Thy Will Be Done

Good morning, brethren. Good morning, brethren. Is anybody out there? That's better. All right. Good. Good to see you all. It's also nice to see Natasha and her children. Really, it's so nice to see you. And to see you all, brethren, it's lovely to be here.

I know you welcomed my wife a couple of months back when she was young, ABC. At that time, regrettably, I was not able to be young because I went to Brazil and Angola, I think it was. But since then, and that was not Angola, New York, for your information. That was Angola, Africa. It's a country just a little short of twice the size of Texas. So it's a little bit bigger than Angola, New York. But God has called a few people there.

We were very privileged to get to know them. And some of them got to know the truth during the days of Mr. Armstrong, or at least in the latter days of worldwide. And then when the apostasy came, as I call it, they decided not to follow it.

And they've been growing. And currently, they are just over 3,000 baptized members and over 6,000 brethren, including children. So they're planning for a feast site this year in a town in the center part of Angola, in a town called Uwambo, where my wife and I went there just recently. And it was really a very pleasant and enjoyable trip to see people that are so committed and dedicated to God and to His way and to His will. So again, it's like duck soup, right? It's so plain and simple when we all follow a very simple, plain teaching of God that we are a family.

And that helps us to understand God's truth so much easier and so much better. And that's why God gave us physical things which are in a sense ways to teach us of spiritual things that we can't even begin to comprehend.

We also had the privilege of attending the latest Council of Elders, of which you have the reports. I was very pleased to see the genuine care and concern. Obviously, people have their own personalities. That's normal amongst yourselves, amongst all, even in our family. People have different personalities. But the care and concern, the way people are for the well-being of God's Church, it's really encouraging to see. So that is very good news that we witnessed that in the latest Council of Elders meetings.

I also give you greetings from the Home Office. Seeing that Kathy and I, we worked there. A lot of the brethren sent greetings to you in Buffalo. So it's really nice to be with you and to share those greetings from those different people. You know, brethren, there is a growing trend in the world that people are becoming less and less religious. In other words, what does that mean? Well, you could say, well, they don't go to church. But when you really get down to it, it is that people don't want to follow God's will.

And as you heard, he was coming in. Those that follow God's will, you're my brothers and sisters and parents. And we are a family. In one of the most recent magazines or issues of this magazine called The Economist, on page 41, there was an article called The Skeptic Isle. And then it says that Britain is becoming more and more religious and becoming more so. And it says the rest of the countries are just following that lead. And you really have to travel and you see, you go through Europe, and basically it's become very secular. People really don't want to know about religion.

And as I said, basically what it means is people do not want to listen to what God tells us. They don't want to follow God's will. And you also see it with the work that you and I are doing and helping to do with the preaching of the Gospel through magazines like Beyond Today and others, that people are not responding to the warning. And you and I could say, well, maybe it's because we're not doing it a little bit more to the left, a little bit more to the right, a little bit more this, and yeah, maybe we can do it a little bit better.

There's always room for improvement. We all have room for improvement in our lives. And so, yes, but the problem is people are becoming more and more e-religious. In other words, people don't want to listen to God's will. Or put it in another way, people don't want God's government. They don't want to listen to what God says. Now turn with me to Isaiah chapter 4 verse 6.

Just after Daniel, Daniel, Isaiah, Joel, Isaiah chapter 4 verse 6. And we'll break in the thought there and say, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. In other words, they destroyed because they don't know enough mathematics? No! They destroyed because they don't know enough about computer technology? No! Because they don't have knowledge of the true God, of what God wants us to do. Because, and it explains, because you've rejected knowledge, I will reject you from being priest for me.

Because you have forgotten the law of your God. So, here's the knowledge that people have rejected. God's government, and you can't have government without law. Law and order. You can't.

I think we see the problem that this country is getting onto. There's no law and order. And if anybody stands up for law and order, oh, they're bad! How can they say that?

You know, it reminds me, at the end of the days of the Judges, every man did what was right in his own eyes. And that's what's happening in this country. Every man has got his own mouth, and the media says, no, you've got to listen to what this person has. If I don't like something, I don't have to respect the hymn of the country. Oh, well, he's entitled to his freedom. Oh, yes, he is. But you know, when every man does what's right in his own eyes, we've got a problem. We've got a problem. Because, it says, you've forgotten the law of your God. This country, and not just this country, the whole world. Because God is not just going to punish America, he's going to punish every country around the world. Be it Russia, be it the United States, be it Brazil or Portugal or Angola, every country is now to surveying God. But YAH is a very, very solemn warning. Because you've forgotten my will, my law, my desire, what God wants us to do. Look at what God will do. Read the next verse, or not the rest of the verse. Read.

I also will forget your children. If that doesn't give you goose pimples and gives you a feeling in your skin, then I don't know what will. Because you and I, we love our children. We want the best for our children and our grandchildren. And God says, because you have forgotten the true knowledge, I will forget your children.

Brethren, we don't want that to happen to our children, do we? We better listen to God's will, to his knowledge. The knowledge of God. You see, brethren, we live in a society where people say, Ah, you know, this happened before, you know, it goes up and down. They look in 2008, there was an economic crash, and everything kind of got better. And it happened before. Things go good, go bad, goes up and down. There's nothing new. It'll get better. It'll just keep going on.

Turn with me, please, to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3. Because that's the attitude that is referred to Yah by the Apostle Peter. Now, the Apostle Peter, as you know, was a man that was able to speak very boldly. But in 2 Peter chapter 3, right at the end of this chapter, he's giving a warning which basically says, Listen, God is not going to forget it. God is not slack. Judgment will come.

But you know, people say, Ah, don't worry, this has happened before. It'll get better. It goes up and down. Look at the iron verse 3. Scorsers will come in the last days, walking according to their own last. See, they were doing their own thing, having their own ideas. And saying, where is the promise of His coming? It was, Hey, don't worry. This has happened before. It's not that bad. You're just exaggerating it.

So, since long ago, since our parents, since whatever, since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were, up and down, and nothing different.

And that's what people say today. Look a little bit further in verse 9. Look in verse 9 of the same chapter. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise. As some count slackness, but is long suffering towards us. In other words, quite often we say, you know, why doesn't God do something about it?

You know why? Because you and I are impatient. But God is far more patient than you and I.

Why? Because God gives us time that we may repent.

You know, some of us have done really bad things in our lives.

You know, just analyze yourself. Maybe you haven't, but maybe you have. Some have done worse things than others. And you say, and you say, how can I ever be forgiven? Now what?

If you say you can't be forgiven, then Christ's sacrifice is not good enough.

Right? Christ's sacrifice is not good enough! It's good enough for somebody next to you because they can do as bad as you. But it's not good enough for me because I'm really, I've done bad things. But you know what? His sacrifice is good enough for everybody. It's good enough for you regardless of what you've done. Because what God wants you and His long-suffering is patient because He wants you to change.

He wants me to change. And He gives us time. Thank God He gives us time. He gives us a lot of time. God wants us all to repent.

Look and continue in verse 9 that it says here. Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repent us. That's why God is patient. Not because He tolerates, but He wants to give you time to change. And He wants to give me time to change. And then a bit further, a bit further He says in verses 10 through 13, He says the day of the Lord come and all these things will happen. And look at in verse 11. Therefore, since all this is going to be wiped out, and it's going to be a brand new heaven and earth, everything will be really beautiful and spot and clean.

What should we do? Should we become technocrats in calculating dates and calendars, and I don't know what else and whatever? No! What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?

In other words, we've got to change ourselves.

You see, some of the people that get quote unquote religious get involved in technicalities, and they start criticizing one another with technicalities. And you know, being a brother and a sister in a family is not that technical. It's duck soup. It's not that technical.

And so, the moral of the lesson is we just better become better people. Holy conduct and godliness, in other words, become like God.

Looking for and hosting for the coming day of God, because of which all this will disappear. You know, nevertheless, verse 13, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth. In which righteousness dwells.

Finally, finally, God's will will be done, and there will be righteousness on earth and in heaven. There'll be no more Satan there doing his tricks.

You see, God has a plan, a great plan, to make everything better than what it is today.

And that's why Peter, again, said, repent! Look at Acts chapter 3, verse 17 through 21. Acts chapter 3, verse 17 through 21.

It says, now brethren, yet now brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. You know, as you killed Christ, but those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has those full-folds. You see, the Jewish nation struggles because they don't see Christ.

And because of that, they killed Christ. But you know what? We all killed Christ. But that's why it says in verse 19, repent, therefore, and be changed. Be changed. Be converted. Be changed. That your sins may be blotted out, may be wiped out, so that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. You know what? So that it may be, everything may be made new. Brand, spanking, new and beautiful.

And that He may stand Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive. So Christ is there until the times of restoration of all things. And that period of restoration is a long period, forever. Because the ultimate restoration, when it's completed, will have new heavens and new earth.

So there will be a restoration of all things. In other words, everything will be restored. Everything will be made new. Everything will be done in a way that in that new heaven and new earth will dwell righteousness.

In other words, God's will will be done.

Now, when did it start going wrong?

When did it start going wrong?

Turn with me to Job 38. Job 38.

In Job's, Job mentions Yah something which is very significant for us to understand. When God started creating everything, and He created first angels, as we can see Yah, because in Job 38, starting in verse 4, God is asking Job, where were you, Job, when I laid the foundations of the earth? In other words, when I created the earth, where were you, Job? Tell me, if you have an understanding, who worked out the size of the earth and the distance between the earth and the sun, and how would the earth be tilted so that we would have the right weathers and the right temperatures and all these things? Who worked out all these measurements?

Was it you, Job? Was it you and I? No! And if you study a bit of science, you will come to recognize that the position of the earth in relation to the sun and to the solar system and the speed that it rotates and we're taking around 24 hours and the tilt, etc. Everything is just perfect for human life to exist, physically speaking. You take that out of kilter and human life could not exist. So God is saying to Job, hey, Job, if you're so smart, where were you? And who did this? Who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Yeah! How is the earth fastened? Where's the foundation? It's kind of standing in the middle air. Right? You know, if I put something there, it's gravity. But the earth is just standing in the middle air. How is this working out? In fact, traveling through space, if you really get down to it...

Now, who laid this cornerstone? When I created the earth, this day in verse 7, when the morning stars, in other words, the angels, sang together and all the sons of God, in other words, they were doing the will of God and they were for the sons, as we heard in the sermon, in that term of meaning. They were doing the will of God. They all shouted for joy! They said, hooray, beautiful!

So there was peace, there was joy, there was happiness, there was righteousness. But then things got out of kilter. You see, we know that all this was created beautifully. Turn with me to Isaiah 45 verse 18. Isaiah 45 verse 18. Isaiah 45 verse 18.

It says, For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth, and who has established and not created in vain. The word vain is a word that means it did not create in a confusion, in a mess, in a state of disaster. It's a Hebrew word which means, which is to who. It did not create in disaster, in confusion, in a formless mess. So God created, it was beautiful. It says, Yeah, I created and formed it to be inhabited. In other words, it had conditions for life to exist in it. It was beautiful.

I am the Lord and there is no other. So when God created the heavens and the earth, the angels shouted for joy, the earth was to be inhabited, was not formless and a disaster. So where did it go wrong?

Where it went wrong is one of the angels that had a position of leadership got a big head. Got a big head. Have you ever seen people in positions of leadership that get a big head? No, that never happens. Well, you just have to open your eyes. People get in a position of leadership and that can easily happen. And so this angel, leading angel, got a big head. And look at his big head. Just a few chapters earlier in the signbook of Isaiah, looking chapter 14. Isaiah chapter 14.

Look in verse 13. Isaiah 14 verse 13. Look at his big head. For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven and I'll exalt my throne above all the other angels. Oh, that's tough, God. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the far side of the north. I'll ascend above the highest of the clouds. I will be like God!

Got a big head.

And he says, Yet you shall be brought down to the grave to show. And that's, if you just read one verse earlier in verse 12, it says that, How you have fallen from heaven. Or you, in Hebrew, says, day star. In other words, you wear a star, a day star, which is basically Venus. Not a star, like the sun, it's got your own light. But your Venus is just a planet that reflects light, right? Sun of the morning. Yeah. It's a morning star, which is Venus, just reflecting light that should have done a job reflecting light.

In the English translation, it says Lucifer, but in other translations, it does not have that. So, the point is, it says, How you have fallen from heaven. You see what happened is, you got a big head. And it caused trouble. And because of that, it was thrown back to Earth. And, you know, when there is war, surprise, surprise, there's destruction. When there is war, there is destruction. I don't think you have to be very bright to reach that conclusion. When there is war, there is destruction and pain and suffering. And people suffer. And so, that's what happened. And so, if you look at Genesis chapter 1 verse 1, Genesis chapter 1 verse 1, it says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Yes! In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And we saw it was beautiful. And the angels shouted for joy. And then one of the angels was given a responsibility to be the boss. And it went to his head. And because it went to his head, there was a war. A war in heaven and was thrown to earth. And therefore the earth was without form, was in confusion. It became an absolute chaos.

And void. And darkness was in the face of the deep. In other words, it's like what you would call a nuclear winter. You know, if you have a nuclear winter, what happens? It's just dark. And no light could come to planet earth. It was just a complete disaster. And so, what God had to do, he had to then clean up the mess. And the first cleaning up was to get a little bit of light to come through. And therefore you had day and night, or rather evening and morning, night and day. Because God counts the days from sunset to... so there was night and day. Now, ask me, or ask yourself, how can you have day and night unless the earth is rotating and there is a sun? Otherwise, you have no day and night, right? And that was the first day. You see, the heavens were there already. There was a nuclear winter on planet earth, but then God started cleaning it up. And then it was day and night. First day. And then you get the second day where different things start happening and God is cleaning up the firmament and cleaning all the stuff to the point that now the light comes through. You can see the stars and you can see all that. And therefore then God can create vegetation and all those things on planet earth. You see brethren, that's where it went wrong. God had to renew the face of the earth as we see in Psalm 104 verse 24 through 30. I'm not going to go there, but God had to renew and God as a plan. Or in other words, he has a vision. Right, a plan is a vision, right? Mr. Tick makes paintings, beautiful paintings. So he's got a vision of what he wants that picture to be. And then he plans that how he's going to execute to achieve that end result of that picture. You, for instance, have a vision of how you want your house to be. And then you get a plan to get your house to the state of that vision. God has a vision that he wants earth and heaven to be a way or a place where righteousness dwells. In other words, his will dwells. And his will is for our good. It's not for our bad, it's for our good. Choose life that you may have happiness and joy for your good and for yours and your children. Right? It's for our good. So God has a plan.

Where things started going wrong is there was this being that got a big head.

And now mankind has been created and lived since the days of Adam and Eve. They've been influenced in this society. And you know the story? No, it's not my fault. No, it was his fault and whatever it is. No, I didn't do it. What's the second that made me do it? Well, that's what Eve said. How many people have you heard say, I didn't do it. Second made me do it. People don't take accountability for their own mistakes. They're going to blame somebody else. You see, mankind has rejected God.

They rejected God's will. They rejected God's government. You see, God's government said, you ask two trees, which basically says, you ask two ways of life. There's a way of life that I tell you what's right and wrong. I tell you that lusting and desiring something that is not yours, so that you end up stealing, that is bad.

And I give you another way you choose. When you decide for yourself what's right and wrong?

And so you watch on you, people that says, well, it's his right to decide where he stands up or doesn't stand up when the national hymn is played.

You know, people decide for themselves what's right and wrong.

So there's basically two ways. A way of life or a way of death. A way of life that says, God tells you what's right and wrong. And a way of death that says, you decide for yourself, you make your own decision, your own knowledge of what's right and wrong. That's basically what it is. And you know what? That was a choice to add a minute. It's a choice to you and I today. You and I have two trees to choose in our lives. The tree of life or the tree of death. You and I have a choice. For God says, choose life that you may be well. You and I have a choice to choose life, to choose the right way with this God's will, which is God's law, which is God's government. And government! God's government is not autocracy, militaristic. No, God's government is for your good. It's a way of love, the way of respecting one another. And God's law in the end is love and God is love. And then there is the other way, which is the tree of death, which is you decide for yourself what's wrong but right. You can make your own decision. You are entitled to make your own decision what's right and wrong. That is the way of death.

And you and I today, if the same two trees to choose from that Adam and Eve had to choose, nothing new under the sun, brethren, it's the same thing. So, mankind has rejected this simple duck soup destruction. Simple.

You know, God's truth is in such a way that a child can understand it. You don't have to be a super technocrat. And you don't have to know Hebrew to the 10th degree. And you don't have to know how to calculate whatever. Because once you get into that, you're kind of getting away from the trunk of the tree. And when you get away from the trunk of the tree, you get onto the twigs. And that's where you find the nuts. So, be careful. Don't become a nut. Don't get too fussy with certain technical details. Because we've got to stand on the trunk of the tree, which is simple. Duck soup.

God's way is so beautiful. You know, it's summarized in a simple word. The way of give versus the way of get. We were that long ago, didn't we? Or the way of life versus the way of self. So brethren, what happens today? What happens today? We have a being that is stirring up vibes, vibes, attitudes. And fortunately, that's all he can do. Imagine if he could do more than that, what he would do. He is restrained that he can only get to that, to the power of the air through these vibes. And he tries and deceives mankind. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. And what do we have?

2 Corinthians chapter 4. And we start, Yah, in 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

Before, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, do not lose heart. Don't be discouraged, brethren. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in the craftiness, nor the handling of the word of God is sickly. You see, God's word is simple. Get down to the trunk of the tree and simple things. But by manifestation of the truth, commanding ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, even if our good news, our message of good news is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the God of this age, which is Satan, has blinded. You see, Satan has this capability to broadcast fights, feelings. Have I happened to you that one day, out of the blue, it feels like you got out of bed on the wrong side of the bed? Oh, never happens. Well, it does. You see, it's like here. If you could hear, you would hear different cell phone messages going up in the air. Yeah, you can't, but they're in the air, right? You could watch different TV programs if you had the capability of tuning your ear and your eyes through what's in the air. You could watch or listen to different radio stations. It's all in the air, isn't it? But it's also in the air, a vibe, a spirit that you can tune to and that you don't want to tune to, which is a bad vibe. But you want to put that off. And what that bad vibe wants to encourage people, it says, we are to not believe, to not believe in Christ, to not believe in the truth. Why? Why? Lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. Do you understand this? Lest the light, in other words, the beauty of the good news, that the glory of Christ, that Christ can live in us and therefore could shine in us. In other words, could be reflected out of us like planets, like the moon, reflect light. We are to reflect the light of God, of the Son, of the true Son, in us. And that's what those angels should have done as the morning star, angel, Venus, symbolically, should have done in the doom, should have reflected the light of God. And he does not want us to do that.

Now, this is our big subject.

Because think about it.

For the light of God to reflect in us, we have to become the children of God. We have to do the will of God, as we heard in the Scripture read during the sermonette. Those that do the will of God are my sons and daughters.

But you know what? When we are baptized, and after baptism we receive the Holy Spirit, it talks about being the seed, right? The seed! God's seed is in us. In other words, God's essence, God's DNA, spiritual DNA, is in us. Like you and I have the DNA of our mom and of our dad. So you and I have a little bit of our dad in us. And you and I reflect our parents. That's why it says, like father, like son, type of thing. You look like your dad, and sometimes you see a little kid, and he says, oh, he looks just like his dad. He looks the way he looks. He's just like his dad, or whatever, like his mom, or whatever he is. Why? Because they've got that genetic backup, a building, you know? They've got that. But through God the Holy Spirit, we are receiving that quote-unquote spiritual genetic makeup from the father.

And so we know more just adopted sons, which, regrettably, a lot of English translations use our new adopted children. We're not adopted! We are the children of God! Not adopted children! Now, am I against adoption? No.

I honor those parents that adopt children. They are sons that need adoption, and I give honor for you to do that. But you know, he is the God kind, and he is the humankind. If you were just adopted, you would still be humankind, not God kind. Can you see that? So let me give you a bad analogy. Let's say, you adopted. Some people say, oh well, I love this bit. So much is my adopted bit. For he's, I love this dog or a cat. I love him so much, he's my adopted child. Okay, it's cute. But you know what? That dog or cat will never be a human being. Because it's a different kind.

We are a different kind, physically speaking, than God is today. We are humankind. We are humanity. We're not God kind. But we receive God's Holy Spirit. And God is Spirit. We receive his Spirit. We receive the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of the Son. And you and I become the children of God, not adopted.

Which means, we now have the mind of God in us. The world of God in us. And now you've got a world, because you've still got your world. But now you've got the mind of God in us. You've got that extra quote-unquote spiritual DNA in us. And you've got this world, which Paul talks about us in Romans 7. You know about that, Romans 7. What am I, you know? With the mind, I'm this, but that, you know, there's this conflict. If you have God's Holy Spirit, you will see it.

There are times you do things that you wish you hadn't done. Or times you say things you wish you hadn't said. Which one has not done or said things that you wish you had not said?

Because we still call on them. But on the other side, we need to use God's Holy Spirit and grow. So there is this transformation stage for us to change from this status of corrupt human nature to divine human nature.

So what is God's plan? What is God's vision? God's vision is to have children of God, sons and daughters. Not adopted pets of a different kind, but children of God that are really of the God kind. And so He gives us His seed for us to grow. So after we repent and believe in the only hope that we have of a Savior. Because if you don't believe in Christ, you do not have somebody that is going to pay for your sins. And so what is God's plan? He's got a plan through Christ to create a new world, but not only a new physical world, to bring governments of peace. But not only that, you can read in Daniel, you can read in that, that there's a stone that will come and will destroy the feet of the statue and all that. But that's physical. But spiritually speaking, God is making sons and daughters of God. He's making a family.

And if you and I do the will of the Father, we are His sons and daughters. Why? Because we're allowing that seed, the Holy Spirit, to guide us and change us, even though occasionally we slip up, but we recognize and we change and repent, and now we try and better to go the right way.

So what is God's vision for us? It says very clearly, to rhyme with Christ as kings and priests. That's why He's coming as King of kings and Lord of lords. We are going to be the kings under Him, and we're going to be the lords under Him. So what's His vision? His vision is for us to be His children. What should our vision be?

To be God's children. And so, turn with me to Ephesians chapter 4, because in Ephesians chapter 4 tells us very clearly, starting in verse 11, it says that God guides to house the church, the ministry, to equip us in verse 12, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Oh, I'm going to be a minister! No, no, no, no, no, no! The work of ministry is the work of service. You know, we all come to church here, and some of you are serving by doing the flowers. Some of you are serving by doing the PA. Some of you are serving by doing the webcast. Some of you are serving by getting the coffee ready. Some of you are serving by getting some different foods and things. We're all serving. Each one of us are serving.

Is everyone a minister? Speaking, giving the sermon? No. But so is the body, right? In the body, is every member of the body a mouth? No. We've got a finger, we've got a nail, we've got joints, we've got hands. That's not a mouth. We've got an arm, we've got an elbow, we've got a gold ladder. Or some of us, the lab. Or whatever.

We've got a heart, we've got a liver, we've got different parts of the body. But not every part is a mouth.

Oh, I don't need the liver. The liver. We do need a liver. Well, I don't need a stomach. Well, we do need a stomach. Well, I don't need legs. Well, I mean, nowadays you can help people that are paraplegic or something like that, but you do need that for the body to function at maximum efficiency.

But not every part of the body is a mouth. But every part of the body, every joint, every finger, every part of the body, every cell, provides an important part for that body to function effectively and correctly. For the work of ministering, of serving you as a human being, your hands serve you. Your ears serve you. Your eyes serve you. Your heart serves you. Your feet and your toes serve you. For the work of ministering for your body. And that's what it says. God, spiritually speaking, has given the ministry to the church to equip, as we read in verse 12, the saints for the work of service.

For what reason? To build the body of Christ. In other words, to build the church of God. You see, the body of Christ is the church of God. You read that elsewhere. It's very clear. To build the church of God. To build the church of God. Till we all, verse 13, come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. Oh, yes, the word knowledge again. Forever it's not the knowledge of mass or of size, or whatever it may be, but it's the knowledge of the Son of God. Oh, what does that mean? It means that you understand what you and I are to become like to be God. Because Jesus Christ gave us the model, the example, the pattern. You know, if you, for instance, make dresses, you have a pattern, right? You have a pattern, and then you look at that pattern, and you make a dress. And Jesus Christ is our pattern, is our model, is our example to follow. Don't compare yourself against me. Don't compare yourself against any other minister. Compare yourself against Christ. He's the pattern. He is the model. He is the head. He is the head. Not any one of us. Not the president, not the council, not a... Christ is the head of the church, of the body. It's the body of Christ. And so it's Israel. Comes to the knowledge of the Son of God. So that's what knowledge you and I need to have, so we can become a perfect measure to a perfect man. In other words, you and I can become a perfect being like Christ was as a human being, obviously He is, so that we can ultimately become like God, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So we can come to that standard that we should no longer be tossed and throw with all these weird ideas that people have that come in, but verse 15, speaking the truth in love. Oh, I speak the truth! Zap!

Speak not just the truth. Speak the truth in life. And that's something we have to learn. And may grow up in all things unto him who is ahead. Christ. Yeah, grow up! Grow! When it... Look at it. It's talking about the knowledge of God, the knowledge of the Son of God, the knowledge of to be like Him, to come to know Him, to grow up to Him. That's why it says, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In other words, we've got to not grow in the knowledge of maths, not grow in the knowledge of financial planning or whatever it may be, but grow in the knowledge of Christ. Now, does it mean that we don't need to know a bit of maths? No. Does it mean we don't have to know a little bit of financial planning to manage our finances correctly in our household? No. We have to know all those things. But what we've got to focus is to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and in the grace, which He is, in His outgoing, caring, goodness, kindness way of doing things that Christ showed to us. And then it continues, for whom, or from whom, the whole body, joined and met together by what every joint supplies? Now, the whole body is Christ. The body of Christ, which is the Church, which is you and I. And every joint is you and I. You and I are a joint. In other words, every member of the body of Christ needs to be met together so that each joint supplies so you provide a service in organizing the coffee, you provide a service in organizing the webcast, you provide the service in organizing public address system, you organize the service by doing the flowers. Every joint supplies to the edifying of the Church. And I'm just talking about Church services as an example, but look at it beyond that. So it says that according to the effect of working by which every part does its share, every member, every one of you does its share. And what is your share? Your share might just be encouraging the person that's next to you, because maybe you don't have the health to do anything else. But just be encouraging and being positive. You do your share. The share that God has given you the capability and strength to do. It says, So what is your vision? Your vision should be to become a standing daughter of God. And how do you do that? Is by being part of this body, providing every one of us the parts that you and I can add to edify, to bold, to encourage the Church. And that's why it says, when you go to Passover, don't you remember every year when you go to Passover, it says, discern the body. And that's why some of you are not discerning the body. That's why some of you are seeking, some of you have died. Why? Because you've not discerned the body, which is the members of the Church. And therefore, because of you've not done that, some of you are seeking, some of you have died. I've known people that had heart attacks when the problems happen in the Church. And they got so sad and so hurt and so stressed up, they had a heart attack, and they died because of the visions in the Church.

So, brethren, for the edifying of the body in love. So, our vision should be to be sons of God. How? By providing our part to edify the body for the service of the ministry. And I don't mean to be a minister. I mean to serve one another, to help one another in love. And how do you do that? How do you do that? Because you and I do not have the power. And we get that power. We get that power by having God's mind in us. We get that power, that help, by having God's mind in us, which is God's only Spirit in us. And so, that's why you and I need to understand why the Church, for instance, has a vision statement. The Church has a vision statement which is very clear, which basically says we are to be a Church guided by God's only Spirit, so that we all provide our birth to be closely met and closely working together, so that we may grow in love to be sons and daughters of God. It's not those words, but it basically says that. That's the vision of the Church. And that needs to be our vision. And that's God's vision for us to be sons and daughters of God, to have the glory of Christ in us being reflected. And that's why Satan doesn't want that, because he doesn't want us to reflect that glory of Christ.

So brethren, it all starts by us looking at our minds and controlling our thoughts.

Because out of the funnels of the heart and of the mind, so does the mouth speak.

Right? So that then comes out, gets reflected on how we say things, how we do things, and we've got to control our minds.

And that's why it talks about that the Holy Spirit is a guarantee. Why? Because God's Holy Spirit is God's mind. If we use it and if we don't quench it, it will guarantee us success. Why? Because God wants you to succeed.

That's why he gave his son.

He gave his son. He died for you and I.

What else could he do? He can't do any more than that! And so he wants you to succeed. The question is, now on us, are we going to succeed?

So brethren, people are either religious in the world because they don't want God's will. They don't want God's government. But you and I need to be, through the power of God's Holy Spirit, desiring to do God's will. So that we and I can become sons and daughters of God and we can reflect the glory of Christ through our lives. So we can grow in grace and knowledge of Christ.

Because the day will come and you and I pray. Don't you pray? The model pray? Not that you repeat those words, but you say, let that Kingdom come. And what comes immediately after that? Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It's black soup. As simple as that. To do God's will. And then we'll be His children. And we can only do His will if we have His mind. And He's given us a better of His mind through His quote unquote spiritual DNA, which is His Spirit, which is His essence, which is His capabilities, His way of thinking, and now we've got to use it! And then, ultimately, we'll come to a point where we get to a time of Revelation 21. So read with me Revelation 21. Revelation 21.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. You know what? A new heaven and a new earth. In which righteousness dwells. That's what we look for, ultimately. That is God's will to have a brand new heaven and a brand new earth. Everything restored. Times of restoration would have gone by, and His will will be done in this new heaven and new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no more sea. And then He says, I saw the Holy City come down, and then in verse 3 He says, And the Father, God, will be with men. He will come down. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And verse 4, And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Why? Because the whole of mankind is now following the tree of life, which is God's will. There will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain. For all those things are gone. Gone! It's now only God's will.

Verse 5, Then He who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Right, for these words are true and faithful. In other words, it will happen. It's faithful. In other words, It will be done.

And verse 6 He says, And He said to me, It's done.