The Church of God

The title of the sermon today is The Church of God, The Apple of God's Eye. The Church of God, The Apple of God's Eye. How important is the Church of God to you? Here is how important the Church of God is to God the Father. The well-known Scripture that almost everyone can quote, John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. How important is the Church of God? The Father was willing to give His only begotten Son. How important is the Church to Christ? Let's turn to Ephesians 5, 25. Ephesians 5, 25. How important is the Church to Christ?

Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it. As it says in John 15, 13, greater love that no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friends. So in sacrificial love, Jesus Christ so loved the Church. Who is the Church? The Church is everyone that has God's Spirit dwelling within. Male and female, bond and free. It doesn't matter if you're an ethnic origin or your national affiliation. God is not the God of the Jews, only He is the God of all men, women, nations, kindreds and tongues.

That He might sanctify and cleanse it with a washing of water by the Word. As you heard in the first sermon, one of the ways that we can be cleaned up and washed is through the Word of God. So Christ so loved the Church, He gave Himself for it.

Those in whom God's Spirit dwells make up the body of Christ, the Church of God. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16. 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 16. In 1 Corinthians 3, 16, of course, Paul is answering the great rhetorical question of 1 Corinthians. That great rhetorical question is 1 Corinthians 1, 13. Is Christ divided? And Paul shows in this epistle from your calling to the resurrection, Christ is not divided. Here he says, "...know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you." And then in 1 Corinthians 12, let's turn there, 1 Corinthians 12, verse 12, two of the greatest unity verses in the whole Bible because it shows that through the Spirit of God, the Spirit of God that dwells in you, is the great unifying agent, unifying force, the unifying essence, probably be a better word, the essence of God and Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12, 12, for as a body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. Christ is not divided, of course, for by one Spirit the same essence, it is in God that is in Christ, is in us. For by one Spirit, we're all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. So we ask again, how important is the Church to you and I? The Church is called our spiritual mother. Let's notice this in Galatians. Galatians, as some may say, a metaphor or figure of speech, and some would say, well, it's not literal.

Let's notice what the Bible says about the Church in Galatians 4 and verse 26. In the first part of Galatians 4, Paul inspired a compare and contrast Ishmael with Isaac. Ishmael was after the flesh. Isaac was of faith.

Hagar was the earthly part, not of faith, of flesh, but the one who gave birth to Isaac. Sarah shall have a son, the son of promise, the son of faith.

But that is reflective of what is to come. That is the Church. We read verse 25, For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, answers to Jerusalem, which now is fleshly, earthly Jerusalem, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all. So the Jerusalem here is put metaphorically, for the Church, the mother of us all, for it is written, Rejoice, you barren. And here Paul is quoting Isaiah 54 and verse 1. Now, if you were just reading along in the book of Isaiah, and you came to Isaiah 54 and verse 1, and you read this verse, you would probably not make the same conclusion that Paul does here. He further explains that, For it is written, Rejoice, you barren, that bear not. And that was the condition that Sarah was in before God came along and promised Abraham and Sarah that they would be able to bear a child, the son of promise, in their old age. Rejoice, you barren, that bear not. Break forth and cry, you that travail not. For the desolate hath many more children than she which has and husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. We're the children of promise, and we're the children of faith, because it is through faith. And as it says in Galatians chapter 3, that if you are in Christ, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. God commands us to honor our physical mother and father. Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the earth. So we ask, how important is our spiritual mother to us? Do we honor our spiritual mother? How thankful are we for our spiritual mother?

The church, the body of Christ, is a place where we can be nourished and nurtured. Hopefully we will grow up to the fullness, the measure, the stature of Jesus Christ. How does God view the church, and how is the church identified? Let's do a little brief history here and go back to Psalm 78. This should be instructive and help to understand some of the prophecies, and perhaps in the Psalms, and also in Isaiah. But in Psalm 78, there are like five or six great summary chapters in the Bible. Psalm 78 is one of those great summary chapters. Acts 2 is a great summary chapter. Acts 13.

In Psalm 78, a brief history of Israel is recounted here. We come down in this Psalm to verse 67 toward the end.

It talks about God delivering Israel from Egypt and their ups and downs through the ages. Eventually, they were led into the Promised Land. When they came into the Promised Land, the tabernacle that had been built in the wilderness and that journeyed with them for 40 years was pitched at Shiloh in Ephraim. Ephraim was the leading tribe in the early years of the history of Israel. Over and over, you can read about Ephraim. But notice what he says here in verse 67. Moreover, he refused the tabernacle of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ephraim.

That's where the tabernacle was first pitched. You remember when the tabernacle was raised up in the wilderness? That when it was raised up, the glory of God filled that tabernacle. When it was pitched in Shiloh, the Bible doesn't say for sure that the glory of God filled the tabernacle when it was set up in Ephraim at Shiloh. We might assume that it was, but notice he refused the tabernacle of Joseph. And of course, Joseph had the two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

But chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved. And as we shall see, Mount Zion is symbolic of the church. Now, Mount Zion is a physical, literal place. It is where the city of David was located and where he pitched the tabernacle. And he brought the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of the Covenant, and was taken by the Philistines. And David captured the Ark of the Covenant, and he brought it into, eventually, the tabernacle that he pitched on Mount Zion. And he built his sanctuary like high places, like the earth which he had established forever. He chose David also his servant and took him from the sheepfolds. From following the ewes, great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. Today, Jesus Christ, the son of David, is the shepherd that is carrying for the sheep, John 10. We're familiar with that. I am the good shepherd. Let's notice here in Romans chapter 1, Romans chapter 1, verse 2, Romans chapter 1, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated from the gospel of God, which he had promised of four by his prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning his son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.

And of course, Jesus Christ was a Jew from the tribe of Judah and from the house of David. That's why he was according to the flesh and declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. And by whom we receive grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name. Among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ. It says in Romans 8-11, by the same spirit that he raised Jesus from the dead, he will also quicken, make alive, raise our mortal bodies from the dead as quickening spirits. Now back in Acts 2. Acts 2.

In Acts 2, verse 29.

Me and a brother let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his septal is with us unto this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and that knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. He, seeing this before, spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his life essence, who came, was not left in the grave, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus, as God raised up, were all witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God, exalted, having received to the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has shed forth this, which you now see and hear. For David is not ascended unto the heavens. But he said himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit you on my right hand, until I make your foes your footstool. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God had made the same Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. And when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and they said, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

In Zechariah 2, we see here a bit of the history of the transformation. God chose Mount Zion. Before we go there, I want to go to Hebrews 12. Let's go to Hebrews 12 before we go back there to Zechariah 2. Hebrews 12, as we mentioned earlier, that Zion is a type of symbolic of the church, I should say. In Hebrews 12, remember that Hebrews compares and contrasts the elements of the Old Covenant with the elements of the New Covenant.

Paul shows in so many different ways how superior the New Covenant is to the Old Covenant. In Hebrews 12, verse 22, But you are come unto Mount Zion. You are come unto the Mount Zion. What is Mount Zion? To the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem. And we read that the heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of us all, from Galatians 4, 26, and 27, and to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly and church of a firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirit of just men, made perfect.

We get a little bit of the history and flavor of what has gone before us and how God has chosen Zion. He has chosen the church, and Jesus Christ sits on the throne of David. He is the great shepherd. He is the one that leads us, and He will pilot us and shepherd us if we follow Him into the kingdom of God. Now back in Zechariah 2, from which one of these verses where I get the title, the Church of God, the apple of God's eye.

In Zechariah 2, of course, you recall the story how Israel went into captivity, 721-718 BC, under the hands of the Babylonians, and they were never brought back into the land. Then, some 120 years or so later, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, began sending waves of attack forces into Judah and Jerusalem, starting in about 604 BC.

Eventually, the temple was destroyed, and Judah was taken captive into Babylon. In 538, Cyrus issued a decree that the Jews could go back to Judah, back to what is called Palestine, today and build a temple. They were led by Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zerubbabel, the governor, Joshua the high priest. They had spent about 18 years, we're down to 520 BC, and not much had been done. And God raised up two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to stir them up and to get that restoration temple built. So, there's a bit of duality, of course, here. In Zechariah 2.7, deliver yourself, O Zion, that dwell with the daughter of Babylon.

And Mr. Eliot read in his sermon, Revelation 18.4, saying to get out of, separate yourself from Babylon. Deliver yourself, O Zion, you that dwell with the daughter of Babylon. 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. Today we are, Mount Zion, in the spiritual sense, the general assembly of the firstborn, the city of the living God. Behold, I will shake, I'm sorry, 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 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.

Now, when that Restoration Temple was raised up and dedicated in 515 B.C. and you can read about this in Ezra 6 verses 16-17 along there, the glory of God did not fill that temple, but the glory of that latter house, which is pointing toward this spiritual temple, which was to come, the Church of God. I will dwell in the midst of you, says the Lord, and many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day.

And of course, in that millennial age, all the peoples of the earth will have an opportunity, and shall be my people. I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me unto you. The Lord shall inherit Judah, his portion in the Holy Land, and shall choose to ristle him again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the Eternal, for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. God loves the gates of Zion more than he loves the gates of any other nation place.

Let's go back. We read this last week in Psalm 87. Last week we read this, and we closed the services with, Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God. Now you get more pieces of the puzzle, as it were, about how God views the Church of God, how important it is to Him, and thus it should be so important to each one of us. In Psalm 87, his foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Jacob's a platter. Basically, Jacob in Scripture represents the flesh. Not always, but very often. Glorious things are spoken of you, O City of God. Remember what we read in Hebrews 12, 22, 23, that you are come to the Church of the First Born, the City of the Living God. Glorious things of you are spoken, O City of God. I will make mention of Rahab, Babylon to them that know me. Behold, Philistea, Tyre with Ethiopia. This man was born there. Where? Not in the literal, physical, geographical location. And it shall be said, and of 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 up his people, that this man was born there. As well, the singers, as the players on instruments, shall be there. All my springs are in you, the living waters. And God has given us the opportunity to drink of the living waters, partake of his spirit. And he who touches Zion touches the apple of his eye.

The Church is the most important institution on earth and in the universe. The Church belongs to God and Christ, not man. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, in each one of Paul's salutations, as he opens his epistles and salutes them. He says something similar to this, and many of them. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 1, Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. Through the will of God, sosthenes our brother unto the church of God.

This is the church of God. It's God's church. 2 Under the church of God, which is a current to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 So, do we view the church in light of what men do or don't do? What man does or does not do will not stop the church of God. The church of God is going to move forward. And I know that the leadership of the United Church of God is dedicated to moving forward, and we hope that all of you will be on board and committed to that mission of preaching the gospel to the world and preparing people for the return of Jesus Christ.

The gates of hell, the gates of the grave, will never prevail against the church, as Christ says in Matthew 16, verse 18, where He said, I say unto you, Peter, Petros, little rock, that I will build my church upon this big rock, Petra, and the gates of the grave, Hades, will not prevail against it. I believe that we're coming to see that the church is run by God through Jesus Christ and through His human ambassadors. We are ambassadors for God and Christ. The church of God is the kingdom of God in embryo, and we are the ambassadors of that kingdom. Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. We're at that period in time and history, a great, critical, crucial time, one of tough, transitional times you could go on with very descriptive adjectives and adverbs about the times in which we live. And, brethren, it is high time that we wake out of slumber and that we realize who we are and what our mission is, what we are committed to. We need people who are filled with conviction, commitment, and courage. They're willing to go on to conversion and to perfection. 2 Corinthians 5.17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who had reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. Yes, when we were enemies of God in due time, God sent Jesus Christ and He reconciled us to the Father so that we're no longer counted enemies and have given us the ministry of reconciliation. And one of the positioning statements that we put into strategic plan is to be ministers of reconciliation. Be ministers of reconciliation. To know that God was in Christ reconciling the world and Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Brother, that is so important in the Scriptures. Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be you reconciled to God. For He has made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Sometimes we may think, well, what did God do in this? What did Christ do in this? They did everything they could. In fact, because of the love that God has, that He is love, and He wants to share who He is and what He is with each one of us, that He and the Word designed, planned, the great plan of salvation. And once again, He who touches the church, touches the apple of God's eye, the espoused bride of Christ. Notice 2 Corinthians 10. In 2 Corinthians 10, verse 2, 2 Corinthians 10, verse 2, But I beseech you that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence wherein I think to be bold against some which we think of us as we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk after the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.

I think I want 1 Corinthians chapter 10. If that's not it, I'll just quote it.

That's not it either. Anyhow, Paul says that he has espoused us as a chaste virgin. He has espoused us under Christ as a chaste virgin.

You know, to do something to the espoused virgin, and we were to put it in human terms, would be analogous to some stranger coming along, putting his hands on your wife or your fiance in the wrong way. As we noted, the verse we quoted, he has espoused us to Christ as a chaste virgin. God likens the church to a chaste virgin undefiled. We would be furious if someone came along and began to mistreat our wives in any way. Notice 1 Corinthians 3, 16. How does God view anyone that defiles the temple? And the church is the temple of God. We read verse 16 earlier, but we should read 1 Corinthians 3, 16, 17, in tandem.

Know, you not, that you are the temple of God, and that 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. See, that's how seriously God takes us.

God was the one who called you, and He put you in the church.

If you are in the church, and if you are in Zion, you are the apple of His eye.

And you are here because God begets you with His precious Word of Truth. Look at James 1. We see this very clearly, very specifically. It is no accident that you are here. I mean, God the Father played a role in it. As we know, the John 644, no man can come to me except the Father draw him. Here we read in James 1.17, Every good gift, every perfect gift is from above, comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no verableness, neither shadow of turning. Of His own will beget He us with a Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creation. So, brethren, again, we ask, how important is the church to you? Are you thankful for the church? Do we really communicate with our mother, the church, our brethren? Assembling ourselves together and fellowshipping with one another is of great value in the sight of God. Because it is through the act of assembling and fellowshipping that we draw strength one from another and we are reinforced Sabbath by Sabbath, as you heard in the first sermon, and the Word of God refreshes and strengthens us. Let us notice Hebrews 10, back a few pages. Hebrews 10, verse 21. Brethren, it is very important to assemble together on the Sabbath. Do not take that lightly.

Do not use just any excuse to stay home.

You know, yesterday, Mrs. Elliott was under nursing home. Today, she's sitting here in services. Is he probably hurting some? Maybe not. I hope not. But I mean, it has to do with conviction and commitment. Conviction and commitment to do the will of God, to do the work of God. And as I've said, and I don't know why some take offense with this, we're not here to play church. This is the real thing, way beyond Coca-Cola. This is the real thing. In Hebrews 10, verse 21, And 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 sprinkle from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water, once again, the role of the Word of God, as it says in Ephesians, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promise. Let us consider one another to provoke or to encourage, as a connotation of stimulating, motivating one another to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a matter of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. And it's interesting to me, and sometimes you might see it's, well, how would He immediately go into the unpardonable sin? For if we sin willfully after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sin.

Verse 32, But call to remembrance the former days in which, after you were illuminated, enlightened, you endured a great fight of afflictions. And it seems that we've been a great fight of afflictions for decades in the Church of God. The average tenure in the Church today is over 30 years. Some of you have attended church for over 50 years. Some, even 60. You've seen a lot. You've gone through a lot. It would be easy to become weary. Verse 33, Partly while you were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly while you became companions of them that were so used.

For you had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and enduring substance. Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For we have made a patience that after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.

We're going to continue to fight the good fight of faith, as Paul talks about just before he died. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry. Now, the judge shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But you are not of them who draw back under perdition, but of them that believe under the saving of the soul. In other words, you continue to push forward. You continue to go on. You continue to fight the good fight of faith. Brethren, do you really identify with the church of God as Christ did? You know, identification is a process of developing oneness and sameness so that you feel comfortable with it and you are committed to it and you want to see it fulfill whatever the mission is that is stated. You identify with that cause. Notice how Christ identified with us in John 17. In John 17, Christ is praying this prayer for unity and oneness among the believers before he was crucified on that night when he endured the mock trial and eventually was sentenced to death and crucified. In John 17, verse 19, And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them which shall believe on me through their word. So Jesus Christ identified with us. Do we identify with Him? Do we identify with the church of God that they all may be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they may also 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 me as you have loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which you have given me. For you loved me before the foundation of the world, of course, showing the pre-existence of the Word, the one who became Jesus Christ. O righteous Father, the world hath not known you, but I have known you, and you have known that you have sent me, and I have declared unto you your name. See, Christ identified with the Father in His mission. He gave everything He had to fulfill it and to help you and I identify with God and with Him and with the church of God and with each member of the body of Christ. And I have declared unto you your name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Brother, are we thankful for God's continual deliverance?

Are we thankful that God has delivered us from the grip of sin and death and set us free?

Now, as we have mentioned earlier, we are living in critical, crucial times. There are some very frightful prophecies about the end times in Paul's epistles. We'll turn now to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 1 through 5, warns us of that. I'm not going to read all of that. I'll just introduce it there. We've had it read many times to us in 2 Timothy chapter 3 to set the stage. Verse 1, just know that in the last days perilous time shall come. And Paul describes the aberrant behaviors that will be extant. He talks about in verse 5, having the form of godliness but denying the power thereof. Oh, they may go to church and they may do this or that of the other. But they're not being really transformed in the image of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. He goes on in chapter 4, I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead in His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the Word. Be in season, out of season. Reprieve, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. The church is not a smorgasbord of beliefs, the true Church of God. The church is a foundation of the truth, as Paul writes in another one of his epistles. The church is the foundation of the truth. It is a place where the truth is supposed to be preserved and preached and taught and lived. Some people say, well, I don't like what they say there, and I don't like the way they say it. So I'll have somebody speak to me smooth things that I agree with.

The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lust, shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables. Brother, we must not ever let that happen to us. We must develop our own love affair with the truth and do what the Bereans did. As it says, Bereans were more noble than those Thessalonica because they searched the Scripture daily whether these things be true. We have to have that love affair with the truth. And if you don't have that love affair with the truth, you will be deceived in the times that lie ahead. Because even Jesus Christ himself said, if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. And everyone whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be deceived by that system that is coming on the face of the earth. God will never leave us nor forsake us. If He indeed called us, if there is any leaving to be done, we will have to do it. He's going to hold on to us. He's going to chase in every son that He loves. You might endure a great flight of afflictions, as we already read from Hebrews 10. Who knows what we may have to face? But as Paul asks the question, and first of all, let's go back here to Romans 8. Before he asked the question, he prefaced it with verse 31. Romans 8.31. Romans 8.31. What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? See, the God's elect, if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. And brethren, if we don't develop that love affair with the truth, we will be deceived. And if we're not willing to humble ourselves, as it talks about in 36 where we'll get there in just a moment, we may be deceived as well. It is God that justifies. Who is He that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes, rather, that has risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. So when you begin to complain and gripe and criticize the members of the body of Christ, you're touching the apple of God's eye.

And God says, if any man destroy the temple of God, him will God destroy.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shout tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword. As it is written, for your sake we're killed all the day long. We're accounted as sheep for the slaughter. In other words, we are in a state of being called humility. It says in the scriptures, be you clothed with humility, that we come to realize that anything that we get above death is a gift. And then we are counted as sheep for the slaughter, but at the same time we know that vengeance belongs to God and he will recompense and do season.

Know in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that love this, for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are the apple of God's eye. We must make him the apple of our eye. He must be the center of our focus. In Psalm 77, we'll go there, Psalm 77 briefly. We've covered this a few times over the years here. In Psalm 77, this person is crying out to God and going over his problems over and over again until he comes to the point that he understands that his problem is his problem.

In Psalm 77, verse 6, I call to remembrance my song of the night. I commune with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search. In other words, I went over everything in my life and I laid all my problems out and it just seemed hopeless. My spirit was overwhelmed. Will the Lord cast off forever? Will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone forever? Does his promise fail forever more? Has God forgotten to be gracious? So you see, the four enemies of faith, anxious care, fear, doubt, and human reasoning began to flood in. No longer counted as sheep for the slaughter. No longer with a focus on God. No longer is the God the apple of his eye. He asked all these doubtful questions. Had God forgotten to be gracious? Had he in anger shut up his tender mercies? And I said, this is my infirmity. My problem is my problem, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord. Surely I will remember your wonders of old. I will meditate also of your work and talk of your doings. Your way is in the sanctuary. See, that's where God dwells in the sanctuary. And he dwells in his church today, a building not made by hands. Who is so great a God is our God. See, when he got his focus back on God and off himself, then his life turned around.

In view of God's goodness and blessings, we should offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving continually. We don't offer it with leaven. We offer it with a pure heart, reconciled to God and to one another. So, brethren, we must not just have a form of godliness. We must become godly and become love as God is love. It's the admonition that Paul gives us in 1 Corinthians 13, the first three verses. Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not love, I am not becoming as God is. It profits me nothing. Though I understand all mysteries, have all faith, all knowledge, I am not becoming as God is. It profits me nothing. And though I give my body to be burned, and I am not becoming as God is, it profits me nothing. God desires that His church, His body, be knit together in love. So, let's go to Ephesians 4, and we'll note that briefly in Ephesians 4. The first three verses sets the stage. We won't read it all, but these first three verses and two or three more. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation. It is your life, it is a way of life that is spoken of in the Bible, wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.

Verse 13, "...till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, into 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 and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie and wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love may grow up unto Him in all things which is the head, even Christ." How important is the church of God to God? How important is the church of God to Christ? How important is the church of God to each one of us? How important is that body to God and Christ to be unified, knit together, and grow up to the fullness of the measure and stature of Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase the body under the edifying of itself in love. Brother, I want to leave you with one final admonition and exhortation here this afternoon. We'll go to 1 Thessalonians 5 and start at verse 16.

So hopefully we have seen here this afternoon that the church of God is the apple of God's eye. That God gave His only begotten Son, that we might be reconciled to Him, that the Son in sacrificial love laid down His life for us. That God has promised us that He would see us through every trial, every difficulty that we could possibly imagine. He wants our total affection. He wants us to keep our eyes on Him.

As the song goes, His eyes are on the sparrow, and I know He watches over me. The hairs on our head are numbered. We are the apple of His eye, and in turn, He must be the apple of our eye. 1 Thessalonians 5, 16. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning you. 2 Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesy. 3 Prove all things. Whole fast that which is good. 4 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 5 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 Faithful is He that calls you who also will do it. 6 Brethren, pray for us. 7 Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. 8 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto the holy brethren. 9 In the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.