Transformed Life on Display (Philippians 1:27-30 John Lasken)

I wanted to highlight to anyone who doesn't know about our connect card. If you're new here or have a prayer request, you can use our connect card.

They're located in the back near the offering box, near the gray table back there.

There's pens there as well. You can fill one of these out. This allows us to, one, send you a thank you card if you're new here.

And if not, there's also, you can update some of your information if you don't have the where you can update your information like your address or telephone number.

If you want to talk to the pastor or be involved in a ministry, you can make any notes or anything that you need the church office or Pastor Jeff to see.

You can put them in the offering box or you can hand it to me and I will get it to the right place. So, thank you for your attention on this and I think

Drew has some announcements for us. Good morning everybody.

Good morning. And happy New Year's Eve. I'm going to read from Psalm 145 today and really the verse

I read, I should know this verse because it's up in our living room. We have a stencil in our living room so everyone comes in and sees this verse.

It's beautiful. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. His greatness is unsearchable.

And that's something we can all think about today as we come to worship our great God and Savior. And I was talking about this morning about the greatness of God and the giving of new life.

Now John's going to talk about new life in salvation, but I was specifically speaking about new life in the birth of a child as we've had several this year and what a miracle it really is.

And what was really fascinating to me is many of the things that happen and take place in the mother's body, but also the child's, and how many blood markers there are and things that change during the life of the pregnancy and just all these things.

But then there was a nurse in the first service that came up to me and says, well, you know what? There's a couple of things that happen right at conception.

And one of them is very measurable, which is the heartbeat of the mother actually increases at that time, at the point of conception.

And I'm going to look that up, but I don't doubt that at all, that there's actually, you know, that the body that the

Lord has given us, specifically ladies, is incredible and the gift of life is incredible.

It's just one of the many things we can praise God for this morning. So let's think about his greatness today and also praise him for some of the things that he's allowed our church to take part in this year.

I want to let everyone know that we support many missionaries at the church, but because this year has been an interesting year as far as some missionaries coming off the field and coming off the rolls, we've had a little bit of extra money to give to whatever causes we felt were on the

Lord's heart and that we should give to them. So our missions committee decided to give $2 ,700 to the

Weans, and that's Craig and Alessandra and their missionaries in South America. And they had a need.

And the Lord was able to meet that need through the $2 ,700. But also there was an extra $4 ,000 above all that, which the missions committee decided to give to Hamilton Bonda in Malawi, who we've been praying for and who we've been collecting for for the orphanage that he hopes to have for the ladies that are going to be part of that, really young girls that are on the street and now are going to have a home.

They're going to have education. They're going to have care, and they're going to hear the word of God in this orphanage that comes to be.

So we took $4 ,000 to Hamilton for that. But you all have also been contributing during this last month for that same project.

And I found out from our financial secretary that $18 ,200 has been collected from you all by the hand of God to give to Hamilton as well for this project.

So because of that, this orphanage and this building is well on the way.

And we want to praise God for that. And we thank you all. We know the word's worked through so many of you. And if you still want to give to that, you can still earmark a check, and it'll end up going in the same spot.

So we praise God for that, and we just wanted to, you know, I think that's a wonderful way to end out the year. I also have some announcements this morning.

As far as the board nominations, the elections for Elder and the two deacons, the votes are in except for we're going to allow one more day today for paper ballots.

If someone hasn't filled out a vote yet, either electronically or paper, there's still paper ballots out in the foyer.

So if you're a member and you haven't voted yet and you would like to, please do so today. Also, we're going to have starting point classes starting in February.

This is a class that runs for three weeks. Pastor John teaches it, and it's about those who would like to become members here at Cornerstone or find out more about the

EFCA Church or more about Cornerstone Church. And they're wonderful classes. John's going to let you know probably next week very soon when the exact date is.

But it'll run for three straight Sunday services, and it's during the second service.

So all you first service folks could come to second service and be part of that class. Also, we have a men's retreat coming up.

It's April 12th, and that sounds like a long way away, but it's really not because we need a lot of information before April 12th, who's all going, what the menus are going to be, if anybody has any allergies, things like that.

So within the next week or so, Michael and John Detoli are going to set up a way for us to sign up electronically, probably through the church app, so that we can get everyone signed up who would like to go to the men's retreat.

We hope you can go. We're expecting up to 45 guys, and we hope that this all is something you put on your heart and your mind.

And John's going to give us refrigerator magnets again, so we can stick it on our refrigerator and remember it. But now it's going to be the time to sign up, starting very shortly in the next week or so.

Also, Monday's events. Some of you may have gotten a text or an alert that says, yes, tomorrow is

Monday men's breakfast, but tomorrow's New Year's, and we're not going to have men's breakfast tomorrow.

It's going to be next week. Same thing with the men's Monday night group. It won't be tomorrow, next week.

Same thing with the ladies' precept class. It won't be tomorrow, Monday night, but the next week.

So please keep all that in mind. Also, tonight, we would ask you to ring in the

New Year by praying at home tonight with your families and your gatherings, whoever you have together. We're not going to be here at the church tonight for prayer, but please, as you have opportunity, please pray at home and just give thanks to the

Lord for the wonderful things he's done this year and the fantastic things he'll do in the year to come. And now,

I'm going to ask Mike, or not Michael, but Matthew to come up. He's got a special announcement, and can you pray again?

Yeah, I got it. Thank you. So, hey everybody, I'm Matt Hoek. As many of you may know, this coming weekend is a big day for us.

Our son, Jacob, is marrying his fiancee, Morgan, at four o 'clock on Saturday the 6th, right here at the church.

We did have to limit the attendance to the reception for cost, obviously, but we wanted to make sure that everyone knows that you are welcome to come to the ceremony at four o 'clock right here at Cornerstone.

We would love you to be here to celebrate this time with us. And with that, I forgot to say this at the first service, it also will be livestreamed, so if you're not able to attend, you can still watch it on the livestream.

I forgot that at the nine o 'clock, so if anybody from the nine o 'clock sees this, it's also livestreamed. All right, with that, let's pray.

Lord God, I thank you for this day, I thank you for this church, I thank you for these people, Lord God. I just pray that you would bless this time of worship, that it would be pleasant to you,

Lord God, and that it would be edifying for us, Lord, that your spirit would just be upon us today,

Lord God. And I pray for Pastor John, who's going to come and bring a teaching from your word,

Lord God. Just put your hand on him as well. Just bless this time, Lord God. I pray all these things in the name of your son, amen.

Amen. Let's sing together. Father, into your courts

I will enter, Maker of heaven and earth,

I tremble in your holy presence.

Glory, glory in your sanctuary,

Splendor and majesty, Lord, before you, all life adores you.

All the earth will declare that your love is everywhere, the fields will exult, seas resound.

Hear the trees' joyful cry,

Praising you and so will I, A new song

I'll sing, Lord, I will glorify and bless your holy name.

Father, into your courts I will enter,

Maker of heaven and earth, I tremble in your holy presence.

Glory, glory in your sanctuary,

Splendor and majesty, Lord, before you, all life adores you.

All the earth will declare that your love is everywhere, the fields will exult, seas resound.

Hear the trees' joyful cry, Praising you and so will

I, A new song I'll sing,

Lord, I will glorify and bless your holy name.

All the earth will declare that your love is everywhere, the fields will exult, seas resound.

Hear the trees' joyful cry, Praising you and so will

I, A new song I'll sing,

Lord, I will glorify and bless your holy, glorify and bless your holy, glorify and bless your holy name.

Amen. You know, all the nations that God created from all time will come and bow before him.

Everyone, at some point, will glorify his name, and they'll do it forever and ever.

And that is great to know, that holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and is to come.

We stand and lift up our hands, for the joy of the

Lord is our strength. We bow down and worship him now, how great, how awesome is he.

And together we sing, everyone sing, holy is the

Lord God Almighty. The earth is filled with his glory, holy is the

Lord God Almighty. The earth is filled with his glory, the earth is filled with his glory.

We stand and lift up our hands, for the joy of the

Lord is our strength. We bow down and worship him now, how great, how awesome is he.

And together we sing, everyone sing, holy is the

Lord God Almighty. The earth is filled with his glory, holy is the

Lord God Almighty. The earth is filled with his glory, the earth is filled with his glory.

Holy is the Lord God Almighty.

The earth is filled with his glory, holy is the

Lord God Almighty. The earth is filled with his glory, the earth is filled with his glory.

Lord, we bow our heads and we bow our hearts to you. We know, Lord, that you are ever changing, or never changing.

Lord, we know that you are worthy of our praise.

Lord, you are to be honored and glorified through your power.

You created all things, and by your will they exist and are created.

So we lift our voices, Lord. Worthy of every song we could ever sing.

Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring. Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe.

We live for you. Jesus, the name above every other name.

Jesus, the only one who could ever save. Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe.

We live for you. We live for you.

Holy, there is no one like you. There is none beside you.

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who you are.

And fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me.

Jesus, the name above every other name. Jesus, the only one who could ever save.

Worthy of every breath you could ever breathe. We live for you.

We live for you. Holy, there is no one like you.

There is none beside you. Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who you are.

And fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me.

Amen. I will build my life upon your love.

It is a firm foundation. And I will put my trust in you alone.

And I will not be shaken.

And I will build my life upon your love.

It is a firm foundation. And I will put my trust in you alone.

And I will not be shaken.

Holy, there is no one like you. There is none beside you.

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who you are.

And fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me.

Holy, there is no one like you. There is none beside you.

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who you are.

And fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me.

You may be seated. Guys, could you put that very last slide up?

Thank you. Coming into his presence and joining in fellowship with one another, singing praise and worship to the

King, to Yahweh, how much better could that possibly get? I am often moved by the reality of the power of the words that we sing.

And I'm often impressed by the fact that this needs to be more than a melody, that needs to be more than an emotional response, but it's actually a prayer.

It's a plea. And so these last words of this song, fill me with your heart, lead me in your love.

As we consider today, we're going to be talking about our life spent with Christ, how much power there is in that plea.

Fill me with your heart and lead me in your love. I'm emphasizing the pronoun your, because what we have, what we bring is broken.

Now at the point of salvation, we become a new creation, but we're still struggling with the flesh.

And so in this song, we're pleaing with the Lord, we're praying to the

Lord, make a difference in my life. Fill me with your heart.

We know that at the point of salvation, our heart of stone is changed, is transformed, and is now capable of being filled with the heart of Christ, the heart of God.

Lead me in your love. And how often that agape love falls short in the manifestation, more on that to follow.

You can take that one down. I got a question for you. What are you doing with your dash?

First service, I got a bunch of blank stares, but I got some people who nodded in understanding.

Often in a Christian funeral service, the dash is identified and highlighted.

There will be the birth date of the individual, and there will be the date of passing for that individual.

And if you were to go to a graveyard and you would look at tombstones, there would be a birth date, and there would be a passing date, and a dash in between.

And that dash is your life. And so the question is often raised at a

Christian memorial, what are you doing with your dash? And there would be testimonies to the individual about how

God has used that dash in the life of the individual, in the life of the individual, their family, the people that they knew.

And so we come to a passage in Scripture today in Philippians where the idea of the dash is actually central to it.

In Romans 8, verses 29 and 30, we read about what has often been called the golden chain of salvation.

And those verses are going to start out with, for knowledge predestined, it's going to go into called, and then it'll include justified and glorified.

You see, in the middle of, okay, at the beginning of time, and this is amazing, in the beginning of time, before the creation of the world,

God foreknew. Now in the beginning of creation, before the founding of the world, before Adam and Eve, before the fall,

God already foreknew, and He predestined that His Son would come and die on the cross. He actually foreknew,

He predestined that there would be that one moment in all of history where there would be a break in relationship between the

Father and the Son, because you see, Jesus took my sins with Him on the cross. And if it was just my sins, that would be enough for the

Father to turn away, but He took the sins of all humanity, even those not yet born.

He took all the sins of all humanity on that cross. And because God's a holy God, He could not,

He could not abide in the presence of sin. And Jesus said, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

I think that's what drove Jesus to shed tears of blood in the garden.

He knew the pain that was going to come. He knew the scourging. He knew all of that.

He knew what this crucifixion would mean. But I believe that knowing for one instant in time what

John Laskin did was enough for the

Father to turn away. And that's, every one of us can say that personally. What it was that I did was enough that the

Father had to turn. And that drove Jesus' anguish. But praise God, my friend

Tom has got a t -shirt on, a sweatshirt on, and it says, Tetelestai. And we have celebrated that in weeks past because the payment for my sin, for your sin, for everybody's sin was accomplished on that cross.

Tetelestai, it is finished. You see, I can understand, I can rejoice in the fact that by the grace of God through faith, there was a rebirth date for me.

And my dash started on December 7, 1950. My rebirth dash started the first Friday 10 .15

in the evening in my room at school in 1970 when

I was reborn. And I have a sanctified dash. And anybody in this room who has bowed the knee who has turned to Christ in salvation experience has a rebirth dash.

I'm going to challenge you through this passage this morning. If you have not yet understood what that means, much of what

I'm going to say today won't really hit your heart. And so if you have not yet bowed the knee, what a great time.

New Year's Eve, looking into the new year. Get things right. Get your sanctified dash started.

Turn to Jesus Christ. We'll talk more about that in a minute. So today is

New Year's Eve. Last week we celebrated the coming Messiah. What an amazing truth that is.

Driving through my development the other day already, I think it was

Saturday, so it was yesterday. And there are already trees out on the curb.

And it drove me to realize that so much of the world has just gone through Christmas as a time of parties and gifts.

Okay, let's throw away the tree. I don't need it anymore. And how symbolic is that of a heart that has not yet had its rebirth?

The party's over. Christmas is over. We've had the party. We've had the trees. Probably a lot of wrapping paper and excitement.

Let's move on to the next thing. I want to say that here we are at New Year's Eve. Tomorrow is

New Year's. We have celebrated what is the most amazing gift, the coming of the Messiah.

And it is personal for each one of us. And so tomorrow is New Year's Day.

What a time of transition. Abraham is a beautiful picture of this time of transition.

Abraham lived with his family, with his father in the land of Ur. And we believe scripturally that he would have been a pagan idol worshiper until that day when

God called him to leave his family, to leave his land, and go to the land that I will give to you.

I will make you a nation. Through you all nations will be blessed.

And so the transition starts. Abraham obeyed. He left his family, his parents. He took his wife and his other family with him.

And they go off to a land unknown and he starts his life and his sanctified dash begins.

But like you and like me that is not a life of perfection. Abraham is forced to travel.

They go into a land and fearing for his life he tells

Sarah, tell them you're my sister. And he did that twice. And when

God promised that he would have a child and it didn't happen, his lack of faith led him to accept a challenge from Sarah, go into my handmaiden.

Which he did and the wrong child was born. He had weaknesses.

But I want to tell you about Abraham. See his life of transition has also got life of victory through the grace of God.

You see, he took Isaac and they went up onto the mount. They built an altar and put wood on it.

And he laid Isaac down. By the way, this is an aside. I didn't say this this morning. We believe that Isaac was of age.

There's no way Abraham can put him on that altar without Isaac's willingness to go there.

So he's lying there and Abraham takes the knife and he is ready to plunge it into the heart of that promised heir when

God sends an angel. In Genesis 22, the angel of the

Lord called Abraham a second time from heaven and said, By myself I have sworn, declares the

Lord, because you have done this and not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.

Abraham's sanctified dash had ups and downs but at the end of the day when we read in the accounts

God is pleased with Abraham not because of his perfection but because in anticipation of his son who would die on the cross.

So much so in Hebrews he's called the father of faith or David. His sins were pretty heavy.

We think of Bathsheba, we think of Uriah. But yet how has God described

David a man after his own heart? You see our dash is important. There are going to be times in your life where your dash is going to take a left turn and go the wrong way.

But if you are a child of God and you have the Holy Spirit within you he is calling you back because he has a plan for you he has a way for you to go in your dash.

Philippians 1, 27 -30 is going to be our text today. I'm going to read that for you right now.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or am absent

I may hear that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel not frightened by anything by your opponents.

This is a clear sign to them for their destruction but of your salvation and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake engaged in the same conflict you saw

I had and now hear that I still have. Lord Jesus we come to your word today we profess you as the

Lord and savior of our lives. We acknowledge that it is through your grace leading to faith that we have a relationship with you.

Now Lord until the time you call us home there is a life to be led the exhortation is that our life would be lived worthy let us see what you have to teach us today let it open our hearts to walk with you we pray these things in Jesus name.

Starting again at the beginning in verse 27 only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ all mankind lives it's not unique to those who are saved everybody lives and so they live their life according to their understanding of what is important for some it may even be altruistic good things or it may even be religion it may be selfishness it may be sinfulness it may be it may be things that are going on to the nation of Israel today and so we look around at the world and we marvel at how wickedness can prevail but here we are being exhorted or should

I say the church of Philippi and us let your life be lived worthy of the gospel of God 2

Corinthians 5 17 tells us that when you are saved old things have passed away all things have become new there is a transition point that occurs in our hearts when you bow the knee and you accept the

Lord. Old has passed away all has become new and so we are given this exhortation to live a life, walk your life worthy of the manner of the gospel of God the world cannot do this the world can do righteous things but it's not for the glory of God the world can do righteous things but it is not a life that has been changed you my brothers and sisters are being called to live this life at the point of your salvation your life changes we no longer walk as we used to without purpose sure we thought we had purpose but it could change and it fluctuated and it was based on our definition of purpose you got a purpose and my friends this is where we find what that purpose is this is what

God has revealed to us we have his truth things that we see in life now can be perceived through a lens of truth decisions that we made can be made through a lens of truth and our motivation, our priorities can be defined by this lens of truth scripture defines it

I want you, if you have not yet bowed the knee I want you to listen carefully to these words because this could be the day, this

New Year's Eve day where you hear by the grace of God into your heart what must happen so that you can start a sanctified dash see

Ephesians 2 in the beginning it describes who we were, dead in our trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air satisfying the lust of the flesh and the desires of the man, that's who we were, dead verse 4 has those powerful words and I want you to hear them, but God by his great love for what he loved you he sent his son on that cross so that through his son we can have a relationship it's going to go on to say, by grace

I am saved through faith, that not of yourself it's the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast when that change happens my brothers and sisters, you can do that right now and if you have done it,

I want to encourage you out of the book of Ezekiel chapter 36, I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees, anybody that you know, who is a born again

Christian, has got the same spirit that you, if you are a born again Christian, you have that spirit living within you

I recently got an email from somebody in Canoosie, Scotland not really random because Sandy and I spent 6 weeks there, and we attended the

Bednach Free Church in Canoosie, Scotland what an amazing group of brothers and sisters in the

Lord, Pastor Alistair Wilson preaching truth, phenomenal amazing, and we are brothers and sisters in the

Lord, and so they sent me an email asking me to join with them on Facebook because we are brothers and sisters in the

Lord, we have the same spirit the encouragement to you, you know the Lord, the promises, I will put my spirit in you life changes because you have the spirit within you, you see

Romans 8 says you are no longer controlled by sinful desires prior to salvation you didn't have a chance

Satan is having his way with you, and you were controlled by those sinful desires yes, you may have done good things but you followed

Satan down that primrose path which does not lead to glory you are no longer controlled by sinful desires, but you are led by the spirit of God, as a believer there is a path that sometimes does not seem clear but that Holy Spirit knows exactly where you need to go so the

Holy Spirit teaches, he exhorts he corrects, the word of God is profitable for everything in that manner, so we have the tools because of God there is an internal transformation that takes place see

Galatians 2 says I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, but Christ lives within me, at that point of turning to God you say

I am a sinner, and I want to abandon that way, and I want you to make you the

Lord of my life, I am crucifying my old self, I am crucified with Christ, no longer

I live, but Christ lives within me, but that does not mean I will always do the right thing, but what it does mean is that I have the

God given power to find the right way see Galatians 5 .16

says walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh so Paul encourages us live in a manner worthy of the gospel of God, I got two important observations, one is that we are still pulled in the wrong direction

Romans chapter 7 verse 15 is Paul's famous tongue twisting profession,

I don't do what I want to do, and that which I know I should do, that I can't do please, that was just a paraphrase but you get the point

I know what I should do, I can't do it but here I got news for you choose, make a choice to walk in the spirit and you're not going to fulfill the desires of the flesh the reality is you're going to be tempted, 1

Corinthians 10 .13 has a beautiful promise it says we're going to be tempted it's not common to you, it's not unique to you, it's common to man and God isn't going to let you be tempted beyond what you can do, but with the temptation he provides the way of escape that you may be able to endure it, and so this exhortation to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of God is within our grasp through the

Holy Spirit because we have the Holy Spirit and because he is there with us and then it says we should be walking in a manner now we live our life in a way that the world observes yesterday was a bad day for me

I had to referee some basketball games which is not unusual and I've made an observation over the years in my officiating whether it be basketball or baseball if I go into the game intentionally wanting the

Holy Spirit's guide I got a chance but if I go into that game not seeking the

Holy Spirit's guide, all I got is me and so in this game things were tough it was a really difficult game perhaps the first game had went so easy

I forgot to get my eyes focused back on God for the second game and a particular call that I made irritated one of the coaches that's not bad,

I'm used to that in fact, I bring it on until he attacked my ethics

I did not respond with agape love last night

I had a difficult time dealing with this and I'm thinking to myself if I'm getting ready to preach and that coach walks in the back door and I just smeared him with my flesh and my dislike

I would feel pretty uncomfortable about that how beautiful it would have been if I had responded with agape love and he walked in and saw me we could have had great fellowship our life matters the decisions we make matters these are the things that are going to be important on your walk so that it testifies a manner worthy of Christ number one, accept the fact that you are a sinner don't hide it from the world they know you're a sinner don't hide it from your kids they know you're a sinner no excuses, just confession acknowledge by the way, the world is that's not a tough one for the world you can talk to a non -believer and say, you know you're a sinner and they'll say sure, but it's where it goes after that, that's the manner worthy of the gospel of God I can't fix it

I can't go to church often enough I can't give enough in the offering box I cannot be selfless enough,

I can't do it because my sin requires the perfect sacrifice and I'm not perfect anything

I'm going to do in that manner is going to be flawed this is the gospel that the world should see in your life and then to be able to express with joy that God sent his son because you couldn't do it he sent his son, he took my sins away on the cross and that penalty has been paid,

I'm not perfect what's that t -shirt say? I'm not perfect, I'm forgiven and then to be able to have the world understand what you mean by that have a response in the world that expresses we here at Cornerstone hold to the reformation and have these truths exampled in your life sola gratia, it's only by the grace of God, it's not by anything that I have done, it's by the grace of God sola fide, my salvation is not based on me reaching up through a religious service or something, it's only by faith, him reaching down and grabbing me sola

Christas, it's his it's his blood it's his blood, I go to the gates if it's my time to be called and Jesus said why should

I let you into my heaven there cannot be any I did's involved in that it's you did

I am a sinner sola Christas sola scriptura, this is the truth it's not

I used to go to this church and I loved that church and that's what they taught or I listened to so and so on the radio and I loved what he had, my parents said, well where is it in here where stands it written sola scriptura, don't add to this don't take away from it and then sola deo gloria even my salvation is to God's glory, have these things exuding in your life the world sees them, two truths about your walk, one is that there's nothing you can do to improve on your salvation, your salvation won by Christ to tell us die on that cross at the moment you said

I do, I love that I never thought about it that way before Jacob you're going to say

I do how about in front of Christ when his grace hits you do you believe in me and you can say

I do I'm not good enough, but the second truth is that there's still a lot to be done in my life,

I did not come to him perfect, there still is rust that's got to be knocked off taking that rust off doesn't earn me salvation does not make my salvation better but taking that rust off is part of what we call the spiritual dash, we need to grow in him, we need to let the world see, going on in verse 27 only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel that whether I come and see you or am absent

I may hear of you what we do what we say, how we respond is seen by the world it's seen by our brothers and sisters in Christ by our family it's seen by the world and what we do should be so remarkable that it's spoken of, you come to salvation at a later point in life, do your buddies see any difference in you do they talk to each other, man did you see

John doesn't do this stuff anymore or he has some truth that I've just never heard before or man that church there on Mount Laurel Road they've got real love

Pastor Jeff, man he does not step away from truth and you speak about it and it's heard the church at Philippi had an interesting start and we can draw parallels to our own lives in a lot of ways so Paul is on a missionary journey, he's on his second missionary journey,

Asia Minor and his intent was to go through Asia Minor, visiting the cities, setting up new churches, but one night he had a vision of man from Macedonia he says come over and so he was withheld from continuing his journeys in Asia Minor and they catch a boat and they head over to Macedonia and at first they go to Neapolis stop there briefly and then they go to Philippi now

Philippi is a Roman colony there's almost no Jewish presence in fact there is so much lack of Jewish presence there aren't enough for there to be a synagogue so those who want to worship go to the riverside so that's where Paul went and he met

Lydia and she responded and then later than that Paul meets the slave girl who has the spirit of divination and he prays and he relieves her of the spirit of divination which upsets the apple cart because there were things that she did that the economy loved to take advantage of and so they call

Paul in front of the tribunal, they beat him they put him in prison and then there's an earthquake and the

Roman guard goes I'm dead man walking because I'm sure these prisoners have left because the doors are open and I was held in charge and he went down and Paul says no no no don't worry we're still here and he preached the word of God and the

Roman jailer and his household became believers and so in these small beginnings a church grew you came to the

Lord perhaps with some background perhaps with information from your knowledge and religion classes but when

God called you, you were what you were therefore there is time for growth off of that and the church at Philippi took root

Paul goes back to the tribunal you do know I'm a Roman citizen and so they exhorted him and kicked him out of town and it says and the brethren were encouraged the dash at Philippi was alive and well they were small perhaps your faith is new they were opposed by the culture perhaps you're feeling that too they were being besought by false teachers now here at Cornerstone I pray

I pray every day because we're one step away from falling but I pray because we're not but there are other places you go radios famous speakers there are false teachers be aware of them but you see they were known as partners in faith and so this person in Canoosie Scotland reached out to me because we are partners in faith we are a long ways away from each other we haven't seen each other in a long time but we are partners in faith

I will hear whether I am absent or with you I will hear so Paul's challenge to you now is to live this life that the world will see that you will hear your friends are going to see it they will speak about it have that life going on only let the matter of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or am absent

I will hear that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel we are called to stand side by side for the faith of the gospel striving side by side it is impossible for you as a church to stand beside striving side by side unless the foundation is truth if this is not your truth if this gospel is not what you are striving for then who gets to decide what you are striving for if this is not defining what you are striving for your striving is going to be messed up and we are told to strive side by side unity in the faith demands a real understanding a life that shows

God should be observable that I may hear indicates others can see it indicates that the spirit is really working in you each one of us come here come with flesh baggage yesterday when

I was on the basketball court that flesh baggage was front and center I can only if I get to see this

I was talking to a friend of mine Dave about this thing happens and what do

I do if I see him again the only thing I can do is apologize I don't care what he said to me

I can only care what I said or didn't say to him the spirit needs to be at work so that you are different and if you are different you are observable your life needs to be so different that people can't help but talk about it that your life is commendable that your life is worth talking about and it's worth talking about in a way that is giving glory to the gospel of God and be unwavering

I want to speak specifically to those who are off at university right now

I call it a mission field the workplace not much different families actually not much different either but it's a petri dish of horrible stuff when those who are in authority over you are proclaiming preaching things that are not honoring to God stand strong don't waver back when

I used to work they were rolling out some stuff and as a manager they were going to mandate that I put a gay pride flag on a mug and display it on my desk and I told my manager if you gotta fire me fire me fortunately she was a believer she said no no no we're not going down don't waver don't waver not just a little bit strive side by side for the gospel here are some of the realities of striving side by side for the gospel from scripture

Ephesians 2 .14 said he is our peace he is our peace so that time where you've stepped up that time where somebody unjustifiably attacks you that time where when you read the news about what's happening to Israel he is our peace my

God is sovereign as horrible as things can be my

God is sovereign he is your peace he breaks down all the walls he is our peace you notice it's not

I am my peace self is completely emanated 1st

Corinthians 1 .10 don't let any divisions come in within you churches can be funny sometimes this was about 18 years ago we were transitioning from overhead projectors to a slide projector we now have a slide projector up there you remember those used to have the slide the little flimsies you put on alright and we would set up a screen over here so what do we do half the church

Michael half the church wanted a pull down slide that would come down from up above and half the church wanted it to be on special paint on the wall we had the ugliest meeting you've ever seen over that no divisions let's be a church that is known as a church that loves

God let's be that by all by this all men you are known that you have love one for another and my friends that's agape it can be easy to be satisfied with filet -o but that's agape

Paul urges the church strive side by side and the psalmist David actually puts it this way behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity

I met a couple of families this morning first service that I hadn't met for the first time one of them he had called me and they were visiting for the first time

I just I pray that our fellowship is striving side by side for the unity of the faith how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity get yourself out of the way it goes on in verse 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents this is a clear sign to them of their destruction but of your salvation and that from God the world may attack it will attack the world may oppose it will oppose but it will not defeat his church

Jesus said who do you say that I am they said some say you're Moses some say you're

Elijah the prophets and Jesus looked right into Peter's eyes what about you who do you say that I am and I can just imagine what

Peter felt like as Jesus eyes peered into his soul I don't want to hear what everybody else says who do you say that I am that's a great screensaver by the way good reminder

Peter said thou art the Christ the son of the living God Jesus said blessed art thou

Simon Barjona for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my father who is in heaven thou art

Peter rock and on this rock I will build my church friends that rock was not

Peter that rock was the profession thou art the Christ the son of the living

God the world is going to oppose the world cannot

Satan cannot defeat his church so we're in our dash what goes on William Carey is a good example he was born in the 19th century 18th century and at the end of the 18th century into the 19th century he spent 40 years as a missionary in India he was born to meager means within England but as a young child he got interested in a group called the dissenters now the church of England did not preach truth there were those in England who wanted truth and so they dissented against the church and started to meet to hear truth they were called the dissenters and through that movement

William Carey became a believer grew in his faith at age 26 he becomes a

Baptist ordained Baptist minister he had a zeal to reach the lost he wrote a book in short it's called the inquiry the title is too long for me to put in my notes but what it was was a how to manual to reach the unsaved pagans of the world it upset the status quo he was brought and chastised young man when

God pleases to convert the heathens he will do it without your aid or mine but William Carey was not going to be discouraged in his dash he continued in his fervor and in a sermon he delivered in 1792 he stated these powerful words expect great things from God attempt great things for God I mean his dash was firmly planted whatever opposition he would get so the works that he accomplished in India cannot be overstated get his biography and read on it it's powerful it's good stuff a life that is lived as a testimony your life lived as your spiritual dash lived as a testimony

I firmly believe can be understood similarly where it is said that the word of God will not come back void if you live your life as a testimony to the gospel that will not come back void the world will see it and they may be excited about it and speak about it so that it's spoken about even into the

Roman prison where Paul was but it can also be received with opposition it can become an indictment against those who hear it and then those who hear it who are stricken into the heart some of them are actually going to turn and they'll become believers others are going to oppose you do not be surprised when they oppose you the message that we give by the life that we live matters and so it goes on in verse 29 for it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only to believe in him but also suffer for his sake engaged in the same conflict you saw

I had and now hear that I still have the life that surrenders to God the life that accepts anything that God allows is the life that really knows

God if you haven't completely surrendered to him if you're still holding on to your own control if you're distracted discouraged pushed aside defeated when you feel opposition you don't really know

God John 5 .39 is going to give us an indication of that difference you search the scriptures for in them you think you find

God and that's true but they are they that testify of me and so there's the difference between knowing about God and knowing

God if you know God you're not going to be defeated you may go through difficulties if you really know

God you're surrendering yourself to whatever he brings if you really know

God you are counting it a privilege to be his soldier and make no doubt about it we are in a spiritual warfare but you'll count that as a privilege and if you really know

God you're allowing his Holy Spirit to work through you in a world fully accepting

God removes fear it does not remove difficulty but it removes fear you see scripture also teaches us that Satan believes in God but he trembles we believe in God with no fear except the fear of him we don't fear what

Satan's got in store for us between services I don't know who it was that it came up with to me maybe many of you have heard this this past Christmas in one particular country a hundred

Christians murdered just because they were Christians that should hurt our heart but it should not make us feel defeated is

God sovereign? are those hundred people right now in glory with God their families are hurting and so we hurt with them but my

God has to be he has to be sovereign in Hebrews 11 tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for the evidence of things not yet seen my faith is in God even though I don't know everything my faith is in God if you know

God if you honor him there will be opposition in this world don't take it as a surprise 1

John 3 .13 do not marvel brethren if the world hates you in fact

Jesus said the world hated me first I count it as a privilege so instead of fighting against it when it comes or instead of running away from it when the trials are there take them head on because you have a sovereign

God let God accomplish in you the ministry that those trials are intended

James 1 .2 -4 consider all blessings when you encounter various trials the testing of your faith produces endurance let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing remember these three verses

Jeremiah 29 .11 I know the plans I have for you

Proverbs 3 whoever the Lord loves he disciplines and then 1

Peter 4 .16 yet if anyone suffers as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorify

God in that name so what do we do with this

Paul is encouraging us to lead a life that is worthy to have this sanctified dash make a difference as we leave here as we go into next year as we go into life you who know the name of Christ live through a lens of faith if you're living through a lens of faith that's been transformed by God that will influence how you view the events that come upon you if I had only been looking through that lens of faith when that coach challenged my integrity

I would have responded so much differently let that lens of faith change you let that lens of faith change how you set up your priorities how you make your decisions where you're going to go how you're going to spend your time let that faith change the decisions and let that lens of faith change you so much that who you are is evident to the world at that moment of salvation you can do these things

I'm not saying you will but I'm saying that you can because you got the Holy Spirit who's alive within you you're no longer a slave to sin you are empowered by the grace of God to do his bidding as a believer your life is going to experience blessings we know this let those blessings show don't hide them don't hide the fact that you know these blessings are from God as you live your sanctified life you got an obligation to grow in him don't be satisfied with second best in your life the

Holy Spirit Scripture is going to exhort you it's going to teach you listen to it you have an obligation to grow in him and you have opportunities in a dark world to make a difference where the dark world will see the light of the gospel

Acts 1 .8 says you will receive power after that the Holy Spirit comes upon you

Romans 1 .16 says don't be ashamed of the gospel of Christ we have some people that go from here

I don't know if it's weekly but we call them Philip the Evangelist where are you

Phil how often do you go once a week try to he and Jeff they go to Princeton and they preach the word of God this is a good thing and we are told to preach to be ready in season and out of season just because you're not going to Princeton just because you're not doing door to door evangelism doesn't mean that your sanctified dash is not a living testimony to the world it is always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you so how are you taking care of your dash today

I'm going to close this with the exhortation that Paul gave to the church at Philippi and to us only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ amen can we close by singing together

I once was lost in darkness night yet thought

I knew the way the sin that promised joy and life had led me to the grave

I had no hope that you would own a rebel to your will and if you had not loved me first I would refuse you still but as I ran my hell bound race indifferent to the cost you looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross and I beheld

God's love displayed you suffered in my place you bore the wrath reserved for me now all

I know is grace hallelujah all

I have is Christ hallelujah

Jesus is my life now

Lord I would be yours alone and live though all might see the strength to follow your commands could never come from me oh

Father use my ransom life in any way you choose and let my song forever be my only post is you hallelujah all

I have is Christ hallelujah

Jesus is my life hallelujah all

I have is Christ hallelujah hallelujah

Jesus is my life Matthew 5

Jesus saw the crowds he went up on a mountain side and sat down his disciples came to him he began to teach them and so he goes on with the beatitudes these teachings of matters of the heart he goes on to salt and light that we are called to be an impact to the world and then he concludes that section with these powerful words that I want to give to you right now as we leave this place getting ready to lead our sanctified dash in the same way let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works get this and praise your