[0:00] I want to welcome everyone, our visitors, and everyone that's here this morning.
[0:10] God bless you. What was the last song? What page was that? Or didn't you have a page? 142? Page 24.
[0:22] That's what it was. I just want to look at our verse there before we start. It's good to be here.
[0:34] Thank you, Jeff, for what you shared. A blessing. Now maybe I can't find what I...
[0:46] Oh, here. I tasted all the things that sin could think to offer me, but today I feast on manna from above.
[1:00] Wow, what a powerful statement. Is that our testimony? We've tasted those things in the past, and now we feast on manna from above.
[1:11] Is that true every day? It says we reach out and touch him.
[1:23] Can he reach out and touch us? Has he touched you? Has he changed your life? I trust he has and is.
[1:37] I was going to title the message this morning, What is sin? I'm not sure if that's right or if it should be. What is your view of sin?
[1:49] This morning or yesterday, I just was thinking about some of those... that thought, and the Lord seemed to just put a burden on my heart that we talk about that and we look at that.
[2:11] And in John, 1 John 5, it says, All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death. James says, Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is what?
[2:30] It's sin. So if I know to do good, I know what's right, but I don't do it. To me it's sin. What is our view of sin?
[2:46] Has the church as a whole lost that view? And is sin no longer exceedingly sinful?
[2:58] I think it's in Romans 7 that it mentions about sin being exceedingly sinful. Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth. Right and wrong comes through that.
[3:14] Us being the salt of the earth. God's people being the salt of the earth. Why does the world instruct the church what sin is?
[3:28] I have some questions. Why is the world setting the standard for what is right and wrong? The world calls good, evil good, and good evil.
[3:42] You know, you might think, well they don't, but they actually try to. We are influenced by that sometimes. And I think it's just good for us to take a look at God's word and think about these things.
[3:57] The answer is quite simple why the world tries to influence us as to what is right and wrong. It's because the church may no longer be doing that like it should, like she should.
[4:15] The church has become weak and is so timid and has begun asking the question what is wrong with it instead of what is right about it.
[4:25] This was a thought that I had as well.
[4:35] Why are those that are less mature leading the church instead of those that have walked faithfully with the Lord for decades? It was not like that in the early church.
[4:48] Now the older and more mature men have for the most part or large part given in to the pressure and demands of the carnal mind.
[5:04] And the church is making excuses for ungodliness and sin instead of striving for purity and victory over sin. When the flesh gets pushy and demands a voice and a position in the church she cowards under it and begins to make excuses.
[5:27] She lowers the standard so the flesh, the old nature can have its way and be part of the church. God help us to not lower the standard from the word of God.
[5:43] Purity and holiness is no longer a standard. Just do whatever works for you and somehow God will overlook all your faults because after all He's a merciful God.
[5:57] But God says be holy for I, the Lord your God am holy. Holiness is not just something you experience on the inside but it also works its way out and it becomes obvious to all around you that there is something holy on the inside.
[6:21] That new heart that Brother Jeff talked about. Sin is the absence of God. It is the absence of a holy lifestyle.
[6:34] You know, we all know that outside of God we are all sinners. sinners. And I believe that when we have been washed and redeemed and have become born again born of the Spirit remember the freedom and the joy that overcomes you when you realize that your sins are forgiven your past is forgiven.
[7:02] And I'm not talking about that as much this morning. I'm coming from a different angle and that is what is our view of sin today as a born again Christian?
[7:14] What is our view? Have we you know a few weeks ago I shared about our love for God our first love. Do we still love Him like we did?
[7:27] Like we once did? Now today I'm talking more about what is our view of sin? Is it still exceedingly sinful like the day we first repented and came to Christ?
[7:40] Remember how filthy we felt? How undone? How worthless? Have we changed our view of some of those things?
[7:52] I believe that our revelation of who Jesus is is the answer to our view of sin.
[8:10] If we have a wrong view of Christ and of God the Holy One the Almighty One then we will have a wrong view of sin. Young people here this morning I love you too much to lower the standard for you to make it easier because it's not easier.
[8:38] Sin brings torment. It brings death. Life is easier. Life in Christ newness of life that new heart walking in that walking in God's spirit.
[8:57] You know the lower you make your standard or your calling the more the flesh will prevail. Keep that standard of purity and of holiness as high as God has it.
[9:14] Don't lower it. Don't let any man lower that for you. Enough with the excuse that you're only young once and it's your time to have some fun.
[9:31] There is a difference in having a good time as a Christian versus making provision for the flesh to have fun. That's what I'm talking about.
[9:42] we have good times and you're living a victorious life. I trust you are. And you know what it's like to be defeated.
[9:57] But you also know what it's like to walk victoriously. And if we ever lower that standard for you then you should rebuke us. Right?
[10:08] I think you would. At least some of you would. Yes, we leave room for the young in faith to have less maturity.
[10:20] There's a difference. To have less maturity than somebody that's been walking in the faith for a long time. And we love to see you grow and that maturity to develop in you.
[10:34] And we all need to be gracious with each other and long suffering and understanding knowing that we all have to deal with these things.
[10:47] But that is not making an excuse for the flesh to take over and lead your life. The flesh is supposed to have been put to death. God is very displeased when we lower the standard for sin and the flesh just because somebody's young.
[11:09] Think about that. God has a higher standard. He wants us to live victoriously over sin and over the flesh and to walk in the Spirit.
[11:21] if you're young enough or old enough to be born again to be saved you're old enough to walk with Him not to be defeated. How many times do older people and God help us in this say well I remember when I was young and that's kind of how I was and in fact I was worse but listen what if what if we were walking in defeat?
[11:53] That's no standard. Let the Word of God be the standard. Not my past that I'm redeemed from. That's not your standard. The blood covers that.
[12:08] David said or I'm not sure who said this it's in Ecclesiastes remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth. And David said in Psalm 119 verse 9 wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word with my whole heart I have sought thee.
[12:32] He's talking about a young person young man. Oh let not oh let me not wander from thy commandments thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.
[12:48] I bless our young people here. I am very blessed and very happy with your walk and what I can see. And I'm and I'm just encouraging you this morning to let no one lower the standard of living for you.
[13:06] You go after God with all your heart and you will do well. we're not talking about a sinless perfection in this life but it's an attitude towards sin that we want to look at.
[13:23] What is your attitude about sin? You know it makes a difference on our walk and our victory or lack of victory. does God allow us to live in sin just a little bit?
[13:44] Or maybe occasionally and he's just fine with it? Or does he hate sin passionately? Remember it cost him his blood his death on a cross to pay for sin.
[13:59] He paid it all. That's what it cost him. So what should our attitude be about it?
[14:11] Do we hate sin or do we tolerate it in our life? Do we cry out to God for victory over sin? You know Satan is the author of sin and he constantly attacks us with his fiery darts and he tries to provoke the flesh while the Holy Spirit calls us gently to walk in the spirit so we won't fulfill the lust of the flesh so we won't sin that's the answer to not sinning in Ephesians 6 if you want to turn there very familiar scripture there Ephesians 6 starting in verse 10 finally brethren my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might here he calls us the apostle
[15:16] Paul to be strong in the Lord to be strong and in the power of his might that's how we're strong thank you what does this mean not weak but strong in the power of his might counting on his power put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth and having the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all taking the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts
[16:33] Xiang Trox and take Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
[16:52] And for me, praying also for Paul, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds.
[17:06] That therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. Very familiar scripture about the armor of God and the darts of the enemy and how he keeps coming at us.
[17:21] You know, there's something about being a Christian that puts you into a battle, puts you into war against the enemy, against the devil, and all his devices.
[17:35] That you weren't really in before, in a sense. Before the battle was lost, right? You were defeated. But now that you have victory, the enemy has declared war against you and me.
[17:53] And we are in this war. We're in this battle together. But the worst thing we can do is ignore the battle. Or to make excuses for the enemy's tactics, if you will.
[18:09] Has the church become so tired of the battle that she put down the weapons of her warfare, the whole armor of God to withstand in the evil day?
[18:21] Has she laid down her shield of faith and now she can't quench the fiery darts of the wicked? Has she questioned the truth for so long that her loins are no longer girded with truth?
[18:33] Therefore, she also laid down the breastplate of righteousness. And you can't tell that she is the body of Christ. Whether she is the body of Christ or just a religious organization.
[18:47] Are her feet no longer shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace? And she no longer cares about the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
[19:02] Where is the church? Is she walking in Ephesians 6? And she takes up that armor and she fights that battle.
[19:12] Or has she become tired and weary and given up? Too many. Too many, I'm afraid, have. And have began to make excuses. Oh, well, we're still in the flesh.
[19:24] Just make an excuse for the flesh to have its way. Not just young people. It's often the older ones.
[19:36] You hear comments. You hear things. You see things. People that had convictions for years of where the Lord called them to walk are no longer walking in that same truth today.
[19:50] Because they have made excuses and given up. Yes, God is a God of love. Let's turn to John.
[20:03] 1 John 3. And look at that. 1 John 3, verse 3 says, Or no, we'll start in verse 1.
[20:16] It says, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God.
[20:27] Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be.
[20:39] But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
[20:54] Today we might say, And every man that hath this hope in him, let him make a bunch of excuses for his flesh.
[21:08] Because God forgives. It's not the message of the Gospel. It says that he purifieth himself. I remember when we started as a church body here.
[21:21] the burden that we would be a pure church. That we would hate sin. And that we would stand for truth and righteousness.
[21:40] Verse 4, Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. God still has a commandment for us today.
[21:50] He has commandments for us today. I know we're not under the old law, but Jesus said, If you love me, follow my commandments.
[22:07] We're not under the old, we're under the new covenant. But we will be judged by this word. And sin is the transgression of God's law.
[22:18] And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins. And in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.
[22:29] Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
[22:43] He that committeth sin is of the devil. For the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
[22:58] You see God and the devil, the battle over sin. Satan comes with sin, he comes with temptation. But the Son of God was manifested, Jesus Christ, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
[23:15] Thank God. Has he destroyed the works of the devil in your life? Have we come by faith, believing on this person, this Son of God, this Jesus, who died on a cross?
[23:28] Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin. For his seed, meaning God's seed, remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
[23:42] Being born of God is the same as being born again. Just a different term. Being born of God, being born of his seed, his spirit, is the same as the new birth.
[23:58] It says that that seed remains in you, that spirit, God's spirit remains in you, and that you cannot sin.
[24:13] Can you sin? What about the verse that says, if we sin, we have an advocate. You know, that seed that's in you, that new life that's in you, the life of God in you, cannot sin, because God can't sin.
[24:35] So it's not the new man in you that sins. The problem is, sometimes that old nature comes back and wants to raise its head and cause you to sin.
[24:47] And it needs to be put to death. We need to reckon him to be dead. We can still allow that old nature, that flesh, to take over.
[25:00] That will always sin. It always is bent towards sin. But when that happens, we have an advocate with the Father, the righteous, the Lord Jesus.
[25:15] He goes to bat for us. He wants to deliver us and keep us, bring us back into the new, the new life. To walk with him, to walk in the spirit.
[25:27] That's why, if we just keep walking in the spirit, we won't sin. We won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. Walking in the spirit is more powerful than the flesh.
[25:37] What is our attitude towards sin? I want to read verse 10 yet there in John. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil, whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
[26:03] John goes on here and he talks about, he talks some more about the need to love her brother. Godly love in the church is a sign of being delivered from sin.
[26:15] He brings it right into the same scripture, the same package. He goes on, he says, if you don't love your brother, then you're none of his.
[26:27] You're not right with God, in other words. Godly love in a brotherhood. Godly love in the world.
[26:38] Godly love in the world. It's not just the kind of love that the world gives, but with the love of God, through a relationship with Jesus, we love each other.
[26:51] You know, we're not just a bunch of good old buddies that hang together. and no, it's the body of Christ.
[27:03] It's his body that we have been bought with his blood. We belong to him. And he makes us brothers and sisters. And through that, we love each other.
[27:16] It's very different from just a bunch of buddies that really like each other. It's through the love of God himself. In 1 Corinthians 6, it says, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
[27:34] Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
[27:54] These are just a few verses I want to read about sin. I love verse Romans 3.23.
[28:05] We all know this verse. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
[28:17] I like to think of redemption as, you know, until we die physically, I think we need redemption.
[28:30] I don't know. I know we're redeemed when we first get saved, but what about the times that we fail? What about the times that we sin? What, you know, the flesh raises that head and wants to control us again.
[28:46] Don't we need redemption again and again? It's a life of redemption through the blood. I had to think this morning as I was thinking that I thought of Chris having died and all the saints in the past that have died.
[29:04] They've been redeemed once and for all. They don't need redemption anymore. They've been redeemed. They are redeemed. They're in the absence of sin and in the presence of God.
[29:20] Remember I said sin is the absence of God. To be free from sin is to be in the presence of God. You want to look at that at the end then.
[29:32] Colossians 3 says, Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil, concubinescence, and covetousness which is idolatry.
[29:52] James says, Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
[30:06] That's a pretty clear verse, isn't it? What is the world? If we're warned not to be friends with the world then we should know what the world is.
[30:20] Right? We better discover what it means. What is the world? What is sin? What is sin?
[30:30] What is our view of sin? James also is the one that said, Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him. It is sin. I think sometimes we just need to, you know, and I'm not preaching to anybody as far as thinking that you are in sin.
[30:48] That's not my message or my burden this morning. My burden is what is our view of sin? How do we look at sin in our own life? How do we look at sin as far as a body?
[31:04] Back to 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 19 and 20. Paul says, What?
[31:15] Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price.
[31:28] Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's. What about the sins that are not outward but they're in our spirit?
[31:42] They're in our heart, in our mind perhaps. You know, here it says that not only is our body His, but our spirit belongs to Him too.
[31:56] There are sins of the spirit as well as in the body. What an amazing thought that our bodies belong to God.
[32:11] I was just meditating on that this morning and convicted by that thought that my body belongs to Him. Do we let Him have it?
[32:24] To be used by Him? We have been purchased with the blood of God and the moment that we try to bring glory to ourselves, we are not bringing glory to Him.
[32:40] The Holy Ghost desires to live in us but we are called to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Do we consider this when we present ourselves to those around us?
[32:58] Are we dressed in a way that the world can see that we present our bodies holy and acceptable unto the Lord? Oh, there he goes again talking about dress. You know, I thought about that this morning.
[33:11] Do I dare even say that? It's not popular today. But then I thought, you know, the apostles in the early church they said it. It's in the Bible.
[33:21] Why are we afraid of it? Two thousand years later it's more necessary now than it was then. I just imagine that the world is different now than it was then, don't you?
[33:33] As far as outward things. It's terrible in the world we live in. And yet, the world has its influence.
[33:45] Do we prefer letting the world set our standards? Yeah, here I even wrote that down. The apostles spoke about our appearance, Peter especially, in 2,000 years ago.
[33:59] So it might be more necessary to talk about it in 2023. If Christ owns us, how ought we to be? we ought to be His.
[34:13] He's coming back for a pure church without blemish, unspotted from the world. Are we part of that?
[34:24] There's a church like that. He's coming back for it. Let's turn to Romans chapter 12 if you want to. Just a couple of verses there.
[34:36] But actually, it's the verses I've been quoting. Where Paul says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
[34:54] And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
[35:06] You know, the answer here is not to try to make the outside of the cup clean. A lot of people will do that.
[35:17] A lot of church groups will do that. They'll try to get the outside all perfect and make you look good and then you're all good to go. And that's a deception too.
[35:29] But it's rather an inner change, which is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. A transformation that gives us a renewed mind.
[35:41] You know, changing our nature. If it's not your nature to dress right, then you don't have the right nature. I think it was Bert Clendenin that said, or preached a message, what was it called?
[35:56] Born Delivered. If your nature isn't to go to prayer meetings or to church, he would just say then you don't have the nature.
[36:08] You have the old nature. The new birth, being born of the Spirit. It's really hard to make people do the right thing when they've got the wrong nature in them.
[36:22] It just doesn't work. But being transformed by the Spirit of God, by the renewing of our mind, you know, I used to have to go to church.
[36:36] I don't have to anymore. Can't wait to go, even though it was late this morning. Had to do with the message, though.
[36:50] But we get to go. We get to be part of the fellowship, part of the church. We get to have brothers and sisters that are a blessing to us.
[37:02] And we do serve a loving and a patient God. Jesus, our advocate, He has prayed for us. He provided a way for us to live above sin.
[37:18] Here's some encouraging verses. In 1 Corinthians 10.13 says, There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man.
[37:31] But God is faithful, who will not suffer or allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it.
[37:47] Sometimes temptations come and they're so strong. We feel so weak. But here's a promise that says He has made a way of escape.
[37:59] And He will make us able to bear it. Jesus was tempted in all points like as we but yet without sin.
[38:13] He did it. James says, Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Do we know how to resist him?
[38:26] We need to stand up to him in the name of Jesus and resist him. Galatians 5, 16, this I say, then walk in the spirit, you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
[38:42] 1 John 1, verse 9, verse 9, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[38:54] Are we clean this morning? Just clean? The joy of being clean. We're still in this body, I know.
[39:08] Still get tempted, still get sidetracked, stumble, but we can live a clean life.
[39:21] Romans 6, if you would turn there. I need to keep going here. What shall we say then in verse 1?
[39:37] Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as are baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death.
[39:55] Therefore, we are buried with him in baptism into death. That is like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
[40:13] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
[40:26] Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
[40:39] We don't have to serve sin. Sin is bondage. Sin will have a grip on you and become your master. But he that is dead is freed from sin.
[40:56] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. That's the gospel message right there. That if we are dead, if we have put to death the old, that we should live with him.
[41:12] What's that look like? We live in victory. We have a testimony. We have joy.
[41:23] We have peace. We have love. All the things that God gives us and provides through his son. We have those things.
[41:35] Verse 9, knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him. for in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
[41:50] Likewise, reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, but ye should obey it, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof.
[42:13] I'll just read a couple more. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourself unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
[42:29] For sin shall have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Sorry, I read that wrong. For sin shall not have dominion over you.
[42:43] This is when we're born again, we're under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we're not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. I think I'll just stop there.
[42:55] But through these verses we can clearly see the pattern. Death equals life. It's just over and over.
[43:08] Death, you know, death to self, death to sin, death to this old nature. The more death you have, the more life you have in Christ.
[43:19] Some people try to put it all to death, but they don't understand the new birth. They have no knowledge of the new birth. And that's just death. But when we have Christ, we have power.
[43:33] It's a word we don't often talk about, is power. Power over sin. And I think so many times we lack power. We lack the understanding of power.
[43:47] You know, it's not power in the old nature, it's power in the new. Power over sin. Power over those evil things and those thoughts that want to come. earlier in, when I began here, I mentioned our view, our vision, our revelation of who God is and who Christ is will determine our view of sin to a degree, to a large degree.
[44:17] God is. I believe this morning that if we would truly see who God is, once we are, you know, we have the Holy Spirit, but we're limited in this life.
[44:34] We're still in this body of flesh. But once we leave this body of flesh, this body, this earth, and we are only in the presence of God, I believe we will see a holiness that we never quite understood.
[44:54] A power, an almighty God that in this life we see through a glass dimly. But I do also believe that in this life we can spend time with this God.
[45:09] We can spend time in his presence. We can come boldly to the throne of grace. Remember the curtain that was rent? The big, tall, 60 to 90 foot curtain that was rent in half so that we can come into the presence of God illustrating that.
[45:29] And the more we do that, the more you and I will hate sin and want nothing to do with it. I want to read something that we read a number of weeks ago that came off of the cam billboard.
[45:55] Remember the man named Sam? What the moderator said to him from New York, Sam called gospel billboards commenting about the influence of Satan in his life and how there is no hope for him.
[46:15] Our team member, and who knows what that all was, I'm sure it was a bag full of sin, but the team member assured Sam that hope is available to the living.
[46:29] Sam was encouraged. He was told to clean his home, his car, and his life of everything related to sin and then replace the evil with truth and right living.
[46:49] Sam accepted a free gospel package in prayer. Pray that Sam would renounce Satan and all his evil ways and then walk with God. everything related that caught my attention.
[47:03] He didn't just say you need to get rid of all your sin. Everything that's even related, every appearance of evil, whether it's in your car, your house, your life, wherever it is, you need to get rid of it.
[47:16] Can we say that to each other? Everything that's related to sin, let's just not do it, let's not have it. Every appearance of evil. Turn to Revelation chapter 4.
[47:30] These will be our closing scriptures, I believe. 4 and 5. Revelation 4 verse 8.
[47:42] And the four beasts which each, I'm sorry, and the four beasts had each of them six wings about him.
[47:53] And they were full of eyes within, and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty, which was and is and is to come.
[48:08] And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.
[48:49] Who are the twenty four elders? And what were, I guess the question I had was what was the crowns? They cast their crowns, whatever, I believe God had given them crowns, but they cast them before this Lamb of God.
[49:10] the Lord God Almighty and they fell, they fell down before him and said, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.
[49:25] You've created all things, everything you've created for yourself, for Thy pleasure. We read that also in Colossians. Paul also said, and this is John when he was having this vision of heaven.
[49:44] Now in the next chapter, and I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals, and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, this angel is proclaiming a question, who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof, and no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
[50:19] And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, weep not, John, this is who he's talking about, behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof, and I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth, and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne, and when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints, and they sung a new song, saying, thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou was slain and has redeemed us to
[51:36] God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and has made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
[51:51] And I beheld and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb forever and ever, and the four beasts said amen, and the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth forever and ever.
[52:47] What is our picture of the Christ that we serve? Do we reverence and fear and honor him as king of our life?
[53:02] Perhaps if we would have the vision of this Christ, this lamb, more like the apostle John had, sin would no longer be lined with those gray areas.
[53:18] Sin would become exceedingly sinful to us like it says in Romans. Or do we still make excuses for ourselves and we want to enjoy pleasures of sin too much?
[53:32] Our view of sin may well determine our destiny. What about those sins of the heart where no one else can see? And our mind needs to be renewed and maybe we need a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit.
[53:53] perhaps there's someone in your life that you don't love or that you hate. Maybe there's unforgiveness, bitterness, stubbornness, self-willed or deceit.
[54:09] Can we fall down before the lamb that was slain in our heart? Or is our heart full of pride? God, I'm reminded again of the testimony that my friend that was here last weekend went through so much.
[54:36] So much pain. He said there was so much pain that he couldn't even, at nights he could barely breathe. it was so painful what had been done to him and what all he went through.
[54:54] But he couldn't find victory. But when he took, when he stopped blaming everybody else for all his problems and he took that on himself, then he could come to Jesus with all of it.
[55:13] See, when we blame other people, we can't bring that to Jesus. But when we take it all on ourself and say, I am the one with needs. I am the one that has a need.
[55:27] And we forgive those other people. Set them free. We can bring it all to Jesus and he'll heal us. He'll forgive us. He'll wash us. But as long as we keep blaming everybody else, there's just no deliverance in that.
[55:46] His testimony is that, John, I'm so free. I'm so free. And yet, I can't imagine being in his shoes, surrendering all to Jesus.
[56:04] What a glorious freedom we can find there. We can too. We can too. we can find freedom. Glorious freedom.
[56:19] But I would to God that we would not say anything or make anything that is different from the Bible when it comes to sin, but that we would call it what the Bible calls it.
[56:33] Departing from truth. Iniquity. not caring about truth. That's sin. If the Bible calls it sin, we need to as well.
[56:54] No more gray areas. It's not very gray when you get in the presence of God. It's when we stray from that.
[57:05] It's when we're far from God. Things become foggy and gray and all mixed up. We don't really know what Christianity is at some point if we're far from God.
[57:21] But when we're close to Him and we look at Him as the Almighty the way we read here in Revelation, then I think things become black and white again.
[57:41] We understand that we're in a war. We're in a battle. Would to God that things would be black and white in the church and not gray and mucky that we could see clearly in our own life.
[57:58] That only happens when it happens in my life and in yours. Don't look at the church and the bigger body and say, well, I can't fix it.
[58:12] No, we can just fix our own heart. God can. But we can come to God and surrender. If we humble ourselves, shall we stand together and pray?
[58:27] and if God speaks something in your life or has spoken something like He did in mine, that needs to be made right, let's just make that right.
[58:39] We have the freedom to do that. We have the blessed privilege of coming to Him. carnival to King who is a deg of