Sunday Evening Worship Service

Well, Lord bless you. You may return to your seats. We welcome you to Sunday night worship service here at First Apostolic Church. So good to see all of you back in the house of the Lord. What a wonderful service we had this morning. Thank you, Pastor Whitley, for incredible word, keeping us reminded to be turned and complete a cake that's not turned. I don't want to be cold and hot. I want to be complete in Christ. Thank you for magnificent word. And let me give one more word of reminder to our church family. I realize we have announced this several times, but I'll want to continue keeping us reminded that next week will be general ministry conference, the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, right here in our own city. It's a very special opportunity that we have to have general conference right here in our back door. I've traveled around the nation attending conferences over the year from anywhere from Tulsa, Oklahoma uh to Lexington, Kentucky, uh to Indianapolis, and uh had had to journey and travel, and it is so good for the conference to be right here in our city, but I want us to be a welcoming church family. There will be guests from all over our nation around the world that will be joining in this conference, and I would like to see all of your uh happy, smiling, worshiping faces in our services, our night services. A each service will be Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday. Pastor Whitley reminded us that First Apostolic Church sanctuary choir will be singing on Wednesday night. The FAC ushering staff will be working all three nights, uh helping make our guests welcome. And I want us to uh to be there part. There will be no service here on that Wednesday night. We'll take our service, obviously, downtown. And it's a great, great, great opportunity to worship with the saints of God. Uh we are the host district. We are the host past uh the host church. I'm the host pastor, and I'm also the host district superintendent. So, good hosts ought to be there when everybody else shows up. So, I implore you again, please be there uh at General Ministry Conference. We'll have a great time in the Lord. I give honor to all of our uh pastoral and ministerial uh leadership and workers in the kingdom of God First Apostolic Church, greatest church family in the world. Uh we are missing uh Pastor Anthony and Sister Kelly, and uh Eleanor and Callaway as well. Uh they are down in Louisiana. We're praying for them. God will bring them back home. So good to see many of you. This is a holiday season of travel. I realize that that uh folks during this time of year do uh uh, go visit and uh have a few days of vacation and some of you are back and others have left. Uh, so we're glad to see you back home. Welcome back home. Thank you for being back in the house of the Lord. Want to take us to the word of the Lord tonight, uh, to the book of Matthew the 12th chapter. The book of Matthew the 12th chapter, we're going to read uh, four verses for now. These are the words of Jesus. Matthew 12 beginning at verse number 34. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of his good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. I would draw a title from verse 35 tonight. And we would entitle our message the good treasure of the heart, subtitled justification. Let's pray. Savior, I love you. I'm grateful and thankful that you have afforded us another time to gather together in fellowship and worship with your people. Lord, I thank you for your presence that is anointed and is blessed and has encouraged us in this night. God, I pray that your word would minister to me. Lord, would minister to every ear that hears and to every heart that receives. God, let us take your word and apply it to our lives to let us be greater in you. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. The good treasure of the heart, justification. The passage that I read in your hearing, Jesus is addressing the self-righteous Pharisees who were trying to explain away Jesus' healing of a blind and dumb man as Jesus was one using the power of Beelzebub to accomplish this miracle. And Jesus, if you go back and read Matthew 12, >> >> you'll find that Jesus rebuked them, for he knew their thoughts and he used simple logic to explain that you didn't use the power of the enemy to accomplish good things. That that was just a total misrepresentation of what had gone on. And then Jesus turned to them and he called them a bunch of snakes. You think the pastor gets rough sometimes? Jesus said, "You bunch of vipers." And he began in his address to discredit the proposition that had made about the power of Satan allowing him to heal this man. And then he begins to identify the real condition of their hearts. He begins to explain that one's words either justify the condition of the heart or it condemns the condition of the heart. It was what came from your mouth. Thy words, he said, "shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Well, this this word justify is a word that has been expanded on and used to create a an ideology called by many the ministry or the doctrine, actually, of justification. Now, understand this pastor is not standing before you tonight advocating Calvinism in any way. The misinterpretation and misuse of God's grace and the idea of personal predestination is not scriptural. And the ministry of justification or the message or doctrine of justification that has been mis- misrepresented sometimes make we who know the truth of what to be justified by Christ really means a bit cautious to even use that term. BUT JESUS SAID, "BY THY WORDS THOU SHALT be justified. And by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Justification to many has become little more than an excuse to justify in their own mind their own wrongdoings, intentions, and actions, rather than receiving God's forgiveness to be worthy of salvation. It has become an act of comparing the misdeeds and transgressions of others to their own so they can feel a little better about self rather than ceasing to do what they know is wrong. Let me give you a few examples in an earthy sense of the way mankind justifies things. I know I was speeding, but I was just keeping up with the traffic like everybody else. Heard the story of an elderly gentleman who got stopped for speeding on a busy interstate. The officer asked him, said, "Sir, do you know why I stopped you?" He said, "Yeah, I'm the only one you could catch." We justify our wrong sometimes by comparing ourselves to others. That's not true justification. The athlete, the football player says, "Yeah, I fumbled, but other players fumble more than I do." The tardy worker says, "I know I'm late, but there are others who will always be later than me." And I fear many misrepresent and misinterpret JUSTIFICATION AS A simple way of making an excuse for living and doing sinful and wrong things. I know I'm not perfect, but compared to so-and-so, I'm an angel. I may NOT BE SERVING GOD LIKE I SHOULD, but at least I'm not doing this and so. Heard the story one time of a minister who was asked to preach the funeral of a well-known, but rather dubious and morally suspect man. The man's brother, who was making the arrangements, went to the pastor and said, "I want TO MAKE IT CLEAR. I want my brother's funeral to give him honor, and I want him to appear to be a saint." The minister, known for a reputation of honesty and integrity, yet willing to fulfill the brother's wishes, found himself on the spot on a way to be truthful and yet meet the brother's request. So, he began his funeral eulogy this way. He said, "The man THAT LIES BEFORE US was a lying, cheating, stealing hypocrite. He was known as one OF THE MOST SINFUL, LAZY, UNLIKABLE PERSONS EVER TO LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY." HE SAID, "BUT COMPARED TO HIS brother that's sitting on the front seat, he was a saint." You have to be careful how you have to justify things. We don't always understand what justification really means. THERE IS A FALSE JUSTIFICATION. Luke 18, we find a parable that Jesus told. In Luke 18:9, it says, "And he spake THIS PARABLE UNTO CERTAIN WHICH TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES THAT THEY WERE RIGHTEOUS AND DESPISED OTHERS." WELL, that's a sad state to be in that you're so righteous that you despise others. Jesus gave this parable. Two men went up into the temple to pray. The one a Pharisee, the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank thee that I'm not like other men as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even this publican. I fast twice a week. I give tithe of all that I possess." The publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes into heaven. But smote upon his breast saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." I tell you, these are Jesus' words. I tell you, this man, speaking of the publican, went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. You see, the Pharisee TOOK HIS OWN GOOD works and they became evil treasures. By his own mouth, trying to brag on himself, you know, putting his shoulder out of place, trying to pat himself on the back. He began bragging ON JUST HOW GOOD he was and how he fasts and how he paid his tithe and all of those are admirable attributes and things that should be done. But when YOU TAKE A SELF-RIGHTEOUS, PHARISAICAL ATTITUDE TOWARD DOING GOOD THINGS, YOU CAN TAKE GOOD THINGS IN YOUR OWN LIFE and turn them to evil treasures. You see, what we do unto God, it should be with humbleness. It should be the spirit of the publican that we stand afar off. We don't do not stand high and haughty, but low and humble before him. This man's own good works had become his evil treasures. His own words condemned him rather than justifying him. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 7, "Judge not that you be not judged. For with the judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And with what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that's in thy brother's eye, but consider not the beam that's in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, "Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye." And behold, a beam is in thine own eye. Thou hypocrite. Boy, Jesus could get rough when he needed to, couldn't he? First cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eyes. James said it this way in James 2:22, "Seest thou Seest thou how faith wrought his works? And by works was faith made perfect?" Question mark. And the scripture was fulfilled with which saith, "Abraham believed God, and was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." You see then how that by the works a man is justified, and not BY FAITH ONLY. WHOA, NOW. IF WE'RE GOING to buy into the ideology that has mistakenly been taught that the grace of God is so encompassing that you can't do anything and you shouldn't do anything, it's just faith alone. James says it this way. You see then that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works? The things Rahab did to make safe God's representatives. These were works that she accomplished that justified her as being worthy of follower of God. When she had received the message and had sent them out another way. For as the body well without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Understanding this concept that we get into the the complete realization THAT WE ARE JUSTIFIED IN CHRIST. HE IS THAT FORGIVER. HE'S THE one who justifies us above the law, BUT NEVER MISTAKE THAT IS NOT A LICENSE TO SIN AND NOT serve him AND GIVE YOUR WORK unto him. James earlier said it this way in the same chapter, verse 14. WHAT DOES IT PROFIT, my brethren, though a man say he has faith and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, "Depart in peace. Be you warmed and filled." Well, that sounds good. That's a statement of faith. "Be you warmed and filled." But notice what he goes on. Notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needed to the body, what doth it profit it? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. We are the believers, but the believers act on what we believe in. It's amazing how some will mistakenly say, "I just have faith." But they will not put their faith into action. You know, if someone comes in and announces, "This building is on fire. You need to evacuate. You can sit there all alone and say, "I believe there's a fire." I believe there's a fire. And if there is a fire and all you do is believe there's a fire and you don't act, you're going to burn up. If you come and say the building's on fire, I'm going to say, "I believe there's a fire and I believe I'm going to leave." You see, THERE'S SOME ACTION THAT GOES ALONG WITH your true faith in God. Yea, A MAN SAY, "THOU HAST FAITH and I have works." Show me thy faith without thy works and I will show THEE MY FAITH BY MY WORKS. THOU BELIEVEST THERE'S ONE GOD. You got that faith? Thou doest well. THE DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE AND TREMBLE. BUT WILL THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, THAT FAITH WITHOUT works is dead. I'm here to TELL YOU, WE MUST BE A FAITH-FILLED PEOPLE. IF YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO UNDERSTAND BEING JUSTIFIED in Christ, you're going to BE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. YOU LOOK FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOOD WORKS. YOU LOOK FOR THE TREASURES OF YOUR MOUTH, the things you say. And now, it's the things you do. Certainly, I'm not condoning in any way unrepentant sin. But you must be a worker in the kingdom of God. There's some who do not understand the relationship between being justified of God and God's forgiveness. If we're going to be Christ-like, we must be a forgiving people. Now, many understand forgiveness with what I would term conditional forgiveness. That means if I'm going to forgive, there's some conditions go along with it. I fear too many who have been wronged and have the opportunity to unconditionally forgive choose to conditionally forgive because conditional forgiveness is not forgiveness at all. If one has to put continual stipulations for your forgiveness, this issue has NOT BEEN FORGIVEN, ESPECIALLY IF THE SUPPOSED forgiver reserves the right to get even. I'll forgive unless I need to justify my misdeeds, then I'll bring your transgressions back up. That's not forgiveness at all. Instead, it's a state of perpetual proving which is unattainable when someone has repented and asked for forgiveness. And to be one who gives conditional forgiveness is a miserable life to live. For you're reduced to keeping score and keeping track of wrongs that that someone has done you, and you have to remember all of those things. Many times it will consume one's existence to the point they become a miserable wretch because they haven't been able to completely forgive. This is not true justification that scripture speaks of. In God's eyes, true unconditional repentance brings unconditional forgiveness. Romans 5:8 says, "But God commended his love toward us in all that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Much more then being NOW JUSTIFIED BY his blood. Now, let's review. I'M JUSTIFIED BY MY my my words or I'm condemned by them. I'm justified in faith by my works. And now, it's telling us that I'm justified by his blood. WE SHALL BE SAVED from the wrath through him. That idea here of being justified by his blood MEANS WE ARE BEING ABSOLVED OF SIN and we are worthy of his salvation. Let me tell you, many think they have to become worthy. You can never become worthy enough, BUT WHEN YOU'RE JUSTIFIED IN CHRIST, HE PAID THE PRICE. THE ATONEMENT OF BLOOD JUSTIFIED US TO BE FREE FROM SIN. THAT'S THE JUSTIFICATION I'M EXCITED ABOUT TONIGHT, NOT SOME EXCUSE TO SIN. And not only so, BUT WE ALSO JOY IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM WE NOW HAVE received atonement. Some will say, "Oh, I will forgive them if they'll just ask." But did you notice Christ died for us before we asked for forgiveness? It said, "While we were yet sinners." I DIDN'T DESERVE IT. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS. WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS. I'M SO THANKFUL THAT HE DIDN'T WAIT FOR ME TO ASK. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO ASK. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE QUESTION, BUT HE DIED FOR MY SINS BEFORE I EVEN KNEW HOW TO ASK. ROMANS 5:1 SAID, "THEREFORE, BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE have peace WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM ALSO WE HAVE ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE WHEREIN WE STAND and rejoice IN THE HOPE OF the glory of God. We're not the bunch that looks over as in Jude that takes the grace of God and turns it to lasciviousness. A thousand times no. Cuz here's what happens. Verse 3 of that same passage says, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulations worketh patience." You see, when you've got faith and you've been justified in Christ, you've been atoned for. It'll make you patient. Even in your tribulation. And patience brings experience. Some of the things you've gone through Some of the things you've experienced have tempered your life in Christ. And suddenly, now the patience, the experience brings about hope because it lets you know when you go through something else, "I made it through the last thing. I'm going to make it through this way." That this time I If there's someone else that is inexperienced, you have the patience and experience to bring somebody else hope. And hope maketh not ashamed. You see, shame is one of the great tools of the enemy that to the inexperienced spiritually can be devastating. Oh, I'm going through something. Why would God allow me to go through this? If God were this, if God You see, when you've experienced things before, life is not going to be perfect. There's going to be trials, tests, tribulations, but those tribulations will bring patience and experience and hope. And then you find yourself in the midst of A TRIAL. I'M NOT ASHAMED I'm going through this trial, and hope maketh not ashamed because THE LOVE OF GOD IS SHED ABROAD IN OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY GHOST WHICH IS GIVEN UNTO US. THERE'S THAT FREE GIFT. FOR WE WERE YET WITHOUT STRENGTH in due time Christ died for the ungodly. CHRIST DIDN'T DIE FOR THE PERFECT. CHRIST DIDN'T DIE FOR THOSE THAT'S GOT IT ALL TOGETHER. He died for all of us because we were ungodly. I'M THANKFUL THAT I'M JUSTIFIED IN HIM BECAUSE HE SHED HIS BLOOD FOR ME. And it BRINGS THE PEACE OF GOD AND PEACE WITH GOD. Jeremiah mentioned it this way in Jeremiah 3:8. He's prophesying about God's chosen people in the Old Testament. He said, "And I saw when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, and I had put her away." Brother Whitley so aptly brought this out this morning of the example of the bride and the bridegroom and the relationship with Christ and the church and and God and his people. And he now is saying that Israel has been untrue to their commitment to the bridegroom. I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement or divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went out and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the likeness of her whoredoms that she defiled the land committed adultery with stones and with stocks. He's giving a comparison that they're turning to other gods that were were false gods that images of stone and images of of wood that they had carved out. They'd turned away from serving the true God. And notice he said and yet all this her treacherous sister hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but faintidly. In other words, not genuinely. Judah Judah's repentance was fake. God knows the difference in real repentance and fake repentance that has an agenda. It's that difference is I'm sorry for what I did versus I'm sorry I got caught. And the Lord said unto me, Jeremiah prophesying, the backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than the treacherous Judah. Both had committed equal trespasses of whoredoms spiritually by worshipping other gods, but there was a difference between Judah and Israel because of their true attitude versus fake attitude of repentance. Verse 12 said, "Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord. And I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever." Let me tell you, no matter what you've done, where you've been, if you will submit through true repentance. Now, he goes on to describe what true repentance is versus feigned or fake repentance. Verse 13 says, "Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord and has scattered thy ways to the strangers under every tree, and you have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord." He said, "Number one, this is what repentance is about. You've got to acknowledge your sin." Now, if you're looking for some deep theological interpretation, this is as deep as it gets. You've got to say, "God, I'm sorry for my wrong." I'm acknowledging. Not I'm blaming someone else. I'm justifying what I did because someone else did me wrong. I I'm justifying that I'm not as bad as the guy next to me. He said, "Only acknowledge THINE INIQUITIES THAT THOU HAST TRANSGRESSED against the Lord." But acknowledging is only the beginning. For verse 14 gives the next step. It says, "And turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I'm married on you. I've covenanted with you. You've got to acknowledge your wrong, and you say, 'I'm turning. I'm going the other direction.' And I will take you one of a city and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion." Notice verse 15. "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." Acknowledge or repent, turn, and then he's saying three, seek spiritual leadership to get true knowledge and understanding. I once heard a prominent bishop of a very large oneness organization make this statement, and I quote, "There are some members who refuse to be pastored. They want to be members, but not saints." In quote. They want to be a member and enjoy the benefits of the church, yet they really do not want a pastor's full influence on their life. Preacher, are you magnifying yourself? I am not, but I magnify my office, and I magnify those who preach the gospel of Christ. You better let it influence your life. Some want someone to preach their funerals, visit their sick, dedicate their children, perform their weddings, and pray over their events, but don't ever condemn my sinning. I do not want complete influence of ministry over my life. I want to be a member, but not a saint. When one has been wronged and has done wrong, you do not even have the proper mindset or the capacity to enact forgiveness for yourself. You need spiritual leadership to guide you and direct you. Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Whoop, there it is, PREACHER. I DON'T NEED A PREACHER. WHOA. VERSE 13'S NOT THE END OF Romans 10. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Verse 14, "How then shall they call on call on him in whom they've not believed?" You got to have faith. "And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" WHO'S GOING TO TELL THEM? "HOW SHALL THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER?" LET ME TELL YOU, you need a man of God in your life. You need spiritual influence in your life. It's not about Mark McCool, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE OFFICE OF LEADERSHIP, SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE ANOINTED PREACHED WORD of God AND LET IT GUIDE AND DIRECT YOUR PATHS. YOU NEED THAT THAT'S WHAT THE LORD DID FOR A BACKSLIDING ISRAEL. HE SAID, "I'M GOING TO SEND YOU PREACHERS AFTER MY HEART TO GIVE YOU KNOWLEDGE." And how shall they He speaks to the preachers. How shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them which preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. Man, there's all the preachers and aspiring preachers in the house. Don't let verse 15 slip by. It used to be said by some of our wise bishops, some were called, some were sent, and some just got up and went. There needs to be a special call on your life if you're going to carry the gospel. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel? Now, here's Here's what the preacher needs to be preaching. Peace, glad tidings, and good things. Let me say that again. Yes, there was a time Jesus used a whip, but Jesus used a whip on the money changers. He didn't use it on the believers. Some find themselves willing and wanting to always crack the whip. And there does come a time that the word of God, through the preached word of God will beat us up and step on our toes. But it's not intentional. The preacher's preaching a gospel of peace. He's preaching glad tidings and he's preaching good things. You see? I remember, I believe it was Pastor Anthony preaching a message and talking about uh the boots of a a fireman, I believe it was. When there was a an emergency situation, those old clubby rubber boots, they were never going to be mistaken for a fashion statement by the elite designers of the world. But when there was an emergency, some of the most beautiful boots to see and feet to see was the clubby boots of that fireman breaking in to carry those who were in peril out of the house. This is not a physical description of your pastor's feet. But it's saying those who bring you the gospel should be a value to you. You should value the preached and anointed word of God. You see, verse 17 says, "So then faith come with by hearing and hearing by the word of God." Let me pause here. Don't expect office counseling with a pastor a pastor to help your issues if you won't obey the preached and anointed word of God. Preacher, you trying to get out of counseling folks? Absolutely not. But I've got news for you. There's a lot of your issues could be solved if you'd hear when anointed man of God like brother Whitley stood before you today. We have conferences and camp meetings when anointed individuals by the study and preparation and in a holy anointing works through them as a mouthpiece to bring knowledge and wisdom that even a sit down in a conference room is not the same thing. If you can't pray about it, counseling is not going to fix it. Praise team musicians, get ready. Romans 3:23 states, "For all have sinned we know it well and come short of the glory of God." Verse 24 is being says being justified freely by his grace through the redempt that is in Christ Jesus. Let's review. We've read passages scriptures that says that we are justified by our words by our works by his blood and now freely by his grace. These are not factors that are exclusive of each other but instead they work together. Our words, our works, his blood his freely given grace to bring justification. We've read this in several Bible studies recently but study brings me back to 1 Corinthians 6:9. Know you not that the unrighteous stand with me shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers, nor effeminate or abusers of themselves of mankind, nor thieves, nor nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. I'm supposed to preach glad tidings. I don't have to go through and itemize this. I'm just reading scripture right now. But scripture goes on to say this and such were some of you. Who's you? Everybody say me is you. Everybody say you is me. We just got listed. And when you get on that list, it says you shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Bad shape. Such were some of you. But notice he said, but ye are washed. And ye are sanctified. SANCTIFIED MEANS TO BE FREED from sin. YOU ARE NOW A PRODUCT THAT'S READY FOR THE HOLINESS AND PIETY. YOU HAVE BEEN WASHED, YOU'VE BEEN SANCTIFIED, AND WHAT? AND YE ARE JUSTIFIED. HALLELUJAH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS BY THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD. I'M HERE to tell you WHEN YOU REPENT OF YOUR SINS, WHEN YOU'RE WASHED WITH THAT HOLY WASHING OF BEING BAPTIZED in his name, YOU'RE SANCTIFIED. AND YOU'RE justified by the power of the Holy Ghost. Christ living in us. Galatians said this, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law. We can't write any rules that'll save us. But by THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST, IT DIDN'T SAY THE FAITH IN Jesus Christ, it said the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by THE FAITH OF CHRIST, NOT BY THE WORKS OF the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if while we SEEK TO BE JUSTIFIED BY CHRIST, we ourselves are found sinners. Is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. Now again, this is reminding us that ideology that it's grace plus nothing minus nothing. You you can live anyway, do anything if you've ever called on the name of the Lord, all is covered and you can act anyway you want to. It said is Christ the minister of sin? It's a rhetorical question that has an obvious answer. God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am made am dead to the law that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. So after preaching all of those words, preacher, just what does justification mean? I'll defer to the wisdom of Elder James for he said justification means it's just if I never sinned. When God forgives me of my sins, it's just as if I never did it. Now I'm justified. I'm clean before him. Could you lift your hands for just a moment and love Jesus? Lord, I praise you. God, that you have forgiven the sins of this world. Lord, once again I stand before you amazed that you could die for my sins. Lord, but I stand before you also desiring to live by faith to let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Lord, Lord, let the words I speak justify the good treasures of the heart. Lord, let the works that I do be justified in faith in you. Lord, let me know that your blood has justified me to free me from sin and that by faith I'm justified unto salvation. Now God, I call on you for every individual in this room that hears this message. God, I pray that right now there would be a new and fresh anointing of realizing just how great the sacrifice is and what the awesome gift of your spirit we have. Lord, I pray right now that the power of the Holy Ghost would hover in this room. If there's a person in this room right now who has not acknowledged their sin, if the enemy has tried to tell them that there's no need to or the enemy has tried to tell them they've done too much to repent of. Lord, would you right now let the power of your grace fall on them right now. Hallelujah. Would you lift your voice right now in prayer in this sanctuary? I want to hear every voice that knows you've been justified to thank the Lord just a minute. God, I thank you. Yeah, THAT'S RIGHT. GO ON, TALK to the Lord. Lord, I thank you. God, I'm not asking FOR ANYTHING RIGHT NOW. LORD, I JUST want to thank you that I'm justified in you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Yes. I wonder if somebody would step out in the aisle and step around this altar for a season of prayer to say, "God, I thank you that I have been justified by you. You have forgiven me. Lord, you have brought forgiveness into my life." Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Sing it unto the Lord. >> >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> >> Yeah. >> >> Sing it again. >> >> Right now, I'm giving your heart. >> >> I give you my soul. I give you my soul, Lord. >> >> Sing it again. >> >> Now, would you love Jesus? Again, would you thank him for his marvelous forgiving power? Would you thank him for his love for you? Could we go from this place tonight and determined to live a justified life, clean before Christ, an example of good deeds, good works, a faith in his shed blood? Go from this place a representative of him. God bless you. Remember the announcements. Tuesday night, Wednesday, and Wednesday night will be a special time of Kids Quest Camp. Would you greet your brothers and sisters around you? You're dismissed in Jesus' name. >> Mhm.