 It's chapter five verse one and the title of this message is is what is a child of God? What is a child of God now many people Believe that they are a child of God because they come into a church building and sit in a seat And you think you're a child of God or many of you have said well, we're all God's children No, we're not I'm sorry to tell you maybe I'm the first one to inform you We're not all God's children. We're all God's creation But you're only a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ John 1-12 says for as many as received him to them He gave the right power authority to become children of God even to them who believe on this name So you're only a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ. We're all his creation, but we're not all his children The amazing thing about children is that they imitate their parents the good bad and the ugly and why is it that they always want to imitate the ugly part of us But they imitate children so here it is we're told To be imitators of God as dear children what the Greek word for imitate is mimic this is where we get mimic from So we're to mimic God as dear children as beloved children But what does that look like? What what what does it look like to mimic God? What does that mean? Practically looking at it You know if you have repenting of your sins and accept the Christ as your Lord and Savior You're a child of God and so you're to imitate God. What does that mean? What does that look like? How is it that we who are? finite beings Can imitate an infinite God So what is it in what ways can we imitate God? Oh, I believe the very first verse gives us a hint into what that looks like it says therefore Therefore is a word that always takes us back to what was previously said That means that takes us back into Chapter four to get the context. We have to look at verse 25. Look what it says there there for Oh, now that takes us further back In verses 17 to 24 in those particular verses The apostle Paul is telling us that we are to put off those things associated with our old man and put on The new man which was created in Christ Jesus and remember we're born again and we born again Then there's a new man That we're told to put on But it told us to put off those things associated with our old life the Greek word is apple to themy It's an amazing word. It means to take off to put away to lay aside It's the same Greek word that's used in and and in Hebrews 12 verses 1 and 2 when it says lay aside Every weight and sin lay aside is apple to themy same Greek word It gives the connotation of taking off dirty clothes to where at the end of the day You're gonna take off these dirty You're gonna take off these dirty clothes and you're going to discard them You're gonna put them in the wash machine put them in the hamper. You're gonna discard them So there are some things associated with our old life that we're called to discard That we're called to put off If we're gonna be imitators of God as dear children, there are some things we must put off and I believe it tells us there That's where it starts in verse 25 notice. It says therefore putting away line notice putting away Apple to themy. It's the same Greek word Put away line notice. What's first on the list is line Put away line let each one of you speak truth with this neighbor for we are members of one another So we're told to put away line That's first on the list line The Bible says in Psalm 58 verse 3 that the wicked come forth out of the womb speaking lies That little cute little baby or grandbaby you're looking in their face They're little liars That's what they are They're little liars You have the little Johnny Johnny that you eat those cookies. No, I need those cookies crumbs crawl down this mouth They're little liars. They come forth speaking lies We come forth out of the womb speaking lies So this is why lying is first on the list because God is true and Therefore the first thing we must put off his line You know, have you noticed how how easy a lie can just It just come right on out just like it's like it was supposed to come out And this is why we must put it away But he tells us why we should put it away for we're members of one another mean we're we're a part of the body of Christ So what happens is when you come in here and we say hey good to see you. How are you doing? You like everything's fine And everything's not fine You lie to us So that means you leave here discouraged you leave here depressed you leave here without getting prayer You leave here the same way you came in because you lied to us had you told the truth and said that the sky is falling I need some prayer. I'm bummed out. I'm discouraged and we could have prayed for you We could have lifted you up and counseling and spend time just encouraging you into things of God But you lied to us therefore you left out of here the same way you came in This is why we are told to put away line. You're like well, you know Don't you go there? Tell them tell them folks our business. Let me tell you something man. Let me let you see me Let me let you in on something Your business is already out there. She told her sister her mama Her women's prayer group Need you to be your ladies to be praying about something your business is already out there dude so we're told to speak truth and That means we have to put away That put the thing me we have to put away Line in order for us to be imitators of God we got to put away line Why should we put away line because we're told to be imitators of goddess dear children and when we lie We're now imitating Satan who is the father of lies John 844 Can you imagine that Here we are supposed to be imitators of God as dear children. We're imitating Satan That blows me away how easy the switch Can happen it reminds me of Peter. You remember Peter. Oh Pete Jesus said he going to the cross And first, you know, he says you know Jesus told Peter flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you. He said you're the Christ of sons of the living God Jesus that flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you, but my father which is in heaven and I'm sure old Pete He was I didn't guys that y'all hear that the father spoke through me and then he said I'm going to the cross and Then oh Pete said stand back guys. I got I got this for me from your Lord and Jesus said get behind me Satan the switch Can happen so quickly At one minute We can be speaking truth and the next minute We're speaking lies. We're speaking for Satan This is why we're told the first on the list is to Put away line and then he says in verse 26 He says be angry and do not sin do not let the sun go down on your wrath be angry And do not sin Don't let the sun go down. So it's something about anger and time something needs to happen as soon as We sense anger has entered our hearts Something starts to happen does the watch starts ticking. This is why I've always told couples never ever go to bed angry Because something happens You know what happens verse 27 nor give place to the devil When you allow the Sun to go down on your anger you give Satan place You know, it's like when somebody is somebody trying to close the door and they put their foot in there keep the door from closing When you're trying when you allow the Sun to go down You're closing the door of your day on your anger and Satan said, oh, no, you're not I'm gonna I'm getting in there It's been rightfully said You give Satan an inch and he'll become your ruler And what happens is when we allow the Sun to go down on our anger we give Satan place place to do what? Well, see he has some boys he got some buddies that he likes to travel with And he likes to bring his boy bitterness See here's the thing When the Bible says nor give place to the devil, you know that Greek word is Diablos is where we get slanderer from When we allow the Sun to go down on our anger on our wrath Watch this Then we become the Diablos We began to slander the one We allow the Sun to go down on the anger And you'll slander that husband And you'll slander that wife You'll slander that friend Now you have become the Diablos the slanderer And when that happens Because now you allow the Sun to go down on your anger and all of a sudden Satan brings his boy bitterness Then bitterness brings his boy hatred and then here come the big brother of them all is murder That's the progression That's the progression See this is why it must be dealt with at the anger stage Because Jesus made it very clear. He said you have heard it said of those of old You should not murder but I say if you're angry with the person you've murdered them in your heart So this is why he is saying that he you got to deal with it when it's at the level of anger You got to deal with it before the time the the Sun goes down You got to deal with it And this is what he is saying here Because you give Satan place all He's coming He's coming with his boys See this is what he was getting after the religious leaders for He was getting after them because see they thought that as long as I was not a Murdering anyone or committing adultery. Hey, I'm cool And they felt as long as I was outwardly not breaking the commandments. I'm I'm good This is why Paul said in Philippians 3 he said look here concerning the law when I was a Pharisee I was blameless because they only looked at the law as that which was external Jesus is showing them. No, I'm looking at the internal I'm looking at your heart And so if you angry you murdered them in your heart if you lust you committed adultery with them in your heart See Jesus is saying look, I'm going beyond what you're outwardly not doing. I'm looking at the intent in your heart And this is why he said what he said and so We're told to put away lying in order for us to be imitators of God We can't allow the Sun to go down on our anger if we want to be imitators of God And then it says let him who stole still no longer But rather let him labor working with his hands what is good that he may have something to give him who has need Notice let him who stole past tense steal present tense no longer What the Greek word for steal is klepto is where we get our English word kleptomaniac a person who can't stop Stealing and and notice is in the present imperative in the Greek language Which means it's a continuous action meaning that it's still going on so it can be translated Let the steep let the theme stop stealing. Oh, we can steal in many ways You know that still means just to take something that doesn't belong to you You still in many ways Hey, did you know if you? Go to work late. You're supposed to be there nine o'clock and you there 9 15 9 30 you stole 15 30 minutes from your job your thief You stole from your job if you if not just from 12 to 1 you come back 130 You stole 30 minutes from your job and your thief We're not gonna talk about how you can steal from God Hey, let me tell you something a service starts at 5 and you come in strutting in here 5 30 5 40 You stole half an hour 45 minutes from God, but it's funny We can be on time for the job, but we willy-nilly come in here late for God For church and we we got this in God understand grace brother. I'll give you some grace. All right I'm a former Marine you one minute late you you a Unauthorized absence article 86 you can get money taken away putting the bridge for being one minute late I'm other persuading if you're on time you late. Oh, we're not gonna talk about We're not gonna talk about if you if you're not tied then how you stealing from God your thief Your thief. Oh, you know the bucket passing you pass it every week. You're just a thief You're a little thief and you know it because see I know people got money people got money because see I know during this time Many people who normally here are not here because they vacationing On cruises, baby. Let's cruise away From here and they waving and everybody taking selfies We got money They have money. Oh We know because in a few months. Hey, it's going to be a black Friday and cyber Monday And any time that they're putting up figures saying on black Friday or cyber money that they brought in 46.9 billion dollars people got money But we're gonna rob God the one who gave us life the one the one who saved us from hell the one Who's giving us salvation the one who allowed the blood to run warm in our veins and the eyesight and hearing and we're gonna rob him But we Do whatever else we want to do But that god The one who wakes us up and breathes in us The breath of life for another day. Oh, we're gonna rob him And we're gonna say what he understands We respect the rs more than we respect god. Let some rs letter come in the mail and we What what are we gonna do How are we gonna pay we gotta hurry up and pay hurry up and pay this Then we come in here and say, uh, god understands Really? But we're rob god and it's okay I want you to notice it says let him who Stole still no longer but rather let him labor Meaning that instead of depending upon stilling To survive you need to labor you need to work notice Work working with your hands. What is good? I'm glad that he said that Working with his hands. What is good because there are people who say, you know what I say, oh drugs But that's not good Well, I work the streets, you know, I turn some tricks and that's not good Working with his hands. What is good? I tell our people in virginia. It might be a little too strong for you california folks I tell our folks in virginia the bible says if a man doesn't work he doesn't need And I I tell them I said ladies don't put another plate of food in front of him until he gets a job I said I guarantee you he'd get a job by this afternoon I said there's no way on god's green earth I I will allow my wife to go out every day and my feet curled up in uh up to heaven I'm in the bed while she's going out to work some job. There's no way on god's green earth There is no way I'm too much a man for that. I'm gonna tell you that right now I get up before she did I put on a suit and I'll be out there I don't care if I'm just walking around till the stores open She would think I got some fortune 500 job I'll be out there walking around till the stores open beating the pavement that hey, I don't care I go flip a burger or something something's gonna happen I'm just too I'm just too much man for that. I can't allow that to happen. Let him labor Working with his hands what is good not so we can hoard it for ourselves He said so we can give to those who have need See that's the thing we're most like god When we give for gods who love the world that he gave He gave so when we give at our church we um Just last year alone as far as benevolence We gave Like over 20,000 a way to people who were in need at our church So people gave because they labored and they gave Because there are people in need did you know that this is across the board Worldwide as far as churches Only 20 percent of the people who called any particular church their church supports that church financially only 20 About 80 percent of you you're just alone for the ride It's the football field mentality 22 people on the field doing all the work and 80,000 in the stands chair And it's the same way And so that means Only 20 percent of this church Supports the rest of you and see here's the thing watch this watch this And it's the 80 percent of you That's like When they go fix this air conditioner I don't know when they go get this right this air. What's wrong with it? Them lights are kind of It's a rip in the carpet. What's wrong with and you don't give nothing And you the main one complainant Fint, anyone's complaining then he says Because in order for us to be imitators of god, we got we have to put away still Then it says let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth But what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers notice Let no corrupt word that word corrupt in the greek is a word that means that which is corrupt Which is stained or spoiled or rotten it carries the connotation of rotten meat or fruit Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. I am amazed At how many people call themselves children of god and they use profanity I'm a man. I'm stumbled by that I have a relative been walking with the lord supposedly for decades and they just curse they They will curse you up one side down the next I'm amazed at how many guys call their wives the b word and mf and all that kind of stuff I'll tell you kidding me I'm stumbled if right now if you call yourself a child of god and you curse Guess what? I'm stumbled by you. I just failed I'm stumbled by you Because here's the thing when I first gave my life to the lord. I was over in okinawa japan. I was in the marine core I when I first gave my life to the lord the first thing he cleaned up was my mouth my girlfriend used to say You had the worst potty mouth Your mouth is so nasty Well, now she's been my wife over 30 years. So But she said your mouth is so nasty. See, here's the thing Within a week's time. This is just for me within a week's time the lord cleaned up my language And then when a curse word slipped out, I was like, I can't believe that came out Many of you said, well, you know, excuse my french. That was not french. That was english And bad english at that You didn't say we we uh Or something like that See when christ comes into our lives, you remember we always say I accept the christ in my heart As my lord and savior. You remember the bible said out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks So the tongue goes down into the well of the heart and brings up what's there and spews it out So Just like Ephesians 3 17 that christ may dwell in my heart through faith So if christ is in my heart, that means the first thing he's going to clean up It's my heart which will reflect itself in my mouth So that's why when someone is using bad language and claiming to be a child of god I always look at you and just say the devil is alive I will question what's going on in here in the ticker in your heart Because you're you're not reflecting see the bible says in james chapter 3 He said out of the same mouth proceeds blessings and cursings these things are not to be sold When you go to the water fountain out in the hallway Does it have two buttons one for fresh water one for bitter? No, it just comes out fresh water You use profanity call your wives and children all kind of names and stuff Then you come in here and lord, we lift your name on high. Are you kidding me? You got to be kidding me That's when the bible said out of the same mouth proceeds blessings and cursing these things are not to be sold So if you want if you want to be A child of god and call yourself a child of god You have You have to put these things off notice. He says let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth He said but what is good for necessary edification that word edification is a construction word It means to build up they we use that word edification. We don't use that Edification but it means to build up That means that when you speak words you should speak words Before you allow them to come out. You should say will this build them up? Or will it tear them down? Before well, I just couldn't help it. I just I just had to give him a piece in my mind You don't have that much mind to give away We're talking about you don't give somebody a piece of it like you've got a whole bunch up there You can afford to get pieces away And last time I checked one of the fruit of the spirit is self control So you're talking about you couldn't help it Then I'm going to question your salvation I'm going to question whether the lord and the holy spirit is in you because the holy spirit produces self control So it says what is good for necessary edification watch this that it may impart grace God's unmerited undeserved kindness that it may impart grace To the hearers that when people hear the words coming out of your mouth They're gracious words that are coming out of your mouth The bible says that when the people heard Jesus they heard the gracious words As they're out there In the world and your guys are out there you're out there and you hear Profane words you hear dirty words you hear condescending words belittling words You're hearing all these words, but when people hear us speak they should hear gracious words Coming out of our mouths the way we talk should be so different That people are like what is it about you? It's something about you that whenever you talk i'm just on the edge of my seat Because they recognize the gracious words Colossians 4 6 says let your speech always be with grace Season with salt That you may know how to answer each person So in order to be imitators of god We cannot allow corrupt words to proceed out of our mouths Then it says look at there what it says in verse 30 It says and do not grieve the holy spirit of god by whom You were sealed for the day of redemption Do not grieve the holy spirit the greek word is lupel I know i was just told this afternoon that that sounds like a You know a hispanic name I didn't say lupio Or You know now it's it's lupel It means to cause pain to So that's what it means. So what happens is when we accept christ as our lord and savior We repent of our sin except christ is our lord and savior the holy spirit comes and lives within us It's not like in the old testament days when old testament days when the When the holy spirit will come upon the individual it will come upon them for a specific task Or duty and when the task was done or they sin the holy spirit left This is why david said in psalm 51 take not thy holy spirit from me But in the new testament the holy spirit comes and lives within us for how long it says to the day of redemption The day of redemption is the day that our redemption is complete when we get to heaven So the holy spirit is in us To empower us for the work he has for us, but to also empower us to live For him to empower us to witness for him And when we sin or when the task and the task is never done The holy spirit stays and instead of Saying deuces i'm out of here The holy spirit is green It calls pain to so when we Lie When we allow the sun to go down on our anger when we give place to the devil when we steal When we allow corrupt words to proceed out of our mouths the holy spirit. It's like We cause pain to it It said the holy spirit. We're sealed for the day of redemption that ceiling it speaks of ownership. It speaks of possession The masters will have a ring and they would dip it in wax and they will seal their packages And so when these packages went on the ship and went across the a g and c The way that they knew that master's package. They knew the seal Speaks of possession and ownership And so we repent of our sin except christ. We're sealed the holy spirit seals us But we can grieve the spirit Grieve the spirit calls pain To the spirit of god And in order for us to be imitators of god We have to put grieving the spirit away Look what he says there in verse 31 Let all bitterness raft anger clamor And evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. I want you to notice Notice what it says Let all bitterness Why Why was there a need to say let all bitterness? Because there are some bitterness you're holding on to that you feel that you're justified in holding on to that bitterness Bitterness is when the sun has gone down on your anger That's bitterness And therefore You feel that you justify You don't know i'm angry. You don't know what he's done to me He cheated on me My family, you know, my dad left the family Left my mother and i'm angry. I'm bitter towards him He was my partner and he ripped me off And you feel that that's justified bitterness Oh, the the bible doesn't give us room if you want to be imitators of god as dear children then you got to let all bitterness Not just some not just the ones you think is okay to let go. No, let all bitterness Well, you don't know what they've done to me let all bitterness She left me for my best friend let all bitterness They fired me and I gave 20 years to that company let all bitterness not some Not the little ones. You say, oh, I can let that go. No, let all bitterness Then it says that all bitterness raft wrap is the explosion of anger Let all bitterness raft aim anger clamor. You know what clamor is clamor is loud quarreling You know what you did on the way here Slow down. You leave me alone. You backseat driver. I can't stand you. I hate you That's clamor Loud the bible says we would have put that away too Notice an evil speaking That greek word is where we get our english word blasphemy from It it means to blaspheme someone it means to harm someone's reputation You're speaking evil of them for the purpose of harming their reputation Maybe you're hearing your boss and there was some terrible employee And all of a sudden they left to take another job and left you hanging didn't give the two weeks notice Left you hanging and you just tick so all of a sudden the new job called you up Well, we got so and so put in an application here. What do you think of them? Oh, how about take a seat sit down Let me tell you About that's that's evil speaking Maybe someone got a position you thought you should have and now they got the position And now you speak evil of them The purpose of is to speak evil of them to harm their reputation Well, if I was given that position This is how I would have handled the situation You can't do that You can't do that Hey, I'm in a relationship with so and so and I just saw your number And I was just wondering if can you tell me something about something seems a little odd. Oh, he's dating you now Oh, let me tell you about him You can't do that You can't do that That's evil speaking the bible says If you want to be an imitator of god You got to put that stuff away And then it says evil speaking be put away from you with all malice malice Is that slow burning anger? Right under the surface It if it spills over that's raft But it hadn't quite spilled over It's just right up under there it's that that feeling you get when You see that person and all of a sudden you turn your head and squint that eye You haven't said anything yet because you say something that's wrapped. It's exploding. But you just You know that when you put that that that pot on the stove and it hasn't quite started bubbling boiling yet, but it's just simmering That's you In order to be imitated as a god you have to put that away and then it says in verse 32 and be kind to one another Tender hearted for giving one another even as god for christ sake forgave you notice said to be kind to one another We as christians, we're told to be kind god is kind When the kindness and love of god towards man appeared Titus 3 4 says in verse 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holy spirit The kindness towards god appeared God is kind we should be kind So often christians are nasty Nasty this is nasty as you've always been This nasty mean you're not courteous. You're not kind people trying to get in And you speed up on the bumper and you you know and then they get beside you and look at you But you don't want to look over at them And you just still hugging the bumper the neck the car in front let the person in They got to get in And we just mean I don't blame you if I had to drive out here on these freeways all the time I'll be in the flesh too. I'll be hunking flashing my life hunking horns Many of you are giving half of a peace sign I mean We know it's not right, but I you know, I almost came but it's These roads out here this kind of this kind of freeway drive. It's a hot mess Whoo, I'm in the flesh and I've only been here a few days But the bumper I was looking I was telling pastor david I said It's like this on sunday even on sunday the traffic is like So we're told to put these things off. We need to be kind kind Then this is tender hearted. It's the opposite Of heart hearted. There are a lot of things out there that's going on in the world today that can harden our hearts But we're told that we should be tender hearted We should have hearts like god that The things that are that are heartening the hearts of the people out there should be breaking our hearts Oh, we sing the song lord break our hearts. Well, what breaks yours? That that means our heart will remain tender Instead of us, you know getting that impounding our heart should be breaking And said wow That's how you keep your heart tender by being in the presence of the one who can tenderize it And that's god And we you we got to keep our hearts tender Oh, here's the big one be kind to one another tender hearted forgiving one another Oh boy Uh What what I love about this is god doesn't leave us room to forgive in the way that we think we should forgive Your way of forgiving is I will forgive you, but I won't forget And you dangle it over their head Every chance you get Honey, what are you talking about? I haven't done bad. Oh, yes, you did. You did it two weeks ago And it was on a sunday and you were wearing blue You're like, well, I don't love keeps no record wrong. I thought that's what first Corinthians 13 I don't know that verse What's up with that forgiving notice he says forgiving one another then it tells us how Even as god and christ forgave you that's how you forgive You know the true definition of forgiveness is to treat the individual as if the offense never occurred That's true forgiveness and that's what we all say lord help me Because see we cannot erase the memory We wish we could But he says forgive us see show me a person that's holding on to unforgiveness And I'll show you a person that doesn't realize or has forgotten how much they have been forgiven Oh, jesus told the story Jesus told the story in matthew chapter 18 When I was teaching through matthew 18 I entitled this message message the prison of unforgiveness And jesus told the story about a man who owed some ridiculous amount of money 16 million dollars or so And the guy came before the king and at that time if you didn't pay you went into debtor's prison So he said, you know pay me what you owe and the guy said, oh lord I can't pay you. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I have mercy. I'm throwing you in the debtor's. Oh, no, please So And the king looked at him and said I forgive you And he probably got upset. So he went out And he saw a guy who owed him a few bucks He was like, oh no, dude, dude, don't run. Don't run. Come on back here, man. You owe you. You owe me Pay me what you owe And the guy fell on the ground Big oh, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Now that should have triggered something for him That should have triggered and said I just did that But he grabbed him by the throat and said pay me what you owe Guy said I don't have it and he threw him and his family into debtor's prison Now keep in mind While all this was going on Somebody was watching and they went back and told the king Said king man, you were We just saw something. I know it's gonna blow your mind king king. Do you know there you remember that guy that was just in here You know the one that was crying, you know, it's not coming right now. He was just crying And king. Yeah, I remember the guy. He said well, we just saw him He we just saw him grab this guy who owed him a few dollars And I'm sure the king probably said and he forgave him, right then all king You should have seen him. He grabbed him by the throat and threw him into prison And so the king called that man back And said, please tell me it isn't true what I just heard He said Did you not forgive them? I forgave you of this great debt And you couldn't forgive this man a few dollars And the king said deliver him to the torturers and then jesus said jesus jesus And so too my heavenly father would do to each of you if each of you from his heart would not forgive his fellow man And there are many of you who are in the prison of unforgiveness. You're tortured by the unforgiveness See you think in holding on to the unforgiveness that is going to somehow Hurt the one you hold in the unforgiveness towards and it doesn't even touch them That makes you even angry that takes you off even more because you want them to hurt like you're hurting and they're going on with their life There was a guy who used to attend our church And he moved away Chasing after his wife wife is trying to get away from He she took a job out of the state and he went after her chasing her so two years later I get a phone call ring ring. I said hello Pastor tony. I said I said vik is this you? Yeah, this is this is vik Uh, I just want to let you know that I've been holding unforgiveness towards you for two years I said vik, why would you do that? I'm going on with my life He was tortured By the unforgiveness in the prison of unforgiveness And he was angry with me over something. I'm going on with ministry with life And so too is that person you holding that unforgiveness towards they go on with their life They're not caring about which how you feel Maybe if you as you talk to them they might care and just say why wouldn't why don't you come and talk to me? But see all the time You were tortured by See watch this Jesus came to set the captives free. He says whom the sun sets free is free indeed john 836 So jesus has the keys to death and hell and jesus unlocked the cage and set the open the prison doors To set the captives free Okay, he's done that Watch this for those of you who are holding unforgiveness You have decided to walk around In the cell The door is open now You're making things nice and tidy You know, you just Yeah, and you're just walking around and just the door is open But you want to walk around in the prison of unforgiveness And wonder why you're tortured by your walk would not go on with the lord as long as you're holding on to that It would not it would not continue And see what happens is You think You think Well, I'm not I'm not growing anymore. So watch this watch this. This is Classic california right here. Watch this I'm not growing anymore. So what I need to do I need to change churches And you like some mexican jumping beings popping around to this church this church boom boom boom boom I'm over here. But boo boo boo boo and I always tell folks in virginia wherever you go. There you are You the problem. It's not the church. It's you I tell folks all the time look in the mirror. It's not the church. You know, you getting fed the word of god The word of god is going forth here So it's not here It's you It's 9 9 10 you're holding on to unforgiveness You're holding on to all that kind of stuff And you're going to blame it on the church So let me bounce over here And then you're going to get over there and go, oh, no, no, that's not it Let me bounce over here and you're going to be boop the boop the boop boop boop That's so typical california out here typical You won't bounce from my church yet. You bounce you ain't gonna you ain't gonna go to another calvary chapel I can tell you that unless you're gonna drive some serious miles Out here That'd be 10 calvary chapels in a five mile radius. You kidding me? some mess Everybody's called the pastor. I'm called to be a pastor where southern california. I bet you are You can open up a garage door and put a calvary chapel and have an instant congregation So california But it's because you're holding on to the unforgiveness. My wife already told me my time is up so So it says be kind to one another tenderhearted forgiving one another even as god in christ forgave you And this is why it says in chapter five verse one Therefore be imitators of god as dear children. You remember I said we're most like god when we give Where we're really most like god when we forgive and that's what we need to see I believe That there are some people in your life that you need to forgive and let it go With me encourage you to say let it go let it go You don't know let it go You don't realize let it go Let it go It's eating you up You're tortured by like jesus says so too my heavenly father would do to each of you if each of you from his heart doesn't forgive you're tortured Let it go. He loved you too much There's too much work and ministry to be done for you to be sitting in your prison of unforgiveness It's too much to be done too many neighbors and thousands of folks to reach Even though, you know, many of these calvary chapels are in the tens of thousands But guess what? I heard that there is around seven to eight million people in the orange county and all this whole area Seven eight million you got a few calvaries. That's 10,000 or more That shows that there's a whole lot of folks That's still not being reached And god can't use you. He can't use me. Let me tell you something. Let me let me close with this story Around five years ago, I I went through some stuff some mess Had to you know, let some guys go and just all kind of mess and they tried to destroy the church to get to me Three seven hundred people left It was a mess And I was ticked. I was bitter. I outwit me. I handled it the right way But inside I was dying I was angry and what happens is you know how a jail cell jail cell had, you know, you can you can see and talk through the polls there I was in my prison of unforgiveness. I still had to pastor. I still had to teach and I was teaching from my prison cell And and and the messages I were given verse by verse was verse by verse, but it was mixed and mingled with anger and bitterness and unforgiveness And there was a new guy who came on staff. He gave me a book a year earlier and I wasn't ready to read it then But finally a year later. I read the book and the intro the intro. I didn't say the book The intro rocked my world so hard I had to put that book down and just look at it and say, whoa, what did I just read? And I went on and read the book set me free The book is total forgiveness by R.T. Kindle Total forgiveness by R.T. Kindle Total forgiveness By R.T. Kindle, you know why I said it three times? Because I know there's somebody gonna say wasn't the name of that book. I'm not saying it anymore. I'm done If you didn't get it, you didn't get it. That's your neighbor. Maybe they got it. Hey, I'm you know I'm not saying it anymore That's it wasn't it. No, I said it three times up there Oh I went one more than the lord didn't lord to do it. You know twice Abraham, Abraham, Saul, Saul, Samuel, Samuel, Martha, Martha. He gave it to you twice. I gave it three Father son, holy spirit. I gave it three. I was trying to be spiritual so don't ask me what that book is But that book changed my world Rocked my world And I was able to forgive. I was able to let go I was able to forgive to the point where I went to restore The relationships were all those guys And to this day relationships have been restored Because I could not pastor effectively Holding on forgiveness if I want to be an imitator of god as dear children. I had to forgive And I was able to do it because of that. Let me wrap it up with this In order for us to be imitators of god as dear children We're told we have to put off lying Let each one of you speak truth with this neighbor before we are members of one another And then this tells us we'll put away anger be angry and say not don't let the sun go down on your anger Number three nor give place to the devil. We've got to put that off Then number four let him who stole still no longer but let him labor working with his hands and he may give those who have need Then we're told in verse 29 He says let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth But what is good for necessary edification they may minister grace to the heroes we got to put that mess off And then it says Be you know do not grieve the holy spirit of god in verse 30 by whom you're sealed to the day of redemption And then it says let all bitterness and anger and wrath and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice And then tells us in verse 32 be kind to one another tender heart of forgiving one another even as god For christ sake has forgiven you and then it says therefore be imitators of god as dear children May we imitate god as dear children And if we're going to be imitators of god, it means more than coming and sitting in the seat in church It means putting off some things associated with our old life And all those things is what we used to do And it can't be what we still do Because we're told we've been born again And that means something That means there's a new way of talking new way of walking new way of doing things new way of speaking That's what it means and may god help us To be imitators of god as dear children