The Joy of God's People

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.

Because this is really one of the most fascinating and most exciting books of the Bible.

The joy book of the Bible.

And what's the most exciting thing about it being the most exciting book is that he wrote this book while in prison at Rome, knowing that the possibility that he would be executed.

Now, I think history tells us, and what I mean by that, there's a couple of several other theologians that think that uh this might have been the time they beheaded him, but I think most of us agreed that he was let uh loose, but even because of the scriptures here, when Paul talks about praying for my deliverance, he was delivered.

And it was two years later that he was arrested, brought back, and this second time he was no longer on uh in house arrest.

Here he's in house arrest.

We're not sure which house it is.

It could have been in in one of the uh uh captain of the guards houses, it could have been in where the officers stayed in this uh garrison, and this garrison was the Green Barades, the best of the best.

There was about 10,000 of them, what they call the Emperor's Guard that was there in uh Philippi.

So uh we are not sure exactly where he was housed here, but the second time we know he was thrown into the darkest, darkest uh part of the dungeons there, and then uh eventually beheaded for the cause of Christ.

So, regardless of that, Paul is in jail writing the joy book of the Bible.

Now, I don't know about you, it'd be hard for me to be joyful in jail.

Amen.

I mean, don't you just look forward to saying, I can't wait to go to jail this week.

I mean, hello, amen.

I can't wait to go to jail this week.

So, but anyway, Paul is writing this letter to the Philippians, the church at Philippi, which is one of the greatest churches of all the Asia Minor churches, because this is the one that Paul had so much adoration, so much love, so much compassion for.

He talked about them more than any of the other churches.

Now, he bragged on the other churches, but this church was the only one that we know also that had record that constantly would take up love offerings and send him help.

And not just money, but uh goods and clothing, whatever.

So he had an intimate affection for this church.

And he writes this letter ten years later, after the church has been started.

Remember last week we looked at verse 1 and verse 2, and we said that the church was started with uh three really converts, and we looked at that last week in Acts 16.

Remember, Lydia, the businesswoman, she was at the river praying when Paul came into the city, and normally he'd go to the synagogue, but there was not ten Jews.

It took ten Jewish men to form a synagogue.

There were not ten Jewish men there.

So he knew if there was not a synagogue, he'd go find the closest, nicest river, because that's where the Jews would be uh praying for their homeland.

And sure enough, he found Lydia.

Uh Lydia was, we believe she believed in God.

She believed in the things of God.

We don't think she had been converted through the New Testament gospel.

And what we see is that she opens her heart to the things of Paul.

She gets saved, takes Paul to her house, they start celebrating, and probably that was her house is where this church started.

I'm pretty convinced that's where this church started, it was at Lydia's house.

Then they were thrown in jail, even though he was a Roman citizen.

They didn't know it.

They threw him in jail.

Long story short, remember last week?

He met the Philippian jailer, led the Philippian jailer to the Lord, kept him from committing suicide.

He took them home, bound up their wounds.

Not only did he lead the Philippian jailer to the Lord, he led the whole household to the Lord, and they were all baptized.

Lydia was baptized, they were baptized.

And then on the way, hey, remember after Lydia's situation, then there was the demon-possessed woman going out crying out, This is Christ, the Son of God.

Even though she was saying the truth, she was doing it in a pretty bad way.

And Paul said, This is not a good testimony.

Turned around, cast the demons out.

She gets saved, and now we have the beginning of the church at Philippi.

You're talking about a diverse group.

Hello.

You got a jailer, you got a demon-possessed girl, and you got a businesswoman.

You always have to have a business person.

Amen.

Somebody's got to have some money.

Amen.

So, anyway, that's the way the church got started.

Now, with that said, Paul leaves after he spends probably a couple of years there.

Titus, I mean, excuse me, Timothy's with him.

Silas is with him, and now they leave and they go on about starting other churches.

And ten years later, though, the church at Philippi hear that Paul is in jail.

Paul's in jail.

Okay?

They are so heartbroken, they send Ephroditus to Philippi with a gift for Paul.

To help Paul any way they can.

And so when he gets there with the gift and with the love, we see that Paul is so moved with compassion how this church, after ten years, still lovingly caring for him and loves him, they are intimately bound together that he writes, he sits down and he says, Aphrodite, you gotta send a letter back.

You gotta take the letter back.

And then he writes the book of Philippians.

Is that not a beautiful story?

What a beautiful story.

So with that said, let's pick up at verse three.

The title of the message, The Joy of God's People.

Another title you could put, The Marks of a Mature Believer.

The marks of a mature believer.

And he says in verse 3, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

Woo!

The Philippian church was always on Paul's mind.

Always.

Always.

I thought just for a minute right there.

Wouldn't it be awesome for our church to always be on our minds?

Amen.

Thinking about your church all the time.

And what I mean, not a building.

I'm talking about each other.

Thinking, you know, people all the time.

I love you so much when you're not here.

And I'm already, I can almost visually see who's not here every Sunday.

And and I'm concerned.

I really am.

I, you know, are they okay?

And I know most of the time they're out, they're gone taking a break or visiting someone or something that's important, or they're sick.

But that I really care.

I know I want to know.

I really do.

And that's the way Paul was.

That's the kind of intimacy they had with each other.

And that's the intimacy we should have with each other.

And that's why we have intimate fellowship.

The reason we eat together every week is so we can get to know each other.

And let me encourage you.

Sometimes when you're eating, go sit by someone that you see a lot in church, but you really don't know them.

Sit down and get to know them.

Get to be able to know them intimately so you can pray for them daily and care for them.

Amen?

That is what the church is all about.

It's not about little clicks and it's not about country clubs.

It's about a love for each other regardless of who we are.

Can I get an amen?

Now that's what the church is supposed to be.

And that's what our church will be.

Can I get an amen?

And that's the truth.

And then he says, always in every prayer of mine for you all.

By the way, that proves he was a Southern, you all.

But anyway, anyway, mark in request with joy for your fellowship in the gospel for the first day until now, being confident of this very thing that he which begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Now let's stop right there and let's start looking at these next, these first six verses.

First of all, what are the marks of a mature Christian?

What are the marks of a mature church?

Here they are.

Number one, it's the joy of a thankful heart.

A joyful of a thankful heart in verse 3.

Listen to what he says.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

Folks, listen, I really do.

I'm gonna use Kelly's example.

She won't mind.

They were gone uh last week, I think, and she she had asked me about bringing something over.

And first thing I said was, Kelly, I'm sorry I miss you and Brian.

Are y'all okay?

You're set.

I figured one of the little kids, they've got twins.

But anyway, and she texted me back, she says, No, I was in, I was at guard, her guard, she's a reservist.

And she said, I guess I need to give you my guard uh schedule.

I said, Yeah, that would help.

That way I wouldn't be worried.

But really, that's the way I your pastor cares.

Now, if you don't want me to care that way, I can't help it.

I can't help it.

I am gonna care.

You say, well, you're going to mind your own business.

You are my business.

You are my business.

If you're a member of this church, you are my business.

I will be held accountable one day for what I've done to you and led you and fed you and shepherd you.

I believe in a shepherdology.

I'm a shepherd, folks.

I love you, and I'm gonna care for you.

And now, some people don't like that kind of accountability.

Well, guess what?

Then this is I can't help it.

If you're gonna be around here, we're gonna check on you.

Amen.

We love you.

We care for you.

That's the way it's supposed to be.

After 10 years, this church is still caring for their founding pastor.

Now, to me, that's exciting.

That's true biblical love.

They were thankful for Paul.

What a lesson for us to learn.

Paul thanked God for believers who were so far away.

If he thanked believers being so far away, why can't we thank believers for each other right here?

Can I get an amen?

This is what he says in Colossians 1:12.

Colossians 1:12

Giving thanks unto what?

Unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

We are saints in the light of Jesus Christ.

We are together.

That's why, hey, with Deedron, Christian, Carolyn in Peru right now.

Do you understand?

There's however many seven, how many were saved?

Somebody can't say, how many?

Thirteen have just been born into the family of God.

They are part of our inheritance now.

And what a joy that is.

You just had a part.

Listen to me.

You just had a part in 13 of those people come into Christ.

You personally had a part in that.

Now that ought to get you excited.

And so Paul says, I thank God.

Colossians 3.15, he said, Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also you're called in one body.

And what does he say?

Say it out loud with me.

What?

Be ye thankful.

You know, one of the weakest areas in my life is being thankful.

I take God for granted.

I take my wife for granted.

I take you sometimes for granted.

And I've, through this message, God has spoken to my heart to be thankful.

Every morning in my prayer time, the first thing I do, I'm going to get up and I'm going to start thanking God for all the blessings.

Amen.

Thanking him for all the blessings.

Thanking him for you.

Thanking him for the other churches that preach the gospel.

We're not the only ones.

Hallelujah.

Thank God.

We ought to be praying for all the churches that are preaching the gospel.

Praying for one another.

Being thankful.

Notice the second thing.

He says the mark of a true believer is the joy of prayer.

Look at verse 4.

The joy of prayer.

Always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy.

Can I say this?

You ought to, in your prayer time, you gotta make yourself a prayer time.

Some, hey, you gotta have prayer time.

In the morning, hey, I've gotten to the point I hardly even turn on the radio anymore.

I use my driving time for prayer time because I'm in the car a lot.

So I've just made it's really enhanced my prayer life.

I have no problem studying.

I can study six, seven hours the Word of God every morning from about seven to about twelve easily.

Not even get up to accept to go to the restroom, maybe get a cup of coffee.

I mean that.

I'm memorizing and studying, and I love it.

But it's hard for me to pray for 10 minutes without.

I meant really, unless I have a prayer list or I start.

And let me tell you what I've done.

The word pray.

P R A Y.

Pray.

All right?

Let me tell you, this has really helped change my prayer life.

Letter P praise him.

Praise him.

You may want to jot this down.

Praise him.

Praise him.

I mean, I just praise him and thank him for all the blessings.

Praise him, praise him, thank him.

And then R, I start asking him to search my heart.

Repentance.

Repentance.

Repent of my sins that I know, my apathy, my sinfulness, or things that I know I need to get right in my own heart.

And you know, I don't have to make a list for you.

You know, you know, you know.

So praise him, repent, and then what?

Ask.

Letter A, ask.

But watch.

Ask for others first.

Ask for others first.

And then ask for yourself.

Paul never asked for himself.

Never.

He always was praying for his church folks.

Always.

And then what?

Why?

Yield.

Present your bodies a living sacrifice that day.

Lord, here I am.

Lord, here I am, as uh Joe Hancock would say.

I am reporting for duty.

I have yielded my members, my thought process, my talents, my gifts, everything that I am, my time, talents, treasures, testimony is yours.

I present my body a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12, 1 and 2.

Amen?

Here I am.

I'm bought with the price.

Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirits, which are God's.

1 Corinthians 6, 19.

Amen?

That's it.

And that's what we're to do.

Pray.

Pray.

Paul said, Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Listen to what he said in Colossians 4 12.

Epaphorus.

He said, Who is one of you?

Epaphoras said, Who is one of you?

A servant of Christ.

Salute you.

Always laboring, watch fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in the will of God.

You know what we want to be praying for fervently for this church and each other?

That we will be in the perfect will of God.

Can I get an amen?

It's not what Danny wants, it's not what the council wants, it's not what you want, it's what God wants.

Amen.

And he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit, 1 Corinthians 6.17.

I'm telling you, when you do it God's way, you'll be in one accord.

Hey, one accord.

And that's the whole emphasis of the book of Philippians.

Paul was praying for unity, and you're gonna see why.

All the time.

The key is unity in the gospel.

We may have disagreements in a lot of things, what color the car and all this and stuff, but there's one thing we can't disagree about: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ.

We can't disagree in that.

And that is our ultimate purpose.

So what is joy?

That's the question.

Look at the question on your outline.

What is joy?

Remember, Paul's in prison, yet his heart is filled with ha.

Hurrah! Hurrah is the Greek word there.

Hurrah for joy.

And it means, let me tell you what it means.

It means an inner gladness.

It means a deep-seated pleasure.

I'm gonna get back to inner gladness, but a deep-seated pleasure.

It's that depth of assurance and confidence.

It's that depth of assurance and confidence that ignites a cheerful and rejoicing heart.

It's that deep confidence that I know that all things work together for good.

I know.

And hey, then I'm assured that God is my salvation.

He's a captain of my salvation, and I am secure forever.

And he's got a beautiful plan for my life, regardless of the past, and I'm here ready to fulfill that purpose that God has called me to do.

Now that's good preaching, preacher.

Now that's why we're here.

We didn't just start this church because we wanted our own little clique.

We did not do that.

We started this church because we wanted to be a New Testament church in this region so we could be an example of who Jesus is.

Loving God and loving people.

For every color, every creed, every nationality, every age.

We want a church that looks like heaven.

Amen.

Now that's it, folks.

That's it.

And you ain't seen anything yet.

You think we got a little overflow.

Well, you just wait to that multiple.

Woo! You wait to the uh tent, uh, but the uh pavilion goes up.

It's gonna be coming, they're gonna be coming from everywhere in this region.

Amen.

I see it.

I've I've seen it.

It's coming, it's coming, folks, and you're gonna be a part of that.

Nothing more exciting.

And we see that's the joy.

Now, the joy of the Lord is not the same as the joy of the world.

I got thinking about that.

And I I wrote this down.

You know the difference in the joy of the Lord than the joy of the world?

I call it haunting circumstances, or that haunting awareness.

You say, what does that mean?

Watch.

It means the difference is in this world, you don't know when that, hey, that worldly joy is gonna be interrupted.

For example, we almost lost my neighbor, I will.

He was almost died.

In fact, the doctors told me at Rosemary that he wasn't gonna make it.

Didn't actually say that, but that's what he meant.

And we just said, no, we're gonna commit it to prayer, and we don't want to lose him.

We're praying, we're praying, we're praying.

Just everybody praying.

Guess what?

God wasn't finished with IV yet.

Amen.

Amen.

He wasn't through.

He called me that Wednesday morning, and I was sicker than a dog preaching a revival up on the mountain up there, and I'd been throwing up all night, and I was just laying there saying, God, I don't even know how I'm gonna preach tonight.

And somebody calls me on the phone and says, Where are you, preacher?

I said, Who is this?

He said, Why haven't you come to visit me?

I said, Who is this?

This is IV.

I said, I almost dropped the phone.

I said, What?

I meant Friday night before Wednesday, we thought we were gonna be doing a funeral.

I really did.

When I left, I told Susan I'm a phone call away.

Something happens, I'll be right back.

And then I was, where are you, preacher?

You hadn't come to visit me.

I came back that Thursday and went right in there, and we had revival there in the room.

Yeah.

I'm telling you, folks, that's what it's all about.

Fulfilling God's will for your life.

Being in his perfect will.

Now, with that said, several things need to be said about the believer's joy.

Here it is.

Number one, joy is divine, it is possessed and given only by God.

Woo! You can't have this joy except through Jesus.

This joy comes from no one else but Jesus.

Jesus said in John 15, 11, These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might be in you, and that your joy might be what?

Woo! Full.

Say it with me.

Full.

My joy's full.

Full.

That only comes from Jesus.

The world's joy is only full when you're happy.

Amen.

Or when everything's going well.

But Jesus' joy is full even in the midst of the storm.

Even in the midst of the even in the lion's den.

Even, hey, hey, even in the fiery furnace.

His joy is full.

His joy is full.

That comes from Jesus.

Acts 13 52.

Watch this.

Ha ha.

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.

Some of y'all are afraid of that word ghost.

I'm glad of the Holy Ghost.

When you're filled with the Holy Ghost, hey, you got joy.

You can't separate them.

You can't separate the joy and the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is what brings the joy.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love.

Joy.

Woo! Number two, joy does not depend on circumstances or happiness.

No.

2 Corinthians 6.10, jump to there.

2 Corinthians 6.10, watch this.

As sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

You can have nothing and be full of joy.

How are you can have everything and have no joy.

I'd rather be poor and have nothing and have the Holy Ghost fill me with God's joy than have everything the world has to offer with no joy, only the world's joy.

Because it's only temporal.

It's only temporary.

What I've got's everlasting.

Woo! I'm going to go into heaven with a smile on my face.

Why?

Because of the joy of the Lord.

It's my strength.

Nehemiah 8.10.

Amen.

So, hey, this joy doesn't.

Oh, you got to see this.

2 Corinthians 7.4.

Do you have that one, Jerry?

Jeremy, you may not.

You don't have that one?

Well, 2 Corinthians 7.4 says, I am exceedingly joyful in all my tribulation.

Woo! Man, how can you really have that kind of an exceeding, not just joy, but exceedingly joyful in tribulation only through the power of the Holy Spirit of God?

If every time you go through a situation and there's no joy down deep, you've grieved or quenched the Holy Spirit of God, or there is no Holy Spirit of God.

So, the third thing, joy springs from faith.

It comes from faith.

Look at Philippians 1 25, right here in this chapter.

Look at verse 25.

And having this confidence.

Whoa, I like the word confidence.

I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your feathers and joy of faith.

He was so excited to hear that after 10 years, the church at Philippi was still walking in faith.

Faith of the gospel.

For we walk by faith and not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5, 7.

Listen to me.

We're two years old coming this August.

We're almost two years old.

Won't it be exciting that 10 years from now, hopefully, if you're still here, you're still growing.

God's called, by the way, God's call, if God's called you here, you'll be here.

Unless God has a mission for you somewhere else.

You'll still be here.

Won't it be exciting ten years from now?

Won't it be exciting 10 years from now when we're over there and people are being saved like they are now almost every week?

And we're helping people like, and we just turn back and say, you know what?

The church at CCW is still doing it.

In fact, they've taken it up to fourth or fifth gear.

Just beginning.

Still going.

You know what breaks my heart?

You know what breaks my heart more than anything?

People to get saved, and I think some genuinely do, and they get on fire for God.

Now don't miss this.

For a little while, and then they fade out.

They fade out.

And you know why they fade out?

Because of the cares of this world.

They overcome them.

The worldliness, the worldly things, the power, the precision, the prestige, all those little lures that Satan dangles in our in front of us.

My little grandchildren caught two little catfish yesterday.

John put that green serple-looking worm on the thing and threw it out there.

And they do like this.

You know what that little thing.

You know what James talks about?

Temptation being a lure.

And what's this?

Fishy see.

No problem.

Fishy start circling.

Fishy won't.

No problem.

Fishy bite.

Big problem.

Fishy on the wall.

And that's the way Satan is.

He's always dangling something in front of us to try to get us away from God's purpose for our life.

If you can get that principle this morning, you will be liberated.

So when that lure starts doing this, you just in the name of Jesus say, I rebuke you.

I'm not biting, Satan.

I'm not biting.

Get thee behind me, Satan.

For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and for him only shall thou serve.

Amen.

Matthew chapter 4.

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

So we see joy springs from faith, staying in the word, going back to the word.

Number four, joy of the future reward makes and keeps the believer faithful.

Hey, we've got a hope.

We got a future to be looking forward to, folks.

Listen, I am an athlete.

I've been one all my life.

That's why I hadn't worked out in a month, and my knee's getting better.

Thank you.

Keep praying.

It's getting better.

I'm going to be back soon.

In fact, I'm wanting to just have a spell so badly, but I don't want to hurt it again.

But listen, listen to me.

I've always been a goal-oriented person.

And here I'm goal-oriented.

I mean, I can't, I got to accomplish something.

We've got to take the heel.

Well, I've got news for you, folks.

One day every knee's going to bow, every tongue's going to confess to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

But more than that, Revelation 4.10 says we're going to cast the crowns that we've had the privilege of earning at his feet.

One day there's going to be a judgment day.

It's coming.

It's coming.

Matthew 25, verse 21.

Matthew 25:21

Oh, and his Lord said unto him, Can't you wait?

I can't wait to hear this.

Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

Enter into the joy of the Lord.

Why?

Because you've been faithful over the small things.

I'm going to make you ruler over many things.

Woo! What a day that will be.

When by Jesus I shall see.

When he takes me by the hand and leads me into the promised land, what a day, glorious day that will be.

Oh, church, wow, exciting.

Hey, one day we're going to be rewarded.

This is, you're not just fighting the battle for nothing.

My God doesn't work that way.

He doesn't work that way.

The joy of the future rewards makes and keeps the believer faithful.

They knew the people at Philippi, they knew not only were they being a blessing to Paul, but that one day they would be a blessing to God Himself, the Lord Jesus who's the judge, they would be able to stand before him and hear him say to them, Well done.

One day, the church at Chelsea Westover, we're going to stand before Jesus.

Yes, individually, absolutely.

But I still believe when we're standing up there together, we're going to be saying, Hey, Melvin, there's Melvin.

He was a knife man at Chelsea.

He said, What does that mean?

Meat man.

He can cut meat and cuts like that.

But I mean, we're going to remember each other.

There's Nelson playing the drums, playing everything.

I mean, we'll all we'll be remembered.

Hey, the Bible says we'll know as we're known.

Amen.

We're not just going to be up there like a bunch of robots.

There's going to be intimate fellowship in heaven.

I'm going to get to eat chocolate, cream-filled donuts, and not gain a pound.

Hallelujah! Caramel cake and not gain a pound.

Hallelujah.

Matt, you need to say amen on that too.

The fellowship.

For the kingdom, Romans 14, 17, for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink.

Oh, isn't that good?

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Amen.

Number three.

There's the mark and the joy of fellowship.

I want you to notice something about this fellowship.

This is powerful.

The source of fellowship is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Look at verse 5.

For your fellowship in the what?

Say it with me.

In the what?

In the gospel.

From the first day until now.

Listen, the word gospel is used nine times in the book of Philippians.

Nine times.

It's used six times in this chapter one.

I think we could say that the theme of this chapter could be the fellowship of the gospel.

The fellowship of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The gospel of Christ is the glorious news that he died for our sins and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15, 3 and 4.

Amen.

He died.

He was risen, and now he's seated at the right hand of God the Father to make intercession for us, to take care of us.

It is the fellowship, a spiritual bond, a spiritual union.

You know why?

Because we have the same salvation.

Can I get an amen?

You, if you are a born-again Christian, you got saved just like I got saved.

Amen?

There's no difference.

There's no difference.

If you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you ask him to come into your heart and to save you and to change you.

And he did.

You and I are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Can I get an amen?

Amen?

We're brothers and sisters.

So how could we have alt with one another?

We can have differences with one another, but not alt.

There's a big difference.

Amen?

And we see that.

And not only that, we have embraced the same faith.

Same salvation, same faith.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Genuine believers who have totally committed their lives to the gospel of Christ, live and proclaim the gospel.

In other words, Susan sings this song for me.

I even told her I might have it ready.

I might want it today.

I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and to the Gentile.

Every one of us.

Once you get saved, you ought not to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She said, but I'm not an outver, I'm not an extroverted personality.

You don't have to be an ex hey, extroverted personality to give out one of those life and death tracks.

Just, hey, you know what I do a lot of times when I go through?

I just always, but now I always ask them.

Hey, read this.

You know what it says?

For the wage of sin is death.

Flip it over.

But the gift of God is eternal life.

Do you have that life?

And I hand it to them.

It's this simple.

But if you're scared to say anything, just say, here's a card.

Love you.

Boop, take off.

But at least you, hey, and and we're going to have magnet cards that will be here soon that we're going to put in our bags.

We're going to door, in fact, tying them starting door to door this week.

But the little magnets we're going to keep here so you can have a card with you everywhere.

You can give it to people, invite them to our church.

Going to have the name of the church, loving God, loving people, and address and telephone number.

We got our own church number now.

I don't even know what it is.

What's our church number?

You gotta go slower for me.

61803.

Oh, I got it.

618-0303.

618-0303.

So that's our church number now.

Amen?

But that, so you can hand it out.

You know, what'd be good?

You can find anything you can put a magnet on and just say, stick it on there.

Hey, you give us another two to three years, you won't be able to walk in a restaurant, you won't be able to walk in a bathroom, you won't be able to walk in a filling stage without seeing a track or something from CCW.

That's what it's all about.

Telling people about Jesus.

The faith, the fellowship of the gospel.

The fellowship of believers is to exist for the very first day until salvation.

The second thing is, once you get saved, you don't lose it, you don't get rid of it, you don't give it up.

Somebody asked me the other day, he said, Well, what if I decided to give it up?

I said, Well, first of all, what idiot would do that?

And secondly, I said, How can you give up something that you didn't earn?

Hello.

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.

Not by works of righteousness, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3.5.

Woo! I'm saved to the day.

Saved.

Oh, I love that.

Man, I wished I'd have thought about Mary and Susan here and Stephanie.

They Mary and them hated that song.

It was Daddy's favorite.

It's Hebrews 7.25.

Put up Hebrews 7.25.

I want you to see this.

He's able to save to the uttermost.

And that's the title of that song.

Saved to the uttermost.

That is my favorite song.

And people can say, well, I why?

Because it's total biblical theology.

For such as a high priest became us who is holy, harmless.

That's whoa, whoa, whoa.

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost.

Saved to the woo-hoo! All right, ready?

Count three.

I want you to say this with me.

Save to the uttermost.

Ready?

One, two, three.

Saved to the uttermost.

Again.

Saved to the uttermost.

Ha ha.

That's it.

That's it.

We are guaranteed because of the seal, the engagement ring of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, no, the fellowship of the church had continued.

Hey, from the very first day of its founding, as all churches experienced, there must have been, by the way, there was not a difficult free church.

There is no such thing.

Can I get an amen?

There is no such thing as a difficult free church.

In this church, there were two ladies that were going at each other.

Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

And Paul was always saying the unity, the unity.

But now here's what I wrote down.

This spoke to me.

Alright?

As all churches experienced, there must have been differences and problems which had arisen, but the believers handled them in Christ.

Just as they should have.

Therefore, the peace and unity of the Spirit was kept alive.

In fact, here's what I said.

The unity is so important.

Among Christians, there will be difficulties and disappointments.

Are you with me?

There will be difficulties and disappointments, but there should be no disruption.

Come on now.

Work with me here.

Difficulties, disappointment, absolutely, but no disruptions.

We should not allow Satan to disrupt and blow a church up.

Can I get an amen?

No way.

No way.

Because why?

Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.

That's it.

And listen, as a mature believer, you ought to be able to sit down and work through any problem you have.

I didn't say it's going to be easy.

And by the way, you can still walk away from that situation, maybe disagreeing long as it's not disagreeing the scripture.

You can't disagree with the scripture, okay?

And you say, well, how do you know whose interpretation is right?

I can tell you whose interpretation is right.

Jesus's.

You say, yeah, but no, just hey, it means what it says.

And it says what it means.

It's not hard to read and understand.

Okay?

So when you allow him to sit down, there's a lot of times Susan and I will disagree.

We to this day.

Really?

Yeah.

Hey, hey, furniture.

We have disagreed for 32.

Did I get it right?

Wonderful years?

Okay.

30.

I missed a birthday the other day.

It was bad.

But 30.

Well, I just missed it a day.

I made it a second instead of a third.

Well, that's better than missing it at all.

But uh at least uh thank you.

Yeah, send me a beep beep message.

All right.

Hey, I need help.

But what now listen, listen to me.

We disagree.

We've disagreed for 32 wonderful years in furniture.

But we don't that hasn't, there's that hadn't caused a disruption.

Amen.

Really?

Hello?

We're different.

We're different people.

I look at you right now.

There's a lot of different people out here.

Amen.

But you know what's wonderful about all our differences?

We're all fearfully and wonderfully made.

Marvelous our hands works.

You're a good thing from God.

In fact, in this passage, we're gonna say it.

It's hey, you're a good work.

Good works.

Good works.

Thank God we're not all alike.

That'd be boring.

If we were all like me, we'd never get any rest.

That'd be terrible.

Amen.

Blow something up.

Yeah.

But really, so folks, listen, please.

It's the fellowship of prayer, prayer fellowship that keeps us in one.

Look at Acts, look at uh Acts uh 242.

They continue daily, steadfast, in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and breaking bread and in what?

Prayers.

It's the fellowship of praying together.

Now let me tell you what we're gonna do this sun, this summer.

We got one more Wednesday night at our house.

Boy, we had a good time Wednesday night together.

And then starting the first Wednesday, I think, in June, we're gonna meet here on Wednesday nights, okay?

The adults are.

The kids have their dynamic fellowship in here.

And what we're gonna do, we'll we'll all eat together.

And then what we're gonna do, we're gonna, while the young people are fellowshipping and just having their great time here, we're gonna be right out there in the closed overflow room, and we're gonna pray.

We're gonna pray.

We're gonna learn to pray.

Can I get an amen?

Now, usually when that's is said, that's the lowest turnout, by the way.

You know that?

It really is.

And that's okay.

Where two or three are gathered together in his name, there he is in their presence.

So if it's only me and Clay or me and Susan, but there'll be more, because here's how we're gonna do it.

We're not gonna we'll count up, and then we'll, after we have our prayer, you're gonna have a prayer sheet, a prayer sheet every week.

In fact, we're getting a new brochure every week.

You're gonna have a we're gonna do a kind of a bulletin.

It's gonna be our own bulletin, though.

And it's gonna have everything in on one page, and on the end it's peripheral, so you can just tear it.

And everybody's gonna have prayer requests.

You're gonna put prayer requests in there.

You're gonna put and put your name and and also on there, but you're gonna put your prayer requests on there.

So we can pray for you by name or whoever you for, like Clay, uh Clay says, pray for my dad or my uncle or or or anyway.

We can pray every Wednesday night.

We're gonna get a hold of God and watch him answer your prayers.

Your prayer requests.

Can I get an amen?

So this summer we're gonna pray that God's gonna take this whole church and all of us to another, hey, level.

Can I get an amen?

That's gonna be fun.

That's gonna be fun.

And you'll be in a little group.

Now, watch this, so it won't scare you.

You don't have to pray out loud if you don't want to.

You can sit there and pray silently.

So don't be embarrassed.

You can come and do it.

But that is a good way to start to learn to pray if you want to.

We can help you.

You won't be embarrassed, you won't be in that front of everybody, you'll be in your little group.

Then after you get through praying, you just ease out and go on and go back home or or or whatever you need to do.

But we're gonna pray.

Jesus said in Matthew, my house shall be called the house of prayer.

Let's make this a house of prayer.

Amen.

And that's what we're gonna do on Wednesday nights during the summer.

Now, last summer we didn't do anything, but this summer God spoke to my heart as your pastor that let's start really getting a hold of God.

Because we've seen so much God's done.

And let me tell you when he started doing all this, all this, it's when we committed, four of us committed, to start praying every Tuesday and Wednesday.

I mean, excuse me, every Tuesday and Thursday for a solid at least about an hour.

Every Tuesday and Thursday at six o'clock in the morning, we started praying.

David and Christy and me and Susan Tuesday, they walk over to our house.

When Thursday we walk right across the street there, and we pray for a solid hour together.

And God has honored that.

Can you imagine what he'll do with all of us on a Wednesday night start praying?

God help.

I'm gonna tell you, he'll change your life.

And he'll change, he'll answer so many prayers for you, you'll be astonished.

But you got to sacrifice and pay the time, amen, to do it.

And it'll be a good time of fellowship as well.

We're going to do Acts 2.42.

We're going to break bread steadfastly in the doctrine, breaking bread and praying.

Can I get an amen?

We're going to be that New Testament church.

Amen.

Somebody say that's good preaching, preacher.

Where am I?

Number four, the joy.

Hey, the mark of confidence in God's salvation.

Look at what he said.

Look at verse 6.

Being confident of this very thing that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ.

Do you realize what he just said there?

God, you got confidence to know that if you stay faithful to God, he's got something beautiful, fantastic, wonderful for your life, and he will complete it.

Woo! That's good.

He won't stop.

Hey, if you don't fulfill what God's got planned for you, it's not his fault.

It's your fault.

It's my fault.

Amen.

You can settle for average, you can settle for good, or you can settle for the best.

It's your choice.

It's your choice.

That's what he says right there.

And by the way, the believer has absolute confidence in the work of salvation, that it's a good work, and that it is incomplete.

Hey, this completion will not take place until we go to be with Christ.

Can I get an amen?

But then it will be complete.

Till then, we're, hey, it's a daily walk by God's grace.

Hey, he's not finished with me yet.

There's a little song I learned early.

He's still working on me.

Y'all remember that little song?

He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be.

He's still working on me.

Say that with me.

He's still working on me.

Now let's do it this way.

He's still working on me, but here's what I want you to say.

He's still working on me, and I'm a good work.

He's still working on me and I'm a good work.

Again, he's still working on me, and I'm a good work.

Man, that's good.

Oh.

Oh, amen.

And the peace of God which passes all understanding.

Faithful is he that called us, who also will do it.

Then number five, it's cooperation.

It's the mark, the joy of cooperation or partnership.

Verse 7, they were partners at heart.

Look at this.

Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart.

Inasmuch as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers.

That verse is so loaded right there.

Let me show you.

He says, We're partners in heart.

We have the same heart.

Also, he says, we're partners in suffering, the bonds.

Then he said, Hey, we're sympathizing, Paul said, with each other.

They were sending, they were sympathizing with Paul, they were sending hope to Paul.

They were suffering with Paul because of the gospel.

What one experienced, the other felt.

Whoo! Did you hear that?

What one experienced, the other felt.

Now let me tell you something.

That's that's love.

That night sitting with Rosemary and I will.

I was sitting there, I was feeling what she was feeling.

I really was.

I'd been there.

Except I was not quite as fortunate.

My wife went on to be with the Lord.

I was in that room.

Begging God to s save my life.

And to hear the doctor come out and say, I'm sorry, Mr.

Lovett, she's dead.

I've been there.

And I was praying the Lord don't let her have to do that.

But I had to say, but I will be done.

It wasn't God's will for Becky to live.

Yeah, another plan.

But thy will be done.

Amen.

Now this is love.

And that's what they were feeling right there.

They were feeling it.

They were partners in the gospel.

Look at verse 7.

The defense of the gospel.

They were partners.

Matthew 28, 19, go ye therefore and teach all nations.

That's why we're in Peru.

That's why we'll be in Honduras.

That's why we're in Africa.

That's why we are in Westover.

That's why we're in Chelsea.

That's why we are in Wilsonville, Harpesville, everywhere about Starrett.

Vincent.

Everywhere.

That's why they were in the gospel.

Oh, there it is.

The name of the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit.

Hey, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you.

And lo, I am with you always, even until the ends of the world.

Can I tell you something?

God is with us more in power and presence when we're sharing the gospel.

When that ice cream truck's out there sharing the gospel, when we're out in the community sharing the gospel, that's when you see the power of God.

Through the prayers of God.

Man, that's good.

They were partners in the grace of God.

They were partners with Christ.

Number six, they were growing and maturing in the joy of growing and the discerning love.

I want you to notice verses eight, for this is my record, how greatly I long for you in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

In other words, my heart, my soul, my conscience, everything that I am.

And then verse 9, and this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.

Tremendous, tremendous.

We see the focus of love and the force of love here.

Look, the focus of love is knowledge.

If we truly love someone, we want to know that person.

In fact, we want to know all we can about that person.

Hello.

Hello.

If all you do is come to church so you can leave and go and you don't want to get to know each other, you're here for the wrong reason.

You ought to know each other.

I try.

I'm getting better with the names.

Just keep.

Hey, if I stutter, you know how you can help me really learn your name?

If I stutter, just tell me, hi, I'm I'm Susan.

Hi, I'm Clay.

Hi, I'm Candy.

But I'm getting there.

Most of you, I am getting there.

I'm getting pretty good.

In fact, we stand out there, me and Clay do.

We stand out and ask each other now, well, who's this?

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

Because it means a lot for me to get to know your name personally.

I love you.

I want to know all about you.

That's why I come visit your house, not to be nosy.

I want to get to know you.

That's why I went to the boys' home.

I go to the Hannah home.

I want to get to know you.

Amen.

I don't want you at my house.

Well, that means you don't want me to know you.

I want you at my house.

I want to get to know you.

Amen.

Invite me.

I like pie and coffee.

I like anything in coffee.

Amen.

I do.

I love you.

I want to get to know you.

And I hope you want to get to know us.

That's the body.

Don't you want?

Can you imagine when you get to heaven?

Hey! Hey, Rod! Hey, Rod was part of CCW.

Woo! Man! That boy of his, boy, he could play basketball.

And his daughter was about as gorgeous as a cum.

I'm still wondering how you did that, but that's okay, Rod.

Mama.

But hey, isn't it gonna be exciting when you get to heaven?

And all the people that you really got to know.

You spend an eternity with.

Folks, you you ought to get to love them down here and know them down here because you're gonna spend an eternity with them.

You say, well, I'm gonna be over there.

I don't believe there'll be cliques in heaven.

I believe the Lord, if if there's somebody you don't like and they're saved, I believe that's who you're gonna be put with in heaven.

Boy, that's gonna be good, isn't it?

Huh?

Huh?

I don't teach you to love everybody.

Amen.

There's some people that I know get on your nerves, and I may be one of them.

But I got news for you.

A new commandment I give it unto you, that you love one another as I love you, that you also love one another, and by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples by your love.

That's unconditional, folks.

You know, most of us like to love people that we like.

We don't like to love people we don't like.

There's only one problem with that, and that's not biblical.

I don't think it's up there, but I can quote it.

Matthew 6 44.

Love your enemies.

Mm-mm.

Be good to them that hate you.

You don't want to be good to them.

I want to behave.

You want to ignore them.

You do.

You go to a supermarket and you've had difference.

You see somebody in the supermarket.

You'll do your best to turn and go the other way or there.

Hey, open door, God is my witness, and I will do it here too.

So far, I don't think I've had anybody leave that was really upset with me.

But but at open door, they used to get, oh, brother Danny, you're too hard.

You preach too hard.

You think everybody, da da da da da da da da.

And they'd leave.

I'd be in, I'd be in Win Dixie, I'd be in Publix, or I'd be in the grocery store and I'd see them.

And I'm telling you, God, that's Susan, because I'd be with her, they'd look at us and they'd turn and go the other way.

You know, they'd fix and come down the same aisle we are, and they'd turn around and go, you know, oh, oh, go the way.

I'd turn, I'd take off running and I'd come back around so that when they turn, they meet me face to face.

Wasn't it, honey?

I did, I did.

I'm not gonna let them be that way.

If they're some of their Christians, you may not want to, you may not like my preaching, you may not want to come to the church I'm pastored, but you're gonna love me.

You're gonna love me.

I'm helping you.

You may not like me, but you're gonna love me.

Because you're gonna spend an eternity with me.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

So get the chip off your shoulder and work it out.

Aren't you glad we don't all have the same personality?

That's don't even go there.

A growing love is needed to be sincere and pure.

That's it.

A growing love is needed to keep us from causing others to stumble.

Oh boy, that's good.

Hey, can I tell you something?

If you know it's going to offend somebody and you do it anyway, that's not love.

Amen.

You with me?

You with me?

A growing love is needed to be sincere and pure.

It's needed, hey, to keep us from causing other people to stumble.

There may be some things that's right to you, but it's not right to some people you know.

So don't do it in front of them.

Don't make, don't, don't try to put your Christianity in somebody else's face.

Amen.

Love them.

True Christianity loves people.

I'm gonna tell you, genuine love doesn't mean compromise.

It just means standing in front.

But if you know it's gonna offend them, don't do it.

Okay?

Not while they're there now.

If they leave, go ahead, but not while they're there.

Be above reproach.

There's a lot of things I do sometimes because I know it's gonna offend people.

That it's really not a conviction for me, but hey, it's a conviction for me to be a great testimony to them, though.

So I'm not gonna do it.

I'm just not gonna do it.

I'm not gonna walk in a bar.

Unless I have to.

What would you think if I walked in a bar?

There's Pastor Dental going in the bar.

Now I could tell you I'm going in there to win souls.

Well, I can stand outside and win souls as easy as I can going in.

Amen.

Why?

I know it's gonna cause you to think something.

Maybe that's not good thinking.

So I'm not gonna do it.

I'm just not gonna do it.

I'm not gonna go to our next rate in movies.

Not gonna do it.

And now it's about to the point now.

PG 13, you can't last one went to it, had to walk out.

Now we just do a search, and if there's any GD, any cussing, we just don't go.

Why?

Hey, John, profane and vain babblings, they will increase into more ungodliness.

I'm gonna keep my mind.

Hey, it's hard enough for me to keep my mind pure without somebody up there showing me stuff and telling me stuff that ought not to be going in here.

Can I get an amen?

I will set no wicked things before my eyes.

That's what Psalm said.

All right.

Woo! I'm about to get, I gotta wind this thing up before I really get to preaching.

Get on my, I'm not getting on my hobby horse.

The last thing, and I'm through.

Righteousness.

Describes a real Christian's character.

Look at what it said, verse 11.

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness.

There are those, and I'm I'm gonna just tell you this and I'm through.

There are those who stress being righteous and then and neglect doing righteous.

Ooh, now.

Hang with me.

Give me about three minutes and I'll be through.

There's some that believe in being righteous, but not doing righteous.

Now the problem with that is twofold.

It brings a false security and a loose living.

Because they believe they've said a prayer, you know, and they believe, well, I'm saved.

And preacher said, once saved, always saved.

And I believe that if it's real.

Huh?

If it's real.

But then they go on and live like they want to.

They do anything they want and live like they want to, but they think they're okay.

Now they know it may offend Christians, but it doesn't matter because they're okay.

Well, I've got news for you that is false righteousness.

Okay?

Now there's a second group.

And the second group are those who stress doing righteousness, but not being righteous.

Now you say, what does that mean?

That means two things again.

That's self-righteousness and legalism.

And secondly, it is being judgmental and finding faults.

Here's these guys.

These are the scribes and Pharisees.

They say they're keeping the law.

They're going around saying they're keeping rules.

You know, it's your hair laws, your pant law, all that legalism stuff.

And because they're able to live to that kind of standard, and if you're not living to that kind of standard, then you must be lost or you're a heathen.

But that's a false righteousness because there's no love in their hearts.

Oh, I grew up with that group.

They're meaner than rattlesnakes.

I don't want to, I'm not going to be a part of that.

Never again in my life.

Praise the Lord, I only had a little part of that.

I'm not going there.

You know what believing righteousness and living righteousness is?

Right here.

Right here.

Paul said, the love of Christ compels me.

If you love me, you'll keep my commandments.

If you love me, you'll do what's right.

Because see, faith without works is dead.

But faith, hey, I mean, excuse me, but works without faith is dead.

You can't have one without the other.

Is that not good, folks?

Amen.

You gotta be right and you gotta live right.

That is the righteousness of God.

Amen.

Isn't that good?

So let's be.

Let's believe right.

Let's live right.

Every head bow, every head close.

Lord, we love you today.

Man.

You're good, God.

All the time.

All the time, you're good.

You may be here this morning and you say, Pastor Danny.

First of all, this morning, I want to so encourage us.

I want us to say together, God has done a good work in me.

Ready?

God has done a good work in me.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Say it with me.

I am fearfully wonderfully made.

Yes.

Yes.

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 dot com.

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