Transcript

Dr. Vance Havner was a great, great man of God. He used to say that most Christians are so sub-normal if some of them start acting normal, everyone else will think they are abnormal. Most Christians are so sub-normal, should some start acting normal, everyone else will think they are abnormal. Well, Paul has a lot to say about this normal Christian life as we continue out study straight through the New Testament book of Philippians. Turn there with me to Philippians chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1. If you are visiting with us today we just preach straight through books of the Bible. And when we end at a verse, we pick it back up. When God inspired scripture, he used men to pen the scripture in books. The book of Philippians is Paul writing a letter to the church at Philippi while he was in the Roman prison. And if you want to understand all that God is saying, you need to study it the way that it was written. So that is the way we try to study if and preach it here. The normal Christian life, or you might say, normal Christian living is what I’ve entitled the message.

Philippians chapter 1, beginning in verse 27. “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents–which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for his sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now here to be in me.”

Two main things that I want us to see from out passages about normal Christian living, first of all, something about our conduct. And then tonight I am going to finish this message, I realized at the eight o’clock hour, I’ll only get half way through. Tonight I’ll finish it and talk about our conflict. But this morning our conduct. Look if you will at verse 27 of Philippians chapter 1. He says, “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” The word conduct here has the idea of citizenship. A. T. Robertson, the great Baptist Greek scholar, probably the greatest if not one of the greatest Greek scholars who has ever lived, said that you could literally translated that word conduct as perform your duty as good citizens. Perform your duty as good citizens.

Now you remember Philippi was a city that was annexed into the Roman empire. And these Roman colonies were established all in Philippi. And, and these Romans were so immensely proud to be a part of the Roman empire. It was the great pride of their life to say I am a Roman citizen. They even built the city of Philippi to be a miniature Rome. So I believe Paul is playing on that as he talks about be a good citizen, fulfill your duty as a good citizen. Because he is, he is making an analogy. You are proud of your Roman citizenship, but infinitely much more so, you ought to be proud of the fact that you are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. And that is what he is saying here. He is not saying, be a good Roman, he is saying, be a good citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Live out your citizenship to the full. Look if you will real quick over to Philippians 3:20. Very simply and pointedly he says there, “for our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” My friend, I am so glad and so proud to be an American, but much, much, infinitely, much more important than that, I am a citizen of heaven. When America has long ceased to exist, I am going to dwell in my kingdom in heaven, that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s where my citizenship is.

Now two subpoints under out conduct. Number one, the motivation for our conduct. What motivates us to live right. What keeps us driving forward, obeying God, and doing what is right. What is that that, that works through us and gives me the willpower to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. Well, he gives it to us. Very plainly in verse 27. Look at it with me again. The first part of the verse. “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy, worthy of the gospel of Christ.” We are to live worthy of the gospel of Christ. Now Paul told the Thessalonians that he had been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. That means, it is given over to you. And the same is true for every child of God. You have been entrusted with the gospel. God has saying, said, I am taking the most valuable, most precious gift man could ever receive, the gospel, and I am giving it to you. It is in your care. If anything is done with it, it is up to you. You’ve been approved to be entrusted with the gospel. Now what an awesome thought. Now how could all of us, as fallen depraved sinners be approved to take stewardship for, management of, the glorious gospel of God. It is because friend, the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us and made us an approved vessel.

You remember the fictitious story, I have told it before, that shows the awesomeness of this. After Jesus had died on the cross for our sins, was buried in the grave, he ascended, arose from the dead, he ministered for 40 more days, proving he was alive from the dead, historical fact that he had risen. And then he ascended back up into heaven. And as he went back up into heaven, all the angels were applauding and praising him, and one of the angels came up and said, Lord Jesus, you fulfilled the Father’s plan, you obeyed his will perfectly, you have died on the cross for the sins of the world, you buried their sins away in the grave, you have risen victorious over death, hell and the grace, and anyone who believes on you will be saved forever. Jesus, who is left behind to carry the message. And Jesus’ reply is, I left it in the hand of 12 men. The angel responded, but what if they fail. Jesus said, I have no other plans. The same is true today. We are entrusted with the gospel. It is our possession. Now God could have written the gospel in the clouds, and men could have looked and gotten saved. He could have written it on the sides of the mountains, but he has chosen that those who have been effected, and maybe even infected with the gospel, is a good infection to have, they are the ones who are the stewards of the gospel to share it to others. And he says, live in a manner worthy of the gospel. My friend, the most glorious, most valuable, most precious, most stupendous treasure known to man is the truth of the gospel, and we carry it with us everywhere we go. And as we carry it, he says the driving motivation of your live should be, oh God, don’t let me do anything to detract from the glorious gospel you have given me to present to others. My friend, I want to tell you, that ought to motivate us.

Since there is some confusion what is the gospel. Jot down the reference. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. 1 Corinthians 15:3 and 4. Paul says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance.” Now you know what he is saying? He is saying, now this is it folks. This is the nutshell issue. This is the cardinal cornerstone, doctrinal truth we hold to. “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received.” Paul is saying, I didn’t make this thing up, it came to me from one higher than me. Now what is this Paul that you, you’re going to give us as first importance, and that you received it. What is it? “Well, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day, according to the scriptures.” That’s the good news, that’s what the word gospel means. It means good news. Now though, there are those who would tell us that the gospel means that you’ve got to repent of sin. And then it means that you have to believe on Christ and receive him as your Savior, then you’ve got to be baptized in the baptistery. Then you’ve got to take the Lord’s supper very regularly, then you’ve got to work hard, then you’ve got to be faithful to church attendance, and if you do everything just right, you can’t know for sure, but maybe, hopefully so, one day you will get to heaven and the good will outweigh the bad and you will get to go on into heaven. My friend, that is not good news, that is more of the old bad news. That’s what the Judaisers and the Jews were teaching, a works way to salvation. And it does not matter if you are taking Old Testament law works, or some sort of New Testament law works, that’s bad news. Don’t come to me a wicked, depraved fallen sinner and tell me if I can pull myself up, do enough good works, God may accept me. Friend, that is bad news. The good news is that when I could not save myself, Jesus died and took care of my sins and he can save me and keep me saved. Now that is good news. That is good news. That is good news for fallen man. This thing of man is going to pull himself up by his own bootstraps and work his way into heaven, is absolute foolishness to the word of God.

But I, my friend, we have been entrusted with that glorious, marvelous, wonderful good news. But I want to tell you something friend, when you contemplate and meditate on that, it will make you live right. Now you look at me eyeball to eyeball. But the fact that Jesus Christ has cleansed you from all sin, an unworthy sinner, he has preserved you and sealed you in the holy spirit, he sits at the right hand of the Father with nailed pierced hands and nail pierced feet, a sword’s spear gapping hole in his side, to save you. You mean to tell me that doesn’t motivate you to want to live right so you can be a good representative for him. If that doesn’t motivate you my friend, you are either lost or you are so badly backslidden there is no hope for you. I want to tell you, that is a motivation. He says, conduct yourselves in a manner what. Worthy of the apostle Paul? No. Worthy of the name of your church? No. Worthy of your family name? No. Worthy of the gospel of Christ. That is our motivation, that makes me want to live right.

Titus 2:10 has a good insight on this truth. Titus 2:10 reads, “that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” Adornment, it is like putting on clothing. You see, sometimes when I was growing up, probably never happened to you. But when I was growing up, there would be on, an occasional time when my mother would say something like this. Jeff, those clothes you have on are not proper, they are not becoming to you. There are sometimes when a person can put on clothing that are not becoming to their face or their build or their personality, just don’t fit, it doesn’t adorn them properly. It says a message that they are not really trying to say. And men and women today need to be awfully cautious as you follow clothing trends. You need to be saying something about Jesus with your expression, not something about worldliness, sensuality and fleshliness, with you, with your clothing. We ought to adorn ourselves properly. As a matter of fact, the way you cloth your body says something about what you think about who made it. That’s right. The way you clothe your body makes a statement about what you think about who made it. But this thing, Paul says, Paul says, to, an adornment. And then saying, in the say way spiritually our behavior is the adornment, the garment we put on the gospel. Our behavior is the garment or the way we are adorning. And I want to tell you, there is a lot of behavior from professing Christians that does not properly adorn the gospel of Christ. It is not becoming to the Christian. And the one that you represent.

I want you to look about four pages over to your right, to Colossians chapter 3, turn there with me. Colossians chapter 3, and notice as we put on behavior as the Christian, it is like putting on clothing. We take off old behavior, like taking off old clothing. We put on new behavior, like putting on new clothing, because we want to properly adorn. Now listen, you are not putting on this new behavior because brother Jeff expects something out of you. My friend, that is foolish, that is shallow, and that won’t last. You’d better be putting on the proper clothing because the gospel of Christ is worthy of your best presentation. It is worthy of you acting right. My friend, listen, my reputation doesn’t matter and your reputation doesn’t matter, but Jesus’ reputation matters. And we are to be adorning behavior wise, in such a way that it does not detract form the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2, look at verse 8. “But you now also put them all aside.” It is like laying aside old clothes. Now what are we suppose to put aside as far as behavior? “Anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self.” Like laying aside an old garment. “With its evil practices.” Verse 10. “And have put on the new self, ” that is putting on the new garment, “who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him–a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” Verse 12. “And so as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on, ” like putting on a garment, “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complain against anyone.” Now I want you to mark that down. That is what we are talking about as revival comes up. Are you listening to me, as revival comes up, you are going to have some legitimate sounding situation to get some sort of hard feeling against some brother or sister, you are to put on what? You are to put on a bearing with one another, and a forgiving of that person. That is what we are to put on. The old flesh gets back even. But the spiritual man does, the spiritual man says this. What am I to do about that. I am crucified with Christ. If Jesus would die for me, surely I can take a little bit of mistreatment from my brother or sister. That’s the way the child of God looks at it, he puts on a new approach to that. Bearing, verse 13, “Bearing with one another and forgiving each other whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, and so also should you.” As a matter of fact, and nobody does honestly, nobody comes to me, but if somebody came to me with some sort of petty thing, somebody did me wrong, I believe I would just smile and say, listen, just, you just get over it. Amen. I mean, my goodness. If we was in heaven, now I’d get concerned about it, because we are all perfect in heaven. But that is going to happen down here. Verse 15, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. To which indeed you are called in one body and be thankful.

So you can see the picture, the putting on of the garment. So the putting on behavior that is becoming to the glorious gospel of Christ. One person said, our lives either recommends the gospel, or makes the gospel repulsive. Our lives either recommends the gospel or makes the gospel repulsive. In other words, we are to be gospel worthy Christians. The, I’ve heard it so many times over the years, that the preacher’s kids are always the worst. You want me to tell you one of the reasons why that can often be said, and it is not true, but why it is often thought to be true. Well, number one, people look at them different. Which is not right, but you know why? A lot of times preachers will do this and sometimes many church members will do this, they will go up to the preacher’s kid and say, you shouldn’t act that way, you are the preacher’s kid. Wrong. Now anytime my child needs reproving because they are not acting right, you are free to do it with my blessing, but you don’t tell them to act right because they are the preacher’s kid, you tell them to act right because they represent Jesus Christ. That’s our motivation for doing right. And I’ve, I’ve run into, I had two friends at school, two boys who were both sons of a preacher, and they were bitter and rebellious and hated the ministry. Because they were always told they had to do this and couldn’t do that because they’re daddy was the preacher. My friend, if I ever (clap) if I ever heard anyone correcting my girls because they are the preacher’s kid, I’ll rebuke you. You correct them because they represent Christ. That’s the motivation. And it goes for your kids too by the way. Your kids ought to be just as godly as the preacher’s kid. Why? Because we are all here to represent Jesus. My friend, you don’t represent Jeff Noblit, you go out in this community, you live right because the King of glory has put his stamp on your life. He is worthy of you saying no to many things the world would say yes to. And he is worthy of you saying yes to many things the world would say no to. Our behavior, our motivation for our behavior is Jesus. And it doesn’t matter if it is the deacon’s child or the pastor’s council member’s child, or a teacher’s child, I want to tell you, you don’t go up to them and say, oh, you ought act right because you are a child of a church leader. No, you ought to act right because Christ is worthy of good behavior.

And my friend, every day when we go out into this community, the reputation of Jesus Christ is on the line. On the line. I am going to tell you, that motivates me. Before I was saved, I wasn’t the worst guy in the world, but I sure wasn’t living right. And all sorts of people tried to tell me. There are people who said, Jeff, you’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of ability and its a sin not to use your talent and ability, it is sin to waste your life like this or waste your life like that. That didn’t motivate me at all to do right. But once I found the unconditional love of the God of heaven through Jesus Christ, and once I realized he wanted me to represent him and bring others into that unconditional love and forgiveness and acceptance and security, I want to tell you, that motivated me. You didn’t have to brow beat me any more to not do this and not do that, if you simply show me that it hurt the reputation of Christ, that was enough, that was enough. And what a motivation that is. Like nothing else will work. That motivation will work.

Well, he gives us a word about our motivation concerning our conduct, secondly the manner of our conduct. The manner. Now, now here Paul gives a couple of specifics. Not all the specifics of course, about the Christian’s conduct, but some specifics that are very important as we, a local body of Christ work together to bring him glory and to serve him. Now look if you will over to Philippians chapter 1 again, we are not going to get any further than verse 27 this morning. But look what he says there. First of all he says, we are to be united in principle. P.R.I.N.C.I.P.L.E. Principle. Now when I say principle, I mean the fundamental truths or fundamental assumptions we hold to. We are united around some basic truths. We unite on those fundamental or basic truths or assumptions. In other words, we assume Christ is the, the God who became flesh. We assume he literally did die on the cross, he literally did take my sins, he literally was buried, he literally rose from the dead, he is literally seated at the right hand of the Father. We are united around these basic truths. And that’s the first thing he says. He says there, in verse 27, “only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind”. Now that’s not the holy spirit here, it is talking about uniting around a main purpose. A main principle, a main truth.

Now, for us here at First Baptist, God has led us to a purpose statement. And we unite ourselves around that purpose statement. And it keeps us in unity. Now what is our purpose statement. The purpose of First Baptist church, as a matter of face, it is on the front of your bulletin, you still have one of those. At the very bottom. Now this is our marching order. This dictates everything we do. And every ministry of this church is evaluated by this purpose statement. I mean, we don’t have, we don’t have any sacred cows around here. Where, where it doesn’t matter if it is getting the great commission done, doesn’t matter if it is biblical or not, but brother you don’t touch this program, grandpa Moses set that program up. And I mean, bless God, we serve and worship and bow down, you can’t touch that one. My friend, there is nothing around here sacred but God’s word. If it don’t line up with God’s word it is liable to be out tomorrow. Maybe this afternoon if I know about it. Everything is to be increased around here, decreased, reorganized or subject to be eliminated based on how it fulfills the purpose statement. Because the purpose statement is based on biblical truth. Now, what is our purpose statement. The purpose of First Baptist Church is to glorify God, by obediently going into all the world, making and equipping disciples of Christ in the power of the Spirit. Let me say it again. The purpose of First Baptist Church is to glorify God, by obediently going into all the world, making and equipping disciples of Christ in the power of the Spirit.

Now let’s break it down. The purpose of First Baptist church is to obediently. In other words, it is glorify God and then how are we going to glorify God. Now boy, you’ve got to get specific here. There is a lot of folks in Christendom who are glorifying God their way and violating scripture. You’ve got to obey what God’s word says to do to glorify God. So, to glorify God by obediently. Alright, as we go to the word of God and we say God, we want to obey what, what are your marching orders for the church. Well, here is the clear unquestioned marching order of the church. Glorify God, by obediently going into all the world, making and equipping disciples of Christ. You say, now wait a minute brother Jeff, we are just suppose to make and equip disciples in our area. Not what the Bible says. Five books of the New testament the Bible says go into all the world and make disciples. Glorify God, obediently going into all the world, making and equipping disciples of Christ. But we don’t want to do that in our ingenuity. We don’t want to do that in our ability or in our strength, that is why the last phrase is on there, in the power of the spirit. Now folks, that is our purpose statement. We unite around that purpose statement. And I want you to grasp that thing, I want you to see that purpose statement, I want you to feel the heartbeat of it. I want you to be glued to it. And let that be a unifying factor. You know what, you know what that will do. Sometimes you will get off over here and you will say, oh, now, I like this over here. I’m interested in this over here. Now this is neat right here. Boy, this is neat. I am going to get in the rubbing the wood ministry at church. And I am going to rub the wood. Now it could be a thousand and one things, you think that is silly, you ought to see some of the things that churches are spending money and energy on that have nothing to do with what the Bible says ministry is. You see, and then we will come over there and say, brother, that is wonderful, but number on, the wood don’t need to be rubbed, and number two, there is nothing in the Bible about it. So we are going to cut that ministry off, we are going to take that out of the budget, because it has nothing to do with the purpose statement which is based on scripture. And you know what, instead of getting your feelings hurt that your pet ministry or project got removed, you will say, well, that is right. I need to be united around the purpose statement. You see how that keeps everybody in unity. Keeps everybody off their little fleshly hobby horse of what they define Christianity suppose to be and keeps them on what Christianity is. Do you realize, most preachers preaching this sermon would be asked to resign the next week. Isn’t that the most incredible thing in the world, but not here. They would ask me to resign if I didn’t. That’s the way it is around here, if you don’t stay with the book around here you are gone. So I have to stay godly around here. But folks, that unites us. That, the uniting in one spirit Paul says. There is a uniting. I want you to unite around that. And, and, and there is a thousand and one things that you can do within that purpose statement, but we are united in that.

Alright, he says, united in principle, now secondly about the manner of our conduct, he says, united in practice. United in practice. Look at the last part of verse 27. He says, “Standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Striving together. Now that, that talks about our action. This is more than a principle now, this is our practice. Now he is saying, striving together. Now that phrase striving together in the original is the picture of two gladiators, side by side, in unison, plowing, marching, battling forward, clearing out a path against a common foe. That’s what he says we are. We are all a bunch of gladiator, you know what a gladiator is don’t you? I mean, in Rome they were bizarre people. I mean, they are almost getting as bizarre as America has become. But I mean, they would set up in these stadiums, they would bring these big muscle bound guys in, and they would battle to the death, and that was their entertainment. I mean, they would have all kinds of weapons that had spikes and chains and swords and shields, these were vicious guys, and that is the picture here. He says, we are to get together in unity with one person, purpose going forward striving together as gladiators, united against a common foe. I mean, plowing out a path for the glory of God. That’s what he says.

Now, how are we going to get together and, and, in in our actions, in our activity be united. Well, we took our purpose statement and to fulfill the purpose statement, we’ve developed a three pronged strategy. Now folks, you’ve got to get this is you are going to be happy and fulfilled in this church. A three pronged strategy to fulfill the purpose. Now, what is that three pronged strategy. Number one, Sunday school. Sunday school is where we are organized into small groups, chiefly to win lost people and grow up saved people. And Sunday school also is where hospital visitation is made, when you are bereaved, when there is hurting, when there is difficulty, the Sunday school class visits and ministers to each other. Wait a minute brother Jeff, I thought that is what we hired you to do. Wrong, that’s not in the Bible. My job is to equip the saints for the work of service. That is the work of service, and I am equipping you the best I can. That doesn’t mean that we don’t do a lot of that, but that is not our main job, that is the church’s job to each other. So Sunday school is organized out there, win the lost, disciple the saved, and minister to one another. That’s the first prong in the strategy. The second prong is an exciting celebration service. This is what we are doing right now. All get together, the choir leads us in worship and praise, then you have to come and listen to me holler for about an hour. That’s what we do. Now we get in here and get under the word of God, because biblically the church met in small groups, but they also all got together form time to time and God’s key pastor-teacher would address them, exhort them and teach them. So, Sunday school is a part of our strategy, the second prong in our strategy, exciting celebration services. And the third prong, a personalized world missions ministry.

We realize to be biblical, we had to go into all the world, because the Bible says go into all the world. We could not just take some money, and throw some money at an impersonal distant board and say, we are a missions church. My friend most churches all they are doing is giving guilt money in their missions giving. They are not personally involved in world mission, they are not personally burdened about the unreached people groups, the 1.8 billion people who have never heard the gospel. Now folks we are not talking about people who have heard but won’t believe, like in southeast United States. We are talking about people who have never heard. My friend, why should anybody hear twice. Before everyone has had the chance to hear the gospel once. And we realize God said, go into all the world, so we began to aggressively personalize world missions. Every year we have a great big missions conference, we’ll bring in 30 or more missionary families. They will stay in our homes, they will eat supper at our peoples’ houses, they eat breakfast at different houses, and by the time they leave, we’ve had missionaries touching personally 150, 200 families in our church. And then we do about, we’ll do up to six direct projects this next year. Going into all the world. It is absolutely phenomenal, some of the doors of ministry that God is opening up. Absolutely phenomenal. I am suppose to be going this next August, listen guys, look this way. Youth over here, right there. Look at me. Look at me. Alright.Now listen, I mean, God is opening up some doors, suppose to go to Kenya in August, they’ve had about, I forgot how many people they’ve had, like 45, 000 baptisms in six years. But the pastors have had no training. And I was called by a man who is involved in that training that said, listen, we need some pastors who know how to train pastors to come up here, and we are suppose to go train those pastors. We’ve got more pastoral training in South Africa that we are suppose to go do. February of next year, over in Austria. And then our church planting activities in South Africa. We are going, this, the Tuesday after revival, we are going to Romania to set up a Sunday school ministry. And it is absolutely exciting what God is doing. There is more opportunities that we can possibly address.

Harold Peasley was here Wednesday night. And Harold, we showed him our radio production room. Somebody was very gracious and gave us some money, and we, we, built a radio production room for our anchored in truth radio broadcast, we’ve got the same basic equipment that Charles Stanley uses for his in touch ministry. Preaching is not as good, but the equipment is as good. And, alright, and all of that is up there. And Harold Peasley came over and he saw what we did and he saw how Brother Tim has brought that thing up to, I mean a professional, you can’t get any better. I mean, he is using the best stuff, and doing it well. And Harold said listen, I’ve got a weekly radio broadcast that goes all over South Africa, give me some tapes, I want to broadcast them on that broadcast. And not only that, he said, the pastor who is with us on our American tour has been give a radio station. He needs preaching ministries on that radio station. He said, if you will give me the tapes, he will put you on for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and it will cover all of South Africa. I am telling your folks, the opportunities are so awesome and overwhelming in our missions areas, I, just don’t know what to do next. But see, God is blessing the purpose and the strategy he has given. He says, listen, you are united in your purpose, but you are united in your practice. Now what are we doing. I mean he says, we are gladiators, marching together, carrying out our purpose by our strategy. Now what are you doing. Are you lined up, or using, are you using your spiritual gifts to help us in Sunday school. Are you using your spiritual gifts to help maybe in the choir, usher, whatever, for the celebration service. Are you using your spiritual gift to help our world missions ministry grow and develop, because that is what we are going to be doing until Jesus comes back. Because that is what the word of God says is ministry.

Gladiators united together, battling together, carrying out our strategy. And boy, I tell you what, it is a battle. You know why it is a battle. Your Sunday school teachers say, hey, will you be a group leader? Naw, Johnny’s got this and Susie’s got that and man, I’ve got to bass fish two days a week, and gollie, I’ve got to play golf another day, and its, old flesh battles, does he. You see, that’s why you’ve got to be, you’ve got to battle back and do what is right.You’ve got to battle back and do what is right. I mean, satan is going to come at you with all kind of junk. And it is a battle. It is a battle. Satan comes in and tells you lies about what the priorities of life ought to be. He tells you lies about what the important things of life are. You’ve got to battle back. And so we are working, battling, striving together, to carry out the purpose by doing our strategy. Sunday school, exciting celebration services, and personalized world missions ministry.

Well, that is our conduct, and that is part of the normal Christian life. Listen folks, I don’t know why God is doing what he is doing. I don’t understand why he has given us such unbelievable doors of opportunity. Folks, if I had a million dollars right now, I could strategically use it on the mission field today. I mean, and I am not talking about, just throwing, I mean things that are ripe and red hot and God is all over them. We go to Romania, we’ll be establishing the first, listen, the first Sunday school in all of eastern Europe. That is awesome, that is awesome. It is. That is absolutely awesome. The communists, when Romania and Russia were under communism, the communists said this. WE’ll let you meet as a congregation, but you can’t break down in small groups, because we can’t monitor that. We can monitor the big group, we are afraid you will teach something in those small groups that we don’t like, which they would. Teach Jesus and communism falls every time. I don’t know why we are moving in that direction in this country. Well, I do too, we left Jesus out a long time ago. You leave Jesus out and you are going to move toward socialism. I mean, they are incompatible. I mean, you see, Jesus says this. You fall on your face and seek God for your answers. I mean, and you leave Jesus out and you do this, fall on your face and ask Washington for a handout. That’s the difference. This country used to be made up of people who sought the God of heaven in times of need, now we don’t even think God exists, we want another program and another handout. We’ve got a moral character spiritual problem in this nation. But anyway. The Communists said you can’t meet in small groups.So in Romania, they are very godly, but they have no concept of lay people winning their friends and discipling each other. Just a clergy does it all. And when Onmissis Madrim, the pastor of one of the key churches in Roman visited here, he visited our Sunday school. He said, man, this is biblical, it is right, we’ve got to do this. Will you come over and teach us how. So we are going Tuesday after revival, to try to see what we can do.

Listen, absolute awesome things, that God is doing. Folks, but listen to me. We are just touching the hem of the garment of what God wants us to do. You’ve got to buy into the vision, buy into the strategy, find your place, and as gladiators, linked up together, let’s blaze a trail against the enemy for the glory of God. Buy into it, believe it. God is doing something great. Why he is letting us in on it, I don’t know. But it is of him, not us. The moment that we think we ar something special, the moment that we believe oh, we are slick, we are smart, we are something, I pray God shuts it (snap), right down, just shuts it down. We don’t need another great work by man in the name of Jesus. We need a great work of Jesus for Jesus and by Jesus. Well, let’s pray, pray together.