Transcript: God as End or Means in Your Life: Understanding His Character

Music Music Now I've titled this message today, Is God an End or a Means for You? Is God an end or a means for you? In the book of Judges, there's an account which provides the believer, that is you and me, with a sobering perspective of life without God, but we live and we act like we do know him. Yes, indeed. There are people who are doing that. And the Bible has a wonderful story of an account for our day for us to learn from and to glean from. And this is the only place in Scripture where we will find the word of God stating, In those days there was no king in Israel. And every man did what was right in his own sight. And I believe it's three or four times in this one particular chapter that states that in those days, and it's in the book of Judges, but in those days there was no king of Israel. Every man did what was right in his own sight. And the book of Judges describes the life of Israel in the promised land from the death of Joshua to the rise of the monarchy. And this book tells the accounts of frequent apostasy which provokes the divine judgment and the divine discipline of God. In other words, God poured his wrath out on the people. And so that's what this account is really telling us and showing us. And it also tells of the Israelites' urgent appeals to God in the time of crisis, which moved the Lord to raise up leaders, or better known as judges. The book of Judges was a time when God raised up leaders. And they weren't kings, but they were leaders and they were known as judges. And with these judges, God used them to supplant the enemy and restore the land to peace once again. So in the book of Judges, we have several judges, different judges that the gospel shows us. And each one of these were used as restoration. But after the death of Joshua, Israel, living in the promised land, quickly forgot her God and all the wonderful acts and the miracles that he had done in bringing her out of the severe bondage that they had lived in for so long. They easily forgot. This brings us back to the statement. In those days, there was no king in Israel, and every man did what was right in his own eyes. We can well imagine that the disorder that there would be without a king. Without a king leading, we can truly imagine the lawlessness that went on and the disorder. But this is really saying where there was no king or no counselor in Israel, there was no God. That's what this is really telling us. There was no God. And the Lord is king, and you can't have a true king if you do not have a God. And that's how it was in those days. They lived and acted like God was with them, but they had no God. There was no evidence that God was with them, as there was when he went through the desert with them as their shield and their covering. So at this time, we have to know too that there was no refusing or denying of God. In fact, there was no public or blatant atheism or boastful impiety. But there was a deadlier practice going on than that was heresy. The practice of heresy. And heresy was keeping God as a sign, but paying no tribute to him as a king by worshiping him. Oh, they did a great job in their outward form of, I call it pomp and circumstance. They did a good job at that. But nothing of standing in profound awe or respect of who God truly is. So you can imagine in what the scripture is really saying, in those days there was no king of Israel. Every man did what was right in his own sight or his own eyes. Then this means then that there were dead consciences and there were prayerless prayers and mechanical formalities in these days. There was a lot of religion and people were deceiving themselves and had hardened their hearts and lost out on eternal life because they pleased themselves and truly desired what the world had to offer. And they'd chosen a course of action that seemed right in their own logic and their own mental ascent. They preferred that. That's what they chose. and their sensual and their fleshly desires were greater than their love for their God. But since God had made his son Jesus Christ a promise in that he was going to have a reward for his suffering and these would be multitudes of thousands of thousands and multitudes of millions upon millions of people who would say, Yes, Jesus, yes. I truly repent of my sins and I accept your sacrifice for me upon the cross. And I accept and I receive your gift of eternal life. And I will in turn, I will love you and I will obey you and I will serve you. and I'm saying to you today dear church that the reward of his suffering are those for whom he, Jesus, died for this lame lamb of God is going to receive the reward of his suffering and the reward of his suffering are those who have chosen him and his gift of eternal life and also willing to give their lives to him in service of multiplying the kingdom of God. So just as in those days in the book of Judges, as in our day, many of the people still do not make Jesus Christ their king, the king of all kings. They desire all the benefits, but they do not wish to obey the king. Too many are trying to know the fullness of God so that they can use God. They desire to have all the blessings of God, but their desire is then that they could use him. For many in the church, then, as in the time of judges, God has become a means to an end for them. Did you hear that? God has become a means to an end for them. And this is saying we will pick and choose what we feel is good or useful in the holy book of God and adjust it to fit our life circumstances or our situations as long as it brings us some sort of happiness and also maybe some notice of others. and this is trying to mix the world and it's evil with the truth of God and then think that we somehow that we please God or we try to please him with this mix. Could this be defined as humanism? Humanism can be defined or summed up as the reason for existence is man's happiness or said in another way the end of all being is for the happiness of man and this means then that we will make compromises or adjustments in our lives to accommodate this mix and this means that we will begin to rationalize the truth of god and formulate a doctrine of our own that fits what I believe regardless of what God's word tells us to believe. This is called compromise. And compromise always involves disobedience. Compromise is always deadly when it leads to eternal death. When the Israelites, the children of God, were disobedient, They always end up in some kind of a mess and they always cried out to their God. You know, the scripture says that in his mercy and his kindness, God always heard their cry. But be sure before he answered their cry, he let them wallow in their sin until he was ready to come to their rescue. They knew they'd had enough of what they were in and they were just sick and tired of being sick and tired. And so they repented and they cried out to God and God in his mercy he heard and he answered their cries. In this story, in the book of Judges, in Judges 17, the principal characters are three people. In Judges 17 verse 1, it's a short little book, but it's so packed and so powerful with a testimony for us today. with an example, with an exhortation for us today. And the principal, I guess you could say, characters are three. A man by the name of Micah who has stolen his mother's money. I don't sense that in this story that Micah and his mother are really very close. In fact, we can see that this is an example that there was no king in Israel and that the people basically did what was right in their own sight or their own eyes because this family really is portraying how far they had fallen into sin and they were wallowing in their sin. Micah's mother, who upon getting the money back, tells her son that she is going to turn their money into a god and sets up idolatry in their family. And you'll see in this account also how the mother lied to the son in saying she was dedicating all of the silver to the Lord. When in fact she gives 200 of the 1100 shekels of silver, she pretends to dedicate all of it, just like in the New Testament account of Ananias and Sapphira. So how Israel slipped and fell back into idolatry repeatedly, we can truly see that in this story. But as we read today, notice too that when the images were made, that Micah, the son by his mother's persuasion, had not only well accepted these graven images of idolatry, but was greatly pleased and in love with them. And there's a strangely bewitching thing that happens when the people fall into a trap or a snare of idolatry. There's something bewitching. There's something of divination that happens when people fall into the trap or the snare of idolatry. I would like you, before we begin reading there, if you would, go with me to 1 Peter 1.15 and let's look at what Peter is telling us here. God has called us to be holy And Peter is telling us that In 1 Peter 1, 15 And he says But just as he who has called you is holy Be holy also in all you do For it is written Be holy because I'm holy You know, I want to pause there for a moment and say God changes not What we're reading in the story of Micah was the same command that the people had back then. So nothing has changed. Nothing's changed for us today from the time of Peter either. So God says again, even to us today, Be holy because I'm holy. Verse 17. And since you call on a father who judges each man's work impartially, live your life as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it is not with perishable things such as gold or silver that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers. And truly, in the story of Micah today, we are going to see the empty idols that were made of silver and that were passed down. We're going to see that. But Peter is saying, know that it's not with perishable things. those things perish, such as gold and silver. And you were redeemed from the empty way of life. It offers nothing. Idols offer us nothing. But verse 19, with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. Praise God. This is our inheritance. We are the reward of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are the inheritance, his inheritance. Praise God God You can see then in the story that we are going to begin to cover here that you will see that Micah mother had great love of money and her covetousness led to making graven and molten images which God forbids. He's always forbid it. And also she was involved in lying to her son. So we're going to learn about Micah's mother and what she was made up of And another main character, besides Micah and his mother, is the third one A Levite priest who comes along and Micah hires him And the priest really says what he wants to hear Micah hires him for ten shekels of silver a year and also throws in a tunic and his food. Oh, and also the idols. He throws those in too. So the young Levite priest proves himself to be a true hireling who was only looking for the best offer. And God, for this young priest, turns out to be a means to an end. You're going to see that in the story, where God turns out to be a means for an end for this priest. In him, serving God was only for money, not for love of his God. And he put a value, you're going to see that, where he puts a value upon himself and his religious service activities were just a means to an end. And he used God as a means to an end to get what he wanted in his service to God. And he was looking for the best offer, the highest bidder in his service to God. We're going to see that. And let us begin with Judges 17, verse 1. Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim said to his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse, I have that silver with me. well really why he gave the silver back and he was coming to confess is because he heard the curse and he understood that that curse would carry some weight so he had fear so he brought it back and confessed to his mother and his mother says oh the Lord bless you my son and when he returned the 1100 shekels of silver to his mother she said Listen to the solemn vow that she made. I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol, and I will give it back to you. So he returned the silver to his mother. and she took 200 shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith who made them into the image and the idol and they were put in Micah's house. She only took 200 of those shekels when in fact she dedicated all of it. So she basically lied to her son there. Now this man had a shrine. He made an ephod and some idols and he installed one of his sons as his priest. In those days, Israel had no king and everyone did as he saw fit. So he even installed one of his own sons, ordained him. And that's not the way I remind you that it was done in those days that a priest would serve in the temple. and a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah who had also been living within the clan of Judah left that town in search of some other place to stay. And on his way he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. Micah asked him, where are you from? I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, he said, and I'm looking for a place to stay. He could have really said, I'm looking for a job. That's what he really could have said. Verse 10, and then Micah said to him, live with me and be my father and priest. And I will give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food. The Levite agreed to live with him. And the young man was to him like one of his sons. Then Micah installed the Levite And the young man became his priest And lived in his house And Micah said Now I know that the Lord will be good to me Since this Levite became my priest Do you see the hint that he's giving there? He really cared more for what he could get out of God With that statement Now I know the Lord will be good to me since this Levite has become my priest. In verse 18, we're going to read a few scriptures, 1 through 6. And in those days, Israel had no king. In those days, the tribe of Danite was seeking a place of their own where they might settle because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. So the Danites sent five warriors from Zorah and Ishtol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all their clans and they told them, go explore the land. And the men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah where they spent the night. Then they were near Micah's house and they recognized the voice of the young Levite. So they turned in there and asked him, Who brought you here and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here? And he told them what Micah had done for him. And he said, He's hired me and I'm his priest. And then they said to him, Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful. And the priest answered them and said, Go in peace. Your journey has the Lord's approval. Verse 7, so the five men left and came to Laish where they saw the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, unexpected and very secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. And also they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else. Verse 8. When they returned to Zorah and Estol, their brothers asked them, How did you find these things? They answered, Come on. Let us attack them. We've seen that the land is very good. Aren't you going to do something? Don't hesitate to go there and take it over. When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing, whatever. and 600 men from the clan of the Danites armed for the battle set out from Zoranisdol and on their way they set up camp near Zirath, Zirim in Judah. And this is why the place west of Zirim is called Mahaniah, Dan to this day. And from there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house. when the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image, and a cast idol? Now you know what to do. So they turned in there and they went to the house of the young Levite at Micah's place and greeted him. and the 600 Danites armed for battle stood at the entrance of the gate. Verse 17 And the five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the carved images, the ephod and all the other household gods and the cast idol while the priests and 600 armed men stood at the entrance of the gate. And when these men went to Micah's house, They took the carved images and the ephod and all the other household gods and the cast idol. And the priest said, what are you doing? Verse 19. And they answered him, be quiet. Don't say a word. Come with us and be our father and our priest. Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and a clan in Israel as a priest rather than just in one man's household? And then the priest was glad. And he took the ephod and the other household gods and the carved images. And he went along with the people, putting their little children and their livestock and their possessions in front of them. And they turned and left and went away. Verse 22. And when they'd gone some distance from Micah's house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. And as they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, What's the matter with you that you called out to your men to fight? And he replied, You took the gods I made and my priests and you went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, what's the matter with you? And the Danites answered, Don't argue with us or some hot-tempered men will attack you and your family and lose your lives. So the Danites went their way and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, went back home. This poor wretched man's cry after this whole story. you took the gods that I made and you took my priest what else do I have so sad that Micah was just so concerned about the loss of his useless idols and his pathetic and his agonizing cry was one of those whose faith was centered in helpless gods and everything he considered useful was swept away with one swift wave of trouble, just like that. It was just swept away. And did you notice what Micah thought in verse 13 of chapter 17? In verse 13, that by hiring this priest and having him live with him, that God would show him favor. And so really his greed here just caught up with him in the end because he only deceived himself and he ended up losing everything in one fell swoop. It just like that, it was all gone. And the only thing that he cared about is what he could get out of God. God was only a means to an end for Micah. He was only a means to an end. And he didn't love God. He didn't know God. He just used God. And Jesus says in Revelation 22, 13, Jesus himself says that I am the Alpha and I am the Omega. I am the first and I am the last. I am the beginning and I am the end. And this is saying that I am all you need. I am everything that you need. I am your Emmanuel. I am everything to you. I am that I am. And I am your strength. I am your source, your great pillar, and your strong support. Emmanuel is God with you. And so you can see how smug and how joyful this hireling priest was with the new offer that came along. his 10 shekels and his tunic and his spending money was now going to increase everything he just received a pay raise and because he had a bigger offer now to serve a tribe or a clan and which meant that also his building was going to be bigger too he was going to have a bigger building and remember micah only had a shrine which was probably just a little lean-to against a hillside somewhere in comparison. It's so amazing how this priest could adapt himself or accommodate himself to such changes. And when he was so flexible and so joyful when he learned of his promotion, the scripture says that he was glad in his heart. And he had no qualms about taking all the temple stuff and all the idols of the graven images which Micah had made. And the ephah, all the other household gods. He had no problem just taking them. And his whole program of service changed. All he had to do by the order given to him was just put his hand over his mouth and was to not say a word. but you can be assured that underneath his hand which was over his mouth there was a big smile which he could not contain you know he just couldn't contain it because the scripture says that he was so glad and this was truly a big happiness in his life and he was certainly caught up in it and his compromise and his quick adjustment and his weak allegiance to his god and his former boss was an easy thing because God was just a means to an end for him God was just a means for him for some end And so how well I ask you today does this apply to our generation How does it apply to our generation today? And how does this true story fit into your life? And what lesson should we find in this true story written and ordained and authorized and authored by the precious Holy Spirit? What should we really glean out of this word today? Well, go with me, please, to Revelation 1.5, if you would, please. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Verse 6. And he has made us kings and priests to his God and his Father and to him be the glory and dominion forever. Did you see that? He has made us kings and priests, not to ourselves, but to his God and to his Father. we are called to be kings and priests in the kingdom of God today to his God and to his father that he would receive the glory forever and ever from what we are made of in his image and his likeness in verse 7 behold he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him and even they who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him even so. Amen. Verse 8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ends, is the Lord, and is who and was and who is yet to come, says the Almighty. Jesus Christ has made it possible by his death, his burial, and his resurrection, and for the children of God, that is for those who are blood-washed, repentant, forgiven, obedient, and true worshipers of the living God to be kings and priests to his God and to his Father. And this means that you and I are to become servants to the Father and to serve him and to offer him our bodies as sacrifices always, not just part-time, but always. Not when we pick and choose, but always, forever. and God the Father and God the Son are the end of all means for the true worshipers of the living God. They are the end of all means. Just as Jesus said, I am the beginning and I am the end. Jesus Christ and the Father, the Holy Spirit, are for true worshipers the end of all means. This means there will be no mix and there will be no rationalizing along the way saying there was no king in Israel and the people did what was right in their own sight or their own eyes. Jesus is the king of kings and he will rule forever and ever and will not be replaced by anyone. He will never be dethroned. He died for his inheritance and he will have all who are his. Because he said to his father when he went away, I ask you, father, that everyone who you've given me be mine. And so they will be his. Jesus Christ is the king who died for all who would choose him, who would devote their lives to him and serve him because they love him and desire to be obedient to his commands. And these people have true fear of God. And he, Jesus, has become their total desire. And there's been a deep revelation and a repentance in their hearts as to whom their great and mighty God is. Did you hear what I said? They have a deep repentance. They have a revelation of who he is in their hearts. And these people understand their sins were crimes against a holy God. And they stand in awe of a holy God. And they understand they were wretched sinners saved by the grace of God. And the strength of the Lord and the love of their God has made these people's joy. He is their joy. They have no doctrine of easy believism that would compromise the gospel message of Jesus Christ. And they've not developed a doctrine or gospel of their own that would serve to be useful and that is good or right in its conduct in order to bring some sort of happiness to build a kingdom for themselves. If it feels good, it tastes good, or it sounds good, it must be right. Oh, it must be right is a doctrine of philosophy that's crept into the church today that says if it works, it must be true. But if it brings happiness, we must keep people happy with all of our easy believism, our programs and entertainment and all of the mix to make people happy. Is this the reason Jesus came? I ask, is it the reason he came? Let us tattoo our bodies to reach the rebellious. And let us play worldly music and dress like the world and act like the world to reach the unsaved. let us call the world into the kingdom of God with a weak salvation call that says accept Jesus as your savior for eternal life and you can save yourselves from the eternal flames of hell is this making God a means for an end just like the priest who for some loose change for some spending money for a year a tunic and food and use God for his gain? Is this easy believism? Is this using God as an insurance policy for ourselves? Is this a watered down gospel that really just uses the great potter who created all things for one's own glory and gain? Micah had a shrine or a house of God And he made an ephod Did you hear that when the word was being read? He made an ephod Which was a sacred garment used in the temple worship for God He made an ephod And Micah took something that was considered holy And he used it for profane purposes And this is considered gross idolatry, dear church. It's gross idolatry. And in Ezekiel 22, 23, we will see what the prophet said to the people. And again the word of the Lord came to me. Son of man, say to the land, You are a land that has no rain or showers in the day of wrath. There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion. tearing its prey. They devour the people. They take treasures and precious things and make widows within her. And her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things. And they do not distinguish between the holy and the common. And they teach that there is no difference between the clean and the unclean. And they shut their eyes to keeping of my sabbath so i am profaned among them we could say that micah's house became a shrine really became a house of error and he was trying to copy that which was holy and he made an imitation of that which was used for holy purposes in the temple of god and he made it an object of worship. And it became right in Micah's sight because he chose to do his own thing because there was no king in the land. What gross corruption. And he used it for divination purposes, the ephod. He and his family prayed to these false images and false gods. And God's word speaks clearly about profaning that which is holy. In Ezekiel 13 going back a few chapters Ezekiel 13 19 God is speaking again through the prophet to the people who had backslid gone away from living in obedience to the commands of the Lord and he says you profane me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread by lying to my people who listen to lies You've killed those who should not have died and you've spared those who should not have lived. Verse 20. Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says. I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds. And I will tear them from your arms and I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. Verse 21. And I will tear off your veils and I'll save my people from your hands. And they will no longer fall. pray to your power. And then you will know that I am the Lord because you disheartened the righteous with your lies when I had brought them no grief. And because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways so as to save their lives. 23. And therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divinations and I will save my people from your hands. well God was surely making it known to the people and he was surely going to bring his judgment upon those who were profaning that which was holy in the New Testament account let's look and see in 2 Peter 2 verse 1 and I would like you to see please what the New Testament account is saying regarding the false prophets or false teachers But there were also false prophets among the people in verse 1. Just as there will be false teachers among you, they will secretly introduce destructive heresies, denying the sovereign Lord who brought them swift destruction upon themselves. Verse 2. And many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the truth of righteousness into disrepute. And in their greed, these teachers will exploit you with stories that they've made up. And their condemnation has long been hanging over them and their destruction has not been sleeping. God's judgment was coming and was being directed at them. Although, and it was saying that it's not been sleeping, but God's judgment was awaiting the people who were bringing in heresies and making many to follow their shameful ways and bringing a way of truth into disrepute. But I would like to ask you this question today, this point of the message. What is the standard of success and by what are you going to measure your life and ministry? And the questions that you must ask yourself, is God an end or a means for me? Our modern generation today seems to give credence and honor to anyone who is successful, regardless of how they've gained that success. This is our generation today. And as long as it works for me, philosophy, and it seems useful and it brings me some results in numbers and some kind of happiness, it's okay. Will you be one to serve men rather than serve God? See this Levite priest performed religious activities And he looked for a place where he'd have security And a place where he'd have a bigger building And more people And he'd find acceptance And he'd find approval of people He was happy with the opening that Micah had offered him He was so happy with that opening to his priesthood But he could not help but contain a smile underneath his covered mouth when someone else came along and offered him a better job, more pay, more people, and a bigger building, he gladly accepted the promotion. God had become a means to an end for him. And he only went through the religious activities that he performed of pleasing people by doing and saying what they wanted. He had everything now, A whole clan to perform for, a large building with all of the idols that he stole. And today I believe that I've made a point, and I've emphasized the point of these people's sin, of profaning the holy things that were crimes against a holy God. The New Testament, please look with me in Acts 18, And let's just look at a few quick examples of greed, of wanting to profane the holy things of God. When Simon we break in Acts 8 18 breaking into the scripture here This was a sorcerer Simon Magus being spoken about here And when Simon saw that the spirit was given of the apostles of laying on hands, he offered them money. And he said, give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. Verse 20, And Peter answered, May your money perish with you because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money. You have no part or share in this ministry because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in his heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and you're captive to sin. You see, Simon Magus in the scripture only desired the fullness of God's spirit so that he could use God. That's the only reason he desired it. So he could use God. In Philippians 3, 17. Let's look and see what Paul says here. Join with others in following my example, brothers And take note of those who live according to the pattern that we've given you Verse 18 For as I have often told you before and I now say again Even with tears Many live as the enemy of the cross of Christ Their destiny is destruction And their God is their stomach And their glory is in their shame. Their minds are only on earthly things. So Paul was telling us in this scripture that there will be those that would come, that would inject heresies amongst the people. And Paul is saying, live according to the pattern that we've given you. Because these people will come. And he says their minds and the earthly things, their desires are only for the fullness of the Holy Spirit or the fullness of Christ so that they can use him. This is what the scripture is showing us. And the account in Judges 17 is showing us. And in 1 Timothy 6.6 in this scripture about the love of money. And he says, but godliness is content with great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Verse 9, people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and into destruction. verse 10 for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and some people eager for money have wandered from the fade and they've pierced themselves with many kinds of grief so again the desire here with these people their desire is wrong their hearts are wrong and god is only to be used as a means to an end he is not their end all their end of all now my real point that i wish to make today and in having said all this and really having covered everything that dear church that god the father did not send his son jesus christ to the earth to die a horrible death just to save you from hellfire. Father God did not send the one who stood next to him, the very one who spoke the world into existence and all that is in it to this earth to hang naked upon the cross to make you happy. He did not send him to improve upon human conditions of the world to relieve people from their messes. Let me put it this way in a right perspective for you. You were created for his pleasure. Jesus Christ came to save the world of their sin. And unsaved are offensive to the holy and the pure and the righteous God. Did you hear that? The unsaved are offensive to the holy and the pure and the righteous God. And there's nothing good in man. Unsaved man is a monster of iniquity to God. Sins are a crime against our holy God. And Jesus Christ was sent to save and offer hope to a sick and a dying world. And this hope is held out to you if you obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, which states, love the Lord your God with all of your heart and all of your soul and all of your being. It's a hope held out to us if we love the Lord our God with all of our heart and all of our soul, all of our being. And Jesus tells us, I am the beginning and I am the end. When Jesus becomes the end of all being, this is the love for God. Humanism says the end of all being is the happiness of man. We really deserve hell. I want to shock you with that. We really deserve hell. If the reason someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior is because he doesn't want to be burned in hell, And this is the whole reason I am saying to you that he does not, he does not understand the seriousness of his crime, of his sin. He has no sense. He is insulting the most holy deity, God Almighty. Unless the Holy Spirit convicts the sinner of his crime, no one can be truly saved. and seeing that we're truly sinners saved by grace mingled with the saving faith that's even given us from God at that time will lead us into true repentance of the serious realization that our sins are crimes against a holy God. We must get over the mentality of making bargains with God. God deserves the obedience that he demands because of the standards that he sets. He is creator, all-knowing, all-wise. And this is why people need to give up their sins and grab hold of the true reality of the living God. God deserves the obedience and the love he requires because he is the only true, wise, and all-knowing God. He deserves the obedience and the love. He requires it. And he sets the standard and he sets the guidelines and the patterns that we should. And your Savior, before you can have true union with him. You and I must imitate what Apostle Paul declared and what Apostle Paul lived. In Galatians 2.20, Paul says, I've been crucified with Christ. I no longer live But Christ lives in me And the life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God Who loved me and gave himself for me I do not set aside the grace of God For if righteousness could be gained through the law For spending money A tunic or food Or other idols who won't even desire it It won't even be in your heart to desire it. And if you do not come to the point of being crucified with Christ, you are defrauding the Son of Glory. If we do not offer ourselves to be crucified with Christ, we are defrauding the Son of Glory. I know it's strong, but it's true. It is through this crucifying process where you die to your fleshly desires in your own life and that this oneness with Christ comes and you can truly say, I'm crucified with Christ. This is where our holy God fills you with his holy presence and he shines his glory through you to a sick and a dying world. And then you become the reward of his suffering that he died for. Yes, we become the reward of his suffering. Which he died for. Jesus becomes your Alpha. Your Omega. Your beginning and your end. He becomes your all in all. You would never desire to use or abuse that which is holy and profane it for self-glorification. You would not desire that. When you're crucified, truly crucified with him. Your life now is a sweet offering and a sacrifice that you truly can say you know who you are in Christ. And you've come to the cross to join him in union in death. And you've entered into understanding and the meaning of death to self in order that Christ in you will have all the glory. And then we will say like Jesus before he went to the cross. in John 8, 28. And Jesus said, When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one that I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who has sent me is with me and he's not left me alone for I always do what pleases him. and this will be our heart when we're crucified with him that we'll speak what the Father instructs us to speak and that we'll always do, dear saints, what pleases the Father because he alone is worthy. That's why we should make Jesus Christ the end of all and everything in our lives because he alone is worthy. He only is Lord, a holy Lord, a holy God, because he alone is worthy and our obedience of love and adoration should be to him. He is a holy God. He is worthy of all glory and all honor. And in Revelations 1.5, if you would look with me, please. in Revelation 1.5. And from Christ Jesus, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler over all the kings of the earth, to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and he's made us kings and priests to his God and to his Father, to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. behold he's coming with the clouds and every eye will see him even when they who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him even so amen i am the alpha and i am the omega the beginning and the ends is the lord jesus christ is the king of all kings and he will have the reward of his suffering. Will you be one who will devote your life to him because he's truly worthy of your obedience and of your love? He washed you from your wretched profane and your vile sins and now he's in the process of making you and making me a king and a priest. He's made us kings and priests to his God and to his Father. Doing all for God is what it's saying. Just as Jesus did when he was on the earth. Doing everything for his father. Doing what pleased his father. See, God sends out his true servants and they will always point people to Jesus. True servants of God will lift Jesus up and will say what the father tells them to say, not what they want to say. and I remind you that what God's servants speak will always line up and it will agree with the holy word of God and it will not be a doctrine or a philosophy created in man's image for self-glory or self-gain. Always make Jesus first in your life and make him your master and the lover of your soul and make him your end to all means and make him your all and your all. Always keep your eye fixed on Jesus and you'll never go wrong or you won't be guilty of profaning the holiness of God. With Jesus, make him your all in all. Make him your end to all means. Make him your all in all. And with Jesus now king in your life, You will not desire to do what is right in your own sight. You will not compromise the truth of God. There is no way you would even desire to compromise. Make Jesus always king in your life. Thank you.