In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes that the offering of evil is not just about having our sins forgiven, but about being accepted by the Holy God. The preacher refers to Genesis 4:3-4, where Cain and Abel both bring offerings to the Lord. Abel's offering of the firstborn of his flock is respected by God, indicating his acceptance. The preacher then connects this concept to the idea that our acceptance before God is based on Christ being formed in us, as mentioned in Galatians 4:19. The preacher explains that the journey of our spiritual growth involves God exposing our flesh and breaking us down in order to make room for Christ, leading to greater acceptability before God.

Shall we have a further word of prayer? Lord we thank you for guiding us unto thyself. Once more we confess our need of you. Because without you we can do nothing. Without you we are nothing. But we thank you. Your desire is for all of us to live such a life that is acceptable in your sight. We thank you for such grace. We thank you for such calling. We thank you for such good will to all your people. We worship you. God is good. And we have tested that indeed he is good. And tonight we pray that you enlarge our vision of yourself. Create in us a real longing for you. We place ourselves at your mercy. Lord bless your people. Not for our sake, but for your glory's sake. In your precious name we pray. Shall we turn to 1 Peter chapter 2? We'll read verse 5. You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And let's turn to Ephesians chapter 1. And we'll read from verse 3 to verse 6. Blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. To the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made us accepted in the Beloved. To the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made us accepted in the Beloved. Now I want to take the liberty to read this passage from a different translation. Now I want to take the liberty to read this passage from a different translation. As a new living literal translation. As a new living literal translation. So the language is very plain. Very language is very plain and easy to catch the thought that's behind it. So the language is very plain and easy to catch the thought that's behind it. So please listen carefully. Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy without fault in his eyes. God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gives him great pleasure. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to him or we belong to his dear Beloved Son. Now, that's all the scriptures we'll read for now. From these few verses we find in the book Ephesians, we come to a very clear conclusion what was really in God's heart before the creation of man. Before he worked, he already had a plan. And this plan for man, man was created for the purpose so that man would be acceptable in his sight. Now, I think I have to repeat that one more time. Man was created for the purpose of being accepted by God. Because God, whatever God creates, must be good. What God creates must be according to his good will. And therefore, what he created must be acceptable in his sight. And so before man's creation, God already determined that he will have a people, that he will put them in Christ Jesus, so that they will be holy without blame before him in love. And so in God's creation, of all things, in man he has his highest thought for them. So when God said, let us make man, according to our image and according to our likeness, God is saying, this man I am about to create will be acceptable to me. That is God's intention for each man that he created. God never wants us to be unacceptable to him. That is not God's thought. We are unacceptable to him is because of our own undoing. We are being accepted and accepted as we are now is not because of God's fault. It is our own fault. God's intention for man is that man should be acceptable to him in his sight. God's intention for man is that man should be acceptable to him and to his son. So brothers and sisters, this we have to determine. God never intended us to sin. And for us to be acceptable in his sight, we find in the book of Genesis. Once man was created, they were brought in front of that tree of life. God is telling man, your acceptance by me is depending on this tree of life. This tree of life is the key of your acceptance by me and you are being acceptable to me. And that is why immediately after man was created, God offered his very life to man. Because God's life is our way to being accepted. God's life is God's way for our being acceptable in his sight. Because God's life is the only way for us to be accepted by God and to be pleased by him. So we can see from the first chapter of the book of Ephesians. So before the foundation, God's thought was that we should be holy, blameless before him in love. And for us to be accepted by him and be acceptable to him, God placed us in Christ Jesus. Because in God's sight, there is only one person who is perfectly acceptable in his sight. And that is his beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And so for him to accept us and for us to be acceptable to him, God placed us in Christ Jesus. Now I want to read another verse. It's 1 Corinthians 1.30. Now I'm going to read this from the New Literal Translation. So you listen carefully. God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. I'll read it again. God alone made it possible for you to be in Jesus Christ. Only God can make it possible for us to be in Christ Jesus. Only God can make it possible for us to be in Christ Jesus. This is God's doing, placing us in Christ Jesus. And once we are in Christ Jesus, he is the one who made us acceptable to God. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. I think these few thoughts I want to share with you are very important. Only God alone has the power and the love to put us in Christ Jesus. Only God alone has the power and the love to put us in Christ Jesus. Because only Christ, he is the one who can make us acceptable to God. So brothers and sisters, the standard for our being accepted and for our being acceptable to him is all in Christ Jesus. So apart from Christ, God accepts nothing. God only accepts that which is of his son. Because he wants to accept us, therefore he gives us his son or he places us in his son. Now that is God's thought for all of us. There is no thought higher than this thought. There is no thought more precious, more dear to us than this thought. But unfortunately man makes himself unacceptable to God. By not listening to God's word, unbelief makes us unacceptable to him. Believing in him makes us acceptable in his sight. And being unacceptable to him is not his fault, it is our own doing. But God will not give man up. Because he created man to be acceptable to him. And thank God for that unchanging will of his. So after Adam sinned against God, God will not give up our first parents. Because when they make themselves unacceptable to God, of course it was their shame, it was their loss. But the loss to God is bigger than the loss to man. Because man was created to be acceptable in his sight. And so when man becomes unacceptable, it was a big loss to God. Of course it is our loss as well. And because of his love, because of his unchanging will toward man, in their shameful loss condition, God sought them out. So God walked in the cool of the day and asked Adam, where are you? Where are you? So if we trace the history of man in the Bible, from beginning to the end, the one work that God is doing is to restore man so that man can be acceptable to God's heart. Because that's God's pleasure. That will give God delight. And therefore God never gives man up. And fortunately we give ourselves up. So right in the Garden of Eden, God sought Adam out. Now you know, so Adam and Eve, they tried to cover up their shame. Now the reason why we cover our shame is that we hope somehow in our own doing, God will accept us. But it's not accessible to God. And so we find in the scripture, right there after they fell, and we read that God clothed our first parents with animal skin. So the covering of their shame was provided by God, not their own provision. So God is saying to us, to cover our shame and to find a way back to God, that way alone must be provided by God himself. And so God clothed our first parents with the animal skin. On one hand, it covered their shame. On the other, it's hinting to us, for their approach to God in the right way, they had to rely on another life other than themselves. Because we are now unacceptable. We need another life that is acceptable to God, to cover our shame and to be in us, the acceptability to God. And that's what we find in the offering of Abel. Now the emphasis of the offering of Abel is not so much of our sins being forgiven. The emphasis of Abel's offering is not so much of our sins being forgiven, but our acceptance before a holy God. The emphasis of Abel's offering is not so much of our sins being forgiven, but what he offers before a holy God is acceptable to God. So would you tell me to Genesis chapter 4? We'll read verse 3 and verse 4 and 5. Genesis 4, 3, 4, 5. And in the process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought the firstborn of his flock and of their fat, and the Lord respected Abel in his offering. For now we'll just read up to verse 4. Now let's read verse 4 one more time. Abel also brought the firstborn of his flock and of their fat, and the Lord respected Abel in his offering. Now brothers, this is the first mention of a sacrifice. But it's interesting to notice this, that in this sacrifice no blood was mentioned. But fat is mentioned. We know for sure you cannot offer an animal and the fat without that animal being killed. On the other hand, there is no true acceptance in God's sight unless sin has been dealt with. But in God's heart, the emphasis, what is dear to Him, is not so much our sins forgiven, but is our acceptance to Him. Now with us, our sins forgiven is very important. But with God, our acceptance is mere more important than our sins forgiven. With us, forgiveness is the end. We achieve our goal. But with God, forgiveness is just the process of us being accepted in His sight. And with us, God forgives you and forgives me. It's not that we are forgiven and that's it. But in the end, the purpose of our sins being forgiven is our acceptance in His sight. And so, Barnes, we read here that Abel offered that animal and fat and the Lord had respect of Abel in the sacrifice. So Barnes, the sacrifice, the emphasis here is not so much for sin to be forgiven, but our acceptance before a holy God. So the sacrifice here is not so much for sin to be forgiven, but our acceptance before a holy God. Forgiveness meets our needs, but acceptance meets the heart of God of love. Now I want to touch just a little bit on the offering of Cain. Now Cain's offering was rejected. Now I'm sure we all know that he just offered, what do you think is the best to God? And that is the work of his own hand. And the fruit of this cursed world. Cain's thought is that God should accept what he offers. Because in his own estimation, what he offered to God was good enough for God. Because in his own estimation, what he offered to God was good enough for God. But without realizing, his standard of goodness and God's standard of goodness are so far apart. But without realizing, his standard of goodness and God's standard of goodness are so far apart. Now even though he offered a wrong offering, the offering that God cannot accept, Even though he offered a wrong offering, the offering that God cannot accept, God did not give him up either. God came and talked to Cain. Now we can read verse 5 and verse 6 and verse 7. Now we can read verse 5 and verse 6 and verse 7. But God did not respect Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry and his countenance failed. But God did not respect Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry and his countenance failed. Now you know, God could at this point just say, forget about it. You did the wrong thing. You make yourself unacceptable to me. So that's it. And God was perfectly right about it. That's right. So God can just turn his face away from Cain and say, and that's it. But love always walks off the external line. Okay, so we read verse six. God spoke first. God said to Cain, why are you angry and why has your countenance fallen? Now if you do well, will you not be accepted? If you do not do well, sin lies at the door and its desire is for you. But you should rule over it. Now there is another version I want to read about this passage. The Lord said, why are you so angry and why do you look dejected? The Lord said to Cain, why do you look so angry and why do you feel dejected? And then God said more. He said, you will be accepted if you respond the right way. If you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out. Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you. God said, you will be accepted if you respond the right way. Now Abel somehow responded the right way. And somehow Cain don't caught on to the right way and he resorted to doing his own way. Now both children, they belong to the same parents. They saw their parents. They saw their parents' clothing. They knew that their parents' clothing were not their own provision, were God's provision. And somehow through God's provision of their clothing, they can cover their shame. Now when shame is covered, that is a ground for us to approach God. So the covering of us is for approach. Now there is a brother, he put it in a very beautiful way. He said, God always gives light for faith to act upon. Let me repeat it again. God always gives light for faith to act upon. Now for example, how are we saved? How are we saved by the Lord? What is the ground for our faith to act upon? It is somehow through the Holy Spirit we see that we are sinners. But that is not all. That is by the preparation. But ultimately Holy Spirit show us the Savior. Because in Him there is true deliverance. And when we see God's provision, that we can be saved by the finish of the Lord Jesus, we act upon that. Our faith acts upon that. Then we are saved. God gives light to us that we are sinners. Without divine light, none of us would admit we are sinners. Also that divine light show us Christ is the way. And so faith acts upon the light that is given to us. So in my thinking, Abel acts upon that light. But Cain refused to act upon that light. Cain thought that his way is just as good as God's way. But his way was the way of rejection. And Abel's way was the way of acceptance. Because in Christ there is forgiveness. Because Christ is our deliverer. Christ is our sanctification. Christ is our acceptance before God. And so Abel's offering was accepted and Cain's offering was rejected. And so the heart of the gospel is not so much our sins forgiven. The heart of the gospel is for our acceptance. God pays such a price. It is not just to forgive us. He pays that price to gain us for himself. So Abel's offering was for acceptance. Because God was pleased. Because he knew what was in that heart. It is to gain him, not what he can offer up to him. So that is very important. Now in our experience as the Lord's people, his work with us. Now there are two sides. Our new birth is for our acceptance. But our consecration is for his acceptance. Now to me that is very crucial. Now in our experience, in our spiritual experience, we know we are all accepted. But we have to be honest. Not all of us live a life that is acceptable to him. So that is what the Lord is really after. Our total acceptable to him. Now I am just going to have an overview of some of the books we find in the Bible. Now we will not go into those specific chapters or verses. And just have an overview. Exodus, the first fifteen chapters of Exodus is for our acceptance. Just like the Book of Romans, from chapter one to chapter eleven is for our acceptance. So if you read some of these more contemporary translations, for example the word justification, or the word of reconciliation, they translate as we are now acceptable to him. We are justified because we are now acceptable to him. We are accepted before him. And then from chapter twelve onward, it is all about our being acceptable to him. Because to know what is acceptable to him, we need to live a consecrated life. So let us look at those two verses we find in Romans twelve. I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now being accepted and being acceptable, are the two ends of one thing. From this end is our being accepted. But the other end is our being acceptable. But between accepted and being acceptable, there is a process. Suppose we are wrong in that process. But we are now in that process. We are not in the midst of that process, but within the two ends. That's right. We know we are now accepted. And God is working in us to make us acceptable to him in the end. When we are acceptable to him, then God's heart will be delighted. That will give pleasure to his heart. Because we are all created to be acceptable in his sight. So the first fifteen chapters of the book of Exodus, those chapters are for our being accepted. But from chapter twenty-five onward, it is for our being acceptable in his sight. Because from chapter twenty-five on, we see there's a people that are consecrated totally to the Lord. They offer themselves up to God for God to work that acceptability into them. And from chapter twenty-five onward, all the furnitures, all the utensils, everything about the tabernacle, to be acceptable to God, everything must be done according to the pattern. And so we see here, God's standard for acceptance is none other than Christ himself. Everything must conform to him. Anything less than himself, God will not accept. And so at the end of the book of Exodus, and when everything was finished, all the work was finished, all the works were finished, now you notice Moses examined each piece of those furniture, everything in detail, and he examined thoroughly. Make sure everything is according to what God revealed to him on the mountain. There's no deviation. It must be exactly the way Moses saw it on that mountain. And thank God when Moses examined each piece of those furniture, he found them perfectly patterned, that pattern he saw on the mountain. And after Moses put them all together, and he sprinkled blood, and he sprinkled oil, it cleansed. And the Holy Spirit came in. The Holy Spirit is represented by the oil. The Holy Spirit cannot come to us unless there's something corresponding to Christ. And so when everything was put in place, God's glory filled that tabernacle. Now how do we know that was acceptable to God? The glory of God was there. So when there's true acceptability before God, you see God's glory. Because what is acceptable to God reflects what God longs for. So after the tabernacle was erected, and God's presence came down and filled that place. And we were told that the priests could not even enter into the tabernacle to minister. Because when God is truly satisfied, there's no more work to be done. If God is happy, it means the work is done. And that is what God is looking for. Whether it is spiritual house, or spiritual priesthood, or a sacrifice that we offer, they must be all through Christ. They must be Christ. And God's glory will fill that place. Now that's not the end. So let's look at Leviticus. Now the temple was all in place now. I mean the tabernacle is now properly fitted together. And God comes in and took His residence in that tabernacle. Now we heard this morning, our brother shared, God's heart is to dwell among His people. And so when everything was properly fitted together according to the Heavenly pattern, God comes in and takes up His residence. Now God takes His abode now in the tabernacle. And Leviticus, God is calling people to come to commune with Him and to offer sacrifices acceptable in His sight. So let's read those couple of verses, chapter 1 of Leviticus. Now we find God is with His people now. He is now dwelling in their midst. And now God speaks to them. Not from heaven, not from Mount Sinai, but right in their midst. Not from heaven, not from Mount Sinai, but right in their midst. Dear brothers and sisters, if God can speak to us in our midst, that is such a blessing. That is a great blessing. Now the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tabernacle of the meeting. Now He is not speaking from a distance. He is speaking right in the midst of His people. He is not speaking from a distance. He is speaking right in the midst of His people. And He said, speak to the children of Israel and say to them, when anyone of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock, of the herd and of the flock. Now we find there are people now that are acceptable to Him. Now we find there are people now that are acceptable to Him. When we are fully acceptable to Him, then we can offer sacrifices that are acceptable in His sight. So we can see here that the offerer is more important than His offerings. I have to confess. When I was reading the two books, the book of Leviticus and the book of Numbers, when I was reading the two books, the book of Leviticus and the book of Numbers, I have to confess that I have to readjust my understanding of these two books. Because God is now in the midst of His people. And He is calling them to offer sacrifices that will be acceptable in His sight. And He is calling them to offer sacrifices that will be acceptable in His sight. What could be more beautiful than that? But when you read through these two books, there are many chapters devoting to cleansing and purification and all those things. And what we can eat, what we cannot eat. What we can do, what we cannot do. So when I read those two chapters, we already found ourselves in that perfect place of relationship with the Lord Himself. He is already in our midst. We are made acceptable before Him. And He even speaks to us. He says, now offer, offer up sacrifices that will please Me. And yet, many chapters devoted to the cleansing, the purifying. And what not to do, what not to eat. So brothers and sisters, there is a lesson here. We can never be more acceptable than we are already accepted or acceptable as the Lord Jesus Christ before God. Let me say this again. We can never be more acceptable to God than the acceptableness that is ours in Christ Jesus. We can never be more acceptable to God than the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can never be more acceptable to God than the Lord Jesus Christ before God. But brothers and sisters, we have to say, we have a choice. We may choose to be less acceptable to God. That is our problem. We can never be more acceptable to God in Christ. There is no one who can surpass the acceptability of Christ. But we all have the option to become less than what we ought to be in His sight. And we all have that tendency. Because we are living in an acceptable world. Because we are living in an acceptable world. And we are easily to go the way of the world. We are easily to pollute ourselves again. We are easily fallen from where we ought to be. And so the chapters devoted to cleansing and purification and all these things is simply to maintain, to keep us, maintain us in that state of acceptability before Him. So brothers, we need His cleansing. We need His purification. We need to live a separated life. Because that is the way we can be kept from being polluted. Because our being acceptable to Him is so precious in His sight. Because if we lose that, it is also His loss. So God wants to preserve that for Him. Therefore He is doing all those things for us to maintain in that state of acceptability. So we can come to one conclusion. Our being acceptable to Him is more important to Him than to us. And that's why He goes to all the details to keep us and to make us always acceptable in His sight. Now I'll just touch a little bit that we all need to grow in the Lord. Now especially in the Book of Numbers, it is their journeying from the wilderness into the Promised Land. They move from station to station. Progressively they move toward the Promised Land. Along the way, the Lord's hand was heavy on them. On many occasions. To expose their flesh. If the flesh is not exposed, there is no true deliverance. So when our flesh is being exposed, it is not for Him to condemn us, it is for Him to deliver us from it. So that we can maintain that state of acceptability before Him. And so we find all the dealings of God along the way. Now that we can take that and apply on ourselves. Now the journey is for our growth. It is for making us more acceptable to Him along the way. Now therefore dealings are necessary. So why all the dealings? Why all the breakdowns? And why all the emptying? It is simply to make room for Christ. That's right. So the more Christ in us guides, there will be a greater measure of acceptability to Him. So if Christ increases in us, then for God, we will have more stability and more acceptance. So brothers and sisters, now we see why we have to deal with these things. So growth is not only for us, but also for His joy. And to one chapter is very meaningful to me recently. Would you turn to the book of Numbers? Chapter 7. We'll read from verse 1. Now it came to pass, when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, that he anointed it and consecrated it, and all its furnishings, and the altars, and all the utensils, so he anointed them and consecrated them. Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of the fathers' houses, who were leaders of the tribes, and over those who were numbered, made an offering. And they brought their offering before the Lord. Six covered carts, and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders, and for each one an ox. And they presented them before the tabernacle. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Accept this from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tabernacle of meeting. And you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service. Then we'll read verse 10. Now the leaders offered dedication offering for the altar, when it was anointed. So the leaders offered their offerings before the altar. For the Lord said to Moses, They shall offer their offering one liter each day, for dedication of the altar. And the one who offered his offering on the first day was Nashon, the son of Minadad, of the tribe of Judah. His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, and one silver gold, or 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. Both of them four or five flowers mixed with oil as green offering. In verse 14, one gold pan, ten shekels, full of incense. Now this chapter is one of the longest chapters. And the same thing repeated twelve times. Each day the same thing offered. Exactly repeated, repeated for twelve days. Now why would the Holy Spirit take such a detailed thing to cover all those twelve days? And since they were offering, why didn't they just say, for twelve days they offer all these things? Now, because it repeats twelve times, it must be very important to God. Now, with us, it's very monotonous. But with God, there's a real purpose behind it. But with God, there's a real purpose behind it. OK. Now, when they offer all these things, they were not prescribed by the Lord. But their hearts will move. They give voluntarily. For instance, sometimes we want to wait until what is prescribed and we offer. But there are times when we are so moved by God, we offer lovingly. And so, when they offer all these gifts, the Lord, through Moses, accepts. So, Father, sometimes you don't have to wait until it's prescribed and then you offer. But if there's true love, there's always willingness to offer anything that will satisfy God. So, if there's love, you don't have to wait until God asks and then you offer. So, when He did not ask, somehow in love we get, that touches His heart. And so, God, through Moses, accepts. Now, it's not a small thing for God to accept an offering from us. It is not a small thing for God to accept something from us. So, it's a big thing. OK, I'll just share a couple of things. Silver vessels. Now, the size of the vessel was not mentioned. But the weight was mentioned. God satisfies what's real in us when we offer that back to Him. It is not the volume that we offer, but it is the quality that we offer. So, silver speaks of redemption. So, what is of redemption is acceptable to God. And, of course, we know the silver must be purified. And also, after purification, it must be shaped to be a vessel, proper vessel. And that's what God is doing with all of us. We are all redeemed. But the process of making us acceptable to Him, we need to go through the process. We need to be purified. We need to be refined. And we need to be formed into the proper vessel that can give Him the glory. That's what God is looking for. We may not all go to be Levites. We may not all be called to be Levites. But in love, we can all offer something that's acceptable in His sight. And God treasures that. And so we find this chapter, all these 12 days, the same thing mentioned. Why repeat 12 times? Because they are very important in God's sight. May we all be those vessels in His hand. Because the vessel is more important than the things that we offer up to Him. The vessel is more important than the things that we offer up to Him. What He wants is the name and not what we can do for Him. If the name is right, then the content inside is also right. So, my fellow disciples, what they offer will not be prescribed in the Scripture. What they offer will not be prescribed by the law of Moses. But out of their love, pure love for God, God says, accept. But God is not after we do so much for Him. He is after our heart. If the heart is right, all the other things are right. If the heart is wrong, nothing is right. And so we find in the book of Leviticus, in the book of Numbers, all the dealings, all the purifications, all the cleansing, all the things that we need to avoid, it is to keep us in a state that we can be acceptable in His sight. And this acceptableness must be on the constant increase. Because when we come to the 28th chapter of the book of Numbers, because they are besides the regular offerings, they are all the additional, additional, additional offerings. So the more Christ we have, the more we have Christ to offer back to God. And that is what God is after. So my sisters, we are created for the purpose of being acceptable to Him. And He will not accept anything less than that. And that's why He is dealing with us. To reduce us. As for His increase. So that Christ may be all in all. And when Christ is all in all, then we will be fully acceptable in His sight. Let me just share a couple of verses of scripture if I may. Galatians 4 These are some very familiar verses. Galatians 4.19 Galatians 4.19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again, until Christ is formed in you. What was the object of Paul's ministry? You know, I know some workers. The size of their gathering is very important to them. So to them, their success or their being acceptable in God's sight is measured by the size of the gathering. But that was not Paul's way. Paul's ministry, Paul's offering of himself in the work of God is to, as we read here, that until Christ may be formed in you. Put it in the way we are sharing tonight. Paul has the heart of God. Paul wants those who minister to Christ, they will be acceptable in God's sight. But is that the object of our love for the Lord? Let's look at another verse. Galatians 1 and verse 28 and 29 Galatians 1 Paul said, Christ we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Paul's ministry always has God's end in view. That's why he said, I want to make everybody, present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. My teaching, my warning is to make you perfect in Christ Jesus. We have a God's standard for all of us. That is God's standard for all of us. Without that, God will not accept. His standard is absolute. And then, 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 2 the last half that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Paul's ministry is governed by what God wants for Himself. Because Paul wants to serve in such a way that the fruit of his labor will be acceptable in God's sight. Now, that could be applied to our local gathering. It could be applied to our individual growth. Why do we grow? It's for to be acceptable in His sight. Why do we gather when we gather? Because we want our gathering to be acceptable to Him. If He cannot accept, it is shame to us. May the Lord have mercy on us. And finally, Ephesians 5 verse 27 If we are all faithful to God, whether individually or corporately, whatever we do, we have this desire to satisfy His heart. Whatever we do will be found acceptable in His sight. And in the end, we'll find this in chapter 5 of Ephesians verse 27 The end of our sacrifice, the end of our work, the end of our love for Him, for each other, is that He may sanctify, is that He may present Herself to Himself. A glorious Church without having such wrinkle or such thing. But She should be holy without blemish. Because it's all unto Him. It's all for Him. And so in the end, He may present Her to Himself. A corporate bride that's perfectly acceptable to Him. So brothers and sisters, this is what we for tonight. I think it is enough. And if the Lord willing, Thursday morning, we'll share the ways that we can be acceptable to Him. Because what He wants, He also provides the way. And thank God for that. So let's pray. Father, we thank You for Your presence with us. We have to confess human words are so inadequate. We pray that You'll speak beyond human words. And speak to the depths of our hearts. We pray that after this week, we'll come to discover that we are all made to be acceptable to You. And may we be willing to give ourselves totally to Him. That You may accomplish Your work. In the end, Your heart will be satisfied. We give You all the praise. We know the good work which You have begun. And we know one day, You will surely accomplish it. And we give You all the glory. In Christ's name we pray.