Are You a Temple of God or a Tomb?

Good to see all of you. Beautiful, by the way, the flowers we have up here. They smell wonderful!

You know, do you smell them out there? You've got to have an imagination, I guess. And I guess I have a little bit of an imagination on it. I'm kidding myself. Are these real or are they memorix? You know, what are they? But, you know, hope that you have enjoyed the warm weather. You know, we stepped out of the car down here and it seemed just the wind against your cheek, you know, felt a little warmer and very pleasant, which area is. And, of course, this is why eight million people live in this area. Everybody wants to crowd in to the Bay Area because it was such a nice place to live. The wind feelers are notable on the Sabbath if you are like me. You know, you notice things, you look at people and what they do. Is it humility? People in the room are on the go. You know, in the highways and the byways, you see people just moving all the time and doing something. In every city in America, people are either flying somewhere, driving somewhere, walking somewhere, or running somewhere. And, you know, not only is it true in the United States, but it's true in places like Zambia and the highway because you it's like the cities bustle, that people are going there. It's like they're on the go. And the book of Daniel actually tells us in the last days that people would run to and fro. And it also says that knowledge would be increased. It would be multiplied. We've seen that, of course, occur at a very rapid rate than it will today. So the inhabitants of this planet are like little grasshoppers on this surface of the earth and they're quite busy. And we know God looks down from the circle of the earth. And the earth is nothing more than as footstool as the Bible talks about it. It beholds us as grasshoppers. It seems that many upon this earth, when they, of course, are given life, strive to accomplish something, at least something in their lives, to make it of value. I think that most people probably do that. You know, some people may not so much, but I think for the most part, more people work their lives to be of some value.

Then it was some time ago that my wife and I traveled to a little community called Colma, California. And if you ride the bike, you see that that's one of the exits, if you're coming back from the airport along the way. But we were over at Colma, and we found that it was a place of many graveyards. We were amazed at how many graveyards were in Colma. And tombs, of course, some areas, you know, you had these great tombs that were erected. It's like I told my wife that when I die, I want to have something very, very simple. Maybe a tomb 25 by 25, no more than two stories high. You know, so I want something very humble, because I'm very much being comical about that, but because I don't really care. But anyway, I never. But Colma is a place also, I found out, where, where wide earth is buried. So I guess it must not be a bad place. But you know, what they say about cemeteries, people are dying to get in there. And because that's an old joke, isn't it? But, you know, cemeteries are, are kind of an intriguing place. I've been to many types of cemeteries. I've been to pioneer cemeteries. Those are the most interesting. If you've ever been to pioneer cemetary. But, you know, we, of course, count ourselves lucky that we're not there. In whatever cemetery we may visit, you know, we often think of ourselves as being alive, don't we? Now, pinch yourself a little bit if you wonder whether we're alive, as they say. We think that we dwell among the living. But is that the reality, brethren? You know, we look in the cemetery, and we, we maybe get very sober by looking at people that, that maybe some died a short time ago or a long time ago. And we can, we can think ourselves good because we're alive. Because we think we're alive, don't we? But is that the reality? Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2. In fact, brethren, that is not the reality that the Bible reveals that the seven billion people on this earth that are walking this planet are not among the living. It's hard to think about that and imagine that in that way. But, but here in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 1, it says, speaking of those called in this present age, it says, and you, he made alive. You know, so we were in the world, we thought we were alive already. Right? But it says, and you, he made alive, and we're dead. We're dead in trespasses and sins. And once you walk according to the prince of the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the Spirit, who now works in the sons of disobedience.

It says, and then also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh. Hopefully we're not doing that now, but there was a time when we did that, fulfilling the desires of the flesh of the mind and by nature the children of wrath, just as the others. And it says, but God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love, which he loved us, even when we were dead, the trespassers made us alive. It says, together with Christ by grace you've been saved and raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So the Bible says, brethren, you and I, as it were, have been raised from the dead. So if that be the case, then does that not mean, brethren, that the people that are walking this planet, that are going literally on, who say they're alive, really they are not.

In fact, they may be walking around, but they're the walking dead.

You know, it seems like this world is intrigued by zombies. You know, these days it seems like a big thing that is in movies and even on television. But in reality, we are not living in the land of the living. We're living in the land of the dead and among the dead that are this world.

You know, this body that you and I have is a physical body. And the only reason we exist is the chemicals and the, you know, how God designed us allows us to be able to function. He allows us to be able to, you know, be alive, to have a consciousness, to be able to think and to reason. But in reality, you know, it is also like a house, and that house can be one of two things. That house that God has given us, this physical body can be one of two things. It can either be a tomb, which it is for most people, or it can be a temple. A temple, of course, is more lasting. And the Bible really brings this out. But what do you have within a tomb? Within a tomb, you have the bones of dead people. And as far as man is concerned, there are seven billion people upon this planet who do not know God, who have not come to know the truth, are in death right now. And so their bodies, as it were, house, just simply the dead.

You know, it's just a matter of time before they die. And there's no hope, in fact, of them ever living unless, unless, again, their minds are open, unless they have been, you know, given the opportunity to be part of, you know, the church, unless they themselves have been called like you and I, have been called into the church. We're in the Bible. God calls things what they are, even though, ostensibly or outwardly, something doesn't appear dead. The world doesn't appear dead, does it? Walks around, it seems like people are, like you say, on the go, they're busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, doing many things. Some might even say things that, that appear to be good.

And yet, for all the good things that the world does, unless they have Christ in their life, unless they repent, unless they change, they're just like seven billion tombs walking around Are you a gentle of God, or are you a tomb? Are you a body walking around that has nothing more than a tomb full of future dead bowls that will amount to nothing, that will come to nothing? Or are you a gentle of God that will last forever, that will go on in perpetuity on into the future? Well, this is a topic, brethren, that involves examination of ourselves, totally looking at ourselves as we should begin to do, as we begin to look toward the Passover season. I know we're a little raised out, but I think that we need to start thinking about it, you know, earlier this year, and we need to take stock of ourselves as God's people. Let's go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 6, because the message of the Bible, you know, I'm not a lawyer, but I'm sure Mr. Rorma concur with me that you go with the preponderance of the evidence in the Bible, and there's much evidence in the Bible that supports, again, the concept that God's people are called to be temples. And here in 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 19, 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 19, what Paul says very, very clearly, what Paul says in verse 19, he says, or do not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, your body, not a term for dead men's bones, but a house, a temple for the Holy Spirit. It says, which you have from God that God has given to you, and you're not your own. And he goes on to say you're bought at a price, therefore, glorified God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. We know through Christ's sacrifice, we've been allowed to continue on to live. And, you know, that sort of damocles that hangs over the head of every human being, every Tom, Dick, or Henry that walks the face of this planet, and that is eternal death that hangs over their head. It's no longer over our head, you know, if we, again, have embraced God's way of life. So we, as a temple of God, whether it ought to be making good use of our time, we ought to be keeping our lives pure and clean.

And, you know, we need to ask ourselves, you know, if we are a temple again or a term, and are we truly alive? Let's be aware, brethren, of the fact that the world is enamored with glitter and and glamorous and the flashy. Well, Hollywood is the mecca, a grammar of the wealthy and the defenseless. You know, we're gonna, of course, tomorrow is the big Super Bowl, isn't it? And, you know, you have these men, they're gonna be out there, you know, like the the glattery areas of Rome, and they're gonna be battling against each other for the championship. And, of course, you know, these guys have paid more money than you would make, you know, in your entire life, in fact, probably about 10 right times. You know, and, you know, not only are they sports figures, but they are almost like movie stars. They're to the world. I can work out from time to time at 24 Hour Fitness, and I'll tell you what, that's all people watch is sports. That's all they watch.

And, you know, I can't imagine, by the way, that they can talk 24 hours a day about sports. I mean, I enjoy, you know, physically doing things and being active, but let me tell you, buddy, I'm not somebody that gets... I'm not worshiping anybody. I don't get caught up in the base path of yours, and I don't learn the scores, and I don't keep up with, you know, how many, you know, runs were batted in by this guy, or how many passes this guy fell through. I'm not even somebody doing that, but I personally don't have the time to do what I've been called to do, in dispensing that time doing that kind of thing. But, again, the world is enamored by that kind of thing. And, you know, it seems like these days that if somebody begins to be an up-and-comer in the world, then they'll get people who are the spin doctors, who begin to be hired, you know, you gotta... that is somebody to maybe hone your image down, whatever it is, maybe teach you how to speak, how to have a certain swagger, and you walk, and you walk.

And it seems that what happens in this world, even the most immoral person can be made to appear to be honest and pure and so nice, you know. And this is done, Reverend, not only in the movie industry and the television industry, that they're always, again, spinning somebody's personality. They're spinning somebody's image in some way, shape, or form. It extends politics as well.

Don't kid yourself, Brother, when people are elected, even under the presidency of the United States, what you see is not really what you get, whether it's the presidency or the Senate or Congress or whatever it might be, because it's kind of spun out by those of the experts in the media. How do you present this person? And millions of dollars are spent, in fact, to cause the public to think favorably about someone. As public figures and leaders oftentimes face scandals, even religious leaders have done it, revealing character that is quite different. So we all, of course, know of, you know, different ones.

Jim Baker, you know, the guy that, I think he's back on television, preaching again, by the way. Jimmy Swaggart, I think, was another one that, you know, his reputation was destroyed because of character issues. I think he's back on as well. But it seems like, by the way, when I will say this about scandals, when somebody who have religion does it, boy, they're really, you know, media's like piranha, those people. But it's almost like for some people, they could do no wrong. It's like the media's almost set up so that all good things are said about this individual.

But this is the way of the world. This is the way it works in the world and in the society. But you know what God says? God says that his ways are not man's ways. And he said that his ways are higher than man's ways, as high as the heavens are from the earth.

Humanly, we tend to judge things from an outward appearance. But the Bible says that God looks on the inside of a person, looks at the heart of someone. Let's go over here to Luke chapter 11. Where are we liking or not? People are judging all the time. Hopefully we're not like that. We're not judging people. We're not standing in judgment of people all the time. But there's some people who are in the permanent judging mode. They judge you from the time they see you. And you know, they're looking on the outside. When you're in high school, when you're in grammar school, people are judging. You know, in school, kids are being judged by the shoes that they wear.

It starts early, doesn't it? But Luke 11, this little sermon, man looks again at things from an outward appearance. Luke 11, verse 30, 7 over here. Jesus was invited to many people's homes. And because of who he was, in the things that he did, but in verse 37, and as he spoke, here, of course, Jesus was saying certain things, a certain pharisee asked him to dine with him. So he went to him and sat down to eat. So he looked at his pharisee's place to dine, his home to dine with him.

And so in the pharisee song, he marveled that Jesus had not first washed before dinner. The marvel at this. But he was amazed that Jesus had not washed. Neither so did little of us would probably marvel too. Now, we have to understand that, you know, it's like in Zambia, to not wash your hands before you eat would be unconscionable. The reason being is because they eat with their hands.

But oftentimes too, they share the same plate. So if you're an Arab country, or, well, you know, in Africa, some places they eat from the same plate with a... So you're touching the food that everybody's got to touch. So you see, this was something that was pretty, pretty serious. But it wasn't the fact that Jesus Christ probably didn't wash his hands, although we don't know, in this case, what Jesus Christ had done with regard to this. It really doesn't say what he did or what he did not do in reality prior to this.

But understand that when the Pharisees washed their hands, there was ritual that was connected with it. They involved many things. And we'll talk about that a little bit later on, but because there are other scriptures that describe that to us. Well, actually, it's in Mark 7, verse 3, because it sort of adds to this, but I'm not very ready for this particular passage, but I'll quote to you Mark 7, verse 3. It says, for the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they washed their hands in the Nukem gems, it says, unless they wash their hands in a special way.

How do you wash your hands in a special way?

But in the revised, it says, unless they wash their hands vigorously, diligently, they eat not holding, it says, the tradition of the elders. Now, you know what Jesus Christ thought about the tradition of the elders. But he didn't think much of it, did he? He didn't think much of how the elders, how the scribes and the Pharisees had all these rituals. They had to do all these things. You know, you had to wash your hands. I guess you had to generally reflect. You had to, you know, do a double black flip or whatever it is that they had to do. And I mean, I'm exaggerating for effect here. But like I say, it doesn't mean Christ's hands were not clean. It's just not according to the tradition of the elders. He maybe didn't do it the way that the Pharisees thought he should have done it, which is often the case, isn't it? That Jesus didn't do things the way they thought he should do it. But going on here, verse 39, then the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup their dish clean. It's almost like Jesus was, even though this would come up here, he was going to use it as an object lesson here. You make the outside of the cup their dish clean. The reason is, is they did the same thing with their pots, with their cups, and all of that. But they did that vigorously as well, so he couldn't be talking about that, you see. He had to be talking about something else. And we know he was talking about them. But he says, But your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Inside you're full of greed and wickedness. He goes on to say, Foolish ones did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But rather give alms as such things as you have, then indeed all things are clean to you. But wrong to you Pharisees for you kind men and men in a room, and all manner of herbs, though they were very carefully meticulous about the tithing of even the smallest of matters. But their problem was, if they were counting out tea leaves, it would be nine for me and one for God. Can you imagine being so careful as to make sure that you, you know, make sure you had your nine, and God only got his one. This is not the way you tithe, by the way. It's not the attitude God is looking for. But God says you tithe men and men with all manner of herbs and pass by justice and the love of God, because these things involve things of the heart. These you're often with them without leaving the others undone. What do you Pharisees for you love, it says, the best seats and the synagogues and the ingredients and the marketplaces. What do you scribes or Pharisees, hypocrites? For you like graves, which are not seen. It says, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them. And so he says you're like graves. You're like tombs.

If people don't notice, you know, that there are bones down under those graves. How many of us have walked through a graveyard? I know my, when I was back in Oklahoma about a year ago, I always visit my mom's and dad's grave when I go back, because I don't get to be out there very much. And so my older brother and I and his wife and my wife and I went over there and we kind of spruced up around it. My brother Richard is buried there as well. But you know, we were taught when we were growing up, you don't walk over a grave. Walk around the grave. And I'm not going to say, you know, I practice that all the time, but that's what we were taught, to show respect for the dead. But, you know, it is something that people very often think of when they're walking through a graveyard, what they're walking over. You walk over a bunch of dead men's bones.

You know, amongst the tombs with dead men's bones. But so Christ called. He called them basically, graveyards and tombs. Another place he, in fact, calls them a tomb. Let's go to Matthew chapter 23. Matthew 23, over here. Here in this famous discourse, in Matthew 23, well, Jesus was very tacky with the Pharisees over here. In Matthew 23, if you've ever read Matthew 23, you know that's not true. Because he called, this is the place where he labels the Pharisees and the scribes for what they were, just as he just did. And Luke, we read again, we thought about them. But down here, verse 25, it says, well, then Matthew 23, verse 25, well, you scribes and Pharisees, Pharisees, hypocrites, few cleans the outside of the cup and dish, but inside your full of extortion and self-indulgence, blind Pharisees. First clue, the inside of the cup and the dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Roll to your scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like white washed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

I was riding along one of the roads in Antioch not long ago, and I looked over, there was a cemetery, and it's obvious that some people have a little bit of wealth, and you can see that in the graveyard. You know, they're the ones that have the one-story, you know, big monument to them, and there's a number of them in the graveyard I'm thinking of, but some of them are well decorated as well. It is amazing, you know, what people will spend even on their death, you know. A number of years ago, I knew of a man who, in fact, when he was buried, wanted to be buried in his Cadillac. So, you know, I assume he wanted to drive off into heaven afterwards. I thought he might, when he's up there in the clouds, drive around, huh, knowing he'd be shocked. Maybe his tires won't hold up in the future. I don't know. Might be too warm if he doesn't get his act together.

But they, the Pharisees of the scribes were the pure righteous, but they were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. But, never, if we don't care about what's on the inside, we just care what people think about us from the outside. We're the same way. We're just well decorated tombs like the Pharisees, like everybody else in the world. And I'll tell you what, some people are more decorated than any of us would ever think to be. You ever seen some of these people that are, I mean, it's like they, it's like every muscle in their body shows.

Where they, they're ripped, as they say. Well, I mean, there's some people in the world that just, it's like they've got everything going for them. It's like they fall out of bed in the middle and everything good happens to them. Or at least it serves that way to them. But remember, remember, the seven burm people, and that includes the political leaders, the religious leaders, and the movie stars, and the guy that lives in Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa. If he has not been called of God then call the God, and unless he has been given life through the power of God's Spirit, unless he has come to see the truth, then he is a tomb.

And what might appear to be alive, really, it's just about our time. It might appear to be alive, but what do we have? 70 years? 80, if we're lucky. If God is as blessed as we may be, he may live 80 years or so, or maybe some live longer. But the world is all concerned about their parents, what they appear to be. We may be concerned, brethren, about what we are on the inside. When God called you, brethren, He opened your mind, showed you the truth. That really is when real life truly began. I remember when our boys were born, and the miracle of childbirth is amazing to think about. In fact, I can see pictures of our children, you know, when they were born, and the excitement of it when Joe and I had our first son and then our second and our third. The stories we could tell you about every one of them. But, you know, it's like when, first of all, you want to get, as a, you know, husband or wife, get pregnant, and finally it happens, and you're excited about that. By the way, I have some poses of my wife, you know, during her developmental years, you know, that in good taste, by the way.

But, you know, after many months of gestation, as they call it, of course, the fetus develops right within the womb, and what is so amazing is they really have cameras now that have been able to see the development of a fetus within a womb, and to be able to see that child grow and develop. You go to YouTube and you can see some of these. It's just a miracle, isn't it, what man is able to do? To think that man thinks that this evolved is unbelievable, unfathomable, in fact. But after nine months, that little fetus develops and grows into a human being. And we've got our grandson, his name is Alan. And I tell you, it's just, it is so amazing to see how different every little human being is. They're all different. They're all different. And it's exciting to see them, to see them come up and develop and to grow. You know, I look through the fact that, you know, in the future, then we'll be able to see them not just, you know, as children, growing up as adults. And, you know, that time is going to come in the future. We're all going to be able to see our children and their children and their children's children on out on into the future.

But the tremendous miracle of a childbirth that somebody, again, develops and grows like that. And here you are, brethren, right? You're sitting. This, we all started somewhere along the line, you know. We started as an idea. Maybe, in some cases, it was a bad idea, you know, how many have accidents, as they say. But here you are, like or not. And you are the sum total of your experience or environment that you have. And voila, you have an adult. Or at least some would say an adult.

Maybe outwardly, we look like an adult. But hopefully we are, again, adults. But let's go over here to John, chapter 3. John, chapter 3. And in John, chapter 3 over here, in verse 1.

It's been a while since we've gone through this, but it says, There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. So he was one who was very much in the upper crust of Jewish society. He's a ruler of the Jews. This man came through Jesus by night, because he did not want to reveal himself to people. It said then, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher, come from God, for no one can do the signs that you do, unless God is with you. And Jesus answered and said them, Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So here we find Jesus proceeding to teach him something that is very important. Now, here we see it says, then unless one is born again. If you look into the Greek, by the way, the word of born here in the Greek is the Greek word, ganau, the spelled G-E-N-N-A-O. And it means, this word means to be born, basically, to be born. The na'on means to be born.

If you look, by the way, you know, in the Greek as well, where it says this word again, from the Greek, by the way, is from the Greek word, anothym, A-N-O-T-H-E-N, and it means from above.

So, unless someone is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now, so, what Jesus Christ is saying here, that we must be born from above as a result of God's Spirit entering into us. Now, if you could pinch yourself again, do that own punch test, when you were begotten of the Holy Spirit, you didn't choose the Spirit, did you?

Have you been born again, as yet? Well, not in the strictest sense of the word. You've gone through a new birth, but you've been begotten. Just like, you know, when a child, a fetus is first begotten, you're in the oven, and the sperm unite, then that is the beginning. That is the beginning, and when you received God's Spirit, it was like that. As we often do say to people, when they receive God's Spirit, that they're impregnated with God's Spirit. Now, Jesus Christ was born of the Spirit, you know, as we know, and the Father overshadowed Mary, and He was begotten of the Holy Spirit from birth.

But we are begotten as a result of the Holy Spirit when we repent, when we accept Christ as our Savior, and His sins are blotted out by the blood of Jesus Christ as sacrifice.

So we must be born from above by the Holy Spirit, and we ultimately will be born again, by the way. But it doesn't happen just because you received the Holy Spirit. Let's go to Titus. Titus chapter 3 over here. Titus chapter 3, and verse 4. Titus chapter 3 and verse 4, and verse 5 as well. But here, Paul writes to him, and he says, "'And when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward men appeared,' and of course, that appeared, in fact, when Christ came on the same, and He gave His life for mankind, for Titus 3, verse 5 now, "'not by works of righteousness which we have done.'" You get that, brethren? "'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according His mercy He so does, through the washing of regeneration and the newling of the Holy Spirit, whom we poured out and as abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.'" So we were begotten by the Holy Spirit, brethren. We were begotten from above as God's people. And that, of course, began that process of the germination within you where you began to grow, you began to develop, you began to overcome, you began as a babe. And eventually, hopefully, we mature to the measure and the stature of Christ, as it says in the book of Ephesians. But that's another subject altogether. But 1 Peter, 1 Peter, chapter 1, that's where we hit a 1 Peter, chapter 1.

So this is what happened to you and me when we were baptized, or anybody else. That God may call in this time or in the time that he's yet ahead.

But 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 3, he said, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, according to his abundant mercy, 1 Peter, 1, verse 3, has begotten us again. You know, in other words, here it actually uses the correct phraseology here. He's begotten us again. You get that, brethren?

We were born in the flesh, begotten, you know, when, you know, our furnace, first the egg was fertilized, but now by the Holy Spirit, when we've been begotten again, through a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and there is not, in a way, reserved in heaven for you. Now, by the way, that reward, as we know, is reserved in heaven, but Christ is going to return and is going to give that reward to whoever again is called in this time. So don't get the idea that, well, it's up in heaven. That's where you're going to go get it. But it's going to be brought to us. That in heaven is going to be given to us, because Christ is going to rule upon... Let's go over to chapter 1 and verse 22 here. Just in the same chapter, but in verse 22, it says, "...since you have purified your souls..." So we're not like every convict or hearing that's out there walking the streets, but we purified ourselves and we're bettering the truth. We hear about the Sabbath. We keep the Sabbath. We hear about the Holy Days, and we see that ourselves, and we keep the Holy Days. We live out tithing. We tithe. We worry about those things, and we study them, and we come like the Bereas, you see, where those things are sown, and we do them. We've purified our souls and we become obedient to the truth through the Spirit and sincere love of the brethren. A robe went out of it. It says, "...fervently and with a pure heart." In verse 23, "...having been born again..." Here again, this is the begotten from above. Scriptures that we read earlier. "...not a corruptible seed like the world and everybody that lives upon the planet had been, but incorruptible..." This is a beginning of incorruption. "...to the Word of God which lives and abides forever." The Word of God that is in us is forever. The Holy Spirit is forever in us. The character we build that is going to be in us as a result of obedience to God is forever. And God is going to, in the future, give us a spirit body that will be forever.

But when we're begotten like a fertilized egg, we must go through a gestation process, a period before we are truly reborn. It's like a fetus is not, cannot, in fact, be born, you know, right as soon as the beganl takes place. It just can't happen. But, you know, up to a particular point, a fetus might live, but it's very difficult sometimes. I don't have the statistics on that. Some of you ladies would know that better than I. How long, how old does a fetus have to be before it survives? I would imagine it has to be shown a few months old, at least. Maybe more than that. But, you know, we have, again, a period of time, a gestation. And many of us, by the way, are out of gestation right now. None of us. None of us are fully developed.

Or even though we're growing within the womb of the church, we're not fully developed. The goal is to be like Jesus Christ. That's the goal. This character, which is a point where analogies break down, all analogies break down, but to transition to your calling and my calling, because we are physical and upright, because we are alive, and because we mature from, you know, a mere babe to adulthood, then we see the transition to the analogy of how we have to grow. We have to develop over a period of time. Whereas, what Mr. Andretti was talking about, we must use our time that God has given to us wisely. We need to learn, brethren, and grow and we need to develop. That's God's people. If we're going to be alive, what happens to the fetus if it starts getting cut off from its blood supply? It dies. What's your blood supply? The Holy Spirit is your blood supply. What happens if the fetus of it ceases to be fed? Well, it dies, doesn't it? You know, it's interesting. When twins are born, sometimes one of the twins will be a little bigger than the other, because he's taken a little bit more than the other. I know with Seth and Fenanus, one was a little bit bigger than the other. They're caught up with each other pretty much. But, you know, it's because one was not giving enough food, and that's why sometimes one is smaller than the other. This is the way it works.

Because a fetus has to have the food to grow. Well, what does your life like? Well, it's the Word of God. It's your Bible study. It's your constant vigilance in terms of your prayer, your involvement in the local church. You have to have the garments of involvement. The Bible talks about, you know, we could talk about that in a whole sermon, as a matter of fact, the garments of involvement. But we need to be using our time in order to accomplish growing up, actually, spiritually speaking, to be mature, to grow to the nature and the stature of Christ. It's hard to believe, Bevin, that sometimes people can have a lot of experience, you know, they come out of the world. There was an individual many years ago. He had been a pastor for 40 years.

His name is Randolph Wilmer. I think he was such a guy that I feel good about mentioning his name. He's been dead many years now. But, you know, Randolph Wilmer realized that all the things he taught and all those years were wrong. He came to the church. He came to see the truth. And his wife were absolute jewels in the church, you know, down in Alabama. They were jewels. And, you know, I just, I actually performed his funeral, you know, back in those years.

Really missed him a great deal. But he was probably in his 80s when he died. But he died of cancer. But, you know, he was a man, though, that was remarkable. And here he was an old guy. And then he came out of being a pastor for over 40 years at a Protestant church. And they came in and I felt very humbled. Here I was. This is my first pastor, by the way. I was about 12, by the way, time. You could grow things behind my ears, you know, back in those days. But, you know, I felt like I was 12. But he would listen to me. When I was saying, I, you know, you know what, I often think about the fact that I'm, I'm sure there was back when I was 12, you know, first in the ministry, but sometimes I am today. Now, again, that, maybe that's what God wants me to learn, more humility. And I think all of us have had to do that, haven't we? It'll get a long way to go. But, you know, people, again, can know quite a bit. And I'm sure that when Jesus was in, you know, Jerusalem, he was taught to the people that thought they knew the Bible, they knew the scriptures backwards and forwards. But how many times did Jesus say, have you not read? And, you know, my son, my middle son, Jerome and I, we were talking yesterday, turned 33 yesterday. And it reminded me how old my wife is getting, but, actually, she's the younger of the two. But, I told him on the phone, I said, you know, I was thinking about your age today. And I said, I remember when I turned 33, and I reminded myself that Jesus Christ was 33 when he gave his life for the sins of the world. And I said, maybe it means I ought to be doing a lot more. You're at 33. Sometimes you think, well, I'm too young to do this, I'm too young to do that. But Christ was giving his wife for all mankind when he was 33. So, some of these younger people, think about that. And, you know, I call you younger people. I feel like I'm one of the younger people. I've often told people that I'm the youth movement in the church, you know, so, because most of the ministers are, you know, they're up from their 60s now. But, I don't know what the average age is. I know some of the elders I'm looking at are over 60.

And I'm not going to say how old I am, but let's say I'm on the other side of 62, but actually, the other side of 62. But anyway, but Christ talked to people that had a lot of experience. And let's go to Acts 2, verse 30. And here was an occasion where, in this case, Peter is speaking after this is during the day of Pentecost. And again, such a whip-flored sermon that day, where a few thousand people responded. And we're thankful, by the way, today, if we had one or two. But a few thousand people. People well established.

Well established, probably, from a religious standpoint, but they came to a repentance. They were pricked in the heart by what Peter had to say. And Peter was probably a fairly young man himself. They'd have been older than Jesus, but he was still a young man. All of them were young men. For as that goes, but in Acts 2, verse 38, they asked him, what shall we do? And then Peter said, repent. Repent.

It's like Randolph, remember, had to come to a repentance of his life. And at an age where it felt like he was trying to do the right thing, in his ministry, in the Protestant churches, he pastored. But Peter had to tell him, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission or the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And so, through the sacrifice of Christ, we are cleansed by the waters of baptism, through the bread of Christ, and we become a receptacle, a temple for God's Holy Spirit. It's like I said at the beginning, rather, are you a temple or are you a tomb? Are you a tomb walking around full of future dead-bend bones?

Or are you a temple that's going to go on forever and ever?

So we, as God's people, brethren, have to repent. And over in chapter 3, by the way, it says in verse 19, Peter says, repent therefore and be converted. Be changed.

That your sins may be brought it out. Unless we're willing to change, brethren, the sins still remain. If we're willing to change, if we're willing to be converted, transform, then our sins will be brought it out. So that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

You know, brethren, it will work. It will come to pass.

So we are to repent and be converted, to be changed. It's not enough, brethren, to be forgiven, by the way. Most people just want to be forgiven. They don't want to be changing anything in their life.

And sometimes the Protestants sing the song just as I am. Dear Lord, well, God doesn't want you the way you are. That's why He's calling you. He's willing to transform you.

We, again, it's not good enough to be forgiven. That's a gift. That's why God gives us. What are we going to give God?

But we have to continue, brethren, all of our life, overcoming, continue all of our life changing. Let's go to James chapter 1. James 1 over here in verse 8-2.

Here James points out, he says, of His own will, He brought us forth from the root. It says, by the root of God, or the root of truth. So we are brought forth by the root of truth, that we heard. But we might be a kind of firstfruits of, it says, His creation. A kind of firstfruits. So we are among the first that are being called now, and then, you know, this land of dead people out here. We've been brought forth by the root of truth. We've been born, of course, by the pregation of the Holy Spirit. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swifty here, slow to speak.

It says, and slow to wrath, for the wrath of men does not produce the righteousness of God.

And it says, therefore, lay aside all selfiness and earth-nerve wickedness. It's time for us, again, to take a stock of ourselves, examine ourselves as we again approach the Passover, and receive with humility, with weakness, with planted word that God has revealed to us, that He's given to us, which is able to save His souls. But be doers of the word, not a bunch of talkers, but doers of the word, and not here as only deceiving your selves. So we're going to have to be very careful not to deceive ourselves. The Church has been through ups and downs for the years, you know. I've been in the Church when it seemed that people were more diligent than this time, frankly. They were living in right now.

And we ran through periods where people were not so diligent. And then there can be a return to that. It's like the Church goes like this, rather than like that. You know, just like a, you know, a diagonal direction on a chart. It's like we're like a roller coaster up and down.

The reason is because the times we live in, you know, are in practice. And brethren, after, you know, the split that took place in 1995, especially, we found that the people are, it seems like that there's so many groups and fellowships, that it seems that people, they are never loyal to anyone. And if they're not well, then what work can be done? What work can be accomplished? You tell me, brethren, what work can be done if somebody really is not committed to the fellowship where they are?

I mean, is that reasonable? Is that a reasonable question mark I might have? You know, so that we should be loyal to the fellowship that we're in. We should support it. We should back it, because those are work that needs to be done.

And you know, oftentimes, I know Mr. Armstrong used to say that to the degree we have our hearts in the work, to that degree we're going to grow, spiritually speaking, if we're committed that way is God's people. And God wants, brethren, out of you and me to make from us, you know, He's more of a create from us a miniature version, as it were, a replica of Jesus Christ. You know, I've heard how you actually, you know, sculpture how He does His work. Like you know how to carve an elephant out of a big piece of rock, don't you?

You've probably heard this before. You know, I have a number of the stories I've told you, because you've probably heard them too many times. Well, all you do is you're going to carve an elephant out of a giant rock as you take a hammer and a chisel, and then knock everything off that rock that doesn't look like an elephant.

So God wants you and me, brethren, to knock everything off, and out of our life, brethren, it doesn't look like Jesus Christ. But we would be like Jesus Christ.

Let's go to Mark 7. Mark 7.

There was so much we could say about this, you know, but we don't have forever, do we? You know, everything has a time limit, a shelf life.

Even each of us have a shelf life, don't we? They say you start dying from the day you're born.

But in Mark 7, in verse 20, Mark 7, in verse 20, Mark 7, in verse 20, He says, Therefore by their fruit you will know them.

Not every winner says to me, The Lord Lord shall never became a thine, but he that does the will of my Father in heaven. And me will say to him, In that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name.

I'm sorry, I'm in Matthew. That's not what I run over there to. Now, I'm not trying to rewrite the Bible, I just... Now, that's really mistakes I've made today.

You can write that down. Minister makes mistakes. Mark 7, Mark 7, in verse 20. I don't need to tell you that, you already know.

And he said, What comes out of them that defiles them. So, from within, out of the heart of men, perceive evil thoughts, adulteries, fernications, and it says, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, needless, an evil eye, blasphemer, pride, foolishness, all these evil things come from within and defile a man. So, this is what really defiles us. They never knew us between, by the way. Not just assumed to finicky, it's assumed to dwell on. Fornication. Not just assumed to murder, it's assumed to hate.

Not just assumed, again, to go and steal from somebody, it's assumed to lust after what they have.

In other words, it's much more than that. And so, it's what emanates from the inside, rather than it defiles us. And, you know, if we are better, again, like that, you know, sculpture expert, he's trying to carve an elephant out of a rock, we knock all of those things that defile out of us. But it's not good enough, rather than to repent. It's not good enough to just be forgiven. It's not even good enough just to take everything out that defiles us. We've got to bring in, brethren, the truth of God, because that's what sanctifies us. Your Bible talks about sanctification. This is where sanctification comes from. We're not sanctified just by the Holy Spirit. We're sanctified by the truth, as John 17, verse 7 says. So it's not a myth, brethren, to put out things that defile, but we must bring in God's ways. And this is how, brethren, we are sanctified of God, and that God forgives us and continues to forgive us.

The Pharisees, again, were big on appearance, but not actually obeying God. The people thought they were righteous. They appeared righteous, but the other Christ could see right through them.

And God is not like man. He judges what's going on in the heart and the memory. Now, Jesus Himself said that we should not judge people according to appearance. Now, that's not to say appearance is not important, because the Bible says out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, too.

But we shouldn't judge people by their appearance, but judge, He said, righteous judgment. See, righteous judgment means that you really want to find out what the truth is about someone.

And, brethren, we need to judge ourselves righteously, but our way, brethren, is going to be God's way as well, and what we're doing as God's people.

And we have to, brethren, become new creations. I'm not going to collage in 3 over here for the sake of time, but we need to purge the inside of those things, contrary to God's way, and we need to pull off the works of the flesh, as it says in Galatians 5, and we need to put on the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

And God says there's no law against those things.

And God's way, brethren, contrary to man's way, lasts forever. It will never perish. God says the world will perish, but His words will never perish. And let God build in us, brethren, and we'll be everlasting. And God is building, brethren, up His temples, and He's building a church up His temple as well. We're individually temples, but we're also collectively a temple. And the foundation, of course, is the apostles and prophets, as the Bible says in Ephesians in Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. So, we can either be like the seven billion other people on this earth, and we can be tombs, because even though they look like they're vigorous, they're active, and they're going hittering on, they're tombs full of future dead men's bones, and dead women's bones.

And some tombs are better decorated than others. And they appear better decorated. But all that occupies a tomb are dead bones, and they end up in the result. Well, brethren, we can be a temple of God in God's holy ways, and we can last forever.

Again, many people think that we're living in the land of the living, and yet you and I live in the land of tombs.

But let's make sure in this land of tombs, brethren, let's make sure that we, in fact, temples of God that will go on forever and ever.