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[0:00] A question to start. Do you love Jesus? Do you? Do you love Jesus? Many people say they're a Christian. They talk the lingo, they use the jargon, they call Jesus Lord.

[0:18] ! There is one unmistakable way of telling who really means it. Our Lord tells us in John 14 verse 15, if you love me, keep my command.

[0:30] If you love me, keep my commandments. John 14 verse 15. There was a church member who went to his pastor one day to tell him he was going to the Holy Land.

[0:42] To the Holy Land. And he said that his intention was to visit Mount Sinai. In fact, the man told the minister, I plan to climb right to the very top of Mount Sinai.

[0:55] Right to the top of that mountain. And when I get there, I'm going to read aloud the Ten Commandments. And where the Ten Commandments were given, he was going to go to, as best as he could to that very spot, to the top of Mount Sinai, to read aloud the Ten Commandments.

[1:15] And thinking this would please the pastor, the church member was surprised to hear him say, you know, I can think of something even better than that. And the man responded, you can, pastor? And what might that be?

[1:29] And the preacher said rather bluntly, just this. Instead of travelling thousands of miles to read the Ten Commandments on the top of Mount Sinai, why not stay right here at home and keep them?

[1:45] You know, we can, we don't have to go on some Holy Land trip as much, as it is a great blessing, I'm sure. As I have, I can personally relate to that. And what a blessing.

[1:59] To walk in the places where Jesus lived. And, but really it's more important to put the word into action.

[2:11] To actually apply what the Bible says. And some people that, some people believe that Christian love means accepting sin and error. They think that love is allowing wrong teaching to go on mixing it in with truth.

[2:26] That it's okay to have some kind of mixture of what is right and wrong. As if you can mix it together. And it's going to be okay. And you see in some gatherings where it's just this conglomeration of a bit of a mishmash of different kinds of beliefs and churches getting together of every flavour in some kind of pretend unity.

[2:46] And such gatherings can say things like, it doesn't matter how you live, so long as you, you know, you have this kind of love, this kind of airy-fairy kind of love that everything's kind of okay.

[3:02] But our Lord Jesus connects love and obedience. If you love me, keep my commandments. He's talking about love and truth. They go hand in hand.

[3:13] Love and holiness. Love for Christ will not compromise truth. It will not compromise holiness. If we love him, we will want to walk in his steps.

[3:24] A person who says they love God will have a foundation for their life. This is the foundation we can build upon. You know, we've seen, I know, all around us, in particularly some suburbs, we see houses going up.

[3:38] And we see the slab laid and then the structure, the roof, the walls, and all the bits and pieces inside. But what matters is it's got that solid slab down, isn't it?

[3:50] I know when Julie and I had our first home that we built was over at Burton. And they said, you need extra build-up there. The slab had to be extra thick because it's kind of marshy, quagmire-y type land over there.

[4:05] Muddy, clay, not a good foundation. So we had to have a stronger slab. And it's the foundation that makes the building strong. And so too, we need the good foundation of the Word of God.

[4:18] As we know our Lord tells us that the Word of God is a foundation for us. And it'll be evident that as we apply the Word, as we live it, it'll be evident. And it'll show through in how we live, how we conduct ourselves, how we act and speak.

[4:34] In Luke 6, 45 through 49. Luke 6, from 45 through 49. Our Lord tells of such a foundation. He says, He says, A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is good.

[4:50] And an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.

[5:01] You know, you hear some people today and every odd word is, you know, a curse word. And you think, why are they cursing so much, even just in everyday language?

[5:13] Why? You know, it's not like they're getting annoyed about something. It's just like they've got to colour their language with all these foul curse words and swear words. The Word says, Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.

[5:30] So what's in your heart's going to come out of what you're saying. And then we see, he goes on, verse 46, And why call ye me, Lord, Lord? And do not the things which I say.

[5:44] Whosoever cometh to me and heareth my sayings and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man which built a house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock.

[5:59] And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it. For it was founded upon a rock.

[6:11] But he that heareth and doeth not is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.

[6:25] In another gospel, it says that this man built his house on the sand, on this kind of shifting sands, this unsteady base. He built his house effectively, as our Lord was illustrating, his life was built on this shifting sands, this faulty foundation.

[6:46] But the wise man built his house on the foundation of the word. As our Lord explained it later, he described the foundation that was strong as the word of God.

[6:58] His words, his person, is our foundation. So if you love the Lord Jesus, your life will be founded on this sure foundation, this steady, rock-solid foundation.

[7:11] And when the streams come and the winds blow, we'll stand strong and firm, because we're founded on the scriptures, on that commitment to his truth.

[7:23] And the truth that we know that we're founded upon, we've got a mission to proclaim it, to tell others, to tell others the good news that we have received. That same gospel, that same message, is still vital and critical to proclaim it today, because the new sinners still need the same gospel.

[7:44] He hasn't revised or changed it, or adapted it. It's the same message now, as it always has been. And it's the same saviour we need now, that they always needed.

[7:56] That man has always ever needed, from the beginning of time. This old message, is still the message for today. This message is hated by some, but it must be obeyed and received.

[8:09] Will we compromise, where we think, oh it's okay to kind of colour and change this, and water it down, and make it more palatable, easier to swallow.

[8:22] Or will we conform to the word of God, take it as read, and act on it. Obedience to the word of God, it's not some easy believism, it means taking it as read, in black and white and red, it's the word of God, it's his word.

[8:37] And so, the boundaries, are set by God's word, and the truth, is, laid out for us there. Do you, love Jesus?

[8:51] Are you really a Christian? Are you a friend of Jesus? In John 15, 14, our Lord says, ye are, my friends, if ye do, whatsoever, I command you.

[9:05] Now, I'm going to quote a section here, talking about this theme of love. And, you know, there's a lot of talk about love these days, and, in some circles, and particularly in the media, they say Christians are unloving.

[9:19] We are unloving. You know, and, often, those who preach, the messages they give, the world says, this is hate speech.

[9:31] It's hate speech. Let me quote from someone who's talking along this theme, to give this person's perspective. And, he says this, I don't know what all the talk about the need for more love, in the church today, is all about.

[9:48] There is plenty of love. In fact, men are very loving. There is probably more love, in the church today, than ever before. The Holy Spirit actually predicted that man, would be loving, in the last days.

[10:03] In fact, he indicated that man's love, would be abounding in many ways. Paul predicted that during the perilous times, of the last days, men would be characterized by their love.

[10:14] He stated that the Holy Spirit, indicated that men would be, lovers of, themselves. Don't we see that a lot now? Lovers of themselves.

[10:24] Very selfish. The world is very selfish, isn't it? As we see. It's like, really, it's kind of shocking, don't you think? In some ways, how, how self-centered some people are.

[10:37] You know, it strikes me sometimes, when I'm walking down the street, and I just say, g'day to someone. And they don't even say, hello back to you. It's like, they're just so self-absorbed. I don't want to care about him, I don't know him, I'm not even going to exchange a greeting to him.

[10:51] Or, you know, down at the shop, when you say, thank you, please, and you think, well, they don't even use common manners, or courtesy anymore. It's like, it's out the window. That decency, that, because people are so selfish now, aren't they?

[11:06] Self-centered. You know, you see them driving along, you know, doing their hand gestures out here, if you, if you get in their way, you know, you know, it's all about, oh, I'm the king of the road.

[11:19] And, so selfish, and self-centered. It seems like, people are just going, worse, and worse. That's my perspective anyway, but I'll go back to the quote.

[11:29] And he stated that, the Holy Spirit was indicating men would be, lovers of themselves, and, lovers of money, and, even, lovers of pleasure, more than, lovers of God.

[11:44] So they're lovers, there's love, there's love in this world, those who know not God, lovers of themselves, lovers of money, lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God. The quote goes on, so the problem in the world, the church today, is, not that men do not have love, it is rather the things, that they are loving.

[12:04] Jesus indicated much the same, he stated that men would, always be loving, they'll always love, the one they are serving, and hate the one, they are not serving.

[12:15] Talks about two masters, doesn't he? Can't have two masters. Either you'll hate the one, and love the other. Every man is loving, the question is, who is he loving?

[12:27] Religious men, are especially loving, like the Pharisees, they loved, the praises of men, more than the praise that comes, from the one and only God.

[12:37] We heard in the message this morning, about, the Pharisees, and how, they were so, preoccupied, with their own little, religious world, where, the Pharisee went to the temple, and he prayed, with himself.

[12:54] He prayed, with himself. He was very religious, but he was all about himself. He wasn't actually, his, his prayers, just didn't go above the ceiling, because, he didn't have a thought, of God.

[13:07] He wasn't praying to God. The quote goes on, that, men love themselves, love pleasure, love praise of men. Men even love, another love.

[13:19] Yes, it's true. Jesus said, to the first church in Revelation, you have left your, first love. He did not say, they were no longer loving, rather, they were loving someone, or something else, instead of, their first love, Christ himself.

[13:34] Instead of loving Christ, they had gone to some other love, some other thing, that they loved. And Jesus also said, the very religious Jews, loved their traditions, more than the actual commandments of God.

[13:48] So, the quote goes on, there's a lot of love, in the world today. In fact, men are full of love, especially for the world. Men can love so much, that they, depart from walking with godly men, like Demas, who, having loved, this present world, have departed.

[14:06] Loving the world, can be a problem, can't it? Men are full of much love. Consider the love of sports, the love of music, the love of leisure, the love of food, the love of cars, the love of careers.

[14:21] There is much more love, in men than we realise. I will say it again, the problem with men, is not a lack of love, for they are full, of all kinds of love. Now of course, there's, there's harmless affections, I mean, I know, there's some folk here, a couple of folk here, that went to, to watch the soccer stars lately, in Playford, and they came to, the city of Playford, and, had some admiration, and affection for these, these, great, great soccer players, and that's, that's quite harmless.

[14:51] But it's when, sometimes, you know, I know some, folk that I know, that, the dad tells me, oh, the children can't come, because they're playing soccer, and so they can't come to church.

[15:04] I thought, how sad that is, that, that that should trump, being, in church. You know, there's other ways, there's sometimes, Saturday teams, there's other ways, you can get around them, I know there's some, another man, his children like soccer, they play on a Saturday, so they can be in fellowship, because it's important, it's so important.

[15:24] This child will grow up, never having been in church. What hope is there? How sad is that? Love, that, trumps the love of God, is a dangerous thing. Demas, he loved this present world, and he's departed.

[15:37] You know, there's harmless love, for innocent things, that we might enjoy, recreation, and enjoyment, of different kinds, but let's not let that, get in the way of Christ, but get in the way, of our love for God, and that which really matters.

[15:54] Do you love Jesus? What about you? Do you love Jesus? What do you love? What do you love? When we think about, our lives, what we spend, our affection, our time, our energy, our interest in, is it that which is spiritual, or is it that which is carnal, of our flesh, of just pleasing ourselves?

[16:18] Are we living in, obedience to God, or disobedience to God? And the secret, really, of true obedience is, that close personal relationship, with God.

[16:30] If we know Him, if we know our Lord, then that's going to be, number one. That's going to be, number one. Everything else, comes second. Access to God, to know Him, to grow in Him, to strengthen our faith, to abide in Him, as we follow Him.

[16:55] One preacher put it like this, is the secret, of true obedience, is the clear, and close personal relationship, to God. All our attempts, after full obedience, will be failures, until we get access, to His abiding fellowship.

[17:10] It is God's holy presence, consciously, abiding with us, that keeps us, from disobeying Him. I must consciously, include the Lord, in every thought, activity, and conversation, until the habit, is established.

[17:24] Think of Him, love Him, may it affect, your way of living. We're under attack today, and the truth, is not popular, and everything, is bombarding us, with anti-God messages, constantly.

[17:41] It's like, there's a real bias, against Christians. There's, there's recent, media articles, in print, and I believe, there's something, on tonight, that's just, a blatant, an outright attack, on Christianity, on Christians, and we're in the target sites.

[17:59] The media, just loves to bash Christians, and to call us, you know, homophobes, or whatever, label they want to give us. The truth, is not popular today.

[18:10] It never was, and it certainly, isn't getting any better. It's getting worse. The truth, is not popular, and the truth, does not change.

[18:21] God doesn't, revise the truth, it is what it is, it's the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. We've got to, adapt to it, not, adapt it to us, and it doesn't deviate.

[18:36] And so, God's church, is built on this book, on the truth, that is here, it's a foundation, that's strong and sure, not on the shifting sands, of men's popular opinions.

[18:47] opinions, you know, we can all tune in, and, and, keep up to date, with the latest news, and, the social media, and, you know, some of the, harmless chit chat, and twitter, and what not, that people like to, keep up with.

[19:07] And people's opinions, and, information changes, messages, but we've always got to have that discernment, to keep, right with God, that, we measure things by this book, and this does not change, we, do not shift to the, opinions and views of men.

[19:30] And, this is constantly the case, especially younger people, in school, university, they're constantly, getting anti-God messages. So you've got to filter that out, amen?

[19:42] You have to filter it, with the word of God. Do you love Jesus? It's an important question. Where is our loyalty? What counts to us?

[19:53] The approval of God, or the approval of men? Loyalty to the word of God, and his truth, or, loyalty to the crowd, our mates, and friends?

[20:05] This is our sole authority, our sole authority, our faith and practice, stands on the word of God, on the divinely, and verbally inspired, inerrant, and authoritative, word of God.

[20:19] There's a story told, there's a Bible teacher, who was, over, in Africa, and, this Bible teacher, told a story, one day, a young son, of a missionary couple, in Zaire, was playing in the yard.

[20:38] So this little tacker, out in the yard, playing in the, yard of this home. And suddenly, the voice of the boy's father, rang out from the porch, Philip, obey me instantly, drop to your stomach.

[20:54] And immediately, the youngster, did as his father commanded. Now crawl towards me, as fast as you can. The boy obeyed. Stand up, and run to me.

[21:08] The boy, obeyed, unquestionably, unquestioningly, and ran to his father's arms. And the youngster, turned to look, at the tree, by which he had been playing, and he saw, a large, deadly snake, hanging from one of the branches.

[21:26] At the first command, of his father, Philip, could have hesitated, and asked, why do you want me to do that? To drop to the ground? To crawl along? Or he could have, casually replied, in a minute, I'm just playing, with whatever he was doing.

[21:42] But his instant obedience, without questioning, saved his life. Will we obey God? Will we trust him? Will we obey?

[21:53] Jesus says, if you love me, if you love me, keep my commandments. You know, sometimes we kind of, take the word, carelessly, and casually, such that, we're a bit flippant with it, at times.

[22:10] Jesus says, if you love me, keep my commandments. So for example, some of the commandments, that he has given to us, through the scriptures, abstain, from all appearance of evil.

[22:23] If it's questionable, don't touch it. Don't gossip. Don't defile your body. Don't be tossed about, with every wind of doctrine.

[22:34] Don't fornicate. Don't be selfish. Don't let any corrupt communication, come out of your mouth. There's some things, that God tells us to do. What to do.

[22:45] What to not do. Some do's, are, walk in the light, forgive, love, be separate, repent, get into fellowship, obey the scriptures, for young people, obey your parents, in the Lord, for the, for the women, folk, for the wives, love and reverence, your husband, for the men, love your wife, love.

[23:15] It tells us, renew your mind. Pray and keep on praying. Be faithful. These are all things to do, aren't they? It is clear. It says, touch not, the unclean thing.

[23:28] Don't have a bar of it. Do you love Jesus? He says, if you continue in my word, John 8, 31, then are ye my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

[23:48] This book sets people free. It doesn't put us in bondage. It doesn't tie us up in knots. It sets us free. There's liberty here. There's freedom. There's release.

[23:59] There's deliverance. There's salvation. He says, continue in my word. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

[24:11] There's an authority from the scriptures. It sets people free from the chains of religious bondage. Paul tells Titus how to conduct his ministry in Titus 2.

[24:25] Titus 2 from verse 11. He says, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

[24:57] These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority let no man despise thee, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

[25:19] It teaches us how to live. There's some things to keep from, ungodliness, worldly lusts and we've got something to look forward to, the blessed hope, that joyful, glad hope that Christ is coming to this planet again to take his people for himself.

[25:40] He gave himself for us and that we might be a people, a peculiar, in other words, very special, very, very much his own special people to purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

[26:01] Do you love Jesus? That's what he wants for us. He wants the best for us. And so, true Christian love will stand firm and stand fast and speak forth these truths and not just speak them but live them.

[26:19] To be a people zealous of good works, he wants us to be red hot, boiling hot, on fire for him. And so, it means to reject that which hinders us and holds us down, holds us back, that slows us in this race.

[26:40] To seek after holy living, to seek after pleasing our God and Lord, our Master, to honour and worship him.

[26:52] Do you love Jesus? The question is, what is swaying us? What is guiding us? What is leading us? The world and the worldly church is under an influence.

[27:05] It's shifting sands. It's like, you see some things that are going on. You know, you see them on YouTube and other sources of late and the madness that is going on that goes under the name, under the guise of Christianity and it's just wacko because they're completely disregarding what the word says.

[27:27] it's the stuff that goes on as a matter of routine in some churches that is not at all in the scriptures. It's just not there.

[27:39] And so they're under an influence that is astray from the scriptures. What influence are we under? the word tells us be separate from evil.

[27:51] Now of course we know the Pharisees they were separate in the sense that holier than thou. Oh I'm not like these scum. Nothing like that. We're not talking about being like that because we're all under his grace.

[28:04] We're all undeserving. None of us is worthy. As I've preached to talk this morning the righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees we cannot attain it. We have to receive it as God's gift that Christ is our righteousness that he is the one who sets us free and we're never to go around with our nose in the air looking down on others holier than thou kind of attitude because we're all equally unworthy of his grace.

[28:33] Our message is to bring others to know his grace and to be saved sinners like us. And so the influence that we're under is very important and we can't negotiate and find some middle ground.

[28:48] There is no kind of sitting on the fence with Christianity. We can't sit on the fence. In Psalm 97.10 in part it says ye that love the Lord hate evil.

[29:03] So there is a place for hatred. Of course it's discerning that. That's a very telling scripture really isn't it? Psalm 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil.

[29:17] Now there's some things that I hate in this world. When you see some of the media articles about what some of our politicians are trying to foist upon the population even in the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia trying to legalise prostitution for one thing trying to bring such an abomination into our land into our state the state of South Australia the people who govern us our lawmakers and politicians the ones who are over us trying to bring in laws that legalise what is blatantly evil.

[29:56] I hate that don't you? Ye that love the Lord hate evil hate it. it's the same with these abominations that many in the political scene are trying to bring in so called same sex marriage.

[30:16] It's not marriage. It's not marriage at all. Nothing to do with it. God says what marriage is. One man one woman that's what marriage is.

[30:27] And there's no changing God's definition of that. So I hate that. Don't you? I hate what our politicians what our political leaders are trying to bring into this land.

[30:40] And we see that in as we know we that work in secular workplaces of all descriptions it's like you're constantly pressured with such messages.

[30:51] They're trying to brainwash our children and our grandchildren in the universities and schools of our land. It's like we're in a constant brainwashing and the media likewise too.

[31:04] I hate that. I hate evil. Ye that love the Lord hate evil. So love is measured with hatred of that which is evil. Likewise it says in Amos 5.15 Amos 5.15 in part it says hate the evil and love the good.

[31:23] Hate the evil and love the good. I hate it when I see Christians stumbling and getting off track. I hate that. The devil's got them.

[31:34] I want to help them get free. Hate the evil and love the good. I love there's another scripture that says overcome evil with good. We need to do that don't we?

[31:46] Amen. Now I could say that I think that I have been unloving by not reproving rebuking and exhorting as much as I should have.

[31:58] That's what God tells me to do. Every preacher reprove rebuke exhort. They're strong words aren't they? Talks about warning every man. There's a sense where look if you're really not cutting it as a Christian our heart is for you.

[32:20] To comfort you, to encourage you, to uplift you, to get alongside you, to encourage, to stir you on, to spur you on in a good way. But there's also a sense where we should warn you.

[32:33] Don't toy with it. Don't toy with that which is going to damage your testimony. Don't toy with that which is going to hinder your walk with God. Don't mess with that which is going to stop you from being an effective Christian.

[32:45] I've got to reprove, rebuke, exhort. There's a sense of warning there. Perhaps we shouldn't have seen people leave and go off in error and falsehood.

[33:00] It saddens me fair enough people come and go from a church and may go to some other church down the road but it grieves me when they go and join a church which is flaky. A church which is flaky.

[33:12] By all means if you must leave join a church that's solid and strong. That's a Bible preaching church where they tell it like it is. Where they use the word of God with authority and truth.

[33:26] They preach the message of salvation and they've got a heart for souls. Join such a church. Don't go and join some flaky church where it's all just a load of rubbish.

[33:38] Don't waste your time on that. Don't go off and do that. It's incumbent on me and those that are preaching and teaching and ministering in this church that we want to be solid.

[33:51] We want to give solid, strong teaching Bible foundation. Then we wouldn't ideally see people go off into error as some have done.

[34:03] Perhaps we wouldn't have had the confusion in teaching and views with some. If I had been more loving by being forthright in correcting errors.

[34:16] There's been some folk that have come and thankfully gone now that were coming into this church and distributing material along the pews and saying snide remarks join the preaching and trying to sow discord and cause strife and bring in false teaching and error and causing confusion temptation and such that some have gone off with them.

[34:41] They've taken disciples after themselves. Perhaps I should have been avoiding being unloving or deceived to be unloving by actually rebuking them earlier on in the piece.

[34:57] In hindsight we can see how that would have been more wise of me. Perhaps we wouldn't see the rebellious and godless ways of some if I had been more faithful in denouncing sin and error.

[35:11] It's incumbent on me, whoever preaches here, whoever ministers to you, whoever it be, the next pastor who takes over from me, let it be a man who's solid and strong and forthright and doesn't hold back.

[35:23] Because it is not an unloving thing to do, to preach strong. It is unloving not to speak out, not to warn against error, not to discipline the erring brother or sister, not to preach against the errors of the flaky churches and the charismatic mess, all of the wacko goings on that some take for Christianity today because it's error.

[35:56] It's unloving not to speak out, not to preach against the worldly ways and wrong attitudes of some, to say it like it is. Brother, that's wrong. Sister, don't do that.

[36:09] Stop it. There's a sense where that's incumbent on me and whoever preaches and ministers in this church. And I want to be more loving by being stronger in God's word and his truth.

[36:26] Pray for me, pray for those that preach that. We will be strong. We won't deviate. We won't be wishy-washy as if the truth doesn't matter or you can invent your own truth because that's not the case.

[36:40] The loving apostle John taught us the true definition of love. He says, 1 John 5 verse 3, just to wrap up. 1 John 5 verse 3, for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not previous.

[36:55] He says, this is the love of God. It's here. He's written it. He's commanded it. He's declared it. He's delivered it. It's in your hands. Read it and obey it. Keep his commandments.

[37:07] And his commandments are not grievous. So the commandments of God, it says they are not grievous. Now this word grievous means it's not burdensome.

[37:19] God's not going to load us down with something that's going to weigh us down and make us, it's not achievable. It's not that it's beyond our capacity.

[37:33] This isn't grievous. It's not hurtful for us. It's actually gracious to us. It's actually a blessing to us. It's the very opposite of grievous.

[37:44] And so the word of God is critical for us and I urge each one today to reconsider, do you love Jesus?

[37:55] Jesus. This must be the ultimate question. And if we love him, it will mean some practical changes for us. It will mean letting go of sin. Letting go of that which hinders our walk with God.

[38:07] Let it go. Make a conscious decision. Now sometimes a preacher can say, this is sin, this is sin, this is sin.

[38:18] And you might say, oh he's having a go at me, that's what I do, that's what I think is okay. But rather it's the Holy Spirit that will point out things and will start to get uneasy with certain things.

[38:42] You know, I like to say how my dad had a smoking habit at one time and he made a Christian commitment, but he was still smoking for some, several months.

[38:57] Yeah, so he had an addiction that had a hold of him that he couldn't shake off. Now that's just one example. Of course smoking is relatively, you know, you could say that's nothing.

[39:11] But the Holy Spirit convicted my dad that that was something for him. And that was the thing that was hindering his walk with God and he knew he had to shake it off.

[39:22] And he prayed and God gave him the victory to stop cold turkey, to stop taking that tobacco and he stopped taking it. And he honoured God in making that decision.

[39:34] That's just one example. whatever it be, there's something that's a conflict for us, that's a hindrance for us. And rather drop that and take up a good habit.

[39:47] Take up that which is going to help you to walk with God. Have more of a daily reading habit, more of a daily praying habit, family devotion with being a witness for Christ.

[40:01] And sometimes for me, I have found, back to my school days as a young Christian, that being an outright Christian is sometimes the best thing you can do.

[40:17] The best thing you can do. Because then your life's going to measure up because you're not going to want to be a bad witness. Some Christians are blab, blab, blab, blab, I'm a Christian, but then you see what they get up to and you think, well, it might be better if they hadn't said they're a Christian because of what they're doing.

[40:39] And they'll think, oh, that's okay for a Christian to do that. You see that like on, for example, on Facebook where people post things that might be a scripture text and then the next minute they're posting something that's got swear words in it or some questionable thing that they're getting up to.

[40:57] And you think, well, it's like the word talks about can a stream bring out bits of water and sweet water at the same time? You can't.

[41:07] You've got to be one or the other. Be a fair dinkum Christian and drop off that which is holding your bag. be a full Christian. So when you stand up for Christ and you might lose some friends for it, people might think, oh, he or she has just become one of those religious nutsers.

[41:27] They're one of those Christian wackos. But it's better that they say that and you think, no, I'm just hungry to be. I've made a decision. I've decided to follow Jesus and I'm going to go 100% with that.

[41:41] and be an outright full-on Christian. Do you love Jesus? Do you love Jesus? Do you love him enough to say, I'm going to walk with God and I'm going to follow Jesus and I'm going to be a Christian and I'm going to be strong for God no matter what?

[42:01] Obedience to the word of God is paramount. And so I urge you today to get right with God. If you're not in that place, be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

[42:12] When he points things out in your life and you think, no, I think that that would displease the Lord. I'm going to drop that. But this does please the Lord. I'm going to do more of that.

[42:22] More and more of that. So we let go of sin, we get hold of God. The Lord says the truth will set us free. Do you love Jesus?

[42:32] That's the question. If you love me, keep my commandments. Take heed of this word. Let it live in your shoes, in your life, in your lips, in your everyday.

[42:45] Let's pray. Lord, we thank you that your word challenges us in the everyday lives that we live. We know, Lord, that you said to Peter, do you love me?

[42:58] Do you love me? And you gave him some work to do. You told him what he had to do. And Lord, we know that when we say we love you, it's more than just words.

[43:11] It's about our lives being in tune with you. We know, Lord, that as we heard this morning, that we can never measure up of our own working or doing.

[43:27] Even our trying as hard as we can to be living a good life never measures up enough to save us. And our only hope is to put our trust in you.

[43:41] At the cross you died for our sin, you rose again. You're our living saviour as we put our trust in you and receive your gift, your grace, as we turn from sin and our own way and find the peace of God to find that new way of living as you enter in and change us from the inside out.

[44:03] Lord, we thank you for that peace that we can know. And Lord, as Christians here, Lord, help us to not disregard your word, but always have that consciousness that you are with us, that each moment of the day we'll have a thought of what would it please you to do and to not do, that we will show that we love you as we keep your commandments we'll want to follow you as we obey your scriptures and let our lives be made more pleasing to you.

[44:41] Pray for every Christian here today. There's people who are struggling with the Christian walk, they're struggling with the difficulties of life, the practicalities, the day-by-day making a living, coping with the day-by-day pressures and stresses of work and life and it's hard Lord, when the rubber hits the road we know we're always weighed down and feeling the load yet Lord you're always there you want us to turn to you you want us to find your help you want us to call out to you help us Lord to have that heart that is always in tune with you and help us action when we're out in the world and there's opportunity to say a word of witness Lord let us not be afraid time is too short for us to waste another day that we can be those people that are building our lives on the foundation pray for every believer here today

[45:55]  Lord that will walk in victory and knowing that our salvation is not on our works but yet our Christianity does work because we are your workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works so help us Lord to overcome evil with good help us to love the good and hate the evil and to be strong ever stronger in these darkening days that will be a people to your praise in Jesus name amen God bless you today we'll close with our final song 26 be encouraged I trust we can take heart that we know him we love him and we want to live like it to please him day by day he'll give us the grace to drop some things off that we need to let go of and we'll find some things he wants us to take up and be stronger in as he helps us to so let go to