Dear Christian friends:

NOTE: THIS IS AN INCOMPLETE SERMON MISSING THE LAST PAGE

We all know that God wants us to obey the Ten Commandments. Jesus tells us the sum of the Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and thy neighbor as Thyself."

Many people think that they are good and obey these laws of God. Yes, most of us obey the laws of God most of the time. Also many people who are not Christians are very respectable and obey the Ten Commandments, at least some of them. Not steal; work. Not kill, help neighbor in need. Not break holy marriage. But is God pleased with our obedience? Do our good works really please and honor God? We may think that our works are good, but?

In our text St. Paul shows us about truly good works. So let us attend to our text and see

I. In our text St. Paul says, "Become new in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, which is created to be like God, righteous and holy in the truth."

It is not good enough if we obey the Ten Commandments with our old heart and nature. Our nature does not love God nor people. If we obey the Ten Commandments with our old heart, that does not please God. You maybe do not steal any money because you are afraid someone will catch you, but your heart is greedy and wants that money and will steal if no police or people are watching. You maybe obey the Third Commandment and go to Church, but your heart is not eager or glad to go to church. You go because you fell duty or feel forced. Does that please God? Also you maybe give money to church, maybe even 10%, but why? If you feel duty and forced or because of bills, does that please God?

In the Bible we read how God complained about the Jewish church members: He said, "These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." He told the Jews that their money offerings and animal offerings and burnt offerings smelled because they prayed and worshipped Him with the wrong spirit.

So Paul says "Become new in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, which is created to be like God, righteous and holy in the truth. We must have a new heart and a new spirit that truly loves God and His Commandments that gladly, eagerly generously serves Him and obeys Him.

How do we get such a heart? Only God can change us and make us new. He does that by His holy Word of Jesus Christ our Savior. When we hear of His great and wonderful love for us sinners, the Holy Spirit comes and makes us believe in Jesus and helps us to love Him and be happy walking in His holy ways. Jesus said, "You must be born again of water (baptism) and the Holy Spirit. It is very important for us to hear God's Word regularly: Read the Bible daily at home and come to Bible Class and church regularly. Examine your heart and confess your sins honestly before coming to the Lord's Supper then come to the Holy Spirit with faith and receive Jesus' body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins. Look to Jesus your Lord and Savior daily, He will daily make you sorry and faith and joy for a new heart.

II. Now after Jesus gives you a new heart you will not tell lies anymore, verse 25. (read it) When we have our old heart we are not honest and tell many lies and make many excuses to God, to our pastor and to one another. But if we have a new spirit in our mind we will stop lying and making excuses. We, if we are wrong or fail or sin, we will confess quickly and ask God to forgive us because of Jesus, and then try to improve.

If we have a new spirit and heart, Paul says we quickly make peace if we become angry or cross and quarrel with someone. We will not stay mad and seek to get revenge verses 26, 27. (Read it)

Paul says, "Don't give the devil a chance to work, He wants you to lie and make excuses and get angry and fight and quarrel. He wants you to keep your old sinful heart and nature active. If you have a new you will not steal, verse 28. (Read it) You say, "We never steal." But God says we do steal when we are lazy or when we are greedy and not bring our money gifts for church and the poor. God says, that we church members often steal from Him when we do not bring our money offerings to His house.

But if we confess our sins and ask God to make in us a clean heart and new spirit and give us joy in Jesus, then we will work hard with our hands and be careful how we spend our money so we will always have plenty for church and for the needy. Also when we work we will not think only of earning money but we will think to serve our boss, improve his business and make a good product for our city to make life better for the whole country and world.

Yesterday I talked to my two sons they complained because they had to do dishes. I said they should be glad to do dishes and help our family. They said, that they received no money. I said, "You should not only think of money when you work, but think of serving and helping people. They said, "We only work for money." I said, "then your work does not please God, you better give up your newspaper routes if you only work for money. You should be glad and proud that you can bring newspapers to many people people every evening. Think of the wonderful service you are doing by that."

NOTE: This sermon's last page is missing and I was unable to find it in my dad's files.