Ascension Presbyterian Lord's Day Worship

Ascension Presbyterian Church Longwood

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:01

Brethren, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living

00:08

God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the

00:15

General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the

00:22

Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, into the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

00:36

O people of God, come now, let us worship him. Amen? Let's pray together.

00:44

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we joyfully come into your presence because you have called us to be your people and you are our

00:58

God. I pray that you would stir up holy affections in us, that our worship would be pleasing in your sight through the merits of Jesus Christ our

01:09

Lord. And O Lord, I pray that your people would be nourished and built up this time of worship.

01:17

We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Please kneel for the corporate confession of sin.

01:31

Let us join together now in confessing our sins. God of love, it is your will that we should love you with heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves.

01:47

But we are not sufficient for these things. We confess that our affections continually turn away from you, from purity to lust, from freedom to slavery, from compassion to indifference, from fullness to emptiness.

02:06

Have mercy on us. Order our lives by your holy word. The joy of our hearts.

02:15

Conform us to the image of your loving Son, Jesus, that we may shine the world to your glory.

02:23

Amen. Please stand. It is a fearful thing to appear in the presence of a holy

02:33

God, but we have a Savior who is Christ, and in him we have the forgiveness of sins.

02:41

Brethren, he has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the

02:48

Son of his love, in whom we have a redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.

02:57

O people of God, take heart today. If you be in Christ, your sins are forgiven.

03:03

Amen. Please take out the hymnal and turn to number 715.

03:11

Come, ye thankful people, come. Number 715.

06:24

Please take up the

06:35

Lord God. Genesis 31.

09:12

Hear now the word of the Lord. Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, saying,

09:18

Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has acquired all this wealth.

09:24

And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before. Then the

09:30

Lord said to Jacob, return to the land of your father's and to your family, and I will be with you.

09:36

So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, and said to them, I see your father's countenance that it is not favorable towards me as it was before, but the

09:46

God of my father has been with me, and you know that with all my might I have served your father.

09:52

Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.

09:59

If he said thus, the speckled shall be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus, the streaked shall be your wages, then all the flocks bore streaked.

10:08

So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. And it happened at the time when the flocks conceived that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray -spotted.

10:24

Then the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob, and I said, here

10:29

I am. And he said, lift your eyes now and see all the rams which leap in the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray -spotted, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.

10:40

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.

10:49

Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

10:56

Are we not considered strangers by him, for he has sold us and also completely consumed our money?

11:02

For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children's.

11:08

Now then whatever God has said to you, do it. Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels, and he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Badan Aram, to go to his father

11:23

Isaac in the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father's, and Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the

11:34

Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. So he fled with all that he had.

11:40

He arose and crossed the river and headed toward the mountains of Gilead. Then Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

11:48

Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.

11:54

But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, be careful that you speak to Jacob, neither good nor bad.

12:02

So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.

12:10

And Laban said to Jacob, what have you done that you've stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?

12:17

Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me? For I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp, and you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters.

12:28

Now you have done foolishly in so doing. It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, be careful that you speak to Jacob, neither good nor bad.

12:39

And now you have surely gone, because you greatly long for your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?

12:46

Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, because I was afraid. For I said, perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.

12:53

With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what

12:58

I have of yours, and take it with you. For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maids' tents, but he did not find them.

13:09

Then he went out of Leah's tent, and entered Rachel's tent. Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel saddle, and sat on them.

13:17

And Laban searched all about the tent, but did not find them. And she said to her father, let it not displease my

13:22

Lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of woman is with me. And he searched, but did not find the household idols.

13:29

Then Jacob was angry, and rebuked Laban. And Jacob answered, and said to Laban, what is my trespass?

13:34

What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found?

13:41

Set it here before my brethren, and your brethren, that they may judge between us both. These twenty years

13:46

I have been with you. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks.

13:53

That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you, I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand.

13:59

Whether stolen by day, or stolen by night, there I was. In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night.

14:06

My sleep departed from my eyes. Thus I have been in your house twenty years. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock.

14:14

And you have changed my wages ten times. Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty -handed.

14:24

God has seen my affliction, and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night. And Labodet answered and said to Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock.

14:35

All that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have born?

14:42

Now therefore come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me. So Jacob took a stone, and set it up as a pillar.

14:50

Then Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones. And they took stones, and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap.

14:56

Laban called it Jigar -sheh -hudithah, but Jacob called it

15:01

Galid. And Laban said, This heap is a witness between you and me this day. Therefore its name was called

15:07

Galid. Also Mizpah, because he said, May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent from one another.

15:15

If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see,

15:21

God is witness between you and me. Then Laban said to Jacob, Here is this heap, and here is this pillar, which

15:28

I have placed between you and me. This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap, and this pillar to me for harm.

15:39

The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judged between us.

15:44

And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac. Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread.

15:52

And they ate bread, and stayed all night on the mountain. And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them.

15:59

Then Laban returned, and departed, and returned to his place. This is the word of the Lord. Let us continue our worship with the joyful singing of the

16:15

Apostles' Creed. Let us begin. ...by

16:52

dead and bare, He ascended into hell.

16:58

The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God to judge the living and the living.

17:23

I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe the

17:28

Holy Catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body.

17:55

Take up the hymnal once more and find number 111.

18:01

This is my Father's world. Number 100. Let us begin.

18:13

This is my Father's world.

18:21

Please make preparations and kneel for the prayers of the people.

20:57

Let's pray together now. Oh God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsel, and all just works.

21:09

Give to us your peace, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments, and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness through the merits of Jesus Christ, our

21:29

Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.

21:37

For the church of Jesus Christ, that it may be filled with truth and love and be found without fault at the day of your coming, we pray to you, oh

21:49

Lord. For all ministers, missionaries, and the mission of the church, that in faithful witness the gospel may be preached, we pray to you, oh

22:53

Lord. For those in positions of public trust, that they may serve justice and promote the dignity and freedom of every person, we pray to you, oh

24:13

Lord. For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer, for refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger, that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, oh

25:34

Lord. For this congregation, for those who are present, and for those who are absent, that we may be delivered from hardness of heart and show forth your glory in all that we do, we pray to you, oh

27:53

Lord. Please stand and take up the Psalm 78 insert.

28:00

This is the Psalm of the month, and this is the last occasion that it will be the

28:07

Psalm of the month for November. So let us sing heartily unto the Lord, Psalm 78.

28:15

Let us remain standing and open your

31:42

Bibles to 1 John, chapter 5. This is the last

31:49

Sunday of the sequential exposition of the first epistle of John.

31:57

And I'll begin reading in verse 14, 1 John 5, 14.

32:03

This is God's holy and infallible word. Now this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

32:20

And we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him.

32:30

If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin, which does not lead to death, he will ask and he will give him life for those who commit sin, not leading to death.

32:41

There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.

32:48

All unrighteousness is sin and there is sin not leading to death.

32:54

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who has been born of God keeps himself and the wicked one does not touch him.

33:09

We know that we are of God and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

33:16

And we know that the son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know him who is true and we are in him who is true in his son,

33:29

Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

33:36

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. Please pray with me.

33:47

Oh Lord, we thank you for your provision of your most excellent word.

33:53

We thank you for the study in 1 John. We pray that you would make use of it in the hearts of your people.

34:02

Holy Spirit, we ask today that you would bring both light and heat, that we might have our understanding illumined, that we might glorify you and treasure you, oh

34:14

Lord. And this would be pleasing in your sight. And we ask this in the name of our

34:19

Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Please be seated. Thank you. We live in an age when certainty is always called into question.

34:38

We live in a time where people don't know for certain whether a boy is a boy or a girl is a girl.

34:49

But today we have in the scriptures and many occasions that we can say these are certainties.

34:59

There are four things that a Christian can be certain of. First, we know that we are born of God and kept by his power and presence.

35:14

The evil one cannot touch us. Second, we know the

35:21

Christian has been separated from the world and consecrated, sanctified for God's service.

35:30

You are of God. Third, we know the son of God has come and given us an understanding of all that is true, namely himself.

35:43

The Lord Jesus Christ is the truth. We know the true worship of God, and therefore we keep ourselves from the idols.

35:59

The Christian is certain. We know. Let's look at our text beginning at verse 18.

36:09

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin.

36:16

To know is to first see with the eyes physically, but in the metaphorical sense, it leads to perceiving.

36:28

To see with the mind, it is the gateway to grasp spiritual truth from the physical plane.

36:39

And we could say in this context, it is well known, it is acknowledged that whoever is born of God does not sin.

36:48

That's the sense of this language and this language of being born of God has been in 1

36:57

John a number of times. It is related to the idea of begetting and physical offspring.

37:05

But you'll be reminded that peculiar to John's gospel and in this epistle, it refers to God conferring upon men the nature and disposition of his sons, imparting to them spiritual life by his own holy power, prompting and persuading souls to put their faith in Christ and to live a new life consecrated to him.

37:35

This is a very key recurring theme in John.

37:42

The new birth is essential for spiritual life, but the new birth is also transformative.

37:49

We are new creatures in Christ. Old man has died and we have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life.

38:01

When we are tempted to sin, we need to be reminded of our in birthing in God and we need to flee from it because it is incompatible with our new nature in Christ.

38:18

And now the question, whoever is born of God does not sin.

38:25

What does this mean? Well, none of you, if this is a strict literal reading, none of you have salvation.

38:36

We should read it literally, but we have to understand what it means. Whoever is born of God, the grammar, the languages does not continue in a pattern of sin.

38:48

The Christian is characterized not by sinlessness, but repentance.

38:56

The Christian is mortifying the flesh and putting sin to death. And whenever it comes up again, they are trying again to kill it, to put it away, to walk in that new life in Christ.

39:14

What John is speaking of here is the Christian in contrast with the unbeliever does not continue in his sin.

39:24

How long is this last? I don't know. But if you are cherishing sin and walking in sin and you're unbothered by it, this is not a good sign for your soul.

39:37

The Christian does not continue. He does not keep on sinning.

39:43

He repents, he turns. He's been freed from the yoke and bondage of sin.

39:51

But the unbeliever who's contrasted in our text here just continues in it.

39:57

He's under its curse and power. The Christian always returns to walk in that newness of life.

40:08

The next phrase is important and it's awkward in English and it's hard even in the original.

40:16

It says, but he who has been born of God keeps himself. This word keeps means to guard, to protect, to spiritually guard.

40:28

The Christian who is born of God guards himself against the wiles of the world, the flesh and the devil.

40:36

And it seems that he does this because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and his union with Christ.

40:45

So God is doing it and we are doing it. We keep ourselves from sin.

40:53

We keep ourselves in the new birth. We keep ourselves under the power of God, walking in faith.

41:03

That's a very interesting thing to think of. The Son of God would never seek to dissolve the parental bond with the

41:12

Father. I'm talking about us, not the Lord Jesus Christ. They keep watch over their lives and their doctrine.

41:21

They prize their sonship. They keep a guard and watch over it.

41:28

He who is begotten of God desires to remain in the state which he is.

41:35

He is not trying to escape the safety of God's love.

41:41

Now, there's a good case that maybe the he here should be capitalized for the

41:47

Lord Jesus Christ. But I think the meaning is the same. We're not operating under our own power.

41:55

The Spirit of God dwells in his people. For those who have been united to Christ, it's

42:00

Christ who is at work in us. And therefore, we keep ourselves because he keeps us.

42:08

We are kept by the power of God. Therefore, we keep ourselves from this trouble.

42:14

We do not return to the yoke and bondage of the enemy. And that leads us to our last phrase in verse 18.

42:25

And the wicked one does not touch him. The devil, the evil one, does not assail him.

42:37

And when I think about touching, I think about a superficial touch. I walk up to you,

42:43

I maybe touch your shoulder. That's not what this touch means. Touch is the appropriate word to be translated here.

42:53

But it properly means to fasten to, to lay hold of, to know carnally.

43:01

It's the word that Mary used when talking with the angel. How can

43:06

I be pregnant? I've never known a man.

43:11

I've never touched a man. And it means to cling to.

43:17

The Christian can be harassed by the evil one, but he cannot be overtaken by him.

43:26

The Christian cannot be laid hold of and in the grasp of the enemy.

43:33

Because of his union with Christ. The wicked one,

43:39

I hope this is an encouragement to you. He can't lay his hands on you and grasp you and put you in his clutches.

43:48

Because you belong to Christ. It's impossible for him to do that.

43:54

So there's something here that we know in verse 18. We know that those who are born of God do not continue in a life and pattern of sin.

44:05

And we know that there is an element of perseverance and preservation in the life of the

44:11

Christian because God himself is keeping his people. He's preserving them.

44:16

He's causing them to persevere. And because of this union with Christ, because of the work of God, the wicked one cannot touch him, cannot lay his hands on him.

44:30

Oh, what a great joy for us. What security we have in Christ to know that the enemy cannot get his unholy hands on us.

44:43

Well, we must continue with another of the elements of what we know.

44:49

Verse 19 says, we know that we are of God. We know it fundamentally.

44:56

We know it deep in our soul. And there is a sharp distinction between us and the world.

45:02

We have been separated unto God. We've been born of God, as it says in verse 18.

45:08

We are his people. He is our God. We are the sheep of his pasture.

45:17

He is our God. We are his people. And there is a big distinction between us.

45:25

And the world now have to pause here. The Christian church in this present age is less concerned with personal holiness than it has been in other times in history.

45:43

The church has incorporated worldliness into her practice and into her doctrine.

45:51

But if we are those who are of God, we have to acknowledge that we have been set apart.

46:00

That we are different. Do you know that you are of God?

46:06

Do you know by experience, not merely by an intellectual ascent to the facts of a historic

46:12

Jesus, but do you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?

46:20

If you do, then you can know that you are of God. Do you now in your new nature bear the family resemblance of God's sons?

46:30

If you do, you can have greater confidence and know that you are of God.

46:38

You and I should be very eager to throw off worldliness and to have great sensitivity to see where we're incorporating synergistically the ways and the mindset of the world.

46:50

We have to become very wise in discerning of the world and her ways. The whole cosmos lies under the sway of the wicked one.

47:02

The whole world, we must not forget this. The believer cannot be grasped by the wicked one.

47:09

The unbeliever in the world system is completely under the sway of the enemy.

47:18

Maybe that explains why there's so much resistance to us. Why it seems we're swimming upstream.

47:27

The whole world, the whole system. The ungodly multitude, the whole mass of men alienated from God and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ.

47:41

The ordered system of unbelief are in opposition to us.

47:48

That's why we need to see things more clearly by faith. The trappings that enslave the world should have no sway over us.

47:59

James says friendship with the world is enmity with God.

48:05

The Christian is called to be separate, to come out from the world and be separate.

48:11

We are salt and light in this world, but we are not mucking around with it.

48:18

We're very different. We're not trying to escape from this world. After all, we just saying it.

48:25

This is our father's world and we live as sons in this world.

48:31

But we have to recognize bad company corrupts good morals. We too are susceptible to those corruptions and we must be on guard of them.

48:42

And we lose our saltiness. We lose and cover up our light when we are more and more like the world.

48:51

It's funny. Methodology for the late 20th century was you have to be just a little bit more like the world in order to draw the people in to be more like the world, to give them a cheap imitation of the world.

49:11

The world is more fun in its debauchery than a worldly church.

49:16

We need a holy church. We need a different kind of community, a covenant community in soul and singular allegiance to God in Christ.

49:28

Our lives are very attractive because God has touched us.

49:34

We've been born of him. We know him. The whole world is under the sway of the wicked one.

49:42

May it not be so for us. Well, there's another thing that we know.

49:52

We know and this is acknowledged. It's well known that use of the word know that the son of God has come.

50:02

I know with every fabric of my being that Jesus Christ is the son of God and he has come in the flesh.

50:12

I know that he lived a sinless life. I know that he offered himself on the cross as an acceptable substitutionary sacrifice for sin.

50:27

I know that on the cross, my guilt was applied to him and his righteousness is applied to me.

50:34

And I know that on the third day he rose again from the dead in triumph and even now sits at the right hand of God in heaven.

50:43

This I know. We know this. We know that the son of God has come and he's given us an understanding.

50:59

This word is very interesting. It's a full ordered reasoning and dialectical thinking.

51:09

This language is it reaches across to the other side.

51:15

It fully encompasses the matter. I tell my friends,

51:21

I tell my children, I don't need the news sources to tell me what's going on in the world.

51:28

When I read my Bible, I know what happens in the world. And I can discern truth from error.

51:37

Jesus has not only made himself known, he's given us this full or understanding, this full or reasoning.

51:49

Our life, our salvation is intimately and unequivocally and uniquely exclusively tied to our union with Christ.

51:59

We believe in him. We are united to him. And this is our salvation.

52:08

In fact, the next phrase says that we may know him who is true.

52:15

This know is a little bit different. This is Gnosko, which is to know through personal experience.

52:25

To know the one true God, to have an intimate knowledge of God through Jesus Christ.

52:32

It's one thing to say, I, I believe in some surface way that Jesus died on the cross.

52:38

It's another thing to understand and know that that salvation, that sacrifice of Christ has been applied to me and it's efficacious unto salvation.

52:52

That's a very, very big difference. It's not just history. It's my reality, not in a postmodern sense and the ancient sense.

53:03

This is the real. This is tangible. I know this by experience.

53:09

I know I am not the man I once was. And every Christian can say it. God has transformed the

53:17

Christian. We know him who is truth itself and we are in him.

53:25

We are so united to him that we are described throughout the New Testament as being in Christ, in him.

53:32

We're united to him. He is one with us. He has made us bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.

53:40

That's why the church is called the bride and body of Christ. We know him who is truth itself.

53:51

We are in him who is true in his son, Jesus Christ.

53:59

Now, children, I don't know if you know the significance of this, but the next verse is one of the greatest declarations and apologies defense for Jesus Christ being the son of God.

54:18

And in fact, it was instrumental in refuting various Aryan heresies about the person of Christ.

54:27

This is what it says about Jesus Christ. This is the true

54:33

God referring to Christ and eternal life. Jesus Christ is

54:43

God and he is life eternal. There's been a big archaeological discovery going back about 1800 years and they can't believe it.

54:56

In the mosaic, it's carved in stone. Jesus is God.

55:02

And it's a big news story. The church knows that Jesus is

55:08

God. I'm glad they found archaeological evidence that says that from 1800 years ago. But Jesus is the

55:14

Christ. He's the son of God made flesh. We know that he is.

55:21

This is the true God. This is life eternal.

55:34

Eternal means the unique quality and reality of God's life at work in the believer.

55:42

It's not just concerned with future infinity. And as the

55:48

Lord manifests his self -existent life as it is in his sinless abode of heaven, we pray,

55:56

O Lord, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

56:06

It's focused on the quality of the age. Thus, believers like you live in eternal life right now, experiencing this quality of God's life now as a present possession.

56:23

John has regularly used this both the gospel and here in the present tense of having now in this moment, not just when you die.

56:32

Now the people of God have eternal life. And that eternal life is in the son.

56:41

You have life in Christ, the only way of salvation. You have the truth himself.

56:49

He is the true. He is the true God. He is the way.

56:54

He's the only way of salvation. Life cannot be found outside of him.

57:04

So it follows. It's actually not inconsistent. If you read this at first glance, it seems like verse 21 is a little awkward.

57:14

Why does he say this now? Well, we've just been called to as sons who have been born of God, who are separated and different from the world.

57:25

We have been given a full or understanding of the reality of of spiritual and heavenly and earthly things.

57:35

It's found in Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life in our hearts leap within us and we worship and praise him.

57:43

We we recommit ourselves to obey him and to walk in his ways and keep his commandments.

57:51

It's appropriate for John to give us a warning. Little children, the technia, do you remember that?

58:02

The term of great endearment, the darlings, the deeply loved ones.

58:12

Keep yourself preserved by keeping your eye on the uninterrupted vigilance that a shepherd would have over his calving flocks.

58:27

It's like a military guard. These treasures are so weighty and so significant.

58:34

We sell all that we have to buy this field. And when we own this field and we have Christ, we do everything to guard it.

58:43

Well, we not let nothing intrude upon this sacred ground.

58:49

Are you personally on guard against every form of idolatry?

59:00

Idols are false gods, whether they're fashioned into statues or images, whatever it is that we worship or put up as a rival to God.

59:15

Could be something as foolish as alcohol. Could be something as foolish as drugs or sex.

59:23

Could be a lot of idols that we have created. And we, as God's children, have to keep ourselves from those idols.

59:36

How much time and energy have you given? Are you on guard against idolatry?

59:43

As we've said hundreds of times, Calvin's great statement, we are idol factories.

59:52

And the antidote to idolatry is the right worship of the one true

59:58

God. If you are worshiping God, you were created for worship.

01:00:04

There is no space for idolatry. If you're walking in faith and walking in the light and walking in obedience and keeping his commandments, there's no room for these things that are contrary to us.

01:00:21

We struggle to open the Bible for daily devotion. We struggle to be attentive at corporate worship and prayer and those kinds of things, the very things that feed our souls and keep us true to who we really are in Christ.

01:00:39

A couple of words of application here, and I'll close. The Christian in Christ abides in him.

01:00:54

The believer is preserved and protected from sin and Satan. He is freed from the bondage.

01:01:03

His life is characterized by repentance. And what glorious news, the enemy can never bind us.

01:01:15

It never bind us. We can go and take up the old dead man carcass ourselves.

01:01:22

That's us. Not him. There's also some distinguishing marks of the

01:01:30

Christian. They're kind of embedded in this text from first on. We're those who have been born of God.

01:01:38

We have faith in Christ. We've been freed from the bondage of sin. We are actively fleeing worldliness.

01:01:48

We're keeping his commandments in our love for God is revealed in our love for the brethren.

01:01:58

Oh, what a sharp contrast. The unbeliever is under the sway of the evil one.

01:02:07

He denies Christ, who is the truth. He receives and is open to the false teachers errors.

01:02:18

He is in bondage to sin. He is a friend of the world.

01:02:23

The commands of God are are heavy and burdensome to him. And he does not love.

01:02:32

The brethren, we know that the son of God has come.

01:02:40

Did you know that the son of God has come? Do you know that you are born of God? Do you recognize and acknowledge?

01:02:48

Do you see with your eyes? Does your mind understand that the world outside of Christ lies under the sway of the evil one?

01:02:57

And we have to be different. We need a true understanding of who

01:03:07

Jesus Christ is. And the people of God have this at our disposal because we are in him and we know him.

01:03:18

And we have been born of God. The Christian is certain about many things.

01:03:30

Namely, certain that Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life, and the entirety of our lives have to be given over to him in service and obedience.

01:03:45

I hope that's true for you. If it's not today, repent and believe. If you're a

01:03:51

Christian who has not been taking these things as serious as you should today, recommit to have a singular allegiance to the preeminent

01:04:00

Christ in every corner of your life. Amen. Let's pray together.

01:04:11

Lord, we thank you for the provision of your word. We thank you for John who kicks us on our backsides, encourages us to live according to our nature in Christ.

01:04:33

Oh, Lord Jesus, we thank you that you are the truth. We don't understand the depth of your love to come and rescue your creatures from sin and death, but we revel and rejoice in it.

01:04:50

Oh, Lord, I pray that we would be grateful sons and daughters, that we would love your holy things more than the passing pleasures of the world.

01:05:03

Oh, Lord, we know that you have given us a robust, comprehensive, full -orbed understanding because we know you by truth and experience.

01:05:20

Oh, Lord, I pray that you would keep us from idols and that you would do this by drawing us into your worship and causing us to take up residence there never to depart.

01:05:33

We ask all this in Jesus name. Amen. Let's continue our worship now with the presentation of the tithe and offerings.

01:06:18

Please stand and let's pray together. Oh, Lord, we thank you for the many blessings that you have supplied for us.

01:06:32

We feel needy sometimes until we give thanks and recognize that you have supplied our needs.

01:06:41

We rejoice in this. Oh, Lord, I pray that we would have greater contentment with your provision for us and greater faith and confidence in our giving, knowing that you will provide for our every need.

01:06:54

And we ask that you would use these tithes and offerings for the advance of your kingdom, that your will would be done here as it is in heaven.

01:07:04

And we ask this all in Jesus name. The reason we have this next song in our liturgy is in light of what we've experienced and coming into God's presence, reflexively, when the word is open to us, we should give glory to God.

01:07:27

And so we sing now in faith and joy, the glory of pottery. Let us begin.

01:07:34

Be with you.

01:08:12

Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the

01:08:18

Lord. It is right and a good and joyful thing that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you,

01:08:30

O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Everlasting God, because you sent your beloved son to redeem us from sin and death and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life.

01:08:45

That when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.

01:08:55

Therefore, with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we praise and magnify your glorious name evermore, praising you and singing.

01:10:25

Please be seated and let's pray together. Lord Jesus, we thank you for the body you have given and the blood that you have shed.

01:10:44

We thank you for these physical emblems of bread and wine, which communicate to us eternal, spiritual and real things.

01:11:02

We thank you that you have given your body. And so we eat bread and we thank you that you have shed your blood.

01:11:09

So we drink wine. We pray, O Lord, that this would reach its desired end, that your people would have a greater sense of their union with you and with one another.

01:11:27

And this would nourish us and strengthen us for the work you have for us to do. And we ask for your blessing upon this time in Jesus name.

01:11:37

Amen. Amen. Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread, gave it to his disciples saying, take, eat.

01:11:52

This is my body. Likewise, he took the cup after supper saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

01:12:04

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the

01:12:09

Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, we proclaim the faith.

01:12:15

Christ is died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Let's approach the table today with a seriousness and reverence for our condition and also an acknowledgement of the work of Christ and making us new.

01:12:35

Let's pray together. We do not presume to come to this your table,

01:12:42

O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies.

01:12:50

We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same

01:12:56

Lord who always shows mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear son,

01:13:05

Jesus Christ, and to drink of his blood that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that he may evermore dwell in him and he in us.

01:13:21

Amen. Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us.

01:13:29

The gifts of God for you, the people of God. With covenant blessings or covenant obligations and duties, it's no trivial thing to be part of the body of Christ and to feast at his table.

01:24:52

Let's make this commitment together in faith. Almighty and ever living

01:24:58

God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of your son, our savior,

01:25:07

Jesus Christ, and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the body of your son and heirs of your eternal kingdom.

01:25:19

And, oh Lord, grant us this other benefit, that you will never allow us to forget these things, but having them imprinted on our hearts, may we grow and increase daily in the faith which is at work in every good deed.

01:25:34

And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our

01:25:43

Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, in honor and glory, now and forever.

01:25:50

Amen. Please stand and let us rejoice and give

01:25:56

God the glory for the great things he has done. Let us begin. Receive now the blessing of our

01:26:35

God. The Lord bless you. His face shine upon you.

01:26:44

The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and grant you peace.