're not a disciple of Christ, if

we haven't believed in Him and come to Him for

salvation, the truth that we need is Jesus. That's

where we start. The truth that we need is Jesus.

Jesus said in John 14 -6, I am the way, the truth,

and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but

by me. There's no way to be right with God but

by Jesus. And that's where it all starts. Knowing

the truth that is Jesus is what makes us right

before God. And that's the truth. We all need

to understand. That's the truth we all need to

accept. That's the truth that we all need to

obey. We need to obey Christ. And when we know

this truth that is Jesus, when we come to love,

accept, and give our lives to the Lord Jesus

for the great sacrifice He made for us, when

we know the truth that is Jesus, then guess what?

You'll want to know. the rest of what he has

to say the rest of what he has to teach and You'll

want to follow and obey the rest of the truth

that he's delivered unto us in his word Jesus

said in John 14 15 if you love me keep my commandments

when you love the Lord We're happy and we're

glad to obey him and follow and learn and follow

in his commandments In John 15 14 Jesus said

you are my friends if you do whatsoever I command

you So knowing the truth and knowing what's right

is very important but that first truth that most

important truth is knowing Jesus and Once we

come to know him then we start a lifelong journey

of trying to know and understand everything he

taught and Doing our best to put it into practice

to honor and serve him I want you to understand

something this morning It's important that we're

right We want to be right in the sight of God

We want to teach and practice things that are

right and true. But at the same time, what I've

tried to help you see this morning is there is

a wrong way to be right. There is a wrong way

to be right, and we need to be careful. We need

to be careful that we hold our convictions, our

Bible -based convictions. You can take a strong

stand on what the Bible teaches. We've tried

to do that this week. But at the same time hold

those convictions in all the wrong ways with

the wrong heart the wrong mind the wrong attitude

It's a wrong way to be right We need to be careful

of that. I hope this lesson today will help us

all to make sure we don't go down that one -way

Street, right? We don't go the wrong way down

a one -way Street. Let's be right But let's hold

the have the right heart and the right attitude

at the same time Let me tell you something else.

Not only is there a wrong way to be right There's

a right way to be wrong Now I'm saying I'm not

saying it's right to be wrong. That's a contradiction

can never be right to be wrong What I'm saying

is that when we do find out that we are wrong

when we do find out we hadn't been taught the

truth When we do find out that we're in a in

a place at a place in our life where we're not

right with God There's a right way to respond

There's a right way to respond when we come to

learn that we're wrong and we aren't right with

our God. If you aren't right with God today,

don't you think it's time to make a change? Could

you think of a better time than today, than right

now? If you're not right with God, if you're

not living for God, if you haven't believed in

the gospel of Jesus, If you haven't put your

faith in Christ and His sacrifice, if you haven't

repented of your sins, if you hadn't confessed

faith, if you haven't obeyed the gospel and baptism,

if you're not right with God, don't you think

it's time for a change? Don't you think it's

time to look to Jesus and to come to Him? Because

after all, we saw from the Scriptures, He's the

way, He's the truth, He's the life. You know,

He will never lead us astray. When we come to

Jesus, we can trust that He will never lead us

astray. Here's how we come to Christ if we want

salvation. If you're here this morning and you

don't have salvation. You've got a wonderful

opportunity today. You've got an opportunity

to believe the gospel of Jesus. And here's the

gospel. It's a simple story. Jesus came, He died,

was buried and rose from the dead for you. He

suffered on a cross. He was tortured on a cross,

not because He committed sin, but because you

commit sin. The penalty for sin is death. Romans

6 .23 says the wages of sin is death. We deserve

the death penalty because of our sin. Jesus went

and paid the death penalty on the cross. He paid

the price for sin so that we wouldn't have to.

He took our place. He took our punishment. He

took that penalty upon Himself. And we got to

believe in that death, burial, and resurrection.

That's what Jesus said when He started His teaching

ministry in Mark 1 -15. He said, Repent and believe

the gospel. We've got to believe the gospel of

Jesus. We've got to believe the death, burial,

and resurrection. We've got to believe it so

much that we're willing to repent of our sins.

The fact that the sinless Son of God died on

the cross to save us and to set us free from

sin motivates us to turn away from sin in our

life, to change our heart, to change our mind,

to move away from sin and walk in a different

path. And that turning of heart and mind resulting

in a change of direction in our life, that's

what repentance is all about. And we've got to

repent. There's no doubt about it. Jesus said

in Luke 13 .3, I tell you, nay. He said, except

you repent, ye shall all likewise perish. If

we don't repent, Jesus tells us we are going

to perish. So we must believe the gospel so much

so that we repent and turn away from sin We need

to confess faith in Christ Romans 10 9 to sin

9 to 10 says if we believe in our heart and Confess

with our mouth the Lord Jesus will be saved It

says for with the heart man believes to righteousness

with the mouth confession is made to salvation

We got to confess faith in Christ And we've got

to be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins.

That's what Peter told the Jews in Acts 2 .38.

He told them to repent and be baptized, every

one of them, in the name of Jesus Christ, for

the forgiveness of their sins. And if you've

never put your trust, your faith, and rendered

obedience to this gospel today, if you've never

made God's plan your own plan and the solution

to your sin, if you've never believed, repented,

confessed, or been baptized, you need to do that

today. And if you'll do that, You may have come

here today in a wrong relationship with God,

but you will leave here today. Save from your

sin in a right relationship with the Lord. We're

going to sing a song of invitation if you're

here this morning and you want to respond to

that gospel. You want to make a change in your

life. You want to come forward. You want salvation.

You want forgiveness of sin. You want to be baptized

into Christ. We can help you with that today.

We take no greater joy and pleasure. Than helping

you get right with God today. That's why we're

here. We want to help people I'm gonna help people

get right with God if we're here and we can help

you do just that please don't hesitate now is

the time It's decision time. I Just beg and pray

you'll make a wise decision today choose Jesus

choose salvation choose eternal life