God Doesn’t Need Photoshop (Titus 2:9-10)

Hey, good morning. I'm.

Cole, if we haven't met, welcome to Frontier.

I'm psyched you're here. We got a big morning.

Right, you already know that we got.

A big morning we've got. We got baby.

Dedications this morning we're. Going to get around too yes

we've. We've got the breadies, we've

got the Moors, we've got the. Mcfarlane's They're going to

dedicate their children my. Expectation is that we.

Are going to support them this morning.

Sound good? So we got baby.

Dedications we got. Communion we and we've got

preaching. So I can do that for you.

Right now if. You've got a Bible.

Go ahead and get that open to the Book of Titus.

We're going to be in Chapter 2. We're going.

To be in verses 9 through 10. If you don't know where.

Titus is. That's totally cool.

There should be an index on the inside.

Of your Bible. If you still can't.

Find it totally cool. We'll have all the relevant.

Words on the screen. For you this is.

Week. 10. Of the Book of Titus.

In our 18. Week sermon series on this

little. Letter.

Here's a question for you to start.

Marinating on right away. Right out of the gate, what

exactly? From a Christian perspective?

What exactly? Is the relationship.

Between grace and good works. What's the relationship between

gospel? And good behavior.

What's the relationship between grace and obedience and the

Christian perspective to this? Answer has always been.

We are saved by grace. Alone and Christ alone apart.

From works of the law, and that has always stirred up.

Some questions among Christians. The chief question is OK.

So our good works don't. Save us our our good works don't

impress. God, our good works don't.

Earn salvation. Our good works don't twist

God's. Arm into loving him and if our

good works don't earn anything, if they don't merit anything.

If they don't. Convince God to love us.

Then what the heck is the point of them?

And there's an answer to that question.

If you're able, let's go ahead and stand for the reading of.

God's Word. What's Paul doing in in chapter

2? What Paul's doing is he's.

He's writing this. Letter for Titus, and Titus is

going to read it in front of these churches that have been

gathering in the island of Crete.

And right now pulls in a part of his letters where he's just kind

of shotgun blasting various instructions.

To different. Groups in the church, he.

Said hey, he said, hey, older men do this, older women do

this, children be like this. Men do this, women do this, and

the last instruction he has is probably, believe it or not, the

most hotly contested and debated instruction.

Because what? Paul wants Titus to do is given

give specific instructions to the bond servants in the church

and so he says this in verse 9 bond servants are to be

submissive to their own masters in everything they.

Are to be well. Pleasing, not argumentative, not

pilfering, but showing all good faith so that in everything.

They may let me hear you loud and clear.

Adorn. Let's do that again.

Adorn so that in everything they may adorn the.

Doctrine of God our Savior. Heavenly Father, I pray.

That you would open up your word.

For us this morning. I pray that we would see the

the. Function and the.

Purpose of good works. In the Christian life.

If we get this wrong, we poison and.

Screw up. Our entire relationship with

you. If we think that good.

If we think that good works. Are a matter of impressing you

and tricking you into loving us. We will be exhausted, we'll go

crazy, and we will grow bitter. Towards you, but if we.

See our good works as a way to adorn your.

Gospel to the watching world. Then everything changes, Lord,

and so would you just rock us this morning?

For those who know Jesus, would you just send smoke and.

Fire in this building. Again, to reveal him more

mightily for those on the fence about.

Jesus, would you just put? Forth the beauty of your.

Son in a way that compels them to take.

The step this morning if we got people.

In this church who don't know Jesus, my.

Prayer is that the crucified Christ would be put on.

Full display so that we have people just.

Throwing themselves. At the feet of Jesus, by grace

through faith alone. So do something awesome.

Here this morning. It's in the precious name of

Jesus. That all God's people prayed.

Amen. You can have a.

Seat. Let's start.

Let's start at the. Beginning of the verse.

We're talking about what's the exact relationship.

Between works and gospel, and we'll answer that question, but

we'll take the long way, so. Let's do the back roads.

Right. At the very beginning, Paul.

Says a word, he says the word bond.

Servant. OK, so here's the word bond.

Servant. There are actually some

translations I think Bond. Servant is is the best.

Translation for this word so. Yay to the.

ESV for doing that. There are other.

Also literal translations that will translate that word to.

Slave, which is. Fine, that's actually a good

enough and true enough. Word there is.

It does. Correspond one to one with the

Greek. Word for slave.

Here's the problem with using that word though.

If you use that word. What modern people?

Will do is they will. See it and interpret it wrongly,

primarily if they're seeing it through the lens.

Of racial slavery. And that is not I.

Cannot I? Cannot say this strong enough.

The bond servanthood that happened in ancient Rome was not

the same thing as. Racial slavery it had.

Massive distinctions. It was still a tragic reality.

I'm not. Justifying Bond.

Servanthood in 1st century Rome. But it was a big.

Difference, and this is important for you.

You know why this is? Important for you because.

A lot of your non. Christian friends, if they're.

Looking for a gotcha. A lot of times what are non

Christian friends will do is they'll say look, look.

Right here. It says right here that slaves

are to. Obey their masters.

And so obviously. The Bible justifies slaves.

And then they'll spin. It on you sometimes and they'll

say how Can you believe in a God who justifies?

Slavery. I have an answer to that

question. It's really easy.

I don't. I don't believe in a God who

justifies racial slavery. Bond servant hood was tragic.

But it was massively different. I'll give you 2 distinctions,

OK? Here's here's the first

distinction. The first distinction is that

bond servant hood was economic. It was not.

Racial. The way that the system of bond

servant hood emerged in ancient Rome was really, really simple.

It wasn't based on racial inequality.

It was based on the economy. You got to realize that Ancient

Rome when a when a person went bankrupt, Ancient Rome did not

have stipends and checks and. Governmental support for those

people. And So what were their?

Options. Their options was a.

Starve to death on the street or B willingly.

Sell yourself into bond servant. Hood where you could.

Earn your way out of that bankruptcy by working for a

master. It was economic, it was not

racial. Massive distinction.

Here's the other. Piece The second thing that

makes it a lot different from racial slavery is not just that

it was economic and not racial. It was.

Also temporary and not permanent.

What a bond servant could. Do.

Is. She.

Could he could earn his? Way out of bond servant hood as

soon as he made enough money. To pay off his debt.

And then he or she. Would go free.

Do you see how that's massively different?

But it it still needs to be said.

That it is a tragic reality I we shouldn't overlook.

The fact you can study. This around the time that Jesus

was alive Bond servanthood bond servants they still.

Didn't have any. Legal rights in the.

Eyes of the Roman Government. That's disgusting.

Right the the. The owners, the masters, they

had the power of life. And death over their bond.

Servant and so if they wanted to kill their bond, servant.

They could do that. Right.

And so it was. It was still a disgusting

reality. Which makes a Christian ask, OK.

Then why does God support it? The easy answer to that question

is he does not support it. But look at the text.

Bond servants are to be submissive to their own masters

in everything if. If God doesn't like.

Bond servanthood in 1st century. Rome Why does he just.

Not overthrow it in his word. Well imagine you have a non

Christian master and you're a bondservant if Paul comes to

you. And he says, hey, you're free in

Jesus Christ, and you are. But if you say you're.

Free in Jesus Christ, so screw your master, you can run away.

What's going to happen to you if you do that?

You're going to get beat up or killed by your master.

That would actually be. Unkind by Paul.

So what's Paul's strategy? He says.

Adorn the doctrine of. God our Savior in other.

Words. Win them over to Jesus, because

you know what happens if your master gets won over to.

Jesus, then your bond servanthood gets.

Overthrown by him or her because what ends up happening and we

have history and scripture to support this is that when a

Christian master becomes. Christian what he does.

Is he will elevate his bondservant?

To the status of brother. And sister and overthrow the

system and so this actually. Is the way that God overthrows

bond servanthood? And it actually ends up

happening like 50 to 70. It depends on the historian you

read, but roughly. 50 to 100. Years.

After the death of Jesus. You know what gets overthrown in

Rome? Bond.

Servanthood. And so Paul's strategy.

Is strange. Look at it.

What's the? Strategy Bond servants be

submissive. To your masters and everything,

how? How do I do that?

Here's here's. Paul's instructions for.

Winning over your masters to Jesus, he says.

Be well. Pleasing, not argumentative, not

pilfering. And I love.

How down to earth these? Instructions are right.

Say, hey, don't argue, don't steal stuff, no pilfering.

But show good faith. Believe in God in the way that

you work. That's that's a strategy.

I just, I love this. Because like if you.

If you looked at that in a job description, you would say.

Dude, don't. That's the most.

Unspiritual advice ever right? Don't.

Don't steal. Show good faith.

You'd be like man I. If I'm going to win somebody

over to Jesus. Like you would expect the

instructions to be more. Spiritual like hey.

Make sure that you pray. For.

Your Co workers and masters. I think you should.

That's just not what Paul says. Or.

Hey, seek a prophetic word for your master.

That's not what he says, even though I think you should do

that, right, he says just. Do a good job, do a good job.

At being work and. The results of this?

Are absolutely massive right what can a Christian.

Do if he or she works this way, lives this way?

And let's press the pause before we look at that answer really

quickly, OK, Because the the the effect of doing that is massive.

But the elephant in the room is. There's no bond.

Servants in our church, right? Unless I'm missing something?

And so like the response is OK, this is for bond servants, bond

servanthood doesn't. Exist in 21st century America so

we can just. Pull the plug, we can be done.

With the sermon, I'll pray and then we'll dedicate, right?

Well. There there is a corresponding

reality to 1st century bond servanthood.

It's not a one to one correlation, it's imperfect, it

breaks down. But do you want to know what

structure we have in our modern world that is the closest to

bond servant hood it's employ? What was that?

A job having a job it that's as. Close as you can get and so if

you have a job, especially if you're in a low station where

you're like at the. Bottom of the totem pole.

This is for you and I, I think the temptation in 21st century

America. Is to feel like if we have a

low. Station at work, then our work

doesn't have any. Dignity or value?

Right, like I think. I think what's in the air?

Right now in the modern. World is if your work.

Is going to have. Dignity or value you?

Got to be an entrepreneur. Or ACEO or an influencer and

that stuff is great. But if you're at the.

Bottom of the totem pole and you.

Work with good faith. And you don't steal time,

resources, any of that. Your job has incredible dignity

and value. Because you can accomplish.

The. Most important thing in the.

World which is what? Look at this end of verse 10.

If you do all. These things if you.

Work this way. If you live this way.

If you. Bring these good.

Works into the world. Then in everything you may.

Adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior.

That's the highest purpose a person.

Can have in life. Like I don't care if I'm loading

computers at Best Buy into courts like I was in college, or

preaching A sermon and leading a church.

The. Best thing the.

Best impact I can. Have in the world.

Is to make the gospel. Look beautiful to people.

And so I think this. Is such a sweet verse because.

It just gives so much worth and dignity and value.

To whatever it is we're. Doing in life like.

Did you know this? Did you know that God can take

your work, whatever it is, and He can transform it?

Into something that adorns. The Gospel of Jesus like you.

Just got you just got to know this if you're a Christian.

Here's what you believe. You believe that God took your

dead heart. And made it alive.

Amen. And so if we don't think that.

God can take our dead job and breathe life into it.

Like what are we doing? What?

Like what do we really believe? And this is a massive because

Paul is saying no matter what your station is in life.

You can adorn the gospel that's this is.

Longhand for the gospel, the doctrine of God our Savior

doctrine is a set of beliefs. So all of the different beliefs

around God, our Savior, what he's talking.

About is adorning the gospel. So let me let.

Me hear your voices again. Can you say adorn, Adorn.

You guys got a pen? It's cool if you know just.

Tattoo it on your forehead if you know.

All right, if if you got a pen, take it.

And and underline the word adorn.

Or circle it. Or you can do stars.

What's your style? Marie when you're, when you're.

Emphasizing something in Scripture.

What do you? Do underline, underline.

It underline the word adorn. What's that mean?

So this is really cool. And that word.

Adorn comes from the the Greek word.

Cosmeo, can anybody guess? What other English word we get?

From the Greek word cosmeo. Cosmetics what what Paul is.

Saying, Is that the way that you live your life can?

Reveal the beauty. It's like cosmetics.

To the God, the Gospel. 'S a message.

It's invisible but the way that you live.

Your life. Is like.

Cosmetics. It incarnates.

It puts. Flesh On the Gospel, there's two

different. Ways you can adorn something

one's the right. Way and.

One's the wrong way. The first.

Way you can try to. Adorn the Gospel.

The way that you can try to adorn something is listen,

listen carefully #1. Is.

You can try to adorn something by trying to increase.

The beauty of the object. And try and increase.

The beauty of the object. That is not what we are supposed

to do as Christians. Do you want to know why?

Because you cannot increase the. Beauty of the gospel.

It is already the. Perfect message of God.

It is already. Maximum.

Beauty there's. Nothing you can do to make.

The gospel more beautiful. It's the perfect.

Message the message that. God so loves the world.

That he put on. Flash.

Guys. And he came to earth, guys, and

he suffered in our place on the cross.

To absorb. The wrath of God that was for us

and to pay the penalty for the sins that we committed, so that

by grace, through faith alone, if we accept Jesus into our

hearts, we get heaven. You can't.

Improve on that. It's the perfect message.

It already has the maximum. Level of inherent beauty as a

message and if you think that you can improve it.

You will spoil it. Because almost always, if you

think you're. OK, OK.

I'm supposed I'm supposed. To adorn.

The Gospel of Jesus. So I've got to make it look more

beautiful than I've got to make it.

I've got to make it. Cool to people.

Almost always. What happens if?

You think that it's your job to make the gospel look more

beautiful. Is you end up.

Watering it down. I.

Got to make it look beautiful. So I'm I'm not going to talk

about the wrath of God. Because.

The wrath of God makes people kind of feel icky sometimes.

I'm not going to talk. About Jesus's.

Payment for sins. Because gosh.

People don't like to think about the fact that you know, they're

sinners and and they've sinned and that Jesus had to suffer in

in their place, the. The.

Problem with doing that is everybody internally is wrecked

by internal. Guilt over the terrible things

that every. Human being has done everybody

knows deep down inside that we're sinners and we need to be

saved. And if you remove those parts

from the message of Jesus to try to.

Beautify it all you. End up doing is putting.

Forth A. Gospel.

In front of people. That doesn't.

Actually deal with their problems.

And so you think you're making it look more?

Beautiful. All you're doing is cooking up a

big fat nothing burger and serving it to people and it's

not compelling and it's not the power.

Of God. So your job is not to adorn the

gospel by seeking to increase. The beauty of it, there's a

second way to. Adorn something.

I just, I love that word. Adorn cosmio.

There's a second way to adorn something.

This. Approach doesn't seek to

increase the. Beauty of the object.

All this approach does. As it seeks to reveal the beauty

of the objects, reveal the beauty of the object.

I was thinking about this this week because somebody.

In our church, I can't remember who it.

Was they shared? On Instagram, a video of.

Dave Portnoy coming to Des Moines.

Do you guys know Dave Portnoy? OK, if you don't know, it's

fine. He's a famous influencer in the

Internet. He's famous for he does some

sports broadcasting. But the big thing that he's

famous. For is he does pizza.

Reviews. And so Dave Portnoy, he he came

to Des Moines apparently a couple weeks ago.

Spade was that last. Week when was up he's still.

Here. He's still here.

He's behind me. Dave.

Dave, come on. So it.

He was doing a review. For Chantro Pizza and Chantro

Chantro Chantro, he was doing a review for Chantro Pizza and he,

he's staying in front of the camera, right?

And he grabs the the pizza and, and what he does is he holds the

pizza in front of the camera and.

He's like, he's like, take a look at this.

If you look closely at this pizza.

You'll notice that they actually.

Sprinkled. Some of the pizza sauce.

On top of the cheese and I was like I.

Didn't notice that they did. That's that's it.

Had me on the edge of my seat. I was like, they didn't.

Put some on top of the cheese, and then he smelled the pizza,

right? And when he smelled the pizza,

you know what he did? His eyes rolled back.

He was like, oh, and I was like, gosh, that pizza's got to smell

good. I was on the edge of my seat.

I was, I was. I was like, I've.

Never even had Chantro. Pizza.

I got to. Go get some and then you know

what? He did.

To the bite of it. And then?

Audibly enjoyed it. Oh, you're.

Right, he had to like. He immediately shoved like.

Two or three more bites in his mouth before he even breathed,

and the the. Net effect of what he did with

that pizza was really simple. It made me think, I've got to go

get some of that pizza. What Portnoy did was he?

Adorned. The pizza, to me, that's what

he. Did That's what he did, is what.

Notice what he didn't do? He didn't take any of the

toppings off. He didn't put any additional

toppings on it. Why?

Because he's not the cook. Right.

That's what we're supposed to do with the gospel.

You're not. The cook.

It's not our job. To take toppings off the.

Gospel. I don't like this part of.

Or put toppings onto. The gospel and add things to it.

What's your job? Your job.

Is to stuff. Your face with the gospel.

To enjoy it publicly. To preach to yourself the free

grace of Jesus. Who absorbed the wrath of God?

And paid the penalty. For your sins.

On the cross so that in Christ you get eternity and friendship

with God, and then you just work out of that and then as you

work. Do you know what you.

Do you end up bearing? Good.

Fruit you end up doing a good. Job at work and when you do a

good job at work. You end up adorning the.

Gospel so that your boss or your Co workers or.

Whoever is watching you looks. At you and says.

What's different about you? That's all we just enjoy.

The gospel and live out of that. And it sounds like I'm splitting

the hair like it sounds like I'm splitting hairs here.

It's this and not that, right? That sounds It sounds like I'm

splitting. Hairs like as you adorn the

gospel of Jesus. You should not seek to increase.

The beauty of it. You should instead just seek to

reveal the beauty of the gospel. That sounds like a minor

distinction. And if that sounds like a minor

distinction. That's probably.

Evidence that you are not viewing your dynamic with God as

a relationship. I can.

Prove this to you. Take everything we've talked.

About. About.

Adorning the gospel and shove it into a personal example and see

what happens. Watch this.

Suppose you take some engagement photos.

Or. Minute, let's do this.

Suppose you take. Anniversary photos with your

spouse if if. You don't have a spouse.

That's cool. Just imagine.

And then later that night you upload those photos on your.

Computer and you pull up Adobe Photoshop.

And suppose as you're tinkering around on Photoshop, that your.

Spouse. Walks into the room and he says

or in my case, she says. Hey, what are you doing?

Well, there's two ways to answer that question.

Here's number one. You can say you know the color

gradient of this photo, it it just doesn't.

Reveal your features. In a in a great light.

So I'm just kind of playing with this lighting, right?

Here and honestly there's. This thing in the background

that's stealing too much of the attention away from you, so I'm

going to crop. That out or.

I'm going to. Blur that or whatever so more

attention could. Can be or sweetie, there was a.

There's a shadow. That fell on that part of.

Your face. And so I'm going to change the

lighting right there. So that it brings out your

features better. Because I want more attention

drawn to that. Suppose you say that to your

spouse. How does she feel that honor,

Sir? Oh, you want to draw more?

Attention to my features. So you're going to get rid of

that background. Thing right, She thinks that's

hot. If you're married.

If you're married, that's not the only way you can answer it,

though. Here's the second way you could

answer the question. Honey, what are you?

What are you doing on Photoshop? Well, sweetheart.

I'm actually implementing this new.

AI tool. To change the color of your eyes

to make them more beautiful. Or suppose suppose you say.

Actually what I'm doing is I'm using this tool to change the

size of. Your jaw, my brother in Christ,

run. She's going to hit you and she

deserves to. One honors her.

Because it reveals her beauty, the other.

Rightly angers her and dishonors her.

Do you see how when you see this through the lens of

relationship, it actually makes total sense?

If you seek to adorn the gospel by changing it, how does that

make God feel angry? It does not honor him.

God does not need makeup. God doesn't.

He doesn't wear mascara. God does.

He does not. Need Photoshop?

God is perfect. In all of his ways, in all of

his deeds, in all of his attributes, everything about him

is perfect. If you.

Seek to change anything about God or anything in its message.

All you will do is decrease his beauty.

The only thing a Christian can do is reveal.

The perfections of his beauty. That's the job.

Of the Christian. Not to change his message.

To reveal it to. Adorn it I just love that word

adorn so that in everything they may adorn the.

Doctrine of God our Savior. I can't let you go yet.

I think the single most important thing you need to know

I need to know from this is really simple, but we've.

Got to say it, this is the trick to a vibrant.

Relationship with God. This is the trick.

Having a relationship with God that honors Him and glorifies

Him, but doesn't bring unrelenting stress and anxiety

into your life. And it's this please know.

That your job is to adorn the gospel for the sake.

Of your neighbors and not never. Your job is never, never, never,

never. To adorn yourself before God.

It's not what it says. Adorn the doctrine of God our

Savior, so that our bosses. And our coworkers said do not

seek. To adorn yourself before God.

It will not work. You cannot trick God into

thinking you're more beautiful. You cannot twist His.

Arm. Into saving you.

You don't need to pretend in the presence of God, right?

This is striking. At that that.

Question we asked at the beginning of the sermon, which

is OK. If our good works don't justify

us or save us or. Redeem us?

What the heck? Is even the point and one of my

favorite answers to that question.

Comes from Martin Luther Luther 500 years ago.

Was a massive proponent. Of the free grace of God and the

gospel of Jesus, apart from any works of the law.

He went around preaching the gospel everywhere, and that

naturally. Stirred up a lot of questions

like hey Martin, if if our works don't justify us.

If they don't save us. What the heck is even the?

Point of that and Luther. Loved that question because he

crushed that question. This was his answer and I find

it compelling. He said.

What's the point of good? Works if they don't.

Save us, brother, sister, God. Doesn't need.

Your good works your. Neighbor needs your good works.

That's the key. Don't adorn yourself before God.

Adorn the gospel of Jesus in front of the world.

Your neighbors need your good works your.

Boss needs your good works your. Spouse needs your good works.

God, God. Doesn't he has no needs?

If you try to, you constantly try to impress.

God and you think your good works.

Can change his. Mind into loving him, you'll go

crazy. That happened to.

Luther, like before. Before Luther started believing

and preaching. In the gospel of the free grace

of God. He believed that a person could.

Merit their salvation with works.

And it drove him crazy. People would find Luther on the

front steps of the church. Whipping himself.

Because it was never enough, and that didn't work.

It's never enough. How can I get?

God to love me. It's never.

Everything I do is never enough. And it embittered.

Him before the Lord, and it drove him crazy.

You will go. Crazy if you do not.

Believe the Gospel of the free grace of Jesus you will,

because. My 6 year old daughter.

Sometimes she gets into my wife's makeup and it's a

disaster. It's a like it's.

A disaster when she gets into the makeup, she loves it though

she's sick. She'll find Chloe's makeup and

she doesn't know how to use it and so.

What she'll like, she'll take the lipstick and.

Smear it all over like. Anything in the general vicinity

of her lips. She'll smears it all over her

lips. And then she'll she'll take the

makeup. And she'll like smear it, use it

as. Mascara and like.

Smear it around her eyes. Can you picture this?

Can you she'll? Smear it around her eyes.

She. Looks like a clown.

Don't tell Della about this story.

She looks like a clown, but in her head she's.

Crushing it. Like in her head, she's like a

movie star. She's like, Oh my gosh, I'm

wearing. Makeup.

I look so beautiful. And so she seeks after me, and

she finds me. She chases, she hunts me down.

And she says dad and I look at her, I'm like, oh gosh.

She'll say, Dad, do I look beautiful now and then?

She I'm not making this up. She'll flutter her eyelid.

I look beautiful now. And I don't.

Say this, but like I'm like you look.

Like a clown, what I do. Say is sweet, sweetheart, you?

I'm your dad. That dynamic is static.

It is set. It's permanent.

Girl, you could shave. Your head and paint yourself

yellow and I would still. Think that you're beautiful

There's. No amount of makeup that you can

put on or take. Off that would possibly.

Change modify my the way that I see you.

And she doesn't like that answer.

She's like. Oh gosh.

Dad, do I look beautiful? Now and I'm like sweetheart.

If you want to grow up and wear makeup.

Someday. That's fine if you want to grow

up and not that's. Fine to, I don't care.

I just dads, I know you feel me on this.

I don't have the capacity. To change my mind about you, I'm

not even trying to be like. Moralistic and say, well, you

know what a good dad would do is he wouldn't allow those, no.

No, no, I'm saying like I. Don't even have the capacity.

Inside of me. To be tricked.

By the makeup she's wearing, it just, it doesn't work, you know?

I saw you come out of the womb like.

It doesn't like sweetheart, it's me.

It doesn't change right and. If you've been sitting.

Under my preaching for a long time, you know.

Where I'm going with this? You could preach the rest of the

sermon. Guys, brother, sister this.

Is a. Foreshadowing.

This is an echo of the Gospel of Jesus.

If you are in Christ. There is nothing you can do to

increase your beauty or your. Dignity or your worth or your

value before your. Father in heaven, it can't be

done. The.

Dynamic is permanent. You know what Jesus meant.

When he said it's finished, he meant it's finished.

He meant there's no makeup you can put on.

There's no photoshopping to be done.

I've. Done it right and that's.

That's the key right there is the.

Recognition that. This.

Isn't like trying to use your. Works to impress God as makeup.

It's not like a minor thing, like the consequences are

massive. You end up rejecting the

sufficiency of the crucifixion. Of Jesus because you

practically. Look at it and say.

Yeah, that's great. Jesus, I see what you did there.

That was nice on the cross, but I should probably throw in some

of my. Good.

Works to earn my salvation. It's a rejection of the

sufficiency it. Replaces grace with achievement,

which shifts. Glory from.

God did it to undoing it. And so the results are massive

and they're catastrophic and they're exhausting.

Essentially what I'm saying is if you try to.

Use your goods work as as make. Up in the presence of the living

God. You'll look like a clown.

It can't be done. And you know why it can't be

done? Because if you are in Christ,

you have already been adorned by Jesus.

If you're in Christ, not only has Jesus taken away.

All of your sins, if you're in Christ not only has.

Jesus absorbed the wrath of God. He has also covered.

You in his very own righteousness.

You've been. Adorned by him, by faith.

Alone you are. Covered in the Merit.

You're covered in the virtues. You're covered in the

accomplishments of Jesus. So that when God looks.

At you. There is nothing you can do.

To earn. More of his love.

You are already in this moment. If you are in.

Christ in this moment. You are already.

Experiencing the maximum amount. Of joy, pleasure and love.

From God that a person could. Because he looks.

At you and he sees. Jesus, and you can't.

Love a person more than God the. Father loves God the Son.

Now you can be unaware of that pleasure, joy and love resting

on you, but you can't. Change it.

And so your job is not to try to impress God or to try and twist

His arm into loving you. That will lead to stress.

Burnout and deconstruction. We have a way more stress

freeway, more enjoyable job. Not to adorn ourselves.

Before God. But just to adorn the gospel.

In front of our neighbors, Co workers, spouses and kids.

And that's way more fun. Amen.

And we got a big morning in front of.

Us still, we've got communion. After that, we're going to be

dedicating. Three children to the Lord, and

it's going to be. Awesome if you've got.

Kids downstairs in Roots. I'm going to pray in just a

second. Go.

Get them, bring them back up and we'll.

Have communion prepared. For you on both sides.

Up here. If you're a follower of.

Jesus. Communion is.

For you do. Business with the Lord make.

Sure you don't take it in an. Unworthy manner if you need to.

Repent. Repent.

If you need forgiveness, seek forgiveness.

If you need prayer, find a friend, but use this time.

In order to. Get to, to to repent.

And get your heart. Ready for communion?

Heavenly. Father, I pray that you would

move. Us this morning.

I pray that you would help. Us believe the Gospel.

That we are already adorned in Christ before you.

And so there's nothing to be done.

There's nothing to be added. All we need to do is.

Bear the fruit that naturally. Comes out of the gospel.

And so, Lord. Help us do that.

Help us be the cosmetics that puts a an invisible message that

makes it. Visible to the world.

In fact, Lord I've. Been praying about this all

week. I think the way to do it.

Is to. Start with the question, what's

different about you? That's the question we.

Want we want to live? In such a way that.

People. Say what's different about you

and Lord, I think. The key is to pray our way.

Backwards from that question, how?

How would a person? In my job, what behaviors would

she or he do?