Hunter, Jack: Fellowship One With Another ~ Acts 2:1

Turning first of all, please, to Acts chapter two. Acts chapter two at verse 1, please. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Verse fourteen: But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them. Write down now, please, will you, to verse forty one. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized. The same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls, and they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayer. Now you'll keep your Bible handy, won't you? Now, contrary to your assumption, I am not intending to speak on the Day of Pentecost. But I want to give the background to what I have to say, which ultimately, to as the meeting goes on, I want to lift up the word fellowship in Acts chapter two verse forty two. Pentecost means fifty. Fifty days after Christ rose from the dead, the Holy Spirit came down to form the church. Now, the Holy Spirit only came down once. That will save you from Pentecostal and charismatic error. The Holy Spirit only came down once. Acts two brings before, before you the birthday of the church. Now, we use words lightly, we use them loosely, but we all know what each other means. For instance, you might say to me, my birthday is next Monday. Now, I know what you mean, but after all, you you've only one birthday, the rest are anniversaries. This is the birthday of the church. What happened here at the beginning of Acts two is unique, and it's final. It's unique, it never happened before. It's final, it never happened in that way again. Now you're clear on that. We have come to the inauguration of a new age, and that inauguration is marked by the movement of divine persons, Christ in glory and the Holy Spirit coming down. The age will consummate the same way by the movement of divine persons, Christ and the Spirit. Now, we'll suppose for a moment that they were in a room similar, you know, something like this, a lot smaller, obviously, and suddenly it happened. They had been told to wait for the Holy Spirit to come. Wait to receive power from on high. But they didn't know how, how the Spirit would come. They hadn't a clue as to what would take place. And then suddenly it happened. There came a sound as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Note, please, it was a literal baptism in the elements. They were surrounded completely, immersed in the elements. And what took place there, there's only one verse in the New Testament, in the Epistles, that tell you the truth of it. In one spirit, Darby will help you, in the power of one spirit, were we all baptize into one body. And so there it was. When Peter looked across at Thomas, he saw a tongue of fire above his head. A tongue light as a fire. When Peter looked across at James, he saw the same thing. A tongue light as a fire. You say, why do you keep repeating that? I'll tell you. Today you meet people, and their, their cry is this, back to Pentecost, give us the fire. There wasn't any fire at Pentecost. The Bible says the tongues were light as a fire. A symbol can never be the thing it symbolizes. An illustration can never be the thing it illustrates. The Holy Spirit is not wind. The Holy Spirit is not fire. The Holy Spirit is a real person, and he had come to take up his residence among them. Now, I'm not going to speak much more on what took place that day. You know, to take up Acts two would take about a week to expound. We've done it on occasions, but they began to speak with other tongues, languages, and folks from all over the world heard these men speak in their own dialect. Now, the miracle was in the speaking, not in the hearing. These Galileans were speaking languages they neither knew nor understood. Bible, for the moment, was reversed. And every man heard, and they began to raise questions. What this means, this? What's it all about? Some wise boy says, oh, they're drunk. Well, now Peter dealt with that when he rose to his feet. I read verse fourteen to draw your attention that Peter stood up with the eleven and lifted up his voice for his audience were thousands. I think the rest of the apostles gave a sigh of relief when Peter rose up to explain the situation. It's always good when you have men who can explain to you what's taking place. And Peter rose to his feet. Now let me say something. I'll ex- I'll explain it because some of you may not know what I mean. Mm. When Peter rose that day to address the audience, he presented Christ to them as a city of refuge. Now let me explain. In old times, in your Old Testament, there were six cities of refuge, three on either side of the Jordan. Now, the reason for that was this. If a man killed another person, the nearest relative was responsible to take vengeance, and it was his bounden duty to kill the murderer. But God realized that one person could kill another person without intention. You can understand that. And so that if he was spelling a tree and the axe flew off and hit another man and killed him, well, he had done it accidentally. All right, says God, you make for the city of refuge. Flee from the avenger, and if you can reach the city of refuge, you'll be safe till the high priest dies. Now that would make a good gospel address. Peter was addressing those who had been at Calvary, those who were guilty of murdering Christ, and God in his mercy reduced the charge from murder to manslaughter. I know that through ignorance you did it, and he told them, get to Christ and you'll be safe. And three thousand that day realized they had killed them. They said, men and brethren, what shall we do? Repent and be baptized. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And three thousand were saved. Drop your eye to verse forty one. They baptized the converts. That is normal practice in the book of the Acts. They baptized the converts upon their confession of faith. We create our own problems, you know, we just will not do what the Bible says. The Lord Jesus was clear about it, while you may not be clear. In Mark sixteen verse sixteen he taught, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned. Now, when he said he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he didn't mean that you must not only believe, but you must be baptized to be saved. Not at all. He didn't mean that. What he meant was this, that believing and baptism go together and should never be separated. That's what he meant. It was the normal thing when a person believed that they got baptized. Baptism is linked with conversion, not with reception. If we baptize the converts, they would be already baptized believers when we receive them. Now, I get worried as I move around the old country. Now, I feel it's probably the same here. How come that there's so many amongst us who confess to be saved, but they're not baptized? There is no such thing envisaged in the New Testament as an unbaptized believer, just the same as ideally there is no such such thing suggested as people being saved and baptized and not gathered. Ideally, that's what God wants. Now, where did this idea arise? Somehow, somehow, the ideas amongst our younger folks is that if you're saved but not baptized, you can do certain things, but after you're baptized, you can't. That's a lie. There are not two standards of holiness. The moment you're saved, you m- you're baptized as your public confession of faith. If a thing is wrong, if a thing is wrong after baptism, it's wrong before baptism. So if you're saved and you're real, you get baptized. When the apostles were commissioned, they were told to go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them. Do your leading brethren tell them what they must do? Do you wait for them to find it out? You're there to lead them. You're there to tell them what Christianity is all about. Sound forth the truth and declare it. They were baptized. Now, interesting, drop your eye to verse forty two. Now, we all know that the old time was going. When the veil of the temple was rent in twain, it brought judicially the end of the Jewish religion. No priest would go in. Once that veil was gone, the place was open. They were afraid. The new thing must be set up, and here in Acts two, the apostles set up the first assembly in Jerusalem, just where Christ was murdered. Amazing, isn't it? And it was done quite quickly, if you'll allow the expression. They were say salvation and baptism and the setting up of the assembly was all in one. It was a great day in Jerusalem. Now, drop your eye to verse forty two and I'll read it. Now you think now, think now as I read, to see if you think, see anything strange. Now I know you've read it dozens of times. See if you see it something that's very strange. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayers. Notice anything? Notice, please, that the teaching, the doctrine is first, and breaking of bread is third. Well, well, we never would have put it down like that. Now listen carefully. If you're going to put four things down, you can't put them all down together. You must make it one, two, three, four. Why did the Spirit of God guide Luke to put it down like this? The apostles' doctrine of teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. Now, I take it that the idea is this, that the apostles doctrine formed the fellowship. The fellowship was expressed in the breaking of bread and prayers. Have you got that? The apostles doctrine formed the fellowship. The fellowship was expressed in the breaking of bread and prayers. Now, I'll come back to that in a moment. Did you notice anything else in the verse? Now, let me quote it again. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. Did you notice that the three basic gatherings of a local assembly are in verse forty two? What are they? A meeting for teaching, a meeting to break bread, and a meeting for prayer. Like at the beginning, at the setting up of the first assembly, you have the three basic gatherings, and that remains true till today. You may add to them. There are only three basic gatherings: the apostles' teaching, breaking of bread, prayers. Notice teaching is first. Now, the fellowship here is not so much the people. The fellowship here is the things that they enjoyed together, what they shared. After all, that's the idea of fellowship, it's a sharing. You come together, you're expressing fellowship as we gather here, but what has brought you to enjoy the things that we can share together? That's a great thing. Now, I just want to say this. I believe that every assembly should have a teaching meeting. When the great truths fundamental of the Christian faith are taught. When you have it, it's your business. Now, I'm not talking about conversational Bible readings. Nobody has learned more from them than the man that's talking to you. But there are certain things that must be taught directly to the company. You see, lots of young people want to discuss things, but you can't discuss things you don't know anything about. What you're there is to be taught what you don't know. I remember the first day I went to school. Mother took me up. I had reached the mature age of five, And Mother handed me over to the teacher. Now I'll tell you what she didn't do. She didn't take me over into a corner and sit me down and say, now Jack, you and I will discuss the curriculum. What did I know about curriculum? I was there to learn the ABC. Mind you, my first impressions weren't very good at all. They let us out at half past ten in the morning to play. I decided that, well, this was no place for a mature lady like me, so I decided I would go home. Oh yes, I can remember going round outside of the school, you know, and eh eh up here, and then there was these railings, you know, and then you came to the gate, you know, and I watched all the, in those days they lined them up to go into school, and I watched the teacher wasn't looking, and I still on my way home. Now never mind about it, you know, just a clip in the ear and back up the road again. Eh, that's by the way. Now the apostles' doctrine was what Christ taught them and what the Spirit was revealing. And I believe there's a vital need for teaching meetings. How can you develop the gift of ministry if you don't have a place that they can develop it? Have you got it? Now, beware that your system doesn't just produce gospel preachers. Now, I want to leave that then, and I want to pick up the word fellowship. Got it? Now, just while I'm talking to you, please, turn to the last book of your Old Testament, will you? Malachi chapter three. Now, I'm going to this verse because I want to pick up a formula for the rest of the time. Malachi chapter three verse sixteen: Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord happened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. Now please look again, will you? It says, then they that fear the Lord speak often one to another. Now, can I pick it up? One is individual, another is fellowship. Have you got that? One is individual, another is fellowship. And I want to pick up this formula, one and another, and in a moment or two we're going to a New Testament, and I tell you what I want to do. I'm going to use this formula, very selectively. You see, in the sacred fellowship that we enjoy, you can either damage it or enrich it. Have you got that? You can either damage or enrich. And I'm going, in a moment or two, to select three scriptures to show how you can damage it. And then later on I'll turn the coin, and from three other scriptures, I'll show you how you can enrich the fellowship. And all these scriptures will have the expression one and another. In just a minute. Back to Malachi three verse sixteen. Notice something. Then they that fear the Lord speak often one to another. If you're not speaking to each other, you're not in fellowship. Come on now. You're not enjoying fellowship. Fellowship demands communication. And he's not finished. Look again at the verse. They that fear the Lord speak often one to another. If you're not speaking to each other, you do not fear God. Come on now. If you're not speaking to each other, you're not enjoying fellowship, and you do not fear God. Have you noticed, brothers and sisters, that certain words are going out of the assembly vocabulary? Beginning to take note, you never hear them now. Shall I tell you about one or two of them? Holiness. Intense and true. Holiness. No, no sin in life. Come on now. Secondly, sacrifice. Sacrifice blood red. Giving, giving everything until it hurts, so it draws blood. The fear of God. Tell me, in the little sacred circle of your fellowship with others, with your particular friends, tell me, have you ever known any of them at any time to say, I can't do that, I fear God too much? Brethren, things are changing. I want, I want, I'm sure my brethren are with me in this themselves, I want you call, to call you back to the primitive excellence of apostolic teaching. I want to get you back to the sacred fundamental things. Yesterday we looked at others. Today I want to, I want to expose the damage that's being created and to turn to show you the potential that lies with each one of us. Have you got it? Now the things that can damage. I want you first of all to turn to James chapter four. James chapter uh four. Now remember the formula, one and another. First of all, please, James four verse eleven. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law and judgeth the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy, who are proud that judges another. Now back to verse eleven. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. You don't do it. It's forbidden. It's absolute. There's no way out. It's incompatible with the brotherhood. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. It doesn't exist in the family of God. Now, I don't know about you, I'm very happy. I accept it fully. I am free, completely free, from speaking evil of you. I'm told not to do it, and I don't do it. Now, but just a minute, says someone, just a minute. Supposing it's the truth, then go and tell them. Don't be a coward. James has in view little cleats gathering together to strip someone, to bring them down. But of course, the other person's not there. How mean, how horrible. Have you no sense of dignity? That you represent the Christ, who is the truth? You don't do it. Be honest enough and go and tell them. And if any of your brethren start it, well, just give them a shock and tell them, listen, you go and put the thing right with your brother. I don't want to hear your story. Now read on. He says, he that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evil of the law and judgeth the law. What law? The royal law of chapter two, verse eight. thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Here it stands before us, the royal law in all its majesty and authority. Read on. If thou judge the law, thou not a doer of the law, but a judge. What does that mean? It means you're setting yourself above the law. You're determined to have your say. Now listen to me, please. I want to tell you that there's a day coming for Joe Blunt and his wife Mary. Of those who are determined to say what they've got to say, no matter who they wound, no matter who they injure, without facing up to them. If you're going to break the royal law, then you're setting yourself up as a judge who's above the law. Verse twelve: But there's only one lawgiver, and it's not you, it's God. Only one person free from the law. Look again at the close of verse twelve: Who art thou that judgest thy brother? Who do you think you are, sitting in judgment on everybody else? Have you got it? See the damage that's being done? Enough, enough, enough. Turn back to Galatians five. But if ye bite and devour one another, well, well, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Now notice an interesting thing, verse fourteen. All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, the same as James, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Well, can you see this royal law for aching? We belong, we belong and enjoy a fellowship where we love each other. When are we going to get to it, brethren, that assemblies should be sharing and caring places? Places where we love each other, where you can feel it. Now watch what he says. If you bite and devour each other. To bite is characteristic of the dog. To devour is characteristic of the lion, but you don't treat each other like animals. You're not out to destroy, surely. But just you go ahead with that. Is that what he says? And you'll consume each other. Now, I can't talk about Vancouver. My visits have been infrequent, nine years since I was here, but I can talk about the old country and my area. And I've seen large meetings dwindle right down, and there's a number of them non-existent. They destroyed it themselves. And they were all men of truth, and they destroyed the very thing they profess to stand for. And somehow they seem to enjoy it. There's nothing there. The lampstands removed, and oh, by the way, I believe when it says that, it means that. I don't believe that the meeting carries on without the presence of the Lord, not at all. I believe that the Lord removed the land stamp completely. And there's plenty of, there's places over yonder where that's true. And a number of them have been struggling and struggling for years. On our ground, fight it out and kill yourself. Moral murder. Enough. Come back now, please, William, to Romans chapter fourteen. Yeah? Romans fourteen. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore, but judge this rather, that no one put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. Tripping each other up, causing someone to fall. You see, they had a big problem at Rome. They had it at Corinth. You've got it here in Vancouver, and we've got it in Pomare. You see, what is it? The problem of living with each other. We're making a bad joke. The problem of living with each other. You see, in Rome, there were Jews and Gentiles, and there were problems. Problems galore. The little Jew was there with all his, eh, with all his conscience and, eh, holy days and certain meats, and, eh, he looked up at his big Gentile brother, and he didn't like what he saw. And he approaches his big Gentile brother, and he said, you know, I don't like what you're doing. Have a conscience about it. And the big Gentile brother was pushing him aside and saying, oh, you're not free from the law. You're weak. Tell me, now these are personal things, we're not talking about assembly sense. Tell me, if some brother or sister approached you at any time and said to you, I have a conscience about what you're doing, what would you say? Tell them to mind their own business? You're not going to live your life according to their conscience? Well, according to Paul's teaching, you're not spiritual. It's always the brother who see- who thinks he's got the freedom that surrenders his rights. Isn't that right? So that, as you go down here, Paul is quite clear. If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, do you walk in love toward him? Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died. Don't damage the work of God in your soul. Paul says, if you, if you don't like the things that I'm eating, I'll stop eating them as long as I live, as long as I can maintain fellowship with you, oh brother. You were thinking, you would never think it was in the book. First Corinthians eight was the same, this pagan temple with, with things, with things offered to idols, and their erstwhile friends would say, come along, we're having a feast to my Lord Seripas, the, the idol god. And Paul's quite clear about this, so he knows there's a, there's a big problem going in, you're better staying away. But you see, what, what he's, what he's saying is this: if I offend my brother in any way, if he's, if he's got a weak conscience, or if I injure him, then I'm destroying the work of God in his soul. He says this, when you so sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Oh, brethren, these are tremendous things. The spiritual man that will forego his rights and liberties in order to maintain cordial and warm fellowship with his brother. I want to say something, you may not agree with me, don't worry about that, that would be nothing unusual. I believe that the test of your spirituality is how far you can work with brethren who don't always agree with you. It's easy to love them or love you, and the world does that. But just to have that grace and consideration one for another, to build up respect for each other instead of destroying. We've had to live that. If you had lived in your New Testament days, you understand you couldn't jump into your Volvo or car or whatever you go and go along, go along to the meeting of your choice. Come on now. You read your Bible, don't you? You're to overcome just where you are. Isn't that right? Can you, can you see that? This, can you see the dangers that are all around? Enough, enough. Now let us look now, please, at things that could enrich the fellowship. Turn first of all to First Peter four. Things that will enrich the fellowship. Now, you see, all things considered, all things considered. Now, if I name a gospel hall, it's only an illustration, because as I say, I've been way away now for years. But you would understand, generally speaking, that South Main is only what you're making it. West Richmond's only what you're making. And if you were all putting into it to enrich it, it would be transformed. You see, there's so many things accepted amongst us, brethren, that are not New Testament. They're out and away when it doesn't suit you. First Peter chapter four verse nine. See the formula? Use hospitality one to another without grudging. Well, you say, I don't see the connection. All right, now could have picked a better scripture than that. Well, just you do that. Just you do it. The ministry's not copyrighted. If you can go through and get bet- better scriptures than I'm selecting, just you use them. I think this is a good one. Use hospitality one to another. Now, I don't know what obtains here, but every Lord's Day in Vermont, and please know, please know, I'm not talking that, that, eh, Scotland's the promised land, and I'm not raising up for manet by for any standard at all, please. I'm only telling you what takes place. You would find the the believers moving amongst each other, and they're viting- they're inviting other believers up to their home after the gospel meeting. That's quite a normal thing. Now, that's a good thing. Because in the warmth of the hospitality of your home, informally, you can build bridges. You can change attitudes. After a little while, as you're talking and conversing and maybe eating together, they're saying to themselves, you know, she's not as bad as she sounded. And you know, really, really, I'm beginning to change my mind about her. Now, in Kumanik, you would find, as most places, in a lads meeting, it's not easy to have fellowship with everyone. Now, I know the problems, but if you watched it, you would find over a month that there are certain people who are there every Lord's Eve. There are others coming in and out, but you'll notice too that there are certain others and they're never there. It's just what generals always say. Now tell me, the next time that you're talking about having some of the believers up, how about asking some of them that have never been over your doorstep? Just the ones that you don't get on too well with. Well, you say, just a minute now, I'll be honest with you. If I asked them up, they'd get the shock of their life. I suppose they would, but they've just been acting the same as you. Don't you think it's worth a trial? Eh? You'll find it'll work. It'll work, and you'll be beginning to draw together. Yes, that's right. Just try. Yes, just trying to express your love for them. Come with me. I'm glad you accepted the invitation. Turn back now, please, will you, to Colossians three. Turn back now, please, will you, to Colossians three. Verse thirteen: Forbearing one another and forgiving one another. If anyone have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do you. Well, eh, what do you think? Just bear with each other and forgive each other. That's what it says. You see, we're all different, aren't we? How will I put it? We've all got our own little, eh, idiosyncrasies, isn't it? It, now I don't know what the dictionary will say. You have a look at the dictionary, go, I don't know what the dictionary will say. But idiosyncrasies to me are all the things about you that annoy the brethren. And we need to learn to bear with each other. We need to learn to forgive each other in our hearts. You know, we build up things against each other, don't we? Tell me, tell me, have you ever read about the year of Jubilee in your old test? Do you remember? In the fiftieth year, and anything that you held against another, you know, maybe it's through taking, you know, you've been giving and this is taking surety and all that, you handed it back to them. The year of Jubilee. Now, wouldn't it be a great thing in Vancouver and all round about if we to- today in this season could proclaim a year of Jubilee and release the brethren of all the things that you have against them. All the things you've built up and, you know, I'm going to tell you, if they knew all the things that you've built up in your mind against them, they'd hardly believe it. They would hardly believe it. You know, it's childish, isn't it, eh? And mind you, don't you think I'm talking down to you? Don't you think I'm excluding the preachers from this? We can all be small-minded, you know. Bear with each other and forgive each other. Carry forgiveness in your heart. Might be difficult to get reconciled to some of them, but carry forgiveness in your heart. That's what God did. Isn't that right? He carried forgiveness in you when you had no time for him. Forgiving one another. Bearing what, forbearing, forgiving, even as Christ forgave you. They'll never do the things against you that you did about against Christ, yet he freely forgave you. Oh, what a transformation to ourselves and our souls. I tell you, you would feel good when you decided to get finished with all these mental things that you've locked up your mind with. Enough, enough. Finally, please, you'll be glad, won't you? Ephesians four. Ephesians four. Now, verses thirty one and thirty two, Ephesians four. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Now look at chapter one. Now here he's now talking about, you know, these things that we build up in our mind and go on with, sometimes show it, and he talks about bitterness and wrath and anger. This word for wrath is the thing that, eh, bursts out, you know, you explode. Isn't that right? Are you like that? You want a pretty short fuse? No. Yeah. You're short tempered. Now don't start to make excuses. One of the marks of the fruit of the spirit is temper and self-control. If someone like that, it f- now you'll go, it'll flare up, it'll come down as quickly as it went up. But a lot of things will be said that should never have been said. Anger is the more settled thing. The thing that you allow into your mind and it settles. Is that right? You remember, you remember earlier on? Remember, don't you? Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Don't go to bed with it. Don't cuddle it. Don't warm it. Don't embrace it. As though you're glad to have something against somebody, and the thing goes on churning up in your mind, and what happens? You become bitter, sour. People begin to avoid you, for you can talk about nothing else. Sad, isn't it? Also contrary to the beauty of Christian living. That all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor, the raising of the voice, the tumult of controversy, the shouting. Evil speaking, that's what James was talking about, railing, abusing each other. Be put away from you with all malice. What's that badness? Now listen to this. And be kind unto them. Every dispensation takes character from the way that God acts in it. And one of the things of this dispensation, this dispensation is, one of the characteristics of God is that he's kind. After that the kindness and love of God appeared. God is kind. You know, brothers and sisters, long after intelligence and cleverness and oratory and eloquence is forgotten, kindness will live on. Folks will never forget the kindly word and act, especially, especially if you haven't been too friendly with them, but the opportunity arises, and along by their side you come, just a kindly word and a kindly act. Tender heart. Could we, could I use an expression that sometimes they use in Ireland about a meeting? You know, they'll ask God to give them a soft meeting. Let them be soft. Don't be hard. There are a lot of hard men in us. Don't be hard. Tender hearted. Do you remember about certain men? Remember what it said about them? Ye sons of Zeruiah, you're too hard for me. You wouldn't want to fit in there, would you? Tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. One another. They that fear the Lord speak often one to another. Wouldn't you like your life to become more beautiful, more attractive? Wouldn't you like these ugly things to go? Tell me, did it ever strike you that God is beautiful? I don't know, I know we don't use the word about God. I don't know why. God is beautiful. Listen to the Bible. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon you. Oh, brother, God is beautiful. And your Bible talks about sound, healthy teaching. We want to be healthy Christians. Away with the things that are between us, you young folks. Now you can do, you can just do the older folks too. Falling out with each other, like a lot of children. Remember, there's a dignity about the people of God. We are the people, the only people in the world, the Christians, who reflect God's idea of living. Living with each other. You know the Godhead has condescended to live in our midst. A local assembly is a place where the Godhead has taken up its habitation. Isn't that wonderful? And we are here to represent the Godhead and to declare all that belongs to them, not only in preaching and in teaching, but in living, in forgiving. As I sit down, let me say this. Has it never struck any of you folks that the basic fundamental elements of the gospel become a standard for life? Come on now. You say, I don't understand you. Well, now just listen and I'll tell you. There are certain truths that we use in the gospel, and they become a standard for life. For instance, if you refuse to forgive your brother or sister, you're denying the biblical principle of forgiveness. If you refuse to be reconciled to your brother or sister, you're denying the biblical principle of reconciliation. And if you continue to sin, you're denying the biblical truth of new birth. For God brought us to birth. He didn't leave us in our sins to go on sin. He brought us to new birth to, to release us from all that, that we might live a life free from sin. A life in sync with holiness. A life attractive and beautiful. My, my sisters, they that fear the Lord, speak often one to another, and the Lord happened and kept, and a book of remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and thought on his name.