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You're listening to Heed the Word with our pastor and teacher, Ken Davis. Pastor Ken is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel, Southwest Metro, located in Burleson, Texas. Please join us as we study our series entitled the Foundations of Faith.

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But there's one that is equally as important as all of these that we just read about. That I want you to recognize. All of these that we just read about, that I want you to recognize. In order for that plant to grow, it's got to stay rooted in the garden. If I take that plant and I pluck it out of the garden and I throw it on the trash heap and I disregard it and I devalue it and I'm no longer careful, it's not going to grow, it's not going to bear fruit.

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Even if you're not handy, you know that when it's time to build a house, the foundation must be the first thing that's addressed, and it must be done right the first time. Our relationship with God is no different. We must have a firm foundation in the Word of God that's rooted in a deep and lasting faith in Jesus. That's why Pastor Ken chose to share with you our series entitled the Foundations of the Faith. Hearing the gospel is one thing, but bearing fruit based upon the hearing of the gospel is another. A true hearing of the good news that God, the Father, has offered mankind causes a change in the heart of the believer and that as that heart is changed, the life follows and good works are evident. Don't forget to stay with us after today's message to so what I'm saying Christian is this, Pastor Ken, with the conclusion of our message entitled Not If, but when, and several other important things.

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So what I'm saying, christian, is this If you want to grow in grace, don't resist the work of God in your life, but give yourself over to the work of God in your life, by putting yourself in a place where God can speak to you and where his spirit can lead you, and that is in prayer and in his word. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. It's not about you. It's not about you. It's not about you. If your focus is on you, then you're worshiping yourself. Your focus needs to be on God, not on what you can't do, but on what he has done and what he wants to do through you for others.

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You see, a lot of people have this attitude about God and about church and about serving God. That says you know what? I don't have to go to church. I love God, I worship God, I watch. You know the sermons on TV. You know what? I think it's great that there are sermons available on TV and I think it's great that people watch them, but when that's all they do, they are robbing God and they are robbing you.

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We need to come together as believers in Jesus to worship him together, not just so that we can be ministered to, but so that we can minister to others, or rather, so that we can allow God to minister to others through us. What does Paul say here in verse five? So we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith or ministry. That is service. Let us use it in our serving or in our ministering.

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He who teaches in teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness oh, that's a big one. You ever know there are people out there who want to show mercy, but they're not happy about it. Yeah, I forgive you. I guess I have to, you know. No, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness, let love be without hypocrisy. Don't love me to my face and hate me behind my back. If you're gonna love, let it be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love. You know that word, brotherly love. When it talks about brotherly love, it's not talking about loving somebody like they're a brother. It's talking about loving them because they're a brother.

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You see, if we are all children of God, then what does that make us to one another Brothers and sisters? We are literally brothers and sisters in Christ and we should love each other as though we were, because we are Verse 11, not lagging in diligence. Do you know that as we serve together, we have to be diligent about how we serve? We need to take our responsibilities seriously. We shouldn't serve haphazardly or carelessly. We should be diligent in our service, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

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You know, I highlighted that in my Bible because I wanted to remind myself this when I teach you the word of God, or when David leads you in worship with the worship team, or when Valerie and the others greet you in the back, or when our teachers take your children and instruct them in the ways of the Lord, or when someone comes to your home or to the hospital and visits you when you're sick. When we serve one another, we're not serving one another, we're serving God, we're serving God. And when we love one another, we're not just loving one another, we're loving God. That's why the Bible says how can you say you love God but hate your brother? Can't Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

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Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil, but have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Can I tell you that if Christians would obey that, I don't think we'd ever have another church split, would we? We'd never see that, because our desire is to live peaceably. If someone said I disagree with the way they're doing something, then what would they do? They'd just leave and go find some place where they did agree with the way they were doing something. Not cause division. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men Beloved.

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Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath. For it is written vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he's thirsty, give him a drink, for in so doing, you will heap coals of fire in his head. Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.

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As a Christian, if we want to grow in Christ, we need to be willing to love our enemies. We need to be willing to not take vengeance ourself, but allow the Lord to defend us. You know, sometimes, as Christians, we read that verse vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, I will repay. Yeah, I'm gonna get them right. We want God to like squish people, like bugs.

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The fact of the matter is, god says that he takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, but that he wills that all men would come to repentance. Why do you think he hasn't come back yet? He's being patient, he's waiting. He's giving us more time to share the gospel so that more people could be saved. Can I tell you we serve a compassionate God, a God who loves us, a God who cares for us deeply and who wants our best. It's the kind of God we serve, and he doesn't want to take vengeance. But rest assured that if no repentance comes in the life of a person, then there's nothing left for them but vengeance and for wrath, and so we don't need to repay them.

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Let me give you an example. Let's say someone does something wrong to me and they've sinned against me and they are not a Christian. My tendency might be to want to take vengeance on that person, to get even with them in some way right, but God's desire is for them ultimately to repent and to be born again. So let's say that they do repent and are born again. Then what are they? They're my brother or my sister, and that, having happened, I would have just taken vengeance on someone who is my brother and sister. Do I want to do that? No, I don't want to do that. Vengeance on someone who is my brother and sister. Do I want to do that? No, I don't want to do that. You don't want to take vengeance? Oh, sure you might want to, you know, maybe kick him in the shin, but you wouldn't want to kill him or anything right? You don't want to take vengeance on someone who is your brother or your sister. Well, let's say that person doesn't become a Christian. Well, do I want vengeance on them then? Do I want to take vengeance on them then? Well, guess what? If they don't become a Christian, if they don't turn to the Lord, then what is going to happen to them? They're going to spend an eternity in hell, and you know what. That's bad enough. I don't wish that on my worst enemy. So if they're already going to suffer that kind of vengeance, then who am I to extract additional vengeance from them? It's not my place. God's going to take care of that. Either they will repent and our fellowship will be restored, or they won't turn to God, and you know what they're going to have to face the music on that eventually. Either way, I don't need to add anything to that. I don't need to take vengeance on that person.

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If we read through these verses here in Romans, chapter 12, we see really what it is to die to ourselves. You know what it really all comes down to, guys? It comes down to this Loving God enough to put other people before yourself. That's what it comes down to Just loving God enough to put other people before yourself. That's what it comes down to Just loving God enough to put other people before yourself, recognizing the fact that God has given you, as a Christian, a spiritual gift, and that you are responsible to use that gift for his glory by serving your brothers and sisters in Christ. If you are a Christian, if you are a Christian and you have never done anything to serve another person, it's time to begin today. It's time to begin serving someone else. It doesn't have to be a big thing. It can be very small. You could be praying for someone, you could be sending a card in the mail and letting them know that you were thinking about them and that you care about them and that God loves them. It can be anything that takes your focus off of you and puts it on another person in Christ. It's time to start doing that, because when you do that, you'll begin to bear fruit and you'll begin to grow.

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Turn to Colossians, chapter one. I'm gonna indulge just a little bit here. Just a little bit, because when we think about growing in Christ, it's all related, isn't it? Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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You know I love the fact that this is from Paul and Timothy. You know this is one of the letters of Paul, but you know he includes Timothy in the title, doesn't he? Right there in the beginning, he says hey, paul and Timothy. Hey, we're writing this together to you guys. You know, timothy was like Paul's son in the faith, wasn't he? And yet now Paul is listing him here as though he were an equal, a co-laborer with him. You know, that's the way it's to be in our relationships with believers.

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As we grow in Christ, we should seek to invest in the lives of other Christians, to bring aside that Timothy in our life and say hey, timothy, look, this is how you serve God. Let me not just tell you, but why don't you do it with me for a while, timothy? And then Timothy begins to learn and he begins to grow as a Christian and, before you know it, man Timothy's serving right alongside and you say hey, you know, this letter is not just from Paul, it is from Paul and Timothy. You know it's from both of us, paul and Timothy, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you Since we heard of you, or faith, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints, because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of truth, of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God and truth.

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You know Paul is writing here and he's saying look. You know, from the day I heard about what's happening in your life, I've been praying for you. You know, because I've heard that you've heard the gospel and that it's bearing fruit in your life, just as it's bearing fruit throughout the entire world. You know Paul is bearing testimony to the fact that the gospel bears fruit. Is it bearing fruit in your life today If the gospel is not bearing fruit in your life today, the fault lies not in the gospel Do you understand what I'm saying? But in your response to it. Are you believing it? Are you receiving it? Are you acting on it? Are you ordering your life according, believing it? Are you receiving it? Are you acting on it? Are you ordering your life according to it? Are you obeying it? Because if you do, you're going to bear fruit. The gospel bears fruit. God's word will not return to him void, but it will always accomplish the purposes for which he sent it.

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Paul speaks of Epaphras here, who has brought news of the Colossian church to him, as he's there in prison, and in prison is this one of the prison epistles? I'm off topic, and so Epaphras has brought word to Paul here and Paul is saying hey, you know what? Epaphras is a faithful man, he loves you, he's brought news of you to me and he's the one who brought news to you of the gospel. Epaphras is very likely someone that Paul met, probably in Ephesus, and who went out and did this work in Colossae and the surrounding area. We believe, from what we find here, that Paul probably never was in Colossae, but he's written this letter to them to encourage them.

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And in verse nine is really where I want to focus on this he says for this reason, we also, since the day we heard of it, do not cease to pray for you. Now, as we read Paul's prayer for the Colossians here, I want you to understand that this is also his prayer for us, because he refers to those who have not seen his face. I also want you to know that, as a believer in Christ, particularly as a new believer, this is my prayer for you. It's my prayer for myself. For this reason, we also, since the day we heard of it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

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So what is the first thing Paul prays for these believers in Colossae? That they be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Not that they have enough food to eat, not that they be healthy, not that they have nice chariots to drive, but that they be filled with the knowledge of God. That was more important. What was the next thing that he prayed for them? Verse 10, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. So, first, that they would have the knowledge of God and be filled with it, but then that that knowledge would translate to actions on their part and that they would put to work the knowledge of God that they have received in their lives. And then what was the result of having put that to work in their fruitfulness? It was more knowledge. So what does that mean? We learn something about God. We act on what we've learned. We then learn more about God.

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What happens if we leave out that middle part? If we receive knowledge of God but we fail to act on that knowledge, will God give us any more knowledge of him? Why? Why would he give us something that we are not going to use? Knowledge followed by action, followed by more knowledge? He says. I'll read it again.

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For this reason, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power. Are you weak? You can be strengthened. According to whose power? According to his power, according to his power, according to his glorious power For all patience and long-suffering with joy.

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And what's the result of all this growing and learning? It is that we would give thanks, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness you know that's past tense, isn't it? He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.

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He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things and in him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. That in all things he may have preeminence, for it pleased the father that in him all the fullness should dwell, preeminence, and you who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works. Yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy and blameless and a brave reproach in his sight, if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, paul, became a minister.

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I'm going to end with those words today, and I want you to understand this of all the things that we talked about being born again and our need for it, because of the fact that God is holy and we aren't, of the fact that, when we are born again, we've received a new nature, a new name, that we have the assurance of our salvation and that we're to walk yielded before the Lord. Of all of the other things that we talked about regarding the word of God, regarding the fact that we are to receive that implanted word which is able to save our souls, the fact that we are to desire it as a baby desires milk. About the fact that it's not if we pray but when we pray, not if we do charitable deeds or give but when we give, about the fact that it's not if we deny ourselves, but when we deny ourselves, that we're not to do those things before men for their approval, but before God, for his approval and his alone, and that he will reward us. All the things that we've talked about, from there up to even the point of where we're talking about dying to ourselves, about offering ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord, holy and acceptable, and taking part in the fellowship of the saints and ministering to other believers, even as God has gifted us to enable us to do so. All of these things, they're all very important. They are all very important because those are the way we grow.

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But there's one that is equally as important as all of these that we just read about, that I want you to recognize In order for that plant to grow, it's got to stay rooted in the garden. If I take that plant and I pluck it out of the garden and I throw it on the trash heap and I disregard it and I devalue it and I no longer care for it, it's not going to grow, it's not going to bear fruit. What did we just read that would tie into that thought? I want you to look at it one more time with me, if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, paul, became a minister.

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Guys, christians can sin. They can be forgiven. We're going to, as we go through this life, we're going to fall in mud puddles. If you will, don't stay in the mud puddle. Get up and keep walking after God. Continue in the faith, don't give up. Don't ever give up. Don't ever think that you've sinned so bad that God won't receive you back. Don't ever think that you've wasted so many years that God can't make fruitful the years that remain. Don't ever give up, because he won't give up on you. Continue in the faith, stick fast rooted and you won't be moved, because nothing can take you away from Him.

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Well, that's all the time we have for today. You've been listening to Heed the Word, the radio ministry of Calvary Chapel, southwest Metro, located in Burleson, texas. As you likely gathered, pastor Ken Davis is currently sharing our series entitled the Foundations of the Faith. Pastor Ken will be covering many topics about how we can be founded in the fundamental truths of the Word of God. If you were with us at the beginning of today's broadcast, you know we mentioned that we'd be giving additional information about Heed the Word and how to get a free copy of this message.

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For more information about Heed the Word, log on to heedthewordorg. That's heedthewordorg. Heedthewordorg. That's heedthewordorg. At the website, you'll find everything you need our contact information, podcast subscription link and a link to our online order form, which will allow you to place an order for a CD of today's message in its unedited form. Since all of our materials are free of charge, supplies are limited, so log on to heedthewordorg and place your order today. As we close today, we want to encourage you to not only be a listener of Heed the Word, but to truly apply what you're learning. Take the Word of God and begin applying it to your life every day. Well, that's all the time that we have for this edition of Heed the Word with Pastor Ken Davis. Place a marker in your Bibles and join us next time as Pastor Ken continues with our series entitled the Foundations of the Faith. Thank you,