Getting to the Heart of the Issue:

him along. An amazing thought that the fact that the only plea that is adequate for you to stand in the presence of a holy God is that your name is graven on his hands. Your name is written on his heart. It's because of your union with Jesus Christ that you were fit to be there. And no other reason. What a thought. Share with me the first Peter. I'm sorry I'm not going to do what's in the bulletin. For various reasons I'll do that next week, but I want you to look at first Peter. I want to rate you a statement, a part of an article rather, section article in modern reformation by Mark Talbot. We had a leadership retreat this week in Mark Talbot from Wheaton was there and taught on godly emotions.

Reformation from which he quoted and handed out. I just wanted to read a short portion of it. Listen to these words. The title of the article is, why do Christian sing? He says that the end of this article, singing is hard when we lack the heart to sing. Do you ever know this that? Singing is hard when we lack a heart to sing, yet it is easy when our hearts are full. When our desires have been fulfilled, our concerns adequately addressed, our resolution successfully carried out and our love is met, then we feel like singing. Once Edwards, and this is really the heart, this article is based upon Jonathan Edwards' religious affections. It's a very difficult article to read for most of us, but it's a powerful explanation of gospel truth concerning what godly emotions really are.

And he quotes, he mentions Edwards. He says, once Edwards has made his general remarks about our affections, he then makes the astounding claim that those who are spiritually reborn, those who are born again, will have these kinds of strong, physically felt affections for god and his things. He pains takingly corroborates this claim from scripture in the remainder of the book's first part. True religion, as found in the scriptures, consists in a great measure and vigorous and lively actings of the inclination and will of the soul or the fervent exercises of the heart. That's a mouthful, but listen to this. Feel the weight of this. Edwards says that true religion, as it's unveiled to us in scripture, consists in a great measure and vigorous and lively actings of the inclination and will of the soul or the fervent exercises of the heart.

That religion, which god requires and will accept, does not consist in. He says, god doesn't accept this kind. It does not consist in weak, dull, and lifeless wishes, raising us but a little above the state of indifference. God, in his word, greatly insists that we are in good earnest, fervent in spirit, and our hearts vigorously engaged in obeying and serving and loving him. That's what Deuteronomy 10 says. Deuteronomy 10, God commanded the children of Israel, that they love him and serve him with all their heart and soul and mind and strength. He goes on, such fervent vigorous engagement of the heart in religion is the fruit of real circumcision of the heart or true regeneration. And he concludes this way.

God promises everlasting life only to those who give him their whole hearts. This happens, he says, when God sends his Holy Spirit to give us new hearts, that's the work of the spirit in regeneration and giving us a new heart. Hearts no longer naturally inclined towards evil. Hearts healed of their innate enmity against God and their dis inclination to obey and serve and love him. What a great definition of our fallenness. A dis inclination to obey and serve and love him. You find that to be true. Isn't that the struggle of your life? That you fight this dis inclination to obey and serve and love God. He goes on hearts with new and godly desires, new, more expansive concerns, new loves, new spirit prompted resolutions, and new emotions.

In some hearts that are now by God's grace and through Christ's work, both inclined and willing to love God and his things. Christians sing, Talbot says, to express and evoke these god-given affections. And that's what Colossians 3.16 says. That's the reason we sing. If you don't sing out of that motivation, then you need to get your heart right and you will enjoy singing a whole lot more. When your singing flows out of a heart that is full of god-given affection, you will enjoy singing. He goes on. They sing and make music to god because god has given them a heart to sing. They sing because god has given them his word. They sing because they are astounded by the love that god has shown to them.

They sing because they want to insult his justice and his righteousness and his favor and his strength. And they sing because they know that singing helps him to get their hearts and minds on Christ and spiritual things and thus increases their love for god and fans their god-given affections into a flame. That's so true. God wants churches that sing because their hearts are full. You may not be aware of it, but God wants you to have a heart that is full of affection for him. He doesn't want you to be constantly burdened down with a dis inclination to obey him that you're struggling with, but a heart that is full. He says in his faithful, in his, this is the name of the work, the title of the work, faithful narrative of the surprising work of god and the conversion of many hundreds of souls in Northampton.

They had, they like long titles back then. Edwards notes that the first great awakening invigorated congregational singing. In fact, he says there has been scarce any part of divine worship where in good men amongst us have had grace so drawn forth and their hearts so lifted up in the ways of god as in singing his praises. God wants us to sing his praises from hearts that are full. And the fact is only god can fill your heart. But one of the things that convicted me so much of this conference this weekend was the fact that you have to work at getting your heart filled. You have to work at it by coming to his word, immersing yourself in his word in thoughtful and long periods of time so you actually hear the voice of god speaking through his word.

You know, the main reason you shouldn't watch a whole lot of TV is it's not just that it's a bunch of garbage, which it is. And I don't think anybody would have the guts to say it's not. I don't think anybody in this culture would have the the goal to say that there's anything edifying up building or helpful on TV other than just a smattering here and there. It's corrupting and all that. But you know what's worse? What's much worse is that robbed you of the time that you need and I need to come to his word, to live in his word. To have our hearts changed, our concerns changed. I've noticed this in families when god begins to work in one family member, begins to stir their heart, fan their hearts to flame.

It bothers everybody else in the household. Guys becoming a fanatic, she's becoming weird. You know, that's what god wants to do in us. He wants to fan this flame to full blaze that we, our hearts are captured by the truth of who Jesus Christ really is. So I'm going to meet a first Peter chapter one. I want you to notice something and then we'll read the text, but notice in verse 13, the word therefore, which begins a new section. Everything before this, and Peter has the same pattern in his books as in his letters as Paul does. And that is you have the indicatives followed by the imperatives. And then you have the indicatives repeated once he gives the imperatives. Now you all know what I mean, right?

An imperative is a command. An indicative is a statement of fact. He gives us the statement of fact. He says, this is the truth. This is what is true. This is what you are to believe. This is reality. And then he gives us imperatives. Based upon these realities, he commands us to respond. And so in verses one through 12, you have the indicatives. We'll look at them a second. In verse 13 and following you have imperatives with indicatives. Also mentioned because he's reminding you of what he has said in the first 12 verses. Now parents, this is a great pattern when you're raising your children to connect imperatives to indicatives. That you give the indicatives, and then the imperatives flow out of the indicatives.

You communicate truth, and then you say, because this is true, this is how you ought. The odds always follow the indicatives. And in verse 13 and following, he gives three major indicatives as a bunch of them, but there's three major categories of indicatives here, commands. And with each one of them, he gives a motivation. He reaches back into the first part of the chapter, and mentions one of those things that he has unveiled in this blessing that he is expressing in the first 12 verses, an expression of blessing to God, because of God's great blessings. And he reaches back three times, and you'll notice, for example, in verse 18, the motivation for what he's commanding here is the price of the redemption that you have experienced.

Why should you do this because of the cost? Because of what God was willing to pay in order to redeem you. Down in verse 23, he commands, and then he says that the motivation for this is you understanding that you were born again, not of seed, which is perishable, but imperishable. It's ongoing. It's living. This Christian life isn't just a start, and then it's all over until you die. Salvation begins at faith. In fact, it begins in eternity past, but in your experience, it begins at the time of faith, initial faith, and it goes throughout life until it's culminated when Jesus comes back. You enter into His presence. And then the third one is found down in verse 3 of chapter 2, the third motivation.

First motivation, the price of the redemption that you have experienced. What God was willing to pay for you. Second motivation, the seed that brought the new birth is not a perishable seed, but an imperishable seed that lives on and on and on. And then finally, in verse 3 of chapter 2, since you have tasted the kindness of the Lord, your own experience, since you have tasted the Lord and found Him to be kind, you've found the true nature of God in tasting of Him. Therefore, this is what you ought to do. Let's take a little closer look. Beginning in verse 3, notice the blessing that He expresses beginning in verse 3. Now, what He's going to do here, these are indicative. These prescriptions of response to God, thanks to God for what He has done for us in Christ Jesus.

Listen to what God has done for you, believer. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who, according to His great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance, which is, notice these three things. It's imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It's imperishable. It will never go away. Your inheritance in Christ can never, ever vanish. It will not perish like everything else you own. Everything you own in this life is going to perish, even your body. But this inheritance is imperishable. Secondly, it's undefiled. It can't get dirty. You can't defile it, this inheritance. And third, it will not fade away.

It won't lose its brilliance. This is amazing. When you buy a new car and so brilliant, you wash it up and man it shines. You can't hardly stand. You can't help but look at it. Every time you get out of it and walk away, you've got to look back at it. It shines with such brightness. And then in about three years, you're thinking you need a new car because it's lost its brilliance. He says, this inheritance will not fade away. It will never get old to you. It will never get old to this inheritance that awaits you. And then he says it is reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Isn't that something? And he says through this work of God is mercy and causing you to be born again.

You have an inheritance awaiting you that cannot fade or perish or be destroyed. And yourself are being guarded in verse five. The power of God is keeping you. You can't be lost. And then he says, and in this you greatly rejoice even though now, for a little while, just a brief moment because it's necessary you have been distressed by various trials. Mark Talbot teaches philosophy at Wheaton College and he was he suffered an injury when he was in his teenage, when he was 17 years older, so he fell from us. Rope swing broke his back and and he's walks very, very, very difficult for him to walk to get out of a chair, he walks through the cane and he says he basically, what he has to do is his legs have to go into spasms in order to get them to move.

And so every time he walks, it raises his blood pressure. And it's just agonizing to watching. And as he gave a bit of his testimony, the amazing thing about it. He said that this accident and all the pain he has almost died several times over the years for various reasons. He's fallen at different times and almost killed himself. Because every time he said one of these said backs, he says God has given him a deeper, greater, more massive assurance of his love for him. And he says that what he learned is that God in his sovereign grace has allowed him to be afflicted as he is in order for him to grasp the depth of God's love for him in a way far greater. And he said I would never trade it. And notice what verse 4 says, verse 5, verse 6, rather, in this you greatly rejoice.

That is you rejoice in this great salvation that has been purchased for you by Christ and given to you. And the inheritance has been guarded in this anticipation of the ultimate culmination of your salvation. He says you greatly rejoice in this even though at the present time because it's necessary you have been distressed by various trials. In order that's the proof of your faith. Look at that verse, look at verse 7, in order the proof of your faith, the word proof of your faith means the approved part of your faith, the genuine part of your faith, the real faith. In other words if you if you could take your faith out and lay it on a table and with this 10 pound mass what Peter is saying is within that 10 pound mass there is real faith and there's other stuff that isn't real faith even though you think it.

And he says God has allowed you to go enter into these trials for this purpose so that the approved part of your faith, the real thing that's in there being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire. Now notice let me stop here, notice this phrase more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire. The tested by fire start them up at the gold. He says gold is very precious in the eyes of people. We value gold. It has great value to us. And yet he says even though this gold is precious to people and it is perishable we refine it by fire. Now how do we refine it by fire? I don't know a whole lot about this process. I've read different things sometimes they contradict but I know this when you refine gold you heat it up.

It has to get really really hot. In other words when you get a piece of ore and it's got gold as well as other things in that rock you've got to heat it up in order to remove that which is not gold from the real gold. And what you are left with is real gold. Throughout the Bible we see this metaphor used of God's dealings with his people that he deals with us as with a refiner's fire. He brings us into trouble into the fire. What does he do that? Because your faith is more precious than gold. If men refine gold in a much greater way and more important way God refines faith. The way he refines faith is putting it in the fire. What the refiner would do is put the gold ore into the fire and he would watch it very closely because if it got too hot it would perish in a way it would dissipate.

So he had to watch it and as he watched it and it became liquefied so that the impurities could be removed the way he could tell that the gold was at the right state was the reflection of his own face in the gold. Well that's clearly an analogy a metaphor that both James and Peter uses that you are going as you are going through trials and Jesus looks into your life as he watches over this process and holds you in the fire and he does hold you in the fire as he watches you and as he watches your life and your character and your faith he's careful not for you to be dissipated but your faith to be refined and he says he does that because your faith is more precious than gold. His faith is the most important thing you possess in a very real sense because your faith is a means by which you can experience the living God and receive all that God has for you and then notice what he says about this.

He says so that the proof of your faith that is the approved part of the genuine part of your faith being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire that the approved part of your faith may be found to result ultimately in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now look way he looks forward here all the way to the end when you stand in the presence of Jesus Christ. There's going to be two groups of people at the final judgment those who from hearts that are full out of faith that is real they praise and glorify and honor Jesus Christ and there are people who don't. There will be people who will confess the truth that Jesus is who he says he is and they will bow their knee but their hearts will not glorify him they will not praise him out of their hearts they will not honor him but you're because of your faith you will.

Now God says that is incredibly precious to him that you have faith it's precious to God that you have faith that you have faith that's going to manifest itself at the final judgment when Christ comes back in praise and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ. It's amazing that when that day comes everything else is going to be absolutely insignificant everything that you own everything you pour your life into everything that really matters to you outside of Christ and it's kingdom and it's people it's just going to vanish it's going to burn out it's going to have no significance but you're going to be filled with such praise and glory and honor that you won't care and then he talks about that's the future the reason faith is important to God is because of the future because judgment day is coming Christ is going to be revealed we don't know what it's going to be we don't know if it's going to be this year this decade this century this millennium that we know he's coming back and it's important to God that you have faith in that day but then notice it's also important your faith is also important for today for right now for your experience this very day as we await the second coming of Christ notice what he says and though you have not seen him I think what's what I read this what I think of is the Peter the Apostle Peter who spent three and a half years with Jesus and saw him after the resurrection this man who liked John in 1 John 1 chapter 1 touched him and heard his voice when he's writing this in 65 AD or so it's been 30 years since Jesus has ascended to the right hand of the Father the John says when he wrote 60 years after this in 1 John I can still hear his voice we heard his voice and we saw him and we touched him we gazed at him they saw the word of life the Peter's writing to these people who were scattered throughout Pontus Kepadotia Galatia and Definia these believers that are scattered around the Roman Empire and he says you've never seen how could they possibly have love for Christ the way Peter did how could we possibly love the Lord Jesus the way the Apostle Peter did the Apostle John did who saw him with their own eyes who reclined a table with him how could you love him that way is it possible yes it's possible that's what this verse says and though you have not seen him you love him that's because of faith that's why faith is important to the living God that you have faith is so that you can fulfill what you are created for to love the living God you can love Christ today because you have faith and that's why God will refine your faith even by fiery trial because the most important thing about you is your faith and your exercise of it in Jesus Christ and so he says you never seen him you love him and in fact he says though you are not seeing him now and neither was Peter and Peter says and though you are not seeing him now but believing in him exercising faith in him trusting him knowing him he says you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory what is that to do with it what that has to do with it this emotion that flows out of his heart is the evidence that he really is you really are believing in him if you are believing in Christ according to this passage if you are loving Christ the one you've never seen but the testimony of scripture comes to you the Holy Spirit who's been given comes and presents Christ to your heart and you are believing on the Lord Jesus Christ you are loving the Lord Jesus Christ you have joy inexpressible and full of glory that's why we sing what else could you do if your heart was filled with joy inexpressible and full of glory that's what you do when you're really happy isn't it don't you sing if you don't you're weird I don't know anybody that doesn't sing when they're happy and then notice this verse 9 he says while as this is going on when you are experiencing this when you are believing him and loving him and exercising this faith that God is refining in you when you are experiencing true communion with Christ you are treasuring Christ and you are experiencing joy inexpressible and full of glory he says you are through that and in that and by that obtaining the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls see verse 9 is saying this is what you are experiencing when your heart is rejoicing with joy inexpressible and full of glory because of your faith you're experiencing the salvation of your souls your souls are being set free so that you can love him you can be what God created you to be God lover that's what you were created for and the reason he says the salvation of your soul this expression is used to refer to the whole person but the emphasis in calling you as this referring to the salvation of your soul is its salvation that reaches to the very depth of who you are that you are on the inside experiencing the salvation and not just on the outside this isn't an act this isn't a pretend this isn't falling in line with the way the group lives so you can be accepted this is an experience that flows from the depth of your being this is real salvation this is present tense daily ongoing salvation when he sets your spirit free when your soul is experiencing this salvation and you can worship Christ as you were mental worship him you know it's going to be an incredible thing when we get to heaven it's going to be an incredible thing you know they'll have a contemporary worship service at nine and they'll have a traditional worship service at 1130 and you can just go to whichever one you want you think that's going to happen no we'll probably be singing in Hebrew I don't know what we'll be doing but I know this we'll be worshiping without reservation man it's going to be something to watch all of you to be watching me too but I'm going to be watching you guys I want to be seeing the change that has occurred all of a sudden you've been set free no more constraints no more worrying about this or that just set free to worship the living with all your heart it's going to be something it's going to be something that we're sitting on a song I'll meet you at the eastern gate in heaven you know it's like let's find a meeting place we'll all meet up and talk about it it's going to be incredible it's going to be wonderful it's going to be glorious we're going to be set free our heart set free and then he goes on as to this salvation verse 10 the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries seeking to know what person or time they're talking about the prophets who were giving the prophecies about the salvation that was going to come through Christ in the Old Testament as they gave the prophecies they searched their own prophecies trying to figure out how this all fit together notice that in verse 11 what person or time the spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glory so far though he goes on to say they they finally came to realize this wasn't something they were going to experience it was for our future generation and he says that's you you're experiencing it you're experiencing these blessings that they were blown away by that the angels desired to look into he says in verse 12 and this is something the salvation you have in Christ Jesus it is amazing greatness of the salvation the massiveness of it the future of it and the present of it we've been justified in the past and we are going to be set free completely in the future but today you can experience salvation you can experience the salvation of your souls to become so free that your life really is centered on Christ that you really do worship from the depths of your being amazing things and so as every other New Testament author does he says therefore so what therefore since this is true since this is the kind of salvation that you have received therefore do something about it well what should you do start running the aisles well maybe but I doubt it notice what he says you need to know what I'm talking about again verse 13 therefore that's an old expression therefore prepare your minds for action that's amazing isn't it you think that we should just sit down and contemplate this and and you know sit around with our eyes closed weighing back and forth but he says no prepare your minds for action gird up the lines of your minds it's an expression you know when a man in the first century had worked long roads like like dresses and when they had to work or run or do something vigorous they would gird up their lines which means they would pull up their skirts and tie them into their belt and bear their legs so they could move and he says that's how you got to do with your mind get rid of all those things that impede your progress in your thinking what keeps you from thinking high thoughts about God what keeps you from getting in the word and staying in it and for you understand it what keeps you from digging in and coming to know this God and this Christ who has purchased you was for such a with such an awful price what keeps you from thinking about God what keeps you from taking in his word he says gird up the lines of your mind get rid of those things man you could really hammer people at this point couldn't you I could just start naming some things I could name things in my life and not tell you they were my problems and you think they were yours what is it that keeps you from from thinking about the living God and about the salvation about his work his redemption and his plan what keeps you from thinking high thoughts about God he says gird up the lines of your mind keep sober in spirit we are I mean this the characteristic of our culture today is entertainment isn't it amazing just think back you that are old enough think back three decades even it's been amazing how much more entertainment you experience today than you did three decades ago and those of us who can remember four decades it's an amazing phenomenon that we are entertained day and night I mean movies a week do you watch much television do you watch I mean movies do you go through many video games you play how how much entertainment do you take in how much entertainment occupies your mind what keeps you from thinking the thoughts of God he says keep sober that's the opposite of being entertained keep sober keep sober fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ and as obedient children do not be conformed to the form of lust which were yours and your ignorance don't turn back to those things and let them occupy your mind and fill your thinking and affect your emotions don't be controlled by those things you've been set free from them but like the holy one who calls you be holy yourself in all behavior because it is written you shall be holy for I am holy now there are these three major sections that follow here verse 17 down through the first part of chapter two three things that he he tells them to do and the three motivations that he bases it upon in verse 17 he tells them to conduct yourselves in fear during your time of your stay on earth conduct yourselves in fear we talk about this before this isn't quaking fear it's not the kind of fear that makes you go over in a corner and hide this is the kind of fear that reaches all the way down into the depths of your being and it opens your eyes to the truth of who God is to fear the Lord there's no other way to express it when a person is confronted with the reality of who God is that's why when you go through the Bible and you see these men who are confronted by the physical presence of God Isaiah and Isaiah 6 Jeremiah or Job or Paul or John when they are confronted with the reality of who God is all you can the only word that adequately describes what they experience is the fear of the Lord he has your full attention it's like you fathers who said to your sons before you listen to me boy but what are you trying to do you're trying to inflict fear in their hearts so that they will listen to you right the fear of the Lord is when the reality of who God is hits me in such a way that he has my full attention and so he says that we are to conduct ourselves in the fear of the Lord during our our stay on earth why should we do that because you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your feudal way of life inherited from your fathers but with a precious blood as of a lamb and blemished and spotless above Christ God paid this price for you to set you free from that life that you inherited from your forefathers don't turn back to it live your life in the fear of the Lord live your life so that at any moment as John says when Christ comes back I want to be living in a way that I don't shrink back from his coming are there moments in your life that it would be the worst thing that ever could happen to you of Jesus showed up he says live your life in fear live your life connected to the reality of who God really is and then down in verse 22 he says since you have an obedience first he talks about your relationship to God live your life in the fear of the Lord but then he says in verse 22 here's how we're to live in response to each other since you have an obedience to the truth he's talking about your conversion when you exercise faith as a result of the spirit's work it was like your soul was purified for a sincere love of the brethren you begin to love people for the first time in your life in a way that you never experienced before since this is you begin as a result of this regenerating work of the spirit to sincerely love the brethren he says fervently with all your might with everything that's in you love one another from the heart you know that your love has grown cold at times and maybe it's really cold right now not only for God but for his people there's probably people there's probably people in this room right now that are only here because there's some kind of pressure put on them to get here we grow cold and our love for God and for one another one of the primary reasons we meet together is because we love each other and we come here to minister to one another and to edify each other to encourage each other to incite one another to love and good deed but we grow cold in our love towards each other and we do your fossil Peter says oh be fervent in your love for each other God did a mighty work in your life so that you could love each other now do it and then he gives this reason for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable the seed that he sowed in your life to give you the new birth doesn't perish the effects of the new birth cannot be undone the effects of regeneration are going to last eternity so stop fighting it and be fervent in your love for each other you are a lover of God's people if you've been born again and you will never be anything other than that so when you're not loving God's people you are working against who you are on the inside and then down in the first part of chapter two first he talked about what we have to do in relationship our relationship with God fear God and our relationship to one another fervently love one another from the heart and then finally he says in the first part of chapter two therefore because you were regenerated through the seed that was sown through the word of God the living and abiding word of God he says therefore after putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypochrosy and envy and all slander like newborn bays long for crave the pure milk of the word the picture he's giving here is a healthy baby who is just born and cannot keep but seeking for the breast he wants that milk and he says that's how you ought to be in regards to the word of God it's something that you crave you want you can't do without and you say I wonder why I'm not like that well you're not like that because of verse one if you're not like that and there are times we all are not just times when I'm not as well why because of verse one he says in order to have this kind of appetite for the sincere milk of the word you have to strip off these things malice deceit hypochrosy envy and slander whoa now this disclose that what he just said we're to love on another fervently and all these things have to do with the way we feel about one another getting malice in your heart you bad hearted towards somebody then you're not gonna hunger the for the word of God don't kid yourself it ain't gonna happen malice deceit in other words pretending to be something you're not hypochrosy sitting on a mask envy and all slander because you have to strip it off and if you don't strip it off you won't be hungry it's like eating junk food why why can't I never hungry at a meal because I'm eating all the time a bunch of junk so I come to sit down on a meal I'm not hungry for those that food is put on the table he says that's how it is you're not hungry for the word it's because you're stuffing yourself on the food of the flesh I tell you you can't you can't gossip and slander and be malicious towards people and hunger for the word of God you can't do it I can tell you that experience and I can tell you that based upon God's revelation can't happen you want to hunger for the word then strip this stuff off he said and but notice this like newborn babes crave the pure milk of the word so that you may grow in respect of salvation you can't grow apart from the word of God maybe you're in a drought right now and you haven't been hungry for the word and you feel guilty about it you haven't been in it I can tell you what it is it is the heart it's the heart you've got to strip some things off and maybe you think that and most of us do when we develop these barnacles on our soul we actually think we're being very spiritual typically you know we're so spiritual we can't put up with certain things and so we begin to let these things rest in us I had talked to a missionary over the weekend that I know and he's gone through a horrible time and it's what's happened is a bunch of young men have turned on him and they've all gotten together and they started talking with each other about all of his deficiencies and what he might be doing and all this suspicion and it's tearing up their work that's what he's talking about here bad heartedness towards each other and so he's telling us if you don't strip that off you're not going to hunger for the word if you don't hunger for the word you're not going to grow in salvation if you don't grow in salvation you're not going to love the saints if you don't love the saints you're not going to love God and vice versa and so he says you got to strip it off you got to get rid of it you got to banish it from you it's very strong terminology putting aside means to strip it off like an old piece of clothing dirty you got to get rid of it and then you'll begin again to crave for the sincere milk of the word and then notice this here is the basis of this this exhortation this is the motivation that he gives this is why you should do this is because you have tasted the kindness and you forgot you know what it tastes like you remember when God worked in your life in such a way that you could love even your enemies you know what that was like that you were almost goofy because you were so full of the love of Christ do you remember does anybody remember huh go interactive preaching does anybody remember what it was like he you can see the priority of the living God the priority of God in our hearts is that we take steps the necessary steps that have hearts that are burning burning hearts that hunger for his word hearts that are fed on his word hearts that expresses word in our singing and making melody in our heart and loving each other fervently from the heart laying down our lives for each other and loving God experiencing God today I mean think of it I haven't seen him but I love him and I'm not seeing him now but I'm believing in him and rejoicing with joy and expressible and full of glory isn't that great I mean that's such a wonderful privilege that God's given your people and need people need as well incredible he's taken you out of the kingdom of darkness where you were totally blinded to the reality of who God is and he is brought you into the kingdom of his dear son he has unveiled himself to you at the fall man lost his vision of God and he distorted the image of God himself and he lost fellowship with God and you all those things that the gun to be restored in you because you believe in Christ God walks with you he's beginning to restore the image of Christ in you he's beginning to restore this fellowship that you can experience him in a real way don't let this petty goofy stupid stuff that crops up in your life and I don't know exactly what crops up in your life but I know the stuff crops of my life that's what it is stupid silly and dumb and let that keep you from your inheritance we're going to sing one more song won't you stand and we'll sing with I want to pray before as they come our Heavenly Father we rejoice in your work in our lives we rejoice in what you have done for us in Christ Jesus we rejoice in the fact that you have given us a salvation that can never be taken away we rejoice in the fact that you have even allowed us on a daily basis to experience the reality of that salvation in very real and deep ways thank you that you have given us a love for God a love for your son a love for our brothers and sisters in Christ we have tasted and I can say with all my heart I have tasted and the Lord is good there's nothing I have ever tasted in this life that is good like you oh God I pray you give us an overwhelming appetite a craving appetite for you and that we would have enough sense to know that we will find you in your word and then as we find you may we be worshipping people may we be people whose hearts are so full we can't help but sing and praise and honor you help us to get ready for that last day when Christ comes help us to practice praising you glorifying you honoring you in the Holy Spirit we pray