Welcome And A Keychain Story

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Good morning, if you are our guest, an extra special welcome, just delight that you're here. I'm Barkef O'Segan. I'm one of the pastors here. If you're new, you've probably heard the name Barkef for the first time in your life and thought, what is a Barkef? And I've shared before that uh I have a unique name. I'm I'm well aware. In fact, uh for many years, as I would uh be a teenager or a preteen, and you know, every now and then you go to those places that have all those keychains listed. You know it's where I'm going, right? And I come to the bees and there was no barkef. Well, somebody heard me tell that story, and so they brought me my keychain today. I feel very special. Thank you very much. Almost normal. Almost normal. Not quite. If you are a guest, what

Grace Through Faith Sets Context

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you know? We have been in the book of Ephesians for quite some time. And today we come to a section in chapter 4, verses 25 through 28, that has a list of do's and don'ts. And if we don't understand the context that we've come to today, we could get confused and begin to think that we need to practice religion. We can begin to think that we need to make sure that our good works outweigh our bad works, and that perhaps the moment we go to meet our Maker, we'll find out that He grades on a curve. And just maybe we have one more good work outnumbering our bad works. But nothing could be further from the truth. And so it's important that we understand that we're saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. He paid it all. So if we don't get into the context of where we're going before we get to this short list of do's and don'ts, we might misunderstand the whole picture. So in the book of Ephesians, we have been marching through, and we've found out that in chapter one, he lays out our position in Christ, how God sees us, what he's accomplished on our behalf, and how it all belongs to us through simple faith in the price that Jesus paid for you and for me. In fact, here's what it says: we are blessed, believers, with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We've been adopted, part of his forever family. We've been redeemed, we've been purchased off the slave block to sin. We've been forgiven. In fact, we've been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise in Christ Jesus. The moment you place your faith, your trust in Christ alone as Savior, you are indwelled by and sealed by the Holy Spirit all the way to the day of redemption, your day of physically experiencing a forever body in the presence of Heavenly Father. In fact, here's how he puts it in chapter 1, verse 13 in him, in Christ, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Ephesians Map: Position Path Power

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Now, when you come to chapter 2, he lays out for us our old path and our new path. We find out this in verse 1 and following of chapter 2, and you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly walked. This is the way you lived your life in sin, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. He's saying, This world system imprinted itself upon your heart, your mind, your conscience, and this world system is ruled by the evil one. And so your old path, you didn't even know any better. In your ignorance, you just followed along with the crowd, and the crowd was heading straight to destruction. You didn't even know it. But he not only tells us in chapter two about our old path, he tells us about our new path. And in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves is a gift from God, not as a result of works that no man should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that he prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them. We're not saved by good works. But now we have an opportunity in the strength that God provides to walk in a new way of life. Well, we saw our position in chapter one, we saw our old path and our new path in chapter two. And then he explains to us the power that is uniquely newly ours, that even Paul and the prophets didn't understand, that all of us who place our faith, our trust in Christ would one day be fully indwelt by the Holy Spirit through simple faith in Christ. And so in chapter three, he begins to highlight this. And he says, I, Paul, was appointed an apostle to the Gentiles, those who never had even heard of the promise of God, those who never knew right from wrong as the Old Testament was teaching the Jewish nation. He says, but now I've been appointed. I've been appointed to tell you the mystery that even the Old Testament prophets didn't understand. That God always had a plan that when Israel failed to represent me well, I would welcome in the whole earth, all who play their place their faith, their trust in Christ alone as Savior. And now you're part of a one new man, the church. This is something unique. The Old Testament didn't understand. Even the Old Testament saint was not fully indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He would come upon a prophet or king now and then to do some special service for God, but he could be removed. But now all those who place their faith, their trust in Christ alone, whether Jew or Gentile, we're part of God's forever family, the church. Here's what it says. What promise? The promise of the Holy Spirit, to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, to be empowered by the Holy Spirit all your life. From the moment you place your faith, your trust in Christ. Then he says, I was appointed to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ. What is that? It's the Holy Spirit. And to bring to light the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places. He tells us we've been seated with Christ at the right hand of Heavenly Father. What is he saying? You now have authority. You don't have to continue in a sinful life. You can walk well with Christ, and you can walk in community with others who do the same and represent Christ well on this earth. And just perhaps God would use you, both individually and corporately, to introduce others to his forever family through simple faith in Christ. So that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in heavenly places. The angels themselves are learning as they watch us operate, and they're amazed that we would be so forgiven and so empowered.

Practice Begins: Flip The Script

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Then we come to chapter four, and this is that list of how now, how shall we then live? What are the particulars by which we might walk in a way that represents him well? And so as we've been studying it, chapter four, we have some introduction. Therefore, chapter four, verse one, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. We saw the position we're in, the path, the old and the new, the power that's now ours, and now the practice, the specificity of how we would live out this life in a way to represent him well. So this I say, this is in verse 17 of chapter 4, and affirm together with the Lord that you walk no longer as the Gentiles also walk, but in reference to your former manner of life, you will lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God, has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. What is he saying? In light of everything I have explained to you so far, you need to know that the world has imprinted itself upon your heart, your mind, and your conscience. But now, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the grace, the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, you have an opportunity to flip the script. You have an opportunity to flip the script. Suppose perhaps you've heard this term before, flip the script. It was invented, by the way. The theater came up with this in the early 1990s. And then the hip-hop group picked it up. And now you might hear it in culture, in general in American culture, to flip the script. What does it mean to flip the script? Do something completely differently or in the opposite way from the way it was usually done. We're not supposed to live the same way we used to live. That's the point he's making. And so I'm going to give you a list of some of the script that's been imprinted upon you and how you're going to flip that script, not in your own strength, but in the strength that God provides. In fact, we're told this in Philippians 2.13 it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. That's actually a plural, that's a y'all. What he's saying is, within the church body of the local community, God's at work in you to will and to work for his good pleasure. We read in 1 Peter 4.11, this is personal. Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies. Now, why do I go through such lengths to help you understand? Because now we're going to get to some do's and some don'ts. And if we don't understand the context of this list of do's and don'ts, we're going to think God's asking us to practice religion. And nothing could be further from the proof. What he's saying is you have this ultimate opportunity. And by the way, I've given you the power to do it.

Speak Truth Without Deception

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So we were in verses 25 through 28 of Ephesians chapter 4. Let's read it and then we'll see at least four things that he instructs us in. Therefore, flip the script. That's my title. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you with his neighbor. For we are members of one another. Be angry and yet do not sin, and do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. And he's saying, No, no, no, no, no. It's time to flip that script. Says this, therefore, laying aside falsehood speak truth, each one of you with his neighbor. In fact, we're told in uh verse 15, just a little bit earlier, by speaking, but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up into all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ. Now, this word that's translated falsehood. Here's what one scholar says. This includes all forms of lying, from out and out contradictions of known facts, we gotta share that with the media, to carefully couch nuances intended to deceive and mislead. It includes everything from white lies to unbelievable whoppers. Because the Ephesians had renounced the supreme falsehood of paganism, Paul urged them to take that decision even further by forsaking all lesser lies. Likewise, for us to grow up in Christ, we must set aside falsehood, speak truth to one another. This world, through this world, we're immersed in a culture that feeds on deception and oozes with falsehood. Jesus reminded us that Satan is the father of lies. We've been imprinted upon by this world, in fact, to the point that sometimes we don't even know when we're lying. Did you know that? Sometimes it's just as uh in self-defense, we kind of shade the truth a little bit. We don't really speak truth to one another. Why is it so important that we would speak truth to one another? Because we're in community together.

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You know what to tear up a community really quickly?

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Lies and innuendo. You know what to separate loved ones?

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Lies an innuendo. You know what will tear a country apart?

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Lies an innuendo. God's desires that we'd be those who actually speak truth to each other. You know, if if we actually spoke the truth to one another, do you realize that the need for a counselor would disappear? You realize that? You know why we need counselors? Because we're trying to ferret through all the lies and innuendos that have entered into our lives from a very young age and continue to grip our hearts.

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What if we actually spoke the truth to each other? I mean, in a kind way.

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I'm not talking about taking an emotional jackhammer to somebody. Somebody said sometimes they need it. Okay. I'll investigate your marriage in a little while. It'll be great. It's true. That is true. There's I've had a two by four head in my way a couple of times. Sometimes you believe a lie for so long you don't even know you're believing the lie.

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Did you know that?

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You know, one of the worst lies I can think of that the world system propagates is when a teenager begins to believe that a worldly influence loves them more than mom and dad.

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That's when things go really, really bad.

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Think of it. As a child, if you believe that mom and dad didn't have your best interests at heart, which is basically means you just become a teenager, suddenly you believe they're trying to hold back, they're trying to slow you down, they're not letting you get to where you need to go, rather than understanding nobody loves you more than mom and dad. Nobody. No teacher, no politician, no friend, no friend group loves you more. And wants what's best for you, like your mom and your dad. God's bizarre is that we would be those who are all about truth. In fact, when he says here, uh laying aside all falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, if you have your text out, you'll notice it's all in caps. That's because it's a quote from the Old Testament. And it comes from Zechariah 8:16. Here's what it says: speaking to the people of Israel, speak the truth to one another, judge with truth, and judgment for peace in your gates. Look, if if within this community of believers, if we can't tell each other the truth, we got a problem. And that problem will fester. If within your family you can't speak truth to one another, you got a problem. And that problem will fester. God's desire is that we flip the script. We want to start actually speaking the truth to one another ever so gently. But truth. Nevertheless. We want to flip the script from what the world has imprinted upon us. We want to commit

Build Real Christian Community

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to truth. Number two, we want to commit to community. Look at this next section. 25. We'll keep going, verse 25. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak each one of you truth to each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Now, what does the world say? The world says, look out for number one, because if you don't, nobody else is going to do it.

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And we're to flip that script.

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No, we're to put others first. In fact, here's how Philippians 2 4 puts it do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. God's desire is that you would actually be part of a community where people know you and you know them and they care about you. In fact, God's design is that you would so understand the fact that you're in a New forever family, that when people meet you next to a friend from your believing community, they think you're blood related. No, by the way, you are. It's the blood of Christ. Many, many years ago, when our children were very young, Susan and I were going to a family reunion and we were going to drive far, and we had this old van. We were good at old vans. And friends of ours who had a brand new van knew that we're about to drive eight hours with all those kids at the car. And they said, you know what? Let's let's uh we want you to use our van for the trip. And I thought to myself, you want to turn my children loose in your brand new van. So tell you what, I'll I'll appreciate your generosity and I'll trade with you if you promise not to park my van in your driveway, because I don't want that oil slick to remind you of me. So we did. We drove that van for eight hours and we got to Family Reunion and and an in-law came up and said, Oh, y'all got a brand new van. As they're watching my chit my children come flying out of the van, popcorn and cheese everywhere. And said, actually, no, a friend of ours lent us their van, and they said, Wow, what a friend. Isn't that the reaction you want people to have when they find you somewhere out in public with a fellow Christian, somewhere part of your Christian community, that they'd say, Wow, you guys. Susie has some friends that when she gets together with them, I'm telling you, they all sound exactly alike. They have the same mannerisms, they have the same jokes, they have this all just the same. Does that happen to you? God's desire is that we would have real community. In fact, the phrase one another, you might not know this, but the phrase one another occurs 100 times in the New Testament. Nearly 59 of those occurrences are specific commands teaching us how to and how not to relate to one another. Of course, the most important one is to love one another, Jesus said. A new commandment I give to you that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you have love for one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples. So that's that's the key. But that's not all. We're told to love one another, to honor one another, to serve one another, to be kind to one another, to encourage one another, to teach one another, to build up one another, to forgive one another, to be devoted to one another, to admonish one another, to forgive. Can you get the picture? 59 one another's. Well, that would require being in community. How are you going to do that if you're not in community? I don't know if you remember this or not, but our our uh our purpose as a church is that everyone who calls Kapel Bible their home, our mission is this that everyone would know God personally through faith in Jesus Christ, that we would follow Jesus together. Because that's what he's called us to do, and that we would share him with others on a life-giving journey in our community and around the world. Now we have a couple of vehicles, by the way, which we hope that you'll experience true community. One is a quarter three strands. We encourage every adult and every teenager to have at least two other teenagers or two other adults that you meet with on a regular basis, where you share your prayer request and pray together, and they share theirs, and you pray together. If you're a guy, two other guys. If you're a gal, two other gals. But on some regular basis, you get together and actually get down to the nitty-gritty. Here's what's going on in my life. And I wouldn't share this with a larger group, but with you two, I'm gonna trust you. I'm gonna entrust to you my prayer needs. And then you pray for one another on some regular basis. And periodically in between time, you text each other, oh, by the way, that thing you told me to pray for you about, I want you to know I prayed for it today. But the other is life groups. We have some I get 14 or 15 life groups going on. That's where you gather. You see, this right here, this is not a life group. This is a listening group. You get to listen. But in a life group, you actually get to talk back and forth and get to know each other and do life together. And we encourage you to be part of that. And if you're new, we want to encourage you to be part of a life group. And in fact, we're going to do some launch groups here pretty quick. And you can see here that you can use that QR code and find out information how you might sign up for. I'd like to either join a life group that's already in existence or I'd like to be part of starting up a new life group. And you might want a life group that that has everybody in that life group is is in your stage of life. You might want to be part of a life group. No, actually, I'd like the mixed generations. I'd like some older folks to speak some uh wisdom into my life. Oh, I I'd like some young people because I like to hold their babies. You know what I mean? Maybe you want to be in one of those. Well, we have a deacon and a deaconess, and uh why don't you put them up there and you can be in touch with them and they'll help you. You that QR code will get you where you need to go. But this is Ian and Abby David, and uh they're our deacon-deaconess over life groups. By the way, uh they're probably sleeping right now because they just had a newborn. So you're probably not gonna see them today. Maybe they're upstairs. I don't know. Michael, they upstairs? Oh, they're actually upstairs. They are the walking, sleeping people upstairs. If you look for them, have a brand new baby. But we would love for you to participate in a life group. If you're here for the first time, you need to know you don't have to wait. You can jump on in there. We'd be happy to have you join us. We have a class called uh first starting point. Thank you very much. I almost named the old one. Starting point that happened. The first one happened today, but there's two more in the next two Sundays, and you can jump in there if you'd like to jump in there and get to know our church and have us get to know you. We're looking at flipping the script of what the world system has imprinted

Handle Anger Without Sin

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upon us. We commit to truth, we commit to community, we commit to harmony. Look at verses 26 and 27. Be angry and yet do not sin. By the way, that's a command to be angry. And do not sin, that's a command too. And do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. You know what the world system tells us? What's imprinted upon you? Don't get mad, get even. That's what the world says. Don't get mad, get even. The scripture says flip that script. Be angry. You know that there is a time that you should be angry? Did you know that? You know, Jesus got angry. Did you know that Jesus got angry? You know, when I first became a believer, I became a believer through a campus crusade for Christ, now known as Crew. And uh, we had this thing. And what's beautiful about Crewe is the moment you place your faith, your trust in Christ, they take you places and help you learn how to share your faith. You're almost immediately you're sharing your faith while you're still trying to fully understand what's happened to you. And we had this beach project we did one summer, and we get out on the beach in Daytona Beach, and we would play uh slow motion football on the middle of the beach. We just all spread out and we'd play slow motion football, and that would gather a crowd. And when the crowd gathered, after a little while of playing slow motion football, we'd stop and would break up and would start sharing with the crowd who we are and what we're all about and have a chance to share our faith. And I was sharing with this guy from Australia, and I was fairly new, and I was talking about how all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but that Jesus, sinless Jesus, fully paid for our sins. And this Australian said, Well, Jesus sinned, didn't he? I said, No, I was I was aghast. Of course he didn't sin. And he said, Well, he got angry, didn't he? I gotta tell you, he stumped me. I was so young in my faith, I thought, oh yeah, that is a sin. So I had to go back to the guy who was disciplined me. I said, I got stumped. This Australian stumped me. I didn't know what to do. Then he said, Look, let me show you. Be angry and yet do not sin. See, anger is an emotion, and we have lots of them by divine design. The word emotion comes from the Latin emotas, and it literally means to move. We have emotions that stir us up and want us to move into action, and they should. We have emotions of compassion should move us to action. How can we be compassionate towards somebody? We have emotions of sadness, there's a time to weep with those who weep. We have emotions of joy, there's time to rejoice with those who rejoice. There's a time, by the way, to be angry. But you can be angry and not sin. That is, you don't let your anger control you. In fact, this this uh quote again be angry and do not sin again comes from the Old Testament. It comes from Psalm 44. Here's what it says: Be angry and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still. What's the idea? Hey, settle down, find out what you're don't just slash out. What are you angry about? And how can you respond to this anger properly? You should be angry. Why? What do I need to do about it that isn't going to make things worse? The New Living Translation puts Psalm 44 this way: Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Give yourself an opportunity to figure out what am I angry about and what's the best way to respond to the situation I'm angry about. In fact, we're told in Proverbs 29, 22, an angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgressions. I wonder, you know, have you ever met somebody who seems to be angry all the time? The chances are that was imprinted upon them from a young age. I have uh two different neighbors who I run into periodically. We pass here and there. And both of them, their resting face is an angry face. You ever met anybody with a resting face that's an angry face? That's just their resting, and I feel sorry for them. I think that must be a rough life. You know what? If you walk into a room of people and everybody moves to the other side of the room, you might want to check out your resting face. You might want to say, no, wait a minute, what's going on here? You know, when we're speaking the truth to one another in love and community, sometimes we're gonna pull somebody aside and say, I know, I know when everybody gets to know you, they're gonna love you. But right now you're making it hard for anybody to get to know you, and you don't even know it. But I love you enough to tell you about it. And I'll stand with you and I'll help you share with others where you're truly coming from. God's desire is that we would commit to truth, that we would commit to community, that we would commit to harmony. In fact, in 1 Peter chapter 3, verses 8 and following, here's what it says to sum up, all of you believers, be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind hearted, and humble in spirit, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult. Don't get mad, get even. No, flip that script. But giving a blessing instead, for you were called for this very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. Tells the Romans this, Romans 14, 19. So then let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build up each other. He tells the Colossians this way, Colossians 3 14, above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us together in perfect harmony. Let me put it this way. Seek to win the person, not the argument. Seek to win the person, not the argument. A number of years ago, I uh a gentleman who had one part was one time was part of our church, uh, came to me. He had long since been going to a different church, but he called me and he he wanted a little pastoral authority. He was estranged from his adult daughter. And he wanted to sit down over a cup of coffee and explain to me how horrible she was and how terrible it was that she was estranged from him and his wife. And as he kept talking, it dawned on me what was happening here, and I asked him, I said, I gotta ask you a question. Everything you've told me, I'm under the impression you're trying to win an argument. I wonder if you're interested in winning your daughter. I'm sure you can win the argument. That's a real possibility. But I was under the impression you were here to find out how to win your daughter. You know, too often I've had uh either the couple as a whole or one member of the family, the husband or the wife in my office. And things are just bad.

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More often than not, I find out it's because somebody's trying to win an argument.

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Be angry and yet do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger. Whatever you do, don't give the evil one an opportunity. A foothold. This verse says this don't sin. Don't delay, don't forget. Be angry, but don't sin. Now, this idea of not letting the sun go down on your anger, that that is a Hebrewism that means don't just let it ride. You're already seen in Psalm 44, hey, be quiet, wait a while, figure it out. Let just rest in the Lord for a little while. Try to figure out why you're so angry, what what's got you going there, and what's the best way to respond so I don't make things worse. And don't forget, if you let just let this thing fester, you have given the evil one a foothold, literally a beach head in your life. It's a military term. You've given the evil one a beach head in your life so he can take over and destroy your life, your relationships, your family, your life. There is a time and a place to be angry. The question is, what are you gonna do with your anger? And the world says, Don't get mad, get even. The scripture says, Be angry and yet do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger. Whatever you do, don't give the devil an opportunity.

Work Hard So You Can Share

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We're looking at flipping the script. We're remembering we're not practicing religion here. By the power within the Holy Spirit, we're choosing to live a life of truth, a life in community, a life protecting the harmony of that community. And now we're committing to generosity. Look at this last verse, verse 28. He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Here's what the world says the one with the most toys wins. That's the world. The scripture says steal no longer. Rather use the gifts that God has given you and labor well. Perform with your own hands what is good. Be sure that you have something to share with Him who has need. Commit to generosity. Here's what 1 Timothy 6, 17 and 18 says. By the way, who's rich in this world? Don't raise your hand. Everybody in the sound of my voice. You do a little economic survey across the globe, you can find out you're filthy rich. You live in North America. Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. Basically saying, instead of giving the devil an opportunity, give yourself an opportunity to be generous. Proverbs 19, 17 puts it this way: one who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his good deed.

Ananias And Sapphira Warning

Barkef 43:02

You know, in the uh in the beginning of the church, God found it was so important that we be about truth, that we be about community, that we be about harmony, that we about generosity. Then in the early church, when someone began to violate that at the very outset of the creation of God's church, he had them pay a very high penalty. You might remember that uh on the day of Pentecost, thousands of Jewish believers came to trust Christ. Not the nation as a whole. That's a very small portion of the nation, but thousands of families came to trust Christ. And now they were kicked out of their community. The Romans didn't care about him to begin with. So now there are many of them who are physically. Physically, fiscally suffering. So those who were part of the brand new church started taking their stuff and selling it and giving it to the apostles to distribute to those who had very real need. It's a man named Barnabas who apparently had a pretty good piece of property. And he sold that property and he gave every cent of the proceeds to the apostles. And he said, Here, use it for those who are really in need. But there was a couple who saw this, and they were kind of jealous for this new reputation that Barnabas had. So they sold some property. And they brought a portion of the proceeds and laid it at the apostles' feet and said, Hey, we just sold the property, and here's all that we got for it, and we want to give that away. What were they doing? They were being deceitful. They weren't truly being generous. In fact, they were in a very snide way trying to get a reputation they didn't deserve. Now the Holy Spirit spoke directly to Peter and said, Peter, this family's got to be about the truth. Call them in. So he calls in. Ananias, the husband. His wife's not with him this particular day, no telling what. He comes and says, Ananias, I got to ask you a question. That property you sold, did you sell it for such and such a price? And I said, Yes, that's what it is. He said, Why would you lie to the Holy Spirit? And he dropped dead. Boom. Now let me ask you something. How is he lying to the Holy Spirit? Do you remember the promise? Everybody who places their faith, their trust in Christ alone as Savior is and dwelt by the Holy Spirit. He's lying to the community of believers who all have the Holy Spirit living within them. And God's so zealous for the truth and for community and for harmony and for generosity that he says, I got to take this one home. Because he's not representing me well. A couple hours later, his bride, Sapphira, shows up, not knowing what had happened to her husband. And as she walks in, the young men who had taken her husband's body to the grave are kind of accompanying her in. And Peter says, Sapphira, I want to ask you, did you sell that property for such and such an amount that you gave to us to give out to the poor? And she said, Yeah, that's right. Why would you join your husband in line to the Holy Spirit? The young men who took your husband's body away are standing next to you now. Boom. God took her home early. Guys, we're not talking about practice in religion.

Final Charge And Prayer

Barkef 47:26

We've entered into a forever relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior. He is the way, the truth, the life. And his every desire is that we would live a life of truth, not in our own strength, but in the strength that God provides. That we would live in a community, not that we created, but one that He created. And that we would protect the harmony of that community. And that we both individually and together would learn to be generous, to be a blessing. Because the day is coming when we're going to receive the ultimate blessing. Well done, my good and faithful servant. Would you stand and pray with me?