Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Crucified Pt.4

Amen. I'm looking forward to a time, tonight, of being able to send the group on its way to Africa. Be prayerful concerning that aspect of the ministry. An exciting time is ahead, looking for some great fruit to manifest. It's been just about a year since we were there. Let me just read you a report, one of the latest reports from Eldoret, and let's just see the fruit of last year's visit.

Greetings in the blessed name of our Savior. The expectancy of our Apostle and the teams coming is ringing in the air among the saints here in Eldoret. They are growing anxious to see the Apostle's face; to meet him at long last. We are seeing the merciful and good hand of the Lord in this place. The meetings have been powerful this week. The presence of God is mending broken hearts and calling people to a fresh commitment to Christ. Souls continue being stirred and sinners coming to repentance. We had 100 adults in our service on Sunday [That's just adults, praise God!] and a pack of kids. [So they've been running about 45, 50 or more children. So here we have about 150 or so people in Eldoret, running now about the size of the Umoja church. So we have a couple of churches averaging well over 150, right up there with Kakamega. All of them very strong, healthy, right now. An exciting thing, the churches in Kwanjenga, that church has doubled already. The last report I had there said we had like 50 adults in Kwanjenga and last time I was there I think we had about a dozen or something like that. So it's an exciting thing that's taking place. Let's see, 100 adults in the service....] Prayer meeting on Tuesday had over 60 adults yearning and travailing and calling upon God. We had 60-65 in the midweek service as well, with 35 in prayer on Thursday. The young adults on Friday continue to come on strong, with relationships growing deep. We had about 42 or more young adults, yesterday; most of them are single. Married couples meeting [That's for some of you going over. You never know what God has for you.] Married couples meeting was this evening and marriages are being touched and changed as we read several pages each meeting from "Adam's Rib" and then teach upon them. The youth group is wanting to take off as there is a growing excitement among these young people.

God is gathering the halt and maim in this place. So many hurting, lost and broken lives. We stand in awe of Him and His mercy toward us. We sense tangibly the prayers of the saints in Sterling bringing down the powers of darkness in Eldoret. People are growing deeper in the Word of God. Ministry proceeds forth daily from the house of God. I watched the elderly former DC of Kakamega [You remember we had DCs and PCs, and all of that, when we were going through our--the DC would be like what would be one of our state senators, or something along that line. Not the mayor, but over the whole region of Kakamega, not just the city. So he wouldn't be the mayor; he would be above the different mayors.] The elderly retired DC of Kakamega, a notable man, this past week he spent every day in our study room. Yesterday he sat for over six hours listening to Pastor's tapes on How Great is the Darkness, taking pages of notes. Many lives are being touched daily.

The fellowship among the people is supernatural; this is different from most in this area. It's not religion and it's not hype. We are visiting and reaching people in their homes; those who are hurting, those who are lost. They are not used to people coming looking for the lost sheep. People are coming from many places, thirsty for the presence of God. We have all different tribes, the Kikuyu, the Kalenjin, the Luhya, the Kambe, the Kisii, the Maasai and even a group of Sudanese. Please tell the people to keep praying for us. Their prayers are not in vain. God is using them in a mighty way. This is not of man. I have never seen anything quite like this; there is an unusual move of God taking place in our midst. We need more grace each day as His earthen vessels. We tremble to stay out of the way. We long to see Jesus to have the preeminence and no flesh to glory in His presence. We know enemies are on all sides, and we face oppositions and oppressions in the spirit daily, wars within and wars without. The workload is much, needs on all sides, but we are daily crying out for the sufficiency of God. Please tell the people to keep praying. [How many times has that been said?]

We thank God for all the saints in Sterling, for all the faithful prayers and support we so freely and abundantly receive. For the teachings, the counsel and guidance we are so indebted. You all are ever in our hearts. May the Lord God bless you a hundredfold for your compassion and mercy toward the broken lives here in Eldoret and all our flocks in Kenya. May the Lord strengthen and keep you by His mighty power and grace. Tony

So thank God, a lot of great things are going on, and some of you are going to get to see it first hand and lend toward the establishing, the reaffirmation, of God's presence and grace. Many things are going on in the area of opposition. It's a war, and the spirit of the great whore of religion is so prominent in those areas, and we just have to continue to pray, for we stand no chance with earthly weapons. Our weapons are not carnal; they're mighty through God, amen? There's not enough money to bail these people out. There's no 12-step program that's the answer. We have, in our churches there, people who are infected with AIDS. As you know, the whole nation of Kenya is just racked with AIDS and the projection is, in just a couple of decades, over 40 percent of their population is going to be lost. Think of that. Think of one out of every two Americans dying of AIDS in this period of time. As I was talking to someone, a secular individual, not too long ago (he was actually a medical doctor) about the ministry and the outreach in Africa and the different things that were taking place. It was interesting, he kept talking about social things, are you taking medicine and what about this. And I said we're not doing anything about their social dilemma. There is no hope. We're talking about an eternal investment. We're talking about laying up treasure in heaven, amen? We have the answer to these people's eternal needs. So, just continue to pray, we're not going to reach the whole nation. If we can reach this handful that God's given us and be faithful, then each of us is going to be able to stand in that last day and hear well done. For the hours that you've spent here in intercession, you're going to hear well done. You don't ever have to go over there, but you're heart does. As part of our outreach, you're heart has to go out. If it doesn't go to Africa, then it has to go to Sterling. (And if you really have a big heart, you can go as far as Herndon.) But we have to look beyond ourselves. There's a world that's dying, that's under the power of the kingdom of darkness. We are the light of the world and we can't hide this light under a bushel of contentment, ease, staying in our comfort zone, for freely we have received, freely we are to give. Amen?

Let's turn to Colossians, chapter 3, and we'll pick up where we were. We've got a couple more sessions here and we'll be ending. Wednesday, I'm going to be in Richmond ministering. It's been a long time since I've been there, so we're going to go down there and get to see the saints in Richmond, and see if we can bring some encouragement to them in this time of trial. Be prayerful. We're believing God, that we can speak a word to them in season. Robbie is doing well. Just continue to hold his hands up. There are many different things taking place in that situation that--God's will is going to be done, period. We need to just continue to pray that the Lord would be glorified, and that in all of this His wisdom would manifest and there would be a heart, a prayerful heart, that says, "Lord, not my will but Your will be done." We know that's where Rob is. We're praying for the restoration of that family and a healing in the fellowship, so just continue to pray and believe God.

Chapter three of Colossians: "If ye then be risen with Christ...". Now remember the context. We're talking about crucified. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet, not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). We've talked about the need to die daily. Paul said, "I die daily," which is his statement to the Corinthians, a people who did not know a whole lot about dying. Those people were into living, partying. They were into the self-life. And Paul is trying to talk to this group of people and say, if you're new creatures in Jesus Christ, as he wrote to them in that epistle--We're new creations; old things have passed away, all things have become new. "If you are new creatures, then there has to be a relationship to Jesus in His death to the self-life." So Paul says, "I war to put my body under. I die daily. I am crucified with Christ."

Romans 6, we saw, made it very clear that if we were crucified with Him then we're going to be raised with Him. Now, there is a lot of talk, and has been over the last decade, out of Romans 6 about the resurrection power, the identification with the power of Christ. One of my favorite Scriptures, a Scripture that, if I used a Scripture when I was signing in the past at different meetings we had (miracle rallies, whatever), I would always sign, "Philippians 4:13." Most of you here know what Philippians 4:13 says: "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheth me." Now, the problem is that so many people put the emphasis in the wrong place in that passage of Philippians 4:13. What happened is, in the perverted perspective, it began to be emphasized this way: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheth me." We need to understand that there is no good thing in us, and without Him we can do what? You see that's the emphasis, beloved. Without Him I can do nothing, but I can do all things through Christ which strengtheth me. For only when I'm weak can His strength be perfected in me. You see, if you want to know the power of God, you're going to have to be emptied of all of your own power, all of your own strength.

We're going to talk a little bit this morning about how to walk in that resurrected power in the putting down, in the disassociating of ourselves of all things that are natural, or as Paul said, "I count all things loss...[all things as dung, refuse. Everything that I used to have confidence in is waste; it's worthless to me] that I might win Christ" (Philippians 3:8). Is that our testimony this morning, or is there still a tendency to trust in and boast in anything in the natural? Gifts, so many of us trust in possession, position; why would you trust in that? You didn't get it, you didn't earn it. It was given to you; everything you have God gave you. "Oh, yes! Amen, brother!" We don't believe that. Most people don't believe that. Oh, we say it. It's part of our doctrine. But, what about your heart? Is it your heart? Do you know that everything you possess is a gift of God, every breath you take, every ounce of your strength, every natural resource God has graced us and gifted us with? Our boast, then, has to be in Him alone. Romans 6, then, speaking of that resurrection power--turn over there, quickly, to Romans 6; I want you to see it. Keep Colossians 3, we're coming right back. In that passage, listen to the way the apostle spoke this by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Verse 5: "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is [was and is] crucified with him, [and as long as you're still identifying with the death of Christ, as long as you're dying daily, look what it goes on to say] that the body of sin [then, is] destroyed, [and you are no longer the servant of sin]."

Whenever sin begins to dominate you again, whenever you're brought down, it's because you are not crucified. You are not remaining in that position of dependence, of humility. You are not reckoning yourself dead to sin and alive to Jesus Christ, as Paul goes on to say. We're beginning to trust in our own strength. "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death," and as long as we can identify with His death, we shall know the likeness of the glory, the power of His resurrection. See, many of us want to experience the resurrection power, but we don't want to identify with the humility of the death, the emptying of ourselves. There is no power available to you until you are powerless. God's power is not available to you until you're powerless. Are you ready to become absolutely vulnerable this morning? "No, I've got to protect myself. There's a devil out there. There are people out there trying to take advantage of me. If I don't protect myself..." then you catch yourself and you won't let yourself say it. You believe it, but you won't let yourself say it. "If I don't take care of myself, then no one will take care of me." What an insult to your heavenly Father, who has already said that He's given us everything that pertains to life and godliness. What an insult to a Father who says it's His good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. What an insult to a Father who has already declared that He knows what you have need of, that no weapon formed against you will prosper, that He will never leave you nor forsake you.

I made the comment the other day, and I'll make it again: our lifestyles are so prominent (the fruit of them) that our doctrine is becoming of no effect. We teach our kids one thing here every day in school, and live a life that far outspeaks our doctrine--of being independent, of dependence upon stuff, of the love of material things. Anything but the cross! We use, as parents, every ounce of our strength every day to keep our children from going to the cross, the very place they need to be. Our decisions are made to keep them from the cross, keep them from pain, keep them from death to self, keep them from embarrassment, keep them from humiliation, keep them from the fear of lack that comes from lack of power, lack of substance. We make them totally reliant upon Mom's and Dad's check, credit card, ability to wheel and deal, and beloved we need to point them to the cross so they can become generations who have dug their own wells, have fought their own battles, have tasted and said, "God is good."

So Paul says in Colossians: "If ye then be risen with Christ..." Well, you can't be risen until you've died, until you've been buried with Christ, Romans six, until you've been crucified. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." You see, the one indication of personal death and resurrection is the affection in the heavenlies. You can always tell a man who is no longer an earth dweller by what his real treasures are. Now, we're not just talking about material things, though that's one of the curses in our nation: materialism. But we're not just talking about that. We're talking about where our life is, where our peace is, where our trust is. So we have to ask the question, not only material things, but the question: "Are you content in the Lord, or do you have to have a spouse? Do you have to have someone around all the time? Do you have to have men encouraging you?" Now, thank God, and that's part of it, we all want people in our lives. We are social beings. God has created us that way, so don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm asking: is it out of proportion? You know, like the little kid (we've told the story) who was praying during the thunderstorm. We had that wild one here the other night. The girls, Kim and Jeff were saying, (it's funny) just as they were starting to put them in bed we had, I don't know where you were, but we had a wild one the other night. I can't remember what night it was, but just as the kids were going to sleep, and the big thunderstorms and, you know how it is as kids, that gets you excited. So over the years people have made up all kinds of myths about what that is: God's bowling and different things. But whatever, the kids are looking for some comfort at that time. So the parent comes in and prays with them and says, "Just don't forget, the Lord's here with you, and He said He would never leave you." And the little child's response to them was, "Oh, I know that. But can someone with skin stay here?" Sometimes we like skin, don't we? We want somebody in the natural to hold on to.

But the question this morning is: is your life hid with Christ in God? Is you're treasure in the heavenlies? Is your gaze into the heavens? Is that you're treasure? Can you truly say, as we looked the other day into the gospels, that we love Him more than mothers and fathers and houses and lands and wives and children? Who has your heart this morning? You see, until there becomes the daily crucifixion, we all have the same natural treasures. We all have the same propensity to hold on to those things that are naturally tangible, the opposite of faith. Because faith lives in unseen realm; faith doesn't need to touch; faith is not moved by its senses. Faith is moved by the promises of God. Faith is moved by the integrity of God. Faith is the source of a relationship with God. Faith is the power that comes from the resurrected life of having crucified self, emptied ourselves of all personal dependence, totally reliant upon the presence of God, the unseen One. Where's our life today? Where are we living? "If [we] then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where [Jesus] is seated at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." You see, that's where we find out whether we're living the crucified life: Where our affections are, where our emotions are tied up, where are appetites are, what do you really want?

I was mentioning to someone the other day, we do a lot of things, and I've been fortunate enough over the years to do a lot of things that are fun. I've gone a lot of places, done a lot of things that are fun, but only ministry is gratifying. I've had a lot of fun, but it never satisfies; it never gratifies. But when your affections are fed by the eternal, when everything in you desires that visitation of God--We can have full disclosure of everything else that exists and it doesn't satisfy. But just to catch a glimpse of the hinder parts of God will change you for a lifetime. Just to be in the cleft of the rock and have God pass by and get a glimpse of His hinder parts is more valuable than all of the knowledge and experience the world can afford us. Do you have that kind of a hunger just to glimpse God? Just one quick--the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley, and it satisfies.

"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." How do we know that? Look over to Galatians for just a moment. We're talking about, verse 5 of Colossians 3, mortifying our members (and we talked about that) that are upon the earth. Galatians 5, and keep your finger here in Colossians 3; it's very obvious, the parallel. In the Galatians passage we're all familiar with, in the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, we see in verse 19: "The works of the flesh are manifest, [we see then] Adultery, fornication, uncleanness...and they which do such things [verse 21] shall not inherit the kingdom of God." The man who is living in the flesh, the man who's living after these things, whose affections are on these things, is not going to inherit the kingdom of God. You can name the name of Jesus all you want. You can cry. You can sign membership cards, but the man that does these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Romans 6 said it a different way: "Sin shall not have dominion over you," the dominating force of our lives. What satisfies your appetite? You see, if earthly things can satisfy you then your appetite is earthly, but if only spiritual things can satisfy you then you're living in the Spirit.

You see, you take of the things and it just doesn't satisfy. It doesn't do it. How many of you know that. You go down, and you drop five grand for a cruise, and you come back in no better shape than you left. And you come up here and in thirty minutes of prayer you get up and you're a new man; you're refreshed. Anybody know what I'm talking about? What satisfies you? So, when we're talking about crucifying ourselves, basically, we're talking about: stop believing that Princess Line will solve all of your problems, and spend some time in the Word of God and in prayer. Instead of looking for a luxury room on a cruise, how about going and staying in the "Y" in Nairobi? Just a suggestion for those who may need to be crucified, those who are looking for some other way of contentment, of satisfaction. Not everybody needs that. We're not talking about works. We're talking, remember, about the whole subject; we're talking about identifying yourself. What is it that's holding you captive? What has your heart this morning? What is it that has crept into your life, that has choked the Word of God out, which needs to be stripped from us so that we can set our affections on things that are above? If you don't do it, you're not going to inherit the kingdom; that's all there is to it.

Now flip back to Colossians, verse 5, chapter 3: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness...[Verse 6, now, check it out] "for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." Now, you see, there's a whole powerful segment of fundamentalists that is ultra-Calvinist that believes you can't be lost. And we've talked about eternal security, etcetera, as a false doctrine. We've also exposed the false doctrine of the extreme Arminians, who lean toward a works salvation. We're not saved by works. I knew people that were so extreme, as I was growing up in the faith, they fully believed this--no they didn't, either. They taught this but they couldn't believe this, because if they did they would have to know they were lost, also. But they would teach that any transgression, any offense: you're lost. You know, our lives would be in jeopardy eternally every morning going to work, because if somebody pulled in front of you, and you got angry with them, and the rapture took place simultaneously, you weren't going, was their doctrine. That's not what the Scripture teaches. That's not what Paul is saying here. He's talking about that which dominates your life. The tenses in First John speak to it very clearly, and we can understand from that tense that it's not just talking about a momentary sin, but it's talking about the preoccupation, the dominance, of sin in the life of an individual that causes us to lose this relationship with Father. The good news is: sin is not to be preeminent or dominant in our lives.

So, let me see if I can get this thing finished up in the next couple of minutes. Paul, speaking in the Colossians portion, says the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience. Now thank God that before wrath comes chastisement, because the Lord chastens those whom He loves, amen? We're chastened through His Word. I don't know about you, but there are many times when I'm just reading the Word of God and I'm convicted and I'm chastened. God whips me with the Word of God and says, "Look, your life's out of order. You need to do something about this." I'm chastened many times by others around us. Obedience, someone else's obedience, chastens me; it humbles me. I'm chastened, many times, by the observation of the dependence of a little child among us who leads us. Whatever you do, don't steal your children's innocence and dependence upon God. Don't ever tell them to depend upon themselves. Teach them that God will work in them to will and to do His good pleasure.

One of the fathers was asking me the other day, saying, "My child, every time he bumps himself cries, 'Daddy, pray!' What should I do?" I said, "Pray." "But aren't they just looking for attention?" Yes, but who or where do we want their attention? "Well, isn't that kind of selfish and self centered?" You mean, a two-year-old being self-centered? Probably. But let's teach them to set their affections on the things that are above, amen? "Come here; let Mommy kiss you boo-boo and make it go away." And mommy will be kissing them for the next twenty years. Why don't we pray and teach them that Jesus will make their boo-boos go away, and crucify this independent spirit that destroys each of us.

Here's where I wanted to go this morning. Back to Galatians, if you would, and let me just show you a couple of things. I'm getting behind here. In Galatians, chapter five, as he's speaking of the fruit of the spirit in contrast to the works of the flesh, he shows that as being the evidence of the crucified life, the fruit of the spirit. "And they that are Christ's have [then, verse 24,] crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." If we're alive in the resurrected power of Christ: "for me to live is Christ," "the life that I now live...I live by the faith of the Son of God." If I live by the Spirit, let me walk in the spirit; let there be some evidence of that. Now, what's going to be one of the observable things? How can I look at my own life and say, "Am I walking in the spirit?" Well, the fruit of the spirit being in evidence. But there's another thing I want to emphasize this morning. We've spent a lot of time in the past on the fruit of the spirit, so look at your life. Ask yourself, "Which of these two lists is most discernable in my life? Is it love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance? Or is it adultery, fornication, impure thoughts, imaginations, shameless excesses, idols, divisions, envies, jealousy, seditious living (separating myself for myself, 'I need time to myself') envies, etc." Which one's most identifiable in you?

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit [and then look at verse 26.] Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." One of the greatest things in evidence in the non-crucified life is the pursuit of vain glory, the recognition of men. You see, this is one of the things, and we've talked about it and we spoke toward the young people quite a bit, because it's, so many times, so evident. But we didn't just talk about the young people. We talked about the young executives who are coming up, and the fact that we have to drive a certain thing or wear a certain type of garb to prove we're a shaker and a mover, and it all boils down to the same thing: we need men's approval. We need their acceptance. We say we don't, but what is it, really, we are seeking? Why are you doing what you're doing? Whom are we seeking to glorify? Really! Is our life a life that's been set apart for the glory of God? Are we truly living and going to work and being about our daily activities for the glory of God, as a means of propagating the gospel, of sharing the good things of God? The whole duty of man is not a better life, "...but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly [before] thy God" (Micah 6:8).

So, we're living in this crazy world, being seduced, and the question we have to ask is: is there that draw toward vain glory? When I talk about vain glory, remember, I'm talking about the praises of men, and I'm talking about one other thing: vain glory, the misperception of self worth, the false image of who we are. Or, let me say it another way: thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. So, therefore, the crucified life is a life of humility. Can I ask you something? How has your appetite, how has your craving been, to become more humble, to become less in your own eyes and in the eyes of the world, that you might become more in the kingdom of God? Whom do you want to think better of you, the people in this room, "Oh, they just accept me for what I am," or the world? Whom are you trying to impress? Because of the crucified life Paul was living here, he's saying the same thing Solomon said, "Look, I've had it, guys. I've had it all. That's not the answer." And we say, "Yes, amen," but that's our doctrine. What's our lifestyle? What are we living?

You see, Paul, speaking in this Galatians passage following the fruit of the spirit, he says, "If you want to know whether the fruit is prominent in your life or not, [look what he says,] let us not be desirous of vain glory." You see, it's that motivation, that pride, that association with the world, with the spirit of the world, which creates many of those things we talked about earlier, which are "admirable" in churches. "Look how industrious that man is." So we take the industrious guys and make them deacons, and then spend all of our time bad-mouthing the lazy bum. In the sight of God, they're both abominations, if that guy's industry is for self, by self. The one is acceptable to us, the other one is not. Who are you? In this group, are you flying below the radar because your flesh is acceptable? The unacceptable are very obvious to all of us. "That guy is a bum. He's always late. He's always using everybody, loud mouth, always vaunting himself." We're all aware of the unacceptable. Have you found yourself, yet, in this study? Remember, we started the whole study off and said you can't crucify yourself until you find out who it is. Remember how we talked about the wanted poster, and you don't recognize yourself? WANTED: and you see everybody else in there. That poster is a mirror; it's you. In these lists of Galatians and Colossians, you should be evident.

Now the key to this whole thing, and we'll end with this for this morning: there is no greater humbling process than self-crucifixion, the choice to die, the choice to become less. I choose to become less in my own eyes. I've really come to realize that I think of myself far more highly than I ought to think. My doctrine said that there was no good thing in me, but I didn't really believe that. My doctrine said that without Jesus I could do nothing, but I really didn't believe that. My doctrine said the greatest among us was the servant of all, but I really didn't practice that. My doctrine said it's more blessed to give than to receive, but I haven't quite got that one down yet. My doctrine said I'm to seek other's wealth, not my own. My doctrine said that if I would humble myself then, in due time, but, you know, as usual, God was late so I had to do something about it. I don't know about you, I'm just tired of God falling down on the job, so I'm going to do something about it. We wouldn't say that, would we; we just live it.

See, it's not our doctrine; it's our lifestyle. Are you through lying to yourself? Are you tired of living this lie? Do you want to really imbibe and embrace the power of God, a resurrected life, and a walk in the Spirit, to where you are absolutely invincible? Nobody can hurt you because you're already dead. Sound scary? Then you're still alive. And Paul says to us, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Where are our rewards this morning? Where are our treasures?

As we end for this morning, turn over to James, chapter four, because you're sitting there thinking, "Man, how in the world?" No, you can't do it by yourself. It's all made available to you by making a choice. The choice is yours, the power is God's; the enabling is God's. James says it this way in his epistle, the fourth chapter, and as we look at these passages it's important for us to not separate ourselves from these men just because of time. These are eternal truths. They transcend all cultures, all time. And he says the main problem you're facing is this (chapter four, verse four: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses," and most of us say, "Well, praise God, at least he's not talking to me, there." He's not talking about physical adultery. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God," [or, puts you in opposition to God?] "Well, praise God, I'm glad I'm not a friend of the world. I don't go to the movies, don't dance, don't cuss, don't smoke." That's not the world! The world is a life of independence. The world is self-sufficiency. That's the world. It's not smoking and drinking and dancing and cussing. The world is a life of independence. That's worldliness. Self-sufficiency, that's worldliness. Distraction by your job, by your family, by amusements, from the eternal weighty matters, that's the world. "Friendship with the world puts us at enmity with God, and whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world will not be blessed by the Lord." You see, that's how our good Calvinist friends read this. What does it say? To be a friend of the world makes you what? The enemy of God. That's not good. "Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? [Here's the good news:] But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

"Pray for God to make you humble." James doesn't say that. Look what he says in the next verse: "Submit yourselves therefore to God." Choose; it's a choice. The grace is available to those who make the right choice. "Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Joshua 24:15). "Set your affections on things above." You choose; you direct your affections. You do it in everything else. So he says, "Set your affections. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil...Draw nigh to God, [and what will happen?] and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ['Don't worry; it will be easy.'] Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your [amusement] be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness." If you're one of the people we are talking about this morning, party time is over. It's going to cost you. Crucifixion is not fun. Turn from the amusement, the pleasures, the revelry of the world, and choose the better portion. It's time to mourn. It's time to weep.

Is that for everybody in here? No! Just the ones who need it, the ones who have not yet experienced that. And every person who has will tell you that's how you get there. You don't get there by saying, "Well, praise God. I'm going on vacation today." Where is it? "The crucified life." No, I'm going to war. "Humble yourself [verse 10] in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift your up." Praise God! I've got good news for you; joy comes in the morning. Amen? There's joy if you are willing to take this choice. Now, you can have the temporary gratification of pleasure by continuing in the life that you are, or you can have the eternal reward of gratification, contentment and satisfaction by going the way of the cross. But it's going to be a willful diminishing of self, coming down from that throne of self, the total absolving of personal agenda, the life that is absolutely at peace and content in the sovereign purpose of God, the goodness of your Father, that He knows better than you do. You want to be happy? You want to be at peace? R.I.P. It's only in the grave: personal, purposeful death.

Father, we thank you for Your Word this morning, and the natural man loathes and is grieved by such a message. The spiritual man says, "Praise God for the eternal reward. Thank God for the promise that, if I would humble myself, God, in His time, will exalt me. How deceived am I by my friendship to the world? How much of a seeker am I of the vain glory, and how much does the glory of God mean to me?" As we evaluate our treasures, give us hearts of honesty; give us eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit says; and, most of all, Father, be glorified in our lives. In Jesus' name, amen.

Let's stand before the Lord this morning. As Gary plays for us just a moment, and my mind goes just at this moment--I've seen it both in Haiti and over in Africa; it's something (I can't even say why that picture is just flashing in to my mind right now), but you see a pile of rocks, and then a pile of what we would call riprap, the four-inch stone used for base and foundation. It's interesting, because there's this big pile of stones, then there's a guy that's taking that stone, and he puts it over here in front of this guy. This guy's got some instruments and he's beating on it, and turns it into the four-inch stone. Then you look, and here's another guy, there's gravel, just the blue stone that most of us are familiar with. They take the four-inch and they beat it down and break it up, and now it's gravel; then you find pea gravel; then you find sand. Where are you in the process?

Not only that, as my mind was on this, the guys sitting there are not going home in their new Mercedes. They're not worried about wrecking their new Nikes. They're not hurrying home to the latest reality show or soap opera. But some of those people who are day after day beating on that rock are full of the joy of the Lord and know the love of God and, someday, will stand in the presence of God. I trust that none of us will be those saying, "This man sat outside my door. Please! Just let him bring a touch of water and put it upon my tongue." As in the teaching, God said, "You had your day. You had your day of abundance and ease and comfort." God chose to put us here in this environment of abundance, but it doesn't have to possess our lives. Are you still lord? Are you still the one placing values, or is Jesus Lord? If Jesus is Lord and the one setting value in your life, then none of this other stuff is important; you'll always keep it in proper perspective. Where are you in the process of being broken down for the glory of God? Let Him have His way. Let Him! Fall upon the rock and be broken, so it doesn't fall on you and grind you to powder. "Not my will, Father, Thine be done," is my heart's cry.

Let's sing this together and worship Him this morning. Thank you, Jesus. We do Love You, Lord. "I Love You, Lord." Let it be from our hearts, Father. And because there are no other words, we just say, "Thank You and I love You." Let the fruit of our lives evidence it, we ask in Jesus' name, amen. Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "For me to live is Christ." Amen. Go in peace; God's love go with you.

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