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The Model Life: Adoration, Part 1 · CCC West Covina

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Take your Bible, if you would, and turn with me to 1st
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Thessalonians chapter 5 to make our way toward the end of this
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wonderful epistle. We have been challenged, we've
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been encouraged, we've been convicted as we look at what the
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word of the Lord has to say and in order for us to be the model
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church that God wants us to be and be the model leaders that
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God wants us to be. And the be the model followers
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and model friends. We must live the model life.
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And that's what chapter 4 and chapter 5 are all about.
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So we told you that there were 6 words that make up the model
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life. The first word is abstinence.
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That's in verses 1 to 8 of chapter 4.
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And that is that the model life abstains from sexual immorality.
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That's number one. Number two, in verses 9 to 12 of
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chapter 4, the next word is aspiration, and that is the
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model life aspires to a life of charity and sensitivity.
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And then the next word following that is anticipation, verses 13
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to 18 of First Thessalonians 4, which the model life anticipates
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the return of deity. And then in chapter 5, verses 1
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to 11, the next word is alertness.
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For the model life is alert to the world's destiny and then
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their responsibility in light of that.
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And then you come to the next set of verses and verses 12 and
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following, and the model life is 1 of adaptability.
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The model life adapts within God's wonderful family to the
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membership, to the leadership. So there's sweet fellowship
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within the body of Christ. Today we come to the last word
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that describes the model life, and that is adoration.
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For the model life adores their God continually, unashamedly,
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unreservedly. The model life adores the Lord,
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adoration, reverence, respect, honor, and glory.
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That's what the model life is all about.
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It's about the true worship of the King.
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And it's very easily stated, not so easily applied for.
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Most of us would say that we adore the king, we live in
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adoration of the Messiah. Most of us would say, yeah,
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that's that's that's me. And yet when when Paul describes
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it, he describes it this way, one verse 2 words rejoice
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always. Then he gives the next verse
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verse 17, pray without ceasing, and then the next verse verse 18
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and everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in
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Christ Jesus concerning you. In other words, the will of God
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is summed up by saying you rejoice always, you pray without
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ceasing, and you give thanks in everything.
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That is the will of God for your life.
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It's a life of adoration of the Messiah.
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We like to say we, we rejoice, we like to say we pray, we like
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to say that we give thanks to God.
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The problem is, it's the rejoicing always that's the
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problem. It's a praying without ceasing
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which is the problem, and it's the giving of thanks in every
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situation which is the problem. But Paul states it very clearly.
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This is what you do. This is how you adore the King.
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You rejoice always, You pray without ceasing and you give
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thanks in everything because this is God's will for your
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life, a life of adoration of the king.
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That's a requirement for you to understand this when it comes to
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being a child of the king. Most of you know the story of
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the rich young ruler who came to Jesus.
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He, he was the ultimate seeker in Israel.
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He comes to Jesus and he says a ruler questioned him saying,
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good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
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This is the perfect opportunity for Jesus to say, wow, this is
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what you do. Repeat after me.
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Pray this prayer. That's not what Jesus said.
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That's not what Jesus said. The fact you'll find nowhere in
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the Bible that becoming a Christian says you got to say a
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prayer, but that's another topic for another day.
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But Jesus has his ultimate seeker come to him and say, what
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must I do, good teacher, to inherit eternal life.
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And the disciples are like, wow, he's coming right to us.
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We don't have to go to him. He is seeking salvation.
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And instead of making it easy for the guy to believe in Jesus,
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Jesus makes it absolutely impossible for him to believe.
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And that's the way you ought to be with people who want to know
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Christ. Make it impossible for them to
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believe. Make it so hard for them.
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Do not ever make it easy, because Jesus never made it
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easy. In fact, he made it so difficult
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that people turned away in droves from him.
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If he was to have a crusade at a stadium in Southern California
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and he preached, everybody would run away.
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They wouldn't come down by the thousands.
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They'd run away because he says to the man, this why do you call
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me good? Only God is good.
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So you must recognize that I'm God because you called me good
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and you know that only God is good.
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So you are assuming or believing that I am good.
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So he says this, you know, the commandments do not commit
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adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false
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witness, honor your father and mother.
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You want eternal life. Now he knows that eternal life
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is all about God's life. Eternal life is not about
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quantity. Eternal life is about quality,
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God's eternal right. So therefore, eternal life is
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God's life. He's asking, how do I obtain
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God's life, the quality of life. Here's a man who has everything.
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He's the rich young ruler. He's got it all.
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So he comes to Jesus because he he knows that there's something
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missing in his life. He can't define it.
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He doesn't know what it is, but it must be eternal life, the
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quality of life that he's missing, even though he's rich.
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And so he says to Jesus, All these things I have kept from my
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youth. I never slept with anybody else.
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Are you kidding me? Steal.
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I don't have to steal. I'm rich.
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Murdered. Nah, Honor my father and mother.
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I bought him a condo in the Sea of Galilee.
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They can live there forever. They're fine.
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I've honored my mother and father.
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So Jesus says one thing you lack just one.
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There's only one thing you're missing one thing.
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So he tells them, he says, sell all that you possess distributed
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to the poor, and you should have treasure in heaven.
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Come and follow me. You lack one thing.
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See. He takes them to the latter half
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of the 10 commandments, the the, the, the, the half that deals
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with your relationship to people 1st and then he takes him to the
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first part of the 10 commandments that deal with his
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relationship with God. You should have know the gods
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before me should I fall down and worship any other God.
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But you see, he had another God. His riches were his God.
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His riches is what he adored. And Jesus says you need to adore
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me. So go and sell all that you have
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distribute to the poor. You'll have treasure in heaven
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and follow me. The Bible says these words, but
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when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was
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extremely rich. He adored his riches.
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Anything that you have that you can't give away, you don't own
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it. It owns you.
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Anything that you have that you cannot give away, you don't own
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it. It owns you.
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He was owned by his riches. He loved his riches.
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He adored his riches. He did not want to depart from
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that which was preeminent in his life.
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That was his God. He did not want to adore the one
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true God. He did not say, Lord, whatever
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you ask I will do, for you are the King of kings and Lord of
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Lords. I will follow whatever you say.
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It wasn't about selling his possessions, it was about him
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having another God that ruled in his heart that reigns supreme.
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And so it says this. Jesus looked at him and said how
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hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the Kingdom of
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God, for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
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needle then for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.
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They heard it said then who can be saved?
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But he said, the things that are impossible with people are
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possible with God. It's impossible for men to save
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himself. It's impossible for men to do
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anything when it comes to salvation.
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Man is dead and as trespasses his sin, he's doubly blinded by
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Satan and by himself. He cannot resurrect himself from
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the dead spiritually. God must resurrect him.
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God must give him light. God must give him faith.
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God must give him repentance. God must give him every gift in
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order for him to be saved. And the man went away, said
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Mark's gospel tells us that the Lord felt love for him.
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He came to the Lord because he had a felt need.
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He didn't come to the Lord because he had a fallen need.
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Big difference. People come to church because
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they they feel empty. They feel like they're missing
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something. They they feel like their
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marriage is is falling apart. They they feel like their life
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is in shambles. They they feel like there's no
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hope. There's nothing this they have a
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a felt need. But to be a Christian, you must
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see yourself as fallen in sin, separated from the true and
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living God that you might crowd. Oh, Lord, have mercy on my soul.
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Adoration is key when it comes to living the model life.
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And it's summed up by saying you're one who rejoices always
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that that's just a, a magnificent statement.
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You know, Paul doesn't expound on it.
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Doesn't have to. Why?
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Because First Thessalonians 213 says that when you heard the
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word of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what
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it really is, the word of God. And you put out the welcome mat
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and freely accepted it. So he doesn't have to say,
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listen, this is how you rejoice always.
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He just says rejoice always because he knows they put up the
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welcome mat to the Word and they're going to receive that
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word and obey that word. He knows that.
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So he just tells them, rejoice always.
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This is a theme throughout the New Testament.
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The Bible says these words in Philippians 31.
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Finally, brethren, rejoice in the Lord.
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Philippians 4/4 Rejoice in the Lord always.
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Romans 1417 The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy
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in the Holy Spirit. Glaciers 522 The fruit of the
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Spirit is joy. Philippians 33 The true
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Christian rejoices in Christ Jesus in John 13 to 17 eight
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different times in the disciples turmoil over the Lord dying the
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next day. He tells them that their joy can
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be made full in him. He wants him to understand that
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true joy only comes through him. Paul would say in Second
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Corinthians chapter 6 verse #10 I am sorrowful, yet I am always
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rejoicing. It can happen.
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Acts 2024. Paul said, I have one goal,
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that's to finish my course with joy.
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In Colossus 124 Paul said, I rejoice in my sufferings.
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James said. Consider it all joy, my
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brethren, when you fall into various trials.
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In the late 1800's, the Scottish evangelist Henry Truman said
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these words. How many prodigals are kept out
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of the Kingdom of God by the unlovely character of those who
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profess to be on the inside of that Kingdom?
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Think about that, you have unsaved friends, what is your
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attitude like around them? He poses the question that how
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many people are kept out of the Kingdom because of the attitude
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of those that are in the Kingdom.
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It was AJ Mason, an English theologian and hymn writer who
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said these words. The Christian who remains in
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sadness and depression really breaks the commandment in some
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direction or another. He mistrust God, his power, his
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Providence, and his forgiveness. That's true.
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We live in depression. We live in sadness because we
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don't really believe in the God we say we have faith in.
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Your faith works best in turmoil, in trials, in
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affliction, in persecution than anywhere else.
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If it doesn't work there, you never had to begin with because
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that's where it shines the most. Apostle Paul is a classic
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example that I love. I love what the the hymn writer
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said. William Thompson when he said
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that Jesus is all the world to him.
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Maybe you've heard this song. I'm not going to sing it for
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you, but it goes like this. Jesus is all the world to me.
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My life, my joy, my all. He is my strength from
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day-to-day. Without him I would fall.
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When I am sad to Him I go. No other one can cheer me.
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So when I am sad, He makes me glad.
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He's my friend. Jesus is all the world to me.
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My friend. And trials soar.
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I go to him for blessings, and he gives them oar and oar.
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He sends the sunshine in the rain, He sends the harvests,
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golden grain, sunshine and rain harvest of grain.
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He's my friend. Jesus is all the world to me and
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true to him I'll be. Oh how could I, this friend deny
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when he's so true to me following him I know I'm right.
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He watches or me day and night, following him by day and night
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He's my friend. Jesus is all the world to me.
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I want no better friend. I trust him now.
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I'll trust him when life's fleeting day shall end.
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Beautiful life was such a friend.
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Beautiful life that has no end. Eternal life, eternal joy.
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He's my friend. Isn't it interesting that Moses
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in Exodus 3311 was called a friend of God?
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That Abraham and James chapter 2 was called a friend of God and
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Jesus said to his disciples on the eve of the crucifixion, I no
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longer call you slaves. I call you friends.
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And greater love hath no man than this that a manly down his
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life for his friends. You're my friends.
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It means you have this extraordinary opportunity to
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know God intimately because you're his friend.
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It's no wonder the the the Christian rejoices always.
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So let me help you put a little flesh on this.
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Let me help you work through this.
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Because if the command is rejoice always, we have to ask
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ourselves the question is that me?
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Do I adore my God so much that I live a life that rejoices always
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in my God? And some of you are going
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through extreme situations, some of you are going through
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hardship, pain, your marriages, your families, affliction from
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from those who have come against you, or persecution for those
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who have come against you. Even even affliction, that's
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personal affliction. And you have to deal with those
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things. And how do you rejoice always?
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I want to give you some principles that will help you
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walk through this that are very, very practical and very, very
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instrumental and helping you live out one verse with two
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words that help you adore the truth and living God.
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Number one, you need to learn to rest in His Providence.
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Rest in the Providence of God. Remember, the sovereignty of God
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is the overall plan of God, and the Providence deals with the
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particulars of that overall plan.
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God is working in every individual in every situation to
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bring about His sovereign plan, and God's Providence is what
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describes that. You can read the book of Esther
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and realize that even though God's name is never mentioned in
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the book of Esther, the Providence of God screams all
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throughout the story of Esther. And Esther and Mordecai both had
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to learn to rest in the providential working of the
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living God. That is just so incredibly
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important to understand. Paul was the master of this.
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Listen to Acts chapter 20 and Acts chapter 20 verse 22 says,
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Now behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not
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knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy
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Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds
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and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of
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any account as dear to myself. So I may finish my course with
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joy and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to
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testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
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Paul says, I go bound to Jerusalem and I don't know what
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awaits me there, but I know that the Spirit of God has told me
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that there's going to be bonds and affliction that await me.
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But you know what? It doesn't matter because my
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life doesn't matter. What matters is the gospel.
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That's why in Philippians 1, he says being confident of this
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very thing, that he began a good work and you will complete it
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until the day of Christ. That's first number six.
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And then in verse 12 he says, now I want you to know,
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brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater
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progress of the gospel. Now where's Paul in Philippians?
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He's in prison. He's in prison.
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My circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the
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gospel so that my imprisonment, he says in the cause of Christ
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has become well known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard and
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everyone else. And that most of the brethren
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trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment have far more
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courage to speak the word of God without fear.
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So Paul and Philippians who who emphasizes rejoicing the Lord
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always says, look, listen, what's happened to me.
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My circumstances have turned out for the progress of the gospel.
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You see, we we get so, so enamored with our own personal
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lives that we forget that what is happening to us is happening
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for a purpose that goes way beyond us, so others will know
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and hear the truth of the gospel.
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You know the story of Joseph. You've read the story of Joseph.
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The end, the climax is unbelievable.
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Israel dies, Jacob dies. The sons are fearful that Jacob
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now excuse me, that Joseph now is going to enact judgement upon
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them, having brought them to Egypt, having protected them
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through famine. Jacob dies, So it says in verse
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15. When Joseph's brothers saw that
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their father was dead, they said, what if Joseph bears a
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grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong
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which he did, which we did to him?
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What if, excuse me, what if he enacts judgement upon us?
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So he sent a message to Joseph, seeing your father charged
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before he died, saying, thus you shall say to Joseph, Please
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forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers
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and their sin, for they did you wrong.
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And now please forgive the transgression of the sermons of
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the God of your father. And Joseph wept when they spoke
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to him. Why did he weep?
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First of all, their father never said that.
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They just said their father said it because they were afraid that
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Joseph was going to act in judgement upon them, seek
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revenge. And Joseph wept because he
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thought of him as being that kind of person.
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And so it says his brothers also came and fell down before him
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and said, behold, we are your servants.
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They were begging for their lives, but Joseph said to them,
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do not be afraid, for am I in God's place?
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Am I to repay evil for evil? You see, whenever you repay evil
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for evil, you set yourself up to be in God's place, because
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vengeance is his. When you return evil for evil,
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you're saying I am God, I can handle this.
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And God says vengeance is mine, I will repay.
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And Joseph says he knows he's not God.
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I'm not in God's place. That's not my responsibility to
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do that. And so he says, As for you, you
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meant an evil against me, but God meant it for good.
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Now you don't know that verse, right?
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Genesis 50 verse #20 But you have forgotten the next phrase
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in the verse which says this God meant it for good in order to
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bring about this present result to preserve many people alive.
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You know, my God allowed you to do what you did because there
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was a greater purpose than just me.
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It was to preserve two nations, the nation of Israel and the
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nation of Egypt. And without Joseph, it would not
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have happened without all the negative circumstances and his
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imprisonment and the lion against him and being thrown
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into a pit, being sold to the Israelites.
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Without all that happening, nations would not have been
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preserved and Joseph knew that the Providence of God was at
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work to preserve many people alive.
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That is just so important to understand this and we need to
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learn to to rest in the Providence of the living God.
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The Bible says over in first Peter chapter one in this you
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greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if
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necessary, you have been distressed by various trials set
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the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which
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is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to
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result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
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Christ. And though you have not seen
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him, you love him, and though you do not see him now, but
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believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible
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and full of glory. And then he says in chapter 4,
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beloved, do not be surprised at this fiery ordeal among you,
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which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange
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thing were happening to you. But to the degree that you share
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the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at
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the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exaltation.
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Rejoice always, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
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concerning you. As a pastor, my ministry is to
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help you understand what the Bible says and to walk you
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through how to handle difficult times, trials, severe as they
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may be, hardship, loneliness, pain, turmoil, whatever it may
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be, as a pastor, that's my job. And I was so grieved this past
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week when a pastor in Southern California of a very large
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church who tends to be more political than pastoral told his
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people that if AB495 simply Bill 495 passes in Sacramento, he
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tells them, you need to flee California.
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You need to run, pack your bags and go, he says.
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And I'm like, that's not what pastors do.
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No, no, pastors say, no matter what the bill is in the bill,
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AB495 is about how a caregiver can come and sign an affidavit,
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fill it out, sign it, take it to a school and take your child out
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of school without any identification, any approval
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from the parents and take your child out of school.
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And it goes into more detail than that.
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But he says if this bill passes, you need to run, flee
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California, pack your bags and go.
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He says, and I'm like, wait a minute, that's what did Peter
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say when they went through persecution in Jerusalem?
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Pack your bags and get out of Jerusalem.
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That's not what Peter said. No, they went to prayer.
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They trusted in God and they rested in His Providence.
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See, this is very, very important because because
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pastors had the responsibility to lead people through hardship
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and difficult times and show them how God in His Providence
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is working and that you need to be able to stand strong on the
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Bible and the truth of the word of God and to live out your
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faith. Listen, the Bible says flee
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immorality. So run away from immorality.
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Bible says flee idolatry. Run away from idolatry.
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The Bible says flee the love of money.
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So run from the love of money. The Bible never says leave your
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state because things are bad. I can't tell you to do
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something. The Bible doesn't say my job is
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to help you through difficult times.
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That's what pastors do. Political pundits don't.
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Pastors do. That's our responsibility.
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That's how we live our lives, to help people do hardship.
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So when you come to the book of Acts and you have what, the
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threat to the apostles, no longer can you preach in his
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name. If you do, you will be punished.
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What do they do? Well, let's leave Jerusalem and
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go someplace else. Flee.
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No, that's not what they did. They went back and told
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everybody else, listen to this. When they've been released,
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they, they went to their companions and reported all the
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chief priests and the elders that said to them.
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And when they heard this, they, they lifted their voices to God
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with 1 accord and said, Oh Lord, it is you who made the heavens
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and the earth and the sea and all of this in them.
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They begin to pray and, and they, they recognize God as
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creator, originator, designer of everything that they begin to
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pray. And then it says this, who by
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the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our Father David, your
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servant said, Why do the Gentiles rage and the peoples
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divides feudal things? The kings of the earth took
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their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the
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Lord and against this Christ. For truly in this city they were
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gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you
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anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles
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and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your
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purpose predestined to occur. They are acknowledging that God
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in his sovereignty and in his Providence, design Herod, pilot,
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the Gentiles, and even his own people, Israel, to crucify their
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Messiah. They're acknowledging that and
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they said, and now, Lord, take note of their threats and grant
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that your bond servants may speak your word with all
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confidence that that's how you deal with Sacramento.
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Lord, take note of Governor Newsom's threats here.
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We pay evil for evil. God will do that.
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Lord, take note of their threats, but Lord, give us a
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confidence to preach the Word with confident, with boldness
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and with courage. Give us a strength to do that.
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This pastor wants all of us people to make a statement in
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Sacramento. I'm like, you don't make
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statements. We preach the gospel.
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That's what the church does. The church was never designed to
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make a statement. Never in the early church.
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Do you find them marching on the Capitol?
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Never. Do you find them marching
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against laws? You don't do that.
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That's what Christians do. Christians stand strong on the
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principles of God's Word, and they preach the gospel with
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confidence. As a pastor, my responsibility
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is to help you understand not what's happened in Sacramento,
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but how to deal with what takes place in Sacramento and how you
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deal with the difficulties that come down the Pike through laws
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that are given. That's my responsibility as your
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pastor. I want you to learn to rest in
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the province of God. So, so important to learn to
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trust that God is working through every individual, every
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circumstance, every situation to bring about a greater purpose
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and that is the spread of the gospel in the glory of His
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Kingdom. Be heavenly minded.
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Hudson Taylor, great missionary China was influenced by a young
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lady's hymn. Her name was Jean Sophia
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Piggott. Her brother was an associate of
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Hudson Taylor in China and she died at the age of 37.
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But she wrote a very familiar hymn that hopefully most of us
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all know, and that hymn is Jesus.
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I am resting, Resting. It was said that Hudson Taylor
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will be found at various times either whistling or humming or
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singing the hymn Jesus I Am Resting, Resting.
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After his precious wife died, they would hear him in the night
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singing the hymn Jesus I Am Resting, Resting during the dark
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and gruesome days of the box of rebellion.
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The song was on his lips and one day, after hearing the dreadful
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news about missionaries being held hostage, he simply began to
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whistle the tune to Jesus. I am Resting, Resting.
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He was angrily questioned about how he could whistle during such
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terrible times. This is his response.
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Would you have me anxious and troubled?
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That would not help them and would certainly incapacitate me
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for my work. I have just to roll the burden
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on the Lord. What a great response.
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Let me read you the words that Him.
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Jesus. I am resting, resting in the joy
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of what Thou art. I am finding out the greatness
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of Thy loving heart. Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
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and Thy beauty fills my soul, for by Thy transforming power
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Thou has made me whole. Simply trusting the Lord Jesus.
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I behold Thee as Thou art, and Thy love, so pure and
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changeless, satisfies my heart, satisfies its deepest longings,
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meets, supplies It's every need, compasses me round with
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blessing. Vine is love indeed.
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Ever lift thy face upon me as I work and wait for thee resting
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Neath thy smile, Lord Jesus. Earth's dark shadows flee
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brightness of my Father's glory. Sunshine of my Father's face.
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Keep me ever trusting. Resting.
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Fill me with Thy grace. A man who learned to rest in the
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Providence of God through the capturing and murdering of many
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missionaries, through the loss of his precious wife.
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God was providentially working in and through his life.
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He was a man of great impact, used for the glory of God's
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wonderful Kingdom. That's because he learned to
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rest in the Providence of God. He could rejoice always.
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My, my prayer for all of us is that we would learn to rest in
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His Providence so we could rejoice always.
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But there's more to just resting in His Providence.
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I have six more principles to give to you, so you'll have to
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come back next week. But in the meantime, between now
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and next Sunday, if the Lord tarries, this is the will of God
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concerning you, that you rejoice always, you pray without
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ceasing, and then everything give thanks.
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Let's pray. Father, we thank you for today,
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all that you do, for surely you are great and You are greatly to
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be praised. May we be a people who rejoices
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always because we know that you're at work for a great and
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better purpose than just our own personal lives, for the sake of
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your glorious Kingdom. And we see it from your
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perspective and learn to give you all the praise and all the
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glory and all the honor in Jesus name, Amen.