The Simplicity that is in Christ

[0:00] The simplicity that is in Christ. We're going to 1 Corinthians 11 verse 3.! Think of it, the world that we live.

[0:13] ! It's full of busyness and complexity sometimes.! There's some simple realities nevertheless that we can find, that we can know. There's truths that we can know, eternal truths that matter and that we can know personally know.

[0:28] Yet we know the world is full of many living frantic yet empty lives. It's a cluttered, confused world for many. And there's a lack of that simplicity of the knowledge of God that can make sense of life for the soul of men.

[0:49] The Bible tells about the trickery and deceit of Satan. The serpent as he came in the garden. And his agenda is, as it always has been, deception.

[1:03] And he deceived Eve right back there, right at the beginning, through his trickery. And we know the Bible speaks of the devil and said he is the author of confusion.

[1:16] In 2 Corinthians 11 verse 3 it reads, Paul writes, But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled or tricked Eve through his subtlety, through his deception.

[1:33] So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. They reckon there's some 4,300 religions in the world.

[1:47] Even within the Christian kind of context, or those who profess to believe the Bible, there's about 40,000 denominations.

[1:57] So you can see there's a complexity of ideas and views, understandings, sometimes minor differences, sometimes huge.

[2:11] It's a complex and confusing thing for many, isn't it? And you can see the fingerprints of the master deceiver in all of that, can't you? 4,300 religions, 40,000 denominations, give or take, probably more.

[2:26] The master deceiver, he's still doing what he did in the garden with Eve. Causing division, discord, confusion, smoke screens.

[2:37] I know for some, yesterday we were out with a team of people knocking on doors. And you meet all manner of people. Some who might say, I'm C of E.

[2:50] They've never darkened the doorstep for a long time. And yet for some, maybe they do believe in their simple way. I'm not denying the possibility.

[3:01] Even in a dead or dying church, there could be some who yet believe. We see Christadelphians completely confused on all manner of subjects.

[3:12] Muslims, no knowledge of the true God. We see people struggling. I saw a couple of people, I knocked their door and they said they'd go to a cloud church or a live stream church.

[3:26] It's really no church at all. Because you can't fellowship with your computer screen as much as you try. But yet there's so much out there, isn't there? Deception and confusion. Yet Paul tells us here of the simplicity.

[3:40] The simplicity that's in Christ. Some simple truths. Really the Bible is simple. There's a simple message there. And this simplicity in Christ, you could understand it to mean a purity, a devotion to him.

[3:55] A faithfulness. It speaks of a singleness of affection. Of a single-minded devotion. That's the sense of it. That this is simple.

[4:05] It's straightforward. It's true. It's knowing him. It's loving and following him. And Eve's problems, right back in the garden, Eve's problems really started when her mind was corrupted.

[4:21] You know, he's still playing these mind games today, the devil, isn't he? And what's at issue here, right from the beginning with Eve and Adam and the human race beyond, including you and me, is the mind gets corrupted.

[4:36] The devil sends these confusing messages. And our spiritual condition begins in the mind. It's where Satan launches his attack. And he says, Hath God said.

[4:48] Throws doubt on the very word of the living God. And he says, Ye shall be as gods. He offers you the world. And how's that?

[4:59] For you and me, the appeal to the ego, the self. Yeah, I'd like that. I'd like to be as gods. It's part of the problem, isn't it? Man gets fooled. And he still is today.

[5:11] With all manner of confusing religions and doctrines that are false. And we miss this, this simplicity. The simplicity that's in Christ. And we can know that today.

[5:22] We can. Are we into religious complexity and ritual and rules of men? Back in the days of our Lord, at the time of Christ, the Jewish tradition counted 613 laws in the Torah.

[5:41] And you had to keep every one of them. 613. 713. Added to that was the tradition of the scribes. On top. It was a complex religion of rules.

[5:54] A religious system. Life can be sometimes confusing and complex. And we can make all manner of rules and machinations of men.

[6:05] And miss that. The simplicity. The simplicity that is in Christ. How have we got away from that? That simplicity. Think of the Lord as he came. As he shared his life with people.

[6:18] He was down to earth. He was real. It was ungarnished. Christianity. Powerful. Yet a simple message.

[6:29] He summed up that law. The 613. Everything you could think of. He brought it down to two truths. Love God. Love your neighbour.

[6:40] Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength. With all your being. Love your neighbour. As yourself. That's simple, isn't it? He narrowed it down.

[6:51] Bought it right down. Consider today the simple things. The simple things. Our very language. Here's some quote along the line of elaborating the simplicity of life.

[7:03] Of simple things. Even our English language, the alphabet. It's built on only 26 letters. So simple that a little child can recite their ABCs.

[7:14] Yet the Bible and billions of other books have been written using only those same 26 letters. In different combinations.

[7:25] With new words being added every day. But every new word is made up of some combination of those 26 letters of our alphabet.

[7:37] Consider music. All music is based on seven notes. Only seven. The first letters of the alphabet. A, B, C, D, E, F, G. God made music for us to praise him.

[7:52] And from the simplest piano scale, played with a child's fingers, to huge symphony orchestras, playing compositions of the early masters. Magnificent voices in between.

[8:05] Praising. Singing. All comes from just seven little notes. And that all the new combinations of song and music are written every day.

[8:17] Just from those seven. Seven. Simple, isn't it? Another example of simplicity is colour. All colour is made up of three basic colours. Red, blue and yellow.

[8:29] Of course there's thousands of shades and combinations of colour. And more are being discovered every day. Everything that God has made has colour. Even white and black are colours.

[8:41] All the flowers, trees and animals that God made have colour. Every light, even light, is made of three colours.

[8:52] A combination. As you put a prism there, it splits it. But it's three basic colours. There's no colour in darkness because all colour is in light. So even the sun, moon and stars have colour.

[9:04] God made colour. God made colour. Simple. So we could see the beauty of his glory in all of the creation he's made. The beauty of it. We could behold his glory in the work of his hands.

[9:17] Another example of simplicity and yet complexity is atoms. Atoms are the tiniest structure in the universe. A million of them could fit on the head of a pin.

[9:28] Yet everything that exists in the universe is made up of atoms. Including you and me. Every atom has a tiny spark of life. Of electricity.

[9:39] That God has created life within. There's only 20 basic kinds of atoms that make up the entire universe in various combinations. Every atom has those basic particles of life.

[9:53] Life. The electrical spark of life. That really only comes from God. Who breathed into Adam. Life. Simple things really. Simple things.

[10:04] When we boil it down there's simplicity there. And in the Bible the simplicity that is in Christ is something we can know. God calls us to simplify.

[10:15] We can get complicated can't we? Life gets complex and frantic. It's been defined that to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary.

[10:26] So that the necessary may speak. There's so many unnecessary things aren't there? That clutter life and confuse and weigh us down. And we miss the simplicity. The simple things.

[10:38] How about the simple things on a spiritual front? What about how to be saved? How to be saved is simple. It's basic.

[10:50] You could even say it's easy to be saved. As much as some mock easy believism. It's actually straightforward when you get to the heart of the gospel.

[11:03] As to what the Bible says how to be saved. The gospel it's clear. It's pure. It's simple. It's simple. Yet so many miss it.

[11:14] They complicate it. But God has made it. Truly made it simple. First we have to see our need. That we are spiritually dead.

[11:26] Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5.12 it says. Wherefore as by one man Adam sin answered into the world and death by sin.

[11:40] And so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. And it reads for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

[11:52] Amen. When I'm witnessing I like to kind of illustrate it. That there's a ladder that we try to build of good works. As if we can climb up.

[12:03] But no. It falls short. The glory of God is so beyond, above. Unattainable. By our own means.

[12:13] We cannot make a ladder big enough. Nor climb it. Yet God in Christ reached down to save us.

[12:25] Salvation. It's the greatest need of humanity. It's our universal need. All have sinned. All need the saviour. That's why we need the gospel.

[12:36] The gospel. The good news about the saviour. And the gospel. It's simple. I know my dad likes to recollect how he was a church goer. And the gospel was not in the church.

[12:46] It was never delivered. And yet the gospel is vital. It's essential. It must be declared. As Paul described it. He said, for I've delivered unto you. First of all, that which I also received.

[12:59] How that Christ died for our sins. According to the scriptures. And that he was buried. And that he rose again. The third day. According to the scriptures. It's really in a nutshell there.

[13:11] As he defined it there. In the earlier verses. He described how he would tell of the gospel. And he defined it right here. That it's Christ died. Was buried.

[13:23] And rose again. So we are in need of a saviour. Who can save us. Thank God a saviour has come. And he is the one we can know.

[13:35] Personally know. It says, but God commendeth his love. Towards us. Even us. His love. Toward us. In that while we were yet sinners.

[13:46] Christ died for us. So we had nothing to commend ourselves. While we were yet sinners. It says. God affected everything.

[13:57] That was required. To save us. Salvation is the work of God. God. It's like Jonah said. When he came out the whale. Salvation is.

[14:08] Of the Lord. He couldn't get himself out of that fish. He had to know. The saving. Of God. And he found that. Salvation is of the Lord.

[14:22] And all that we bring to the salvation equation. Is our unworthiness. Our guilt. Our sin. Salvation is not earned. We cannot deserve it.

[14:33] It's God's gift. It's his gift. That we can receive. It's plain and simple. It's the gracious promise of God. For it says. The wages of sin.

[14:43] Is death. The Bible speaks of. The eternal death. Of the second death. It speaks of hell. Of the lake of fire. But the good news is.

[14:53] But. The gift of God. His gift. The gift of God. The gift from God. For you. It is. Eternal life. Through Jesus Christ. Our Lord. It's simple.

[15:04] It's simple. Truly. It is simple. If we would but. Receive. As we would simply receive a gift. In Acts 16. A man asked. What. Must I do.

[15:15] What must I do. To be saved. Paul and Silas. They said. Believe. On the Lord. Jesus Christ.

[15:28] And thou shalt. Be saved. God has made it simple. Truly. Simple enough. For a child to understand. Even a child can understand. Faith.

[15:39] Believe. Receive. It's simple. Trust. It's grace. It's taking God at his word. He assures us of his forgiveness. We can know a saviour. Who is truly a saviour.

[15:51] And he'll surely save. His work of salvation is complete. How many sins did he die for? All sin. How many sins did he take away?

[16:02] Every single one of them. That's the extent of his forgiveness. All my sins are forgiven. There's full forgiveness. In whom we have redemption. Through his blood.

[16:14] Even the forgiveness of sins. According to the riches of his grace. How big is God's grace? It says there's riches there. There's a treasure trove.

[16:24] Of a rich store of grace. And he lavishes it. He wants to pour it out. And give forgiveness. Not that we deserve it.

[16:36] But by faith we can receive it. By faith we have it. That we can have forgiveness of sins. Friends. God has done everything that has to be done.

[16:46] To save you. The Lord Jesus said. It is finished. It was finished. It was finished then. Way back then. He took away our sins. Forever.

[16:58] Spurgeon described it. Of how the natural rebel heart. Rebels against the simple way of the gospel. The simplicity of the way of salvation. Here's how he put it.

[17:09] What? Am I to do nothing but simply accept the righteousness already finished? Am I to leave off doing and merely look unto him who was nailed to the tree and to find all my salvation in him?

[17:26] Well then, saith the proud heart, I cannot understand it. To leave off doing and merely look unto him that was nailed to the tree.

[17:43] The proud in heart cannot understand it. They must think there's something more I must do. But there's not. We have to humbly receive God's gift.

[17:57] It's astonishing that it's a gift, isn't it? And a gift that you do not deserve. But humbly you can receive it. God's salvation.

[18:08] It's a forever transaction. We are in Christ. Yet some people cannot receive the simple truth. Paul talked about some that were removed from him that called them into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.

[18:23] There were some in Galatia that were trying to add a kind of works idea. And Paul says you're removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.

[18:40] It's not to deny that we should be deliberate and have a heart to please God. But we cannot add to salvation itself.

[18:50] But we're talking about sanctification which goes on. But the devil just delights in his deceiving work to delude people into another gospel. Any other gospel but the saving one.

[19:05] And so we see that in this multiplicity of religions and philosophies of men. And denominations galore. Of course some of them have got way, way off track.

[19:16] There's no salvation. There's no gospel there. Or a false gospel there. It's inadequate. It's not the saving gospel. And the devil wants to take away from us the simplicity that is in Christ.

[19:28] The simple gospel. Make it complicated. Make it burdensome. Make it doubtful. Make it dependent upon us. And to manufacture a man made salvation of our own construction and effort.

[19:43] Try as I do. I can't save myself. Man would try that. That's the multiplicity of these many other gospels.

[19:55] It's complicated and burdensome. People have lost track of the true gospel. Paul says you're removed from him. That called you into the grace of Christ. Unto another gospel.

[20:09] And the church at Ephesus was strong at first. Over time it said of them, Thou hast left thy first love. He who has loved you. Is the one that you should know and trust.

[20:23] People did not want to be. Paul, sorry. Did not want the people to be corrupted. From the simplicity that's in Christ. Simple faith. But surely there's more.

[20:34] I have to do more. Simple faith. Is a faith without mixture. It's not. A faith of our own manufacturing or doing.

[20:47] It's a faith he. Blesses us with. Such that we believe. And receive. That's not to say we shouldn't add to our faith. But the faith that saves is not added to.

[21:02] That's salvation. The sanctification is adding to your faith. That follows on. And it tells us of the early believers. That they continue daily with one accord in the temple.

[21:12] And breaking bread from house to house. Did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. There's a singleness here. Notice that singleness. It's got that sense of focus. That the heart is focused.

[21:24] There's a singleness of purpose. It's alike to the simplicity. The singleness. It's simple. It's single. It's a dedication.

[21:35] It's serving that one and only master. The life of faith is an uncluttered life. It's not burdened down by complex systems of man's efforts. In reasoning with people as we witness.

[21:48] It's often the case that they're trusting in their works. That they're depending upon their works. Every religion of man has this feature. It's works.

[22:00] It's Cain, isn't it? It's works. It's not trusting in the slain lamb. But that is our only trust that saves.

[22:10] It's the trust in Christ. Not a system of our own efforts. Of our own manufactured salvation. But the simple gospel. And the simple gospel, Paul defines it as the power of God unto salvation.

[22:25] To everyone that believeth. To the Jew first. And also to the Greek. It's the power of God. And it's unto salvation. So the gospel. He died, buried, rose again.

[22:37] It's in there. That's the power of God. Unto salvation. The Lord Jesus has actually done all that is necessary. And the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But to us that are saved, it is the power of God.

[22:51] It's a life-changing relationship with our Lord. The Bible. This is the story of grace. From cover to cover, there's grace here. It's the story of grace.

[23:03] The life-changing relationship we can know with God. Either we're in grace or ungrace. I've been looking at some stuff that a brother was sharing with me. The simplicity of the gospel.

[23:13] The simple gospel. Either we're in grace or we're in ungrace. It's one or the other. Are you in grace? Are you trusting the saving work of your gracious Lord?

[23:24] Who wants to bestow upon you the riches of his grace? Do you know the humbling, saving work that saves your soul? The salvation that is so simple and plain that a very child can understand it.

[23:39] Yet intellectual giants will stumble over it. As our Lord prays. See. And the Lord commands a childlike faith. To simply trust.

[23:49] To believe. To receive. That we can come as a little child would come. And simply receive. It's not meant to be complicated and difficult.

[24:00] It's interesting in Isaiah 35. Speaking of the king's highway. The highway to heaven. It says. That the wayfaring men. Though fools. Shall not err therein.

[24:11] And some have defined this as. Like the stranger without good sense. The simple man. Can still find his way. On the gospel road. But even the.

[24:22] Those who might. Be considered fools. Though. Considered simple. The lowly. The humble. They can receive it. They cannot. They shall not err therein.

[24:32] They'll. They'll find this way. The gospel way. It's salvation. It's simple. It's by grace. And the whole Christian life. It's grace from beginning to end. Grace to save us.

[24:43] Grace to keep us. Grace to take us to glory. It's grace right through. And it's God's delight to give it. To whosoever will. Yes. Simply.

[24:53] Whosoever. That there is no. Restriction. Really. That it's to the whosoever. Whosoever will. Whosoever.

[25:05] Will call on the name of the Lord. Shall be saved. Yes. They can be saved. And he makes us to be. What's more. Children of God. Think of that.

[25:17] Again. It's. Often a verse. We might turn to. In witnessing. And to tell folk. As many as. Received him. To them. Gave he power to become.

[25:28] The sons of God. The children of God. Even to them. That believe. On. His name. It's all about. Him. Receiving him. Believe on. His name. Simply that.

[25:40] How. Complicated. Is that. We can make it more complicated. Than what it really is. Can't we. To believe. On his name. Simply that.

[25:51] God's grace. Makes us fully alive. It's Christ in you. He makes us live. He makes us alive. He imparts his life to us. The very grace of him.

[26:02] Who is grace. Who is full of grace. Full of grace and truth. He imparts his life to us. As we received him. For. By grace. Are ye. Saved. Through faith.

[26:13] And that not. No way. Of yourselves. It is the gift of God. His gift. Not of works. Lest any man. Should boast. We have nothing to boast.

[26:24] To claim. Nothing to commend ourselves. No credit. Of our own. No salvation. Of our own making. Man tries to complicate salvation. By works. We're called to works.

[26:36] Yes. But salvation. Is apart from the works. The works follow. That's later. That follows. Simple faith is enough.

[26:48] To save. But some would say. Simple faith is not enough. I must add my own self effort. And be somehow deserving. No. You cannot deserve it.

[26:59] You cannot deserve it. You cannot earn it. You cannot. You cannot merit it. Because there's nothing about you.

[27:11] That makes you worthy. It's all about him. The one who is worthy. Worthy is the lamb. That was slain. It's all of grace. And it's to the glory of God. All the honour is to the slain lamb.

[27:24] All the praise is due unto him. It's unto him. Who has loved us. So loved us. So loved us. And washed us from our sins.

[27:34] In his own blood. As we'll sing. I'm sure with the throng here. One day. Or the same kind of song. I'm sure we'll be singing. One day. Unto him.

[27:46] Unto him. Unto him. That loved us. And washed us. Unto him. Be the glory. To him be glory. To him be a dominion. Forever and ever.

[27:57] One day we'll sing that. I'm sure. We can personally experience the grace of God. It's loving grace. It's infinite grace. It's matchless grace. It's the riches of his grace.

[28:07] He's got a boundless store. Of provision of grace. And he's not going to run out of grace. There's not going to be a shortage. Might be a shortage on the shelves at the moment.

[28:18] But there's no shortage of his grace. It's riches of his grace. And we can personally experience the grace of God. That's a wonder isn't it? That we can personally know it. And rely upon it.

[28:29] And rest on that. Receive it. His precious gracious gift. Of salvation. And we can come to be made alive in Christ. Such that we can then. Once we're born again.

[28:40] Then there's a walk. That's the next stage. We're saved. He calls us to walk. In newness of life. And the believer can know. Know grace. Yes. Know it.

[28:51] Live down. Walking in your shoes. And we can know that we have. Present tense. Eternal life. That's not to claim that flippantly. Or carelessly.

[29:03] But because on the authority of God's word. It says. Ye that believe. On the name of the son of God. You may know that ye have. Eternal life. In the now.

[29:15] And that ye may believe. On the name of the son of God. The promise of God is clear. It's yay and amen. It's the promise of God. It's simple. It's sure. As a believer you can assuredly know.

[29:26] Know for sure. A sure assurance. Of your forgiveness. Yes. Covered. Cleansed. A daily victory.

[29:38] In your everyday living. Undeserving. While still you are. To know that. Undeserving. Yet he grants you grace.

[29:50] And grace upon grace. Yet more grace. That's not to say we should despite grace. But we should be in awe of grace. Shouldn't we? We should be thankful.

[30:01] It should shock us that his grace would be such. Towards us. And as a believer you can know assuredly. Sure assurance. Yes. He swaps our sin.

[30:13] With his righteousness. Wow. What a transfer. What a trade that is. To trade our filthy rags. With his robe of righteousness. To exchange our guilt.

[30:25] With his grace. For he hath made him. To be sin. For us. Who knew no sin. That we. Such as we. Might be made.

[30:37] Yes. The righteousness of God. In him. So. There's a daily victory. He enables you to live that. He enables you. He walks with you. He empowers you.

[30:48] He fills you. There's a great simplicity in our Lord's teaching. Such that we can have. Such a. Blessed assurance. And in his parables.

[30:58] We see the unfolding. Of the gospel message. And through the whole Bible. And God contrasts the wisdom of men. So called. With the wisdom of God. How to be saved is simple.

[31:11] Amazingly so. And how to worship. Is simple too. Prayer. Is simple. Some would think. Well I must get in some. Holy mode.

[31:22] And have some. Particular phraseology. Or. Have some posture. Or such. But no. Prayer is simple. Talk to your heavenly father. It's talking with God.

[31:34] It's relationship. With your father. God. And Christ established. A simple church. Church is meant to be simple too. Simple worship. Brothers and sisters.

[31:45] Getting together. To worship our Lord. Man has made it. Such that the simple. Has been turned into pomp. And ceremony. And man tends to complicate things. And ritualize things.

[31:57] We don't want that. We want simple. Simple church. And God has revealed this to us. By his spirit. The will of God. By revelation. We know religion.

[32:08] It can be showy. And pompous. And appeal to the flesh. Some gear it all. To the vanity of men. Such that it's some circus show. Some pantomime. But worship.

[32:20] True worship. Is in spirit. And in truth. It's simple. Simple. The believers met simply together. We can meet anywhere we please. We can meet in a house.

[32:30] We can meet in the park. We can meet wherever it be. And gather. Meet together. That's worship. That's simple. And our emphasis should be upon this simplicity.

[32:43] This drawing near to God. A heart drawn near to him. And so the simplicity that is in Christ. There's fundamentals. And really the simple truths.

[32:55] The foundation truths. The wisdom and will of God. He wants us to know that. And it's simple. Really the Bible. As much as it is. I suppose. Complex to a degree.

[33:06] In effect. Really. The simple message is simply there. It's simple. The simple gospel. The good news. It is simple. Truly simple. The essentials.

[33:19] Of the salvation of God. Of the worship and service of God. It's simple. So I put to you. Sometimes we might need a spring clean. Now those that might know Julie.

[33:30] Know she has this preoccupation with. With. She's such a neat freak. You could say. She likes to unclutter. And declutter.

[33:41] And clean. And you know. We need that kind of spiritual house cleaning. Don't we? Where we put out all the clutter. All that would distract. And get back to the essentials.

[33:55] We don't want to believe in a different Jesus. A different gospel. But simply believe the word of God. Take it as read. Christianity is simple. As we've seen and said.

[34:05] That even salvation. The Lord Jesus says. Except we become. As a little child. Except you be converted.

[34:17] And become. As little children. Try to find that one there. Become as little children. Except you be converted.

[34:27] And become as little children. You shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. What is that saying to us? Can we bow down. And humbly accept.

[34:39] That Jesus died for me. Can we? I think some great theologian said. He captured it all. In the words of the song. Jesus loves me.

[34:49] This I know. For the Bible tells me so. It's Jesus love. It's the salvation truth. Christ died for sins. As we bow down.

[35:00] And humbly accept the gospel truth. As a little child. Children. Are so often ready to receive. To believe. And the cults love that. Don't they? We know. Communism takes delight.

[35:12] In taking a child. And impressing them. With falsehood. But. Thank God. A child can be. Touched with truth. Life changing truth. And know the saviour. Even from a young age.

[35:23] And I know. There's numbers of us here. That were saved. As a youngster. Maybe. Before we were even a teenager. And. That salvation. Is just as valid. As the one saved.

[35:33] Much later. In life. I mean. All of us must be converted. And receive it. Simply. As the simplicity. Of a child. Childlike faith. Something precious.

[35:44] Isn't it? Childlike faith. Not some intellectual. Exercise. Philosophy. Philosophical. Argument. And religious ritual. Simple.

[35:55] Faith. Believe. Believe. Believe with an open heart. What the Bible says. Believe. God. And what he says. Turn your heart fully. Unto the Lord Jesus.

[36:06] Turn away. From religion. Unto truth. Receive. The truths of Christ. As a child. Would receive the truth. And instruction. From their earthly father.

[36:17] Hopefully. So. The word of God. It's God. It's God breathed. And we can know the truth. It's here. For us. The simplicity. Simplicity.

[36:28] That's in Christ. It extends to how to be saved. How to worship. And how to walk. He shows us how to walk. It's not difficult. Or mysterious.

[36:39] The Christian walk. Is a simple walk. To. To get back to the Bible. To. Be part of a Christian fellowship. To obey the leading of God's spirit.

[36:50] To be a faithful witness for Christ. To follow Jesus. Walking with Jesus. That's it. Walk in the light.

[37:02] Walk with Jesus. He's our model. He's our example. He's our. Master. Consider how our Lord walked. We can think.

[37:13] Of the simplicity. Of our Lord. Some have. Talked about it. Such as this. That our Lord. In his walk on earth. He did not travel over 240 miles.

[37:23] From where he was born. He did not own a dwelling place. He didn't become part of some religious. Hierarchy. He didn't go to Bible school. He was not ordained of men.

[37:35] So his testimony and teaching were not received. Religious leaders did not accept him. Or speak well of him. He did not teach as men taught. He spoke only those things that came from his father.

[37:47] And he knew human emotions. Such as at Lazarus's tomb. Where Jesus wept. Jesus was called a friend. Of publicans and sinners. He mingled with the lowest.

[37:59] Of the low. He was called a wine bibber. By the religious leaders. And they called his power. Demon power. Jesus was human. In every way.

[38:09] Without the vanity and pride. And lust of men. Of course he was without sin. And he was criticised by the religious establishment. For not keeping the holy days. Not keeping the religious traditions of the elders.

[38:21] The norms of the day. The religious norms. He rebuked those in religious authority. He was servant to the lowest class of people. The son of God.

[38:34] Without sin. God manifest. In the flesh. Our Lord. Will we follow him?

[38:47] Simplicity for the believer is to walk as he walked. Under his control. Such that we're willing to bear our cross. To face rejection and hurt.

[38:59] Simply trust him. He says follow me. That's simple isn't it? That's simple. It's mind boggling. But it's simple. The blessing of God is on such a life led by the spirit of God.

[39:13] And the believer's life is such that he fills us with his joy. So consider the simplicity that is in Christ. It's simple.

[39:25] And grace brings salvation. Wow. It's the simple grace of God that makes salvation happen. This living truth that sets a soul free.

[39:37] To know. To worship. To honour. To be his redeemed people. The grace of God that bringeth salvation. It brings it. It's appeared.

[39:48] To all men. And grace teaches us. It says. That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts. We should live soberly. Righteously and godly. Grace brings salvation.

[40:00] Grace sustains us. Grace teaches us. Grace shows us how to live. His work to save. To redeem. It's grace. And his work to purify.

[40:12] To help us live. He teaches us. That by his grace. He purifies us unto himself. By himself. For himself. He gave himself for us.

[40:24] That he might redeem us from all iniquity. All sin. And purify unto himself. A peculiar people.

[40:35] Zealous of good works. It's simple. It's free. It's God's gift. And. To grasp that. Is. A precious truth.

[40:46] As we give our lives over. To the simplicity. That's in Christ. Our knowledge of God will grow. And he'll. We won't just stay. In the simple stage.

[40:57] As it were. That will add to our faith. Will. Will grow our faith. Will feed our faith. Will. Build our faith. Will. Partake of that milk.

[41:07] That meat of the word. Such that our faith will. Increase. And our lives will be given over to. Our Lord. There's no higher priority.

[41:19] It's simple. He says he wants us to. Seek first his kingdom. And his righteousness. And he showed us how to live. He showed thee oh man what is good. And what doth the Lord require of thee.

[41:31] But to do justly. To love mercy. And to walk humbly. With thy God. That's pretty simple isn't it. Well. I'm not denying this.

[41:44] There's challenge there. It's the simple things. Confront us don't they. But how can I do that. He'll enable you. Because he walks with you.

[41:57] It's simple yet it's astounding. That such as we. Such as we frail. Human. Failing creatures. Such as me. That we can walk with God.

[42:09] That we can walk humbly. With God. You can. Simply walk with God. Wow. That's simple. But wonderful isn't it. That relationship.

[42:19] To know him. As your saviour. And master. And friends. It says. That this simple path. It was going to. It's going to shine more and more. More and more. And so.

[42:30] So. Where you begin. It's not where you stay. He wants you to grow. He saves you. Seals you. But he doesn't want you to stay.

[42:42] In. That. He wants you to keep on. Walking. Walking more and more. Shining more and more. Unto the perfect day. Such that your faith will expand.

[42:53] And increase. He'll lift you. To that higher plane. As you walk. Simply walk with your God. So don't let Satan sway you away. From these simple truths.

[43:03] Simply receive the grace of God. That saves you. And walk in the grace of God. That sustains you. Let us pray. Lord we pray. If there's any present. Or hearing.

[43:14] That each one might know. That precious truth. That you save. Such as call upon your name. Whosoever will. Lord that we can. Trust. And know. You're saving.

[43:25] By faith. As we receive it. Simply trust. That on the cross there. Was where you paid. For our pardon. And paid it in full. And the free pardon.

[43:35] Is to such as will. Simply receive it. Lord help us to believe. Believe your word. Lord help us to receive you. Such that we are made. Children of God. Help us to be such a people.

[43:48] That you'll make us. Your own. Precious possession. Redeemed. Peculiar. Reserved. Marked for your glory. Lord help us. Teach us.

[43:58] Such that your grace. Would teach us how to live. To walk humbly with you. That we will. Live soberly. Righteously. And godly. In this present world. Pray that each one might know.

[44:09] That saving grace today. And that we know. That sustaining grace. Each one. As we walk with you. As you lead us on that path. That leads us.

[44:20] And shines brighter and brighter. Unto that perfect day. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.