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Revelation 3:1-6 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (2) Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. (3) Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (4) Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (5) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (6) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

On Sunday, January 11 2015, over 1 million people marched in Paris in protest of the terrorist attacks on the offices of the magazine “Charlie Hebdo”. Many carried signs that said “Je Suis Charlie”, which means “I Am Charlie”. Though I despise what the Muslim extremists did, and though I support the right to free speech for every person (even if I hate the speech), I do not believe that it is appropriate for anyone who professes to be Christian to align themselves with the behavior of a magazine that profited from shock and slander. One French Lawyer named Richard Malka said “We will not give in. The spirit of ‘I am Charlie’ means the right to blaspheme”.

Having a right does not make a thing right. I have the right to free speech – but not to slander another. I have a right to free speech – but not to speak hatefully of another. I have a right to free speech – but to yell “Fire” in a crowded place inciting a riot is not my right. Words matter. Actions matter. God looks at our hearts, and what is in our hearts matters. If we are born again Children of God we should be marked not by signs that say “I Am Charlie” but rather “I Am Christ”.

Tonight we’ll be looking at Christ’s words to an end time Church called “Sardis”. The name “Sardis” literally means “Prince of Joy”. The Church in Sardis – in fact every Church – should have been a place of joy. Joy is the heritage of the Christ Follower. The Bible says that

Galatians 5:22-23 …. the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance ….

Romans 15:13 ^(ESV) May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Proverbs 10:28 ^(NIV) The prospect of the righteous is JOY, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

A Church should be a joyful place filled with joyful people. But Sardis was not joyful. Sardis had a good reputation. But Sardis had stalled – they had a bad heart problem!

1 Sardis Had A Reputation For Being Alive, But The Church Was Dead. Jesus said to them:

Revelation 3:1 … unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

This is highly symbolic, so bear with me. Jesus says that He has “the seven Spirits of God”. This is a reference to the sevenfold manifestation of the Spirit of God. The Prophet Isaiah foresaw the First Advent of Jesus Christ, and wrote of Him:

Isaiah 11:1-2 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

The “Seven Spirits of God” is the Spirit of the LORD (the Great I AM), the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel, the Spirit of Might, the Spirit of Knowledge, and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord. Jesus Christ had the Fullness of the Spirit, and His people should likewise have the Fullness of the Spirit. There is Life in Christ, and there should be Life in those who love Christ. Jesus said:

John 10:10 …. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it MORE ABUNDANTLY.

I preached this one time and I had an old Fundamentalist come up to me. He asked, “What do you mean that we are to have ABUNDANT LIFE”? I guess he thought I was getting too Pentacostal. I did what Jesus always did, I answered his question with a question. I asked “What do you think JESUS meant when He said that He came to give us ABUNDANT LIFE?” To my knowledge, that old Fundamentalist never answered my questioned, but wandered off to afflict someone else.

The rest of the world is just existing. The Christian is to LIVE! God has given us life so we can live. He has given us light so that we can SHINE!

A Sunday School teacher was showing her young students what she had learned as a child. She took her hands and, folding them, said:

“Here is the Church, and Here is the Steeple.

Open the doors, and There’s all the people!

As she was doing this she suddenly realized she made a terrible error in judgment. One of her students was a little boy who had been born with no left hand. The other children were making their little Churches with their little hands, but this boy sat there, red faced and embarrassed. Before the teacher could say anything one of the other children scooted over where he was, saying “Here, let me help.” Putting out her hand she joined hands with the little boy, and TOGETHER they made the Church.

A Church is not one person, nor one building. A Church is a body of believers, a family, The Family of God working together, living together, being Light together in this dark world.

2 Sardis Was Dead Because It Started Much, But Finished Little. The Lord said:

Revelation 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works PERFECT BEFORE GOD.

Circle the word “PERFECT” in your text. This is the Greek  πληρόω PLEROO (play-roh’-o), which means “Complete, Finished”.

The Church at Sardis STARTED a lot of things but it never FINISHED what it started. Jesus said “I’ve examined what you’ve done, but these works that you’ve done you have not finished. These works are BEFORE GOD. God sees them – and you have left them hanging.”

There is no prize for starting well, but for finishing well. Israel started well when they came out of Egypt. They did as God told them to do. They put the Blood of the Lamb that was slain on the door posts of their houses. Because the Blood was on the homes the Destroyer could not come in the house (Exodus 12:23), and Israel was released. They crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land. They should have inherited the Land, but did not. Why? They did not finish well.

Even Moses, great man that he was and is. He was the most humble of all men. God blessed Moses with a great ministry, and Moses should have went into the Promised Land, but did not. Why? Because Moses took the glory from God. Rather than speak to the Rock he smote the Rock, saying …

Numbers 20:10 …. Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

God told Moses and Aaron:

Numbers 20:12 …. Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

You ran a great race, but did not finish well. When you run a race, you run it for the judges. You seek to impress the judges, not the audience. You run for the prize that the Judge will award. Dear Christian, we are to run for the Audience of One. Run so that He is pleased. Run so that He – seeing us – is magnified. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

You are running a race for God. You were left on this earth to shine for Him, so that others might see Christ in us. Run! Run the race and keep on running. Keep running, though the race seems hard. Run though it may seem as if the Devil and Darkness might be winning. Run and keep on running. The Scripture tells us:

Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

People are watching. God is watching. The angels are watching. There are so many Churches and so many Christians today that look good on the outside, but they are dead for they are not running the race for Jesus. I’ve seen a lot of STARTERS in my ministry as a Pastor, but many are not FINISHERS. Sadly this is true even of those in full time ministry. Do you know that only 1 in 10 Pastors run the race until the day Jesus calls them home? Trained and ordained, they quit too soon. If you have life keep on running, keep on going, keep on doing for Jesus. There will come a day when your body can lay down and quit, and that is the day that you are DEAD INDEED and put in a casket. Run until Jesus calls you home!

Jesus Christ kept running His Race even though their pinned His Hands and Feet to the Cross. He kept running His Race though they jammed vinegar in His mouth to quench His thirst. He kept running His Race though they mocked and spit on Him. Why? Why? IT WAS FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM! God wins. Grace saves. The Family is born. Jesus walks out of that Tomb, and so do we who are His!

Finish what you start. YOUR FAITH IS YOUR FAITH. Live it! God is watching how we do. We must never be Sardis. There will be a harvest if we continue to follow Him in the race.

John Egglen had never preached a sermon in his life. Never! A member of a small Church in Colchester, England, it never occurred to this poor man to preach. He loved the Lord, loved His Church, and ever Sunday walked six miles to Church because this was what God called him to do. One Sunday morning he woke up and there was several feet of snow on the ground. At first John thought about staying home – after all, they would probably cancel Church anyway. But he reconsidered. As a Deacon in the Church he had a responsibility to be a good example. So John dressed warm and walked the six miles to Church. When he got to Church there was only thirteen people there counting him. Even the Pastor stayed home that day. Twelve members, and a thirteen year old boy who was a visitor was all that was there. Someone said, “Why don’t we just go home?” John was the only Deacon there. He saw the visitor, and thought “I’ve just got to share the Gospel!” So he stood up read from …

Isaiah 45:21-22 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

John didn’t know how to preach, and so what he said lasted only about ten minutes. But as he spoke and spread the wings of his faith the Holy Spirit became the wind beneath his wings. He lifted his eyes and looked at the thirteen year old boy, challenging him. “Young man, look unto Jesus. Look! Look! Look at Him and Him alone”. That young man would be saved through this preaching, and would later preach what this man preached to him in one of his own sermons:

“It was about twenty-six years ago,—twenty-six years exactly last Thursday,—that I looked unto the Lord, and found salvation, through this text. You have often heard me tell how I had been wandering about, seeking rest, and finding none, till a plain, unlettered, lay preacher … stood up in the pulpit, and gave out this passage as his text: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” … I remember how he said, “It is Christ that speaks. ‘I am in the garden in an agony, pouring out my soul unto death; I am on the tree, dying for sinners; look unto me! Look unto me!’ That is all you have to do. A child can look. One who is almost an idiot can look. However weak, or however poor, a man may be, he can look; and if he looks, the promise is that he shall live.” Then, stopping, he pointed to where I was sitting under the gallery, and he said, “That young man there looks very miserable.” I expect I did, for that is how I felt. Then he said, “There is no hope for you, young man, or any chance of getting rid of your sin, but by looking to Jesus;” and he shouted …. “Look! Look, young man! Look now!” And I did look; and when they sang a hallelujah before they went home, in their own earnest way, I am sure I joined in it. It happened to be a day when the snow was lying deep and more was falling; so, as I went home, those words of David kept ringing through my heart, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow;” and it seemed as if all nature was in accord with that blessed deliverance from sin which I had found in a single moment by looking to Jesus Christ.”

The young man that was saved was C.H. Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers. Because John was faithful to the finish THOUSANDS were saved. God will not bless that which is started – however fervently – but not finished. We serve a Risen Savior, and we are called to serve Him until the day He calls us home. Jesus said to Sardis – and to every Christian

Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

What God gives us – what we have received and heard – we are to hold fast, to keep on doing. We are not called to be half hearted but whole hearted in serving our Lord. Jesus said “I will come on thee as a Thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee”. The Procrastinator says “Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow”. Jesus says, “Tomorrow might not come. The finish line can be any day, any moment, any second.” Jesus can call us home anytime. Run the race until the Master says “Well done, My Child …welcome home!”

3 Those Who Start Out Like Gang Busters But Quit MAY NOT Be Saved. Jesus closes His letter to Sardis with these words:

Revelation 3:4-5 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (5) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Some have incorrectly taken the Biblical Doctrine of “Once Saved Always Saved” to be a covering for sin. Actually, I don’t like “Once Saved Always Saved”, but prefer “Perseverance of the Saints”. If you’re born again, God has changed you and will keep on changing you until the day you have the ultimate change in Heaven. “Perseverance of the Saints” or “Eternal Security” is not a cloak by which we sin with impunity. Those who are saved are in the Family of God. Those who are saved keep on living for God. Jesus says “there are a few in Sardis who have not soiled their garments – they shall walk with Me in white”. A saved person may sin, but a saved person does not live in sin. A saved person who sins is convicted of sin by the Spirit that indwells them, and that saved person confesses their sin to God:

1 John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Lord says to His people “he that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment, and I WILL NOT BLOT OUT HIS NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE”. Those who run the race for Jesus – loving Him – will overcome. They will keep on keeping on. Those who do not may not be saved.

Finish well.

The first Missionary from America overseas was a young man named Adoniram Judson. He was a brilliant young man. The son of a Pastor, he learned to read in one week at his mother’s knee when he was only three years old. He entered college when he was only 16 years old, and graduated at the top of his class just three years later. Judson’s parents thought that he was a Christian, and he knew the words and the ways. But he just never gave his heart to Christ. When he was in college he met a man named Jacob Eames, and fully turned from God. Judson said that he lived “a reckless, vagabond life, finding lodgings when he could, and bilking the landlord where he found opportunity”. Eames went his way and Judson his, with neither living for the Lord.

One night Judson took a room in a small village inn. The innkeeper told him “I apologize, but in the next room there’s a man critically ill. He may keep you awake tonight, but I have no other rooms.” All night long Judson heard people coming and going, and the horrible moans and cries of the man in the room next door. Judson began to think about his own life and how it might be if he ended in such a state. Early in the morning the moans ceased. When Judson got ready to leave he asked the innkeeper, “Is that man better? The moans stopped during the night.” The innkeeper said “He is dead”. Judson asked, “Do you know who he was?” The innkeeper replied, “Oh yes. He was a young man from the college in Providence. His name was EAMES, JACOB EAMES.”

The man that led Judson from Christ died a terrible death. It wasn’t long after that that Adoniram Judson gave his life to Christ. He met and married Ann Hasseltine, and he and his wife ended up as missionaries to Burma. They both ran their race in Burma, dying for the Lord in that country, leading many to Christ.

As Pastor John Piper said, “God does not call us to ease, but to faithful joy”. Run the race. Never give up. Trust the Lord, for He runs with us. Finish what you start for HIM.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Sometimes I wake up with a song in my head. Most times it’s a hymn, but the other day I woke up with an old song from my generation (the Baby Boomers). It was written by two men, England Dan and John Coley and is called “Love Is The Answer”. It’s a beautiful song. Listen to the lyrics:

Name your price
A ticket to paradise
I can’t stay here any more
And I’ve looked high and low
I’ve been from shore, to shore, to shore
If there’s a short cut I’d have found it
There is no easy way around it
Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all, Set us free
Love is the answer

When I first heard the song I thought “These people are singing about Jesus”. Jesus Christ said:

John 8:12 …. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

But when I listened to the song further I realized they weren’t talking of Christ. They sang:

Who knows why
Someday we all must die
We’re all homeless boys and girls
And we’re never heard
It’s such a lonely, lonely world
People turn their heads
And walk on by
Tell me is it worth just another try …

They were singing of love not seated in Christ but divorced from Christ. They were – like so many in this world today – elevating love as an EMOTION without reason and without basis. Two people come together and they say “Well, at least they found love”. Did they?

If God is not in the midst of it, it is not love. God is Love. God defines what love is.

God shows us love in what He did for us on the Cross. Love is not self serving and self seeking, but reaches out to lift up others even at the expense of ourselves.

Question: What Are The Characteristics Of Godly Love? ______________________________

Paul addresses this as he speaks to the Church at Philippi. This Church was a strong, mostly united Church. The Apostle writes:

Verse 8 is partially obscured by the Old English of the King James. What Paul told the Church was “God is my Witness how deeply I miss you all with the affection of Christ Jesus”. The Love that Paul had for the Church was based on the affection of Christ Jesus.

Love is the Answer, and Love has a Face and a Voice – and it is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Love that the world – and we need – is to “abound more and more in KNOWLEDGE and in all JUDGEMENT or DISCERNMENT”. What is “Godly Love”?

Answer: Godly Love Is Marked By Both Knowledge As Well As Good Discernment. The Apostle prayed that “your love would abound (grow) in KNOWLEDGE and all JUDGMENT. Genuine Godly love is a thinking love. It is not rooted in confusion, but in God.

John 3:16 is a wonderful Bible text that promotes the Gospel, but one of my favorite Bible verses that helps me both as a believer and as a Pastor is found in:

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is NOT the author of confusion, but OF PEACE, as in ALL churches of the saints.

I love that verse because it has cleared up so many things in my life. God is not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace. When the Apostle wrote this it was to a Church that was proud of it’s use of spiritual gifts. Paul told the Corinthians …

1 Corinthians 14:12 …. forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may EXCEL TO THE EDIFYING OF THE CHURCH.

1 Corinthians 14:26 …. How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

You can have spiritual gifts. You can do great things. But if LOVE – Godly Love – is not in the mix then God is not in it. God is NOT the Author of confusion – but of PEACE. When someone says something to confuse me I ask them to repeat the statement. If they still confuse me GOD IS NOT IN IT. Genuine Godly love edifies – it builds up – it blesses. It thinks.

Pastor Ray Stedman said  “Love acts like hate when it refuses to think”. A good thing becomes a bad thing when it does not LIFT UP to God. A good thing becomes a bad thing when it does not glorify the Master. Paul prayed for the Church that their love would grow in knowledge and discernment – that it would be SPIRIT driven and SCRIPTURE based.

After Paul expresses his heart’s desire for the Church he writes:

An ABOUNDING, EDIFYING, THINKING GOD SENT LOVE has four things true of it:

1. It “approves things that are excellent”. It magnifies things that matter most, and does not waste itself on trivia. It is not side tracked by minutia or the mundane but focuses on “What has God said”.

   Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
   

2. It is “sincere and without offense”. The phrase “without offense” is ἀπρόσκοπος aproskopos (ap-ros’-kop-os) meaning “not leading into sin”. Genuine love will lead people TOWARD God not AWAY from God. The congregation at Rome began to fight among themselves over MEAT and what was right to eat. The Apostle told them:

   Romans 14:13-21 (KJV)13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
   

3. The Love that God wants in His Church is “filled with the fruits of righteousness” means to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. It is Spirit driven.

   Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

   There is a difference between LUST and LOVE. LUST is motivated by the desire to lift up SELF. LOVE is motivated by the desire to lift up GOD and our FELLOW MAN.
   

4. The Love that God desires of us will always bring “glory and praise unto God”. We were made to give praise to Him, to honor Him, to love Him.

   Psalms 104:1-2 (ESV2011) Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, 2 covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.

   Psalms 86:12 (ESV2011) I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

   Love is the answer, but that love must come from and magnify God. I have a dear friend I lost touch with over the years, but I will never forget him. His name was Ron Golder. Ron loved the Lord. He and I used to study the Bible together for hours at a time. Ron taught me Biblical Greek and mentored a young Christian boy into manhood. He made a difference in my life.

   Whose life are you making a difference in? Who are you blessing, building up, edifying? If you belong to Jesus Christ, then you are called to be discipled and to make disciples. Let’s make a difference for Him!

   May God touch your hearts with His Word.

1 Corinthians 1:10 ^(KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

As we look at God’s Word, may His Spirit guide us into understanding what it means to “speak the same thing” as Christians.

1 God’s Power Is Released In A Church Where “All Speak The Same Thing”.

a God Spoke the Creation Into Being. The Bible tells us that:

Psalms 33:6-9 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Fallen man uses his tongue to curse God and to mock Him. God, however, used His Tongue to give us life.

God created the Heavens and the earth. We live in the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way is just one of many Billions of Galaxies. This Galaxy alone is around 120,000 light years in diameter. Our own Solar System is 27,000 light years from the center of the Milky Way. On November 4, 2013 NBC News reported that:

“Astronomers using NASA data have calculated for the first time that in our galaxy alone, there are at least 8.8 billion stars with Earth-size planets in the habitable temperature zone. The study was published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For perspective, that’s more Earth-like planets than there are people on Earth.”

Scientists don’t have a clue as to how many stars there are — but God knows how many there are because He made them all. He spoke them into existence, and gives them names. Scientists don’t know how many planets there are out there in the vastness of space …. but God does because He made it.

2 God Spoke Creation Into Being – But Only On THIS Planet Did God Plant His Image. The Book of Genesis tells us that the first words God spoke were:

Genesis 1:3 “Let there be light” and there was light.

As God created He made things GOOD. He pronounced everything He made GOOD. But on the sixth day the Bible tells us that:

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

It was only after God created man that He said VERY GOOD! Man was made in the image of God. Man is made in the image of God. God made us to walk and talk with Him.

• He didn’t give us tongues to curse Him – nor one another.

• He didn’t give us tongues so we can argue about the mundane or the temporal.

• He gave us tongues so that we can Praise Him.

• He gave us tongues so we can Share Him and his Love.

• He gave us tongues so we can be like Him.

We and others are SAVED or DAMNED by the use of our tongues. The Bible tells us that:

Romans 10:9-13 ^(HCSB) If you confess with your MOUTH, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and ONE CONFESSES WITH THE MOUTH, RESULTING IN SALVATION. 11 Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, 12 for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Every person is made in the image of God, and every person needs God because of that. A life without Christ is not life at all. People need the Lord. Speak the same thing. Tell others of Christ. Let your words be Godlike, Christlike. The Apostle tells us:

Colossians 3:14-17 …. And above all …. put on LOVE, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Speak Grace, speak love, speak Christ. Praise Him!

3 Speak As A Servant Of Christ. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 1:10 ^(KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing ….

If you are a Christian, then Christ is your Lord. You live for Him. You speak “in His name”. You speak as a steward, knowing that one day you will give an account of your words.

Matthew 12:33-37 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

When I lived in North Carolina we heated our house by propane. I hated that, because it cost nearly a thousand dollars to fill that tank! One winter the heat came on, but was blowing cold air. I went out and checked the tank. Sure enough, I had let the tank run out. You can’t see propane … you can smell it because of what they put in it …. but you can’t see it. But you can see how much is in the tank by the GAGE on that tank! I had a tank, but it was empty. I had a tank, but there was no propane in it.

If you belong to God – if you are saved by His Word – then His Word effects your WORDS. What you say changes. If you are a sweet water well, when you speak sweet water comes out of your bucket. What’s in the bucket comes up from the well. If the well is filled with dirty water, that’s what will come out of your mouth. We all shall give an account to God on judgment day for our words. We shall either RUN from a Great White Throne, or RUN TO the Judgment Seat of Christ. Either way, there will be an accounting.

The World Hears What God’s Church Says. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 1:10 ^(KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Note that he says that as Christians we are to be perfectly joined together in the SAME mind and in the SAME judgment. God’s standard for His Church is to be in ONE accord. Why is this so important? Because he goes on to say to the Corinthians ….

1 Corinthians 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Back when the Church was first started no one met in big buildings like we have the freedom to do in America. No, people met in HOUSES. For instance, Paul commends Priscilla and Aquila – a Christian married couple in Romans 16 who had a Gentile Church in their home. (see Romans 16:3-5).

In the early Church you didn’t meet in a big building with the word “Church” on the front door for the same reason that Lobsters … if they had a choice …. wouldn’t meet in them little aquariums that you find them in at fine restaurants.

People met in homes. Paul tells the Corinthian Church “I’ve heard you’re fighting from the Church in Chloe’s house!” A Church gains a reputation based on the word of its members. And Beloved, PEOPLE WILL NOT BE SAVED AT FIGHTING CHURCHES! Where are people saved?

Where the love of Christ rules both body and tongue. Where people keep the commandment of our Lord, which is:

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Troublemakers were actually barred from early Churches. The Bible commands:

Romans 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

If you have been loved by Christ … love. Love as He loved. Love one another. Speak the same thing. Be of the same mind. Be like Christ. May God touch your hearts with His Word.

So beautiful! Praise God.

Proverbs 22:5-6 (KJV) Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. 6 TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 

Today is my day off, and I always enjoy my day off. It’s a time to take my wife out and spend time with her, loving her, focusing on her needs. We started by going to David Crockett Park in Lawrence County and hiked the trails. Afterward we ate a great buffet overlooking the Park Lake. What a wonderful day with a wonderful woman. I love my wife Sherry.

“Let’s go to the Lawrenceburg Goodwill Store”, I said. We always like that because we both love bargains. Well exercised and well nourished, we head toward the Goodwill. But as soon as we get in the store we realize something is amiss. You know how it is in the movies, the horror shows, when you hear something sinister before you see the Vampire or the Zombie? We heard something in the Goodwill that caused the hair to stand up on our necks.

It. Was. Loud.

It. Was. Obnoxious.

It. Was. Unrelenting.

It. Was. Annoying.

What was “it”? We turned the corner and saw a three year old child screaming – over and over again – at the top of his lungs. AH! AH! AH! AH! AH! 

And there we saw Real Live Monsters in the Goodwill.

No, I’m NOT talking about the child. Children are not to raise themselves. Children are to be raised by PARENTS. The Bible says “Train UP a child in the way he should go”. The Child does not train himself. He doesn’t know how to go UP. The parent is to train the child UP. And, dear friends, those who will not train their children are indeed Real Live Monsters. Rather than take this screaming Child out of the store the two Monsters with him smiled, gooed, and ignored the Child as they pushed him – like a portable airhorn – all throughout the store. He was loud. He was obnoxious. Everywhere he went people ran away – like the people you see running away from Godzilla in the old “B” movies – while monstrous parents smiled and giggled at his (so they thought) cute antics.

Parents, I’m going to be very plain with you. God commands you to train UP your child. You made the baby – you train the baby. That’s how it works. Teach them what is right NOW so the police won’t have to drag them off to jail LATER.Teach them what is right NOW so that I as a Pastor won’t have to visit them in prison LATER. Tell them what is right and wrong. Draw a line and say “Do not cross this, or discipline will follow. Then DO what you say.

A three year old child can understand right from wrong. How do I know? Because I raised three children myself. None of my children are in prison, and all have given their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. Standards were set when the children were young, and now they are old they live according to the standards. My children could be taken to the finest restaurant in town at two years old, and would sit quietly, eat, and listen. Two years old. People used to come up and say “Pastor, you have exceptionally good children”. No I don’t. I love my kids, but they did foolish things. But I and my wife drew a line and said “This far and no farther”. If they went farther they knew that discipline was sure and swift. And my children behaved. 

Oh, they tested me. I told them to turn off their video game one day and get ready for Church. They sassed me – and I unplugged the video game. They plugged it back in, and I cut the plug … along with the line …. off of the game. A month later I repaired it. They learned. 

Parents, YOU must set the standard. You do not love your child if you don’t draw the line and set the standard. If they are taught they can mock momma and daddy (and dear friends, some of you bring that on yourselves) they will grow up to mock a police officer. He probably won’t just giggle at the mocking. Orderly society begins in the home, not at school. Train them, and train them UP. 

If I walked around a Goodwill screaming at the top of my lungs someone would have called the Police and I would have been arrested for disturbing the peace – and rightly so. Holy cow, parents – use some common sense!

I was talking with a mother the other day who told me “My son is in prison for another three years for violating parole … but he’s such a good boy“. No darling, he’s not. If he’s in prison it’s because he did something to go to prison. No one just falls into prison. The child was taught lawbreaking at an early age. Blame the police. Blame the government. Blame poverty. Blame everybody else you want. But the truth is that “Look the other way parenting leads to a locked up prisoner”.

Children are to be disciplined.  Lines are to be drawn. Parents establish what is right and what is wrong when the child is young …. and when the child gets older they will walk according to the pattern. Again, how do I know this? Because I was raised with standards, and I raised my children with standards. 

Children do not need another PAL – they need a PARENT. They do not need another GOOD Buddy, but a GUIDE. Children need Parents who will not PANDER to their needs but train them up to be PROFITABLE citizens. I was at the prison one day visiting another mother’s son when I saw a small boy in a martial arts outfit. I said, “My, you look powerful. What are you studying?” The child, about 8 years old, stepped forward and without hesitation punched me in the side. The Monster who was with him smiled and said “My, my boy’s full of beans today!” 

Yeah. Some pastor will be visiting him in prison in just a few years if YOU don’t start parenting. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Proverbs 26:4-5 (KJV) Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. 

When I came across this verse in the Scripture my first thought was “Huh?” Read the text carefully. It seems as if God is giving us two perfectly opposite statements – “Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, or you’ll be like him. Do answer a fool according to his folly, or he’ll think himself wise in his conceit”. Well Lord, which do I do? Answer or not answer?

As I pondered the text it became more and more clear to me. Who is a “fool”? The Bible defines a “fool” as a godless person. Twice in the Psalms it is said:

Psalms 14:1 (KJV) … The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 

Psalms 53:1 (KJV) … The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. 

The “fool” (which literally means stupid or silly person) is the person who is godless. The godless person is without reference to sanity. That person, according to God, has no ability to process rational thought. The Bible says that …

Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

The fool will not hear the Word of God, but is wise in his or her own eyes. The fool does not process information believing that God is the basis of absolute truth. To the fool, he or she makes their own truth. Truth is fluid, whatever popular opinion is. There is no absolute truth, nor an Absolute God Who reigns over all. Morality is what I think is right. The fool believes that it is all right for two people of the same sex to engage in sex, however – at this time – both must be either above 18 years old or both must be below 18 years old. There is no appeal to what God’s Word has said (see Romans 1:22-32). “I set the standards”, says the fool. “No Bible reading or prayer in school, but teach them that they came from Primordial Ooze, fish, and monkeys.” Remove the free Gideon Bible from their hands, but put prophylactic protection in their pockets – then wonder why Sally is pregnant at 16, seeking to abort her yet born baby. Teach that the God Who made all is fiction, but Science Fiction is real. Teach that human life is equal to animal life – after all, we are all Primates, aren’t we … then wonder why kids kill one another with knives and guns.

If you do not answer the fool then he becomes “wise in his own conceit”. I’ve tried talking with fools before, but they are arrogant in their foolishness. Someone came to Church last night and told me that a fool I had spoken to was bragging that “I straightened out that preacher”. No, not true – but fools hear nothing but the sound of their own voice.

Many fools have great loads of smarts but thimblefuls of common sense. Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens are all brilliant men, Doctors, but fools. They can twist truth to the shape of a pretzel, salt it, then try and force feed it to you. Super smart but smartly foolish, they shall stand before God one day at a Great White Throne. Tell them of Christ then move on. You cannot save those who will not hear.

What the solution to arguing with a fool? There is none. I cannot argue with the fool. No one can win an argument with a fool. The best I can hope to do is study God’s Word, and let His Word answer the foolish. Keep sharing the Gospel of salvation. Keep sharing the precious Scripture, His “God Breathed” Word. Keep trusting what the Lord has said, and keep relying on His Holy Spirit. When Jude addressed the Church he said:

Jude 1:17-23 (KJV) But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 

Offer the Gospel of salvation to all. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Love Him, love Christ, and share the truth with those who will hear. Those who will not hear, knock the dust off your feet and walk away. Do not wear yourself out arguing with a fool – you are called not to be fools but Children of the King. Share the good news then move on, for there are many more who need to hear that glorious Gospel of hope and salvation!