Marks of a Healthy Church

I want you to turn with me in your Bibles this morning to the book of Ephesians.

I'm so excited about this month.

Rick did a fabulous job last week, and yes, he did.

Yes, he did.

And really laying the groundwork for this series on how to have a healthy church.

Everybody's in the health fanatic phase.

In January, everybody makes a New Year's resolution to lose so much weight, to be in better health, to eat the right food.

Put them all the stuff that talks about putting on the whole button for I don't have the whole button, putting on the new books.

I thought about that phone world, no problem.

I think we've told you before that uh average church now is less than a hundred and twenty.

And uh in our forty churches been started the last five year plus plus, uh in throughout our association with the Southern Baptists, only uh two were running over 200, or over a hundred, I'm sorry, over a hundred.

One's was uh two hundred, right at two hundred, and then ours was three hundred, close to that.

So that just shows you how God has blessed this church, and financially it's just off the charts how this church is giving.

And it really is.

I mean, I can I pastor a church at Open Door for that ran 800 to 1,000 consistently, and our budget this year and next year will be as much as it was at a thousand people.

So that's just a God thing.

But we're at a crucial point in a church.

There's stages as in churches, and and uh being 40 years in the ministry, I've had the honor to study church growth for many, many years, helped, helped study it and teach it all those years at Liberty and Tennessee Temple when I was there, those two institutions.

But but the exciting thing God laid on my heart is in order to go to that next, when you get 25,300 to get to that 500, and that's where we're going next when we get that building.

I can tell you that right now, that's where it's going.

You've got to have a healthy church.

And we have a lot of spiritual babies.

Don't be offended.

That's biblical.

1 Peter 2.2.

As newborn babes desire the sincere mook of the word, that's where we're going this morning, that you may grow thereby.

So what I'm saying is, in fact, in Ephesians chapter chapter 4, this is exciting.

We'll jump.

Actually, the whole chapter is awesome about church growth, and and actually it's talking about Christian growth, which is the church growth, and he's talking about putting on the new things and taking off the old things after you get saved.

But he jumps right in the middle of this chapter in verse 11, and he talks about we pastors and teachers, and he says, and he gives some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry.

In other words, with a view to the fitting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for perfecting the saints, for for fully equipping the saints.

And what he's saying is there, every one of us has a place in the body that needs to be rightly compacted.

We're going to use that word in a minute, together.

You've got a place in this body that God wants you to be fully involved.

Can I get an amen?

Okay?

And uh that's exciting to me because when the body really starts finding its place and hey, fitting into that, it's kind of like uh what do you call those things where you build?

Uh we used to call them tinker blocks, but that tells you how old I am.

But but Lego blocks, thank you.

And and uh how they all put together, and when they each each piece is in the right place, it makes a beautiful, beautiful object.

And so that's the church.

We all have a place.

And he's talking about that right there, and then in verse 13, he says, well, for the the last phrase in verse 12, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

In other words, for the ultimate building up of the body of Christ.

And then he says, to all come in the unity of the faith.

So really from 13 there to the end of the chapter is gonna be the meat of the message on the marks of a healthy church.

But God gives us spiritual leaders for the sole purpose for promoting spiritual growth within the body of Christ.

But it all starts as a baby.

John 3.3, except a man be born again, he shall not see the kingdom of God.

John 3.3, and then verse 7, he says, Marvel not, ye must be born again.

And then he says in 1 Peter, being born again, not a corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever.

So it all starts right there.

Just as every parent in the world is delighted when they see their children growing and maturing, God gets excited when he sees us mature and grow in his likeness.

And that is our ultimate purpose.

God wants us to move from, I wrote this down, the spiritual nursery to the spiritual battlefield.

Amen.

Hey, he wants us to leave the realm of milk and bibs and diapers, and he wants us to move into the meat, the battles, and the victory in the battlefield.

That's where he wants us to go, and that's the importance.

And that's what he tells us in 1 John chapter 2.

1 John 2 · chapter mention

I want you to see this.

Look at 1 John chapter 2, and it starts with verses 12 through 14.

1 John 2 · chapter mention

He says, I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his namesake.

I have written unto you fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.

I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one, and I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the father.

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.

I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

So here we see, actually, uh there's three stages here.

You've got you've got the children, you've got the young strong man, and then you got the fathers.

But let me also add to that the babies, when you're born again, 1 Peter 2, 2.

So you go from the baby stage to the young child stage to the young man stage to the fatherhood stage.

That is the spiritual maturity growth that needs to take place in a church for it to be a healthy church.

Can I get an amen?

So today we want to look at that.

The people to, and by the way, I'm preaching today to people that have not arrived.

Those that have arrived, just tune me out.

Hello?

Amen.

For you spiritual superstars, just tune me out.

You got it all together.

I've been in the ministry 42 years.

Can I say something?

I don't have it all together.

I struggle every day.

I'm going to stop trying that again.

I struggle every day.

I'm in a battle every day.

You know what I fight every day, my flesh.

I fight my flesh every day because my flesh wants me to do what God does not want me to do.

Amen.

And my spirit wants me to do what God wants me to do, and the flesh doesn't like my spirit, and my spirit doesn't like the flesh.

And so we battle every day.

Every day.

By the way, I'm also preaching, I'm not preaching to those who are saved, and that's all they want.

There's a lot of people that get saved because they don't want to go to hell.

By the way, that's a good reason to get saved.

Hello.

Amen.

But if that's all you want, you're missing out.

You're going to be most miserable.

You say, wait a minute.

But the lost are most miserable.

Yes.

But that, well, as Susan said, no, they're ignorant.

That's true.

They're blinded.

No, that's correct.

Thank you very much, honey.

They're ignorant.

They're blinded.

2 Corinthians 4, 4.

He's blinded those that believe not.

But we that know better and know what's right not to do it, we're most miserable.

Actually, I can tell you what we're doing.

We're wandering in the wilderness.

Just like the nation Israel did for 40 years.

You can spend your whole life wandering in the wilderness.

And you'll be most miserable.

So I'm talking today that those who are filled with ups and downs, with struggles of the flesh and the spirit, those that are not self-righteous, not self-confident, and not self-reliant, can again an o me.

Because that's who we are.

So today we want to look at the marks of a healthy church.

And in this passage, we see that.

So let's begin.

Mark number one.

They are marked by completeness and steadfastness.

Now let me tell you what that means.

First of all, we'll look at two words, the completeness.

The completeness there, another synonym really in verse 13, if you look, till all come in the unity of the faith.

In other words, till we all come in the completeness of the faith.

So what are we talking about here?

The unity of the believers.

And if we go back and we would look at verses 1 through 6, we would see this unity.

Now I'm not talking about believers that believe the same thing, have the same ideology.

Now we should have the same doctrine or close to the same doctrine.

But I'm talking not a bunch of robots.

We all have opinions.

We all have different creative juices.

We all have different gifts.

And when you have different gifts, you have different thinkers.

I'm glad that I don't think like my wife.

Because she is a fantastic creative.

What's another good word?

Chronological thinker.

Logical?

Yeah, chronological.

But you like it all the fit.

And see, she wants, she wants A, B, C, D.

I want A, Z.

I'll take the A, but bless God, forget the rest.

Let's go to Z.

So thank God we together make a great pair.

She'll say, honey, I want to get to Z, but have you even thought how you're going to get there?

I said, no, but bless God, I'm getting there.

I got you for that.

Put it down.

Charge.

I don't like wait.

I don't like process.

I don't like planning.

I like charge.

Just get me on a white horse and say, go.

Bless God, we're going.

Now, sometimes though, without the process and without the planning, I'm going, but nobody's behind me.

That's a bad place to be.

Amen.

So the key to all this, the key to a healthy church, you can't go, hey, A, put down A.

Here's A to a healthy church.

Unity.

It is the foundation.

It is the chief cornerstone.

If you don't have a group of people that come together with one purpose, one heart, one mind, one direction, you're not going to go anywhere.

Nowhere.

In fact, we see that strongly here in verse 1.

Paul said, let me tell you how important it was.

He says, therefore, as a prisoner, he's in prison.

But he says, I beg you.

That word beseech there means I beg you.

Let me tell you what else.

It's parkle.

That's the Greek word.

It means I urge you.

Oh, he says, I comfort you.

He says, I provoke you.

I challenge you.

I pray for you.

And then I love this when he says, I call for you to be unified.

And he's the one that also asks us to be unified in Philippians 1.27 for the purpose to have that oneness and that one-mindness for the what?

Spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our testimony.

You know, you hey, your you exhibit the God, your exhibition of the gospel is more than your talk of the gospel.

In fact, it validates your talk.

If your walk doesn't validate your talk, then something's wrong.

It's called hypocrisy.

Hello?

So here we are.

Here's a plea for unity.

The seriousness of this.

And then notice verse 2, we see the prerequisites of this unity.

Look at what he says in verse 2.

And boy, is it powerful.

Then he says, with all lowliness and meekness and long-suffering, forbearing one another throughout all the ages.

I meant.

And he says, meekness and lowliness.

In fact, what I put here, here's the summary of the prerequisites.

Look at what he says.

First of all, in verse 1, he says that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called.

Do you know what that word worthy there means?

That you walk appropriately, that you walk what you are.

In other words, when you see that next phrase, the vocation wherewith you're called refers to their salvation.

In other words, God's people are to act like God's people.

Can I get an amen?

Wait, we have a lot of people that I witness to people every every week.

Wherever I am, whether I'm playing pickleball, whether I'm at the water, I'm in the marketplace, I'm in Walmart, go to Walmart and see the whole church in two hours.

Hello.

Hey, but listen to me.

Here's what he's saying.

He's literally saying, there's a lot of people telling me they go to church.

Oh, I go to church.

Going to church and being a, hey, a dynamic, exhibiting Christian are two different things.

Now, if you are exhibiting, hey, Christ's likeness, church is not a problem for you.

In fact, church is not an option for you.

In fact, you're going to be in church.

And if you've done anything, it's obvious today with the crowd that you, hey, in 2019, if you are maturing in the likeness of Christ, you're going to be in church, not because we're trying to legalistically force you to come, because you love to come.

I can't wait to go to church.

I love my church.

That ought to be our motto this month.

I love my church, and I'm going to be here every Sunday for this first month in Bible study and church to understand my place in my church that I love.

And that's what he's talking about here.

Now look at what he says.

Here's the three specifics of unity, and then we're going on.

But this is so important.

It's the key.

Look at what he says.

First, in verse 2, lowliness.

With all lowliness and meekness.

What is he saying here?

He's saying with all humbleness and gentleness.

You with me?

With all humbleness and gentleness.

He's saying, you are to perform where God has placed you.

You are to be active where God has placed you.

That's what he's talking about.

Lowliness and meekness.

And then he tells us that pride does not promote unity.

Listen to what he says in Proverbs 13, 10.

Only pride breeds contention.

Only pride breeds contention.

Did you hear me?

You know what that means?

You know when you get upset with your wife or your husband or with anybody and you argue, you know why you're doing that?

Well, I know why it's his fault.

No, no, no, it's not his fault.

It's not your fault.

It's both of y'all's pride.

One wants it his way and the other doesn't want to give in.

That's easy.

That's really what causes every argument.

Did you know that?

Somebody wants their way and the other person doesn't like that way.

Is that not the truth?

Every argument I've ever had with this beautiful woman sitting on the front row, hey, is because I want it my way.

And I want it, here's the bad thing.

I want her to agree with my way.

And she's just a redhead, and they don't agree if they don't want to go that way.

But we go.

Yeah?

We do, but we work it out.

But we don't have to, but what causes that?

Say this word with me.

Pride.

Pride.

Amen.

Pride.

That's what causes it.

In fact, listen to what he says in Proverbs 28, 25.

I got these verses in your thing.

He that is of a proud heart.

Now watch this.

He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife.

I don't know what in the world with this.

I got a new watch for Christmas in this sucker.

Oh, it says I'm I'm I fell down.

I'm moving too fast for the watch.

I didn't fall down.

Man, I kept hurting that.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

You fell down.

Are you okay?

Are you okay?

You need to call help.

No, no, no, no.

Lord help me.

When my watch's trying to calm me down, we're in trouble.

I dare not in say that.

All right.

Now notice only pride brings contention.

Now watch this.

Notice other word, long suffering.

You know what that means?

Patient and restraint.

That's the hardest thing for me, right here.

The hardest thing for me to be is long suffering.

Patient and restraint.

I'm getting better, I think.

A little bit.

I really am.

Don't laugh at me, I don't.

Hey, but listen, listen.

Patience and restraint is one of the key characteristics.

Here's where God's whooped me good.

No, God whooped me good.

You know, patience and restraint is one of the key flags of a person that is mature.

If all you're doing is flying off and arguing and fighting all the time, you know what you are?

You're a baby.

Hello.

I'm a baby a lot of times.

I want my way, and that's the way it's gonna be.

That's just being a baby.

But no, really.

Think about that.

That's what he's talking about.

And then the third thing in verse three, not only do we see the plea, Paul pleas for unity, he gives us how we have it through through unbelievable lowliness, humbleness, and and and gentleness and patience and restraint.

Then he, hey, then he says, you gotta pursue it.

It's not easy.

I'm glad that verse three is there.

I'm glad he uses the word endeavoring.

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit.

And you know why he says that?

Because the word endeavoring is spudazo.

Spudazo.

And it literally means to make haste, to do.

One's best to be as diligently as you can, doing your best to keep unity in your family, in your church, in your work, in your relationship.

Whatever it takes, you give it everything you got to keep that unity.

Wow.

Now, how many of us really do that?

I asked myself that question, and I didn't like my answer.

What about you?

Do I really work at it?

Or do we take each other for granted and just pop off and just go on about our business?

The Lord has really dealt with me that I'm not gonna do that.

He's gonna help me this year to be patient and restraint.

I will.

Amen.

Boy, it got quiet.

Huh?

What if we all did that?

What a loving, humble, gentle, dynamic place this would be.

That's why you ought to come to church.

You know you're gonna be loved on, and people gonna be just just supporting you and loving on you and not criticizing you.

Last thing I want to do is come to church and be criticized.

Hello! We get that every day in the world.

We don't need that in God's house.

So, we see the passion endeavoring in that word there and the protecting.

And then he says, when you, hey, when you have that passion to keep unity, you you're you're keeping it, you're protecting it.

The Greek word for keep there is terreo, which means that you you guard with everything you have.

You guard something, you protect it, you hold fast to it, you prevent it from not being there, you don't let Satan take the unity away.

Because, see, Satan knows when you have unity, you have peace with God.

Look at the scripture, and when you have peace, you are gonna be a tool to be reckoned with for God's glory.

Because very few people have that kind of peace.

But when people see that kind of peace, they want that kind of peace.

I really believe that's why a lot of people come to our church.

Because there's a peaceful place here, it's a restful place, it's an exciting place, it's a place with a vision, and that's next week.

And you want to be a part of something that's that's real.

Amen.

Not perfect, but consistently trying to be more like Jesus.

Can I get an amen?

Okay.

Now, with that said, look at the second part of that.

Part one's gonna be the longest, and then we'll go on to the other two.

But look at the word steadfastness.

This is so good.

You watch, I'll make it.

Steadfastness.

Verses 13 through 16.

Look at what he says.

Unbelievable, unbelievable truths here.

In verses 13, he says, not only the unity of the faith, but look, and unto the knowledge of the Son of God.

Now watch, unto a perfect, maturing process.

It's a process, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

There it is, that steadfastness.

Here we go.

Ready?

A.

They are steadfast, verse 14 in their doctrine.

Look at it.

That he henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every win of doctrine.

In other words, the maturing believer is one who knows what he believes.

You listening to me?

He knows what he believes and why he believes it.

Can I get an amen?

Now that is a maturing believer.

I get all kinds of questions and I get all kinds of different doctrines, but I have never been able to allow Satan to sway me from what I believe because I know why I believe it, because I've studied it.

God has taught me through the power of the Holy Spirit, who is the ultimate teacher, and it works, it proves to be true.

Most cults, I can promise you, you know how to separate the real thing from a cult.

It's very simple.

Ask them who Jesus is, number one.

If they can't tell you Jesus is the Son of God, get away from them.

Run.

They don't believe Jesus is the Son of God and that Jesus and the Father are one.

Get away.

Secondly, what do they believe about the Bible?

Do they believe that God's word is the infallible, exhaustless word of God?

All scriptures given by the inspiration of God, profitable for doctrinal proof.

We're going to be looking at that in a minute.

If they don't believe that, get away from them.

That's pretty simple, folks.

Hey, who's Jesus?

Is he God?

No.

Bye.

Do you believe the word of God?

In the beginning was the word, the word was with God, the word was God, and the flesh became, hey, human and dwelt among us?

John 1.14, John 1.

They don't believe that?

Bye.

Very simple.

Next time Jehovah's Witness or Mormon starts knocking at the door, ask them those questions.

Now they'll ramble.

They'll try to thank you that they just say, look me in the eyes.

Right here.

It's Jesus God.

He became God.

No, just ask them.

That's good, preacher.

Number two, they are steadfast in their development.

They know what they believe and why they believe it.

And by the way, 2 Timothy 3.16, you've heard me quote this.

All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness in that first point in A.

It's under there.

What that means is God's word tells us what's right, what's not right, how to get right, and how to stay right.

Why?

Verse 17, so that we can, he says, so that you and the teacher leaders can equip the people of God with the word to perform God's work.

That's what that means.

2 Timothy 3, 16, 70.

Simple, not hard.

What's right, what's not right, how to get right, David, how to stay right.

Hello.

That's what it does.

I read a proverb a day, keeps the devil away.

Every day, if you read a proverb in this new year a day, it'll tell you what to do and what not to do.

Every day.

Takes you ten minutes, if that much.

I'm not talking about speed reading it.

Just read a chapter of Proverbs and put down what he tells you to do.

Put down his promises, put down his commands, put down the sins, put down the warnings.

I guarantee you.

He'll tell you.

Guarantee.

They're steadfast in their development.

What does that mean?

They have a deep attraction to the truth of God's word.

Development means you and I have a deep attraction to God's word.

I love 1 John 2, 3, and 4.

It's there.

Jason, you can throw them up.

I've actually been going pretty closely to your outline with the verses.

Look at what he says.

And hereby we know, hereby we do know that we know him.

I want you to watch this.

We know that we know him.

How do you know that you really have a real relationship with God?

Right here?

Because you keep his commandments.

Any simpler?

And then watch verse 4.

He who says, I know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth's not in him.

So let me ask you one little question you hear all the time.

How can a person say he's saved and never go to church?

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some are, but exhorting one another so much more as you see the day approach in Hebrews 10, 25.

David said, I was glad when they said, Let us go into the house of the Lord.

Psalms 122.

Amen?

I mean, hey, it's pretty simple.

It's really pretty simple.

Isn't it?

Jesus said it this way If you love me, keep my commandments.

So, here we go.

There's a steadfastness in their development.

Look at the third thing.

They are steadfast, look at verse 16, in their devotion.

Oh man.

Look at verse 16.

Powerful statement here, Paul says.

From whom the whole body fitly joins together.

I love that.

And compacted, that's the word, by that every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Now that's a lot of King James words, but let me tell you what that means.

Let me put it very simply.

He's saying every person is a joint.

And every person has a place that it fits into the socket of that other bone, so that it will be very productive as a body.

Does that make sense?

Was that pretty simple?

I meant my hand fits to my elmo, my elmo fits to my shoulder.

So every one of us has a place, and in fact, I'm not going to take time to go to 1 Corinthians 12, but you it's in there.

About eight, nine verses, and it talks about the eye, the hands, the arms.

They each supply each other.

Here's the exciting thing.

When you and I are in the right place doing the right thing that God has called us to do, it is a beautiful working machine.

And it's bringing honor and glory to God Himself.

But when you're not in place, it's not functioning to its maximal ability, and not only that, it can slow the body down, it can bring, hey, harm to the body, it can actually stop the body.

I know.

Need to pray for Johnny back there.

He's got a back problem right now.

And it has stopped him to a certain extent.

He's not functioning on the pickleball court right now.

Because his back won't allow him to.

Hello?

Been there.

What I'm saying is that's a great example.

That's what he means right here when he says they are steadfast in the.

You know what that means?

They are going, hey, you are here.

That's why I love, I'm beginning to see the maturity start really taking place in this church.

I'm seeing your faithfulness.

I'm seeing your hunger.

You're coming to Bible study.

You're coming.

You're wanting to get involved.

You're you're here every Sunday.

The numbers have been up during the holidays.

It's all.

You're having a hunger.

You're really wanting to find out what God wants you to do and wants you to want to, and what he wants you to be, and you want to be it.

As newborn babes, what?

Desire.

That's exciting.

That's, oh, is that exciting?

I meant unbelievably.

It is a sign of spiritual maturity.

I wrote this.

When a believer does his or her best to carry out the assignments they have been given by the Father above.

That's a sign of maturity.

Oh, every morning on Sunday mornings, I know between 6 and 6.30, and I start my studying and praying, and I know there's people going to be here by 7 o'clock.

And a lot of times Susan was leaving early this morning.

I know they're going to be here because God's called them to this, whether it's fixing food, getting things right, checking everything.

Security, everything.

They're here doing what God's asked them to do and what they feel like they're gifted to do and their talents, and they're doing it.

But I didn't have to make them say, oh, I'm sleeping in this morning.

Oh, it's church day.

No.

I got up.

I can't wait.

I look forward to this, man.

Let's go.

Let's go.

That's what we're talking about, folks.

Number two.

Not only do we see that they are marked by completeness and steadfastness, but number two, a healthy church is marked by clear separation.

In verses 17 through 24.

You know what's wrong with the average church?

Hey, the world has so crept in into the church that when people look into the church, they see the same worldliness they see outside the church.

God help us.

I'm serious, folks.

If you're, if, hey, if you we're, if we're, hey, we ought to be as much unlike the world as we can be.

Not like a lot of philosophies.

I've heard preachers say this.

They try to get as close to the world as they can so they can attract more people.

That's, I got a Greek word for that, baloney.

That's out of the pits of hell.

You come apart from the world because the further you get away from the world, the brighter your light shines, and the brighter your light shines, the difference they see.

People are attracted to the light.

The world is the same.

Christ-likeness, different.

You say, I want to be different.

Well, be Christ-like.

I want to rise above.

The average.

Be Christ-like.

A maturing believer is easily identified because he or she is so different from the world around him.

Let me tell you something.

Listen to me, young people.

In school, people ought to know that you're a Christian.

Not just because you wear Jesus' awesome bracelet, but I can tell you what, it takes courage to do that.

Because people laugh at you.

Let them laugh.

Because guess what?

That's not the laugh.

Hey, that's not the last laugh.

One day every knee's gonna bow and every tongue's gonna confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Then who's gonna be laughing?

I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

I gotta go.

I gotta go.

Here.

Hey, they are separated from the works of darkness.

You see the verse, the word greediness there in verse 19?

Let me tell you what it says.

This is a new, as a as a believer, there's a new desire to walk in the path the Lord lays out for us.

In fact, what I wrote here, life has ceased to be about my self-will, which is related to the word greediness.

Because greediness means I want all I can get and I want it my way.

But it's become all about God's will.

Not my self-will, but God's will.

And that is why the Bible identifies the believer as a new creation.

Old things have passed away.

You know what those old things are?

Your self-will.

It's no longer what you want, it's what God wants.

Can I get an amen?

That's what he's talking about right there.

That's beautiful.

And B, they're separated from a walk of darkness.

Verse 20 through 24.

Oh man, look at all that.

And we're going to look at some of it.

Look, the believer has received a changed life that results in a change in his walk.

Look at what he says in verse 22.

Put off.

Put off.

Now, there's two Greek tenses here.

The Greek language is easily understood by two tenses, really.

That's why that was most of the preacher boys had a lot of trouble with the Greek language.

I couldn't do the Hebrew.

Now that's where the I had my problem.

But the Greek was pretty simple for me.

And I'm a simple person.

Because it's really two tenses in every word.

It's the heiress tense.

That means it is a completed action once and for all.

Got that?

That's pretty simple, isn't it?

If it's in the air, boom, done.

That's why when you're saved, it's an airs tense.

Boom.

Once and for all.

It's a completed action.

Then there's the present tense, which is a continual action.

When he says be filled, it's in the present tense.

Continually being filled with the Spirit.

Salvation is a once and for all heiress.

Being filled with the Spirit is presence, continuously.

Make sense?

Hey, justification's once and for all.

Sanctification is a daily process, a continual process.

So it's really pretty simple when you look at it that way.

But with that said, he says, put off.

The old man.

The words there is corrupt.

Now watch this.

The word corrupt there is corrupt is in the present tense.

You know what that means?

I saw that and I said, is that not true?

It speaks of a corpse that's lying there rotting in the sun.

Each day brings more corruption and corruption.

More stench.

More stink.

So what he's saying is, when you get saved, you got to put that off.

You put that off.

You're no longer going to be, hey, stinking.

Can I get an amen?

But you're now going to start smelling sweeter, that sweet aroma, as Paul says.

Bringing it up to the nostrils of God.

See, you're either a stench or a sweet smelling offering.

Woo! That's good.

So you're either a stench to God's nostrils or a sweet smell.

Woo! Hmm.

Just a thought.

But what a thought.

When the new believer comes to faith in Jesus, he learns a new way of life.

In fact, he has experienced a change of heart that results in a profound change.

Look at verse 23.

Of the mind.

Oh, and he what?

Renewed in the spirit of your mind.

You think differently.

Can I get an amen?

When you get saved, you think differently.

When you think differently, you act differently.

Amen?

God puts a new desire within his children that makes them want to live differently than they used to live.

Folks, now listen to me.

If you got saved, you said you got saved, and you came down to the altar, you made a decision, or you prayed it there wherever, and you changed for a month and that was about it, or two or three months, and that's about it, and you went right back.

That was an emotional decision.

I did that twice in my life.

I didn't change.

But let me tell you, that the last time when God got me, that third time, three strikes you out, I guess.

But when he got me, I changed.

I didn't want anything to do with my life that I'd been living.

Now, was it a struggle sometimes?

Yes.

Did I want to go back sometimes?

Yes.

Why?

Remember the flesh, we're warring.

There's a war going on.

But I had the power not to, which brings me to the third point in the message today.

A healthy church is not only marked by clear separation, and a healthy church is marked by unity and completeness and steadfastness.

But number three, they are marked by Christ-like standards.

Verses 25 through 32.

Look at them real quick.

Oh, this is so good.

Hey, Paul begins to talk about the maturing believers.

Day-to-day walk right here, and he focuses primarily on.

Are you ready?

Three things.

How we act, how we react, and how we interact.

Is that not good?

Think a minute.

Is that not what you do every day in your life with people?

How you act, how you react, how you interact.

You with me, church?

So watch it.

Look at it.

Powerful.

What I want us to notice is the material believer, the emphasis is life is removed from self.

Look, as we said in verse 19, and it's focused on others.

In other words, greediness and covetousness is put aside.

And what he's saying is the lost man lives like that because, as Susan said earlier, he doesn't know any better.

But once you get saved, you know better.

Now that doesn't mean you won't go back and start living like that for a little bit.

That's called, and that's another message.

A carnal Christian.

My wife used to say that I didn't give the carnal Christian any room in the Bible.

Well, I know.

I wish there wasn't a carnal Christian, but there is.

And what is a carnal Christian?

A carnal Christian is a baby.

He never gets out of the diaper stage.

Now let me ask something.

Do you get excited when you have a grandchild or a child?

We get excited, don't we?

Huh?

You with me?

But let me ask you, two years later and they're still in, or three years later, four years later, they're still in diapers and you still bottle feed them.

Are you as excited then?

Hello.

I mean, I can remember when our kids learned to go to the potty on their own and woo, we go around, whoa, look at the poo-poo, the poo-poos in the potty.

Everybody remember those things?

Don't look at me like you.

Did you hear what that preacher said?

Yeah.

If you had one, you were amening with me.

Is that not true?

Come on, church.

Amen.

So, what we're talking about here and what Paul's saying here is pretty pretty evident.

Here we go.

Here they are.

They are Christ-like in how we act.

Look at verse 28.

It's going to be through here in about 10 minutes or less.

Let him, not that I'm worried about that, let him that stole, steal no more.

But rather, let him labor.

Uh-oh, that's a word.

Working with his hands.

That's another word.

The thing which is good.

By the way, work is good.

Oh boy, that's pitiful.

Church, say this with me.

Work is good.

Again, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

That's right.

There is here.

No, no, no, it's not free.

It cost somebody paid for it and somebody worked to fix it.

It's not free.

Amen.

It's you know what?

It's a benefit.

We love you and we give to you, give back to you.

But now watch.

Man, this is so good.

Don't let me jump this and miss it.

What?

In other words, I I said act.

There's two ways, there's two T's.

I I love alliteration, it makes me remember.

There's thievery.

You and I steal.

Or we can steal.

Let me put it that way.

How can we steal?

When he says steal no more.

I I came up with three T's.

You ready?

We steal with our taxes.

We cheat.

I know nobody would cheat on their taxes.

Or we here's a good one.

When's the last time somebody gave you, somebody gave me change back?

Oh, where was I?

Walmart?

Or something.

And they meant to give me a$5 bill back.

Instead, they gave me a$10 bill.

And I didn't notice until I sat down and I and then I looked and I said, this isn't right.

So I went back and said, you gave me$5 too much.

And it was a young lady at a cashier, and you ought to have seen her face.

She said, Thank you.

I would have had to pay for this.

But that's how we steal.

Hey, by not being, hey, and then what about our time on our on the job?

Eight hours?

Do you get paid for eight hours of work?

You're supposed to give them eight hours of labor.

I know, I knew this is going to really get quiet.

And then you kind of cheat and steal on tithing.

Give him back to God.

Malachi 3.

He says, Why do you steal from God?

That's what the word says, not me.

Okay, you with me?

And then where's the other thing here when we're talking about how we act is in the working.

We work.

We work hard.

I love what he says in Exodus 29.

You know what Jesus said, six days you work and uh yeah, seven days to rest.

B.

I know that that will hurt.

They're Christ-like in how they react.

Look at verse 26, 27, 31, and 32.

The temper.

Verse 26 is temper.

Look at temper.

Grieve not.

26 he says, let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Don't be angry.

The only time you have what we call righteous indignation is when you're angry against, you know, when people are breaking God's law.

That's a righteous indignation.

But every other time you ought not to be angry.

You gotta remember, patience is self-restraint.

We gotta control our tempers.

I used to have a real bad temper.

And I have to keep that check so much.

Because it damages.

Amen?

Temper damages.

Oh, God help us.

And then look at verse 27.

Neither give place to the devil.

Verse 26, you got your temper.

Verse 27, you got the tempter.

The devil.

You got to fight against him.

Totally.

There hath no temptation taken you, but such as common to man.

But God is faithful and just and will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but with the temptation make a way to escape.

Can I get an amen?

And then look at verse 31 and 32.

Verse 31.

We're talking about how we act.

Well, that goes to now the B that uh we're Christ-like in how we react.

Verse 26 and 27 and verse 31 and 32.

But notice in verse 31 what he says, how we're to react.

Oh, I love this.

He says, let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking.

In other words, insulting language.

Brawling, abusive language, loud, insulting language.

That's the synonyms here.

That's what he or violent assertedness.

No more of that.

But put away from you with all malice.

With all malice.

Put away, put away.

Then verse 32, and be ye kind one to another, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you.

So notice, we went from our temper, got to control our temper to the tempter that we can overcome and not allow Satan to cause us to lose our temper to how we treat people in verse 31.

He that is greatest among you shall be your servant, and then look at the tender-heartedness there in verse 32, forgiveness.

Jesus said, if you will not forgive men their trespasses, how will I forgive your trespasses?

You know how you ought to forgive people as much as you've been forgiven.

Wow.

Wow.

Wow, wow, wow.

And then C.

They're Christ-like in how they interact.

And by the way, let me give you a verse that God gave me the other day, and I'd already done the outline.

And for B, put down Psalms 119, 165.

Here's what it says.

Is it on there?

Great peace have they which love God's word.

They will not be offended.

That's a good verse.

That's a good verse.

Amen.

Stay in the book, and then it'll help you from losing your temper.

It'll help you overcome that temper.

It'll help you overcome that unforgiving spirit.

And then I'm through with this, but this is one of the ways to end it.

They're Christ-like in how they interact with each other.

Verse 25, 29, and 30.

Look at verse 25.

What does he say?

How do we interact?

Look at verse 25.

Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbor.

That's pretty good.

Don't lie.

Do you know a recent statistic said 89% people don't see anything wrong in telling a little lie?

Really?

Yeah, really.

The reason I know that, they said, have you do you do that?

They said yes, 89%.

That's sad, folks.

But then I thought, have I ever shaded it a little bit?

Yeah.

Oh no, I know now.

The preacher said he lies.

That's not what I said.

Now wait, I get this is a trick question.

He said, but you shaded it a little bit.

Well, is there a difference?

I'll rest my case.

That's true.

So this year, let's make if if it's not, if you can't say anything truthful, don't say anything.

Hello?

Now you've heard the saying, if you can't say anything good, don't say anything.

Well, if you can't say anything truthful, don't say anything.

You with me?

We can't lie.

In fact, lying lips are abomination unto God.

Nobody quotes this verse.

You ready for this, Proverbs 12, 22?

Lying lips are abomination unto God.

They will not go unpunished.

Woo!

Woo! Look at verse 29.

They're having a laugh because of guilty, but that's okay.

Look at verse 29.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

But that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Now watch this.

If it's not good, the phrase use of, that means necessary, edifying, building up, and then spoken graciously, don't say it.

You said, but that'll cut out 85% of my conversation.

Hello?

Folks, I'm talking about, we're talking about really how to be a healthy church.

Is that not awesome?

Actually, that's really talking about how to be a good Christian.

That's what he's talking about.

And then verse 30.

Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're sinned data or depth.

You know what he said?

If you do all this stuff, you're grieving the Holy Spirit.

What he's saying is, you are quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit, which means you are affecting your testimony.

Ooh.

Ooh.

A clean tongue should be characteristic of a believer.

Thy language is the language of the lost.

Let me give you a verse.

Write this down.

You remember in Romans 3, that's the salvation chapter, where there's none righteous, no, not one, none that understands, none seeketh after God.

That's in verse 11.

Look at what he says in verse 14.

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

If you hear somebody cursing all the time, let me just tell you what scripture says.

They're lost.

Why do we, and it's gotten to the point now, you can't go to a movie, you can't watch TV.

It's just, and I'm going to tell you something, and I'm winding it up.

They say, well, that's just the way everybody talked.

Can I say something?

When I grew up with my grandparents, they did not talk that way.

And if I did, God help me.

I just didn't, when I went to school, you couldn't, hey, when I played football, you couldn't even cuss on the football field.

We'd run laps till we died.

So that's another Greek word, baloney.

Hogwash.

The mature believer knows this and he seeks to control his tongue.

Read James.

Just read James.

I I wrote this down.

It's better to be quiet and allow people to think you're a fool than open your mouth and prove it.

Is that not good?

Let me say that again so you write down, because I'm going to give you the verse for it.

I saw that and I said, I got a verse.

It is better to be quiet and allow people to think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Ecclesiastes 5 3 says, a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words.

Wow.

A fool's voice is known by a multitude of words.

You know, I was thinking about this.

When you were growing up, did your parents ever say this to you?

I wish you'd grow up! Am I the only one that's had that?

Or or they'd say, they'd say, Danny boy, when you gonna grow up?

I wonder when I reverted back thinking to some of the things of my childhood as I was going through the stages reminiscing, you know, as I was growing up.

I wonder.

If the Lord looks down.

Oh near the church.

And he says, Church, I wished you'd grow up.

I wish you'd grow up.

I know he's spoken to my heart.

Preacher, you need to grow up in some areas.

You're still back.

You're still back there in that young child stage or that young man stage.

But I want you to be at the father but father stage.

I want you to grow up.

I want you to grow up with your patience and your restraint.

I want you to mature more in that area.

Every one of you know where you are.

Amen.

Amen.

Every one of you.

So let me ask you this morning.

2019.

Can we grow up together as a church?

And be the church that God wants us to be in our actions, in our reactions, and in our interactions.

Wouldn't that be precious?

Let me tell you what's gonna happen.

We do that.

We finish that multi-purpose building.

It won't be big enough.

Because here's why.

People are looking for the real thing.

Not the perfect thing, there's no such thing.

Amen.

But the real thing.

People that have struggles together.

But we know what God wants us to be, and we have that passion to, we want to be all that God wants us to be because we love Him.

We want to be pleasing to Him.

Amen.

Amen.

I'm looking for a great year.

I'm looking for a great year in my life because I want to be more like Jesus this year than I was last year.

And some of those hangups that we all have, that I have, I know there's some super.

No, I'm joking.

But I have.

Forget that.

That I want to get rid of in 2019.

I really do.

I want my wife to see a difference.

I'm going on record.

I want her to see a difference.

Now I've prayed about whether I was going to say that.

And I've been praying all this message.

I really want to do this.

But the Lord said, do it.

Because that's accountability.

Hello?

Huh?

And I'm going to be a better husband.

I'm going to be a better shepherd to you.

I'm going to be a better preacher.

A granddad.

Because my heart is, I want to be all that God's called me to be.

That's what I want to be.

Not to please you as much as I do want to please you.

But I want to please him first.

Because I know something.

If I please him, I know I'm going to please you.

Amen.