Accepted of Him 3-10 PM 1996

3-10 PM 1996

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

2 Corinthians chapter 5. I'm gonna watch the time tonight. Let's bring those children on around and bring them on in. It's uh not a long message tonight because we do have uh a couple of things honorable and a couple of meetings. Appreciate you being here tonight. Appreciate your good spirit. Isn't it good to have a church that's alive and doing something? Man, I I just tell you what, I I I spent all the time in prayer this afternoon and thanksgiving. Uh people getting saved and people uh couples, marriages, and getting put back together, and just so many things that the Lord's doing and through different people in our church and appreciate your work. It's not uh in any way, shape, or form uh one or two or three individuals, it's a whole church. We don't have the typical 8 80-20 rule at our church. In a lot of churches, uh 20% of the people do 80% of the work, and that's not the case here. A lot of many people involved. I'm I don't know what the percentage is, but uh, we want you to be involved because everybody will give an account. Say it again. Everybody will give an account. You're in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Let's get everybody in. They're coming in, Brother Dave, out there pretty good. Everybody coming in pretty good? Great. Let's bring them on in and everything. I want to read you a scripture in Romans while you're staying at 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Brother, and the reason it's not good in some churches where they have that 80-20 where 20% of the people are doing 80% of the work is the Bible's uh very clear uh about uh many, many different things, but one of the things that I think about is the idea about uh giving uh an account in some of the different things that uh we're going to be facing later on with our Lord. Here in 2 Corinthians, look there real quick, and I'll give you a scripture in Romans in just a moment. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, it says this in verse number 8. Verse number 8. While people are coming in, verse number 8. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be what? Absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we do what? We're working, amen. We're laboring. That, whether present or absent, we may be what? Accepted of him. Now, brethren, there's no doubt that salvation is secured by the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when it talks about there, whether absent or present, being accepted of him, the next verse says this for we must all appear before the what? The judgment seat of Christ. That every one may receive the things done in his body, whether it uh to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we do what? We persuade men. Brethren, the Bible says that every knee is going to bow, and every tongue will one day confess that Jesus is Christ, or Jesus is Lord. But may I say this to you, that also it says that every one of us will give an account individually, personally, of what we've done down here in our bodies. Is that right? And that's why he says, look at verse 9. If we were going to title this message, I would probably title it, Accepted of Him. Accepted of Him. And the idea is this in Christ, positionally, I know that I'm saved, that's secure, everything's settled. But one of these days I'm going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and if you would, he says, wherefore we labor, that whether present or absent, we be accepted of him. I want him to be well pleased with us. Accepted of him. I want him to be honored with what we've done down here. Because we're going to give account of the things done in our bodies, whether it be good or bad. And if you would, I want our works and our work that we've done for him down here to be accepted of him. And the idea is, I think, more the idea of pleasing in his sight. We certainly do not believe in our church that you have to work towards salvation. Salvation was done by the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Amen? It's his work, but we are his what? Workmanship created into Christ Jesus unto good works. He wants us to do something down here while he's down, while we're down here. And brethren, I think we ought to do it in labor, whether present or absent, to be accepted of him in our work that we do, realizing that we're going to have to face the judgment seat of Christ. Now, with that in mind, turn to Nehemiah chapter 13. Nehemiah chapter 13. I hope you still enjoy studying your Bible. Nehemiah chapter 13. Whether absent or present, we want to be accepted of him. And I don't think that really so much as talking about salvation, that's secure. But I do believe, brethren, that it's talking about the idea of what we're doing down here because the next scripture says we must give an account of those things done in our bodies, whether it be good or whether it be bad. Nehemiah. Now, I realize this is Old Testament, and I realize old and new, but look if you would at Nehemiah chapter 13, and look what Nehemiah says here, and I think he's got this idea of acceptance in mind. Now I understand the Old Testament, but look at Nehemiah 13 and understand what he's saying. In verse 14, he says, Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof. He was battled, he was opposed, and he gets down to the end of what he has done for God, and he said, Remember me, O my God, concerning this, the things that he's done, if you would. If you would, uh, a little bit later on, look at verse 22. Verse 22. Nehemiah says, This, and I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates to sanctify the Sabbath day. What he does is he sets some things back in order. And he says what? The next words? Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. And I understand somebody says, Well, you know, the Old Testament works, but I'd have to say to you, in what I'm talking to you about tonight, he wanted to be accepted of God for his work, what he had done down here, and he said, Remember me, O my God. I realize that our salvation is secure by Jesus Christ, but brethren, let me ask you a question. What will God remember you for? Let me ask you again. What will God remember you for? Look at verse 29. Verse 29. He's talking about some of those who had done evil, and he said, Remember, remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood of the Levites. Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business where he said, I got it all cleaned up. And for the word offering at times appointed, and for the first fruit. And the last thing he says in the book that God used him to pen was, would you say it together with me? Ready? Begin. Remember me, O my God, for good. One more time, please. Remember me, O my God, for good. Now I want to be, if you would, the works that we do down here, I want our works for him. And again, I say very clearly, and I won't say anymore, we don't work our way to salvation. We are created under good works, but brethren, we want our works to be accepted of him. We ought to live a life that is when we get to the judgment seat of Christ, it's accepted of him. And he said, Remember me, oh my God, for good. Nehemiah said it three times there, remember me, oh my God. Remember me, oh my God. Remember me, oh my God, for good. Look back, if you would, at Nehemiah chapter 2, and notice something that's very interesting here. Nehemiah chapter 2. Nehemiah chapter 2. And look, if you would, in verse number 8. A letter unto Asaph and keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertaineth to the house and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the what? Good hand of my God upon me. God's hand was no doubt upon Nehemiah. In verse 12, look at it, brethren. It says that God put in his heart what to do at Jerusalem. And I rose in the night, and I some men with me, and neither told I any man what God hath put in my heart to do at Jerusalem. So God put it in Nehemiah's heart what to do when he got to Jerusalem, and God's hand was upon him. Look if you would at verse 18, stay with me, and you'll get what I'm saying in a moment. Verse 18, then I told them of the what? Say it. The hand of my God, which was what? Good upon me. And down in verse 20, then answered I and said unto them, the God of heaven, he will what? Prosper us. Please look up here for a minute. Nehemiah says, Oh, remember me, O my God, for the good I have done. Let me ask you a question. Who caused Nehemiah to do good? God put in his heart what to do, and then God blessed his actions, and God prospered him. Don't you think tonight God's on our side? Don't you think God would like to remember us for good? Don't you think God wants our works to be accepted by him? See, God, some people have this concept that God's up there with this big stick, and anytime one of his children do wrong, he just delights in chastening us. Now God will chasten us, but I don't believe he takes delight and pleasure in the idea of some son going wayward and going out there and living in the bar somewhere, so he has to chasten them. I think he would rather have that son in church doing good works for him and being a part of what God wants him to do, so he can remember him for good and accept him for his good works. He put it in Nehemiah's heart to do good. He prospered him, he blessed him. Don't you think God, when he got up there, certainly I believe Nehemiah must have had a is going to have a pretty good judgment seat. You say, Well, he's Old Testament. Oh, I know, but that's already been cleaned out. Jesus took him with him, amen. The idea, though, is this God wants us to be accepted of him, of our works after our salvation. In fact, he puts himself in us and wants to work through us, so when we get up there, our works will be acceptable to him, and he can give his pleasure to us. He can give us rewards. Some people, some Christians, they never do. And I don't think it's many of our people here. I think most of you have. Some Christians, though, they never they never really do yield themselves to God so God can work through them. And thus, they never finish anything. For God. They yield themselves to God for a while. But when it gets difficult, when there's opposition, and there will be opposition. And when it gets a little tight and tense and there's hurt, sure they yield themselves to God, but somewhere along the trail they don't finish what they started. Some Christians, they yield themselves to God. And brethren, they keep on going and keep on going and keep on going and keep on going, some thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, some a hundredfold, but they finish. You know, many of us, we've already started. What we need to focus on is finishing. Being accepted of him, realizing that one of these days we will individually come before his judgment seat. And brethren, I'm not saying so much again about salvation. That's secure. But I'm talking about acceptance of him, of our works. And here's what he does: he authors and begins to finish our faith in us so we have actions upon that faith, so we can be pleased with what we're doing. You that are working in the bus route, you would have never been in there without God in you. You that are working in the prison ministry, and we have some men tonight that went down to preach in a prison. They'd never be down there preaching without God in them. If you're working those nurseries, you never work those nurseries without God in you. Whatever my point is, God puts himself in us, and then he says, I want you to do something for me so I can be pleased with what I've done through you and reward you later on. Remember me, oh my God, for good. It's God in us doing the work. What we're supposed to do is yield ourselves and give ourselves over as a living sacrifice. What do we sacrifice? What we want to do. That's what we sacrifice to do what He wants us to do. Stay with me just a little bit, and I wanted you to do this. Pick up Ephesians chapter 2 and Ezra chapter 1. We have a wonderful God with a tremendous plan. It's above us, Ephesians chapter 2 and Ezra chapter 1. Now stay with me. Again, the message is not going to be long tonight. Just a little exhortation to those who are laboring and laboring and laboring. And boy, I tell you what, if you haven't jumped in yet, you ought to jump into the labors of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jump into the work. Somebody says, this is a big church, there's nothing to do. I tell you what, we're a small church and there's plenty to do. Amen. You say, oh, this looks pretty big to me. You know what? It's not that big. Just a bunch of people getting together, doing something for the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. You say we've grown. Yeah, we've grown. But you know, with the growth, there's more opportunities than there's ever been. I can't tell you the number of the ministry leaders that call me and say, I need workers, preacher. Pray that I can get workers. Just all over the place. Ephesians chapter 2 and Ezra chapter 1. Now you know this scripture, but I want you to see it. Remember, the context tonight is we want to be accepted of Him for the works' sake, if you would, the works, realizing that the judgment seat of Christ is coming. I quoted the scripture, but I want you to see it. Ephesians chapter 2. We know verse 8 and 9. Grace are you saved through faith, and I'm glad of that. Amen? And that not of yourself, it's the gift of God, not of what? Works. It's not our works that save, it's his works, lest any man should boast, brag. For we are his what? Workmanship. And let me ask you a question. How's his workmanship in you? How's he doing? How's he doing? That's Pete's report tonight.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Amen!

SPEAKER_01 15:09

How's he doing? My point is this. He wants to take up his abode in us and cause us to do works for him. That's his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto what? Good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. In them what? Those good works. He comes inside of us and says, I want to cause Doug Fisher to do something good for me. All he has to do is yield, and when he yields, I'll cause him to do something good for me, because I want him to be acceptable in my sight, and when he comes before my judgment seat, I want to reward him according to his works. Now wait a minute. Some of you kind of look at me and say, What's this reward thing? Look at, you're in Ezra 1. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Maybe you've been listening to Harold Camping too long. Now listen, there's some things on that that I can I can get out of them. Enjoy the music and all that, but be careful of all the theology. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Stay with me now. I heard him one night butcher these scriptures. I know we're in the gospel as priests, we're in strife for envy. Yeah, I'm rejoicing too, but don't butcher it. Amen. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Look at verse number 8. Verse number 8. Now he that what? Planteth, and he that watereth are one. And every man shall receive his. And you you ought to, I've circled this, I've underlined it, his own reward according to his what? Own labor. Sure, his own labor. Well, wait a minute now. You're talking about works. Yeah, we're talking about rewards. We're not talking about salvation. He receives his own reward according to his own labor. But it's God stirring that man and that woman up inside, that hidden man of the heart for that woman to cause us to want to do good works that are works of faith towards him. Why? To be acceptable of him at the judgment seat of Christ. I don't think God wants us to come up the judgment seat of Christ and say, All right, here they come. I've been waiting on this crew. I think God wants us to do something so he can reward us. If a father has pressure giving his children rewards for doing right, and I'm just in the flesh, how much more should God want to give his children reward and he's in the spirit? I don't think he looks down at Lighthouse Baptists and says, I want to withhold from them so they can't do anything for me. I think he looks down at us and says, I want to do more for them because they want to do more for me. Sure. Sure. Hey, you know what in this church? Get in, get into preaching, and get doing something for God. That's what this is all about. And somebody says, you know what? No, don't pressure them. I don't pressure them too much, but the part of do I have a scripture on this one? Let me not get ahead of myself. All right, I'm gonna get ahead of myself. Hold your place, hold your place right there in 1 Corinthians 3. Look over at Hebrews chapter 10. Come on. Man, all kinds of scriptures start popping up. You get me riled up, amen. Say, come on. Hebrews chapter 10. Stay with me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hebrews chapter 10. Where's that scripture that talks about not forsaking the assembly of yourselves together? I know it's in there somewhere. I got it on my. There it is. Verse 25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another. Let me ask you a question. Where do we assemble ourselves together? Church. Absolutely, in church. In the local New Testament church. You run into people, you say, are you part of uh are you a Christian? Yes. Where do you go to church? Well, I'm part of the body of Christ. I know. What church do you go to? Where do you go to church? Where do you physically go to church? Well, I'm part of the body of Christ. You mean the eagles to gather together body? Oh, yeah. Well, then you're not in any church right now, is that right? Amen. The local New Testament visible church. That's what the assembly is here. Stay with me, not forsaking the assemblies of ourselves together, as the matter of some is. But exhorting one another. Exhorting, it has to do with this in verse 24. Let us consider one another to do what? Provoke unto what? Love and to good works. Why? We're created in Christ Jesus unto good works, and one of the whole purposes of church is to come together and exhort each other to keep on going. Keep on going, keep on going, keep on going. Why? Because every man will receive his own reward for his own what? Labor. And we want it to be acceptable to him. Now look back at 1 Corinthians 3. Did you already lose your place there? Alright? 1 Corinthians 3. Look at verse 13. Verse 13. You know this, but in context with what we're talking about. Nehemiah says, Remember me, O my God, for good. Well, sure. God had stirred him up to do something. God had put it in him to do something. God wanted to remember him for good. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, look at verse 13. Every man's work shall be made manifest. It's going to be made known. For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. And the fire shall try every man's say it. Word. Of what sort it is. If a man's work abide, which he had built upon thereupon, he shall receive a what? A reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. That's easy. That's very easy. You know what? If God makes me a millionaire, which I'm not planning on ever being, I'm supposed to flee riches, O man of God. Is that right? But if God ever made me a millionaire and I stuck it in a bank account and kept it in there and kept it in there and kept it in there and didn't give it to missions and didn't do anything with it, you know what? One of these days it's going to be all burn up. Is that right? But if I take that money and apply it to the church and apply it to the Lord's work and apply it to missions, it will never burn up. It's already laid up. Is that right? So we want it laid up, laid up, laid up, not burn up, burn up, burn up. Why? Because laid up is acceptable with him. Is that right? Come on. So the idea is these works, we want them to be laid up. Are you getting chilly in here? I know some of you, some of you are cold, some of you hot, some of you whatever, some of you not lukewarm. All right, good. Now, the idea though is, so he puts us in this. Now, stay with me. Uh, you know what? Gideon, when he was told what to do, he didn't just automatically yield himself to God. God had to work on him a little bit. Is that right? I mean, God had to give him the fleeces and then and give him his answers to prayer that way, and God had to send him down to eavesdrop in on the camp down there, and when he heard the it's the sword of the Lord. Gideon, I mean, he got excited, but God had to work on him yielding. Is that right? And God had to work on Moses to yield. I mean, he had to throw that rod down, and that became a serpent, and then he said, All right, pick it up. I'm not into picking up snakes, amen. It doesn't matter what it is, a snake, because a snake is a snake, and the best thing you do is stomp on its head. Amen. That's right. I don't like snakes. I don't like to pick them up, don't like to have anything to do with them. Just a matter, a snake is a snake, is a snake. Amen. They're subtle. But the idea is this, he said, pick it up. What was he doing? He was improving Moses' faith and causing Moses to slowly yield because he had a work to do in him. Then Moses said, you know what? I'm not of eloquent speech. Yeah. Is that right? Yes or no? And I'm not being unkind about it. He couldn't speak. So God gave him someone to go two by two, whose name was what? Aaron. Why? Because God knows two by two keeps each other going. And Moses, when he needed somebody to go with him, God says, hey, if you're still afraid, take someone with you. So he got a guy's name who was Furah. Look it. He went on down with Furah down to the camp. Why? He was still afraid. He did need somebody to go with him. And brother, I'm telling you tonight, we need each other. Husbands, you need your wives. Wives, you need your husbands. Men, you need another man to help encourage you along sooner or later. Lady, sister, you need another sister to help encourage you along sooner or later. Children, you need your parents to encourage you along. And parents, we need our children to encourage us along. I'm telling you tonight, God sends them forth two by two for a reason to keep it accountable and keep them encouraged. I read over in Ecclesiastes about this idea. He says this, two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they follow the one will lift up his father, but loaded him that is alone when he follows, for he's not another that helped him up. Two by two is good. God sent him forth two by two. Why? Because he wants to be have them acceptable on his side. He wants to give them rewards. He's not against us, he's for us. He's got a lot of rewards, he wants to pass them up. And I don't think he wants a warehouse full of junk that he couldn't even give to his children. Alright, it's not junk, it's crowns. What am I going to do with a crown in heaven? Give it back to him so when he rides back on his white horse, he can have many crowns. But don't make me feel like I'm a part of it. We've got a wonderful God with a wonderful plan. May I say that every once in a while, our church, because we're so active and so busy and so involved with the Lord's work, sinner lady, you might just say, man, when are we ever gonna stop? I want to give you the answer right now. In the millennium. In the millennium, we're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna rest. But right now, brother, we better redeem the time. Every once in a while, Christians grow faint. And you know what's okay? We all grow faint once in a while. You just don't faint to the place where you sleep out. Because time marches on. And may I say this? If God doesn't allow you to do it because you faint, God will have someone else to do it. And someone else will pick up on those blessings that you could have had and I could have had. That's all part of it. Nehemiah got opposed. Moses got opposed. Gideon got opposed. You just read through. Opposition is part of it. But brother, and it's good to be around some people that keep on going and keep on going and keep on going. Look at Ezra chapter 1 now. Ezra chapter 1. Stay with me. I'm three-quarters of the way through this message, I think. Ezra chapter 1. And with Ezra chapter 1, would you pick up 1 Timothy chapter 6, please? And don't ever get tired of turning to the scriptures. I know that uh there's different preachers that have different styles, and we'll have preachers in that they'll turn to a couple scriptures, and man, they're eloquent, and they'll give you great uh illustrations and everything. But you know what, as I get older, I just want you to know the book. Amen. Ezra chapter 1. You say, well, preacher, you ought to study more illustrations so we can get more illustrations. I'm not opposed to illustrations. I'm all for that. A lot of people do it. I've been putting my nose in the book, though. Ezra chapter 1. Ezra chapter 1. Now look at this thing when he talks about this workmanship idea and two good works. Not everybody has the same work to do, if you would. Everybody has sometimes just a little bit different. Look at Ezra chapter 1. And notice, if you would, verse number 3. Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him, and let him go to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel. This is the God which is in Jerusalem. So he says, I want you to go up, I want you to this is rebuilding that house that, if you would, was destroyed by the captivity. Look at verse 5. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the priest and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. Look at it. And all they that were about them. What'd they do? They strengthen their hands. How? With vessels of silver and gold and goods and beasts, precious things, beside all that were willingly offered. Look at chapter 2 and verse 1. Verse 1 of chapter 2. Now these are the children of the prophets that went up out of the captivity. Brethren, I just want to make a statement to you. Whether your job is that you go out, or whether your job and what you feel like you should do is support those that go out. Both jobs are important. Now stay with me. Some of them went up to Jerusalem, they physically went up to build the house. And some of them provided, if you would, their goods, their silver, their gold, their precious things for those who were going to go up, but they offered it willingly. Now there's some people that not only do they go up, but they take their things with them and give towards the work. Some people go out and they get the gospel out and they they work on winning souls to Christ. And I believe as many as we can ought to be involved in that. But if some reason, for whatever reason, and I don't know why God hasn't brought you to that yet, may I say this? Then why don't you provide some of the gold and silver so we can get some tracks, so we can keep that thing going, so we can get the gospel out. Whether your job is to go out or whether your job is to provide support, or maybe for some of us is to do both. My job is not just to preach, I put in my check today to the church. And I got an offering last week and I dumped a pretty sizable portion of it in. Why? Because I want to see this thing go on. And I'm not just gonna take money from the church, I want to give money back. I'm not just supposed to preach, I'm supposed to put things into this church. And by the way, I did it for two and a half years before I never became a full-time pastor with this church. I put my money where my mouth is, and I'm still putting it there. And my wife has never said anything to me about why do you dump that much money into the church? Every year, when we get our financial report, and that's the only report I get about who's given what, when I get my financial report, I show up to my wife and she says, Praise the Lord. Look how much he let us give this year. I've never had her say, Why are you giving that much? We've double given sometimes. She puts a check in and I put a check in. Every once in a while, somebody will come in and we'll both feel, and she'll put uh some money in and I'll put some money in. And we'll compare notes later on. I never went and asked for a check back. I'm sorry, we we we double gave. Leave it in there, man. God can provide. I'm still paying off my building pledge. I just don't go out and have, you know, what I pledged to bring it in, but I'm still paying mine off. I'm gonna be faithful to my vow, amen. But not only am I supposed to do that, and some of you are supposed to do that, we're supposed to go. Some are prayers. My point is the good works that we do is workmanship created in Christ Jesus. There can be all kinds of things. But what I am saying, brethren, we ought to work to be accepted of Him. Teenagers ought to work to be accepted of Him. I'm not trying to let anybody out and you say, well, you know, everybody ought to witness, everybody should witness. Everybody should witness. Everybody can give out a gospel track, even if you can't talk very well to people in your study. You can give out a gospel track. Nothing wrong with that. But everybody can give towards what we're doing. God's got a plan. A percentage. It's a wonderful plan. And it's laid up. Look at 1 Timothy chapter 6. Stay with me, brother. We're almost done. 1 Timothy chapter 6. Why are we doing it? To be accepted of Him? What do you mean? Good works? Oh no, no, no. Not as far as our salvation goes, but as far as our judgment seat goes. 1 Timothy, chapter what? 6. 1 Timothy chapter 6. I'm losing a lot of different scriptural references tonight. I'm pulling out different things in different places. So let me get there with you in 1 Timothy chapter 6. And notice, if you would, verse 18. Verse 18. Oh, let's look at verse 17. Charge them that are rich in this world. That they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches. Why? Riches make themselves wings and fly away. But in the living God who enjoy who giveth us richly all things to do what? Enjoy. That they do good. That they be what? Rich in what? Good works. Ready to distribute. Willing to what? Communicate. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may laid hold on eternal life. You already know it, but ready to distribute, willing to communicate. Let me show you two scriptures about communication. Look at Philippians chapter 4 and 1 Chronicles 29. Stay with me, don't miss this. Philippians chapter 4, one of them you may know, and 1 Chronicles chapter 29. Philippians chapter 4, first. Communications. Why? That we may be acceptable. Our works may be acceptable to him. And remember it's him doing it through us. What an opportunity. Philippians chapter 4. And notice what he says, verse 13. I can do all things through Christ, which does what? Strengtheneth me. Notwithstanding ye have well done. Well done, he says, that you did what? Communicate with me or communicate with my affliction. Now, Philippians, do you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when it departed from Macedonia? No, church, what? Communicate with me as concerning what? Giving and receiving. It's money. But ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again into my necessity. Not because I desire a gift. He says, I'm not looking for your money. I desire fruit that may abound to your account. He says, I want you to lay it up. I want you to be acceptable before God. I want you to be acceptable in the way of your works. And that's what communication is all about, is as far as our giving. And many of you do, but if you fell away from it, get back with it again. Why? Those opportunities for good works are going away. They're just walking on by you. Notice how simple it is when you really get down to it. Look at 1 Chronicles 29. Chronicles, not Corinthians. Chronicles. Please don't miss this. Why does it get quiet when we talk about money?

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No, no, sir.

SPEAKER_01 34:12

Come on. 1 Chronicles 29. Look at this little thing here. This is great. This will just ease your mind so much. It'd just be so easy to give and lay up that treasure and have something that God says is acceptable unto him. And by the way, you're doing a good job. This is not a message to scold in any way, shape, or form. And I'm not trying to, if you would, get any more fleece any more money from the flock or anything like that. I just want to encourage you to keep going in good works in many different areas. 1 Chronicles 29, look at this, brethren. Look at verse 6. Then the chief of the fathers and the princes of the tribes of Israel and the captains of thousands, captains and hundreds, and the rulers of the king's work, what'd they do? Offered how? Willingly. Look what they did. And gave for the service of the house of God of gold 5,000 talents, 10,000 drams, and of silver, 10,000 talents, brass 18,000. Man, they gave. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house, Lord. I'm not trying to get you money. Look what verse 9. After they gave, then the people what? Say it. They rejoiced, for they had offered, they offered willingly. Because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to who? The Lord. David rejoices with them. Now, he gets down there, and David blesses the congregation in verse 10. And he prays the prayer, if you would, and he blesses them. And then he says this, verse 13, look at it. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name. But who am I? Look at it. And what is my people? That we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort. Look at this, listen to the next little statement. For all things come of thee. And of thine own have we given thee. You know what he said? It's yours, anyways. All as we've done with all those drams and all those talents and all those things, all as we've done, Lord, is given you back what's really yours. Why? Because it's his workmanship in us that allows us to get that. And all we do is give back what is already his. Is that right? Yes or no? We give back to him what is already his. But look up here, if we don't give back to him what is already his, the Bible says we rob him. Is that right? Yes or no? Now look up here. He gives me, he gives me a power to get a little wealth. And wealth is just money. It's filthy lucre. Amen? So he gives me power to get a little money. How's that power? He keeps my heart beating. That's the first thing, amen. And he allows me to get a paycheck. Now, he allows you to do that same thing. Now, please look up here. Then what he says is, I've already did a work in you. I've worked in you, and you're my workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto what? Say it. Good works. And part of those good works is communicating, which is giving money. Then all he says is all I want you to do is give back a little bit of what's already mine. I own you. I own your body. I own your soul. I own everything that you have. I bought you, I paid for you. And all I'm going to ask you to do is give a little bit back, and I'll tell you what, I'll let you keep the rest. But if we don't give back, you say it's mine, it's mine, it's all mine. No, when you give yourself to him, you're his, you're his, you're all his. And everything we have. And he gives us the opportunity to do things that are acceptable unto him. And don't you think that he won't reward us later? Because we don't do it for our own glory, we do it as unto him. Every once in a while, I just dump some extra in. Just in case. You say, why? Job did. Every once in a while, he just offered a little bit more sacrifice just in case one of his children messed it up. Job chapter 1, verse 5. Is that right? He just sacrificed just a little bit more. Every once in a while I say, Lord, if I forgot to put something in for some reason or something like this, here's an extra 50. Oh, you're saying you must be rich? Are you kidding? But I don't want to get in trouble by taking from him what's his. Because it is his. And if I can't be faithful in that which is least, unrighteous mammon, how is he going to trust me with the true riches, wisdom, and knowledge and faith and charity? Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Not trying to get you money. I'm more interested that you are acceptable to him. Come on, I'm enjoying it, aren't you? Brother, I want you to have a good judgment seat. Hey, teenager, if you're making some money, you better start tithing. Not because we want what's yours. We want fruit to abound to your account. Start now. It'll be easier later on when you make millions. And we want you to. And stay right here in our church. Just kidding. Look at Titus. We're almost finished. Titus chapter 3. Come on, Titus chapter 3. Stay at home. Stay at home. Make a million. Amen. Just kidding. Come on. We want fruit. Yeah. Take Mike out to lunch. Titus chapter 3. He'll let you buy. Titus chapter 3. Watch this now. His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. So he allows us, if you would, he gives us the ability to do the ministry. He works through us, not only in giving, but in going and giving out the gospel and in singing and in playing the instruments and our work for the Lord. And then he wants to, if you would, reward us later. Look at Titus chapter 3. Look at verse 14. Verse 14. And let ours also learn to do what? Maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not what? Unfruitful. Look at Titus chapter 3, verse 8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou do what? Affirm constantly. That means bring them up again. Affirm them again. Think about them, that they which have believed in God might be what? Say it. Careful to do what? Maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. Look at chapter 2 and verse 14. Verse 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a what? Peculiar people. What makes them peculiar? They're zealous of what? Good works. What makes them peculiar is they're zealous of good works. Workmanship created in Christ. Remember me, O my God, for good. Oh Nehemiah, I'm going to remember you for good because I put it in your heart to do good. And then I blessed you and put my hand upon you so you could do good. And when the opposition comes, I give you the courage to keep on going. Why? Because I'm going to remember you for good because that's what I've wanted to do all along. But Nehemiah, all you have to do is yield yourself to me. And let me work through you. That's all. One more scripture. Look at John chapter 6. John chapter 6. Brethren, tonight, if you're working for the Lord, I know sometimes it gets a little tough, a little tedious, a little tiring, some opposition. You feel like it's time to maybe pack it in. Don't pack it in yet. It's not time to pack it in yet. And brethren, you're not doing it as unto me, you're doing it as unto the Lord. Look if you would at John chapter 6. What's the main work? Verse 28. And they said unto him, What shall we do that we might what? Work the do I? Let's say that again. Look at it. What shall we do that we might what? Work the of God. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God. So here it is. This is it. That you believe on him, whom he hath sent. So the work is to cause others to believe on him whom he hath sent. Why do we have a bust ministry? To work the works of God? That those children and those adults may believe on him whom he hath sent. Who's the him? Jesus Christ. Why do we have a street preaching ministry? That we might work the works of God. Why do we do it? That we might be acceptable of him. I know all your time you go out there, you say, man, I go out there and you know somebody's unkind to me and somebody, you know, rejects me and unruly to me, but you're working the works of God, and that might not be acceptable to men, but it's acceptable to him. And the whole idea of us being down here is to give him pleasure. And what gives him pleasure is that we do works that he does within us, that we yield ourselves to him, and that we do the things that he chose us to do, whether we want to or not, whether we feel like we should or not, whether we wake up with zeal or not, but we just do it sometimes out of duty, duty, duty, duty, and keep on going because it's right to do, it's right to do, it's right to do. And then we get to opportunity to work the works of God from time to time, and we get to see someone save it, or we get to see some money that we put in, and somebody else got saved a result of it, or a missionary comes back and gives us a good report about what's going on, those are the works of God. And if you're not involved with it, I want you to be acceptable of Him. Need an umbrella tonight, amen. So if you're tired and weary and worn out, at least it's not because sin in the world is predominant. At least it's worthwhile. At least it means something in eternity. If you're tired of teaching that Sunday school class, at least you're doing it for the right reasons. And it's going to mean something in eternity. If you're tired of watching those twos and threes year old or training them, at least you're doing something good for God. At least you're laying something up that moth and rummus can't get to. Nobody can take it from you. You think I go slowly, but it never seems like anybody gets saved. Nobody comes to church. Just keep going. Just keep going. You say why I can't go Thursday night. Come out Saturday. Why am I can't go Saturday? Find a part and go out and do it with someone and give them a track or give them at a gospel track. Easter's coming. Give them up some Easter flesh. What am I? Work the works of God while there's still time and why much yet day. The night cometh. Our work shall be done. I'll guarantee you we will say when it's all over. Oh, if I just would have done a little bit. So we're in a church where we encourage each other and keep on going. You know what? I'm glad we're in a church that's not lethargic. You know what lethargic means?

SPEAKER_00 45:24

No, sir.

SPEAKER_01 45:35

Sleepy. Lazy.

unknown 45:39

Wicked.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

Slothful. We all get it once in a while, but you can't come into the church very long and get back into these services and get under some of the preaching we've had through here recently and come and not want to get back out again. And you know what we need? Every once in a while, we need to come into the assembly again and get provoked. Poked a little bit. Goaded just a little bit. Encouraged just a little bit. To love and what? Good work. To be acceptable of Him. Brethren, I make this last statement. He that has begun this work in us will perform it. He will perform it. He's the author and finisher of what? Our faith. Our faith. And he wants us to do works that are pleasing in his sight. By the way, I notice some of y'all are getting a little chilly and everything. If, if you say, Where's that Charlie? He's out preaching tonight. He's down at one of the prisons or one of the jails preaching tonight. So before we go, instead of saying, I'm gonna find that Charlie was too cold, why don't you pray for him while he's preaching? He's out doing good works. Getting that opportunity. He's been praying for a long time. He's got a couple men with him. It's so good to see what the Lord's doing in our life. Let's be careful to maintain what? Good works. Why? To be acceptable. What's the work? This is the work that you believe on him who is sent. And by the way, Jesus said, I've finished the work. He did his. He didn't just start it, he finished it. You know what we need, brethren? A lot of us are doing it. You know what we need to do? Finish it. Keep on going. Finish it. All the way to the end. Easter's coming. And you know what? Oh man, it's time change Sunday on Easter. What a bummer for a pastor. And it's spring ahead. You know what that means? That means we're going to have to work a little harder to get them here on time. That means we're going to have to call them at 2 a.m. in the morning and say, don't forget to set your clock ahead. That means we have to call them in the morning and maybe even pick them up and get them here. Why? That they might believe on him whom he hath sent. Why should I do that? To be acceptable of him. For we all will give an account of the things done in our bodies, whether it be good or bad. And what we ought to do is work the works of God. He put it in us to do it. He wants us to do it. He's encouraged us to do it. He's given people to encourage us along down here. Brother, let's be careful to maintain good works and not to faint. For in due season we shall what? Read. If we faint. You're fainting tonight? They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their. Maybe you need to wait upon the Lord just a little bit tonight. Not time to quit. Time to keep going for Lord Jesus. Let's all stand. Don't leave. Tonight, after the services and after the quick honor roll presentation, the ladies, if you're interested in personal evangelism, meet in the chapel with Mrs. Longo. Men, if you can't go Thursday night, it's available on Sunday. Different associate pastors would love to take you out and do visiting, go soul winning, whatever we can do to help you along. If you don't know anything about it, we'd love to train you. Why? Because we want fruit that may abound to your account. Let me say it again. We want fruit that may abound to your account. Why? So the Lord will be pleased and give you the rewards that He's wanting to give you. Let's be careful to maintain those good works with your heads bowed and your eyes closed. May I say this tonight? He said, Remember me, O my God, for good. Let's remember who put it in us to do good. Tonight, we wouldn't even be in church tonight without the Lord Jesus have drawn us here and put it in our hearts to be here. We would never give out a gospel tract had He had not done His workmanship in us. We'd never given a dime in the offering plate had it not been for His workmanship in us. So whatever you've done, brother, we ought to thank Him that He stirred us up to do these works. And then maybe some of us tonight need to pray one for the other. It wouldn't hurt for you if you're part of a ministry to maybe get on your knees and pray for leadership in that ministry. And I mean that. You never know what those men and women who lead these different ministries are going through. And it wouldn't hurt to just say, Lord, we need to encourage those encouragers that lead us and pray for them that they might be careful to maintain in good works that provokes us to do more. Tonight, we ought to give ourselves to prayer and thanksgiving for what God's done for us in our church and our lives and ask Him to let us do more so much more. You see, I can't do anything more than just keep doing faithfully what you're doing.