A Maturing Faith Pt 2, A Practical Walk

[0:00] Take your Bibles this morning, turn it over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 as we began last week looking at a maturing faith and what it takes! And we talked about a pleasing walk with the Lord, you know, and involving that walk that is with the Lord.

[0:21] And we looked at a term last week called sanctification. And the importance of that and that there's three dynamics of sanctification mentioned within the Scripture.

[0:33] And so the first one was that positionally, that's when you accept Christ as Savior, you're accepted in the beloved. You know, that you have security in Christ that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, the Bible tells us.

[0:48] It makes those things very clear and we see that's positional. And then we have practical sanctification. That's how God changes us and matures us in this life.

[0:59] If you're saved, we're stuck in the practical part. Okay? This is where we live. We live in the practical. How do you apply God's truths practically in our life?

[1:11] But also we see that perfect sanctification that he's told us one day will be conformed to his image, will be changed, will be different. The things of this life will no longer be a concern.

[1:25] That's perfect. But we're going to talk today a little more because Paul draws us back to the importance of practical sanctification. What does some of those things look like practically?

[1:38] You know, because we all know that it's easy to speak about high things and, you know, what expectations are and what way we'd like things to be. But, you know, the reality is life is filled with practical things.

[1:51] How do we apply it? How do we live those things practically in our life? And how does this practical sanctification not only affect us, what does it look like within us, but also how does it affect others?

[2:08] Because both those are true. And we're going to see Paul today is going to draw that attention to the church there at Thessalonica, those believers. And I want you to remember as we get ready to get into this that Paul had commended them.

[2:22] He said, you guys have displayed love. You've been faithful. You've been steadfast. You've been steadfast. You've endured tribulation. You've endured trials. You've endured those things.

[2:32] But he said, you know what? You're still in it. You know, I want you to understand that oftentimes you might come over one hurdle in life and realize that there's just another hill.

[2:47] You know, you get over one to realize there's one again on the other side. That's the practical realities of life. You know, in this life, we're going to have all those challenges.

[2:58] We're going to have those things. And we're going to have to continue to grow because maturing in the faith is that practical application, a practical walk before the Lord and before others.

[3:12] Because in this life, what we do as believers not only affects us, but affects others around us. And we always need to keep those things in mind. It's not just one-sided.

[3:23] It's not just about us, but it's about the Savior. And it's about what he has done for not only you, but for others. And that application we're going to see here this morning because Paul had some practical application of sanctification in their lives.

[3:40] That practical sanctification. How are we maturing? How are we growing in the things of the Lord? How are we moving forward in that? And there arose among the believers at Thessalonica.

[3:53] You know, how do we apply those things today? You know, if we're to please the Lord in what we do, it's a question. The practical side is what does that look like? Because when we don't understand what it looks like, we get all sorts of different ideas that are contrary to what God has said.

[4:12] Because we will fill the practical with something. The question is, are you going to fill it with what God has described? Are we going to fill it with what the world prescribes?

[4:24] What the expectations? So we need to understand what is that expectation and practical dynamic that we're looking at in our relationship with our Savior.

[4:34] It's a practical part of sanctification. It's the part where we are maturing and growing. You know, growth always involves being stretched out farther than you think you can.

[4:47] It involves conflict. It involves all sorts of issues. Because unless there's resistance, you don't build strength. Oftentimes we forget that.

[4:58] We all want the easy road. But you know what? If you sit on the couch and eat cookies all day and drink soda, guess what? You're going to get fat. You're not going to get strong. Resistance and the dynamics of life build strength.

[5:13] The same is true physically that it is spiritually. And God allows some things into our life for that reason. And we're going to find here, if you found 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, let's stand together this morning.

[5:26] We're going to pick up here in verse 9 here this morning. Read down through verse 12. But if you want to follow along in your Bible this morning, and notice what it says here. But as touching brotherly love, need not that I write unto you.

[5:39] For you yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed, ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia. But we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more.

[5:52] And that ye study to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your own hands as we commanded you. That ye may walk honestly towards them that are without and that you may have lack of nothing.

[6:09] Let's pray. Heavenly Father, as we come before you this morning, Lord, we just thank you for all that you've done for us. Lord, all that you give to us. Lord, we pray just have your hand upon the message here today, Lord, as we look at some things practically.

[6:25] Even as we enter into a new year, Lord, of applying these truths, not for last year, but for what's ahead. Lord, we know that last year is behind and we have a new year ahead.

[6:37] Lord, help us to look forward to serving and walking and being practical in our walk with you. That we might apply those truths that you reveal to us today in your word, Lord.

[6:49] That we might make them practical in our lives, Lord. That they might play out not only to honor you, but also mature us. And Lord, to be an impact upon others also.

[7:01] And Lord, we just ask all these things in your precious name. Amen. You may be seated. You know, we know here as we remember Timothy had brought back a good report from Thessalonica about the believers.

[7:14] You know, they'd been faithful to the Lord, you know. But it was a great beginning. But now they had to continue to grow and to mature in the Lord.

[7:25] You know, the one thing that you find over time, it's oftentimes easy to grow to a point and then get comfortable. That's a dangerous place for a believer. You know, there's a lot of people that call upon the Lord, they get saved, they begin to serve the Lord, then it just kind of plateaus.

[7:42] And they start doing life. You know, I've checked all the right boxes. But they forget God doesn't want us or expect us or even desire for us to be static.

[7:53] God desires for us to grow and to mature. Because remember, Paul had heard the report of how loving they had been, how they had responded to it.

[8:03] They'd done all the right things. But I want you to see here something very important. Look down here at the end of verse 10. He tells them all these things. And now notice he says, that ye what?

[8:14] Increase more and more. In other words, he says, being static isn't where you ought to be. You know, we need to understand the importance of growth, that practical application.

[8:28] You know, because otherwise we get to a place where we just justify our choices and responses. We get just holy enough to get by. You end up with one foot in the world and one foot in the things of God.

[8:44] You say, I can balance this and make everybody happy and look good. You know what? That's being static in your faith. Because the more your faith grows, the more you ought to move out of the things and the moorings of this world into the things that God would have.

[9:00] As we let go of those things. But oftentimes, you know, this is not a problem just in biblical times. But, you know, take a look over in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 for a moment. Because Paul's talking to the church at Corinth.

[9:12] You know, and Corinth had some problems. But it's interesting that here's a church that didn't have any problems at Thessalonica today. And Paul is telling them the same thing in maybe a little bit different way.

[9:23] But he's telling them the same thing. You know, you have to keep growing. Look what it says here in chapter 3 in verse 1. He says, and I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

[9:37] Think about what he's saying there. He says, hey, you guys have become static. You're not growing. You're not doing what you ought to do. He says, I have fed you with milk and not with meat. For hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet are ye able.

[9:53] You know, when you consider here, he says, hey, you guys should be growing up by now, but you're still babies. You know, we expect little ones to act immature. But you know what? Immaturity, the things that a 3-year-old does doesn't look very good on a 13-year-old.

[10:10] The things a 13-year-old doesn't look very good on a 23-year-old. The things of a 23-year-old don't look very good in their choices when you're 43 or 53.

[10:22] Why? Because there's an expectation of what? Maturity. And we have to continue to grow and to mature. We notice here, look at verse 3. It says, for ye are yet carnal, whereas there's among you envying and strife and divisions, and ye are not carnal, and walk as men.

[10:42] You know? In other words, you've got one foot in the world and it causes a problem. The issue that he's dealing with here is the same one he's encouraging the church at Thessalonica practically to apply in their lives, and that's to walk in harmony.

[10:57] Because a practical walk involves walking in harmonious love and the right kind of love. Okay? Because what produces harmony in our walk?

[11:08] Brotherly love. Notice what he tells them there. Look here in verse 9. Back in our text here in 1 Thessalonians, it says, But as touching brotherly love, we need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

[11:24] And indeed you do it towards all the brethren, which are in all Macedonia, but we beseech you, brethren, that you increase. In other words, he says, you know what you ought to do, or are you going to continue to do it?

[11:36] You know, that's a practical application, isn't it? Because the reality is we can know to do something and not do it. We do it all the time in life. You know?

[11:48] It's a reality, but he says this is brotherly love, this genuine kindness towards others. This has to do with like a family type love.

[11:59] As a church, we have to have a brotherly love one for another. A genuine concern for each other. That's a practical application.

[12:11] It's the mindset, the direction that we're looking here. That's that brotherly love. And have you noticed that sometimes it can be easier to be more kind to strangers than it is family?

[12:25] I'll just state the truth. You know, sometimes it's easier to be kind to a stranger than it is your family. You know why? Because the families around you all the time, they know how to push your buttons.

[12:36] Or they do things that you don't approve of, or you don't think are right, or all the different dynamics, or maybe it's personalities or directions, and it causes friction and conflict.

[12:46] You know what? As a body of believers, those same elements are going to come about. Family is going to have some conflict.

[13:00] But God says that we have to love one another. That's the practical. How do you love in spite of conflicts that come? You know, think about what Jesus tells his disciples here in John chapter 13.

[13:13] John chapter 13 and verse 34 says, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Now, when you stop and think about what Jesus is telling his disciples here, this is the 11.

[13:33] Judas has already departed. And, you know, sometimes we think the disciples just sat around and sang kumbaya all the time. You know, in that picture you get, everything was just smooth around Jesus.

[13:46] When you start reading about what goes on in the conflict, you know, why do you think Peter came and asked, Lord, how many times do I have to forgive him? It's probably because somebody else in the group made Peter mad or offended Peter.

[13:58] Lord, I know he's one of us, but how often do I have to forgive him? You know what, if you understand and study the disciples, they were a very unlikely group. Before Christ, they had nothing to do with one another.

[14:10] Matter of fact, it amazes me when you start studying the disciples that one of them was a zealot. One of them was a tax collector. Now, to us, that's just like, oh, that's just political ideals or things.

[14:24] I want you to understand, in Jesus' day, the zealots would literally kill tax collectors because they thought they sold out to the Romans. You want a political buttheads right there?

[14:34] But what brought them together? What made them serve together? It wasn't who they were, but it's who their Savior was. And they had to practice practical sanctification.

[14:49] They had to practically put together, how do I love somebody that I don't agree with? Say, preacher, that's tough. Yeah, that's growing and maturing when you can walk through those things to understand because I want you to know here this morning that Jesus instructed his disciples.

[15:08] He looked at them before he was getting ready to depart. He says, guys, I know there's problems amongst your thinking, but you need to learn to love one another. It's important.

[15:19] It's essential. You know, it's difficult, but we're supposed to seek the well-being of others. Even in life, sometimes they're going to let us down.

[15:32] Sometimes they're going to offend us. That's when Jesus said, you have to keep the right mindset about those things. That's maturing in the Lord because one says, I'm going to let my emotions run away, and the other says, I'm going to accept my responsibility and think, I'm going to ask the Lord to help me to think differently.

[15:52] That's the reason Paul told him. He said, he commends them for their love and then he turns around and says, but you just began. Your love, in order to have harmony among you, must increase to go more and more.

[16:10] You know, think about Matthew 18 there when Peter came to Jesus. In verse 21, it says, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?

[16:20] Seven times? You know, we can spend a little time here, but you know, Peter's kind of building himself up. I've already done seven times. And Moses would say, you know, somebody that made you upset or did something to you seven times, I'm done with them.

[16:34] Look what Jesus responded to him. Jesus, I'll put it this way. Look what Jesus said unto them. And tell him, I find it, that those things pop up very quickly.

[16:47] As we get ready to go into a new year, you know, there's things that happened last year that need to be put away. Things that need to be dealt with. You know, because there's nothing that destroys harmony quicker than criticism, grumbling, complaining, gossip, selfishness, personal agendas.

[17:07] All those things are impactful in it. And this personality conflict, you know, I want you to understand when Jesus is looking, he knows there's going to be a problem between them because of who they are.

[17:19] You know, we all understand exactly what I'm talking about. Sometimes personality is relevant because of the way you're wired. But we need all the people wired different ways. So God made us a different and unique person and all of us have elements within that need to be tested and conformed to His.

[17:35] That's the reason but we're all different and that causes questions. Immature believer starts pouting and putting up and doing all sorts of issues and complaining and murmuring and gossiping about what somebody else is.

[17:45] The mature believer says, Lord, what's my part? How do I need to mature? How do I need to love them? To consider how are we thinking and working through those things practically?

[17:59] Because I want you to understand that, you know, last year and this year and the year after that the Lord tarries. The question is not will these occur but what are you going to do when they do?

[18:09] What or how will you respond? Will you respond carnally in the flesh as Paul talks about the church at Corinth or in an encouragement as he does here in Thessalonians to encourage them to increase more and more?

[18:25] He says, you haven't reached the pinnacle of it. You haven't fulfilled everything that my command to love one another means. He says, you need to grow and you need to mature.

[18:37] That's a practical walk. You know, the answer is to increase more and more. In other words, when somebody offends you you need to look at it and say, Lord, how do I need to walk through this?

[18:50] What area in my life or understanding of loving somebody do I need to mature? Maturity is critical. That practical walk will involve harmony with other believers which includes forgiving one another.

[19:05] Not just once but continually. You know, you can hinder brotherly love among believers when you harbor things from the past. What someone said or did are the opposite of what someone did not do or say when you thought they ought to.

[19:20] You know, I find more times people get offended over what didn't happen because they look at it and say, well, they must have did this intentionally to me. Now, sometimes it's easier for people to process an actual slight to them than it is when they have an expectation.

[19:38] Our expectations, well, they ought to. You know what? When we look at it correctly, you know what? Somebody else might not have done what they're supposed to do. You know what? You probably haven't done some of the things you've got to do.

[19:50] That's the reason we can forgive them. We can move on. We're supposed to have the harmony that Paul's talking about here amongst believers. It's something that needs to happen continually.

[20:01] You know? You can hinder brotherly love among believers when you harbor things, but we need to understand either way it hinders the love that God commands every believer to have.

[20:13] Look over to Proverbs chapter 10 for a moment. Proverbs chapter 10 here in verse 12. We see over here something very clear in the word of God. It tells us this. It says, Hatred stirreth up strife.

[20:28] Hatred stirreth up strife. Now notice the last part of that. But love covereth all sins. There's a practicality right there in that proverb.

[20:40] That we allow past things to harbor. Now, I just want to make something clear. There's some things that people need to make right in life. We need to let those things of the past be passed and press forward to the mark as Paul tells us.

[20:58] We need to understand that, you know, we need the harmony in the year to come. We need to increase in our love one for another. No matter what, we still need to improve to increase more and more.

[21:13] You know, 1 Peter chapter 1 tells us this in verse 22. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto what? Unfeigned love of the brethren.

[21:24] See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. Now, notice where it starts. It starts with obeying the truth. What's he talking about there?

[21:36] Obeying the instruction of the Word of God. To say what God has said supersedes my feelings. I want to say that strikes pretty hard at us, doesn't it? Because you know what?

[21:47] Our feelings don't always align with what God tells us. The question is, at that point, is who's in charge? If you say that Jesus is in charge, who are you going to obey? If you say, Jesus, you're not in charge, you're going to say, I'm going to obey myself.

[22:01] Really, what Peter's talking about here is something very clear. It's a matter of authority. Who gets authority? Yourself or God? The love of the brethren is the determination of saying, who's in authority? Who is there?

[22:12] Who's walking through that? You know, a practical walk we see here not only needs harmony, but also involves a honest work. You know, doing this isn't easy.

[22:23] You know, a practical walk, it takes work, it takes labor. Notice what Paul tells him here. This honest work. Look down here in verse 11 of our text.

[22:34] It says, and that ye study to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your own hands as we have commanded you. You know, as you read this, it seems like Paul makes a shift here that's like, well, where do these two things intersect?

[22:47] He's telling you to increase more and more in love and then get to work and be quiet. You're saying, how in the world does that connect? Let me tell you, it does connect.

[22:59] Because it involves what you do, how that plays out. The instructions here are very clear. He tells them, study to be quiet and to do your own business.

[23:11] You know what it does? It directly connects to what you do will either help increase that love or hinder it. This is not a one-sided dynamic. Now let me give you a little lesson here.

[23:24] You see that word ye? Whenever you see that in the scripture, it's a word that a lot of people that, you know, modernize, they want to just put you there. But ye is a little different. Ye is a plural that includes you.

[23:37] Ye includes you and you and you and you and you It bunches us all together. The word ye puts us on the same playing field with the same responsibility.

[23:48] Yes, it's for you, but it's also for the other person. It's for everybody together. It's a collective type dynamic of a word. It's the application is for everyone.

[24:03] And it's everyone doing their part. Now this is where it gets sticky because this is where this is Paul's playing this out practically because I want you to notice here he doesn't say if the other person does it, you do this.

[24:16] He says this is your part. This is what's expected of you no matter what somebody else does. That's the hard part isn't it? Because our emotions say if they do I will God says you need to do whether they do or not.

[24:33] Now I want you to see here this idea of study to be quiet. Now that can be taken literally of just keep your mouth shut but this is another one of those phrases that means more the idea here is you don't need to stir the pot meddling and provoking.

[24:51] You know what there's some good meddlers and provokers. I've met some masterful people they're pretty coy at it too. You know they walk in and stir the pot and walk out all happy.

[25:02] But study to be quiet says you intentionally not stir the pot that doesn't need. Don't poke somebody just you know there's a lot of times it causes problem is that somebody did that to me so I'm going to poke them back I'm going to cause a reaction.

[25:16] I'm going to get even. Study to be quiet means I'm going to keep my mouth shut I'm going to take it to the Lord I'm going to deal with it properly instead of just provoking a problem.

[25:30] I'm not going to stir something intentionally that's going to cause a disruption in our ability to love one another. You know this is a problem that persisted you know over in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 in verse 11 Paul writes them later and he says for we hear there are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all but are what?

[25:53] Busy bodies. Paul was trying to head off a problem but you know what? The same problem he had with the church at Thessalonica is the same problem we have today. People can be told but people don't listen.

[26:05] Let's look at it on the other side on the positive side of that look over to Romans chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 and verse 18 tells us this if it be possible as much as why it in you live peaceably with all men.

[26:19] That's the positive side of what Paul said. The negative side is you're not obeying and you're being a busy body and you're causing conflict and strife and stirring things up. The practical side for us is if it be possible.

[26:32] In other words there's some things you can't avoid. Some things do need to be dealt with. The point here is you don't intentionally stir it up just stir the pot and walk away. I'll put it this way.

[26:43] If you stir the pot you better sit around. That's the biblical. If there's a problem it tells us to go to our brother or sister and do it. It doesn't say accuse them and walk away. It says what to make reconciliation.

[26:55] That's that practical dynamic that Paul's talking about here and as we move into a new year I want you to understand the devil loves to stir things up but our first choice as believers needs to desire not to create a problem or to do the things that intentionally cause unneeded issues were to walk in a meek and quiet spirit.

[27:16] Look what Peter says over in 1 Peter chapter 3 in verse 4 it says but let it be the hidden man of the heart in which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price.

[27:31] Now often times I think we overlook what Peter wrote later in his life because you look in the gospels Peter was the one who always opened his mouth at the wrong moment. Peter stirred the pot a lot.

[27:41] You know what Peter says when I matured I understood the practical sanctification of being conformed to his image by changing. A little later in that same chapter verse 15 he says but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with what meekness and fear.

[28:03] Meekness towards men and fear towards God. When we understand that humility of our own selves and notice here it says your own business.

[28:14] Today we would say it this way be quiet and mind your own business. You know what most of us have enough things in life to deal with we don't need to try to stir somebody else's up. You know we have enough of our own problems not to try to inflate somebody else's.

[28:27] You know why does God command this because too many are busy bodies and meddling the affairs of others. What is it that causes a person to meddle in the affairs of others?

[28:40] A critical nature. A critical nature because they want to assess everybody else and cut right along with that is a failure to see your own problem. A lack of dealing with their own affairs properly.

[28:53] You know oftentimes people if they don't do things right they want to cause everybody else to be disrupted too. The fourth thing you'll find is a lack of something productive to do. If you got time to stir somebody else's pot means you ain't busy enough.

[29:04] Because you know what when you're busy about what you're supposed to be busy about you have a lot less time to pay attention to everybody else. You're doing what's right. The solution here is simple. Notice what he says here in the end of verse 11.

[29:16] And to work with your own hands as we commanded you. The next direction is that to work. The solution is simple. Get busy. You know one of the best ways for believers to love and to learn to love one another and that's to serve the Lord together.

[29:31] Be busy together. To not be focused on personality and all the side things going on but say hey how can we work together to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish.

[29:42] Are we going to do our part? You know the problem with that is today many people think that work is part of the problem. I want you to understand work was not part of the curse.

[29:54] Let me just clarify something for you. Toil and sweat were part of the curse. Work was not. Go back to Genesis. Even before the fall God told Adam to dress and keep the garden.

[30:09] What did you come? Go prune the trees. Go keep things picked up. Go deal with the things that need to be dealt with. In other words Adam had a work assignment to keep after the curse is when sweat and toil were added.

[30:23] Instead of doing it with joy. But you know what? We can serve the Lord. We can work for the Lord with joy because of what Christ has done for us. It's a change of perspective.

[30:34] You know? The job you do and what you accomplish not only affects you but others also. You know look back in chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians. Look at verse 9 when Paul says this.

[30:45] He says for you remember brethren our labor and travail for laboring night and day because we would not be chargeable unto any of you. We preached unto you the gospel of God and your witnesses and God also how holy and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe.

[31:02] In other words Paul said there was a need for me to take care of myself in this situation and he said I got to work. You know one of the problems in our society some people think they're above no matter what your position high or low God expects us to work.

[31:18] Every believer is to pull their own weight according to their ability. You know one thing about that today often times people look at the church as a charity organization. You know I get calls all the time first of the month it's just a perpetual.

[31:32] Can you give me money? Can you give me money? Have you ever been to church? Nope. But you're supposed to give it to me. It's like you have a wrong perspective. You have a wrong perspective. They come with an attitude of give me what I need because I failed to do what was right myself.

[31:50] You know often times it's not a matter of a lack of money it's a matter of either they're lazy or they don't manage. I'll just come out and say it. Now I want to understand there's sometimes people just need help.

[32:03] And we ought to be willing to help because sometimes life happens. I mean life can go upside down in a heartbeat that's like things go all sorts of crazy. You know we've even amongst our church body here we know that happens.

[32:16] But those are unique situations outside of their control and not because of what they chose to do. That's two different things. That's a totally different dynamic.

[32:26] You know because we need to look after others and help when the need is genuine. Yet we are not to enable others to continue failing to work or properly use their resources. You know think about what Paul tells them in Ephesus.

[32:39] He says let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands in the one thing which is good that he may have to give to them him that need it.

[32:52] First Timothy chapter 5 he says this but if any provide not for his own and specifically of those of his own house he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.

[33:02] Now that's one that's not popular preaching but you know what it's biblical truth because you fail to do what you're supposed to do. Later in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 Paul commends them later says now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread but ye brethren be not weary in well doing.

[33:26] You know we can talk a lot more about the verses here that apply to this. The Bible is filled with verses about our responsibility and our work. But you know what the reality is you work because you love others.

[33:40] Your desire to provide is a loving thing. That's how work is tied to love. You put forth those things that are needful. You know I believe that every Christian should have some type of activity whereby he's doing something not only tangible to produce for himself but something that's tangible to produce for God.

[34:02] You know when we realize hey got a one-eyed spectacle. I want you to understand that we ought to be doing something tangible for God. There's a broken idea today that success means less work especially laborsome work but when you recall that God sent his son think about that Jesus came in the form of a servant.

[34:26] What did he do? He was born the son of a carpenter. You know what the very savior of the world worked with his hands. You think about that that he worked with hands. Who did he pick for many of his disciples and apostles?

[34:42] Fishermen. They went out and worked. Who did he call as a great missionary a tent maker? Work is not something that's put away. It's something that is expected. Love and work walk together that both those that are of the household of faith and those without to walk honestly.

[34:58] You know this is also something that the saints of God need to do today is to gain the respect and confidence of mankind. Our walk should be honest before both God and men.

[35:11] Notice verse 12 that you may walk honestly toward them that are without that you may have lack of nothing that you may be complete. That's growing in the sanctification and the things of God.

[35:25] Your sanctification is practical in both our love for others and for us to fulfill our responsibilities. You know I want to encourage you as you begin a new year where you consider how your love and your work tie together.

[35:40] Because both of these are essential for you to grow or increase more and more. For you to mature. That you have lack of nothing. That's just not material things.

[35:51] That's emotional and spiritual things. I want you to understand that's maturity. This morning is there something that the Lord has brought to mind that needs to be dealt with as we begin a new year?

[36:04] Maybe it's something from a relationship that needs mended, forgiveness given, attitudes changed. Or is there work that needs to be accomplished for your benefit and others?

[36:15] Is there an area of faith that you need to step out and trust the Lord to say Lord I'm going to step out and do what you've asked me to do. But you know maybe you're here today and it's just a matter of simple faith at that starting point do you need to be saved?

[36:29] Because all this is irrelevant if there's never been a point in time when you understood who you were a sinner before God and that God provided a Savior for you and that you responded to it by faith.

[36:43] Say Lord I just don't know here I want to live it out here. The reality of what you've done for me. Maybe there's an area you just need to be obedient.