It's our first Sunday in 2025, and so we're starting something that we're going to be
doing every year, Lord willing, and that is asking the Lord what he has to say about our
church for the year.
If you look at the book of Revelation, there's seven churches in the beginning of the book
of Revelation, and Jesus has thoughts about all those churches.
He has a lot of corrections.
He has some affirmations to some of those.
But what he doesn't, you can't say that he doesn't have thoughts, okay?
He has thoughts on all of those churches, and he has thoughts on our church as well.
And so what we want to do is seek the Lord and say, Lord, what do you think about our
church?
What do you have for us in this new year?
So that's something we did together, prayed towards this new year, asked the Lord, what
are three words that you have for us for this year?
And the three words that God gave us are character, family, and order.
Character, family, and order, okay?
And so I'm going to speak on all three of these.
I'm going to start today by speaking on character, okay?
We're going to talk today about character.
You can turn to 2 Peter chapter 1 if you want to look at the main scripture we're going to
come off of.
But one thing I wanted to say by way of intro as well is that something I've been thinking
about is that a lot of times when people think of church, they think it's very complicated,
very difficult.
And because so many churches don't grow or because so many churches close their doors,
that it must be really difficult to have a healthy church and for having a healthy church
grow and thrive.
But I think it's really important for us to look at it no different than you would look
at anything else that's healthy.
If something's healthy, it grows.
If something that is alive always needs certain components to stay alive and to be healthy
and to continue to grow, and the church is no different from that, okay?
The church is no different from that.
And most often, we tend to overcomplicate this in our hearts and minds.
And so what it does is it breeds unbelief in us when we're trying to be the church and
do church together.
And we just need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind because when it really comes down
to it, church isn't all that complicated on what makes it healthy because Jesus, and it
would be one thing if we just didn't know and we had to figure it all out.
But if you read the Bible, there are clear communications from the Bible on what it means
to be a healthy church.
There are clear components and different people, gifts that God has given to the church who
are gifted in certain ways to build the church.
When apostles are apostling and prophets are prophesying and being prophets and pastors are
pastoring and teachers are teaching and evangelists are evangelizing,
the church builds itself up and it grows, okay?
That's just one aspect of it.
That's just one verse.
But there's multiple verses like that.
There's multiple ways that the Bible says, hey, this is how you should build.
There's multiple verses that say this is the way church should function.
This is what a healthy church looks like.
This is the components necessary.
This is God's will.
And it's important for us to get faith around the building blocks of God's kingdom in the
context of his church.
And instead of having our kind of default be, oh yeah, church is really hard to be healthy.
Church is really hard to grow in a healthy way.
Church is really hard to thrive.
Well, is that true?
Is it really as hard as we make it out to be?
Or is it just that very often we're just missing the components that God so specifically, clearly
gave us in his word to build the church his way?
Does that make sense?
I think it's an important question to ask.
And it's something that I think God was stirring in my heart even this morning to ask you.
And to ask you, where is your faith when it comes to the church?
And is it based on what you have seen?
And not to mention that so much of our faith ends up being on what has been called church
and how successful or unsuccessful it's been.
When most often in our culture, what has been called church is not church in fact.
It's not.
It's not the way God wanted it to be.
It's not the way God prescribed it to be.
It's not the way God's laid out in the scriptures for the church to be.
And therefore, we should not let those churches in name only that end up being very weak,
very feeble, that end up closing their doors, that end up not being thriving, alive churches,
determine whether or not we're going to have faith that this church, Christ's church,
is going to be in an alive and a thriving church.
If you're doing that, I got a word for you this morning.
It's a different word from the three words.
Stop.
Stop doing that.
Okay?
Don't do that.
Don't think that way.
Change your mind.
Repent.
And start thinking in faith according to the word of God, according to the ways of God.
All right?
So, 2 Peter 1, 3-10.
So, character is one of those things that's very important to a healthy church.
Character is extremely important to a healthy church.
If you don't have character, you might say you.
I'm talking about the people of the church because the church is people.
Okay?
If the people that comprise the church don't have character, it's not going to be healthy.
It's not going to thrive.
Okay?
Let's look at the main text on this.
2 Peter 1, starting in verse 3.
Okay?
His divine power is granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
Through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence,
by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires.
Okay?
Verse 5, He says,
For this reason, so all that He just laid out there, now He says,
For this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue.
Virtue with knowledge.
Knowledge with self-control.
Self-control with steadfastness.
Steadfastness with godliness.
And godliness with brotherly affection.
And brotherly affection with love.
All character issues.
Okay?
Verse 8, He says,
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,
they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he's blind,
having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.
For if you practice these qualities, you will never fall.
Wow!
Right?
That just lays it out there.
Some really direct, specific things.
All right?
Some really direct, specific things.
First, it starts off by saying these great things we've been given.
His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
So, most often people say,
Well, I just don't feel like I have everything I need for life and godliness.
Well, your feelings betray you.
What does the Bible say?
Will you submit to your feelings when the Word says something different?
What is your standard?
Your feelings or the Word?
God's Word says that his divine power has given you most things?
No.
All things that pertain to life and godliness.
Well, I'm trying to do my life.
I'm trying to be godly.
Both things are difficult.
Sometimes I don't feel like I have what I need.
Well, the Bible says you have all you need for life and godliness.
Do you believe that?
Right here.
And he said that that's through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
He's revealed himself.
He's shown himself.
Have you seen Jesus?
Have you seen the Father, he said?
The exact representation of the Father is Jesus.
He's God in bodily form so that we could know him and see him and understand what he is like.
Okay?
Through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
and then it says in verse 4,
by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.
Wow.
Okay.
Now he's saying you have everything you need,
then I'm going to give you these promises.
I got these promises for you.
It helps you become partakers of the divine nature,
which goes with what Judah was sharing when we took the Lord's table.
I can't do it on my own.
I need to partake of the divine nature,
because my nature is not getting me anywhere.
Right?
So of course I need to partake of the divine nature,
which what does it do?
That is what's caused me to escape from the corruption that's in the world because of sinful desire.
Now in light of all this,
because he says for this very reason,
essentially he's saying,
now that I've laid that all out,
for this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith.
Now this is where a lot of times you have the two ditches in Christianity, right?
There's the ditch where it's just like,
oh no,
the Lord has done everything.
I don't need to do anything.
I'm not going to get into your workspace religion.
You know,
it's Christ.
It's all Christ.
It's Christ,
Christ,
Christ.
It's Christ church,
man.
That's what we call it.
Right?
But he says in light of all this,
make every effort.
Whoa,
whoa,
whoa.
Effort?
Doesn't depend on man's effort,
but God's mercy.
Don't you know that verse?
Yes,
but take it into,
that's,
that's not the only verse in the Bible though.
There's a lot of other verses like this one.
Okay?
So it's both of us.
The other ditch is that,
oh,
it's all on me.
I don't need,
I just need to do everything.
And I'm constantly feeling anxious.
And I'm constantly like,
I'm not doing enough.
And did I do enough?
Am I pleasing?
And no,
it should be somewhere in the middle where you're saying,
listen,
I can't do anything apart from Christ,
but I have to do things because of Christ.
Okay?
And that's what he's saying.
In light of all this stuff,
for this very reason,
make every effort.
So I would assume that
probably everyone who professes Christ in this room
is making some effort,
but is everyone who professes Christ in this room
making every effort?
It's a good question,
right?
He didn't say,
you know,
give a little effort in this.
A little spit and polish.
Right?
He says,
no,
make every effort.
Make every effort.
To what?
Supplement your faith.
Why does he start with faith?
Because that's where it all starts.
Without faith,
it's impossible to please God,
Hebrews 11,
6 says.
Okay?
So,
grace comes through faith.
Faith is where it starts.
But he's saying,
you've got to make every effort to supplement.
You guys know what a supplement is.
Many of you take supplements,
right?
We take supplements.
Why?
Because we're not getting what we need in our food,
so we take a supplement to add to it.
Okay?
We're adding to our faith and saying,
okay,
I'm going to supplement it with virtue
and knowledge
and self-control
and steadfastness,
godliness,
brotherly affection,
love,
which all these things,
in essence,
are really saying,
character.
Character.
Make every effort to supplement
your faith
with the character attributes,
with things that are noble things to pursue.
And then,
he gives this,
in verse 8,
it's such a great statement.
This is what I'm talking about
when I'm saying,
you know,
sometimes we overcomplicate church
and our life together
because he says,
if these qualities are yours
and are increasing,
they keep you from being ineffective
or unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We know of people in churches
who are ineffective
or unfruitful
in their knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Some of us are saying,
yeah,
that's me.
Not just that I know someone,
that's me a lot of times.
I feel ineffective,
unfruitful.
And you might say,
well,
what do I do about that?
It lays it right out here.
If these qualities,
these character qualities,
are yours
and are increasing,
they keep you from being ineffective
or unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Okay?
How do you,
how are you kept
from being ineffective
or unfruitful?
Have these things
in increasing measure.
keep going.
Keep going.
He endures to the end
we'll be saved.
Matthew 24, 13, right?
You don't just start.
It's not just about starting.
You got to persevere.
You got to keep increasing.
You got to keep pursuing.
Say,
God,
I want you more
than the things of this world.
I don't just start with you
and then I just
live this selfish,
comfortable life
and expect that that's Christianity.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I possess these qualities
in increasing measure.
I'm making every effort
to supplement my faith
with these things.
This is a focus of my life.
We put a lot of effort
into a lot of things
but do we put a lot of effort
and maybe even go even further
to say every effort
into supplementing our faith
with the character qualities
that God wants?
And again,
please hear me.
I'm not saying
you just muster it up,
pull yourself up
by your own bootstraps
and get it together, man.
I'm saying
you realize
you don't have it together.
You'll never have it together
on your own.
You trust
with everything within you,
God's power
working within you.
You partake
of the divine nature
and then you give
everything you got
towards it
in light of it.
Right?
And you make every effort.
This keeps us
from being ineffective
or unfruitful.
Everybody hates
when they're ineffective.
Everybody hates
when they're unfruitful.
What are you doing about it?
Sometimes we complain about it.
Sometimes we whine about it.
Sometimes we're bummed about it.
Sometimes we're even
depressed about it.
Sometimes that's all
we can think about
is how ineffective
and unfruitful we are.
Or we could do
something about it.
Bible lays it
really straightforward,
pretty clear.
Right?
I mean,
am I missing something here?
It seems really
straightforward right here.
Right?
It says,
if you,
these qualities are yours
and are increasing,
they keep you
from being ineffective
or unfruitful
in the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I'm looking at that.
I'm saying,
this is good info.
this is important stuff
right here.
I don't want to be ineffective.
I don't want to be unfruitful.
And so if you have an area
where you are
ineffective or unfruitful,
ask the question,
is it because
I've grown complacent?
That I've just,
I've let
a specific area
of my life
not be increasing
in the virtue
of
Christ,
the character of Christ.
I'm just
going through the motions.
And this is the great reminder
is verse 9.
Forever lacks these qualities
is so nearsighted
that he's blind.
Why?
Because he's forgotten
that he's been cleansed
from his past sins.
That's why we take
the Lord's table every week.
Why?
So we don't forget
that we've been cleansed
from our past sins.
Because when you forget
that you've been
cleansed from your past sins,
you're nearsighted and blind.
And when you're nearsighted
and blind,
you stop
increasing.
And when you stop
increasing,
you're ineffective
and unfruitful.
When you remember
who Jesus is
and what he's done for you.
When you remember
the gospel,
glad tidings of great joy
that we just talked about
this Christmas season.
You remember
the good news
of the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
That there's nothing
in you that's good.
That everything,
that all the things
you do
are for your own glory
and fall short
of the glory of God.
No matter how much
you attempt,
you can never be good enough.
It's never,
ever,
ever enough
so Jesus came,
paid the price,
lived the perfect life,
was the perfect sacrifice
so that in trusting
in his atoning sacrifice
and his resurrection
from the dead,
we could be made new
and Jesus Christ
could live inside of us,
live through us,
and we could be saved.
We could be saved.
We could be saved
from the penalty of sin.
We could be saved
from the power of sin
and we trust
and get excited
about being saved
from the presence of sin
when he returns.
We trust these things.
Have you forgotten
these things?
If you're not increasing
or you've forgotten
the good news
of the gospel
of Jesus Christ,
these things
will cause you
to become blind,
ineffective,
and unfruitful
in your knowledge
of Jesus Christ.
Isn't it interesting
that it says
in the knowledge
of Jesus Christ
because most people
would say,
oh,
if I have the knowledge
of Jesus Christ,
I'm good.
Uh-uh.
Not according
to this verse.
Do you see how it says
this will keep you
from being,
it doesn't just say
they keep you
from being ineffective
or unfruitful,
period.
It says they will
keep you from being
ineffective or unfruitful
in the knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you thought
that you can have
knowledge of Jesus Christ,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
and still be ineffective
and unfruitful?
Don't just be comfortable
because you say,
oh,
I've known Jesus
for a long time.
I've been saved
since I was a kid.
I've been professing
Christians for a long time.
You can have knowledge
of Jesus Christ
for a very long time
and still be ineffective
and unfruitful.
That's clearly
what it's saying here.
But we don't want that.
I don't want that.
Do you want that?
We didn't,
we didn't start this church
so we could just coast.
We wanted to,
we didn't want to be
ineffective or unfruitful.
We want to see fruit.
Well,
then we got to do it
God's way.
That's why he says,
therefore,
verse 10,
therefore,
okay,
after laying all this out,
he lays out the reasons,
says make every effort.
These will keep you
from being ineffective
and unproductive
in your knowledge
of the Lord Jesus.
It makes sure
that you're not
so nearsighted
that you're blind
and forgot that you
can cleanse from
your past sins.
He goes through all that
and then he says,
therefore,
so because all that's there,
now be all the more
diligent
to confirm your calling
and election.
For if you practice
these qualities,
you will never fall.
Whoa!
Another great promise.
You'll never fall.
How often do we
confess falling
or we're afraid
of falling
or we think,
oh,
I'm just afraid
I'm going to fall
into sin.
Here's the way.
Be all the more diligent
to confirm your calling
and election.
If you practice
these qualities,
you will never fail.
You never fall.
Okay?
Continuing to increase.
Trusting God
to do it.
Pressing in.
Being diligent.
Making every effort.
This is the language
that Peter uses.
That's great stuff.
Okay?
So where are you at
with that?
Where are you at
with your relationship
to this concept
of character?
Character.
What is your attitude
towards the development
of character
not in your friend,
not in your spouse,
not in your kids,
although that's
all important?
Me.
Where am I at
with pursuing character
in me?
Not just being consumed
with everybody else
and all their problems.
My problems.
Galatians 2.14
says,
when I,
this is
Paul talking
about Peter,
he said,
when I saw
that their conduct
was not in step
with the truth
of the gospel,
I said to Cephas,
he saw
that their conduct
wasn't in step
with the gospel.
This is just like
what Peter's saying.
He said,
you've forgotten
that you've been
cleansed from your past sin.
Paul saw that Peter
was living that way
and he confronted him.
He said,
I saw that your conduct
wasn't in step
with the gospel.
James 3.13
asks the question,
who is wise
and understanding
among you?
Then he says,
by his good conduct
let him show his works
in the meekness of wisdom.
And they say,
well,
are you wise?
Do you have understanding?
Prove it.
By what?
Your character.
Your good conduct.
It always shows.
1 Thessalonians 2.9-12
For you remember,
brothers,
our labor and toil.
We work night and day
that we might not be
a burden to any of you.
While we proclaim to you
the gospel of God,
you are witnesses
and God also,
how holy and righteous
and blameless was
our conduct towards you believers.
For you know how
like a father with his children
we exhorted each one of you
and encouraged you
and charged you
to walk in a manner
worthy of God
who calls you
into his own kingdom
and glory.
Okay?
You are witnesses
how holy and righteous
and blameless
was our conduct.
How is your conduct?
How is your character?
How is it when people
are looking?
How is it when people
are not looking?
Someone once said
your character is who you are
when nobody is looking.
We love doing things
to be praised by people,
to be thought well of by people.
Everybody wants to be
thought well of by people.
But what's most important,
what will be most motivating
is when you want to be
thought well of by God,
when you want to please Him.
God, I want my behavior,
my character,
my conduct to please You.
I want to live in a manner
worthy of the gospel,
the good news,
the free gift of eternal life
that You gave me.
I want to live in a manner
worthy of that.
And Paul's saying,
you're our witnesses
and God also,
how holy and righteous
and blameless was our conduct.
How holy and righteous
and blameless is your conduct?
How holy and righteous
is it not just on a Sunday morning
or some gathering
during the night of the week?
How holy and righteous
is your conduct
when nobody's looking?
1 Peter 1, 15-16.
He says,
But as He who called you
is holy,
you also be holy
in all your conduct,
since it is written,
You shall be holy,
for I am holy.
1 Peter 2, 12 says,
Keep your conduct
among the Gentiles honorable,
so that when they speak
against you as evildoers,
they may see your good deeds
and glorify God
on the day of visitation.
And 1 Peter 3, 1-2 says,
Wives, be subject
to your own husbands,
so that even if some
do not obey the word,
they may be won
without a word by what?
The conduct of their wives.
When they see your respectful
and pure conduct.
Okay?
Again, same principle.
Conduct, character
is very powerful.
Very powerful.
So if we think of conduct
for us as a church,
I want to look at 14 specifics
for us as a church.
These are 14 things,
I think,
knowing the different people
in the church,
these are 14 things,
I think we should be asking the Lord,
are these things,
character issues,
that we could increase in,
be diligent in.
Okay?
Don't worry,
I'm not going to spend
a ton of time on each,
but first one.
Number one,
being self-controlled.
Being self-controlled.
There's so many verses
on self-control.
Proverbs 25, 28 says,
A man without self-control
is like a city broken into
and left without walls.
If you plant a church
or you have a church
and the people in that church
are not self-controlled,
it's not going to be
a healthy church.
Okay?
It's like a city broken into
without walls.
It's not going to stand.
It's going to fall.
Again, it goes back
to what I was saying
in the beginning.
It's like,
how do you have
a healthy church?
It's not rocket science.
It's not super complicated.
You build his way,
he'll grow it his way.
You build his way,
he'll breathe life
into it his way.
That's what he does.
He loves to do that.
He's not apprehensive
about that.
But we got to get down
to the nitty gritty
and say,
are we self-controlled?
Are we steady?
Are we erratic
and prone to extremes?
Up and down constantly?
Are we saying,
no, I'm self-controlled.
My emotions are controlled.
My self is controlled.
I'm controlled.
I'm not,
I'm like a person,
like a city broken into
and left without walls.
I have self-control.
It's a fruit of the spirit.
So as I deny myself
and live towards the spirit,
the self-control
will become more and more
evident in my life.
But is there specific areas
where you're not self-controlled in
that you're just kind of
letting go
and just become
something you've been
comfortable with?
Sometimes what happens
is we become comfortable
with character,
with bad character.
Like little things.
We just become comfortable
with them.
We just say,
well,
this is just my thing.
We've to God
that he would,
that he would make us holy
and he would set us apart
and he would put his finger
on those things
that all of us,
every single one of us,
that he would put his finger
on those things
and say,
I want to purify my church.
I want my church to be holy.
I don't want them to
have any area
where they're not self-controlled.
I want them to be self-controlled.
Number two,
commitment
or being committed,
right?
Not flaky.
Psalm 15,
verse 4
in the CSB says,
who may ascend
the hill of the Lord?
He who keeps his word
whatever the cost.
He who keeps his word
whatever the cost.
Are you someone,
character-wise,
who can be counted on?
Are you someone
who keeps his word
no matter what the cost?
Okay?
This means
you don't keep your word
unless something else
becomes more enjoyable,
including sleep,
including other relationships,
including other things
you'd rather do.
Okay?
Let's be honest.
That's the stuff
that keeps us
from keeping our word.
Something we'd like
to do better.
Right?
It's typically
not some horrible thing.
It's just something
that we would rather do.
And so,
we flake out.
We don't keep our commitment.
We can't be counted on.
We can't truly be a partner
who can be counted on
because the commitment
we weighed,
well,
there's something else
more important to me.
And sometimes,
it's just as simple
as sleep.
Sometimes,
it's just as simple
as my own laziness.
Just say,
no,
I want
to be counted on.
I want to be
a committed person.
I want to have that
as a character attribute.
I want to be
the kind of guy
who truly can ascend
the hill of the Lord
because I keep my word
even when it hurts.
Okay?
I keep my word
whatever the cost.
Right?
Are you someone
who keeps his word that way?
Are you someone
who can be counted on?
Sometimes,
we end up developing
a reputation
for being counted on
to be flaky.
That's not the kind
of counted on
you want to be.
All right?
Don't be counted on
to be flaky.
Don't be counted on
to be late.
Don't be counted on
to not be counted on.
Don't be counted on
to be a person
who doesn't keep their word.
Don't be counted on
to be a person
who doesn't do
what they say
they're going to do.
Be counted,
be a person
who can be counted on
to do what you said
you were going to do.
You can be counted on
to do what God
wants them to do.
Be a committed person.
Okay?
That's a character
attribute that,
again,
if you have a church
that isn't committed,
that can't be counted on,
this is why
we call our membership partnership. This is why we even have that as a part of our church. Why?
Because how in the world? I mean, I've had people over the years, they've criticized the concept of
membership or partnership. And I'm always like, hey, I'm all ears. I would love to hear how you
would attempt to do church without the basis of people who are committed. Tell me. I'd love to
hear. I've yet to hear a good answer to that question. And I've yet to be in one quote-unquote
healthy church that has ever been filled with a group of people who are not committed. It can't
be counted on. I don't know that one exists. I don't know how it could. There's a reason God
calls us to keep our word, even when it hurts, even when it costs. Number three, good stewardship.
Good stewardship. 1 Corinthians 4 verse 2 says, it is required of stewards that they be found
faithful. That they be found faithful. All of us have been given gifts, stuff, things,
things, and all these things. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of the heavenly
lights, James 1 17. Okay. 1 Peter says, each person should use whatever gift they've received
to serve the Lord. Okay. Stewardship. What are you doing with the gift you've been given? Are you using
it? Do you know that you have gifts, but you just know that it would be a lot of work to use your
gifts so you don't use them? What about the way you steward your finances? What about the way you
steward your time? What are the way you steward just the talents that God's given you? Some of you
are very talented in specific areas. Are you being a steward? Are you being faithful to the Lord?
Again, imagine, I mean, just looking around this room, there's not a lot of people in this room.
It's a very small group of people. A lot of very gifted people. A lot of very talented people.
A lot of resources here. A lot of awesome things in this one room. Again, it doesn't matter if you
have a room full of talent and giftings if there's not stewardship. You don't get a healthy church by
just getting a bunch of talented, gifted people because what you build with your gift, you'll
destroy with your character. You don't build with giftings. You build with character. You build with
character. Okay? And character stewards giftings. But don't be impressed with giftings.
We could go down a whole list of people who seemed very impressive with their giftings,
even in recent celebrity Christianity. Okay?
It looked like, wow, that person's really gifted. How impressive is their gift?
Not very impressive when they don't have character.
When you have Bible teachers who are known for their Bible teaching and speak all over the country
because of their Bible teaching, you find out they had a secret life of adultery.
You think, isn't their gift impressive? No, I'm not impressed.
You think their family's impressed that dad's sleeping with somebody else and found a younger,
better model because mom was older?
I mean, that's the kind of stuff that happens. This is why character matters.
You don't build church on gifting. God gives tons of gifting. Okay?
Where's the character? Where's the character that can carry gifting?
When you combine those two together with stewardship, it's an amazingly powerful thing.
When you have gifts combined with character, stewarding the gifts that you've been given
by having character, undergirding them, foundationally established below them,
now you have a healthy church. You have a healthy church.
Number four, being unafraid or not being anxious.
Okay? Philippians 4 verse 6 says, don't be anxious about anything.
Don't be anxious about anything. Well, come on. Surely I could be anxious about some things.
No, don't be anxious about anything.
But in everything, by prayer and petition, offer your request to God.
Okay?
Anxiety is so rampant and so accepted and so medicated nowadays,
it's become totally acceptable behavior that even in the church people think nothing of it.
And we've turned what the Bible calls a sin into just an acceptable form of our everyday life.
When the opposite of anxiety is trusting in God.
Right?
And so when we have an anxious culture, people are anxious about all kinds of things,
there's no health to that church.
When we lack the character of trusting in our God and are filled with anxiety,
don't be anxious about anything.
But offer your request to God. Why? Because God can be trusted.
Because God can be trusted. Do you know that? Do you believe that?
Which brings me to the fifth one. Be trusting and not controlling.
Psalm 37 verse 5 says, commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will act.
See, what happens is if we become anxious and we're not trusting in the Lord,
we end up thinking that it's on us.
And we have to control our circumstances. We have to control our situations.
If I see, oh, that, if I start to worry about my finances, then I gotta control.
If I start to worry about my spouse and how they're acting, I gotta control.
If I start to worry about my kids and what's gonna happen to them, I have to control.
If I start worrying about my church, then I have to control.
No, no. If you know that God's in control, that He is kind and good and sovereign and loving and faithful,
and we could go on with a million other things He is,
if you know that, then you trust.
But you trust to the degree, a friend of Manning once said,
you trust to the degree that you know that you're loved.
When you have the character of trusting in God,
you're unshakable, you're unmovable.
You're only as strong as what you put your hope and your trust in.
If you put your trust in something that can be taken away from you,
if you put your trust in something that can be shaken, then you will be shaken.
If you put your trust in the one who is unshakable,
the unshakable King who gives us an unshakable kingdom,
and you build your house on the rock,
then when storms rage and the wind blows,
your house and this house, this church, will stand.
What is this church built on?
Is it built on anxiety, control, fear?
Or is it built on trust in God,
who makes all things grow for His glory?
Number six.
This is a different one, but I think it's an important one.
Holistic.
Okay?
What do I mean by this?
Well, Matthew 7, 18 says,
A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
Okay?
So what I mean by this is,
you ever see a person where it seems like they have a,
you look at their life and you say,
wow, tons of fruit in this area,
and a bunch of bad fruit in this area?
I always ask the question,
is the good fruit as good as it seems to be?
Because the Bible says,
a healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
And we've almost kind of normalized
this unholistic, uneven behavior
and think, oh, this is a good thing.
No.
When you see that, that's a sign.
That's a sign for you to say, be concerned.
The fact that there is so much lack of consistency
in their life is telling you that maybe the good
isn't as good as it seems to be.
Because wisdom is always proved true by her actions.
Right?
We just read that before about how,
who is wise and understanding among you?
By his good conduct, let him show.
And so it seems like,
wow, this person has a lot of wisdom,
but man, they have a lot of bad conduct.
You might say,
maybe they don't have a lot of wisdom.
And I've seen over and over again,
this scriptural truth proved true multiple times,
where it seems like, wow,
there's over the top development in this particular area,
but severe underdevelopment in the other area.
It makes you wonder how overdeveloped
they actually are in that area.
Oftentimes you'll see this with someone
who knows the Bible extremely well.
It seems like they can teach
and know everything about the Bible,
and yet they have no self-control in their life.
And they'd say,
how in the world can they know the Bible so well
and have no self-control in their life?
I would say,
well, maybe they know the Bible,
but they probably don't know God.
They know the words of God,
but they don't know God himself.
They search the scriptures looking to find life,
but they don't come to Jesus to have life,
just like the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Okay?
So we need to have,
when there is a holistic approach to character,
because basically what it is,
is what essentially happens
and what it usually is
when you see this,
a bunch of good fruit
and a bunch of really bad fruit
in the same person,
that means what you're seeing is,
is ornaments on a dead tree.
It's like a Christmas tree, right?
It's like,
it's dressed up by the person.
It's not the natural fruit of the tree.
Okay?
It'd be like you have a dead tree
out in your yard,
a dead apple tree,
and you start hanging alive apples on your tree.
You know, it's like,
wow, it looks like a really good apple tree.
It doesn't have leaves,
but it has a lot of apples on it.
It's really weird.
A lot of apples,
but no leaves.
Surely it's good, right?
It's got a lot of apples on there.
No, there's no leaves.
That's probably because somebody
attached to those apples.
In the same way,
when you see a life that's not holistic,
that's not consistent,
typically what that is,
is evidence of self-made religion.
It's propping yourself up.
It's building yourself up
and presenting your own kind of
good or religious version of yourself
rather than yielding to the power of the Spirit
to birth and transform you
into the character and nature of Christ.
Okay?
Number seven, being teachable.
One of my favorite direct verses,
I love direct verses,
is Proverbs 12, verse one.
He who hates reproof is stupid.
Right?
You don't get any more direct than that, right?
He who hates reproof or hates correction
is stupid.
Don't be stupid.
You know?
You might say,
man, I don't know how you have
a good, healthy church.
Well, you hate reproof,
you'll have a pretty stupid church, right?
People who are corrected
but just don't listen.
People who have heard the truth
and just don't obey it.
People who hear the Word
and forget,
you know,
it's like looking in a mirror
and forgetting what you look like.
James 1, 22 says,
you know,
don't be hearers of the Word only,
but be doers.
Okay?
Be teachable.
Someone brings something to you
and there's multiple people saying,
hey, I think this is something
you need to work on.
We need to work on those things.
We need to supplement our faith
with whatever character attribute
they're saying I need to work on.
We need to be teachable.
Number eight,
selfless.
Luke 9, 23 says,
he said to all,
if anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily
and follow me.
Like, how do I have a healthy church?
Well, let's flip it around.
How do you have a really unhealthy church?
Have a bunch of selfish people.
Have a bunch of people
not denying themselves.
Like, we could do a little experiment
and figure out
what would Christ's church look like
after the end of this year
if we all just gave in to ourself.
Would anybody want to be a part of this church?
Any of us.
Do you have to think about that
for a long time
to answer that question?
Why?
Because it's essential to be selfless.
Do you see what I'm saying?
I'm saying that so often
we complicate things
that are so simple
and what is really just missing
from a healthy church's character.
is character.
It's us making every effort
to just say
things like selflessness.
It's like what
Seth was just talking about
with the kids.
Like, imagine how transformed
all of our kids would be
if they just had this one attribute
that they were really making effort in.
Being selfless.
Like, Seth was saying,
how many times
is there strife and fights
and crying and whining
and all this
because of one thing?
I want what I want now
and I don't care
what anybody else wants.
I'm not going to look
to other people's needs first.
I'm looking to me,
old me, number one.
Right?
It's the same in the church
with adults, right?
Number nine, gentle.
Philippians 4 verse 5
in the NIV says,
let your gentleness
be evident to all.
Let your gentleness
be evident to all.
Okay?
I have offended,
hurt,
and sinned against people
multiple times in my life
because I wasn't gentle.
All right?
That's a bad character
attribute of myself.
That's an area
where I have to make
a stronger effort
to be gentle.
Okay?
That doesn't mean
I can't be strong.
It doesn't mean
I can't be forceful
and convicted.
But like someone once said,
it's like being
a velvet brick.
Okay?
There should be
gentleness with it.
And you should let
your gentleness
be evident to all.
If your gentleness
is only evident to you,
it might be a problem there.
Okay?
But again,
if you have a church
that's not gentle,
you think a lot of new people
are going to be like,
I really like this church.
They're really harsh.
No.
They're very gentle.
They spoke hard truths
in a gentle way.
Number 10,
mature.
Hebrews 6.1 says,
let us leave
the elementary doctrine
of Christ
and go on to
maturities.
Okay?
Immaturity
is
a lacking
in character
that causes
all sorts of problems
and the root
of all kinds
of problems.
Maturity
is knowing when.
Maturity
is having
the wherewithal
to know
what is appropriate
for that particular
time and place.
Right?
It usually comes
through experience.
It usually comes
through knowledge
of what God wants
and the truth.
But maturity
is huge.
And again,
you might look
at different churches
and you might say,
wow,
that church
is really unhealthy.
How many churches
do you say
that church
is really unhealthy
because they lack
maturity?
Probably a lot.
If we're mature
and the way we,
if we,
if we make
every effort
to add to
our faith
maturity,
that's going to
make a big difference.
Number 11,
sexual purity.
Ephesians 5.3
in the NIV
says,
among you,
there must not
even be a hint
of sexual morality
or of any kind
of impurity
or of greed
because these
are improper
for God's
holy people.
Again,
you're thinking
about a church,
you're thinking
about how do we
build a healthy
church together?
If I'm going
to build a healthy
church together,
I can't give myself
to that which is
improper for God's
holy people
because the church
is made up
of God's holy people.
And if it's made up
of God's holy people,
then a healthy church
would not be made up
of people who are
doing that which is
improper for God's
holy people.
And God says
that what is improper
for God's holy people
is to even have a hint.
It's to even have a hint.
Have you ever had
the beverage
that's called hint
where it just has
a hint of a,
it tastes like water.
You barely have
anything in it.
It's like,
well,
this is raspberry.
Is it though?
I mean,
it's basically water.
Okay?
That's the whole point.
It's a hint.
It's just a little hint.
A hint is not much.
He's saying,
among you,
there must not be
even a hint
of sexual immorality.
So he's not saying,
you know,
well,
you can have a little bit.
He's saying,
not even a hint.
Not even a little bit.
It's not an option.
Christians in a church
who say sexual immorality
is not an option.
It's not an option.
The problem is,
a lot of times,
Christians actually believe
it's an option.
You might say,
well,
yeah,
but that's just the way
people are.
It's like,
well,
no,
because there's certain things
that every single person
thinks are not an option.
I would assume most of you
think murder is not an option,
right?
Like,
it's not something
you're entertaining
about committing.
You're probably not plotting
to kill anybody right now.
And if you ever even thought
about it at one point in time,
you quickly just said,
no,
that's not an option,
right?
Okay?
It's not an option.
We have things like that.
Rape is typically something
you think,
no,
not an option,
right?
There's all kinds of sins
like that.
Well,
what if we said
all kinds of sexual immorality
are not an option?
Looking at pornography,
not an option.
It's just not,
it's not,
I can't do it.
Now,
you can't,
like,
avoid seeing images
in this world
because they're everywhere.
But,
you can have the character
that says,
no,
not an option.
I'm not going there.
Yes,
very attractive person,
moving on.
And it's important to know
that being attracted
is not a sin,
okay?
Finding a woman attractive,
finding a man attractive,
that's not sin.
That was actually a gift
given by God to you,
okay?
Some people
are so defeated
by their attraction
that they give in to sin
because the devil
has defeated them
by lying to them
about attraction,
being attracted to
an attractive person
being sinned.
No,
you can notice
that someone's attraction,
don't lust over the person.
Oh,
that person's really attractive.
That person has a really
attractive body.
Not going to lust.
Moving on.
Not even a hint.
That's the kind of character.
Sexual morality
is one of the number one things
in the Old Testament,
spoken of in the New Testament,
and in our modern day culture.
How many leaders,
how many prominent people
in the church,
outside of the church,
in business,
in politics,
how many people
have been taken up
by this one sin
of sexual morality?
Character matters.
Three more.
Number 12.
Kind of four,
because this is like a double.
Marriage and parenting.
Okay?
Marriage and parenting.
1 Timothy 3, 4-5,
I'm talking about
the qualifications
of an elder,
says,
he must manage
his own household well,
with all dignity,
keeping his children submissive.
For if someone does not know
how to manage
his own household,
how will he care
for God's church?
Okay?
I really could have just said
this is household management,
would have been maybe
a better way to word it.
That includes
if you're single,
just managing your household well.
If you're married,
managing your marriage well.
And if you have children,
managing your kids well.
And you say,
well,
that's the qualifications
of an elder.
Well,
first of all,
we should all
ascribe to the nobility
of the character qualities
of an elder.
D.A. Carson says
one of the most remarkable things
about the qualifications
of an elder
is how unremarkable they are.
You know,
is it really that remarkable
to say that we should
have healthy families?
Not really.
Well,
that's just for elders.
Everybody else
can have a bad family.
No.
Right?
Because he says
that he puts a principle
in here that supersedes
just eldership.
He says,
he asks a rhetorical question.
He says,
if someone does not know
how to manage
his own household,
how will he care
for God's church?
Okay?
And again,
if you have a church
where people don't have
good marriages
and they don't have
good parenting
and they don't manage
their single life well,
they don't manage
their households well,
are you going to have
a healthy church
in that context?
No.
How could you possibly?
If you can't even take care
of your own household,
how will you take care
of God's household?
We've got to start
with our household.
How's it going
in your household?
Is there a character there?
Good management,
good stewardship,
good faithfulness,
doing the work.
Doing the work
in your marriage,
doing the work
with your kids,
doing the work
as a single person
to be godly
and for the glory
of Christ.
Okay?
Number 13.
Diligent,
hardworking,
not lazy.
James 4, 17
in the NIV says,
if anyone then
knows the good
he ought to do
and doesn't do it,
sins.
If you know the good
you ought to do
and don't do it,
sin.
You sin, right?
This is like the ultimate
verse on laziness
in my opinion, right?
Because isn't that
not what laziness is?
I know the good
I ought to do.
But I'm not
going to do it, right?
I know the good
I ought to do,
but I think there's
something I'd rather do.
But I know the good
I ought to do,
but I'm not going to do it.
Well, the Bible
just says real straight,
you know,
people get so hung up
on all the things
in the Bible
that seem cryptic
and hard to understand.
There's a lot in here
that's not.
That's just a
little disclaimer
I wanted to make there.
Like a verse like this.
If you know the good
you ought to do,
but you don't do it,
that person sins.
Well, that's pretty
straight talk right there.
And what sin is it?
It's the sin of laziness.
Laziness sees what
needs to be done,
knows what needs to be done,
and says I'm not
going to do it.
And that kind of
lack of character
in a church
is a big deal.
Because there's a lot
of things that need
to be done.
A lot of things
that need to be done
in our own households,
a lot of things
that need to be done
in the church,
a lot of things
that need to be done
in the world,
a lot of things
that need to be done
just for practical things
like making money
and taking care of
putting food on the table.
There's a lot of things
that need to be done.
And when you know
the good you ought to do
and you just don't want
to do it because
that would cost you more,
that's called sin.
And if any of you
in this room
have one of those things
or a couple of those things,
things you know
you should do,
things that God's
been telling you to do,
things that the Word's
telling you to do,
things your spouse
has been telling you to do,
things your friends
have been telling you to do,
and you just won't do it,
you're in sin
and you need to repent.
Repent of your laziness.
Last one, 14.
Faith, not unbelief.
Hebrews 3 verse 12 says,
Take care, brothers,
lest there be in any of you
an evil, unbelieving heart
leading you to fall away
from the living God.
It's so easy to get an unbelief.
It's so easy to have more faith
in things not happening
than things happening.
It's so easy to have...
Most unbelief really isn't
a lack of faith.
It's just faith
in the wrong direction.
Have you ever thought about that?
Right?
If you have unbelief,
you typically really have
a strong faith
that something's going to go bad.
I have a strong belief
that something's not going to work out.
It's not that you lack faith.
It's just you're placing
in the wrong thing.
You actually think
there's more sense
in putting your faith
in something going poorly
based on what you've seen
rather than something going
the way God says it's going to
because of God's power
and promise.
Where does your faith lie?
Be careful that you don't have
a sinful, unbelieving heart.
When it comes to the church,
we need faith.
Faith is the substance
of things hoped for.
It's the substance
of things not seen.
Faith is looking into
what you don't see
and trusting that it's real.
It's more real
than what you don't see.
Can we have faith
for this coming year?
Can we have faith
for our own character
and make every effort
to have these qualities
in increasing measure
so that we're not ineffective
and unproductive
in our knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Not forgetting that we've been
cleansed from our past sins.
being diligent
to make our calling
and election sure.
If we practice
these qualities,
we will never fall.
That's a great way
to look at this next year.
And again,
one last time
just to be clear.
Please don't do this
in your own strength.
This isn't some
you-ra-ra,
be a better person
for the new year.
This is you-ra-ra,
you're a really bad person
and you can't be a good person
for the new year.
But Jesus,
by His strength,
His power,
and His Spirit,
is giving you
everything you need
for life and godliness.
And if you believe that,
then you make every effort
to supplement.
Amen?
Amen.
Let's stand.
Amen.