Sunday Service 3/24/19

As a congregation do we need instruction after all this time? I don't know why I just looking out on our congregation or thinking ahead of what who might be here. I'm not sure this passage is the one we need. But there we are. I'm working through the book of Ephesians and some parts may fit you another Parts. Not you I couldn't be preaching through 1st Chronicles and go through all the genealogies. How would that be? You didn't expect You go through and you read the Bible and something stands out at you and say I didn't realize that was there or I never thought about that before I heard of many times, but somehow I didn't didn't really strike me. So when I go through the Bible, I'm sure there's passages that don't apply to me and passages that don't apply to you but let's take it where we go where and end and follow this and I may skip over parts of Ephesians. But this time I just feel like I can do this one and I just pray each time. I repair a message that it be the message that someone is needing and sometimes that fits one person sometimes another but you know, that's the way it is with the Lord's word.

And so we're we're in fourth chapter. Now you received the Lord Jesus as your savior, right? Yes you whether was recently or years ago.

You're part of the family of God. He's your heavenly father and you are his son or daughter younger sister or brother of Jesus himself. You know that.

You think of that has Jesus is my brother. Oh, yeah, we think of Jesus is our savior because you know Christians repressions receive him as Savior and we know he's King of the earth and he's king of our lives and and he's the Lord and he's a great lord of the universe and he's my lord. Well, that's more or less intensity believe but you are do we think of Jesus as our brother with think of God is our father. What makes Jesus our brother, doesn't it? We're that family know this wasn't true before you made that step of Faith before you receive Jesus as your lord and savior. You weren't related to God or rather were alienated from without any of the rights or privileges of sonship. God loved you even though you didn't love him and he wanted you. He saw it you and he wanted to make you his child. He wanted to receive you into his family. Now you weren't worth it and I wasn't worth it. I had no claims and I know that sometimes people.

What are adopt a child for the child benefit not for their own benefit? You know, that's that's a worthy where they desire God doesn't doesn't desire us as his children because we're such great people he desires us because he loves us and our benefit.

Anyway, God loves you and he sought to make you his child, but you hadn't yet been born spiritually. So you work is Tryon you lived according to the customs and habits of the world? Living your own life Manuel, maybe better than some or worse than some but at least it was seeking whatever wood was convenient or beneficial or pleasurable to you. That's the way the world operates. That's what people do. That's Humanity itself to see to avoid things that are unpleasant and the seat things that are Pleasant or enjoyable or pleasurable. That's how we that's how we are. I guess it's at animal Instinct. Maybe you know because that's probably how all animals do they they seek that which is satisfying or helpful to them. And we're in that same category. We are natural that we live in a natural world. We are not Supernatural. We have the same desires the same Pleasures that other people do in this world.

But Jesus came to change us and they give us something more.

Then you heard the gospel of Salvation. You responded to the invitation to put your faith in Jesus for salvation from sin and and spiritual death.

So now now that you are a child of God now that you've been born into the family of God and your brother or sister of Jesus and you're a child of God.

What changes should you make in your lifestyle? You were of the world before. And what should be your behavior as a Believer as a Christian or a new Christian, maybe one time you were a new Christian a new believer? And how did you find out what you're supposed to do? What are your phone higher supposed to live as a Christian? Well, what did you do to find out? When people are born again into the family of God. There comes a point in the life you make a decision and then you have to live with that decision. It's hard to make that decision the first place but God leads us into that his Spirit touches our heart and he can fix us of the futility of our lifestyle and he says I want you to change to be my child and he put that in her heart and conviction is called sometime. I convicted we are filled convicted that we aren't right and we need to get right we need God to change us you made that decision. Most of us many years ago. And we had to find our way and learn how to live this new life.

well How did you learn did you just copy Christians? Did you look to the other Christians and say I guess that's how you're supposed to live as a Christian I should copy that I should do it. That way. We'll be careful of that copying because not everybody was a Christian is living the Christian Life. And sometimes they think they are but they're really not they're not really the example. And we all should be the example. Paul said be an example. He said follow me as I follow Jesus. The Apostle Paul said we are examples we are we represent. We're ambassadors for Christ. We represent him. And it's a responsibility that we have but some people don't fulfill that responsibility very well. So be careful who you copy or are you you look use as your model of how a Christian should live.

Do you look to your church for a list of do's and don'ts all the time? I was growing up. We had a little black book that talk that gave the history little bit of History doctrines of the church what we believe and so forth and then there's a section on the lake what he called it the manual that was the name of that little book the manual and then the manual it told us all the things that we were not supposed to do as Christians. The emphasis is on it was on I remember I think you're not supposed to do. Not so much on things you should do or supposed to do as a Christian and I remember some of those things while we're not supposed to read the newspaper on Sunday. Imagine.

I was guilty every Sunday. We got the paper. That's for the Sunday comics. I didn't read the newspaper, but I read the comics and I felt like I was doing it against God's will but I did it anyway. Mixed bathing was a guest. We know they meant by that swimming because you know, you're exposing parts of your body in the end. I said, it's not it's provides for pimp station so forth and I remember it was one thing and they're not supposed to go to surfaces. What? Oh because I had explained to me because of the side shows the things that are carnal about the surface believe it that there was were things that kept were kept in the manual and I couldn't go to movies and I couldn't dance.

Man, I didn't want to dance anyway, so it's a good excuse for me to get out of it High School dance classes and stuff, you know.

Oh, I got excused from my pastor to be not have to take part in that dancing. But I was not supposed to as a member of a church go to movies because movies were just even good movies. We're supporting Hollywood. an evil Institution well

I don't know. I guess it was good for me to be to be raised that way but on the other hand, I know there was just a bunch of rules. Do we look to the church to tell us? What you can do and what you can't do as a Christian. Well, that seems to me like it's just another kind of legalism like the Old Testament.

I gave the law and you had to live by the law and Paul the Apostle live by the law to the letter.

But he wasn't a Christian.

Hey, you were saved by the pure gift of God through faith. Not by what you did to deserve salvation. Am I right about that?

But God has a plan for your life. He has had that plan before you were even conceived. You know, you're living out a plan of God at least as far as you cooperate with him.

In the book of Ephesians what you're studying in the series this series of sermons chapter 2. We didn't lay a lot of emphasis on this is the time but it's as chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 and says for by grace, are you saved through faith? And this is not your own doing. It is a gift of God not a result of works. So that no one may boast for we are his workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God has a plan for the work she wants us to do.

And he wants to work that he wants us as people saved by grace. 2 work out our Salvation to to perform those things that he has prepared for. You know, God has some jobs for you to do, you know, just make up your own job your own life. You're just job description. He has some things design and plan just for you and giving you the gifts that are required the ability to do those things he has for you and gifts are are discovered and they are developed if you don't know what gift you have.

ask him asking what Lord is the gift I have what? Can I give to other people by your grace? What do you have for me to do whatever you designed in your plan for me? Well, I'm afraid many of us missed that because we're not looking for it and we don't try out. We don't see what are skills are doing high school. They wanted to have you go through some kind of testing and stuff and see whether you should go to college or not. See if your material or maybe you have a mechanical abilities. Maybe you have Griff's of gifts of I don't know. Maybe you like to working on the computer or didn't the office or something. Maybe you have it where they want you to fit into your potential and what's your are given what your gifts are use that term but we are when you're young you want to think what is it that I can do to earn money anyways, thinking about making decisions lots of decisions, especially when you're young When you're older, we live by the decisions we made when you were young, but those are it's a heavy time for young people to make decisions.

and so many Christian young people Don't even look to God for direction and they don't look for God to do to give them instruction in. What is his plan? Not yours, not ours. But what is God's plan? He has a plan and it is Zayn and his he has Works prepared already for us to do.

well How do we find out? What does he want me to do as a new believer or even is an old believer that has Nino still looking for God's guidance. Will Paul addresses this question in the fourth chapter? Ephesians and says remember last week we talked about this. The the first thing is to repudiate the life of sin and self-serving. The first thing is not to start acting like a Christian. The first thing is to renounce the world with his sin and your previous life that you live for sale for your own self only and the people that you care about maybe but this life of sin and self-serving has to go like a dirty garment toss it away and put on a new self.

I knew a clean one not just a new way of Behaving but a new way of thinking I renewing of your mind. If it was just a way of is a new way of doing things and just behaving differently, then you're right back into that old system that system of dues and don'ts.

Before you can even start or serving the lord into the works that he's prepared for you. You need to change your mind change your desires change your plans change your your your values and and want to please God now you'll tell us how do you get how we can do that how we can please him but it doesn't do any good to give us rules or even instructions on how we're supposed to live. If our hearts still be still still in that whole way of thinking.

Well, that was a theme of last week's message. By the way. If you miss a Sunday you miss a message and you you know, you can find it online. I had two shirts and I had to call Lori and ask her how to get to cuz I am not familiar with the method of doing that. I need you. I think we need to have something more easily found. We just something where we can we can people like me that are not that you know, Savvy you was a social media how we can find last week's message if we missed it. But anyway, I do have that here. But listen to How complicated this is. We need to make a simple. We will I will let you know how to do it. HTTP colon slash slash facebook.com are is where you find it? Okay, another / PG. I don't know if that mean I don't know what it is. Then another slash and then capital P capital b capital C stands for

and then lowercase Gresham. Because there's other PVCs the one of the plastic that the white plastic, you know you that's probably buying a fluoride. Well PVC doesn't mean that it means Powell Valley Church. All right, then or Gresham to distinguish that from the plastic pipe that we could buy in the hardware store. Okay, then / videos go on Facebook and you see a little you can you find it easy, but I don't and so they way there is how you could have to make that simple for you so you can just go right through it, right? All right.

Now there are several places in the Bible that you can find instructions on how God wants us to live and a lot of them were right there in the gospels, especially in Matthew The Sermon on the Mount lots of instructions on how we should live as Believers as children of God. But the New Testament is not just a new rule to take the place of the Old Testament law. And the ordinances know it's about a new life. Not just a new way of ruling our life but a new life. A new way of looking at life a new way of thinking a new New Attitudes new motives. new polls New Hope New values everything new

each one of us. The scripture says is a new preacher. In Christ, Jesus old things have passed away and behold all things have become new.

the old things die hard old habits old customs old language old interests still hang on for dear life. It's hard. To give up those old ways of thinking it doesn't come natural. It takes discipline. It takes work. It takes dedication. It takes consecration. It takes a decision to to follow the lord Well that old man you used to be doesn't go quietly into that dark night. The new person has to fight constantly to keep him in the casket.

like a zombie once to get up and express yourself again

Well, that's Christian growth. maturing getting to be more and more like our older brother Jesus like Jesus in this this way. I like to think of an illustration, you know how you used to years ago. Now that we didn't have these phones with all the phone all the information we can pack into our my phone directory. I don't have to look at a book. I have it in my telephone. I can look at it just like that. I can find the address of somebody but we used to keep we used to keep pictures not in Facebook used to keep them in a little folding plastic thing. You pulled out of your wallet. Remember that like an accordion and you put all your pictures you can if you ask people nowadays if they have a picture of somebody in their bill folder Nobody Does that anymore but remember how that are pictures?

I imagine Jesus sitting with your coffee.

And Shirley's restaurant or something like that. I would like to show you some of my kids lying. He pulls out his billfold any opens up that accordion and it says look at it. Look at these lovely. These are wonderful kids I've got I've got mad. I have a good family and I'm proud of them. Well, this is Jesus. First of all, this one I got right in front. This is my first one my first boy and I am so proud of him. He is the best son. You ever could one, isn't he handsome? I love him with all my heart. Anna and and he said ideas they always obeying me looks to me for guidance and any always obeys and he loves me dearly too and he wants to please me and everything. That's a wonderful son. And here's some others. You know, these are I love all these kids. I love them dearly.

Some of them are give me a lot of pain. Some of them really aggravates me sometimes but I love them. Anyway, I just wish they were all like Jesus all like my first born first born Jesus.

There's a verse that says that this in Romans 8:29 tells what God's purpose is, you know. First 28 Romans 8:28 for all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to his what? His purpose God has a purpose for each of us and he's called us to that purpose. And what is that purpose that is called us to don't blame verse 28 unless you also play verse 29, which tell does what that purpose is.

For those who may foreknew. He also predestined he give it to Destiny. That's what me to be conformed to the image of his son. In order that he that is his son might be the firstborn among many brothers. That's God's overriding purpose for us. Not that we just be saved and go to heaven enjoy eternity with him. He wants at. But it wasn't for Jesus our older brother. He wants us to be like Jesus.

So the very first work we are created to do is to renounce our old life and decide to live the new life. Then I'll give some examples of what it means to put off the old garments and put on. new And verse 25 starts this passage where he tells us. some of the things that we can do to express this new life we have

Show me read therefore having put away falsehood Let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor. For we are members one of another put away falsehood. I think it's talking about hypocrisy. We live one thing. We are one thing and we pretend to be something else. We even try to fool ourselves that we're different from what we really are good and that each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another I counted six points that Paul makes In this passage six things that he mention specific what to do and then what do what not to do and then what to do as a new person A child of God not an exhaustive list. But some important principles first principles, you might say for new believers. Number one is stop lying to each other and tell the truth.

Stretching the truth a little white lies.

What what lying does is to betray friendship and Destroy confidence? Which is what we're supposed to have with each other as children of God brothers and sisters. We need to have the the confidence of one another.

When you want to believe what someone says or someone wants you to believe what he says. The memory of the lie comes to mine. How do I know you're telling the truth you've lied before?

Don't ask me to believe you about important things if you lie about little things.

I just can't trust you even if I want to.

That we want our kids to not lie to us. We've tried to raise them that way we told him don't you lie to me. the lion comes naturally you don't have to teach your kid to lie.

But we learn by example as well as precept. Do you ever lie to your children? Do you ever lie in front of your children? Well, I know it's speaking to people who have grandchildren or great-grandchildren. Maybe you will someday we'll have your own children, or maybe you got a baby is going to raise up being an older child for you soon, and you have to give instruction. what you will Teach them not to lie, of course, but do it with example and not just teaching there may be situations where lying is justifiable like to save someone's life. For example. But why do each other is not one of those pieces? He says don't lie to each other.

Speak truth to his neighbor for the reason he right now he gives us for we are members of one another. We are members of one another. Not just members of the same church.

We share the same body.

Like the body physical body I have this arm shares that body with his head.

And with the stomach and intestines, yeah, we're all part of the same body. We are members one of another we can't separate ourselves and I'm not hurting anybody else. I'm just doing whether you know, it affects me but it doesn't really affect anybody else. That's a big excuse people give But you know, what does we are all members of one another?

Now is Nick's point the next second thing that he mentions here in this not a list of do's and don'ts really is not law is not giving us a new law book He's only telling us how we should look at our new life and how we should live our life. Number two is be angry and do not sin.

Is a negress self a sin? Well apparently not. Not if you're angry evil.

angry at Injustice angry at suffering about the people angry at the Devil

Jesus was angry at the money changers in the temple who were abusing the people. Yes. Jesus was angry, but without sin we can be angry without sin. But we can't we have to distinguish. What is going on in us? Why am I angry is it because I was hurt. My pride was hurt. Was it because I didn't get my own way because I was right and you were wrong. And you insist and you won't let me have my you know, well.

But you're it tells us to deal with that anger. If we have anger. We need to decide we need to determine what is the source of that anger wire. Am I angry and is it a self-seeking or a self? I don't know justifying thing that we're angry because because because I didn't get what I wanted.

or because somebody didn't follow my

my wishes or whatever, you know.

deal with your anger Especially with your brother your spouse your kids your parents your pastor get it taken care of before the sun goes down. He says don't let it Linger on and carry that anger day after day. Because that anger is like an infection in a boil just resist grows in and then and it it becomes of the real damage to the whole body is an infection anger needs to be dealt with.

Need to puncture that boil. Or something you need to deal with your anger. And how do you deal with anger? When you recognize that you have anger you have some people just always angry. Some people are just it's almost like they like to be angry like that Joy being angry.

And maybe they don't even know why they are and what they're angry at or who? But it's just like a spirit that develops hit us when we don't deal with her anger.

First I think you need to pray through about it. I was taught to pray through things pray until you get the victory pray until you get the answer pray until God gives you the Forgiveness or God gives you the answer or God gives you something a peace praying for you get peace. Just tough. But its necessary, maybe you'll have to confront somebody that you're angry with maybe you're angry because that person has done you something bad. Jesus tells we're supposed to go to straighten things out that's hard to do. It has to be with humble humblest humility. That is right and prayer and don't go Angry to try to deal with the problem. If it's just a problem with somebody don't go there every It's a way to deal with your anger. And to get it out of your system, but be very careful and pray a lot about it first. Don't go with an angry Spirit. You need to be with a humble Spirit Well. Recognize if your anger is because of hurt Pride or because you didn't get your way. That would make it send confessed that sin be forgiven of it. Eddie says in 1st John remember you confess your sin and be forgiven, but he also says you cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We need cleansing as well as forgiveness when we confess our sin. It's not just to be forgiven. It's to be cleansed from it, and we sometimes need to be cleansed from our anger or bad attitude towards someone.

well If you don't do that, he says you're giving opportunity to the devil to create conflict to divide to wound that all kinds of Mischief. You're making a path for the devil to follow in your life. If you don't do that. Number three in this list is quit stealing over then when I read that when I was a young person in the world, is he telling me to quit stealing for I know I shouldn't I shouldn't steal. Why does a new Christian need to be taught not to steal while I was raised to be a Christian right? Except the lord of the young child.

but

temptation is always there to take what is not yours. Not even thinking sometime. So you're taking from someone we take from institutions. I know somebody who shoplifts. Only because he needs things of course. But he doesn't feel like he's hurting anybody after all the owners of that store rich or they wouldn't have a store. I mean, it's not like I'm hurting someone. And so you just think oh, well it all nothing personal about it. I mean, how do you justify stealing from institution or a store or something like that? Just because you can't see the person and he can't see you. Well, that's a little bit of a I don't know a good on that too far, but we know good borrowing without permission. unit of bad trouble that way wasting other people's time. You know, that's robbery 2.

Will you set an appointment? And that person is kept waiting because you were just getting to started early enough. Hey, isn't that stealing?

They are you robbing. God. God said to the Des relies he said. Would you rob God? You are robbing God by not giving him the ties and offerings there go on him. We never thought of that. We just stopped once I have needs and God understands and you know, I can't afford it this Sunday.

You take God so cool. So casually that you think it doesn't matter. well What does Jesus say give to Caesar? What is Caesar's and to God? What is God's Temple?

We're on the positive side. He says we're to work with our hands producing and getting paid an honest day's wages for an honest day's work.

Don't be lazy. Don't be taking from others to live when you can work yourself. That's stealing You're Expecting others to pay your bills because you're too lazy. 2 Earn it yourself.

Now the Curious Thing is why we should work.

Not to pay the rent buy groceries. Not to buy things we want not to spend on ourselves, but he says to be able to share with anyone with me. That's why you should work. Not to meet your own needs a God's going to take care of your knees if you trust him. You make it feel to take care of you. Don't worry about that. Jesus said Don't think about tomorrow. How you going to what are you going to eat or not. I'll take care of you if you trust him, but the reason for working is not to satisfy your own needs. He says here but it's for free able to have enough to give to others in their needs to have to pay the government that will supply the needs but we're supposed to see the need and meet the needs that we see. where to bless one another You all know some of you love you. Don't vote for any Ruger member. She sat right back there where she got to where she couldn't come to church and she was recalled house by owner in the in a rest home or whatever.

Crimson her for a while when she died the other day. She went to be with the Lord. And then we thought about ready we think about what she was doing here. She wasn't just occupying a few back here.

She Was Out pay or recognition even each week. She sorted filed and pulled the music for the worship team. behind the scenes She figured that's a Ministry she could do.

She made sure the welcome cards and other things in the fuse were in order.

She saw a little things to do to help and did it without fanfare.

Circle time she bought things you brought things from her garden. Like Biggs other things are back here in a sack or something help yourself. It's stuff that'll go to waste if I don't bring it and share it. That's why that's what happens to things you things go to waste because we don't share them.

And she gave money to people she knew were in need. She just handed the money.

That she didn't work with her own hands. She had only her pension or whatever. She was from Days be hot before when she did work with her hands. She wasn't wealthy but she was a model for what Falls says here is our reason and purpose for working. That you may be given me have in order to give to others. John Wesley the great evangelists of the 19th century founder of the Methodist Church hold at the Methodist Church was following his examples all the time, but he said he was a a preacher at evangelist and a preacher. And he preached industry frugality and generosity.

He was known for that. He said earn all you can save all you can and give all you can.

I was a model that you talk people.

Good health strength and employment. Our blessings from God to share not The Horde or splurge on ourselves.

Now the fourth point that he mentions hear the fourth thing that we should do or not do as new Believers in his Christians and his children of God and people who have who have made that decision to cast off the old self and put on the new self. is 2 be careful little tongue what you say.

wework custom to use it offensive language We just took it for granted. That's where the world talks. Take the name of the Lord in vain gossip. Tell Shady stories criticized and generally talk negatively.

All that is part of the dirty clothing that we must shed.

Our speech should bless. He said it should uplift. It should give Grace to those who hear that's the new man speaking from a new heart.

Hello, Mexico, American Border people speak two languages. English in Spanish, but it's all mixed up. It's not it's not pure Spanish with a Spanish speakers and pure English with the english-speakers. They don't choose one language picture all up with English words and Spanish words in Spanish phrases in English phrases that is weird to listen to and if you understand both languages, you don't even think about it because they hear it and understand it when you don't speak both languages weird to save somebody even on the radio or radio station talking in mixed with mixed language. Even the middle of a sentence changing it.

Call pocho. or Spanglish What are mouth Belongs to the Lord it must not be used by Satan?

I think we can dominate a lot of those things we say. Oh, yeah in my problem. I don't steal and I don't lie. I know I do work for an IO share. Oh, but don't talk about the tongue. Hey.

That's a sensitive area, baby. We don't realize and James says you don't realize how big a fire you can light with your tongue. burn down whole Forest

You know what when the person lives where the first Mexican wants to come to United States. If he wants to really get ahead, he should learn English, right? How many people don't ever learn the language were the country that they go to and they always speaking with their own language people and they never get very far ahead either do they they stay as labourers or something lawn mowers, whatever. But if you want to get ahead you learn the language of the people you're with. And we went to Mexico we had to learn to speak with Mexicans and their language not our language and not a mixed up mess of both languages. We had to speak their way of speaking pronounce the things the way they pronounce them. And to use the words and phrases that they use not some kind of a strange and translation word for word. That doesn't even sound right. We had to go to school and learn how to speak their language. well When people are living on the border, they're speaking short of short of both language that I think many of a Christians still carry the old speaking habits from before they were saved. Maybe you don't use bad language like you used to. But there are so many other things worldly ways of speaking that need to be changed cast off like an old garment.

And V 20 says here don't grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You know, the holy spirit is God himself.

Not just a spirit of God is God.

God is a spirit. The scripture says God is not a body. God is Spirit and the Holy Spirit is God. Working in people and in this world, but don't receive the Holy Spirit. He's the one that seals you until the day of redemption. Do you know God is saddened by our failure as Believers to act like Jesus he's sad and that's what it means to grieve. We grieve God we see God when we don't seek to be like Jesus.

We were supposed to be reserved presenting. Jesus it Grieves the Holy Spirit when we use our hands to steal and hurt people are mounds to wound and tear people down. Are money to spend carelessly are angry or resentful Spirit to rule us? Should be alone with our spirit the holy spirit in us with our spirit not sharing the space with a bad Spirit like a college kid in with a bad roommate.

Holy Spirit wants to be alone with us.

What are the hours for the Lord hid must not be used by Satan? Oh, I guess I guess I 00 vi vi thing that he mentions In this passage. He says that. This is part of our old clothing it when you get rid of his bitterness in our hearts bitterness.

resentfulness anger clamor and slander along with malice or bad feelings toward another

the new clothing that we put on includes kindness tenderness tolerance and forgiveness. He says remembering that God in Christ forgave us there for the new way of living the new clothing. We put on includes forgiveness and tolerance toward others.

Takes the place of that bitterness and resentful before.

You can't be somebody. And bitter toward them and be praying for them. When you pray for somebody honestly pray for their good You can't have anger and bitterness toward him at the same time. That goes out the window when Jesus prayed forgive them Father for they don't know what they're doing you with that. Did it crowded out any resentfulness? He might have had toward those people were mistreating him. Didn't know how it is when you're praying for somebody for their good well being

How can you have bitterness at the same time? How can you be resentful? I don't know. Maybe you're praying for there to be something bad happen to him or something. I don't know well. Again, that's the overarching principle that includes and motivates these injunctions and teachings about how a Christian should behave to grow up. Until we reach the full stature of our brother Jesus Christ.

So his final words there are grow up.

Become like Jesus. And that's the end of the chapter. That's the last word. And that's the last of my sermon today. The last stand up for NBC we dismiss with it with the blessing.

The benediction of is from 1st Thessalonians chapter 3 in versus 12 and 13. It's a prayer and as we say it we pray it. May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all as we do for you so that he may establish your hearts blameless in Holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his Saints. We all said amen.