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Lighthouse Baptist Church
God's Abundant Mercy
[music] >>Thank you for listening to this message brought to you by the Audio Ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church. It's connected in New York. For more great content, please visit us at LighthouseBaptist.org. Now let's open our hearts and minds to the Word of God. [music] >>It says, "Put them in mind," reminds them of this truth, to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. So the first one we see here that they are to put into mind that he is to teach them is to be subject to principalities and powers. No subject means, it means subordinate. It means to place yourself under the authority that God has placed in your life. Here's the fact, Church, and I don't want you to understand this. We have been placed under the authority of our government, right? We may not like it, but we've been placed under their authority. We are to be subject. We are to subordinate ourselves under that authority. And we're going to talk about this as we kind of dive in here. You need to recognize your place. God has placed over people over us, right? We have bosses, we have policemen, we have magistrates, we have governors, we have all these different people that God has placed over us. We are to subordinate ourselves to them, place ourselves under their authority. So principalities, these are people that have rule over us. I want you to understand that principality carries the idea of their position, OK? I don't like our current president, OK? I don't like his policies. I don't like what he stands on. But guess what? I should respect his position. And we may not like it. It really doesn't matter. Can I tell you something, when Paul is writing this letter to Titus, who is in authority? Rome. Was Rome good or bad? Bad. They were corrupt. They were evil. But their wickedness was rampant. They killed people for sport, OK? So we look at this and we go, well, our aren't principalities. They're bad. They're not as bad as Rome. Just saying, they're not. They're getting there, but they're not. And so if Paul says this to Titus to say, hey, remind your people to subordinate themselves under the authority that God has placed them, that includes people that we may not like their positions. Go to Romans chapter 13. We're coming back to Titus 2, but Romans chapter 13 is a great passage. And it talks about the same idea. When we talk about their position, it deals with their position. Principalities, their position, we are to respect. We are to honor. We are to obey. And we are to pray. That is what God really calls us to do with those that have the rule over us. Romans 13 verses 1 and 2 are very, very clear. Look what it says. Let every soul be subject under the higher powers. Look what it says. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. So who's over there, for resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. Do you see what he's saying here? The authority that God has placed over you was placed by all mighty God. And when you say, well, I don't want to obey them, I don't want to do what they say. I don't like their position. You know what you are saying? God, you are not right. And that's a dangerous place to be. God has placed our president in his position. And we are to respect. We are to honor. We are to obey. And we are to pray for them. That is what God calls us to do. So as we see our passage here in Titus chapter 3, verse number 1, put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers. The power deals more with their rules. What they set up. I don't like sometimes the speed limit. Anybody else with me? Sometimes the speed limits make no sense. I'm driving on the highway. Why on earth is this 40 miles an hour? It makes no sense. But guess what I am to do? Obey it. Oh. Pastor, you're getting awful, nitty gritty. And this is only the first part of your message. Yeah. It deals with their rules. We are to obey. Look again at Romans chapter 13. I should have told you to stay there. For Romans 13, verses 3 through 7. So he says, hey, be subject under the higher powers. For they come from God. That's what he said in verses 1 and 2. And verses 3 through 7, he continues his thought. And he talks about these rulers and their position. Look what he says, for rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Pause. Time out. What happened to Paul? Was he persecuted? For doing worse, right? Yeah. Well, wait, weren't they a terror to you? They were. I think Paul had a different perspective than we have. Look what he says here. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Will thou then be afraid of the power? Do thou which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same? For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But thou do thou which is evil. Be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. Right? For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore, he must means be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake, for this cause pay ye tribute also. For they are God's minister, so tending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to hold their dues, tributum tributus do, custom to whom custom. Fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Remember Titus, Paul, they were under the authority of a foreign government. And he says pay your dues, pay your taxes, pay what is it, what is it, why? Fear conscious. Did you catch that? Fear conscious. Not just so you don't fear wrath, but so you can be right before God. Now, when we have children, sometimes they need to learn the wrath of the parent, right? They need to learn that, hey, you make a mistake. There's going to be consequences. You do something that is wrong. There's going to be consequences, why? If I drive 100 miles an hour down the freeway and a policeman, not a cop, a policeman, pulls me over, guess what happens? I will have consequences, right? If I'm not obeying the laws of the road, there will be consequences. If I say, hey, government, I don't feel like paying my taxes. There will be consequences, right? Hey, I don't feel like doing this, but I don't really like what you're doing. There's going to be consequences. But let's continue on here, because there is something we need to understand. It is super simple. God is very clear in his word that we are to obey those that have the rule over us. Look at verse number one again of Titus chapter three. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates. You're going to measure it as somebody that has authority over you. Once again, it's continuing this same thought. This is a super simple truth that you and I are called to obey those that have authority over us, right? Get it? It's not just for children, it's for us too. Go to Acts 4. Acts 4 will eventually keep moving here. So I may have to read some verses without us turning, because I'm looking at the time, and I've only got 20 minutes. And I'm not being done with letter A yet. So we'll keep moving. So if you need to write down the verses, because we've got a lot of verses this morning, I will try my best to get us to turn to a lot of them, but we may move a little faster coming up here in a bit. So Acts chapter four, verse number 13 through 20. This is a powerful example that we are to obey those that have the rule over us, unless it violates a direct command of God. Acts chapter four, verses 13 through 20. Look what it says. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. Remember what happened? Peter and John had healed that lame man outside the temple. Look what it says, and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man, which was healed, standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, what shall we do to these men? For then indeed, a notable miracle has been done by them. It's manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But that is spread, be spread no further among the people, then a straightly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in the same. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right on the side of God to harken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things if we have seen and heard. God commanded them to go out, right? Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20. He told them to go out. They are doing that. They said, you cannot speak in Jesus' name anymore. And they said, well, guess what we're gonna do? We're an obey God rather than you. This is not saying that you can disobey the authorities just because you want to. This is in when it directly violates God's word. There's gonna come a point in America that we're gonna have to obey God rather than man. And guess what? It may be sooner rather than later. And we've got to understand that we are to stand very firmly on what God has said. You don't have to be jerks, but you also have to stand. And having done all the stands, which is very, very clear. Let's go back to Titus chapter three. Verse number one again. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. Simply do what God expects. Do what God expects. As we look at Titus chapter three, he begins to now mention some things that we are to do. Look what it says first. To speak evil of no man. Speak evil. You know what this includes? Uh oh, who said it? Bonnie said it. She called it gossip. It includes the topic of gossip. Let me read you some verses. You don't have to go there, just write these down. These are really good. Proverbs 26 verse number 20. Proverbs 26, 20, says this. Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out. So where there is no tail bearer, a person who gossiped the strife. See that, see that, see that. If I can say that word, it stops, okay? There we go. Where no wood is, there the fire go out. Hey, if there is no wood, there won't be any fire. If there is no gossiper, the strife, the bunning of heads, will stop. Okay, we're not done yet. Proverbs 18 verse number eight. Proverbs 18 verse number eight. And these are just a few of the verses I could have had a lot longer list here. The words of a tail bearer are as wounds. And they go down into the utter innermost parts of the belly. You're even gossiped about, guess what? It hurts. It hurts in a very real way. Titus is very clear. We are to speak evil of no man. That includes a nasty, hissing word, gossip. James 126 says this, James 126. If any man among you seem to be religious. Religious, man, I cannot talk this morning. And bridal is not his tongue, but to see with his own heart, this man's religion is vain. If you can't control your tongue, James says, your religion is empty. It is worthless. Uh-oh. Speak evil of no man. That includes a nasty, nasty thing of gossip. Look what he says next in verse number two, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers. You know what that means? That a brawler is someone who seeks a fight or an argument. You're a met someone or known somebody that does that, that it seems like every word out of their mouth, they're trying to argue with you. Or they're trying to seek a fight, trying to ruffle your feathers. Titus says, hey, you are not to be a brawler. Look what he says next, but gentle, gentle. I think we know what that word means, right? Gentle, to show meekness is the next one here, showing all meekness unto all men. You know meekness is a great kind of definition for this, is strength under control. So the Bible actually talks about Moses being a meek man. Moses was not a weak dude. To lead a million people through the wilderness or two million or three million or whatever it was at that point, you had to be a guy that's pretty strong in your authority. But you know what the Bible calls him, a meek man. There were times probably Moses wanted to kill somebody, right? And he did once, but that's the second point. There were times, no doubt, when they started to complain about God's goodness and he's like, are you kidding me? But he kept his strength under control. Now of course he fell, right? He stroked the rock and said a smoke the rock and said a speaking to it. But for most of his ministry, he really had that strength under control. He was showing meekness to all men. So point number two, we finish point number one, proper conduct, okay? We subject principalities and powers to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, all those different things we've already mentioned. Point number two, proper Christianity. What does God expect us? How does he expect us to live? First of all, I want you to understand that we need to remember our past, okay, our past remembered. This is a good thing for us to do. The apostle Paul numerous times throughout as he writes the different epistles, he will say I am the chief of sinners, right? He'll say, hey, I persecuted the church. I did all these things. He remembered his past, why? Because when we remember our past, remember the greatness of God's grace and his mercy. So let's look at our past remembered, Titus chapter three, verse number three. So he lists all these things. He said, hey, put them in mind to do all these different things and to live this kind of life. And then verse number three, he says this. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. That was our past. Foolish, the first word that we see mentioned in this list of things that was us in our past. Foolish carries this idea to be ignorant, to be sensual or unwise. If you look at your life before you need Jesus Christ and oftentimes your life after you've known Jesus Christ, we make foolish decisions. We are ignorant of God's work. We are sensual. We are unwise people. Look what he says next in this list, for you are sometimes foolish, disobedient. The person we need to understand that we were disobedient to the law. James two 10 says this, James two, verse number 10. And you don't have to go there. We're gonna look at a lot of verses here. And we're gonna get to someone that I want you guys to really turn to. But it says this, for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offended one point, he is guilty of all. All of us are law breakers. And we do it on a regular basis. Not just the world out there, but us in here. We do it. We do it all the time. We are disobedient to the law. To get kind of closer to home, we have some teenagers and some younger people in here, disobedient to parents. Yeah, Ephesians six verse number one says children, obey your parents and the Lord for this is right. Probably one of the most clear verses in all the scripture. That we are to obey our parents and the Lord. Why? Because it's the right thing to do. So if Travis says Michael, you're what I need you to do. I need you to stand on your head and I need you to drink purple cooling. Guess what Michael should say? Yes, sir. And he drinks the purple cooling. That is what God calls him to do. He is to obey his parents regardless of how ridiculous it may seem. That is the truth. Why? Because it's right. Well, that it doesn't make any sense. That does not matter scripturally. We're also disobedient to civil authority. We already mentioned the speed limit. Oh snap, we already know that one. We're disobedient to God. God tells us to do something. What do we do? We do the opposite. We can list the whole massive list of sins that we do this on a regular basis. Look at verse number three again, disobedient. What's the next word? Deceived. Who would deceive us? The devil, right? John 844, year of your father, the devil, and the lust of your father, you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and a bow not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own for he is a liar and the father of it. He wants to deceive you. And he has deceived the world to think that they're okay. That is their body, their choice. They can live however they want. Who is that Christian to tell you what to do? But they are deceived by the devil. People are deceived by false teachers, aren't they? People that claim to be speaking for God. They can't remember where it's found in scripture, but there's one part where it talks about the prophets where they say, "Thus saith the Lord," but then it says, "But the Lord hath not spoken." They say, "Hey, this is what God has said, but that is not at all what he said." I think the greatest deceit that we often face is simply ourselves. Go here to Jeremiah 17, verse number nine. Jeremiah 17, verse number nine. This is a great, great verse because it helps us to understand what our heart really is. Who am I really at my core? Jeremiah 17, nine, it says this, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it." So the little cricket that says, "Follow your heart." Don't listen to him. I know it's a long time ago for all our younger people. When the cricket said, "Follow your heart." He was wrong. Your heart will deceive you. But I'm just following my heart pastor. That is wrong and it is wicked. Paul said, "Hey, I know that in me that is in my flesh will have no good things." That's the truth for us too. Look at what we used to serve. So we'll also go to verse again. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures. Diverse, meaning many of many different kind. Diverse lusts, the passions. The world really lives for that, don't they? They live for whatever satisfies their itch in this moment. Diverse lusts, the Christians, oh boy, we can do the same. But I want to do this so what? Diverse pleasures, our propensities. What we are inclined to do, the sin that does so easily beset us. That is what we live for on a regular basis if we're not careful. But what it says, living in malice. Malice is just a broad term for all kinds of evil. It's a broad brush. Envy, oh man, this one's tough. This is displeasure at the happiness and prosperity of others. You see someone else, they got a brand new car. And you're like, man, I wish I had that. They got a brand new haircut. Wow, I wish I could pull that off. They have more hair than you. Man, no, that's only me. Okay, that's me, maybe Adam, we're wearing this together. Just a few other guys I won't mention. But we have that displeasure at the happiness and prosperity of others. Man, they're doing well. And I don't like it, why? 'Cause it's not me. So the next one, hateful. Oh boy. And this is hateful and hating one another. This is having ill will in the heart. Sound deep inside and you go, man, I wish that person to fall on the stairs. That's mean, I know I shouldn't have said that. Having ill will in the heart. You never say it out loud, but it's down deep inside. Man, that's mean, isn't it? So far, man, these verses, they're rough, aren't they? But look at the next one, look at the next one. So we had first, our past remembered. Now, let's look at our precious redemption. What did God do for us? Titus three, verse number four. But after that, the kindness and love of God, our Savior toward man appeared. Isn't that a cool verse? Verse number four. After that, the kindness and love of God and our Savior toward man appeared. You used to live like this, but God showed his love toward you in giving his son. That is a tremendous reminder because in my flesh, I'm a wicked vile person, but man, am I so grateful for the kindness and love of my God. I didn't deserve it. I didn't need, I didn't earn it somehow. I needed it, but I didn't earn it. Look at Titus three, five, and six. And then he continues on with this same thought from verse number four. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. I want you to understand that God's mercy was not originated in us. We didn't somehow all of a sudden deserve it and God gave it to us. That is not the truth. And for all of us who know Christ as our Savior, we have to be reminded of this truth because this is how I can now forgive others and show others the mercy that God has given to me. We've got to be reminded of what God really did for us because sometimes we lose track of it. I look at others and they may do me wrong and I don't want to forgive. Wait a minute, God forgave completely didn't he? God said, hey, I'm going to forgive you and I'm going to choose to remember it no more. I'm removing it as far as the east is from the west. It's never coming up again. That's how God forgives, but that's not how I forgave. This mercy that God offers to us was not originated in us. We see that very clearly in verse number five. But what was it, but according to his mercy, God not giving us that which we deserve. But according to his mercy, he saved us. By the washing of regeneration, this speaks of rebirth from John chapter three when Jesus talked to Nicodemus. Hey, you've got to be reborn. You've got to have this new birth in Nicodemus. It's like one on earth. What are you talking about? And Jesus, of course, explains it and we get the great verse of John 3, 16 right there in that passage. This is the washing of regeneration. Look what it says next. The renewing of the Holy Ghost. I want to make this very clear to us this morning and this is kind of where we're going to spend a little bit of time because I want us to understand this. Don't underestimate the Holy Spirit's work in your life. Sometimes there are certain segments of churches in America that cause us to kind of not talk about certain attributes of God. You think of the Pentecostals, they kind of have like the Holy Spirit sealed off to them. No, that's not the truth. So let's talk about what the Holy Spirit really does. Let's just pause for a moment. Let's talk about them because it's very clearly mentioned in here the renewing of the Holy Ghost. The first thing I want you to understand about the Holy Spirit is that he seals you. Ephesians 4 verse number 30. I want you to go there. These are great verses. And well, it's already noon. We all knew we weren't going to get out of noon, okay? When was the last time I let you out of noon? Never, okay? Ephesians 4 verse number 30. Let's look at this verse. This is a great, great verse. And one day I'll preach a full message on Ephesians 4, or a full series because it's really, really good. But Ephesians 4 verse number 30. I want you to look at this. It says this. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. The Holy Spirit is the one that seals you. That means it's not about me keeping up with what God expects for me to keep my salvation. No, the Holy Spirit has sealed me. Meaning I mess up all the time. Anybody else with me? You mess up with me? Okay, we're good, right? We sinned, we fall short. Aren't you glad that it's not like all of a sudden you sinned and you're like mad at that guy that cuts you off and all of a sudden they didn't just cut you off, they ran into you and now you're running into the guard rail and you're dead and all of a sudden you're in hell? That's not the life I want to live. And I am so glad that the Word of God is very clear that once you are saved, you are saved. That is the truth. Don't believe me, look at John 10, 28, and 29. Great verses, Jesus could not be more clear that you are secure in your salvation. And that happens, why? Because of the Holy Spirit. There's another passage that talks about how the Holy Spirit is our earnest. Okay, sure that means he is the down payment. Meaning basically to prove that I've actually paid the price, I'm gonna give you the Holy Spirit. So that way then everybody knows that you are mine. That is what the Holy Spirit does, but that is not the end of what he does. He doesn't just seal you. Look at John 16. John 16, verse number 13. Jesus is talking to his disciples. And he actually in John 16 says, hey, it is better for you that I leave you so that another comforter can come. That's what he says. I would love if Jesus was walking around on this earth and I could follow him around and I could talk to him in real life. But Jesus says, to his disciples, it is better for you speaking to his disciples that I leave you. So Holy Spirit can come and look at what he says. Part of his ministry is in John 16, verse number 13. He says that how be it when he, the spirit of truth, speaking of the Holy Spirit is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak and he will show you things to come. You know what that means? The Holy Spirit, one of his ministries is to illuminate the scripture. You know why you can read scripture and you can know what God is saying and the world looks at it and they go, what on earth is this saying? Because the Holy Spirit is illuminating it for you. He is saying, hey, this is what God is saying. Why? Because he is God. Remember, holy men of God's sake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. He is the one that inspired scripture. So when he guides you into all truth, he is illuminating the words that he said. And that's a tremendous, tremendous reminder. Romans eight, verse number 26, this is great. Romans 8, 26. Look at this one. This is a great, great verse. Have you ever prayed and you're like, I don't even know what to say. You're never having to hear. You're praying for somebody and you're like, I don't know what to say. Maybe it's been unspoken. Maybe it's something that you've never experienced in your life and you don't know how to pray for them. That is one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit, where he comes alongside and you don't know how to pray and he interprets it to the Father. Look what he says in Romans eight, 26. Likewise, the Spirit also helped with our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself make an intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. The Holy Spirit goes, hey, how the Father? This is what Dan is trying to say to you. And he interprets it for me. Sometimes we don't have the perspective that God has, right? I don't know the end of the story. God does. And so when I pray, the Holy Spirit takes it before God the Father and goes, hey, this is what he's trying to say or this is what she is trying to say. And he interprets it for us. Sometimes you want to pray and you can't get the words out because you're so overwhelmed with emotion. The Holy Spirit takes that to the Father and says, hey, this is their heart. Aren't you glad that you don't have to have like special words to say to God? That God knows what's really going on. And that is so awesome. Let's go back to our passage in Titus chapter three, verse number six. So I'll read verse number five again because we got it, we got to kind of follow along, right? So five says this, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing with the Holy Ghost. Look what it says in verse number six, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. So that means he gave you more than you needed. Isn't that a powerful thing? That he's not like, all right, I'm gonna give you a little bit. And they should buy you enough time. This should get you just there, just barely there. No, he knows what he does. He just pours the whole thing. He's not like me when I'm trying to pour cereal for the children and I'm like, okay, honey, how much should I give them? 'Cause I like, or scooping ice cream is a better example. When I eat ice cream, I've got this bowl and it's overflowing, and I've got all the toppings and I'm trying to eat it as fast as I can before it melts. There have been times when I'm trying to scoop it for the children and I give them part of what I would give myself. And Aaron goes, that's way too much. Aren't you glad that God doesn't dish you, his mercy, like we dish our children ice cream? But what he does, he just goes, oh, okay, you need some? (mimicking) And it's piling up. We had this place, it was called, what was it called? Oh man, I forgot what it was called. Ah, it was such a great ice cream place. Anyway, there was an ice cream place back in Sandusky, where we used to live. Toss, that's what it was, toss ice cream is a local place. You can go to their shop and get ice cream and you're like, okay, I want a small. So you get like a small bowl and you're like, okay, you know, normal amount of ice cream, right? No, they're like, fill it up. It's like over, it's like everywhere. And I'm like, okay, I'm not like the small lady sometimes, they want like a kid-sized ice cream or whatever. And they're like, all dainty and they're eating it real slow. I want a medium, that's about normal size for me. So I got a medium and it was just like, it was like a quart of ice cream. It was just ridiculous. I still ate as much as I could. I got about three quarters away through and then I went into an ice cream coma. But anyway, that's what I want you to picture. If you've ever been to one of those places where you order something and you're like, this is for $4 and you're giving me that much ice cream, that's what I want you to think of when God sheds on us his mercy abundantly. He's pouring it in and he doesn't stop. He keeps going and he gives you more than you would ever need. Look at verse number seven of our passage, Titus chapter three. Look what it says, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life justified means to be declared righteous. To be declared righteous. Of course, this happens by grace through faith. Ephesians two, eight, nine says, four by grace are you saved through faith. And then not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works of sending man should boast. You are declared righteous by his grace. It's not about what you've done. We've already talked about that. But don't skip out on this last part of this verse that we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Go to Romans chapter eight. And this is the last passage we're gonna look at before we have a brief time of invitation. No, not brief, we'll do as long as we need. Romans chapter eight, verse number 17. You just following along this morning, you guys getting what we're talking about here, God's abundant mercy. He has given us more than we could ever need. But look at what he does. He doesn't just give us mercy. He changes the very fact of our relationship. Romans talks about this in another passage where we were enemies with God before a new crisis our Savior. We were enemies, meaning we were the ones that were actively fighting against him. So we go from enemies to now heirs. And look what Romans eight, Romans eight, verse number 17 says. Look at this, it says, "And if children, "then heirs, heirs of God." Okay, that's a powerful statement, isn't it? That you're an heir of God. But look at what it says next. Join heirs with Christ. If so, be that we suffer with and that we may also be glorified together. Here's the idea that we need to understand. Your relationship has completely radically changed. You have been given all the rights, not just of a citizen, but of a son. So again, going back to Roman times, if you were the son of the emperor, man, you had everything that you could ever want. And that's what we need to understand. That is what God has given to us. We have direct access to him. We have everything that pertains to life and godliness and other passage. You have everything that you need to be successful in your Christian life. Why? Because of what he did for you. You have been made an heir. My parents would always say this to us whenever we go over to someone's house. My dad would always say the same statement. Remember, you're an ugly. That's what he always said. Why? There was a certain behavior that he expected the ugly boys and the ugly children to behave. Hey, remember, you're an ugly. By the way, they had a rule in our house that if you wanted to sit with your friends during church, you sat in front of my mom and dad. Why? They sat right where Darryl's sitting about the third row. You ain't doing nothing in the second or front row about this church, but everybody knowing it. Why? They wanted to make sure that we behaved like an ugly. And if it was important enough for my parents to make that crazy rule that I hated as a child, but I love now as a parent, here's the truth. How much more should I behave? Because I am the son of God. How much more should I live righteous and different from the world? Because I don't just represent the uplies. I represent my savior. How much more church? God has provided his wonderful grace, his abundant mercy, and he expects us to live different because of it. Now, what we need to do is we need to have a time where we examine our hearts this morning. I keep saying tonight, this morning, we need to do business with God. So I encourage you, let's all stand, every head bowed, every eye closed. Nobody looking around, nobody cheating. You know, you're gonna be tempted to look around and be like, who's coming forward? Should I come forward? It doesn't matter who's coming forward. What matters is whether or not you're doing what God has called you to do. We have this altar that is open. Of course, you can pray into business with God at your seat. If you need counsel or you need help, of course, you can come up and talk to me. I'll turn off my microphone so no one knows your business. Guys, let's do business with God this morning. Can we do that? Not just guys, girls as well. Okay, let's do business with God this morning. If he has spoken to your heart, maybe you're not living like an heir. You're not living like a child of God. You are living like a child of the devil like of the world. You need to do business with God tonight and you need to get it right. Scripture's very clear that if we confess our sins, we get faithful and just to forgive us our sins and the cleansers of all our unrighteousness, that is the truth of God's word. You can get it right. And you can live different. I'll pass or I live my entire life this way. And I've never really examined and I've never really made a change. And I've made decisions before and it's never stuck. Well, can I tell you something? Yield yourself the Holy Spirit and God can do the work. Not about you, not about your checklist. But if I do surrendering finally to what God has for you, let's do business with him. Right now. (upbeat music) We hope that message was an encouragement to you. To stay up to date with us, please follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook at LBC's Connect Today. If you would like more information on how heaven can be your home, please visit LighthouseBaptist.org/TheGospel. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)