Phil Beach Jr. preaches on the importance of selflessness and considering the interests of others, emphasizing that this is the key to overcoming spiritual decline and barrenness in God's house. He highlights the need for Christ's law of life to govern every aspect of our lives, from actions to plans, in order to reveal the true nature of Christ in His church. The sermon delves into the necessity of deep repentance, brokenness, and a shift from living for self to living for God's interests and the good of others.

Scripture meditation: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down" (Luke 13:6-8). Today while reading God's Word, I heard the Lord speak into my spirit with unusual intensity. He said, "Let not any man seek his own interest alone but also those of others." With this I saw that this one command is the solution to spiritual decline and barrenness prevailing today in God's house! If this LAW of LIFE in Christ Jesus became the governing force behind everything we did, everything we planned, everything we enjoyed, every word we spoke and every goal we made, we could see in ONE generation an unprecedented testimony of the true revelation of Christ in and among His church! This is heaven's law that governs the unity in the Godhead and the relationship in heaven among its citizenship. It must become the law that governs every movement in our families and every plan made. If not, then Christ's interest are not in in the view of our lives but our own . Much suffering occurs in many ways because, all too often, considering the interests and welfare of others is not the motive of our hearts! Just think of the implications of a community of people who, because of union with the living Christ, have once and for all died to sin and are living in the good of selfless love, caring and seeking firstly and primarily the good of others, as the basis of their actions, plans, praying and movements among people! This is the way things should be! God's house must become defined by this and it must begin in the homes and practiced there first and then spread into the household of faith and, eventually, into the world we live in. The testimony of God's Son cannot exist in and among those who live primarily for themselves even though they sing, pray and study the Bible. Christ as our life must transplant and take the place of self and its evil bent. God's judgment in His house will result in the removing, altogether, of the one kind of life that springs out of flesh, which is all about self and its self serving interests and the establishing of the law of life in Christ Jesus as the governing law moving and motivating those alive in Him. Let's bow very low before our God and let Him search the very depths of our lives, our actions, our plans and living to see what does not correspond to the law of life in Christ Jesus, a law that lives for His interests and the good of others first and foremost! Let's let Him bring us to deep repentance over many deeds that yet live in our lives that are characteristic of children rather then adults in Christ, living only for Him and others! We need a very deep brokenness to be able to receive this Word because of the strength of our flesh and its ability to keep us asleep in the light. Deep, deep pride from failure to see clearly the unspeakable glory and beauty of Almighty God is very deeply rooted in our hearts! Only an act of God, followed by an earnest seeking after Him can cure the heart from its pride. "Draw night to God and He will draw nigh to you." God's Spirit and His Word are a clarion call to draw nigh to God so He will draw nigh to us. We cannot tolerate anything in our lives or actions that corresponds to flesh, because they that live according to the flesh will die, are at enmity to God and cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God. They that are led, governed and controlled by the Spirit are sons. Paul said that many in Corinth were carnal, or soulish, allowing their fleshly desires and selfish ways to govern their personal lives. This then carried over into church life. To this Paul reacted by lovingly warning them that such behavior will be met with God's severe discipline and in some instances, weakness, sickness and premature death! After all was said and done and God poured out His Word though Paul and the other apostles, they eventually died. But around 95 AD, God spoke one more time in His Son to the seven churches in Asia Minor. Jesus revealed Himself at that time as the One standing in the midst of the seven churches, beholding everything. God's final Word to us is found in the things He said to the seven churches in Asia Minor. Each church is measured against His own nature and anything that does not correspond to that is under His divine judgment! Lukewarm hearts, embracing false doctrines that permit sin and empty religion to steal the heart's affections, together with living for the cares of this life and fattening oneself with the pomp and passions of this life are all condemned by our Lord. Falling from the heights of first love is the beginning of spiritual decline as evidenced in the church of Ephesus. Ending with the last church in Laodicea, we see a lukewarm church that is making our Lord sick and ready to be rejected. In between, we see the seduction of sin, false teachings and evil immorality as a spiritual cancer eating away the life and purity of those being led astray. It is no different today. Christ is still in the midst of His church, in the midst of every family, beholding everything. He is commending that which is He sees that is like His character and condemning what is not like His purity and lovely ways! He demands the same kind of purity in our lives that is in Himself, nothing less! Doctrinal purity according to His Word alone, nothing more or less. Now is the time to search our hearts and our homes together with our church family, that we may seek to repent from everything that is exposed by the light of His Word. All that is not according to His lovely character must be dealt with before He comes and brings the judgments spoken of to His church in Revelation, that will occur before His appearing. May we find an ever abundant measure of grace as we come with true hearts to the throne of His grace to find mercy and help. And may the result be seen in living lives according to the law of life in Christ Jesus, a law of selfless love that thinks of God's interests and others before its own interests!! After all, we are on borrowed time, according to the parable! Like Israel of old, to whom this parable was spoken, He stands in our midst and is looking for fruit. But is he finding what He is looking for? He has been very gracious to delay His judgment. He labors to dig deep into our hearts, breaking up the fallow ground and to fill us with His fertile Word. Are we listening to His Word or leaning on our own ways?