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THE ACTIVE WORD

TITLE OF Message: "Vote for Me"

MESSAGE DATE: 10-27-10 Wed: 6:30 pm TAPE NUMBER: C3659

Page 1 of 1

Scripture Reference for Message: Col. 3

Opening Prayer

Father this day we do give you thanks, because we have so much to be thankful for, you've given us another chance to change another opportunity to hear your voice, and of course because of your amazing grace we get to be reminded of just how much you love us, Lord we need that, holy, helpful reminder. Because sometimes in the world we're living in whether it be circumstance or situation, feeling your love and sometimes God you've arranged that very circumstance or situation to remind your kids it's not about feeling its about fact and that fact a matter of faith, so build up our most holy faith, even now as we seek to know this love a lot better in Jesus name we pray amen.

MESSAGE

I know you know there's an election coming up I don't mind asking publically might surprise some of you, but I would love it if you'd vote for me. I'm serious, you say Bob I didn't know you were running for anything?

Well I'm not really running for anything, but I am running in something, what am I running in? Well I'm running in a human race, same place you're running. And it would mean so much to me if I had your vote, had your vote?

Yeah, you see life has its share of problems and pressures and potholes and pitfalls and I'd really like to win this thing called the human race and if you would just help me I mean it would make all the difference in the world if I could really, really get your help.

Now I've already got God's vote, Bob, you just said you've got God's vote? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah in fact it's the very point the apostle Paul makes in Colossians chapter three drawing your attention with me to verse twelve, first six words we read; therefore, as the elect of God, therefore as the elect of God?

Yeah you've got God's vote, he elected you, now if you're struggling with that please circle the world, and may you start to celebrate his choosing of you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, close by the word elect you could write this word, favorite, favorite, yeah and again although I employ the term you could also write the word chosen. He chose you; you're a favorite, now a favorite, chosen, elect of God, why would he choose you, why would he choose me?

Now why he'd choose you, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, some of you I really don't know at all. Me, why would he choose me? Mom and dad know why he'd choose me, obviously....no, no, no, years ago I couldn't understand and when you first come to Christ one of the things that I think is most humbling why did you choose me?

Now when you dig a little deeper into the same verse beyond the first six words we read, holy, and beloved put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, now a light turns on. And that light well it's a link to understanding why, why did God choose you?

The word that follows elect, beloved, the word that follows beloved, holy exactly, if you're a note taker one reason why he'd choose you is he loves you.

He loves you its relationship, its fellowship, he really, really loves his creation, so if he's going to show his love, he's going to choose you as a candidate for that love. How will he prove that love?

Well again if you're a note taker one is relationship, fellowship, two is representation, you see it's not just you're the beloved, he says your also holy and that's the word that followed chosen, elect. He says your holy y our going to do things different because of the fact that I love you, and because I love you, you start to do things different, everyone will know I choose you because I love you and you do things different, now how different do you do things?

Very different from the way you used to do things, I mean the way that you used to do things, there was not in your regular routine a check in your spirit that you were called, you were just created. Now stay with me because there's a difference between someone being called and someone being created, as the creation of God you are what everyone else is, His creation. But called, called, yeah, yeah, I heard his voice say Bob I'm calling you, I'm choosing you I'm electing you I'm voting for you and I will make you holy because I love you.

Wow, wow, wow wait you make holy, now let understand that term, the word holy does not imply as you've heard me say in the past this air of arrogance or this personal piety that now you lift your heat just a little higher than the rest because I'm holy.

No, no, no what it means is separate, different; yeah there's a way you talk not like the rest of the world.

There's a way that you walk spiritually speaking unlike the rest of the world, there's a way that you think unlike the rest of the world, something happened inside of your heart, and now, now you've decided to wear the look, the fashion, the look and the fashion very different from the rest of the world, it's as if you put on this Christian uniform this uniform.

I looked up the word uniform knowing where I was going in the text recognizing this fact, that this word as a noun mean one thing as an adjective it means something else.

The word uniform, yeah uniform is a noun its distinctive clothing, it's worn my members of the same organization to be recognized, but as an adjective, well that's not changing in form or character. Constant, steady, fixed and stable, and I thought you know what, I wonder how many people actually look like, they look like what we as believers should really look like.

Stay with me, I've already voted, in the upcoming election, I had to I'll be out of town on Tuesday, so I went to the local library and as I'm walking my way in there are people with signs vote for me, now they're hoping to get my attention and as I slow my pace, as I move in that direction, one man in particular hey, hey, hey do you live in Coral Springs? Yeah I do live in Coral Springs, would you vote for me I am and here's what I've done and he shows me on a card everything's he's done.

He describes to me his heart he describes to me his vision and he's winning me just before I cast my vote. Well he and I have a little dialog a little conversation, if I vote for you I want to know, hum, well I'm doing this and I've done this, and if I get your vote I promise...really?

Now listen, for that particular position I had not yet made my decision, for that particular position, County Commissioner I didn't know I was going back and forth I really don't know, and right there on my path into the library, he's here. Well let me ask him some questions, so I asked him my questions and you know what, he passed my test and I went in and I took my little black pen and I circled the little hole that represents his name and I came back out and I said I voted for you.

He said you did? I said you convinced me to vote for you, he said you did, he said what do you do for a living? And I said well I'm a pastor of a Christian church, you aren't? I am. And I said here's what I need to have you hear me say I expect something from you now. He said, "What?"

I said, Yeah they'll be a time in the future I may want to talk to you about what's happening in my city, and when I call you I'm going to remind you that I" the guy outside of the library that you convinced to vote for you and expecting for you to deliver on your promise because I voted for you.

Now be careful you're setting yourselves up you don't understand, what's that? He voted for you, he voted for you.

And he's kind of expecting something, well why would he expect something? Do you understand you weren't holy he made you holy, you weren't all that lovable and now he called you beloved.

And chosen, quite honestly most of us he would have never picked had it not been for his great grace and amazing mercy, you owe him do you understand, you owe him, he voted for you.

Now when I say all that, hopefully I say it with all the tact and the diplomacy necessary to say, if he actually voted for me that means, in God's landscape he had yard signs that said I vote for Bob, wow.

You mean he was wearing buttons that said, I love Bob? You mean to tell me he's got bumper stickers I vote for Bob? Wow, you know what I really wasn't all that lovable I really shouldn't have been chosen or elected, and now I'm your favorite, for real? God for you to love me that much, what could I do? I mean how could I say to you I love you, I mean according to your word I love you because you first loved me its reactionary its reasonable, its responsive, so what could I do for you to really let the world know, appreciate your choice.

What's that? Wear the uniform, that steady fixed stable constant character, oh wear the uniform that distinctive look that separates us from the rest of the world, oh Lord reinforce the fact remind all the brothers and sisters in the chapel, what does that uniform look like?

Left off

Its Colossians chapter three again same verse twelve, second half slow down, he says put on, put on tender mercies, put on kindness, put on humility, put on meekness and put on long suffering.

We're going to stay there just long enough for you to get a better view of your uniform. What should you and I look like? If you're a note taker first of five, we'll work our way through quickly all be it, jot down the word mercy, and not just mercy but tender mercy. And be reminded that the opposite of each one of these is not very attractive at all.

And in other words imagine yourself now in a uniform that's supposed to represent something and imagine doing something that's seemingly is just opposed to the representation that you're supposed to be, supposed to be saying something with that doctor's uniform on, what's that?

You ever see people who are wearing a doctor's uniform, it's the scrubs it's the blue pants that look like pajamas, it's the top that looks like it's a v-neck collar, it's the coat that looks like I just came out of the lab, it's the stethoscope around my neck, it's supposed to say something.

So when I see that uniform and somebody is just fired up a fresh Marlboro 100 it just doesn't seem like it matches.

Wait a minute; you're a doctor and your smoking? I don't know if that matches, matches you need a light? Matches? Iey, yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, it would be like a law enforcement officer pulling you over for a traffic violation and when he bends over you see that there's a baggy of pot in his top pocket.

His fact turns red and he stuffs it down a little further excuse me hang on one second and he walks behind your car, you looking in your rear view mirror and you see him take out the baggy from his top pocket put it in his front pocket and he walks back and says, "let's continue."

Let's continue right to the local court Mr. Police officer, you pulled me over for a traffic violation and you're carrying a bag of pot? There are certain contradictions in life that just seem so inappropriate and that's why I hear the apostle Paul write the church in Colossi says hey, hey, hey guys listen your chosen, your loved you are holy, can I remind you of the uniform?

Mercy man, mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy, the implications of that word if you're a note taker circle it in your bible its pity or its sympathy and moving your spirit so adequately that you just stand still, no there's an emotion for in the original language the terms implies that something is happening in your bowels.

In fact some of your translations read bowels of mercy, something is moving bowels? Bob don't go there. Go there, listen something needs to be said about feeling emotions so deep that you are pained by it, pained by it.

Too often the opposite of mercy is what t hose in the world say they sense or they experience by those who call themselves Christians. How often have you heard someone say, oh those Christians all they're doing is judging others.

Judging others? What would the opposite of critical judging be? Sympathy mercy, sympathetic mercy yeah and the kind of sympathetic mercy that understands how important sympathetic mercy is. You see God so loves you for fellowship and relationship he makes you holy to represent that you do like different.

So once you know you're loved you thinking who can I love in his name? Well I got an idea I'll love the lovable, no he didn't love the lovable, could you love something that's not so lovable? Well who would that be? Take your pick? How many people are out there today that aren't very lovable? What are you going to do when you find an unlovable person?

Well in the name of Jesus I'm going to judge them. No, don't judge them, that's what everyone can do. That's what anyone can do, here's what I'm hoping you'll do instead, I hope you show them mercy, and let me tell you why that's to your advantage.

Keep your place in Colossians three its Matthew chapter five, your familiar starting in verse three. Matthew 5 and 3, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, you know this one. Verse seven, blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Come on back your attention please.

I was curious to know in a church like ours how many tonight have come into the house of God have already attained have already been made perfect and tonight your thinking, nice study Bob but I really don't need it because I'm there.

I'm there, I'm probably oh a couple minutes away from perfection, should I ask your wife? Ask your kids dad? Ask your kids mom? Let me tell you something, no one righteous no not one, so at some point in time you're going to need forgiveness at some point in time you're going to need mercy.

Now knowing this Jesus says in this group of "B" attitudes blessed are those who are merciful for they shall receive or obtain mercy. You see how necessary mercy is, you're going to blow it, somebody else is going to blow it, okay I might blow it, you might blow it, I failed you failed okay now what am I to do with mankind's failure?

In light of the fact that all men fail, and that's not a word just for men ladies be careful, I think we all need to be ready to be merciful. What's the thing that bugged you today, somebody cut you off in traffic, did somebody say something rude to you on the phone? Somebody send you an e mail and you said what did send, know what happened? Just be merciful, hey don't worry about it, mercy, mercy?

Can you be merciful, can you be merciful quickly? You see the Christian uniform; it's very uniform of us who call upon the name of the Lord recognize that if I receive great mercy from him then I need to be merciful.

We recognize that if the scriptures declare that his mercies are new every morning it must be that I need mercy every morning because I blow it every day. Now if I blow it every day and he makes mercy new to me why isn't we make mercy available to others? It's part of the uniform.

But watch why it's part of the uniform, the next word, number two right there on your list verse twelve, kindness. Now watch what happens, mercy is going to be the flavor of compassion, but compassion is not going to do nothing, compassion is going to do something so what happens is that a Christian part of your uniform is oh m an I can't believe that happened to you. Well for me to just look on and say oh wow I can't believe that happened to you would be short of change.

Short of change, I see something and it's wrong, how do I help make it right. Well I show kindness, kindness of you've got a pencil handy circle the word is useful goodness, its useful goodness.

It's one thing to say that your good, let me see what good looks like, could you do something that's good rather than just say you're a good person. I'd love to see what goodness looks like, why? Stay with me, you don't have to turn there but write it down, its Romans 2 and 4 the bible says for it's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance.

Now watch with me, you are going to blow it, you're going to fail, you're going to sin, and immediately God are you still voting me for me? God says hey I made my decision a long time ago knowing that you'd fail again. So you still have my vote in fact Bob your still chosen and I am making you holy.

Now if God is willing to work with me, you work with me, well how in the world would you work? Well if you have pity or sympathy or mercy you don't just stand there you help out, how do you help out?

Well you pray you could certainly pray, that would be useful goodness, what else could you do? You could recognize that too often the world doesn't come in to join the ranks of those who receive mercy because rather than they experiencing mercy they get judgment, and rather than kindness they get mean.

They get mean from the body of Christ? Now why in the world would we behave in a mean way rather than a kind way? Because sadly we see their sin as something that deserves judgment and we believe that we're a better judge than God, so we think that meanness will move them closer to an attitude of repentance.

Not true, how do I say this to you in the most appropriate way? Anyone can judge, I said that I'll say it again, anyone can criticize I've said that I'll say it again, what would change a person, what would change a person?

Well if you're very merciful you go oh man I can't believe that happened to you, and now you say how could I help you?

How could you help me? Yeah I'm convinced that if I help you and I show you kindness you're going to taste the love of God. And if it's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance, if my end goal is to see true change, then my kindness is very, very imperative to witness the change.

Now if you know a Christian that's just being judgmental rather than merciful, and doesn't pick up a hand to help, move the heart of the heathen, it won't move the heart of the heathen.

But if in fact you know a Christian oh man I can't believe that happened to you, here let me help, what's the next part of our uniform? It's the third word please, its perfect, its humility, humility? That would necessary now to be humble, oh yeah and I'll tell you why.

Because there are some people in their acts of kindness, feeling bad for someone whose failed will in pride rather than humility puff themselves up and make the person whose receiving the help feel very embarrassed and very awkward and very ashamed, I can't believe that you had to come help me, well I can't believe I had to come help you either.

And every once in a while in the most odd place for me to see that spirit, I find it, what's an odd place to see that spirit? In the world of medicine, I visited the hospital recently and I met a nurse and I was a little bothered.

I don't mind if she hears me say this, but it's true in anywhere that service is expected but service is withheld. Let me say that again, it is in any industry where service is expected, and service is withheld.

So that when you go to a department store and say hey could you help me for a minute, and its two employees speaking together and you happen to be the customer, and your hoping that they'll slow their conversation long enough to pay you the attention you think that your investment in their industry warrants. And they go ah yeah, I was stocking a shelf, I'll be with you in a minute.

And then they go back to the shelf and move something over a little bit longer, those things can stay on the shelf forever unless you help me. And when a nurse walks into a room oh I can see there's an issue here, okay.

And they look frustrated to do their job, anybody who's called to do a service without that service, they act like wow am I ever doing you a service. No, it's your job! Do you understand?

Now wait before you applaud, Christian what's your job? Oh that, oh that, that job? Yeah the one where you do an act of kindness because you feel sorry for someone else but you do it in such a humble way that you don't make them feel stupid.

It's a very sensitive place on our property, it's the department that tries their very best to help people who are hurting financially they walk from this building to another building they sit down they start to fill out this paperwork.

Man I need a bus token, man I could use a groceries gift certificate, man. And right then and then I know that so much more than their financial situation is on the line. We have some amazing benevolence counselors that try their very best that with very, very sympatric ears hear one's complaint and show God's love listen with dignity.

It is dignity important? Yeah because you know the embarrassment that's attached to the heart of a man who feels like right now he can't pay his bills, and he has put in over fifty applications for the last three months and is trying to find work, and now things seem like they're really, really tight. I don't want to go to the church, I don't want to ask for help, but three weeks ago Pastor Bob say well hey we're here to help and we don't see you rob a bank and become a Christian thief, and so make sure you show up. And so I show up and the guy hands me a clip board, says fill this out.

And then it says what church do you attend? And I don't attend very often; it says when is the last time you worked? I haven't worked for a while and I don't' want to fill this out.

And let me move from being light hearted and humorous and say if you've never been there for a man can't feed my kids I don't' know what I'm going to do, this foreclosure thing that's happening, this is now a season in America's history it's weird, homelessness in Broward County to be a dad earning a living one day and sleeping under a bridge with your kids the following week.

Because when they say hey it's our house, it's not your house anymore pride is going to stop you from doing some of the stuff that everybody else, but I can still provide, I mean I can get a job I mean you guys just stay here right now I'm going to try and find work today, I'm going to come back under this bridge and I'm going to feed you, I'm going to come back with food.

Do you know that that's happening? And whether it's somebody whose struggling with finances, somebody whose struggling with an addiction, somebody whose struggling with just the third payment that can't be made it's the love of God in the heart of a believer that looks on at the condition and says oh man I feel so bad, you know what I could do something, I could take you to my church, let's see what they'll say.

And now you walk over to the benevolence department and yeah there's some questions we have to ask, we're going to try and do it very tactfully but if we show up with a prideful aggressive, hey we're in charge kind of spirit, it will so crush your heart.

And then the questions we ask you assume God is asking the same question, and you walk away from that Christian say no God doesn't care either, he's not interested in helping me, I don't know what I'm going to do but I'm getting desperate, desperate?

No it's why that fourth word is used, please back with me to verse twelve, he says our humility must be on the uniform in the heart linked to meekness, now what is meekness going to mean?

Meekness if you don't know if you'll circle the word is gentle, it's really, really gentle, you're going to be really quiet, you're going to be real sensitive you're going to walk very carefully, and you're going to be so gentle that in your willingness to stand by their side, you may stand by their side even longer than you thought you'd stand by their side because your waiting for the Holy Spirit of God to show up, and you know that his timing is perfect and it may not be yours.

So what does that look like? Looks like the fifth word, long suffering, and if you want to circle the word for long suffering close by it write this word, patience. In fact I always misspell patience its p.a.t.i. is it I before e except after 'c'.

Patience how do you spell it pati, I, I, e, be patient. Now just wait a minute, I know how to spell it I did this, this is supposed to be a moment of cleverness, look he's waiting a long time to spell the word patience, how long will you suffer with me? Till I give you the last few letters.

We are as Christians some of the most impatient people in fact as Christians some of us make the worst patience, it's true, I have a doctor friend he says to me Bob why is it my patients who are not Christians and sometimes they behave more spiritual than my patience who are Christians?

He said that, he asked me, I said well, most of us weren't very loved and most of were very chosen, and most of us are still become holy, we need God, and part of the reason we need God is that we struggle with a lot of things and one of them being patience.

E.N.C.E. Christian listen, we live in a fallen world, and every once in a while I fall, and when I make mistakes and I do something stupid and I sin, what I need more than anything is someone to show up, whose wearing the uniform, whose put on the mercy and the kindness and the humility and the meekness and is willing to suffer a long time, why?

I need that more than anything else you see, I really, really need someone to be behaving in such a way knowing that the way they behave is the way that they belong to the body where the head is refueling and restoring the very thing you give away.

What do I mean? Now stay with me on the thought because I want you to capture the connection between God saying I've chosen you I love you and I'm making you holy. God why me? Well because I really, really love you, I'm really, really choosing you so that I can flow in and through and reach the world everywhere you walk, everywhere you are, everywhere you go.

Now I know you'll be going someplace so here's what I'm submitting, I submit that you put this on before you leave, I'm hoping that you've got this mercy on, this kindness on this humility on, this meekness on, this longsuffering on because I know that if you are meek you're going to inherit the earth, I know if you are merciful you're going to get mercy, I know if your kind it will not only lead to somebody else's repentance but you'll recognize how a spirit of contrition assist you in maintaining kindness to others because you know that there's no place for pride in our economy.

Not as Christians, because you also know keeping your place in Colossians chapter three making your way with me to 1st Peter chapter five, and in five that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Now I wanted there to be a clear link is that the everything that he wants you to do for everyone else is the very thing that he is to you. And the very thing that he is to you is the everything that caused him to say I'm on your side, I voted for you.

Now if he voted for me and you vote for me, what's going to happen to we? The people of God, we'll we're going to be built up, we're going to be strengthened we're going to feel like wow, wow, wow, wow, wait a minute he voted for me, you voted for me wait there's other people that don't feel like their chosen.

Or loved, or are convinced that they can ever be holy, what do we do? Well back to Colossians chapter three with me verse thirteen; Bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another even as Christ forgave you so you also must do.

But above all these things you put on love which is the bond of perfection and that the peace of God rule in your hearts to which you were called in one body and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and whatever you do, in word or deed, do in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the father through him.

No, no we're not stopping. Here's how we'll close, close? It's back to what we're to put on, clothes, clothes, not close good-bye again clothes put on. For when I take that same section of scripture and now communicate it to you in a variety of versions you stay tuned listen to the way that it reads and with these words clothes, yeah put it on listen.

Put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and if one has a complaint against another forgiving each other as the Lord as forgiven you, you must also forgive. And above all these put on love which bind everything together in perfect harmony.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing songs and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Whatever you do in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the father through him.

Listen to this one my favorite, so chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you, compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline, be even tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense, forgive as quickly and as completely as the master forgave you, and regardless of whatever else you put on wear love.

It's your basic all purpose garment, never be without it, let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other, none of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness let the word of Christ the message have run through the house, give it plenty of room in your lives instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing in your hearts out to God, let every detail of your lives, your words, your actions, whatever, be done in the name of the master Lord Jesus thanking God the father every step along the way.

Do you see what's happening? God with his word is providing a look it's a fashion it's a style and if you would do what he instructs us to do, listen he says let peace rule in your heart, let the word of God dwell in your being, and he says you know what's going to happen? He says just very naturally you let the word come in you and it's going to be coming out of you, you're going to be teaching people, admonishing people encouraging people exhorting one another and here's what's going to happen. You are going to be a part of a body expression that will be so amazingly attractive more people are going to want to be a part of this thing.

Can you put it on? Could you put on more love, you got a complaint, oh stop it, no, no complaining, no complaining, stop, I forgave you, don't stop hey. Some of you go Bob I love to put on love, I love to put on mercy there's a problem, I've been wearing hate all these years, oh that's a very bad look.

You know that went out in the seventies, like an old naru jacket, you know there are some looks there are some fashions that are so out of style, and we put them back on, I don't know if it's a skinny tie or a wide tie anymore sometimes we get all messed up, what is the fashion? I don't even know anymore I just quit wearing ties.

Is it skinny pants now, if you're my age and you put on one of those skinny pair of jeans, the Beatles wore something like that for a while but I'm even a little younger than those guys so I'm thinking what do you wear you ever feel that way?

You ever notice how some people who are much older than me finally matured to that place where they really don't care anymore. You know you'll see an old guy at the mall he's got these really high socks, he's got these really, really comfortable shoes, he's got a pair of pants that just don't match his top at all.

And your this young person looking on at this old person going oh my goodness I can't believe how they look, and there you are in all tight shoes, those pants, you got this top on, I can't believe how they. And there they are cach I'm kicking back, they don't care, and there you are got to buy the new thing, look at those old people.

And they kind of look back and snicker at you, ha, ha, I remember when I used to have to wear those things and spend that money, I've had this shirt for seventeen years. What are you twenty one? Yeah I bought this shirt when you were three. Yeah, you wait long enough and it comes back, bellbottoms, they were hot then they were not, and now they are and now they're not.

Just find your thing and wear it, wait for fashion to catch up with you, make a statement. Listen the apostle Paul says you know the most attractive thing you could put on above everything else? Its love, if you'd put on love and if you'd wear love and if you'd express love what a world of difference that would make.

Before you put on the love you're going to have to take off the hate, because if you still have hate on and you try and put love over it, it looks weird, I can put on hate, I can put on love, and still have hate underneath.

No, no, hate because you've been wearing it so long and because it smells the hate smell comes right up through the threads of love. And pretty soon you go that's not love that's hypocrisy, I know that smell, hmm, that stinks hypocrisy stinks.

So let's do this, let's ask God to help us take off the hate and put on the love, let's ask God to help us take off the greed and put on the generosity. Let's ask God to take away the turmoil and put on the peace, take away the pride, God take off my pride and put on humility.

You say well wait a second Bob if I wear all those things, the mercy the kindness the humility the meekness the longsuffering, dude you know this I'm a sales man, man, I can't wear that.

Really? That was the fashion that Jesus wore and to this day millions of people follow him and will do whatever he asks them to do even to the point of death. Oh he wasn't a salesman, no, no, no, he was perfect.

And I would be more interested in perfecting my style than selling more products because if I could perfect my style and it looks like this, I think that he God would take care of the rest, amen?

Closing Prayer

Father we thank you so much for our time together, and Lord we know how important it is in light of the things we've read and studied and know to really show the rest of the world that we are different. God we know that in a world that's not very merciful, not very kind, not very humble, not very meek, doesn't suffer very long, is not very patient, and sometimes sadly has more hate than love, we could even now judge them.

But you said in your word that judgment begins in the house of God so it's our opportunity to judge ourselves it's our chance to say oh woe is me a man who is so undone God please help me to be more like you.

And if you had follower's millions of them over the years, willing to obey you, and whatever you asked God we pray that our style might lead more people to obey you in whatever you ask.

But if it starts with us being willing to obey you in whatever you ask, you ask us to put these things on and now we ask you God to help us put them on that we might be the best representation of you in Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

Let's stand I got convicted doing this bible study like preparing it you know this place we live the planet it will do its best to work its way into you so there has to be an active pursuit to maintain a distance.

There are times of course you are not very successful, and the world works its way in and as it creeps you get creepy, you go God I'm a creep, I'm creepy I'm not some of this stuff, I want to change, and that's the cool thing about this place this house. This is the place for change.

So in just a moment Pastor Clay is going to start to close us in song and when he does there are some really wonderful people here who are not all that perfect, and they can relate to you who are not all that perfect, and when we who are imperfect approach a very perfect God and say God I want to be more like you. I've been creepy lately, listen, it's time for change, and sometimes just a simple admission of that is what begins to change.

Listen the chief creep the creepiest of all, if you were to equate that to being a sinner one of Jesus' key guys said that's me. In other words, let's just get that honest, let's be that real, at the close of the bible study why don't you allow the Holy Spirit to show you what is that creepy part, and why don't you be so bold to stand up and walk your way forward at some point and say you know what, I'll introduce myself I am and when you meet the person who says I'm here, they put their hand on your shoulder and they pray and they say this is a person who wants to be changed God.

And they're prayer today is their admission of need and watch God work in your life, I will admit I'm not there yet, but I will tell you I want to be, and that's all that's required is the want and the admission let him do what he does best, we're all creepy.

No one righteous no not one, all of us are creepy. Amen?

I'm going to invite the folks who pray on up on both sides of the platform if you're so creepy that you have not yet opened your heart to Jesus your creeping me out, so come on up and say hey you know what I'm a sinner I'd like to get right with God and let one of these folks know, we'd love to pray with you and pray for you and see God change that and he has a way of doing just that so you can get on with the life he had in mind.

Pastor Clay if you'd close us in song.

END

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