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1 Thess 4:1-12 For This is the Will of God · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  1 Thessalonians 4, and I know that we've been out of 1 Thessalonians for a little while. We've had a couple of guest speakers last month, but I'm excited now we get to come back to this book. We'll be in this now for the next four or five weeks together through to the Christmas season, and so excited to be back in our book together. 1 Thessalonians 4, I'm going to read our passage as we begin, and then we'll pray. Starting in verse 1, it says, Finally then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that as you receive from us how you ought to walk and to please God,
• 0:31
  just as you're doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus, for this is the will of God, your sanctification. That you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God, that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.
• 1:01
  For God has not called us to impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man, but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. For that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs.
• 1:30
  to work with your hands as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. Lord, we ask that you would bless, Lord, the preaching, the hearing, the reading of your words. God, I pray that our hearts and our minds would be attentive to your truths. God, make us a church who conforms to your image. May we never ask you, Lord, far be it from us to ask you to conform to ours instead.
• 2:02
  Lord, you are a good and merciful and gracious God. And we're so thankful to be called by your name. And it's in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Amen. Well, what a study this has proven to be in my own life. I need to be reminded of the power of the gospel. I need to be rebuked at times for taking God's word for granted. I need to remember the privilege I have of owning God's word in my own language.
• 2:29
  The honor we have of hearing the very voice of God every time its pages are opened. We would strive to be a church, members of a church, even pastors of a church, who love the church, who would sacrifice for her so that she may be established and exhorted in her faith. And this morning, we turn to the will of God. The will of God. Do you ever wonder what your spouse wants from you?
• 3:01
  Coming up on my 20th wedding anniversary this coming April, Hallie and I will have been married for 20 years. And honestly, even after 20 years, there are times we just can't figure each other out. I'll look at her and see more question marks than answers, right? I can't figure out what she wants from me. And just when I think I start to figure out what she wants, she goes and does something that completely surprises me that I never would have guessed. A couple of months ago, we had to make some changes to one of our credit cards.
• 3:30
  I called the credit card company, was surprised to find out that Hallie is the primary person on the credit card, which means that the person on the other end, the lady on the other end, honestly didn't even want to talk to me. She said, Mr. Gardner, you're not the primary, whatever they call it, administrator on the card. And I said, well, who is? And she says, well, I can't divulge that information.
• 3:51
  Is it Hallie? It's my wife, you know, it's Hallie. And she was willing reluctantly to confirm that it was Hallie. And I said, listen, if I can answer every one of the security questions, whatever you've got, if I can prove that all is well, can I make the changes that we need? Because there were simple things, you know, little things that we had to make. And she said, okay, you know, she said, but you're going to have to answer all of her security questions because she's the one who set it up. And I said, okay, fire away. What's her birthday? And I got that one right. Does she have any pets and what are their names?
• 4:21
  And I'm like, she told you that? These are security questions? Yeah. Any pets? What are their names? What was her first car? What did she drive? They've got all of these things to make sure that they're talking to the right person. Then she asked this question. What is her best friend's last name? And I thought, it's easy. It's Gardner. Right? Silence on the other end. The lady said, Mr. Gardner, I'm so sorry.
• 4:58
  That is not the correct answer. And so I start going through all of these names. I'm like, you've got to be kidding me. And I can hear her snickering on the other end. I can hear her laughing because I'm taking all of these guesses. Like, you're joking me. I'm not her best friend, you know, and she's laughing. And Mr. Gardner, I'm so sorry to have caused this problem, you know, and let's just fix whatever you need on the credit card and we can be done. Does it ever seem that way with the Lord? You ever wonder what he wants from you?
• 5:31
  Do you ever peer into the face of our Lord and see more question marks than answers? Has that ever happened where you feel like, man, after all of these years, I think I've got him figured out only to have him surprise you. I love the passages in scripture, which just plain state the will of God, because they show that the Lord has no intention of keeping us guessing. He doesn't want you to guess.
• 5:59
  He wants you to know who he is. He wants you to know his will for your life. He doesn't hide these things from us. And there are times in scripture where he just flat says it. You guys have your Bibles open to 1 Thessalonians 4. Just look over to the right, chapter 5, just one page over. Chapter 5, verse 16. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances. Here it is. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
• 6:29
  Don't be confused about the will of God. You don't have to be confused. It's simple. It's boiled down to three points. Rejoice, pray, and give thanks. That is the will of God for you. Another time in 1 Peter 2, verse 15 says this, For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Good works, he says, are the will of God for you. Live as people who are free. I love that statement from 1 Peter 2.
• 6:59
  Live as people who are free. Christ is not meant to be a shackle. He's not binding. When you come to Christ, it's not meant to pull you down. In fact, I loved what Brian Bowen just read, Psalm 103. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not his benefits. It's actually a good thing. It's a good thing. There are good reasons to believe in Jesus. It's not just to keep you from doing what will give you joy, right?
• 7:31
  It's the exact opposite. The blessings. Live as people who are free. You have been freed in Christ. So live like free men and women, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God, for this is his will. This morning is one of those passages. If you look at chapter 4, verse 3, it just flat out says, for this is the will of God.
• 8:01
  Your sanctification. Your sanctification. Your holiness. That is God's will for you. Well, let's begin back up in verse 1. It says this, Finally then, brothers. Finally then, brothers. We get to the purpose of his letter. After three chapters of introduction, the apostle is finally ready to give what will be the main thrust of his letter. And it boils down to three.
• 8:27
  kind of points three main portions as we go through the remainder of first Thessalonians you're going to notice that there are three themes beginning with this morning he will prioritize purity prioritizing purity then he'll say you need to hang on to hope next week we'll look at even hang on to hope even in death what seems to be final he says there is hope even in death and then last and most of chapter five that we should engage
• 8:52
  in encouragement knowing that the lord has spared us from his wrath finally then brothers he continues in verse 1 we ask and urge you in the lord jesus that as you receive from us how you ought to walk and to please god just as you are doing that you do so more and more he said you've received instruction from us teaching you how you ought to walk in a way that is pleasing to god now that word walk
• 9:19
  That word walk really means, is defined as everything in your entire life. It's not just literally the way that you walk, one foot in front of the other, but rather everything about you, from work to play to family to holidays to the words that you speak and the thoughts that you think.
• 9:42
  everything about you, everything you do, say, or think, he says, can be done to the glory of God in a way that is pleasing to him. And he boils down the will of God in this passage into two commands, which if followed, will result in a life of freedom, which is really God's desire for us. He wants us to be free.
• 10:10
  And so he says, if you desire freedom, live by these two commands. Those who walk properly, who sacrificially love others and lead quiet lives, who will not entertain gossip, who will faithfully carry out their God-given tasks, will become the most effective witnesses to those whom God places in their path. And if you have your notes, your Bibles open and your notes open, there are two points I'm going to give this morning. Two points as to the will of God. And the first one comes from verses 3 to 8.
• 10:39
  The will of God is that you abstain. The will of God is that you abstain. You look again at verse 3. For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality. Man, I know what you're thinking. That word abstain really carries with it a lot of negative baggage. Doesn't it? You don't think of abstain as a good word. It's not a positive feeling word.
• 11:13
  But did you know in scripture, the Lord only ever commands us to abstain from things which will hurt us. He never commands us to abstain from things which will give us genuine joy. Never in scripture does he hold things from us that will give us lasting joy. Never. He only ever tells us to abstain from things which will ultimately hurt us. Last week, I told Chase, my eight-year-old son,
• 11:42
  that he could have ice cream. He's at the age now where he is able to get ice cream himself. I no longer have to do it for him. He can go and get it. So he goes and gets the bowl and he gets the spoon and he goes to the freezer and he gets whatever ice cream he wants, which every single time is chocolate, 100% of the time. He puts it up on the counter. You guys know Chase is about this tall. The countertop is about this tall. The ice cream on top of the countertop is about this tall. So he looks at it at eye level. He's got this carton up there. He takes his spoon.
• 12:13
  The carton of ice cream was relatively hard. It was frozen solid. It was not a soft one. He drives that spoon in, and you can see him, man, all of his might, like this, like that, right? As soon as he gets it in far enough, he starts putting leverage on that, you know, like this. And I'm watching this, and I'm like, I know what's coming. He's basically made an ice cream catapult, right? I mean, everybody see that in your head? It's just, I mean, he's leaning on this thing like that, and sure enough.
• 12:41
  You know, and this little ball of ice cream, perfect ball of ice cream goes up in the air and lands on the floor in the kitchen. And he looks at it and shrugs and goes back to it, you know. And then we just go, I've got it, I've got it, I've got it. He finally gets the ice cream in his bowl. You know, he's all excited. He puts the ice cream away. And I said, now, Chase, don't forget to clean that up. You better clean that up. All right, Dad, I will. And I had expected him to grab like a sponge or a...
• 13:12
  paper towel or a hand towel or something and go and clean up the ice cream that is now melting on the floor. But that's not what he did. I came back just two minutes later to find him on all fours, on his knees, on his hands, bent over like this and licking the ice cream off of the floor. He's just eating away. You know, he's got his face down next to it. And I said,
• 13:42
  And he just looks up at me like this. He doesn't even come up. He just looks up and he's got this huge grin on his face, chocolate on his face. He knows, you know, this is funny. This is funny stuff. Like, Chase, you can't be licking the floor, man. You can't be licking the floor. Go get a paper towel and clean it up. Why do I tell him to stop? Is it because I hate him? No. I don't want him to be happy? No.
• 14:17
  Is it because I didn't want him to have ice cream? No. I tell him to abstain because I love him. Licking the floor is not a good life skill. It's not a good habit, right? No matter where you go, it's just a bad idea, licking the floor. And I'm not telling him to stop because I hate him, because I don't love him. I'm not keeping him from something that's good for him. I tell him to abstain because I love him.
• 14:47
  It's actually very positive. The Lord telling us in verse 3 that you abstain from sexual immorality is for our good. It's not because he hates us. It's because he knows that ultimately it will hurt us. And so he says, don't walk down that road. This may seem like it's obvious, and yet it is sometimes difficult to convince people on the front side of sexual sin to this fact.
• 15:18
  When they're still on the front side of it, the temptation is still there. It is sometimes difficult to convince people, including myself, that the consequences of sin actually far outweigh the reward, if you can even call it that. One man has said this, the easiest way to get knots out of your rope is to avoid getting knots in your rope to begin with. And that is certainly true of sexual sin.
• 15:51
  There are those in this room, and I know that this is true because I've spoken to many. There are those in this room who, if given the chance, would choose to go back and live certain parts of their lives very differently in this regard. And so we're going to go through this passage. I've got to give a disclaimer first. We are going to hit what this passage is talking about, which means I have done my best to make what is a PG-13 passage a PG passage.
• 16:19
  for the sake of little ears, okay? And I know who we have here. And so there are some cross-references and some passages I'm going to recommend, but that I may have changed, edited for content, okay? You guys all see that in your head on the screen, you know, edited for content. I would encourage parents, adults in the room to go back, read these passages in their fullness so that we can hit these things with our seven-year-olds in the room. So let's look at it. What does this text not say?
• 16:49
  When it says in verse 3, this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you should know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles do, who do not know God. What is it not saying? This text does not say that sex is sin. It does not say that. Sex, in fact, according to scripture, belongs to God. He created it. Done within marriage, he delights in it. He is not ashamed of it.
• 17:18
  Our Lord does not blush, okay? That is not one of his attributes. In fact, physical intimacy, make sure you hear this, physical intimacy more than any other act on earth represents the unity of a husband and a wife. More than anything else a husband and wife can participate in, physical intimacy reflects the character of Christ and his bride, the church.
• 17:49
  Ephesians chapter 5 says that. That even marriage, where the two become one flesh, even that represents the Christ and his bride, the church. And so it makes sense that one of Satan's oldest, most frequently used, and most effective lies is the one using sexual sin. Since an attack on sex is an attack on Christ and his church. Does that make sense?
• 18:20
  And so that's one of the things, one of the foremost things, one of the most frequent attacks that our enemy levies because it's an attack on Christ and His church. The text does not say that sex is sin. What does the text say?
• 18:35
  The text says, and specifically in verse 4, that we as followers of Christ have been given an admonition to walk in self-control. Verse 4 says, you guys look at it, each of you know how to control his own body, self-control in holiness and in honor. And rather than viewing sex as a sin, it's actually to be encouraged within a committed, loving relationship between a husband and a wife.
• 19:06
  If you go all the way back to the beginning, the very first marriage, God himself being the presiding pastor over the very first marriage, Adam and Eve, when he defined what marriage would be, he defined it as the two becoming one flesh. He defined it as this process, as this act, physical act, the two becoming one flesh. One flesh. That's what marriage is. And in Hebrews chapter 13,
• 19:37
  verse 4 says let marriage be held in honor among all and let the marriage bed be undefiled so by the time you get to the new testament he says that definition of marriage the two becoming one flesh should be held in high regard it should be held as honorable now the modern advice of if it feels good do it
• 20:02
  Which is the advice that our culture society gives that's the advice that our young people here That is the advice if it feels good do it regardless of consequences There are no consequences that advice if it feels good do it can be rejected out of hand Since to base anyone's life purely on feelings Is beyond dangerous Isn't it? What if every major life decision you made?
• 20:30
  was based entirely on how you felt. What would your life be like if your marriage was based on feelings? What would your marriage be like? I have done a lot of weddings. I do a lot of weddings. I do a lot of premarital counseling. One of the first questions I ask young couples, they come to me wanting to be married. One of the first questions I ask them, why do you want to be married? Why? And their response most of the time is,
• 21:04
  Ah, because he just makes me so happy. She makes me so happy, right? We're just so happy together. My response to them is then don't get married. Don't get married. Why? Because there will be a day when your spouse stops making you happy. Amen. Can I get an amen? Is that okay to say amen to?
• 21:28
  Pally, we're here this morning. My own wife, she'd be sitting in the front row saying, amen. Yeah, there will be a day when your spouse does not make you happy. Does that mean you can stop being married? If it was based entirely on that, does that make sense? Rather than basing our marriage, this commitment on a feeling, instead we base them on vows. Vows that never change. The Lord promised.
• 21:57
  I'm sorry, the love that is promised between two newlyweds on that day is not based on feelings, but upon a promise of better or worse sickness and health, rich or poor until death. Unchanging forever. You might make me really happy and praise God, but even if you don't, these vows are final. That's what we say. And within that context, physical intimacy.
• 22:28
  is to be encouraged. That's what it says. Well, what do we do? What do we do about it? He continues in verse 6. He says that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this manner, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. God has not called us to impurity, but holiness.
• 22:52
  And whoever disregards this, disregards not man, but God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. What do we do? I've said it before. I've heard it said before. I'll say it again. The best defense in this regard is a good offense. The best defense is a good offense. Is that a good way to say the PG version of that? You grown up ears, you all know what I'm talking about. In other words, if you chase wholeheartedly after something good, it will help you to avoid something bad.
• 23:22
  Our offense in this regard must be based on two principles. First, if your heart and body are committed to God, you are less likely to be led astray. If your heart and your body, even physically, are committed to the Lord, you are much less likely to be led astray. Listen to Romans 12, verse 1. I urge you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. It's interesting that he says bodies. He doesn't say our hearts.
• 23:53
  Present your body even as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Your heart and your body must be committed to God. And if it is, you are less likely to be led astray. That's the first principle. The second principle is this. If your heart and body are committed to your spouse, you are less likely to be led astray. Proverbs chapter five.
• 24:21
  verses 1 through 5. I have edited these slightly for content. Would encourage the adults after church to read them in their fullness. When my sons read their Bibles all the way through, cover to cover, for the very first time, they were much younger. I told them they were allowed to read the entire thing, except for the book of Hosea. If you guys have read it, you'll know why. I told them they couldn't read the book of Song of Solomon. Daddy will explain those things later.
• 24:50
  And Proverbs chapter 5. It's just too explicit. But man, it's written to a younger man, King Solomon, writing to one of his sons about his son's wife. And listen to the wording that he gives. Drink water from your own cistern. Flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone. Let your fountain be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
• 25:22
  She is a lovely deer and a graceful doe. Be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman? For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of sin. If your heart and body are committed to your spouse, you are less likely to be led astray. What do we do? Best defense is a good offense.
• 25:54
  The thing I'll say in this point, what if I've already failed? What if I've already blown it? What if that temptation was there and I indulged? Is there hope beyond sexual sin? And the answer is a resounding yes. Yes, there is hope even beyond sexual sin. Even after that failure, God can and does redeem.
• 26:24
  I'm not going to read these. I want you guys to see them in your own Bibles. So turn with me in your Bibles to 1 John 1. I want you to see them in your own Bible in case if this is a struggle that you have, if you feel guilt and shame over these types of sin, then open your Bibles with me. 1 John 1. You can get out that bright, obnoxious pink highlighter and highlight in your Bible so that every time you're flipping through its pages, you'll see these verses because these are important. Even if you've fallen,
• 26:55
  is there hope look at first john chapter 1 verse 8 if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us and underline highlight circle bold font from all unrighteousness he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness you guys it does not matter what you've done
• 27:25
  I'm not saying there's no consequences. I'm just saying that in terms of the forgiveness of God, you cannot out sin his forgiveness. It is impossible. His grace is able to cover all sin, all sin confess. He is faithful and just forgive one more place. I want us to turn and that's back to the left. First Corinthians, first Corinthians chapter six, first Corinthians chapter six.
• 27:57
  I love these verses 9 to 11. I have used these verses over and over in counseling sessions with people who have said, I've just blown it so badly. I don't think that God can use me anymore. I don't think that God will be pleased with me anymore. I have used these verses. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
• 28:22
  Like, man, it doesn't start with good news. Okay, if you're unrighteous, if you've ever sinned, he says, you ain't getting into heaven. If you have ever sinned, you're out. You're unrighteous. Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
• 28:50
  Praise God that's not where it ends. Because if that was it, we'd all be stuck. There may be some things on that list and you're like, well, I've never done that. I've never done that. Man, okay. You ever been greedy? You ever desired more than you have? Drunkards? Revilers? Swindlers? Thieves? Idolaters? You know what the Bible says every time we complain? It's like worshiping an idol.
• 29:20
  saying god isn't good and i mean you look at that list you're like man i'm totally guilty we will not inherit the kingdom of god but look at verse 11 and here's the underlinable part man such were some of you such were some of you but you were washed you were sanctified you were justified in the name of the lord jesus christ and by the spirit of god praise god he cleansed us
• 29:47
  We were all guilty. He washed us. He sanctified us. You may be looking at this text this morning in 1 Thessalonians 4 and saying, there's no hope. This is the will of God, your sanctification that I abstain from sexual immorality. I've already walked on that unholy ground. There is hope. God is able to forgive all things and he will even cleanse you to the point that you can continue to be used and continue to thrive spiritually in the church because of his grace.
• 30:18
  The will of God is that we abstain. The second point, the will of God is that we aspire. That we aspire. Look at verse 9. Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write to you. For you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. As is always true in God's word, the Lord's heart is not only that we put off sin, but that we put on righteousness.
• 30:44
  Holiness, according to God's word, is not merely a casting off of that which displeases the Lord, but a filling in of that created void to good deeds. It's not just putting off, but putting on. And here he says three things which the church should aspire to. What should we aspire to? You'll notice first, we just read it. Love. Love one another. And apparently, according to verse 10,
• 31:14
  They were already doing a good job. Do you see that? Look at verse 10. That indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. This was a loving church. And so you'd think the apostle would say, no more need be said. But that's not what he says. What does he say in the next verse? Do more. Continue to do so. More and more and more. You've done really well. Now do more. Scripture says that once you belong to Christ,
• 31:45
  the love of God is poured out into your hearts. Romans 5, 5. From the point of salvation and for the remainder of your earthly life, you will have the God-given ability to love all people. And here's why that's different.
• 32:06
  Because this love that has been poured into your hearts is not love like the world has. It's not love as the world defines it, but instead the love of God. And God has the ability to love unlike us. God is able to love those who are hard to love. Those who don't look the right way or smell the right way, God has the ability to love. And he pours out that love into our hearts so that we as believers have the ability to love the same way. Right?
• 32:37
  And beyond that, God has the ability to love those who don't even deserve it. Those who are mean, those who are cantankerous, those who are annoying, God has the ability to love and he pours that love into our hearts. Those who don't deserve it, those who may be difficult.
• 32:59
  to love. And that's the kind of love that the church at Thessalonica was putting on display. He says, you're doing a good job, but we urge you brothers to do this more and more. And I could easily give the same commendation to this church. Highland, you love each other well. You're doing a good job. You serve one another. You sacrifice in order to meet one another's needs.
• 33:22
  You serve the body. You serve the community. You study. You teach. You enjoy fellowship at the church and in one another's homes. I would say continue more and more. More and more. Continue. Love one another. The second thing that we should aspire to, it continues in verse 11, to aspire to live quietly and to mind your own affairs. You know, the Bible says we're supposed to mind our own business.
• 33:55
  I wonder how many of the church's problems would be solved immediately if we simply abided by this principle. How many broken friendships, how much disunity and lack of harmony have been caused by snoopy, busybody gossips who can't mind their own affairs? I'm not saying that we are not to be involved in one another's lives.
• 34:21
  The Bible says that we are to be interested in one another, engaged with one another, involved in one another's lives, praying for each other, bearing one another's burdens, but it is equally clear that nosiness is not a fruit of the Spirit. 1 Timothy 2, verse 1 says, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good.
• 34:51
  And it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior. Aspire to love one another. Aspire to live quietly and mind our own business. Last, notice what he says. We should aspire to work hard. We should aspire to work hard. He concludes. He says, and to work with your hands as we instructed you. To work with your hands. Menial labor, manual labor was thought by the ancient Greeks and Romans to be demeaning. And they never, never would have done it.
• 35:24
  If they could choose, never would they have pointed a free man or woman to manual labor. That was reserved for slaves only. They therefore used their slaves to do all the work that required any physical exertion. But the church redeemed hard work. Those within the church...
• 35:51
  Began to choose to do the worst jobs. And they did it all to the glory of God, despite the lowly status of some occupations. Now you may say, why? Why would they do that? And the answer is in verse 12. So that, here is a purpose clause, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and depend on no one. So that you may walk properly. Why would the church do that? And the answer is simply because it gets the world's attention.
• 36:21
  When we do things that are seemingly below us, and we know by the grace of God, we know there is nothing below us. But when we choose to do the hardest things, when our work ethic shines, even at our place of employment, when our work ethic shines, it actually reflects very positively on our Savior. I was talking to one of our young adults, a young man named Irvin Fisher. Irvin works.
• 36:50
  The place here in town, his work is hard. He has long hours. He does a good job at it. I was talking to him this last Thursday at Young Adults at my house. He said, Pastor Danny, I've been working hard. I've been doing the jobs, volunteering for the jobs nobody else wants to do. And he said this, and when other people make a mistake, I go and cover the mistake and I don't tell anybody. I just go and cover the mistake. It's just between me and that other guy. He knows. But I don't brag about it. But you know what's interesting? His bosses have noticed.
• 37:19
  His co-workers have noticed. He's beginning to have opportunities now because people come and ask him, why do you work that way? Why are you doing that? Because he's one of the only ones who does it. Why are you doing that? And he's able to communicate the grace of God. My God was good to me. He's finding favor with his co-workers, favor with his boss, and blessing from God. The result of this type of lifestyle is that Christ will be represented well to those outside. And that's what we want.
• 37:50
  We may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. Well, it's not difficult to determine the will of God. When you look into the face of Jesus, don't see question marks. He's not trying to surprise you. He says it plainly. Be sanctified. Pursue your wives. Pursue your husbands. Walk in love toward one another in the church. Mind your own business. Work hard. If we do these things, we will maintain a positive witness and the Lord will bless us. Amen? Amen. God, thank you for this passage.
• 38:19
  Thank you for your goodness and grace toward us. God, as we celebrate now a communion, a baptism, rather, may we be reminded of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which this reflects. God, I pray that you would bless Richard as he walks in obedience toward you. God, thank you for the reminder of your grace this morning. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.