The Great Convictions of a Great Christian - Part 2

Welcome to this week's message from the Church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

Turn in your Bibles this morning to Colossians chapter 1.

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

If you do not have a worship guide, raise your hand.

We want to make sure everyone has a worship guide because on the back is the outline of the message this morning.

And it was kind of cute last week.

Many of you said to me last week, we only covered two verses, verse 1 and verse 2.

And you said, if we're going to go that slow, we'll be here to Christmas.

And I said, Well, the word never returned void.

It doesn't matter where you are.

Just hang in there.

Amen.

We're not going to miss anything.

But basically, Colossians is four small chapters.

And we uh I've kind of divided it up into seven sections, these four chapters.

And the last section, if you remember, in chapter four, about uh three weeks ago, well, actually four weeks ago, the example of heroes, Christian believers, verses seven through eighteen.

The last part of chapter four, I've already preached.

In fact, I opened up basically the series, well, two weeks prior to that with that message because it was so important that we recognize our workers and how important they are.

And I shared with you that we have 30 to 40 people early in the mornings, right here, getting everything ready, things set up, cooking.

I mean, it's just amazing all the people that we have that are here early every Sunday morning, getting it ready for you to enjoy a great worship service plus a great meal.

Let's just give those folks another hand.

Amen.

And then I would not want to say and never not thank those that stay afterwards also with us to help take down, clean up, thank you very much.

Colossians chapter 3.

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

Last week, what did I say?

Colossians chapter 3, excuse me.

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

Colossians chapter 1, I caught it.

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

Actually, we're picking up in verse 3.

That's where we're going.

But it well, y'all said y'all wanted.

I was going too slow.

Bless God.

We just we just covered a uh hey, we just covered two chapters in five minutes.

Amen.

But Colossians chapter 1, verse 3 is where we're going to be picking up.

Colossians 1:3

But if you notice in your worship guide, I, hey, the first great point that we looked at, and basically what we're looking at today is the great convictions of a great Christian, or you could say the great foundations of a believer's life.

How important it really is.

And last week we said that life has but one profession.

And your profession is to find the will of God, and hey, find out what God wants you to do and then do it.

Can I get an amen?

And we also said that we knew that that profession was that we were to be ambassadors and carriers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We were to be witnesses wherever we go, telling people about Jesus, what Jesus has done in our life, and inviting them to church so that they can hear your pastor preach the gospel, or whoever's in this pulpit, preach the gospel each and every week.

That's our profession.

That is our calling.

We are to be ambassadors.

And we also went on to say, if we are following God, and he says in John 7.17, if any man will do my will, he shall know my doctrine, whether it's of man or of God.

So if you are following God's will for your life, you will not only know your calling is to be an ambassador, but your work profession.

God will guide you into the right work profession.

Isn't that exciting?

I know that I'm doing what God's called me to do because I love it.

You don't have to motivate me to get up in the mornings to study and to memorize and to go share Jesus.

Hey, I've been doing it 35 years.

It's my DNA.

Amen.

That's who I am.

I don't know anything else.

My wife is an educator.

She loves it.

She thrives on it.

She's, you know, it's her DNA.

She loves teaching.

She loves teaching the word.

And boy, she has done a masterful job on the gifts on Wednesday.

And uh let me just say, on Wednesday nights, we have really had a great time on studying the gifts.

And let me encourage you.

I know it's tough, you work a lot, but we have we'll have you a snack when you get here, pizza, sandwiches, chicken, and and uh come in, come on out on Wednesday night and be a part.

And David's uh gonna be starting a new discipleship uh program with men on Tuesday nights if you want to really be discipled.

So it's gonna be great as we do these, hey, study groups for you, smaller groups.

And it's been so good because, hey, instead of just hearing a guy communicate, you know, constantly without asking questions, then the small groups on Wednesday night you can ask questions.

It's just been great.

We've had a blast.

And we have a great children's program, youth program on Wednesday night.

So uh we try to do two things here: one Sunday morning, small groups on Wednesday night.

So try it, you'll love it.

But with that said, when you find out what God's called you to do, hey, and you're doing it, and God then will lead you into the right profession.

Praise God.

That is so exciting.

And then we said life is but one essential relationship, and that is brotherhood.

And that there is a difference between being a friend with someone and being a real brother in Christ with someone.

Can I get an amen?

There is a difference.

I've got a lot of friends, but hey, they're not my brothers in Christ.

And my brothers and sisters in Christ are like my family.

There is a big difference.

And those brothers and sisters can be all over the world.

But once you meet them, your spirit bears witness with their spirit that you guys and we guys are all in the same family.

And there's a bond.

Can I get an amen?

There really is.

You say, well, I don't have that bond.

Well, the reason sometimes we don't have that bond, hey, you may not have that spirit.

Or they may not have that spirit.

Because spirit bears witness with spirits that we're the children of God, just like the spirit of God bears witness that we're the children of God.

That it also bears witness that we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

So that's very important.

And then the third thing: life has two levels.

And we said the word saints called out.

A lot of people believe the word saints means holy.

No.

It just means you're separated by God.

Hey, hey, because you're saved, you're a believer, you are called a saint.

And what did we say last week?

I said, church, repeat this with me.

I said, say this, that we as believers are saints.

All right?

Say this.

We are saints.

We are saints.

Now, the question is, are you a carnal saint or a faithful saint?

And we saw in verse 2 that God calls us to be faithful and saint.

Faithful, faithful faith.

And then we said that life has two basic spiritual needs.

That word there is need, not D.

Just a typographical error with a D with an N.

Need.

And that was grace and peace.

And remember what we said about grace, as we're going to pick up right now.

Grace is the favor of God shown upon all men.

Hey, grace is the favor of God shown upon all men and women.

Can I get an amen?

Thank God for his grace.

Amazing grace.

In fact, uh, I was thinking about that this morning as I was reviewing, and just amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

I once was blind, but praise God, now I see.

Amen.

Why?

Because of the grace of God.

Heck, Navy, I may want you to just play that after the invitation, but just for me.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.

Man, hey, unmerited favor.

God's favor shown on us.

Nothing we did to earn it or deserve it.

And then the peace of God was the ability to conquer worry and anxiety.

Do you ever worry?

One, two, three, four, five of us?

Okay, that's better.

How many of us ever worry?

Now that's better.

Wake up.

Come get with it with me now.

Come on, come on.

Okay, yeah.

The guy said the other day, I I don't worry, Pastor, because I know it's a sin.

He said, but I get hey, and I love this.

He said, but I get real concerned.

Okay, I can live with that.

But I don't worry.

But I get real concerned.

So let's pick up the second part under the great convictions of a great Christian.

There are two great pillars of the Christian's life.

There are two great pillars of the Christian's foundation.

And let's pick up at verse 3.

This is beautiful.

It really is.

Verse 3 literally says, we give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.

Praying always for you.

Now, what is he saying there?

Thanksgiving.

Write it down.

Thanksgiving is the great, hey, one of the great pillars is that we've got to be thankful.

We've got to give thanks to God.

The Bible says, and I love this.

Notice what he says in verse 12 in that chapter.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

Wow.

Ladies and gentlemen, you ought to be thankful this morning because you and I have an inheritance.

Amen.

Listen, listen to me.

Listen to me.

Hey, this is not our final dwelling place.

We have an inheritance waiting for us.

Amen.

Amen.

I was coming to church and they were singing, I can only imagine.

I can only imagine when I get to heaven.

One of the greatest things about the inheritance of heaven is that we're going to be there for an eternity with our loved ones.

It's already gone on.

I'm going to be with my grandmama.

I'm going to be with my granddaddy.

I'm going to have a relationship with my mother that I never had before.

Because she was lost.

She didn't, hey, she got saved three months before she died.

Praise God.

Hey, it's going to be a family reunion time.

What an inheritance we have.

Listen, if you're a Christian, you never die.

By the way, if you're not a Christian, you never die.

You're going to spend one or two places.

Hey, you're going to spy you're going to spend an eternity in one or two places, heaven or hell.

You're not going to die.

This is not the final dwelling place.

And people that try to tell you that, they don't understand the book.

They don't understand the scripture.

So thank God for our inheritance.

Can I get an amen?

Thank God for our inheritance.

But now look at, hey, hey, look at chapter 2, verse 7.

Rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Not only are should we be thankful for our inheritance, we ought to be thankful for our faith.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Without faith, you can't be saved.

Without faith, you can't walk daily.

The Bible says we walk by faith and not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5, 7.

Hebrews 11, 6.

We can't please Him if we don't understand faith.

And we're going to be looking at that.

And then chapter 3, verse 15, look at what it says.

And it says, And let the peace of God rule your hearts to that which also you're called in one body and be thankful.

We ought to be thankful for our inheritance.

We ought to be thankful for our faith.

And we ought to be thankful for the peace of God that passes all understanding.

How is it when somebody's laying on their dying bed and they can look up and with a big smile say, I'm ready to go, I'm ready to go home.

And they can die in peace.

Because guess what?

They know that their spirit, the moment they breathe that last breath, to be absent from the bodies, to be present with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5.8.

Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is worth being thankful for.

So Paul is telling the church, you ought to be the most thankful people of all people.

Amen.

When you start griping, just start thinking about your inheritance.

Think about your faith.

That God saved you through faith.

Think about, hey, the peace of God that passes all understanding.

Amen.

So we see that this great pillar ought to be a pillar of thanksgiving.

It ought to be a pillar that is consistent with who God really is.

Now notice the second thing here.

Well, this is good.

They're really basically through this thanksgiving.

Two foundational pillars.

And here they are in verse 4.

Look at it.

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which ye have to all the saints.

Now look at verse 5.

For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, wherefore ye heard before in the word of truth of the gospel.

Now, when you go to Habilabi, you see these, and we have them on in our hall.

We have these three words faith, love, and hope.

Where do you think they came from?

Right here.

Verse 4 and 5.

Right here.

Paul is talking to the church at Colossae, and he says, Hey, here's your pillars.

Your pillars are faith and love.

Those are the two foundational pillars.

And because of the faith, and because of the love, the two pillars that are the basic foundation to all the Christian life, he says, you've got hope.

Because of your faith and because of your love, you got hope.

Amen.

Because of your faith, who?

In what?

Jesus Christ and God the Father, you have love.

You have love for God the Father and you have love for people.

And because of that, you have hope.

You know why people don't have hope?

Amen.

Give God a claim.

Amen.

You know why people don't have hope today?

They don't have love.

You know why people don't have hope today?

They don't have faith.

They're depending on themselves and not God.

There's no hope in the flesh.

They that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8.8.

There's no hope.

Because there's no faith.

And there's no love.

Look at 1 John 3.23.

In fact, this is the great commandment.

And listen to what he says.

And this is his commandment.

This is his commandment singular.

Here it is.

And on this commandment you can hang all the rest.

Notice what he said.

Boy, this is powerful.

That we should believe, there's our faith, on the name of the Son, Jesus Christ.

And here's the other pillar.

And love one another as he gave us commandment.

1 John 3.23.

Our propositional verse, our foundational verse for starting this church is Luke 10.27.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.

Why?

Because that one verse has the foundational pillars of the whole Christian life in Christian church.

Faith and love.

Amen?

Somebody say that's good, preacher.

Where's I?

Come on, preacher.

Come on, I'll help me here.

Man, y'all gotta, y'all gotta get.

Deacon, I'm gonna need some help here in a minute.

Amen.

I've been come on, church.

We got hope.

And we got hope because we have faith and we have love.

And we ought to be thankful because we have an inheritance.

Oh, well, hey, listen, we have that faith and we have that love and we have that hope.

To God be the glory great.

Hey, you can't, listen, you can't get discouraged if you understand what I'm preaching this morning.

You can get down, but you can't stay down.

Amen.

Why you got home?

You got home, church.

Oh, listen.

This is the look at the pillar of faith.

Oh, I love it.

And it's not in, hey, faith in some kind of leader.

It's not faith in our president.

Amen.

It's not faith in our governor.

Amen.

It's not faith in any politician.

I've quit watching news.

I I've just made up mine.

I'm through with it.

I'm through with it.

I'm so sick and tired.

There's not a I don't believe there's an honest politician in the bunch.

I really don't.

I'm sorry.

I'm just going to tell it like it is.

Get mad if you want to.

I just don't.

That's why I don't like saying a whole lot about politics.

Because that, you know what?

In fact, Psalms 118, verse 8 says, it's better to put your trust in the Lord and put confidence in man.

Psalms 118:8

That settles it for me.

Amen?

Amen.

Yeah, that settles it.

Listen, look, look, I've read the last chapter.

I don't have to listen to Fox News.

I know who wins.

Bless God, we win.

Amen.

We win.

We win.

And the reason we win, I have hope.

I don't care what happens.

You say, yeah, but it's getting terrible.

Well, I got news for you.

I've read the prophecy.

It's going to get worse.

But I got good news when you think it's worse.

That's when Jesus is coming back for his church.

He's going to take us out of here.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Woo! You're not going.

You're not going through the tribulation, baby.

You're going to be out of here.

When all hell breaks loose, and the next thing you know, the trumpet's going to sound.

The hey, the dead in Christ are going to rise first.

And then we which are lives shall be caught up together with him in the climbs to meet the Lord in the air.

So shall we ever be with him where the floor cometh one another with these words?

I've got hope.

I've got hope, church.

1 Thessalonians 4, 16 through 8.

I've got hope.

Amen.

Amen.

We win.

Man.

I'm tired of the church folks being so down and out when we win.

We've won.

So let's enter into it.

But Jesus Christ brings us in touch.

You know why this pillar of faith is so important?

Because it's only Jesus Christ, putting our faith in Jesus Christ that can bring us into a relationship as a son and daughter with God the Father.

Ha ha! Woo! That right there ought to be a hey, that ought to make a Presbyterian shout right there.

Amen.

Amen.

Really?

Only Jesus Christ can bring us in relationship with God the Father as a son and daughter.

There's one God, one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2.5.

That's what it says.

Hey, because God is the Father of Christ, and Christ is our intermediator.

Hey, now we have the opportunity to have a son relationship, a daughter relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Lord.

And that's what he means.

He says, why?

Then that's another reason of being thankful there.

When notice what he said, oh, I love it.

Yeah what watch verse 3.

We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And then he goes on and he says, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and then he goes on and he says, Hey, your faith in Christ, and hey, from what?

The representation of God the Father, we have hope.

Jesus is God, and God is Jesus.

I am my Father of one.

John 10, 30.

And then he says in John 14, 9, when you seen me, you've seen the Father.

Wow.

I'm excited this morning because I'm a child of the King.

When your mother and your father forsake you, the Lord will take you up.

When I was kicked out of my home, my grandparents took me in.

Listen, listen.

Hey, I'm a child of the king.

Amen.

Man, that's exciting.

In fact, the only natural relationship between God and man, listen, is that God's the creator, and you and I are the subject.

The only way that we have that supernatural.

Relationship is through faith in Jesus Christ.

Once we put our faith in Christ, we then enter into that son relationship, that daughter relationship with an awesome Almighty God through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Wow.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace.

Ephesians 1, 7.

Listen to what he says in Galatians 4, 4 through 7.

You've got to see this.

It'll be up on the thing, I think.

There it is.

I want you to read this with me.

Now he's talking about here, there was uh, you know, when there was so much bondage and sin in the world that Jesus came into the world to deliver us and pick up at verse 4, but when the fullness of the time was come.

In other words, when it was time for Christ to come, to really redeem the world.

Notice what he said.

Woo! God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption, hey, of sons plural.

And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of the Son into your hearts crying, Above Father.

Wherefore thou art no more a servant.

In other words, you're no longer under bondage to sin and a servant to Satan.

But notice, but you have been made heir of God through Christ the Son.

You have no longer have to be in bondage to this world, church.

We've been liberated, thanks being to God, who has liberated us from sin.

Hey, Satan and garbage.

Amen.

That's exciting.

Hey, hey, the Son, you're an heir.

You're heir.

Man, that's who we are in Christ.

That's why Colossians, one of the most powerful books in the New Testament.

It tells you who you are in the new man.

You put off the old man.

You don't have that.

Hey, that old man doesn't have to control you anymore.

He doesn't have to control you anymore.

If he controls you, it's because you allow it.

Amen.

You give in.

Yes.

So notice, notice, watch, watch.

Here's what that means.

Faith in Christ Jesus assures a person of God's wonderful presence and blessings.

Let me give you a little cross stick.

F-A-I-T-H.

Here's what that means.

What faith means.

Forsaking all, I take him.

F forsaking a all.

I take H Him.

Faith.

Forsaking all, I take Him.

Now, what does that mean?

Here's what that means.

Buckle up.

Number one, that means that God looks after the believer as a father looks after his children.

Amen.

Now let me give you a great example of that.

In fact, I love what the word says there.

He says in Romans 8.15, ye have not received the spirit of bondage.

Amen.

You have not received the spirit of bondage.

You were living in the spirit of bondage.

When you receive Jesus Christ, you receive the spirit of liberation.

Amen.

You've been liberated.

Hey, there's liberty in Christ, 2 Corinthians 3.17.

There's liberty.

And notice what he says to, hey, he says, you've not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received received the spirit of adoption, whereby ye cry, Abba, Father, Daddy.

Wow.

Wow, wow.

Now let me give you an example.

What does that mean?

He looks after you like he looks after his son.

We took our grandchildren to what they call the cornbread festival yesterday in South Pittsburgh up there close to our cabin.

Oh, probably thousands of people there.

You couldn't hardly be walking in the street.

And I've got Braden, and Susan's got uh Brooklyn, and all they want to do is take off and run.

So you can understand I had a real good time.

I don't even think I looked at one exhibit.

Because not only did they have, hey, water to run everywhere, and hey, they there was a carnival there.

God.

So all they want to do is ride rides.

Poppy, poppy, poppy, I want to ride.

So I really had a great time.

But I got to thinking about this illustration about how God looks down on us.

And we're always wanting to run.

And a lot of times we're wanting to run away from him.

Hello, hello, hello.

And what does he do?

He does what I did.

Braden, braiden.

He's saying, Danny, Danny.

And I have to run and grab him, pull him back.

And I'm saying, now don't you do that again?

Okay, Poppy.

Next thing I know, there he goes again.

What am I doing?

Braden, braiden.

And I'm going to grab him, bring him back.

I thought to myself, how many times has God had to do that to me?

How many times has God had to do that to you?

Amen.

But you know what?

The older they get, guess what?

They don't run quite as much.

Because they learn there's a consequence to that running.

Because after the third time, I turned around and popped his bottom.

And I popped it pretty hard.

And the next time I turned and I said, if you don't start minding me, you are not riding one ride.

You ought to be amazed how all of a sudden he started being obedient.

Hello.

Hearing improved.

Amen.

But that's the way we are.

But that's how much God cares for you and cares for me.

Can I get an amen?

He really does.

But not only does that, hey, does God look after us as a believer looks as a father after his child?

But no, the second thing, God helps and directs the believer through all trials and temptations.

Let me say that again.

He directs the believer through all trials and temptations.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful and just, who will not allow you to be tempted above that ye are able, but with that temptation make a way to escape.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is no trial or temptation that you're faced with that God can't see you through it.

Now that's worth it right there.

That's that faith, that's that love, that's that hope that we have in Jesus.

Wow.

And then the third thing is that the believer has the very strength of God at his disposal as he faces life day by day.

Now let me say that again.

You didn't get it.

We have the power of God at our disposal every day.

Ephesians 3 20.

Now into him that's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power dunymus that works in us.

You've heard me say it, and I'll say it again.

Hey, we don't need some firecracker Christians.

You say, What's a firecracker Christian?

Glad you asked.

I'll tell you again.

A firecracker Christian is one that comes to church and he pops off on Sunday, but he fizzles out by Monday.

Hello.

What we need are some cherry bomb M80 Christians that bless God, boom, when they go off, they shake the whole community.

Amen.

They know something's happened.

They know something's going on.

And that's what we want this church to be.

Amen.

It's happening.

But you haven't seen anything yet.

I'm telling you, you haven't.

Because, see, when you get fired up, when you start living in the power of the Holy Spirit of God and walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh, and start obeying God instead of God having to say, come back here, Danny, come back here.

And you start obeying him, there's going to be a radiancy about you.

There's going to be a joy about you.

There's going to be a peace about you.

There's going to be a happiness about you.

That, hey, people are going to say, Whatever you got, I want it.

Where you get it, I'm going.

And then they're going to be right here.

They're going to be right here.

Because they're getting the word.

They're getting fed.

They're getting what God wants them to hear.

Amen?

I'm telling you, it starts.

When it starts, it goes.

It's like a fire.

If you study the New Testament, it's always using the symbolism of the fire.

Fire.

Because it spreads.

It spreads.

So we see.

And then the fourth thing, not only does he look after us as a father looks after his children, he directs us through every trial and temptation.

That we have his very strength.

I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.

Philippians 4.13.

But we have his assurance that we're going to live with him forever.

I want you to see this.

Look at what he says in John 3.36.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.

He that believeth not the Son shall not see life.

But the wrath of God abides on him.

And listen to what he says then in John 5.24.

Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.

Wow.

Wow.

Now that's what it means to have faith in God.

Did you get that?

Did you get it?

Let me repeat it.

One, that he's going to look after you as a father looks after his son.

Two, that, hey, he's going to direct you through every trial and temptation.

Three, you're going to have the very power and strength of God at your everyday disposal.

And lastly, you're going to live with him forever.

Now that's faith.

That's that pillar of faith.

Amen?

That's that foundation of faith.

Well, notice the second pillar: the pillar of love.

Now, this love being spoken about is not that natural love which all men should have for one another, or which we would call the phileo love.

That's what a phileo is a it's a kindness love.

There's four types of love.

There's the phileo, and that's that relational uh love.

And really, I'm I think we don't understand the difference between that phileo, that brotherly uh friendship type love, as the difference between that and that agape love for the brother.

And that's why he's making a major distinction here with that brotherly love.

He really is.

It's if you notice, that's so important to Paul.

And he constantly, throughout his epistles, says that my brother, my brother, my brother.

Why?

Because it's powerful.

It's that agape love, it's that unconditional love, it's that self-sacrificing love, it's that love that gives and not expect anything in return.

You know, a lot of people give because they want to be bragged on.

Now there's a difference in needing to be encouraged, and we all need to be encouraged.

And that's part of my gift.

I'm an encourager.

I appreciate you.

You don't know how much I love you and pray for you and all of you that come early.

I pray for you while I'm there at home praying and studying, getting ready to walk up here and come into this building and love on you and then preach to you.

I'm thanking you.

I'm thanking God for you, I'm encouraging you.

I encourage you from the pulpit.

I don't encourage you to build your ego.

I encourage you because I love you.

And I, hey, and I've learned something.

All of us need encouragement.

Amen.

So the next time somebody does something for you, tell them thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Amen.

That's another thing I had to tell.

You know what, the other thing that was real hard for me to teach my grandchildren is to say yes, sir, no, sir, yes, ma'am, no, ma'am.

They always don't want.

And let me tell you, and some of you say, Well, what's so important about that?

It it's respect and it's really thankfulness when you say, yes, sir, you're thankful for that adult for providing for you.

Come on with it.

Amen.

And how many times I've thought as I was thinking about you, I bet I said it a thousand times.

Uh Braden would say, What?

And I say, sir.

He'd say, What?

I say, sir.

He said, Well, I forget.

I said, Well, I'm gonna keep reminding you.

Well, how, but, but he was uh he was honest about that forgetting, you know.

Why?

Bottom line, he doesn't understand.

I know he's only five years old, but I'm gonna tell you they know more than you think they know.

I can tell you that right now.

They can manipulate you at five years old.

And you think you're you don't, and you, the problem is you don't get it.

They manipulating us.

And we think we're the adults.

It's kind of like the dog walking you.

Instead of you walking the dog.

You say, what does that mean?

Well, he goes here, goes there, and you just let him take you wherever he wants to go.

Jerking him back and saying, No, you're not.

But but what is that?

It's a lack of respect.

Thankfulness.

Ladies and gentlemen, somebody does something for you, be thankful.

Be thankful and let them know.

Let them know.

Teenagers, I love you.

Be thankful.

Be thankful.

Man, that's so important.

So, and that's what he's talking about.

He says right here, that the love of believers is based upon.

Here's the difference agape, that unconditional, that is that is the summit of love.

Because the other one's Eros, that's the fleshly physical love, and then the other one is storge, which is the paras love.

So basically, he's using the highest summit of love here when he says love the brethren.

He's using agape love.

You know why, let me tell you, you know why you can love a brother or sister or love anybody?

Hey, hey, even when they're doing you wrong, even when they're talking against you, this has helped me so much.

I'm still learning it.

I've not gotten there yet, because when I hear negative things said about me, it hurts me.

It does.

But I'm getting to the point now I'm understanding it more because, hey, and and and it's not that, it's it's not the hurtfulness that's coming at me as much as I love people and I don't like to hear that.

But here's what I'm learning is that I can love them back regardless of what they think of me, and regardless of what they say about me, because the Holy Spirit is loving them through me.

The love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit of God.

You got to.

Chuck back there.

You know what he says?

He hugs my neck every time he sees me.

He says, I'm gonna love you and there's nothing you can do about it.

I told him this morning.

I saw it.

I said, Hey, Chuck, I love you and there's nothing you can do about it.

Amen.

I do.

But it's the Holy Spirit in you.

When you have the Holy Spirit, you're gonna love like Christ loved.

And he loved you so much that he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed.

That's how much he loved you.

Greater love than have no man has than this, that he lays down his life for his brother.

John 15, 13.

Thanks be to God.

So that's the love that we're talking about.

Now, it's it's it's it's a very special love.

It's not just, hey, it's not phileo, it's not eros, it's not storging, it's agape.

It's special.

Now, all those other loves are special, but this is a very, very special bond that only brothers and sisters in Christ can have.

Amen.

Now let me tell you something too.

That's gonna improve your marriage, too.

When you have that and your wife has, and when I have that and Susan has that, woo! That's all I'm gonna say.

Amen.

But when you don't have that, guess what?

You're just gonna be hanging, hang, hang, hang, hang, hang.

Right?

Absolutely.

Guilty.

When you're not walking in spirit, it's hey, you're not real nice.

Come on, amen.

I better get back to Colossians.

Amen.

It's a very special love.

Now, watch this.

When we have this kind of love, I wrote a few things down.

Here's a thought.

I put I put a thought to me.

This is a striking point.

It means that there is no room within the church or in the home for believers to have division.

Hello.

There's no room for division.

Oh, hey, there's no room for envy.

Amen.

We have more envying in churches than anything else.

Oh, well, they're running more, they're bigger, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Hey, praise God.

If a church is winning people to Christ and they're growing.

Amen.

Praise God for them.

Praise God for the Highlands.

Praise God for liberty.

Praise God for all these great churches.

Praise God.

Amen.

Now, when I was younger, I didn't like that.

I'd say, yeah, I'd say, praise God, and then I'd say, yeah, but we're gonna beat them.

See, I was in competition.

Then I got a little bit older and realized my competition ought to be against Satan, not against the brother.

Woo! Glory, that's good.

Amen.

Ought to be against Satan, not the brother.

Amen.

Hey, guess what?

There's no room for clicks.

You know where the where the strongest clicks are in the church?

In the church.

I'm telling you something.

I hey, hey, I and by the way, and it's easily done.

Don't get me wrong.

I'm not getting upset at you.

Because see, what you here's a click.

Let me define the click.

You want to know what a click is?

I'm gonna give you my definition.

Yeah, you can go look it up in Webster.

But here's my definition.

A click is someone that's attracted to the people like him that likes the things he likes and likes to do the things they do.

That's a click.

And next thing you know, that's the only people you're hanging around with.

By the way, you could say that's a good click.

Yeah, absolutely.

That's a good click.

But it's still a click.

You gotta, hey, you gotta expand into the body of Christ.

And I'm serious, you have to.

Hey, let me give a good example.

Man, I'm just laying it down today, okay?

All right?

When we eat together, you don't need to eat with the same people every Sunday.

If you are a brother and sister, you want to get to know them.

You know the greatest way.

You know why we love eating together.

You know why I love you know what I do.

I'd be very I'm the last one usually to eat.

Okay?

Because I'm not really interested in eating food.

I'm interested in loving on you.

And I'm going around everybody, just talking to you, just touching you, letting you know I care about you, love you.

Just let you know I thank you for being here.

Thank you for being a part of our family.

Now let me tell you, you say, but but I like Darren better.

I don't care.

Hey, you can like Darren, you can see Darren all you want to, but in church, you gotta you gotta branch out.

Love each other, get to know all of us.

Amen.

You don't know until you sit down and start talking and asking about each other and your life and what's going on.

Folks, that's the family of God.

And don't you dare say, well, that ain't gonna happen.

Yes, it is.

Amen.

What are you gonna do in heaven?

You think God's gonna have you in your own little clique in heaven?

Well, all the golfers are over there.

No, I'm gonna be over, I'm gonna I'm gonna interrupt the golfers in heaven.

They're gonna have to love me.

You know, the Lord, I I'm convinced.

The Lord's gonna if we if there's golf in heaven, and I don't know what's in heaven, but if it is, the Lord's gonna let me whip David Wilson in golf.

That would be my greatest desire.

David, you beat Benji.

Yeah.

No, I don't know if David beat Benji.

I'm not worried about Benji.

Benji's 30 years younger than I am, but I want to beat David.

What's embarrassing?

Last time I played golf with them, they made me, I had to hit on the old man's T.

Don't know, I'll take any advantage I can.

Hello.

They say I'm 55 or so, whatever it is, I'm going to the red, I'm going to hit on the red T.

But David would go back up there and get on that big T and hit that ball.

Okay, you wait till we get the frisbee.

I'm going to throw that frisbee further than he does.

Clicks, criticism.

Hey, grumbling, arguments.

There's no place for clicks.

There's no place for criticism.

There's no, I didn't say disagreements.

I didn't say this.

We can disagree, but we don't need to criticize each other.

Can I get an amen?

Hey, there's no places for grumbling and arguments.

There's no place for strife and hard feeling.

Ladies and gentlemen, there ought to never be a major argument in any church that's spirit-filled.

There won't be.

You say, prove that, I will.

First of all, it says, be angry, sin not, do not let the sun go down upon your wrath.

But also, he says, that's in Ephesians 4.

Then he also says 1 Corinthians 6, 17, he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Amen.

That's it.

I'm telling you.

If you are a Christian, I'm a Christian, and we're walking in the Spirit, we're brothers and sisters in Christ.

There's no disagreement that we can't work out.

Now I didn't say after we work it out that we still agree either.

I've got my opinion.

David always says that.

That's just my opinion.

Well, good.

I'm glad you got an opinion.

I've got an opinion.

My wife really has an opinion.

And I hear it every time.

Okay?

That's okay.

She's got an opinion.

I got an opinion.

But hey, when it's all said and done, we sit down and then we say, what do we feel like God wants us to do?

And we unify it and we go do it.

Can I get an amen?

I may disagree with you, but if we agree and God leads us to do something, when I walk out that door, I may have had a different opinion.

Not that I disagree, but I had a different opinion.

I like that word better.

But when we walk out that door, bless God, we're charging to heal together.

Amen?

Now that is brotherly love.

There's no strife, there's no heartbeat.

Let me give you this example.

A new commandment I give unto you.

Church, read this.

Read, church.

A new commandment.

Verse 35, read, church.

When they don't, you know why?

You know why that's so true?

When there's no division, there's no envy, there's no clicks, there's no criticisms, there's no grumbling, there's no arguments, there's no strife, there's no hard feelings.

People say, good grief, something's different.

Because that's what the world does.

And why do you think people don't want to come to a church that's involved in that?

Because they have that every day in the world.

Yes.

They come to church to get away from that.

We come to church to, hey, have the peace of God.

Amen.

That's good preaching, preacher.

That's hard preaching.

I understand.

I wore my boots today.

I knew where I was going.

Amen.

Beloved, look at 1 John 4, 7.

Beloved, let us love one another.

Let us love one another.

For everyone that loves, born of God, and knoweth God.

That's what it says.

And then number three.

Let's get to three.

Hope.

Because of the two great pillars, faith and love, we have hope.

What is that hope?

Look at what it says in verse 5.

Laid up.

Woo! What's laid up?

Which is laid up for you in heaven.

Wherefore you heard before in the word of truth and the gospel.

Here it is.

It's the hope of being raised from the dead and being given a new and perfect and glorious body.

Do you understand something, ladies and gentlemen?

One day you and I are going to have a perfect, glorious body.

Look at what he says in Acts 24, 15.

And he says, and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

There's going to be a resurrection.

And then he says in Philippians 3.20 and 21, you know it, that he's going to give us a new body who shall change our bodies that it may be fashioned like a glorious body.

Amen.

You don't like your body now?

Hang on, you're going to have a new one when you get to heaven.

You said what it's going to be like.

I don't know, but it'll be good.

Amen.

I got a hey, hey man, it's going to be good.

I think, you know what I think?

I think I'm going to be able to eat all the caramel, strawberry, peanut butter cake, chocolate-filled cream, donuts.

I can eat and not gain a pound.

That's what I think.

May even be better than that.

Amen.

Amen.

It's my thought.

Hey, it's the hope of the Lord's return and being with the Lord Himself forever.

It's the hope of entering the veil of heaven and of living there forever.

Hebrews 6, 18 through 20.

It's the glorious inheritance we are to receive from God as sons and daughters as his heirs forever.

Ladies and gentlemen, see, we can comprehend that.

I understand that.

We really don't.

I'm preaching this hard.

I'm going through that and I get excited, but we don't, we can't comprehend it.

But let me tell you, it's coming.

It's worth sacrificing and being faithful for.

Amen.

It's worth not quitting.

It's worth not giving up on God.

You say, well, but Pastor Danny, you don't know what it doesn't matter about all that stuff.

What have somebody's hurt you?

Yes, we're people.

We're going to hurt each other.

I wish we wouldn't, but we're not perfect.

But one day there'll be no hurt up there.

There'll be no crying up there.

There'll be no tears up there.

There'll be no pain up there.

There'll be no disease up there.

There'll be no tears up there.

Man.

It's worth it's worth waiting for.

It's a blessed hope.

It's that hope.

It's that hope that we're going to get.

Then the last thing.

And I've got to close with this because this is fixing to ring your bell.

Verses 5 through 8.

It's the word of God, the gospel.

The believer's hope has one great source, the gospel.

That is the word of God.

Note that both the word and the gospel in verse 5 are together.

You can't separate them.

Can't separate them, they're together.

Note what it says about the word of God and the gospel in these four verses.

Watch.

Verse 5.

The gospel or the word is truth.

It's no lie.

Hey, there's no false teaching.

And by the way, he's one of the reasons that he's writing this to the church at Colossi, Paul never visited Tlossi.

He never went to Tlossi.

But Epaphoros, who his beloved worker, if you remember, was one of his heroes that helped him in everything, had gone back, and I believe Epaphoros was the one that started the church, and I'll talk a little bit more about that later.

He started the church and the thing was exploding.

It was one of the best churches that they had started, but all of a sudden there was false teaching beginning to creep in.

It'll try to happen every time.

That's why the shepherd, your shepherd and your council and your leaders are so important.

Hey, the wolves are out there, as long as the wolves are outside, we are okay.

But if they get inside, we're in trouble.

And it's part of my job and the council's job to keep the wolves outside.

Amen.

Amen.

Not inside.

So just remember that.

You mean to tell me they're coming.

Let me tell you, wolves come through the church all the time.

The key is you just don't want them to stay.

Amen.

You want them to get converted.

Okay?

But if they don't get converted, time to go.

Cast out the corner and hey, the scorner and contention shall cease.

Proverbs 22, 10.

My job is to.

You know what a shepherd does?

He does three things.

He leads, he feeds, and he protects.

Amen.

That's my job.

To protect you from false teaching.

Amen.

That's why you're going to get the book, nothing but the book.

Black and white.

There it is.

And that those letters in red, whoo! You better really get attention.

Because Jesus is speaking directly.

Now watch.

So good.

It's the truth.

In other words, he says in John 17, 17, sanctify them through thy word.

Thy word is truth.

Notice the second thing.

The gospel or the word is for individuals.

Look at verse 6.

Paul says that it has come to you.

He is addressing all the believers together, but he is saying that the gospel is for every one of them, for every individual.

It is the individual who has to respond to the gospel.

Listen, hey, I'm preaching the gospel to everyone listening to my voice this morning by internet here in this building, but I can't respond for you.

You have to respond.

He'll call you, he'll present it to you, but you still have to respond.

You have to accept it.

Amen.

So, hey, but it's for everyone.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but his long suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Christ.

If you perish, it's not his fault.

Hello.

Hello.

John 8 32 says, You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

Listen to what he says in Luke 12, 8 and 9.

Also I say unto you, whosoever should confess me before men, woo, I like this.

Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my hey, Father and the angels of God, but he that denies me before men shall be denied before angels of God, all people.

That's pretty strong, isn't it?

Amen?

Pretty strong.

That's why, hey, don't be ashamed of Jesus' awesome.

That's right.

Don't be afraid of that.

I got a oh, by the way, I got me a new belt.

Look at that.

Got the cross.

Jesus is awesome on it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The other one was too big.

Because I'm not eating peanut butter cake.

But I will one day.

I'm endured until the end.

The Lord's told me when I get to heaven, I'm going to get to eat all I want, never gain a pound.

But anyway, go ahead.

Watch.

Watch.

The gospel is for individuals.

Notice number three, the gospel, the word is for the world.

Look at verse 6.

Look at verse 6.

Which is come unto you as it is in all the world.

And bringeth forth fruit as it hath done also in you since the days you heard of it.

Look, what does that mean?

The gospel is not for a particular body of people.

It's for everyone.

It's for the Jew and the Gentile.

Can I get an amen?

Not just for the Jew, it's for the Jew and the Gentile.

It's for the red, it's for the black, it's for the white, it's for the yellow.

It's for everybody.

We're all, hey, one in Christ.

Hey, it's not for a particular nation or nationality or religion, denomination, a particular church, hey, particular social class, particular intelligence.

It's for everyone.

Can I get an amen?

That's good.

Acts 10 34, God is no respecter of persons.

Aren't you glad?

You shall receive power out of the Holy Spirit's come upon you.

You should be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, to the other most parts of the world.

Acts 1.8.

Number four.

The gospel or the word produces fruit.

Look at verse 6.

And bringeth forth fruit.

It will produce fruit within any person who surrenders his life to follow the gospel.

And what's what is fruit?

This is good.

Ready?

Don't miss this.

Almost through, but don't miss this.

Here it is.

Here's the fruit.

There is the fruit of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit's love, joy, peace, long suffering, Genesis, Galatians 5, 22, 23.

Then there's the fruit of bearing converts and reaching others.

I want you to read this with me.

Romans 1.13 says, read, church.

Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purpose to come unto you, but I was led hereunto that I might have somewhat fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

Hey, we are going to produce fruit with converts.

Bringing people, thank you.

A lot of you have been bringing people to the church.

They get saved.

It's awesome.

It's awesome.

I know at the youth home, kids they bring, we have new uh students come in.

They get saved.

You ladies at the ladies' home, they get saved.

That's exciting.

Bringing them under the gospel so that they can get saved.

And then there's the fruit of sanctification.

And that is a purity and cleanness of life.

Oh, John 15, 2 and 3, every branch in me that beareth not fruit, what?

He takes away every branch that bears fruit, he purges it.

Why?

That it may bring forth more fruit.

Then he says in verse 3, now you're cleansed through the word that I've spoken unto you.

Fruit, more fruit, much fruit.

And then number five, the gospel, the word comes by hearing.

Ha ha.

He that hath ears, let him hear.

You gotta hear it.

Amen?

You gotta hear it.

That's why when you miss on Sundays, it's not that, hey, hey, I'm trying to be legalistic.

It's not that I'm trying to make you feel condemned for not being here on a Sunday.

Hey, that's not what I do.

I do not, that's not in even in my thinking.

But what I do know is when you miss, you miss hearing the truth.

And it's the truth that sets you free.

Amen.

John 8 32.

You miss what God has for you.

But you gotta hear it.

Faith cometh by.

And what?

Here, throw it up there.

Read, church.

Romans 10, 17.

Read, church.

So then.

Number six, the gospel, a word is the message of God's grace.

And we know what grace is.

For by grace are you saved through faith, not of yourself.

It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2.8.9, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

Titus 2.11, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation has appeared to the world, all men, but we have to receive it.

We have to accept it.

There it is.

And that's that unmerited favor shown to us.

And then number seven, the gospel of the word is shared by men.

Look at verse 7 and 8.

As ye also learned of Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ, who also declared unto you love in the Spirit.

Wow.

Go ye in all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Look at Colossians 1, verse 25, right there.

Colossians 1:25

Whereof I am made a minister, a servant.

Hey, a preacher, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God.

Go out and spread the gospel.

Bring people in.

That's what we're called to do.

We've been given the minister, hey, the ministry of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5.18.

Then the last thing the gospel or the word results in love.

The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us.

Romans 5.5.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy.

But love.

Love.

Do you love each other?

Aren't you glad this morning, your brother?

Or sister in Christ?

I don't know about you.

I am thankful that I'm a part of this family.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

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Send us an email at office at the church at CW.com.

We hope you have a wonderful day, and again, God bless you.