The Apple of God's Eye

The title today, The Apple of God's Eye. The Apple of God's Eye. How important is the Church of God to you? How important is the Church of God to God the Father? It must be very important because in John 3 16 it says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him should not perish, but have, ever lasting life. To have a church, the Son of God had to die for the sins of the world, the sins for each one of us. So how important is the Church of God to God the Father?

He gave his only begotten Son, that we might be reconciled to him. How important is the Church of God to Christ? Let's turn to Ephesians 5 and verse 25 and start there. Ephesians 5 verse 25 and see how important the Church is to Christ. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 25. Husbands, love your wives even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify it, set it apart, and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. So it is through the Word of God, taking heed to it, that we can be washed and cleaned up.

And Jesus Christ gave his life essence that we might be able to become a member of the body of Christ, the Church of God. Let's look at John 15 verse 13 and John 15 verse 13. As we're turning there, once again, we ask how important is the Church of God to each one of us. Very important to the Father, he gave his only begotten Son.

Very important to the Son because he gave his life. And here we read in John 15 verse 13. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knows not what the Lord does, but I have called you friends for all things that have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Those in whom God's Spirit dwells constitutes the body of Christ. Both God the Father and Jesus Christ dwells in each member of the body of Christ. So let's note now 1 Corinthians 3 16 with regard to God's dwelling place, with regard to how it is phrased in the New Testament. Most of the time we'll read one place about the symbolism which is very vital to the message today, a little bit later.

In 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 16, know you not that you are the temple of God. God's dwelling place, God dwells in his church, in his temple. He dwells not, as it says in another place, as in Acts 7, he dwells not in buildings made by hands, that you are the temple of God and that God at the Spirit of God dwells in you. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. So how do we become members of this body, this temple?

If you turn quickly forward to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, we will see that. I would call 1 Corinthians 12 the greatest unity chapter in the whole Bible. In 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 12, for as the body is one and hath many members, so we have ear, eyes, nose, we have all the various body parts, arms, legs, toes, hands, fingers, for as the body is one, hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.

Many members of that body, for by one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, then all made to drink into one Spirit. So we are all members of one body. We have various callings and gifts that God has granted to us because we are baptized by one Spirit.

We are members one of another. That is a very weighty statement. I have mentioned it several times in recent years, and I wonder when we will ever grasp it as a whole. You look down at verse 25 now, we'll see this, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care, one for another. And of course, this is preceded by the analogy of when something happens to a member of the physical body, then it affects the whole body, as he goes on to say here in verse 26, and whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it, or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular. If you turn back quickly now, I like to turn quickly, I turn with my left hand here. Let's see. Of course, I got something to put it on. Turn to Romans 12 in verse 5. In view of that, Paul makes this statement, which I've already repeated. We'll read it from scripture. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

So how important is the church to each one of us? The church is called our spiritual mother. We notice this in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 26. Galatians 4 and verse 26. This is preceded where the apostle Paul recounts the allegory of using Hagar, representative of the Old Covenant, and Sarah, representative of the New Covenant, and how that the members of the body of Christ are set free through faith, and that we are members of that heavenly Jerusalem, the mother of us all. Let's read it here in Galatians 4 and verse 26. Galatians 4 and 26.

But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.

Jerusalem above, the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, you barren, that bear not.

Now this is a quote from Isaiah chapter 54 and verse 1. Oh, your place there, and let's read Isaiah 54 and verse 1. If you just read Isaiah 54 verse 1 in isolation, you would be hard-pressed to say, well, what this means is that it is referring to, in the ultimate sense, the church of God. In Isaiah 54 verse 1, Sing, O barren, you that did not bear. Of course, you know, Sarah was barren for quite a long time. Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you that did not travail with child, for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife with the eternal. And Paul says the fulfillment of this has come with those who are of faith. So we continue here in Galatians 4 and verse 27, where Paul is quoting from Isaiah 54 verse 1. For it is written, Rejoice, you barren, that bear not, break forth, and cry, you that travail not, for the desolate have many more children than she which has in husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. Why are we the children of promise? Because Isaac was born of faith.

Sarah and Abraham were past the age of bearing children, but God appeared to them and said, You will bear a son, who will be the son of promise, Isaac. And eventually, in faith, they acted upon that promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless, what says the scripture?

Cast out the bond woman and her son. So in the allegory, Hagar and Ishmael were cast out.

For the son of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.

So then, brethren, you are children. You are not children of the bond woman, but of the free, that which is born of faith. Jerusalem above, the mother of you all, the church. So we could ask the question, how important is your physical mother to you?

I would venture to say that everybody loves their physical mother dearly. The one who gave you life, who brought you forth, the one who suckled you, the one who took care of you, the one who brought you the place where you could be somewhat independent.

So, we know that our physical mother is very important to us. So what about our spiritual mother? How important is our spiritual mother to each one of us?

The trap that some fall into is to view the church in terms of men and their actions.

The church was purchased by the blood of Christ. It was not purchased by any human being, but it was purchased by one who did live in the flesh as a human being, yet he was the son of God and a God being, Jesus Christ. Now let's look at a few scriptures, maybe three here, with regard to that. The church was purchased by the blood of Christ, not by men. Let's go to Acts 20, verse 28.

Acts 20, verse 28. A rather interesting scripture here because it also is an admonition and exhortation for the ministry.

The scripture says, Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit made you overseers to feed the church of God spiritual food, just as a loving mother feeds and suckles her child, so the church of God, and of course God has, as we shall see, has appointed various offices in the church, and one of the main purposes of it is to feed the church of God. Remember when Jesus Christ confronted Peter in the last chapter of the Gospel of John, Peter, do you love me three times? If you do, feed my sheep, to feed the church of God, which he had purchased with his own blood. Now quickly, let's also turn to another scripture that shows this very clearly as well. 1 Peter 1, verse 18. What are we talking about? We're talking about the fact that the church of God is not made by men per se. God has allowed us to be overseers and members of that body, but it doesn't belong to us.

As we'll note here, it was purchased once again through the blood of Christ.

In 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 18. For as much as you know that you are not redeemed, the word redeemed means to buy back, to redeem that which has been sold into slavery or whatever it might be. All of us were servants of sin until we were redeemed and brought back, and the slate wiped clean through faith in the sacrifice of Christ.

We know that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained. That word in the Greek progenosco, foreordained. Progenosco means to know beforehand. It says in Revelation 13, 8, that Jesus Christ was slain from the foundation of the world, who verily was foreordained, known beforehand, before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him from the dead, gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. And then another place in 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 17. 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 17. We are, of course, reading some very important scriptures that tell us very clearly how the church was purchased and whose church it is, and how, and we shall see how blessed we are, that we have been given an opportunity to be members of that body. In 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 17. 2 charge them that are rich in the world, that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

O Timothy, O Timothy, pleading from the very bowels of the Apostle Paul, O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust. Avoid profane and vain babbling in opposition of science, falsely so-called, which some professing have heard concerning the truth.

Grace be with you. Amen. Our commitment is to God and Christ and the truth. No action of any man can change any word of the truth of God. No action of any man can change the fact of how the church came to be. It is through the grace of God and Christ that they planned out this great plan of salvation that defies even human ability to describe it. But we know enough to know about the plan of God and what he is doing in bringing sons and daughters to glory in his family.

Now look at 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, from the scriptures that we have read thus far, we can safely draw the conclusion that indeed the church of God is the church of God.

So in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 1, Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and sosthenes our brother unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified, set apart in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.

And yet people were quick to say, Oh, I'm no saint. Well, you're called to be a saint.

And the word at its very root means holy, set apart, sanctified, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Grace be unto you in peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. So how does God view the church and how is the church identified? Let's look back now at how Zion came to symbolize the church.

I want to go to Psalm 78. Psalm 78.

Psalm 78 recounts the history of Israel, hitting the highs and the lows, probably more lows than highs, of God delivering them from bondage several times, fighting their battles on the way to the Promised Land, and finally they arrive in the Promised Land. And the leading tribe, when they came into the Promised Land, was Ephraim. Remember the tabernacle was pitched at Shiloh, which is in Ephraim. And Shiloh, where the tabernacle was pitched, became rebel, as it were, because of Israel's disobedience and the northern ten tribes went into captivity.

In Psalm 78, we will pick it up in verse 65.

We're going to trace up and show why Zion came to symbolize the church.

Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine. And he smote the enemies in the hinders' parts. He put them to a perpetual reproach.

Moreover, he refused the tabernacle of Joseph. Now, this Psalm is written in parallelism. Joseph is sometimes used generically to represent the northern ten tribes. He chose not the tribe of Ephraim. Sometimes Ephraim is used generically to represent the ten tribes.

He chose the tribe of Judah. Remember the prophecy back in Genesis, where it says that the Messiah would come out of Shiloh. He chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion, which he loved.

And he built his sanctuary like high places, like the earth, which he has established forever.

He chose the Mount Zion, which he loved. Now, if you look at 2 Chronicles chapter 5, 2 Chronicles chapter 5, David, as you recall, built a tabernacle for God, and it was pitched on Mount Zion. Mount Zion is used synonymously with the city of David.

They came to the point where the tabernacle was completed, and they were ready to dedicate it. We're going to break in on the thought. 2 Chronicles chapter 5 verse 2, Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, and the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. He refused the tabernacles of Joseph and Ephraim, and chose Judah and Zion. Wherefore, all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king and the feast, which is in the seventh month, of course, the feast in the seventh month, trumpets of toenment, the feast of tabernacles in the eighth day.

So we see that God chose the Mount Zion. He loved the Mount Zion.

Now we go to Zechariah chapter 2. Zechariah chapter 2. What are we doing? We're briefly, and very briefly, showing the history of how Zion came to symbolize the church, and it's used symbolically. Now Zion, as we see, is also synonymous with the city of David, and the Mount Zion is just sort of southwest of the Temple Mount.

And you can go online and you can look up Mount Zion, and there will be some pictures there, not very high if you think of a mountain. In Zechariah 2, in verse 7, deliver yourself, O Zion, that dwells with the daughter of Babylon. Of course, Judah was taken into captivity into Babylon and allowed to return.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, after the glory, hath he sent me unto the nations which spoil you, for he that touches you touches the apple of his eye. Hence the title, the apple of God's eye. He touches the apple of God's eye.

For behold, I will shake my hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me, seeing and rejoiced, O daughter of Zion, for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the Eternal. Today God in Christ dwells in His temple, the spiritual temple. We read 1 Timothy 3.16, and many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day. Of course, this is coming forward now into the beginning of the millennium, and shall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me.

And the Lord shall inherit Judah and his portion in the Holy Land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

Be silent, O flesh, before the Eternal, for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

Now to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. And hopefully you'll be able to see here also the great beauty of the unity of the Scriptures. And it is indeed line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. So in Hebrews chapter 12, Hebrews compares and contrasts elements of the Old Covenant with elements of the New Covenant, and Paul is contrasting Mount Zion with Mount Sinai. And we just read a bit of this about Mount Sinai in Hebrews 12, in verse 18. You are not come unto the mount that might be touched. See, Mount Sinai could be touched, and they were warned in Exodus chapter 19 not to touch the mountain, because God was about to come down, or He didn't actually come down, I suppose, to thunder the Ten Commandments.

For you are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burn with fire, nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet in the voice of words, which voice they that heard and treated, that the words should not be spoken to them anymore.

For they could not endure that which was commanded. And if so much as a beast touched the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with the dart. Why? Because God's presence was there as He spoke.

And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. And you can read of that in Exodus 20. But you are come to, you are come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. We read Galatians 4, 26, the mother of us all. You are come to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to the God and the judge of all men, and to the spirits of just men, made perfect end to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of a sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. Of course, the blood sacrifices that were offered of bulls and goats in the Old Covenant under the in the Old Testament and the Old Covenant were mere shadows of that which was to come, made them ceremonially clean, but could never purge the conscience of dead works. The church is the apple of God's eye. The church is the most important institution on the face of the earth, and I would venture to say in the universe, as an institution, and probably the family second to that. God loves the gates of Zion.

We read, God loves the Mount Zion. We read it from Psalm 78. Zion is where the saints are born.

Look at Isaiah 66. So much in the Bible about God's love for Zion and the church, and so we ask ourselves, how important is the church to us? It is not just the work of men, though men are used. One of the reasons why God raised up the church and commissioned the church is to carry the gospel message of how we might become members of the body of Christ.

So I ask you to turn to Isaiah 66. Let's look at verse 5.

Hear the word of the Lord, you that tremble at his word, your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, let the Lord be glorified, but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. Of course, it's prophesied in Matthew 24 that the time will come in which you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the eternal living, renders recompense to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth her pain came. She was delivered of a man child. One of the things that the Zionists are doing, they quote the scripture here to show what they're trying to show, is that a new nation has been born, Israel, with the UN decree of November 1947, not revolution, but a resolution, I think it's 181, and that there is a new nation that is suddenly born.

But this is not talking about the birth of a physical nation.

Before she travailed, before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child, who hath heard of such a thing, who hath seen such a thing. Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once, for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Shall I bring to birth, and not cause to bring forth, says the Eternal. Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb, says your God. Rejoice you with Jerusalem, and be glad with all of her, you that love her. Rejoice for joy with her, all you that mourn for her, that you may suck and be satisfied with the breast of her consolations, that you may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus, as the Eternal Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then it goes to the millennium.

Then shall you suck, and shall be born upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees, as one whom his mother comforts. So will I comfort you, and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. Now look at Psalm 87 that gives you a picture of this bringing to birth out of Zion. We have this hymnal in the hymnal that's Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken, Zion City of Our God. Well, that's Psalm 87, and it's speaking about the resurrection, the birth of the church.

In Psalm 87 and verse 1, his foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Jacob, to a large degree in the Old Testament, represents the physical, Zion and Jerusalem representing the spiritual. Glorious things of Thee are Spoken, O City of God. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me. Behold, Philistea and Tyre with Ethiopia, this man was born there where? And of Zion it shall be said, this and that man was born in her, and the highest himself shall establish her.

Of course, when the church is resurrected, there are a lot of people out here in the cemetery between here and Gladewater, some out here at Hoover Cemetery on 1002. There are some drowned in the sea, there are some that were burned alive, scattered all over the face of the earth.

But in the symbolic sense, in the figurative sense, they're all born in Zion.

I've told the story many times of the trip to Jerusalem, in which one and I looked over to Mount of Olives and saw those little white specks and asked the guy, who by the way was an Arab, what are those little white specks? They said they are Jewish tombs. The Jews want to be buried there because they think they get a head start on the resurrection if they're buried there.

And if Zion, it shall be said, this and that man was born in her, and the highest himself shall establish her, the Lord shall count when he writes at the people that this man was born there. Where? Zion. As well as the singers, as well as the players on instruments shall be there. All my springs, springs, waters, symbolic of God's Spirit, all of my springs are in you.

So there is no question that the church is the apple of God's eye. The church, the most important institution on the face of the earth. As we have already noted, we are baptized into one body, and one body, and as one body, we are members one of another. So do you view the church in light of what men or men can do or don't do? What man does or doesn't do will not stop the church of God.

Jesus Christ himself says that I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Each member of the body of Christ is supposed to be an ambassador of God and Christ and for the kingdom of God. So I hope that we are coming to see that even though God allows men to administer the church, none of us are perfect. There's no minister, there's no one perfect, and the church belongs to God and Christ. God sets the offices in the church for a person to fulfill that office as he has given them commandment and for a specific purpose.

And let's notice what that purpose is in Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11. And he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Edify means to build up, to strengthen, not to tear down, not to divide, to build up the body of Christ.

Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men and the cunning craftiness thereby where they lie and wait to deceive. But speaking the truths in love may grow up unto him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body is fitly framed together and compacted by that which every joint supplies. Now every joint supplies, we are all joints in the symbolic sense of that body, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

So obviously when we attack the body, the Church of God, we are in essence attacking ourselves if we are a member of the body. We are members one of another, each member of the body. Let's turn now to, I mentioned this once, let's go to 2 Corinthians 5, 18. Each member of the body is to be an ambassador for God and Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 18. 2 Corinthians 5, 18, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. We could not be reconciled to the Father apart from the sacrifice of Christ. In order for us to receive God's Spirit, we had to be viewed as sinless. And through faith in the sacrifice of Christ and repentance, we can be viewed as sinless, reconciled to God, redeemed, bought back from the wages of sin, which is death. 2 Corinthians 5, 18, And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation, to know that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. If it had not been for that sacrifice, of course, the wages of sin is death, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation, now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's dead be you reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Apart from Christ, we cannot be made the righteousness of God, because he paid the price, and we can be viewed as righteous upon repentance and faith in the sacrifice of Christ. He who touches the church touches the apple of God's eye, the espoused bride of Christ. Now we're in 2 Corinthians, turn to chapter 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 10. What a chapter 11, sorry. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Verse 1, Would to God you would bear with me a little in my folly, indeed bear with me, for I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

To harm the church of God is analogous to some stranger coming along and maiming, or harming, your wife or fiance. As we noted here in 2 Corinthians 10 too, God likens the church to an undefiled virgin. You would be furious if someone came along and began to mistreat your wife or your fiance in some way, or if it were the wife mistreating the husband, the Bible uses husband-wife, God was the one who called you and put you in the church. If you are in the church, and if you are in the church in Zion symbolically, you are the apple of his eye, and you are here because God begets you with his precious word of truth. Look at James chapter 1 and verse 17.

Obviously we do not beget ourselves. Obviously no man begat us, no man called us.

But through the work of men, we recall. We'll read that verse in just a moment. Why did God build the church in the first place? He commissioned the church. Go you therefore into all the world.

Make disciples of all nations. Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you. Baptize him in the name of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit, and lo, I am with you, even to the end of the age. In James 1.17, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no wearableness, neither shadow of turning, of his own will beget he us with the word of truth, that you should be a kind of firstfruits of his creation.

So we can ask ourselves, am I thankful for the church? Do we really communicate in fellowship with one another, our mother, the church, our brethren, as Christ gave commandment, assembling ourselves together and fellowshiping with one another, is of great value in the sight of God. It is of great value. Can I show it from Scripture? Yes. Turn back a page or two to Hebrews chapter 10. It is given in the form of a commandment in Hebrews 10 and verse 21.

Hebrews 10 verse 21.

In having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promise, and let us consider one another to provoke one another in love to do good works, not forsaking, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

Through the assembling of ourselves together, we draw strength from one another. We have this fellowship with one another through God and Christ. Look at 1 John chapter 1 verse 3.

1 John chapter 1 and verse 3. 1 John chapter 1 verse 3.

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us.

Paul was combating Gnosticism. One of the things he was doing in this epistle was combating Gnosticism. The Gnostics taught that Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh as he also just seemed to be, which was called docetism or seamism. That you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

And these things, right we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all unrighteousness, or all sin. Through the assembling of ourselves together, we draw strength from one another. Do you identify with the church? Do you really identify with the church as Christ did, who loved the church and gave himself for it? Identification is a process of developing oneness and ownership and belongingness. If you don't take ownership and feel a part of it, and so much today people are standing like I'm going to warm my hands by the fire, but I'm not going to get very close. I'm not really going to make a commitment because I can do whatever I want to do. Is that what God and Christ intended? I don't think it's what I read from the Bible of what they intended. So, once again, identification is a process of developing oneness and the sense of ownership and belongingness. Look at John the Gospel, John 17, verse 20. Here Jesus Christ is praying that famous prayer on the night that he was betrayed and tried before he was crucified in the daylight hours.

In John 1720, neither pray I for these alone, but for them which believed on me through their word, that they all may be one as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you have sent me, and the glory which you gave me I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one. I in them, you in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. Father, I will that you also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am, and that they may behold my glory which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. So are we thankful that God delivered you from the grip, delivered you and I from the grip of sin and death, and set us free. Some members of the body of Christ in some way brought the words of life to you. You didn't do it on your own. I've already mentioned Christ commissioned the church. Look at Romans chapter 10 verse 14. Go ye therefore into all the world, disciple all nations, teach them to observe all things whatsoever I command you. Who's going to teach them? Well, God uses men. He sets some in the church, and I've read Ephesians 4.

In Romans chapter 10 verse 14, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed, and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher?

So God ordained those various offices, gave gifts to men for the purpose of edifying the body of Christ.

And of course for evangelizing as well, if you want to use that term, of preaching the gospel and reaching the world, and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all the world, and then shall the income they have not, how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent as is written? How beautiful are the feet of them that preaches the gospel of peace and brings glad tidings of good things.

But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report.

Here's the quick recipe for increase in faith, for then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

God has promised that he will never leave us, that he will never forsake us, if we are faithful to our calling. If there's any leaving to be done or disassociation, you or I will have to do it. If there's anything that can separate you from the love of God, is there anything?

Satan tries, he walks about 24-7, trying to separate you from the love of God.

Paul writes forward now, we're in Romans chapter 10. Let's go back there to 8, back of page or two. See, one of the great keys to never being disassociated is this Romans 8 and verse 36.

If we were to just look at what men might say or do, that's not where we made our commitment. We made our commitment to God and Christ.

When we baptize, we say, I'm now going to baptize you not into any organization or denomination of man, but into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

As it is written, this is Romans 8.36, as it is written, for your sake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Everybody is going to get their just reward at the resurrection. You may not get it in this life, but you will get it. Paul writes about that in 1 Corinthians 4.

Knowing all these things were more than conquerors through him that loved us, for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor death nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. In verse 31 says, if God be for us, who can be against us? God desires that his church, his body, be knit together in love. Brethren, as the apple of God's eye, I leave you with this admonition and our exhortation from the apostle Paul, and we will close with this in 1 Thessalonians 5 beginning in verse 16. Verse Thessalonians 5 and verse 16. Remember we are members one of another.

If you're members one of another, you should have the same love, care, and concern, one for another.

If you take the example of the physical body as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 12, then what affects one member of the body affects the others. In 1 Thessalonians 5, 16, we'll read to the end of the chapter. Look at this two-word command. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God your whole spirit, hand, soul, and body is preserved blameless under the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Read all the brethren with a holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

You are the apple of God's eye.