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

It fast. 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 Church Center app 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 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 everybody and Happy New Year's Eve on a read from Psalm 145 today and really the verse I read I I should know this verse because it's up in our living room we have we have a stencil in our living room so everyone comes in 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 God 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 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 gonna look that up but I don't doubt that at all that there's actually you know that the 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 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 honor 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 host has to have hopes to have for the ladies that are going to be part of that really young girls that are on the street and now we're 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 collected for it or 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 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 words work through so many of you and you if you still want to give to that you could still your market check and it'll end up going in the same spot so we praise God for that.

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 trip 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 gonna 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 EFC a church or more about Cornerstone Church and they're wonderful classes.

John let you know probably next week very soon when the exact date is but it'll run for three straight services. It'll 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's totally 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 a something you put on your heart in 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 gonna ask Mike or Michael Matthew to come up he's got a special announcement. Yeah I got it. Thank you. So hey everybody.

I'm Matt Hoke. As many of you may know this coming weekend is a big day for us. Our son Jacob is marrying his fiance 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're welcome to come to the recept to the ceremony.

Thank you. Ceremony somebody said it ceremony on on 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'll. Oh I forgot to say this at the first service.

It also will be live-streamed so if you're not able to attend you can still watch it on the live stream. I forgot that at the nine o 'clock. So if anybody from the nine o 'clock sees this it's also live streamed.

All right. With that I'll. Let's 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 that your spirit would just be upon us today Lord God. And I pray for for pastor. For pastor John who's gonna come in 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 man let's sing.

Together into your courts I will answer maker of heaven and earth. I try to steal the before or do all the year. Everywhere yields will exalt Caesar's. I hear the trees joyful cry praising you. And so will Lord I will glorify and bless your holy name.

I will answer maker of heaven by 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 worship him now. How great how awesome is he.

And together we see are ever-changing are never changing. 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 never breathe. We live for you Jesus.

The name above every other name Jesus the only one who could ever say worthy of every breath we could ever breathe. We live for you we live for you. There is no one like you. There is none beside you.

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me and fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me. The name above every other name Jesus the only one who could ever say worthy of every breath you ever breathe we live for you we live for you.

There is no one like you there is none beside you. Open up my eyes and show me and fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me. The name above every other name Jesus there is none beside you.

Open up my eyes and show me 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 and 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 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 will 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 the 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 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 this is 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 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 that that drove Jesus his anguish. But praise God my friend Tom has got a t-shirt on a sweatshirt on and it says to tell us die.

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 to tell us die. 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 7th 1950. My rebirth dash started the first Friday 1015 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 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 that 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. Abram 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 in it 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. 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 Abram. See his life of transition is 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. Just this is an aside. I didn't say this this morning. We believe that Isaac was of age.

There's no way Abram can put him on that altar without Isaac's willingness to go there. So he's lying there and Abram 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 to Abram 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.

Abram's sanctified dash had ups and downs but at the end of the day when we read in the accounts God is pleased with Abram 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 is God described David a man after his own heart. You see our dash import 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 to 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 here that I still have Lord Jesus. We come to your 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 we marvel at how wickedness can prevail. But here we are being exhorted or actually I say the Church of Philippi and us let your life be lived worthy of the gospel of God.

2nd Corinthians 517 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. 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 of the desires of the man that's who we were dead.

In 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 gonna go on to say by grace are you saved through faith.

And that not of yourselves. 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 six weeks there and we attended the Badenach 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 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.

BC 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 the 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. I was just a paraphrase but you get the point I 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 first. 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 on 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 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 this isn't. 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. These this is 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 we we hear a 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 Christos. 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 dids involved in that. It's you did. I am a sinner and you paid it. Sola Christos. 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 love what he had my parents said so 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 gonna say I do. How about in front of Christ when 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 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 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.

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 you know 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 they've got real love. And 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 and we could draw parallels to our own lives in a lot of ways.

So Paul is on a missionary journey. He's on a second missionary journey Asia Minor. And his intent was to go through Asia Minor visiting the cities setting up new churches. But one night I 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 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. 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.