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[0:00] Blessings to everyone this morning and greetings in the name of Jesus. Appreciated what was shared by our brother Aaron.

[0:16] A lot of thoughts there and yes, it's good to be in the house of the Lord. A message this morning I want to share is, I think it was last Sunday when I was sharing out of Ephesians 4, I mentioned something about the Lord's Prayer in John 17.

[0:50] I don't even remember what it was exactly, but then later I read that chapter this week and a verse really stood out to me in that chapter that I want to make the theme of the message today.

[1:06] And I guess the title would be, if you want to give it a title, would be, Christ in You is Your Only Hope.

[1:23] Christ in You is Your Only Hope. The verse is Christ in You, the hope of glory. We all know that verse, I believe.

[1:35] But Jesus desires in His prayer in John 17, you know, that the desires of Jesus are in that prayer.

[1:46] As much as any desire that you can find, I believe, in Jesus' life here on earth. I think you see it in John 17.

[1:58] I mean, there's many others, but in that prayer is just so amazing. What He prays for His followers. You know, I had this thought as we were singing this morning, if someone would ask you why God should let you into heaven.

[2:21] And some of what I'm sharing today is maybe for some of you younger ones that are seeking the Lord, or you're at that age where you're not really sure maybe.

[2:36] Is it time to give your heart to the Lord? Or maybe you are sure, but you haven't yet. Or you have taken steps, but you're not sure if you're quite there or whatever.

[2:48] And it's also for us older ones. It doesn't really, you know, there's no age. But I had a burden, especially for some of our younger ones here. But if God would ask you, or if someone would ask you, rather, why God should let you into heaven, what would your answer be?

[3:09] Do you have a solid answer for that? You know, sometimes we get asked that question and it catches us off guard a little bit. But do we know in our heart what that answer is?

[3:23] What would, you know, if God only accepts righteous people, then why would He let you into heaven? Why would He let me into heaven?

[3:35] Are we righteous? And that's what I want to look at today, more or less. Let's turn to that chapter there in John, chapter 17.

[3:48] There's one verse in there that just really has been ministering to me. And it's nothing new.

[4:02] It's been there for a long time, but it just really caught my attention this week. Let's start in verse 13. And this is in the middle kind of Jesus' prayer to His Father.

[4:17] And this is just before He was betrayed and then crucified. And now come I to thee, and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

[4:34] He's praying and He's talking to His Father about believers. I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

[4:51] I speak not that thou shouldest take them out of the world. Sorry, He says, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

[5:04] You know, we are in this world, but we are not of the world. We can't allow the world to master us or to tell us how to think and how to act, because the world is enmity with God.

[5:26] We do not love the world, right? He goes on and He prays, They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

[5:37] Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. Have we allowed God to sanctify us? Verse 18, As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

[5:53] And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word.

[6:12] Now who all does that include? Who is included in that verse? Jesus said in this earnest prayer to His Father, neither pray I for these alone.

[6:25] In other words, not just for His disciples at that moment. Not just for all the followers of Him the last three years when He was here ministering.

[6:39] But for all of those that believe on Him because of their word. In other words, all the way down to us 2,000 years later.

[6:50] So He's praying for us in this prayer. For us this morning. And the next verse goes on. It says, That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee.

[7:09] That they also may be one in us. That the world, here's why, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.

[7:22] Does that mean all believers in Jesus today are to be one? Is that what Jesus is praying? If not, tell me what else He was saying.

[7:38] What was He saying? That they may be one. Like the Father and the Son are one.

[7:49] It is amazing. It is an amazing prayer. It is an amazing possibility. An amazing truth. That believers can be one in Christ.

[8:02] Let's read on. Verse 22. And the glory which Thou gavest me, I have given them. That they may be one, even as we are one.

[8:13] I in them, and Thou in me. That they may, that they may be made perfect in one.

[8:27] And that the world may know that Thou hast sent me. He kind of repeats it here. That Thou hast sent me and hast loved them as Thou hast loved me.

[8:39] You know, as I think of this, why is it important that God's people, true believers, are one and speak the same things and love each other?

[8:53] It's not just to make the church look good. Well, it is in a sense. But it is so that the world may also believe that Jesus is real.

[9:08] That Jesus is in us. That's what He says. That the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.

[9:20] That's why He had a burden. Jesus had a burden for the world. He died for the whole world. And most people don't believe in Him.

[9:30] We know that. But those that do are to be one in God so that the world may believe that He's real.

[9:41] So that the world, others, non-believers, can see in the church that their God is real. He's changed them.

[9:53] He's caused them to love each other. He's caused them to be one. Do we experience that?

[10:06] Verse 24. I'm still not by the theme verse. Verse 24. Father, Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which Thou hast given me.

[10:24] For Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. What a heart that He wants us to be with Him.

[10:35] O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee, but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent me.

[10:48] And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith Thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

[11:05] Do we believe these words? Verse 26. Do we believe it? In our hearts. Do we experience it? Or are they just words?

[11:19] Do we actually believe that the love that God the Father hath for His Son had and has is now in you?

[11:34] That's what it says. I don't know how to explain that verse any better than just what it says. But do we really believe it? I feel like we need to hear this.

[11:45] Sometimes we need to hear things over and over until faith arises and we actually believe it and get a hold of it. I do. Do we believe this?

[11:56] That the Father, the love that He has for His Son, the oneness that He has for His Son, that love, Jesus said that I have declared unto them Your name for three years approximately, I think.

[12:13] His ministry went forth and He declared all about God in one place. He said, one of the disciples said, show us the Father.

[12:24] And Jesus said, well, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. But He has declared His name for those years. and He will declare it, that the love wherewith Thou has loved me may be in them and I in them.

[12:45] Jesus in you, the hope of glory, is no different than the love of the Father in you, is it? The love of God in our hearts.

[12:55] that thought is not just a fact. It's not just, in other words, it's not just words.

[13:09] It's something that we experience in this life. It's a thought. If it is a reality to us, it will completely overwhelm us at times.

[13:23] That love of God in us. In one place it says, it's shed abroad in our hearts. And I think we might get to that verse later. But as I read that chapter this week earlier and then came to that verse, it just so excited me.

[13:39] It just did something in my heart again. That that love is it can be and should be a reality to every believer. Are you overjoyed by the life-giving and life-changing experience that comes from this truth?

[13:58] Are our hearts overjoyed by this truth? You know, if they're not, and I understand we go through seasons in life sometimes we're a little drier than others and we're not always on top of things and, you know, spiritually.

[14:14] But this thought should never leave us. This truth should still always bring us joy and overwhelm us. It's not just more information from the Bible without any reality in the heart.

[14:32] I remember reading this chapter and hearing it quoted and it meant nothing to me. It was just empty words. But once we experience that love, this truth, and accept it by faith, it's life-changing.

[14:50] It's life-giving. What does it mean to have the love of God in our hearts? In Romans, if you turn maybe to chapter 5, there's some verses there.

[15:02] But in Romans 5, verse 5, I believe, it says, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

[15:24] This is our hope, is the love of God in our hearts. Many people base their hope on many things. I want to talk about some of those things this morning.

[15:37] How that people will base their hope on other things. What do people base their hope on? Are we actually all sinners like the Bible says?

[15:50] Do we believe that this morning? I think we do. But do we actually? Are we all sinners? Are some people worse sinners than others?

[16:01] sinners? What makes us sinners if we are then sinners? What makes us sinners? Somebody, you know, you hear the statement sometimes, is it a salvation issue?

[16:16] We hear that statement some, well, yeah, that's a doctrine in the Bible, but is it actually a salvation issue? And it's a question that I sometimes don't know how to answer properly.

[16:27] But I'd like to at least to some degree talk about that this morning as well. In Romans 5, then in verse 8, it says, But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

[16:47] You know, it just talks to us like that. Like, while we were yet sinners. So, just kind of assuming that we're sinners. And assuming right.

[17:06] Because the Bible does say that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God in Romans 3, 23. Verse 10 here says, For if when we were enemies we are reconciled reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

[17:31] I skipped a verse. Let's go to verse 9. Much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

[17:44] A very important verse there. That we are justified by His blood Yes, justified by His blood and yes, this morning if you're not saved and should be, in other words, you're old enough to be, but you're not saved, then the wrath of God according to this verse is on you and other verses in the Bible.

[18:12] But if we are justified by His blood, then we're saved from that wrath. we are saved from the wrath of God.

[18:23] Not only are we saved from our sins and from hell, but just from the wrath of God. There's a book I had. I used to give it out back in Ohio.

[18:37] I haven't seen it in a long time, but I think it's Jonathan Edwards. It's a gospel tract, but it's actually a booklet. You probably have it, some of you. But the title is Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.

[18:52] It's actually a message that he preached that caused the great revival. And it's written in a little booklet. But God is a God of love and mercy and all of that.

[19:07] But He is also a God of wrath. Now verse 10. For if we, or I'm sorry, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

[19:28] And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

[19:40] atonement. I'm struggling with seeing this morning. I'll try a different pair of glasses. Yeah. yet. By whom we have now received the atonement.

[20:03] Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

[20:16] You know, this is often, I believe, missed in our day. This message right here, this verse. Many people believe, and many preachers, do not preach that everyone is a sinner and lost.

[20:35] but the Bible says that death was passed to all men. That means all mankind.

[20:49] Woman, man, son, daughter, child. Death was passed down to us. And that makes us a sinner in need of the Savior.

[21:03] And then in verse 17, if we could jump down to that. For by one man's offense, death reigned by one.

[21:21] Start over on that. For if by one man's offense, death reigned by one, much more, they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

[21:40] Therefore, as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

[21:57] who is he talking about here in verse 17? Excuse me.

[22:10] Does anybody want to answer that? Who is, by one man's offense, death reigned by one? Who is he talking about?

[22:23] Adam. Which one? Adam. The first Adam. Amen. He's talking about Adam.

[22:35] Adam and Eve. We know that they offended. That's the first offense, the first sin. And it brought death. But then we know that God provided a second Adam.

[22:50] read verse 19. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. That many means everyone were made sinners.

[23:07] So by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound.

[23:22] But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

[23:40] two Adams. Two drastically different Adams.

[23:59] One, the cause of our sinfulness that we cannot escape on our own. and the other, the cure.

[24:13] The other, the cure. The providence, the answer. This is the salvation issue.

[24:25] Are other things salvation issues? I'll let you figure that out. But this is the salvation issue. This is the solution.

[24:37] The problem and the solution. Unless Christ, the second Adam, comes and makes you a righteous person, then you're not righteous.

[25:01] And we know that is through the new birth. we cannot escape what happened in the garden by ourselves.

[25:12] We cannot and we are not excluded. There is no one excluded from that. Somebody asked President Trump since the attempted assassination something about whether he believes more in God now or whether that has changed his view of God maybe or something like that.

[25:42] And it makes him think more of God. I think maybe that's how it was. And yes, he does. And yes, when asked whether he believes about heaven, he believes in heaven.

[25:58] And he made the statement that if, yeah, I believe. That if I'm good, I'll go there. If I'm bad, go to a place we don't want to talk about.

[26:12] And I thought, wow, isn't that the American gospel? Isn't that what many of us were taught? If you're good, you go to be with God.

[26:25] But if you're bad, there's just so much missing in that. This says you are bad. This says Trump is bad.

[26:38] And so are we. We have all missed it. And not only that, death has been passed down to you from Adam.

[26:49] There is nothing you can do about that when we're born. You can't change that fact. I can't either. It was just given to us.

[27:00] We're born with that. And many people say, well, but if I'm good. If I'm good, God has to accept that.

[27:13] And so we come up with our own solutions and our own answers and our own righteousness. righteousness. Right? That's what that is. Our own obedience.

[27:27] Because here in verse 19 it says, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. The second Adam, by his obedience, by him coming down and obeying his father and going all the way to the cross, even the obedience of death on the cross, by that righteousness, that's how you and I are made righteous today.

[27:55] So if somebody asks you, how are you going to get to heaven? That's the only way. Because I'm righteous. But it's by him, by his cross.

[28:08] Some of you are still maybe trying to be righteous on your own. It makes a person very tired. I've tried it, right?

[28:19] Some of you are saying, yeah, that made you so tired, so miserable. Yes, we have all been passed down that curse of sin.

[28:34] That serpent came in the garden and it has poisoned mankind. you don't understand that death was passed down to them and you had no choice in that matter.

[28:50] We have no choice in the fact that death was passed down to us. You cannot undo that.

[29:03] But you do have a choice. What we do with the second Adam, that's the glorious news of the gospel, that all would be saved and that all would come to repentance.

[29:21] Do we try to become good like the former president said? And I'm not saying that to belittle him in any way. I'm just, that's what he said.

[29:31] I was hoping to have a little more, you know, I believe in Christ. And maybe he does.

[29:42] I don't, I don't know. I'm not, God's the judge of that. But it's not what he said. He said good. Do I try?

[29:55] There's so many things people will do. People will try by being disciplined. I know so many people that have tried that and are still trying today.

[30:06] By reading the Bible a lot, by being obedient, by listening to my parents, by saying we're sorry when we're wrong. Those are all things people try to do.

[30:18] Some people think if they just obey the church. When challenging one of her family members about almost 30 years ago, she told my wife that, but if I just obey the preachers, and if they're wrong, then that's not to my account.

[30:36] Many people believe that. Just obey the preacher, the church. Are these things important? Is it important to obey our parents?

[30:47] Of course. Is it important to read the Bible a lot? Of course. But if you're trying to do those things to account for righteousness, to get there, then you're wrong, because it won't do it.

[31:04] What did Brother Aaron share this morning? Something about 63% of Americans profess Christianity, but out of those only 4% are actually seeking God.

[31:18] Is that what it was? They seek the Lord. They actually are serious about it. I would imagine that's probably about right.

[31:31] I could see those statistics being right by the fruits. Right? By the fruits we shall know, Jesus said. But you know, here's the question.

[31:43] If us being good and doing good things would make you right with God, if we could get right with God on our own by doing good, then here's the question.

[31:56] Why did God become man and come down to this earth and suffer and was mocked and beaten and ended up on a cross and died?

[32:11] Why did God have to do that? That's the ultimate question. If being good, if we can gain favor with God by doing these good things, reading the Bible, trying to follow all the commandments in the Bible, then why did Jesus come?

[32:30] You know, many of us grew up in a setting like that, too much like that, where that was the case, or even taught. But the fact remains that doing all these good things without Christ in you, there's still no hope.

[32:48] hope. There is still no hope. That's why the Bible says, Christ in you is the hope of glory. Those things, in fact, are filthy rags if it's our own righteousness, and it will stand against you on judgment day.

[33:10] On judgment day, God may say, you thought you could become righteous by yourself, and therefore you rejected my salvation, my son, the one that died.

[33:26] Romans 3, 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And Romans 6, 23, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, God's Son.

[33:45] And some of us may just need to accept the fact that we're not righteous in God's eyes. And we still have, we still carry that curse of the first Adam, the death that came to all men.

[34:06] Adam disobeyed God, and that separation, that curse, or that death, death is simply separated from God. That's what death is.

[34:17] Just a separation from God. None of us are physically dead this morning, but we can be dead by being separated from God.

[34:33] But then came the second Adam, and the obedient Adam, the one that actually was the perfect Lamb of God. And through Him, the Bible teaches very clearly that through Him, through His righteousness, you know, His righteousness is the only righteousness that God will accept on that final day.

[34:56] On the day of judgment, it's His righteousness that God will accept. my obedience to God.

[35:12] You know, there's many people, there are millions, if you just think with me, there are millions of people in this world today trying to be accepted by God.

[35:22] Millions are trying to obey God, and they're doing what they know to do, as much as they can. And I'm talking not just in Christian circles, I'm talking, you know, the Muslim world and the beliefs, and we can go to all kinds of denominations and belief systems that the reason they're religious is because they want to please God.

[35:48] They want to make it to heaven by the millions, but they're deceived when they're missing the righteousness of God.

[36:01] And so are we this morning. if we don't have the Son of God in us, if we don't have the love of God in us. This is not meant to be a condemning message.

[36:18] I really mean it for a positive one and an encouraging one. This is the only thing that God will accept is the work of the second Adam, Jesus Christ.

[36:36] This is the salvation issue. Now you might be asking, well, what are you saying? What about all the other stuff that we have to do?

[36:50] can I just say I have Jesus and nothing else matters? That's a popular gospel today.

[37:01] What about all the doctrines of the Bible? Can I ignore his word? In fact, Paul asked that question in Romans. He says, if grace abounds, then can I sin?

[37:14] Or it's my own words, but can I just go out and sin then because I'm under grace now? And what is his answer? He quickly answers that. He says, God forbid. God forbid.

[37:27] Not at all. Shall we sin because there's grace? But the Bible teaches that when we are made righteous through faith in the Son of His blood, the Son of God, and He has made us righteous, it is only then that we can obey God.

[37:55] It's only then. You cannot please God without faith. The Bible states that very clearly.

[38:06] Let's read there in Hebrews 11, maybe just a few verses. There's a lot of things about faith in Hebrews, Hebrews 11, verse 5 says about Enoch.

[38:25] By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him.

[38:36] For before his translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God. And then verse 6 is what I wanted.

[38:49] But without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

[39:06] Did you get that verse? Without faith, without believing, without having the love of God in our hearts, the love that the Father had for his Son in your heart, without that faith, you can't please him.

[39:28] You can't please him. Those good things just aren't going to cut. what he means is without Christ in you, the hope of glory, you cannot please God no matter how hard we try.

[39:47] Some of you younger ones, you know, maybe have been convicted. I don't know where you're at. Maybe you have been under conviction. Maybe you've had this conviction that there's something not quite right.

[40:00] this morning as we sang that song about Jesus or that we can't change.

[40:12] How was that song, Justin? About the leper's spots? Forget that song, that one song we sang. Jesus paid it all, yeah.

[40:25] But that only Jesus can change that. Somebody preached years ago here, an evangelist, and he preached about those leper spots that we can't fix, we can't change.

[40:41] I just remember Justin responding to the altar and because of that message, God brought salvation to him. Every time we sing it, we kind of look at each other.

[40:57] Because it's a memory in our family. you may be thinking this morning that, or have been under conviction and so our nature is to try to do better.

[41:14] Our nature is, you know, well let's do better. I'm going to start reading my Bible. I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that, I'm going to obey my parents a second time instead of the fourth time.

[41:25] You know, those kind of things. I'm not saying you shouldn't do those things, but to encourage you in the fact that without faith in the Son of God, we just can't please Him.

[41:43] Without having the new birth and having God in us, you cannot become righteous. in fact, I believe that a person can and have memorized most of the Bible.

[42:04] I've known people that can just quote the Bible. It's like a natural gift they have. I don't have that kind of ability. I wish I would, but you can memorize the whole Bible.

[42:19] God will not account that for righteousness. You think that's radical. But you know, Paul said in Corinthians 13, maybe we should just turn there yet.

[42:36] Corinthians chapter 13, he said, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, and I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith that I could remove mountains and have not love, I'm nothing.

[43:01] If that love of God isn't dwelling in us, we're nothing. Even if I do these good things like we heard, you know, we're going to be good.

[43:13] We're going to bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body even to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing. Charity suffereth long and is kind, charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, it's not puffed up, it's not about me, doesn't behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, love will refuse to think evil, you know, but if our mind is not the mind of Christ, then it will think evil, won't it?

[43:57] How many of us have caught ourselves thinking evil of another brother or sister? So easy, isn't it? But we are to have the mind of Christ.

[44:09] I'm going to, well, we'll keep going through a few more verses here. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

[44:27] Charity never faileth. You know, it's been said that love never fails. So if we're failing, it's not because we had too much love.

[44:38] but prophecies are going to fail. Tongues will cease and if there's knowledge, it's going to vanish away.

[44:58] Verse 13, and now abideth faith, hope, charity. These three, but the greatest of these is charity. Why? Because the love of God, the love that the Father has for His Son, that love is to be in us.

[45:17] It's the greatest of all. Again, back to the theme verse in John 17, verse 26, and I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love were with you, Father, have loved me, Jesus, may be in them, and I in them.

[45:45] You know, there are many more verses that we could look up in the New Testament about Jesus in us, Christ in you, the love of God in our hearts shed abroad.

[46:00] Some of us may be struggling with this. someone here might have a hard time believing and having faith. And maybe you thought that being good and just obeying the best you can would be good enough.

[46:28] Surely God would have to accept that. Just do the best you can. You know, we teach our children things like that, don't we? We teach our little children, you know, just do the best you can and that's acceptable.

[46:42] Right? And I'm not against that. I don't know how else that would be as parents. But it doesn't work that way for God.

[46:52] we come to a place, usually in our young age, where we realize that the best I can just isn't going to cut it.

[47:09] It just doesn't cut it for God. Our best effort is still not going to make it. If it would, Jesus would not have had to go on to the cross.

[47:25] Jesus wouldn't have died to you. Can you imagine with me for a second how that must make God feel when he sends his son?

[47:37] He goes through all that he goes through. He left heaven. He came down to earth to become a miserable human. You know what I mean by misery. This isn't heaven.

[47:49] he didn't even have a place to lay his head. He didn't have a place to call his own. He said foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head.

[48:04] That's why I said miserable. But how it must make him feel when he did all that, shed his blood on a cross, and then we say by our actions that I can do it myself.

[48:22] That's why I believe that our righteousness are filthy rags to God when we don't accept his righteousness. It's like a slap in his face.

[48:39] This is the gospel of salvation to mankind. that the second Adam makes us righteous if we put on the Lord Jesus Christ like the Bible says.

[48:52] Can we accept the fact that if you're a young person here this morning and you're struggling with that, can we accept the fact that we've been wrong about this?

[49:05] Are you tired of trying to please God without Him living in you? Because once he is in you, you don't have to anymore.

[49:20] Then you want to. That's the difference. You want to obey Him, but it's for a totally different reason. It's because now you love Him.

[49:33] Now you experience His love and His joy. And I want to obey Him. I want to please Him. It becomes our nature. It becomes our new nature in Christ.

[49:46] I don't want to steal anymore. I don't want to hurt people anymore. Because His love just flows through me and the things that Jesus is becomes alive in me and in you.

[50:02] And you don't have to be tired of trying anymore. You get to. there's such a difference in that outlook. Or maybe we thought that, well, yeah, I accepted Jesus two years ago, three years ago, and He's righteous, and He's so gracious, and now I can just kind of do what I want to do.

[50:32] You know, we start, the enemy tries to trick us into that thought pattern. And we can serve ourselves, and we can still go to heaven. No. You too, if that's your mindset, need to repent.

[50:48] And allow Him to make us truly righteous again. It's not self-righteousness, but a willingness, a full surrender to Him.

[51:02] If the love of God, Christ in you, He's in you, if He's in you, you will truly desire and seek to please Him.

[51:16] And you will no longer have to. Let's stand together. There's many other verses that we could have looked at. I think just for the sake of time, we will close.

[51:32] God's love. But is our heart and our life fully surrendered to Him is the question this morning. You know, He will change us and He'll give us that kind of a heart.

[51:46] I want to just open it up this morning for if somebody wants to just do that and give their heart to Him and just fully surrender that you have that opportunity.

[52:00] You can make a public statement by doing that if you want to. If God's calling you, a heart that can actually be pleasing to God.

[52:15] A heart that loves like Jesus loves, forgives like Jesus forgives, is gentle, is forbearing, a soft heart.

[52:29] A heart that has the fruit of the Spirit just flowing through, coming out. You know, these thoughts make me want to just repent too. Is there anyone here that doesn't sometimes just need to?

[52:48] But no one will question a heart like that. It's just there and it's real. there's a fragrance, a sweetness that wasn't there before.

[53:02] It's so inviting, so encouraging. It just serves, and it's joyful at the same time. A heart like that is just so full, and it's so full of Jesus, and that's what comes out, is Jesus.

[53:28] I'm just going to pray, and if there's anyone that just, you can just stand up here or whatever, but if you need to make something right, just come up and pray with me.

[53:39] Let's pray. Father, we just thank you this morning that you are good. Lord, we thank you that you are righteous, and you make us righteous.

[53:50] So God, I just pray that if there's anyone here that is struggling with trying harder, and just the folly of just trying harder over and over, instead of just making you their righteousness, Lord, I pray there would be a freedom to just come to you, and in repentance, Lord, and being made right with you, Lord, that if you were to come back tonight, that you would look at us, and you would tell the Father that we are righteous because of you, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, and we are full of the love of God.

[54:34] That same love that your Father loves you with is now in us, Christ in us, the hope of glory. Father, I pray that we would all be at that place and ready to meet you, but Lord, if somebody is struggling with just not knowing or just trying harder and trying to be righteous on our own by just obeying you like millions are doing, Lord, I pray that we would repent from that because it's self-righteousness.

[55:13] Lord, just help us to have a repentant and a broken heart. And Lord, if the fruits in our life are not right, if there's bad fruit, all that is is a sign of where our heart is, I just pray, God, that our fruits would prove who we really are.

[55:33] Lord, that we just can't run from the fruits that come out of our lives. So, Lord, we want to just repent. We want to receive your righteousness.

[55:43] and like that song that Wilmer wrote, that we love you, but it's a true love. It's the love that comes out of our heart because you're there.

[55:58] And the people around us smell a sweet fragrance of Jesus. Our families, our children, our grandchildren, our father and our mother, our brother and our sister in the home.

[56:13] know that our heart has been made right because of the fruits that come out. Lord, I pray we could be a people like that with reality.

[56:25] And Lord, if you would just help us, help us to examine ourselves and to look deep into our soul and make sure we're ready to meet you, Lord.

[56:39] We give you all the honor and praise and all the glory. thank you, Lord Jesus, for being that perfect lamb that died on the cross, that perfect lamb without blemish, that perfect solution to the first Adam, for making us right again with you.

[57:00] Thank you for that, Lord. We praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. You may be seated. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[57:10]  Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.