No Area of Passivity

The Solemn Charge to Preach and Hear the Word

0:04 The following message was delivered on Sunday morning, November 1st, 1992, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Before we again seek the face of God in prayer, I want you to listen as I read the solemn charge that the dying Paul laid upon his spiritual son, Timothy, when he wrote in these words,

1:04 for the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts, and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables. Dear people, I wonder if you have any...

1:36 ...idea of what it is to preach year after year under this solemn charge, to preach as in the sight of God, with the shadow of the coming day of judgment cast over one's pulpit and one's congregation,

1:59 solemnly charged, regardless of one's personal state or frame of mind or heart, to be urgent, to reprove, to rebuke and exhort, and that with a long-suffering disposition, and by way of instruction, and all in the knowledge that the time will come when the very people to whom you preach,

2:27 in spite of seeking to preach in the light of the eye of God, the coming of the judgment of God, in spite of seeking to preach the word with urgency, in season, out of season, with long-suffering and teaching, to know that some of the very ones to whom you preach will one day heap teachers to themselves, who will do nothing but tickle their ears as they sink into hell together. Do you have any idea of what it's like to feel that awful reality?

3:14 As I stand here this morning,

3:18 having soaked my soul afresh in this charge in the early hours of this Lord's day, it struck me perhaps as never before that I'm preaching to people who at one time will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to faith. And Timothy had to preach in that consciousness.

3:46 What a solemn thing it is to preach the word, and what a solemn thing it is, to hear that word, and determine that whoever it may be who turns aside to fables, having itching ears produced by unmortified lusts, that by the grace of God, I will not be one of them. May that be your prayer, as together we ask God's blessing on the preaching of the word. Let us pray. Our Holy Father, it is indeed a solemn thing, to call upon you, the living God, the God before whom all things are naked and open, and in the presence of your beloved Son, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. O Lord, help me to preach, as standing before this charge. Help me to preach the word, to reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering, and teaching, and help this assembled people to hear, as those who are determined that this prophecy shall not be fulfilled

5:15 in their individual case. O God, help us, we pray, to shake off all sloth and dullness and carelessness, and may your words this day sink down into our ears, and may we respond, in faith and obedience, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Our God is to spare us into this coming week.

A Manifesto: Trinity Baptist Church's Platform on the Christian Life

5:53 This Tuesday will mark the end of the months of the visual and verbal bombardment to which the vast majority of us have been subjected during this presidential election year. And while the two representatives of the major, political parties, and the notable independent candidate, have been setting forth what is called their platform, we have been spending more than Lord's Day mornings in this congregation, seeking to set forth and grasp afresh, the Baptist Church. This present series entitled, A Manifesto, Trinity Baptist Church, we have been indeed setting forth our platform, that is, what we understand to be radically and fundamentally from that which has gone on in at least two basic areas. First of all,

7:14 we have not been making promises concerning what we intend to do. We've been considering the things that we have all lived as a congregation under the gracious rule, the joke is easy and my burden is light. Mentally different from those in the public, in a pronouncement of experientiality and not missing of the fruit of political pipe dreams. And second,

8:15 affirmation of what we have sought to be, and the New Testaments. Pass away, shall never be. Consideration, missing the crucial issues, contagion, affirmation of the Manifesto, and it is this, we, for twenty-five years, to maintain this New Testament perspective, in our teaching and expectations concerning conversion, the Christian life, of the Church, of the Christian life, having examined the major,

9:39 regarding of conversion, focusing our concern upon the question, how are we to walk upon the narrow way, which the narrow gate leads us, terminus eternum, of a balanced perspective, Christian life, or how, is one in which I have been stating, the major principle, giving a brief explanation of it, and then, seeking to, the biblical tap roots of that principle, and to make, of two of those principles, first being, that there is no one, master key, to living, the Christian life. Secondly, there is no escape from tension and conflict, in living, the Christian life. And if, fulfillment, tickled with false, information, in this very air,

11:07 teaching on the Christian life, that will simplify the whole issue, and give them one magical gold, unlock the blessing, and that will be the divine answer, to every problem. But there is such master key, in living the Christian life. And furthermore, there are many, who tickle the itching ears of people, who want to be told, that the Christian life, is nothing but joy, and peace, and a thirty-two tooth, until we cross the Jordan. But the scriptures make it clear, that there is no escape, from tension and conflict, in living, the Christian life. Now today, we take up the third major principle, with reference to this matter, of our doctrine, of the Christian life, and the principle, I have worded as follows. There is no canceling, of the conscious use, of any faculty, of our redeemed humanity, in living, the Christian life. There is no canceling, of the conscious use, of any faculty, of humanity, in the Christian life.

Defining 'Faculties of Redeemed Humanity' and 'No Canceling'

12:33 The manner of this principle, will be the same, that we have previously used. I will give an explanation, of the principle, a demonstration, of the biblical basis, of the principle, and an application, of the principle, to critical issues, that many of us, if not presently facing, may eventually face, in the world. First of all then, the principle, when I say, there is no canceling, of the conscious use, of any of the faculties, of our redeemed humanity, what in the world, am I talking about, by that mouthful of words? Answer that question, by asking simple questions, using the very language, of the principle. First of all, what are the faculties, of our redeemed humanity? And then secondly, what do I mean, canceling, of the conscious use, of any of those faculties?

13:44 What are the faculties, of our redeemed humanity? Well, when God, has given mercy, to save us, to repent, and to believe, He does not, create any new faculties, of humanity. In other words, if we take a man, or one more, one moment, before they are, quickened to life, and brought, to repentance, and faith, and then take them, one moment after, would we find, that any faculty, had been inserted, into their humanity? And the answer, of scripture, on this question, is very clear. Faculties, though, wonderfully, renewed, suspected by sin, not distraught, scripture says, if any man be in Christ, he is a new,

15:10 that does not, new faculties, that he did not, formally, possess. Therefore, faculties of our, redeemed humanity, are the same, faculties we had, when we were lost, and under condemnation, dispasses in sins, though those faculties, have been, marvelously, transformed, and are under a process, of transformation, by the dynamics, of grace. For example, as surely, as we had, physical faculties, of body, with its various members, before we were converted, notice, in Romans, chapter six, what Paul says, about those faculties, now that we are, converted. Let not sin, your mortal body, that you should obey, the lust thereof, present your members, unto sin, as instruments, of unrighteousness, but present yourselves, as alive, from the dead, and your members, as instruments, of righteousness, unto God. Well, I hope you see, that among the many things,

16:39 that are clear, it is presented, as instruments, of unrighteousness. Now, those very same members, not some additional ones, but those very same faculties, of the body, are to be presented, for according to a text, that we looked at, at our last communion service, this very body, that was once, the very slave, and bondservant of sin, has now been, nothing less, than a temple, of the Holy Spirit, exhorted to present us, a living sacrifice. The very bodies, with which we serve, the devil, and lust, and sin, these faculties, are now, the full glory, of redemption, purchased. You heard about that, last Lord's day, and somewhat, the Lord's day, before, but nonetheless, there is no new, physical, faculty, given to us, in the complex, of God's work, in converting grace. Likewise, we have the faculty, of thought,

18:07 or arm, and according to, Ephesians 2, when we were sinners, and unconverted, it was through, the workings, of our depraved, time, that we serve, the devil, and the world, and we are converted, get a new faculty, we get a root, and therefore, set your minds, that are upon the earth. In Romans 12, 2, we are told, through the renewing, of, unto this world, we have the faculty, of our body, and its members, the faculty, of our mind, we have the faculty, of our emotion, and when we were, in a state of sin, our emotions, were permeated, with the influence, of sin, and we rejoiced, and laughed, in sin, in things, that should make us weep, and we wept, at things, that should have been, matters of indifference, but when we are, the faculty, of our emotions, is not, us,

19:36 nor, is faculty, imparted, emotions, are yet, emotions, but now, grace, and therefore, in Romans, 12, 15, commanded, weep, with those, who weep, and to rejoice, with those, who rejoice, as sinners, grieve, so saints, grieve, says that you, sought, as those, who have, no hope, but he didn't say, that you sorrow, not, you will sorrow, at the loss, of your loved ones, you have, this emotional, capacity, for grief, Paul himself, spoke of his grief, of his disappointment, of his fear, and the full range, of human, emotions, and then of course, we have the faculty, of our wills, and before, we were converted, we chose, to go in the, of serving, ourselves, of serving, the prince, of the power, the serving, our lusts, but when God, renews us, we do not get, some new faculty, what we have, is a renew, so that Jesus, could say, in John, 7, 17, if any man,

21:04 will, seven, and verse, eight, is in my flesh, dwells no good thing, with me, there is no, of the conscious, use, of any, of the faculties, of our redeemed, sanity, you'll know, precisely, what I'm talking about, I'm talking about, the faculties, of the physical, body, with its various, members, the faculty, of our minds, our emotions, and our wills, now the second, question, in trying, to explain, the principle, what do I mean, by saying, there's no, canceling, the conscious, use, of any, of these faculties, well, in saying that, I'm attempting, to express, the fact, that if she, as God, faculties, when we are converted, Christian life, he does not, the demand, that we, engage,

22:33 all faculties, in the living, of the Christian, life, he never, calls, us, to cancel, to suspend, conscious use, of any, faculties, that are ours, as redeemed, faculties, so his work, in us, in the Christian, life, does not, subtract, the use, of any, of the existing, faculties, John Owen, volume six, and page, twenty, the Holy Ghost, works in us, and upon us, as, to be wrought, in and upon, that is, liberty and, he works upon, our understanding, consciences, our affections, a, reliably, to their own, he works, in us, and with us, and not, against us, so that, his assistance, is an encouragement, as, to the facilitating, of the work, no occasion, of neglect, as, to the work, itself, now, for some of you, that's been,

Biblical Demonstration: Active Engagement of Faculties in Christian Living

24:02 just a bunch, of words, for the last, fifteen minutes, and you say, so what, well, may, treasure, them up, as something, that sooner, or later, and which, for some of you, may, indeed, some present, dimension, of, experience, and having, principle, and explained it, let me, secondly, demonstrate, the validity, of this principle, from the scriptures, under this heading, we shall, first of all, look, at just, a broad, sampling, of this use, of any, faculties, in living, the Christian life, just the opposite, is true, we are called, affections, our will, our whole, just lead, to pursue, of God, with reference, the Christian life, let me, give you this, brief sampling, and then,

25:31 secondly, we will look, at the, epitomizing, or most, crucial text, which gathers, the whole, spirit, of God, together, and distills it, in the brief, compass, of the two verses, first of all, then, in this broad, is, for the guard, effect, of living, the Christian life, Proverbs 4, 23 says, is the great, determiner, of the quality, of our, Christian experience, of life, responsible, to guard, places, in the scriptures, particularly, Psalm 119, prayers, that God, would not,

26:42 incline, our hearts, to disness, yes, for 23, God, and I, in other words, the faculties, of our eyes, and our ears, of our understanding, and affections, all the faculties, that come into play, and guard, its precious, whether, it's a child, a wife, whatever, above all, that you guard, for out of it, are the issues of life, and who is to do that, I am to do it, and you are to engage, all the faculties, of your redeemed, manatee, to, some of that, guarding,

28:01 and the book of Proverbs, is full of admonitions, of what we look at, and what we listen to, so he who guards, his heart, will control, his body, in terms of, what his eyes, see, and what his ears, hear, all of his faculties, will be involved, another text, is the mortification, or the killing, of suspect, of the Christian life, well, obviously, and verse 13, for if, to the flesh, ye, flesh here, but each, of the body, that's why Jesus, can use, graphic language,

29:21 in speaking, of mortification, in Matthew 5, and Matthew 18, and Luke 17, from, in the synoptics, you find, the language, of, if thy hand, offends thee, from thee, if thine, from thee, that imagery, means anything, it means, that all, of the faculties, are redeemed, humanities, in the mortification, of sin, it is not a thing, where, when we have fallen, before a besetting, sin, and then we plead, with God, peace, to deal with it, and then get up, and walk away, and expect, that somehow, the thing will die, its own death, when God decrees it, no, put to death, the, of the body, is the Christian life, likened, to the Sabbath, that today, should be called, and bombarded, with it, all week,

30:45 Sunday, what a tragedy, on into, notice the emphasis, of the word of God, familiar passages, dear people, I'm not bringing forth, something profound, we're back, to the basic, wherefore, let us, seeing, we are compassed about, with so great, a cloud of witnesses, pray, that God, will strip away, every weight, and that God, sin, that does so easily, beset us, to drop off, and set before us, looking unto Jesus, that's the way, some of you, would like it, to be written, but that isn't, the way, the Holy Ghost, wrote it, let us all, compassed about, with so great, a cloud of witnesses, lay aside, every weight, what is my, of my, aptites, and passions, and natural, disposition, and everything, that would be, an encumbrance, for me, to run,

32:14 this long-distance, race, from me, I am to lay, at the, and I am, to put aside, the sin, which does, so easily, beset us, or cling, so closely, to us, and I am, with, not ease, and steadfastness, endurance, faculties, must be engaged, in the running, of that race, fourthly, is the adding, and increasing, of Christ, like virtues, a crucial aspect, of the Christian life, I hope, it surely is, well how is that, to take place, well look at, second Peter, chapter one, Christ, like virtues, and graces, to increase, and abound, in us, of the divine nature, by the grace, of God, by virtue, and in your virtue, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, patience, and in your patience, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love, for if these things, are yours,

33:43 and abound, they make you, to be not idle, or unfruitful, in the knowledge, of our Lord, Jesus Christ, how are they, to be in us, and abound, they will be found, in us, and I want to say it, reverently, you can pray,

34:37 till you're blue, in the face, and fat, you look like, you came out of Dacha, for that means, in the supplasting, will come to naught, because, God says, this is his way, in the Christian life, and he won't, let you, invent another way, be involved, certain critters, in the Christian life, but the point, I'm making, is the God, who comes to fast, also, on our part, is in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and they are conferred, graciously, by the Holy Spirit, they do not, come to us, out of the fullness, of Christ, and by the, in any other way, than the way, of the conscious, engagement, of all, faculties, that's the point, I'm trying to make, from this text, another text, I said, just a broad overview, of some pivotal texts, that make it evident, that all,

36:06 faculties, are to be engaged, the cleansing, from moral defilement, a crucial aspect, of living the Christian life, I hope again, you would agree, for I am, cleansing, from defilement, I don't know anything, of your Bible, you say, yes, as a Christian, it is that, to which I'm called, but, I am, to which I'm called, well, how will that be realized, look at, 2 Corinthians 7, in verse 1, and the answer, is given, therefore, these promises, having God's, blessing, promised to us, as our incentive, having, therefore, these promises, beloved, let, affecting, hold, in the fear of God, said, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us, from all sin, it does say that, and we believe that, with all our heart, I thought, in Acts,

37:27 cleanse ourselves, and what this text, is emphasized, passage, defilement, spirit, with a view, to nothing, then, pursuings, of which God, standard, that we are, engaged, with the conscious, engagement, of all, our redeemed, faculties, let, us, cleanse, ourselves, my eyes, and ears, the members, of my, actings, of my, my, actions, ones, must be, broad, in, activity, of my,

38:55 own, so that, there are, things, concerning, which, I, say, I, cleanse, ourselves, is, the, feeding, necessary, for, sustaining, the, Christian, three, Jesus, therefore, said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye, eat of the flesh, of the son of man, and drink his blood, you have not life, in yourselves, he, that eateth, present tense, my flesh, and drinketh, my blood, present tense, hath eternal life, and I will raise him, up at the last day, for my flesh, is meat, indeed, and my blood, is drink, indeed, drinketh, my blood, abideth, in me, and I, what is he saying, drinking of his blood, means, it's obvious, we, of which, are conscious, activities, granted, they are not carnal, activities, these are activities, of the mind, and of the renewed,

40:24 actions, and of faith, but you see, the point I'm making is, he, eateth, we must eat, God doesn't force, feed us, God has no, blood, and the flesh, of Christ, where we can lie, unconscious, while God gives us, an intravenous dose, of the virtue, of the death, of Christ, no, no, never, is there any, IV, feeding, in the Christian life, you and I, must masticate, with our spiritual, teeth, and swallow, eight bites, of the death, and the shedding, of the blood, of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we, we must, now brethren, from that broad, view of text, do you not see, the point, so clearly, I trust you do, when I ask, there is no, consolation, of the, conscious, engagement, of all, faculties, of our redeemed, humanity, and living, the Christian life, I'm simply trying, to state, in a man-made, principle, or a principle,

The Epitomizing Text: Philippians 2:12-13 Explained

41:53 with made construction, of words, the overarching, teaching, of the whole, but then, there is one, epitomizing text, a text, that represents, the general qualities, of anything, is a, an epitomizing, text, a text, that is like, perfume is, it's not, thinned out, with anything else, and that, epitomizing, text, is Philippians, chapter 2, concerning section, under doctrine, of sanctification, in his classic, little work, Redemption, Accomplished, It says regarding this text, nothing shows that is that the believer is active in all faculties of his redeemed humanity than the exhortation of the apostle in Philippians chapter 2 verses 12 and 13. No text sets forth more succinctly the application of God's working to our works.

43:05 It states the professor's studied opinion after years of pondering the doctrine of sanctification that no text in all of the Bible more succinctly illustrates the relation of God's working to our works. Putting myself in the category of Professor Murray, that it is my studied judgment after seeking to live as a Christian for 40 years and wandering around for about a dozen years, chasing all kinds of rabbit trails of some of the very things. That I'm preaching to you now, looking for the master key, looking, looking, and looking, looking for escape from tension, looking, and looking, looking for a way.

43:53 Christ would so live, sins obliterated, and I would be one blessed neuter through whom Christ lived his saving life. I say no text has been of greater help to me in both purging away the misconceptions that were put into my tender and teachable mind, and establishing me in the truth. Then this text, we look at it briefly this morning. It's not my purpose again to give a detailed exposition.

44:26 That's been done on other occasions, but to pick out the leading lines of thought in connection with this great principle. Philippians chapter 2, verses 12 and 13. So then, my beloved, even as you've always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work in salvation. Present imperative of a verb that means to energetically be engaged in a given activity.

45:00 Work continually in salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will for his good pleasure. Now let me give a brief exposition of the text, and then I want you to notice with me the inescapable conclusions that we draw from this text. We have a...

Exhortation and Motivation in Philippians 2:12-13

45:28 We have a major exhortation in the text, and then we have a major motivation and consolation to assist people in obeying the exhortation. What's the exhortation? Paul says, as you've always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, here's the major exhortation. Work...

45:54 Isn't it amazing that this epistle of joy has stuck right in the middle, fear and trembling? The epistle that says rejoices!

46:04 And again I say... The same apostle says, you're to live the Christian life in a context of fear and of trembling.

46:13 What does he say? The emphasis falls upon the verb...

46:19 Put forth a effort in the making of your salvation in Christ. It is to be done in all circumstances. Twelve A's. This is what you were doing when I was with you.

46:40 Make sure you continue to do it. This is your pattern of living the Christian life. Whether an apostle is among you, or your beloved apostle is shut up in a Roman prison. It's to be done in all times and circumstances.

46:57 It is to be done with the deepest kind of religious devotion.

47:02 And trembling trust.

47:11 In the midst of a wakeful conscience. That's the idea of working circumstances at all times. The implications of your salvation in Christ. And you're to do it with the utmost religious devotion.

47:28 With fear and trembling. Now does that sound like passivity? The suspension, the cancellation of any of the faculties of our redeemed humanity? No!

47:40 All faculties as it were are to be personalities of being under the eye and seat of Christ.

47:54 What motivation does he give to encourage this obedience? He says in verse 13, For, for, it's not unreasonable for me to ask this of you. For, as though there would be any situation. In which you were doing this on your own.

48:27 Circumstances. In a climate of serious judgment day. How your salvation functions your will.

48:51 For it is God's working.

49:09 Or to try working.

49:22 I know that God is behind and surrounding that acting of my will. Not to suspend it or negate it or to replace it. But to secure its proper acting to will. To will.

49:36 The thing that would. Please him. To will that which would bring his smile. To will that which he determined was his will for me.

49:47 In Christ. God is at work in you. To will. But not only to will.

49:53 To get out of a prison. But the problem is I don't have the key. And there are one inch steel bars all around me. I need someone to work my escape.

50:01 I need not only the will to be escaped. I need someone to work upon the bars or upon the lock. And God is at work in us not only to will but to work. Strength and power is at work in us to will and to work for his good.

Inescapable Conclusions from Philippians 2:12-13

50:24 There's the major exhortation and the major motivation. Now what are the inescapable conclusions we derive from this text? The first is this. God's working and our working.

50:43 Working and our working has been from the first day that he laid. And what he calls in chapter 1 in verse 6. He that began a good work in you. From the moment he began a good working he has been working to will.

51:12 There's no question that God will continue. God is at work. God's working and our work are concurrent.

51:20 God's working is not suspended or cancelled. Because we work.

51:28 Suspended or cancelled is at work. Are concurrent.

51:40 That's what this text teaches. And any faith that says our working consciously in the engagement of all of us. That kind of says his working makes ours unnecessary is unscriptural. His working and our work.

52:10 The second great principle in this text is this. God's working is the incentive and motivation for our work. Incentive and motivation for their work.

52:33 Some would like to express it this way. All the work to his people are preceded by the indicatives of what God is committed to do for his people. Let me try to illustrate it for you kids this way. When you're out playing in the backyard and mom or dad comes to the back porch to call you for supper.

52:56 They can do it two ways. They can say that's an imperative. That tells you to do something. Then they can say for your mom.

53:11 If it's the mom speaking have supper all prepared and it's sitting on the table. Kids that's an imperative.

53:24 Supper is on the table. That's an indicative. The motive for your coming in is the fact that supper is all prepared. Now we could switch it and say this.

53:32 Kids that's the indicative. Now the imperative. Drop what you're doing. Come in.

53:40 Wash your hands. And make it to the table. That's the imperative. But you see no matter which way you put it.

53:48 It's the indicative that becomes the incentive to the imperative. And in this text Paul says you're to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for his good pleasure. Those who are from the dead strip God. The more the more your insurance that he is indeed at work in you to will and to work in the more praise you'll give to him and the more honor you'll to his holy name. Professor Murray captured this element as well. He said the more persistently active we are in working the more persuaded we may be that all of these and power is of God is to be the response of the assurance that God is at work in us. But then thirdly our work.

55:13 Working is the own bona fides of his working. What does he work in us.

55:29 And I am his work for me. Then I have no proof that he is at work in me at all. For he works in us to will and to work. Just to fill us with lovely notions.

55:45 Not just to fill us with pious longings. Not just to fill us with self remorse.

55:52 He is at work in us to will and to work. Let me again illustrate. In Romans in Acts. Seventeen and breath.

56:13 Now let me ask you. What is the proof that God is giving to you life and breath? It's that you're alive and breathing.

56:27 The moment you stop living and stop breathing. That text will no longer apply to you. He giveth to all life breath in all things. When he takes life and breath from you.

56:36 You don't fit that text anymore. Right? You know life and breath because what? Heart's beating and you're breathing.

56:46 Your beating heart and your lungs are the proof. That God is giving to you life and breath.

56:56 You don't need angels to announce it. You don't wait for tingles up and down your spine to prove it. You just go on living and breathing. Until God says your appointment's up.

57:06 It's appointed unto men once to die. Your breathing impediment. That would hinder us in the race. To will.

57:36 Crucify.

57:42 When I come. As we come tonight. The proof is that I'm willing and working.

57:58 We don't wait for tingles up and down our spine. We don't wait for some great over.

58:06 Before we choose what is right. My friend God's working is never more surely manifested than when I will. Against the incarnate. Remaining love.

58:23 Health and love of acceptance. When I will.

58:30 For which I have no present sense of delight. Oh reason to know. It's God at work in me. To choose contrary to what my flesh wants.

58:42 To choose that which is contrary.

58:46 Self-indulgent.

58:49 Work in me. To.

58:52 For his good pleasure. Fourth great principle of the text is. God's working is to be the focus of our confidence and our praise.

59:02 You see we are to carry us. Working out our salvation with fear and trembling. That means self-distrust. Without him we can do nothing.

59:12 And that felt sense of inadequacy. When it's more than a theological concept. And a pious phrase. It will drive a specific seasons of prayer into a prayerful.

59:29 And God's working will be the focus of our confidence. Therefore of our prayer. And therefore.

59:38 Who could say. It's more abundant.

59:43 Not I. The grace of God that was with me. I would. Of all faculties yet.

59:55 I know that the ultimate source. Of the strength and of the will and of the power and of the wisdom. Was the grace of God. Excuse me.

60:04 And the God. Of grace. There's a marvelous little quote from. Abraham Kuyper.

60:11 Who captured this so beautifully. When he wrote. When we are called upon.

60:18 Fight. Doesn't mean fist fight. He means as Christian soldiers. We do so as though we were doing it.

60:26 All ourselves. Not perceiving that it is another. Capital A. Who works in us both to will and to do.

60:33 But as soon as we finish the task. Successfully. And agreeably to the will of God. As men of faith.

60:41 We prostrate ourselves before him and cry. Lord. The work was thine as were the prayers in which we sought thy help to do it. And the praises which we now render.

60:56 For what you. Enabled us. To do. That's it.

Personal Application and Illustration of Whole-Soul Endeavor

61:02 While working. While preaching. What am I conscious of? I'm conscious of having sought to soak my soul in the charge of God this morning.

61:11 In the sight of God. Seeking to feel afresh. The sober past. Preach season out of season.

61:25 When your mind. And your soul. Feels the pace. From separation from your wife.

61:38 In seasons of pastor's conference. Surrounded by comrades in arms. There's a buoyancy. A dog with unction.

61:47 In during that pastor's conference. If dogs could preach. And preach.

61:53 You enjoy.

61:58 Separation from your wife. Pictures of your new little grandson. Oh. To be distracted with loneliness.

62:06 And with yearnings. And so you take your commission afresh. And you say. Oh God.

62:12 Your people deserve my best. They deserve all of my preaching. Lord.

62:25 That's why none of you have seen a picture of my grandson until now.

62:30 Even my own relatives here. There was time to show them between Sunday school and church. You know why I didn't? It would have been a distraction to your worship.

62:41 And to my preaching. Now my bragging. No. I'm just trying to tell you people.

62:45 This isn't a lot of.

63:09 Some of these horrible errors on living the Christian life. Try to get under the spirit. Some. Of you.

63:17 Who have been sitting back. Waiting for God to. Suck you with something or other. I know.

63:27 What he wants you to do. And then fall upon your face. And acknowledge indeed. That God is at work in you.

63:34 To will. And to work. Of his good pleasure. God's working.

63:39 Is to be the focus of our confidence. And our praise. But. The fifth principle.

63:44 I've already anticipated. Our working. Is to be the. Focus of our conscious.

63:50 Whole. Soul. Endeavor. His work.

63:53 The focus of our confidence. Therefore of our prayers. And of our praises.

64:00 The focus of our conscious. Whole. Soul. Endeavors.

64:06 Again. Let me try to illustrate from the natural realm. We read in Colossians. Whatever thy hand finds to do.

64:11 Quoting from the Old Testament. Do it with all of thy might. As unto the Lord. And not unto men.

64:18 You know how I learned the meaning of that text. As a young Christian. In those early days. In the flush of my new found faith.

64:25 It was as though Christ was at my elbow continually. Almost a sense of his physical presence.

64:33 Precious days of espousal. The old writers would call it. Quoting from the book of Jeremiah. And I remember when I went off.

64:41 To do the work that I did. To earn some money to go to college. Doing dog work. As a construction worker.

64:50 And I remember coming home. And speaking to my mother. And saying mom. I don't know whether I'm backsliding.

64:54 But there were times. Today when for a whole hour. I had no conscious thought of Christ. She said well son what were you doing?

65:02 And I said well at that time. I was mixing mud. For you uninitiated that's mortar. You'd call it cement.

65:10 But it's mud for the guys in the trade. And she said well how do you do that? Well I have to put so many shovels into the mixer. And then so much lime.

65:18 And so many shovelfuls of the cement. And she said well son. If you weren't concentrating all your faculties. What could happen?

65:25 I said I could lose an arm. Lose a wrist. Lose a thing. She said God doesn't expect you to be thinking about Christ.

65:30 When you're supposed to be counting shovels full of sand.

65:34 And I learned the meaning of that text. And it was liberating.

65:40 But you know what happened at lunchtime? Out with my lunch came my little New Testament.

65:46 And I'd snatch a few verses of the word of God. To fuel my mind and heart. And to fix my mind upon eternal things again. And then go back to my labors.

65:57 That's the point I'm making. I don't want to bring anyone. Into any kind. Of unwarranted bondage.

66:02 Our working. Is to be the focus of our conscious. Whole soul endeavors. Whatever your hand finds to do.

66:10 Do with all of your might. And with the word of God. Guiding what we do. And how we do it.

66:16 We're to give the totality of our redeemed humanity. To that task. And when as Kuyper says. We look back and see.

66:23 We have been unable to perform it. Agreeable to the will of God. Then we acknowledge. That it was all.

66:30 All of God even the prayers. For which we saw his help. And the strength. With which we accomplished.

66:37 The task.

Warnings Against Errors and Final Exhortation

66:40 Do you see how this text is a perpetual indictment. Against two. Great errors. In the matter of the Christian life.

66:49 One.

66:52 Lived the Christian life by naked human effort. It can't be done. Jesus said without me you can do nothing. Paul says unless God is at work in you to willing to work for his good.

67:04 Pleasure you'll never be able pleasing to God and therefore if you're not in Christ if you're not united to him by faith my friend the message to you is repent and believe the gospel and lay hold of Christ but it also strikes a death blow at this notion. That there is sanctification without conscious deliberate focused engagement of all of our redeemed faculties. We know of no Christian life taught in which any faculty is canceled any faculty is set aside but every faculty is engaged if I may use the term with the fullest of its energy in seeking to live that life to which we are called therefore as I close I just read out the headings of the warning beware of any teaching on the Christian life.

68:10 Which encourages the suspension the cancellation of any of your faculties beware of it no matter how much it appeals to your desire for an easier way beware of any teaching which says we are sanctified by faith alone when we come to Christ is guilty sinners it's not his working in our working that brings us into the narrow gate no his great work is to get us all stripped down to where we're ready to empty. Enter that gate empty handed and naked nothing in my hand to the fountain we're justified by faith alone the Bible nowhere says we are sanctified by faith alone because having been united to Christ and the spirit of God now dwelling in us we are given power are now influenced and quickened by the spirit to be engaged in living out the Christian life we live it in faith yes but it's faith that now.

69:17 Believes that God is at work in me to willing to work and therefore faith that says I shall in the strength of Christ work out my salvation with fear and trembling any faith that doesn't have biblical standards for its acting is fanaticism and therefore to say oh I just live the Christian life by faith and by that you mean you suspend any of your faculties that's fanaticism not faith and then beware of any teaching on the Christian life which says our power to live the Christian life. This life is in ourselves no I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me well dear people many of you especially you young people and teenagers may wonder whether it was worth all the time and energy to say what we said this morning but I'm in this for the long haul and I'm trusting under God that if the Lord spares us some years from now some of you come back and remember this morning and say pastor I thought that thing was one of the most boring sermons you ever preached but you know what I mean.

70:19 I made myself listen and how I thank God because we're in this for the long haul I hope you're in it for the long haul in it that by the grace of God we may indeed so live the Christian life as to glorify our father who is in heaven let us pray together our father we thank you for your word we thank you that it is a lamp unto our feet and a light to our pathway and we thank you that it does reveal a clear teaching on how we are to live the life to which you have called us we pray that you'd forgive our sluggishness forgive that which we have in the deception of our own hearts called a spirit of dependence upon you that was really a skirting of our duty forgive us when we have set out to do our duty without consciously depending upon you oh lord our sins are many but we thank you for your

71:27 thank you that the blood of Christ goes on cleansing us from all sin may your spirit take the word preached this morning and cause it to help us in present areas of need immunize us against exposure to future error help us oh god we pray for those who perhaps wonder if indeed you are at work in them because there is so little willing and so little working of that which is pleasing to you holy father have dealings with such and give them no rest till they know that they are united to Christ bless them your truth and seal it to our hearts we ask in Jesus name amen