Mount Olive First PHC
Do What is Good
(upbeat music) - Welcome to Mount Olive First Pentecostal Holiness Church. Thank you for connecting with us. In just a moment, Pastor Jeff will be sharing an uplifting and encouraging message that we pray will inspire you in your walk with God. Our desire at M-O-F-P-H-C is for you and your family to find hope in Jesus Christ so that he will transform your life. Thanks again for connecting with us. Please contact us if we can help you discover God's purpose for your life. Enjoy the message. - I wanna take just a few minutes here from the Word of God and hopefully encourage us as God's people, something I believe the Lord has put on my heart for this Sunday that we're in today and especially in the day that we're living in. But the title of my message, I'm calling it, do what is good, do what is good. Look to your neighbor and say, do what is good. Do what is good. I want you to, I want that, I want when you leave here today, I want that phrase in your mind, in your heart, in your feet, in your hands. Do what is good, do what is good. Researchers, they tell us that there's different ways that we communicate. How many of you know and heard the saying, actions speak louder than words? If you've heard that saying, just wave your hands, actions speak louder than words. What is true to that statement because researchers who are experts on communication tell us that only 7% communicate with words and 35% communicate with the tone of their voice. Now my mama could communicate with the tone of her voice. Anybody know anything about that? And then 58% communicate with her actions and she could communicate with her actions too. 7% only communicate with words, 35% communicate with the tone of their voice and 58% communicate with actions. Now in the book of Titus, Titus is a book, it's a letter Paul had written to a pastor there into the church and in the book of Titus, Paul is reminding this pastor and the church that we should be the 58%. We should be the 58%, not the seven, not the 35, but we should be the 58%. In other words, Paul is telling Titus in this church that our actions speak louder than our words. In Titus chapter three, you have your Bibles turned there, in Titus chapter three verses one through eight, in a world and circumstances that were much like ours, maybe even worse, when things were bad, with the government, things were bad in the world, things were bad even in the church, listen to what Paul in his letter to this pastor and to his church, listen to what he has to say. He tells them, and even in your situations now, remind the believers, that's the church, remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. Not only should they submit to the government and its officers, but this is the kind of church they should be, they should be obedient. Always ready to do what is good, say good. Always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. Once too, we were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other, but I love verse four, but God. But God, but when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. How many of you thankful for the mercy of God? He washed away our sins, given us a new birth and a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ, our Savior. And because of his grace, he has made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good, say good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. Let me just give you a little bit of context here and a little bit of homework. In Paul's pastoral letter here to this young minister Titus, Paul puts an emphasis to the church to be zealous to do what is good, to pursue what is good. And if you read the entire letter and that's your homework, I would encourage you this afternoon. It's only three short chapters to this letter. Titus one, Titus two, Titus three is a letter here to this young minister. If you read this letter, I know you will, Paul is in here reminding the church that because that you are saved, because you are saved, you should love what is good, do what is good. Remain committed to doing good. Learn to do good. Be an example of doing good. Do good by meeting urgent needs of others. All those statements I just read to you, if you read this letter to Titus, you'll see those statements there that Paul is encouraging this church. You're saved now and now you need to love to do good. You need to learn to do good. You need to be an example of doing good. That's Paul's emphasis here. In other words, Paul was saying to Titus in the church, you need to be to 58%. You need to let your actions speak louder than your words. Now Paul was very clear here. I wanna make sure that I'm clear here as well. We're not saved by our good works. We're not saved by our good deeds. Paul was very clear here in his letter that it's not good deeds that save us and get us to heaven. What an insult that is to Jesus Christ and the cross. If you think that your good deeds can get you to heaven. It's only through Jesus Christ that we are saved and we have a home in heaven. And in verse five, Paul tells Titus in this letter, he says it's God who saved us not because of the righteous things that we have done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and a new life through Jesus Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul, he wants us to know this morning and listen, that we're not saved by good deeds. Let me say it again. In the culture that we live in right now, especially in our area, a lot of people think they can favor with God or be good enough and the good outweighs the bad and if the good outweighs the bad, they're gonna make it to heaven. That's a lie from hell. We're not saved by good deeds, but because we are saved, we should pursue good deeds. We should be zealous to do good deeds because that is an outflow of the work of God in our lives. We should be doing what is good because Jesus has forgiven us. He has washed away our sins. He has made us new by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. And because he's done a good work in us, we've been created to do good works and we should pursue them and be zealous to do them. We should be the 58%. God help us, help the church. God help this church to do what is good by engaging in good deeds. I thought about it with all the bad that is going on in the world. Let the church do what is good. We get so hyped up and so focused on the bad that we fail to realize that we have a mission and that is to do good. So God help us in a world gone bad and gone mad help the church arise and do what is good. We do what is good because our God is good. The Bible says there's only one good and God is good. Psalm 34A says taste and see that the Lord is good. And blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 136 one says, give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever. How many of you this morning can testify that the Lord is good. Come on, you can testify that the Lord is good. He is good and he's been good to you. God is good all the time and all the time God is good. And he's good because he's God. He's our savior. He's revealed his goodness. We are saved. We have this new birth born again. We have new life through Jesus Christ. The old life is gone. Everything is become new. God is good and he expects his people to do good to all people. I mean, he expects his people to do good to all people. Even your enemies. Listen to what Jesus said in Luke 635-36. But love your enemies and here we go. Do good to them. Man, it's quiet in here. Love your enemies and do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great and you will be sons of the most high. Here we go. Listen to this because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful just as your father is merciful. We are to do what is good because our God is good. And the only way we can do what is good to all people is by the work of the Holy Spirit producing goodness in our lives. You know that the fruit of the Spirit, one of the fruits of the Spirit is goodness. And the only way you're gonna be able to do good to all people is have the Holy Spirit feel you, empower you, control you, so you can do good to all people. Friend, listen to me this morning. I speak from my own experiences and I say this to you. If you think you can reflect God's goodness on your own, you're in for a rude awakening. You just let somebody cut you off in traffic. You let somebody bully one of your children or grandchildren. Oh my. You let somebody tell a lie on you. Someone speak from you, someone gossip about you. Someone turn back on you. Someone. You know when our flesh is in control. It's never good when our flesh is in control. That is why it is so vital that we allow the Holy Spirit to control us so he can produce in us the fruits of the Spirit. And one of those fruits is goodness. The Holy Spirit will help you do what is good to all people. We engage in good deeds because God is good. Can you say that? God is good. God is good. Praise the Lord. Let me just tell you this. We also engage in good deeds by having a good outlook. Christians, listen, if you're saving on your way to heaven today and listen, I got so much to shout and give God praise for. I mean, he has given me a new life. He delivered me out of addictions. I know I'm saved. He has changed my life. I'm on my way to heaven. Listen, every Christian that has washed in the blood, your sins are forgiven. You should have a great outlook on life. A great outlook. Now, I didn't say, I didn't say you'd always be in a good mood 'cause people have mood swings. Don't look at anybody. People have mood swings. I thought I just heard a man say amen. People have mood swings. Listen, there's gonna be days that even, listen, I'll tell you right now, there's days when I'm not even always in a good mood. You can ask my wife, ask my boys. I'm not always being the best mood, but I can always have a great outlook on life. I can have a good outlook because no matter what has impacted my mood in that very moment, this is what I know. Jesus loves me for the Bible, tells me so. I am saved. I am washed in the blood. I'm on my way to heaven. I can have a great outlook because I know that my God is good. He's good to me. He's a good, good father. As we sing that song, I can have a good outlook on life because I have the Lord in my life. Jesus has saved me, forgiven me. Let me ask you this morning. Do you have the Lord in your life? Do you have the Lord in your life? If you do, you should have a great outlook on life. I'm not saying life's gonna be easy. I'm not saying you're not gonna have these times when your moods are up and down, but you can still always have a great outlook on life. A great outlook on life. You ready to take the great outlook test? A person with a good outlook on life will be easy to live with. A person with a good outlook will be easy to work with. A person with a good outlook will be easy to serve with here at church. A person with a good outlook will be easy to approach. Are you easy to approach? I mean, maybe you're easy to approach on Friday, but just don't approach me on Monday. I'm good on friendly Friday, but don't approach me on Monster Monday 'cause I know people right now, they're mandarin' another world on Friday, but money roll around, they'll bite your head off. Are you easy to approach? A person with a great outlook and has the Lord in their life will be easy to approach. A person with a good outlook is easy to approach and easy to talk to. They listen, they understand what you're going through and they try to help you. A person with a good outlook because they have the Lord in their life will be friendly. Are you friendly? A person with a good outlook will always look for the best in people. In fact, Paul says don't try to be a fault finder with people. He says a good outlook is somebody who's always looking at the best in somebody's life. Stop trying to find faults in others. A person with a good outlook will try to build people up and not tear people down. A person with a good outlook will give people a good word, give them a good word. Don't you want to be a person with a good outlook because you got the Lord in your life and I want to give people a good word. Have you ever heard to say and hear my mama said it to me many times, if you can't say anything good don't say anything at all. Do you know that scriptural? Paul said speak no evil of man. Speak no evil of man. Paul says here people with a great outlook they won't be qualsomed, they'll have a gentle spirit in dealing with others and they will devote themselves to doing what is good. If you, listen, if you want to know the answer to these questions, if you're wondering where you stand when it comes to a good outlook I want to just encourage you, ask your spouse, ask your children, ask your coworkers, ask your close friends, ask your neighbors and they will tell you what kind of outlook you have. They'll let you know. Engaging in good deeds and doing what is good starts with a good outlook on life and if you have the Lord in your life you should have a great outlook. We also engage in good deeds by having a good example. He's not only a good example, he's a great example. His name is Jesus. Jesus is our good example. The Bible says that Jesus went around doing good. In Acts 1038, listen to what it says how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil because God was with him. I was praying last night and this morning what a testimony, what a powerful testimony it would be for every brother, every sister here in this fellowship that would have a testimony that he went around doing good. She went around doing good. Can you tell me something about sister so-and-so? Can you tell me something about brother so-and-so? All I can tell you is he went around doing good. She went around doing good. I mean, in the church, she went around doing good. In the community, he was out doing good. Everywhere, everywhere they went, they went around doing good. What a testimony. Don't you want that for your life? I know I do. God help us, help us as a church that we would go around doing good. Jesus went around, he went around doing good. Saving lost people, healing sick people, delivering people from demons, transforming lives, encouraging people, restoring people, providing for people, feeding people, helping people with all kinds of needs. Jesus went around doing good and he's our good example. He was always, he was always looking for opportunities to be a blessing to someone who had a need. And if Jesus was always looking for opportunities to be a blessing to somebody who had a need, then his people should do the same. God help us, God help us as a church to always look for opportunities to do what is good to people around us. How can I do good to people around me? Well, you can do good by praying for them. You can do what is good by praying for them. You can do what is good by witnessing to them. You can do what is good by visiting them. Do what is good by giving your time to assist them. You can do good by giving a word of encouragement. In other words, just be the 58%. Do what is good will always be active because actions speak louder than words. I'm trying to help us today through the word of God. Our actions are going to speak louder than words. Sometimes we see all the bad going on in the world and don't you, well, if you're like me, you just want to get somewhere on a rooftop and begin to shout out all these, come to Jesus, come on, turn around, get your life right with God. Let's go now. Time is urgent and we need to preach, but you know what? Actions speak a whole lot louder than words. Help us to be the 58%. You see, other people like to talk. But it's those who do rather than talk that make the greatest impact in life. Let me say that again. It's those who do rather than talk that make the greatest impact in life. You all know that I enjoy football, high school football, college football, not so much professional anymore, but I still watch it some. But one of my favorite football coaches of all time is the former head coach for Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz. Anybody ever heard of coach Lou Holtz? Man, he's such a great encourager, great coach. And he made this statement not too long ago and it has just settled in me and I can't shake it. But he said this right here. Coach Lou Holt said, when all is said and done, usually more is said than done. When all is said and done, more is usually said than done. When all is said and done, more is usually said than done. Are you getting it? - Yeah. - Let's be people. Let's be a church that will do more rather than say more. Let's be people of God that will do more than say more. Paul said to this church, always be ready to do what is good. Always be ready to do what is good. I'm saying to Mount Olive 1st Pentecost on this church, this Sunday morning, always be ready to do what is good. Go around doing good everywhere you go. Do good. Like Jesus, looking for opportunities in ways to be a blessing to others. Always ready to do good. It's about focusing on others instead of yourself. We can do good right now. There's people, man, there's so many needs in this church. There's so many needs in our community right now. There's so many opportunities for us to go around and do good. If it's maybe taking a meal to somebody or visiting somebody that's sick or caring for a widow or comforting a grieving family or giving a word of encouragement, I'm just telling you, there's so many needs. And as God's people, I pray that we will have a reputation for doing good to all people for the glory of God. Paul said, this in Galatians, let us not become weary in doing good for the proper time. We will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Let us do good to all people, all people say, all people. All people, all people. The church of John Wesley had this rule for his life. I wish that I had time to type it up and put it on the screen. But listen to this, this was the rule for his life. Do all the goods you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, and all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can, do what is good. God helped this church to be the 58% who was communicating with our actions. Because our actions is what points somebody to Jesus Christ. Our good actions are the very thing that could turn somebody to Jesus Christ. I'm telling you right now, it won't long after I had made a decision to follow the Lord. And you know, when you make that decision, the enemy will come after you and try to pull you back into that other world. And I was right there on the edge of some things. And I was in an automobile accident. And I can remember some good things that people did in my life that really touched me and pointed me to Jesus. And I thank God for that. You know I had somebody that I worked with, that donated their check to me while I was out of work for several weeks. So me and my wife wouldn't get behind on bills. Would you do that? If you will, see me after the service. (congregation laughing) That touched my heart. We had a lady showing up at our house and she had cooked for us and provided things for us in the neighborhood that we're living in. And it's those little things, those good things, those good actions that point people to Jesus. And people will see your good actions and they will credit your actions to Jesus to work in your life. And your deeds, your good deeds will point people to our good God. In other words, our lives produce better sermons than our lips. Our lives will produce better sermons than our lips. I don't know if you've ever heard of this preacher before. I'm sure some of you had heard of him, Chuck Swindall. And I love listening to him. He shared a very powerful story one time. Listen to this, I'm talking about being the 58% our actions speak louder than words. He shared this old story of a St. Francis of Assisi. And here's what he said about St. Francis. One day, St. Francis said to one of his young students, "Come with me and let's go down to the village and preach to the people who need our Savior Jesus." And off they went. Once that degraded the village, St. Francis and the young student, they stopped. And they bent down to speak a kind word to an old triple man and gave him a cool drink of water and a few coins. And then they saw children playing with a ball out in the field. So they joined their game and had fun with the children. And while they played a lonely old widow watching at her doorstep drew their attention. When they finished the game, they visited with her, bringing her a few words of cheer and encouragement. A fearful young man lurked in the shadows, ashamed of what he had done the night before. And they prayed with him and spoke with him openly and freely about forgiveness and grace and mercy. And they encouraged him to pursue a more productive future. And on the way out of town, they stopped at a small store and greeted the owner, asked about his family and thanked him for all his faithful work through the years. Finally, St. Francis said to the young student, "Let's go back." And the young student said, "But wait, when do we preach?" And St. Francis replied, "Every step we took, "every word we spoke, every action we did "has been a sermon pointing these people to Jesus." In other words, our lives produce more sermons than our lips. And that's what I pray for this church, that our lives will produce more sermons than our lips. If the team wants to come now, we're gonna have a time of prayer. I want to invite all of you to do me a favor and I want you to stand right there where you are. I want you to be very reverent to this moment here and because we're about to pray. But before we do, I just wanna encourage you if something, the only way you're gonna be able to do good is first of all, making sure you have the Lord in your life. When Jesus comes into your life, it's really the Holy Spirit who comes and dwells us and then we receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, we're empowered and there's the fruit of the Spirit that work in our life. And the only way you're gonna be able to do what is good is by having the goodness of God in operation through you. And we need the Holy Spirit to control us and lead us. You cannot, I cannot do it on my own. You can't either. It's never good when we act in the flesh. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit. So we can do good to all people. We do good because God is good. We do good because we have a great outlook on life because Jesus is in our heart and our life. We do what is good because we have a good example to follow Jesus himself who went around doing good. I prayed at Mount all the first Pentecost on this church. I prayed that we would have a reputation of going around doing good. Not just doing good while you're here at church. Doing good while you're at home with your family, doing good while you're out talking and connecting with your neighbors and your friends, doing good while you're at work or at school. God help us to have that reputation of doing good. We need the Holy Spirit. You know what I'm talking about, Lord forgive me. You're never gonna be able to do good if you're always walking too fast. If you're walking too fast in life, you might need to slow down because I believe in order for us to really go around and do good, we need to just slow down and be sensitive to the opportunities around us. Sometimes we're walking too fast and we miss those opportunities. God, I prayed it last night and I prayed again. Forgive me and forgive this church for the opportunities that we have missed to do what is good. Help us, Lord, help us God and forgive us for walking past people who have a need in their life. Help us, Lord, for walking past people that are a part of the family of God that need encouragement in their life. God, help us, Lord, help us, Lord. It's gonna require the whole church. You understand that, right? Pastor, pastor, we need you to go around and do what is good. No, God is saying he wants this church. Everyone, everyone going around and doing good. God help us as the Holy Spirit flows through us. As the world goes bad, may the church do good. My prayer is, may we preach more to our life than we do with our lips. Come if you desire that for your own life right now. Come if you have a desire to do what is good, come on. Praise the Lord. And it all starts by accepting Jesus Christ into your life. So before we pray, I want you just to do me a favor. I want everyone here. I want you to bow your heads and (mumbles) And if there's anyone here this morning and you know that it's not a great outlook for you, it's not a good outlook for you right now because of the things that you're walking through in your life. But listen to me, friend, listen to me, friend. It doesn't have to end that way. It can change today. Jesus, he went around doing good. He saved people, he delivered people, he restored people. And he can do that for you right now in the same moment. If you'll just surrender to him, if you'll make a decision to repent of your sins and receive Jesus Christ to be your savior and to be your Lord, the Bible says that we are born again. There's a new birth, there's a new life that is produced by the work of the Holy Spirit. And if you need to invite Jesus right now to be your savior, to be your Lord, to forgive you of your sins so you can have the peace of God and peace with God and have that assurance that heaven is in your future. Nobody looking around. I just want to pray for you in a special way and you want me to pray for you because you're ready right here in this moment to accept Christ. I want you to raise your hand where you are and say that's me, preacher, would you pray for me? Come on, would you be bold enough right now and say I'm here today, God's brought me here and I'm ready to make this decision. For the first time, maybe rededicate your life to God. There's do anyone, just one, just one. Just one, would you be a beat? God bless you, sir. God sees your hand. God bless you, ma'am. God bless you, sir. God bless you. Thank you for being obedient to the Lord. Let's pray right now for these individuals. And those that lifted your hand and even if you didn't, but you need Christ to save your soul, to forgive you of your sins. Just pray with me right now. Father, I admit to you that I am a sinner and I understand by the word of God today that my good deeds, nothing nothing I can do, Lord, can earn that salvation. It's only through you, Jesus Christ. So right here in this place, I admit to you I'm a sinner and I need to be saved from my sin. And I ask you, Jesus, to forgive me, cleanse me, wash me, give me a new birth, a new life. I receive it right now in faith. I believe in you, for God so loved the world that he gave us one and only son, that who so ever should believe it than him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. I believe, come on, make that your prayer. I believe right now, I believe in Jesus, the Son of God. And I confess with my mouth right here in this moment that Jesus is Lord and I believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead. Thank you for taking my place on the cross, Jesus. I deserved it, but you took my place. And I thank you, Jesus, that you died or buried. And on the third day, I thank you, Lord, that you conquered the grave and that you're alive. And because you live as the word of God declares, I will live too. I have a confidence that I will have eternal life. So I surrender my life to you right now. On this Sunday, I surrender everything to you and I make this decision to follow you in the name of Jesus. Nobody looking around, nobody looking around. If you prayed that prayer, would you do me in one more favor and be bold enough just to wave your hand to me so I'll know what direction to go. Thank you, sir, back there, thank you, thank you, ma'am. Thank you, sir, God bless you. God bless you and put your hand down. Hey, you know what the Bible says? The Bible says heaven is rejoicing right now over those that make decisions for Jesus Christ. So we praise the Lord, praise the Lord. I'd love for you, the raise your hand would come and talk to me before the service is over with or talk to somebody on our pastoral staff and we can encourage you. But one more prayer, I wanna pray. I'm gonna let you go. I want us to have a desire to do what is good. So right there where you are, can you turn your chair into an alder and just lift your hands up like this right here for the next few minutes and let me pray. Just for the next one to two minutes, come on. Just lift your hands and just make it your prayer. Father, I pray in the name of Jesus. You would help me as your follower, Jesus, to go around doing good. Lord, let it be my testimony, God. Let it be my testimony that I'm good around doing good to all people. God, help me, Lord, not just slander, not to be quarrelsome. God, help me to have a gentle spirit, God. Help me to give a good word, God. Help me to do good deeds, God. Lord, I pray it over my life. Help me to have a great outlook on life, God. Help me to be approachable. Help me, God, to be friendly. I pray right now, Holy Spirit, that you would feel every one of us in this place. Feel us afresh and I pray the fruit of your spirit, God. The fruit of goodness would just continue to be manifested. God, I pray, Lord, that we would be willing to, God, slow down and be sensitive to the opportunities around us in our church, in our community. God, will we see people that are in need. God, that we would be willing to respond to them and do what is good, to do what is good. Lord, Lord, help us at Mount Olive. Give us that reputation, God. Give us that heart, God, to do what is good. In a world gone bad, God, help the church to arise and do what is good. And do it for your glory. Do it for your glory, God. It's not about a church, it's not about a pastor, it's not about a people, it's about you, Jesus getting all the praise and all the glory, all the credit. So God, I pray that when we leave out of this place today, God, there would be a fresh desire and we would be on mission. We would be on mission. In our heart and our motto would be to do what is good. And I pray it all right now, in the name of Jesus over every believer here. God, do it in me and do it in this church. And we give you the praise, give you the glory and all of God's people say amen, amen, praise the glory. Amen. 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