Victorious Living (Philippians 2:1-4 John Lasken)

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Sermon Notes: notes.cornerstonesj.org Victorious Living

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A lot of people coming in.
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Good morning, everybody. If everyone could find their seats, and we're going to get started.
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We're glad you're here this morning, and we're just here to rejoice with you in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Lift up His holy name today. I want to start by reading a couple of verses. And the
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Lord laid this on my heart this morning. Jesus, in John chapter 17, says this.
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These things Jesus spoke, and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, Father, the hour has come.
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Glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee. Even as Thou gavest
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Him authority over all mankind, to that all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life.
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And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
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Thou hast sent. Love those words. And I love the fact that Christianity is not a set of rules and regulations that we follow in order to get to God.
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God gave His Son to us, so by which we can have a relationship with Him. We can know
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Him, it says, and by knowing Him, we have eternal life. So this morning,
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I hope you're thinking, well, gosh, I've heard about Jesus, but do I know Him? And if you know
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Him, you can rejoice in Him. But think about that. Do you know Him, or do you know about Him this morning?
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Because there's a big difference. So think about those things, and we are going to exalt
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Jesus in our worship, and in our prayer time, we will have in a minute, and also the teaching of the
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Word of God. But before that, let's have some announcements, and we'll exalt the Lord in that too. First off,
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I want to let everyone know that Pastor Jeff's mom, as many of you heard, she did take ill, and she was in the hospital.
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Jeff did have to pop down to Florida to see how she was doing, and she is recovering somewhat now.
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So we thank you for all your prayers. Please keep praying for the family and for Jeff's mom in Florida, but also the whole family too.
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And I want to let everyone know that the March 2nd couples dinner, next
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Saturday night, this is a big time of fellowship we're going to have, but also a time of couples getting together.
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It's already full, but for those of you who are signed up, it's 6 o 'clock here, and if you're going to bring a hot dish, there are tin pans, kind of serving pans, in the foyer so that you could fill them up and bring your dish, and please bring enough for like 10 or 12 people.
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There's going to be a big gathering here next Saturday night. And then the next day, March 3rd, which is
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Sunday morning, after the second service, we are going to have a luncheon here at the church, and it's a very special luncheon because we're going to be celebrating and thanking the
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Stockland family, all the Lord has done through them in the ministry here over the years, and we're going to get a chance to just rejoice with them in the new calling that the
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Lord has for them to go to Rock Church, and from what I understand, it's kind of going to be a Michael Stockland roast day, maybe.
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Maybe. We'll see about that. No, I don't think Mike's going to let us do that. I like roast. Yeah, we might have a roast.
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Yeah. But we're really looking for, just rejoicing in that. So next
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Sunday, after the second service, we're going to have a luncheon here. Now, a lot of folks ask me, well gosh, you guys don't take collection, you know, past the plates, we used to do that.
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There's a box in the back. If anyone's new to the church, that's actually where the collections go. A lot of folks have asked me that, so that's good to know.
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Also, the service right now, this second service has been really packed for a while.
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I can still see there's some chairs now, but people are still coming in. The parking lot, however, gets filled very quickly for the second service.
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And for those folks who are parking across the street, I want to say thank you very much. We would ask maybe some of the younger folks, folks that don't have little children or who aren't older, could park across the street.
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We're very grateful that the school allows us to do that. That's a big help, to allow young families and the older folks, or folks who are handicapped, to park on this side.
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So thank you very much for all doing that. And if you're not doing it, you might think about that. Thank you.
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Also, next week is going to be our first budget review. This is a review of the budget we're going to vote on at our congregational meeting coming up.
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And this is for an opportunity to kind of like do a detailed discussion with the treasurer about what's changing in the budget.
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So if you're interested in that, we're going to do that next Sunday after the second service, and also the following Sunday, March 10th after the second service, if you're interested.
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So that's for mostly members. So if you'd like to do that. And then on the 11th, which is
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Monday night, 7 o 'clock, that is our congregational meeting. And that's the big meeting for the year.
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That's the one where we vote in our church officers, and we also approve the budget for the next year.
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So please keep that in prayer. But also, members, make sure you write that down and say March 11th, 7 o 'clock, if you can make that.
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And the folks we'll be voting on, very important, new officers in the church, we have up for election one elder.
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His name is Phil DeMoss. He's right there. So please keep him in prayer. We have two deacons.
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One name is Ron Longyard. He was in the first service. And also this young man over here,
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Tom Ward, is up also for a deacon election. So please keep those folks in prayer, and we'll be voting on them on March 11th.
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And we also have, I just want to make sure I mention again the retreats. They're coming up in April.
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April 12th through the 14th, the guys. And if you have younger guys, you know, children, boys that want to come and be with Dad, you know, make your best judgment if they, you know, are mature enough to sit through a time, you know, a fellowship with men and with the
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Lord. That's really a great time to build relationships with the young men in the church. And then the ladies are going to be
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April 26th to 28th. But if you're interested in signing up for those, and really now is the time.
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It's getting a little late in the game for that. So now is the time to sign up. There's many ways to do it. You can do it with the church app, the website, the pastorgram comes out with a link on it.
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So there's many ways to sign up. So please avail yourself to all those things. And I think the last thing
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I have is a young adults meeting tonight. We're going to have prayer time at 6 o 'clock tonight.
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After prayer time at 7 .15, the young adults are going to get together. This is the 20s to 30 -somethings.
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And they're going to get together for fellowship, prayer, and Bible study. So if you're a young adult, please consider coming back tonight.
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Some of us still think we're young adults. So there's no age cutoff on that.
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I say 30 -something, but you know, you can make your best judgments on that. So let's go to the word in prayer now.
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Father, we thank you for the joy of being here. Lord, under this house, under this roof, a house that you've given to us to worship your holy name.
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And Lord, we know that this place isn't special in a sense that it's just four walls and a roof.
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But Father, we are grateful, Father, to be able to be here this morning in this place gathered together.
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And it's a special time when corporately we can come together and worship you, Lord, in song and in prayer and in announcements.
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We just lift you up, Lord. You are great and greatly to be praised, Father. Your greatness is unsearchable, and we pray that we would give you what you are worth in the praise we offer this morning,
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Father. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Good morning.
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Will you stand with me as we sing together? Next week or the week after, Jeff will be starting a series in Genesis.
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You can see these banners up here, just giving us our focus on the beginning of that book.
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I encourage you to begin reading in Genesis, and this morning we're going to focus on God's glory in all the earth.
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Let's sing together. Lord of all creation
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Of water, earth, and sky Heavens are your tabernacle
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Glory to the Lord on high God of wonders beyond our galaxy
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You are holy Holy The universe declares your majesty
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You are holy Holy Lord of heaven and earth
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Lord of heaven and earth
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Early in the morning I will celebrate the light
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When I stumble in the darkness I will call your name by night
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God of wonders beyond our galaxy You are holy
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Holy Holy The universe declares your majesty
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You are holy Holy Lord of heaven and earth
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Lord of heaven and earth Hallelujah to the
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Lord of heaven and earth Hallelujah to the
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Lord of heaven and earth Hallelujah to the
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Lord of heavens and earth You are holy
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Holy Holy God of wonders beyond our galaxy
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You are holy Holy The universe declares your majesty
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You are holy Holy Holy Lord of heaven and earth
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Lord of heaven and earth You are holy oh
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Lord We are worthy of your praise Let's sing about our
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God Holy is He Who can light the fire of a thousand burning suns
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Hold on, here we go Who can light the fires of a thousand burning suns
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Blazing in the heavens There is only one He is our
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God Who commands the nations
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Building up and tearing down Silencing the fly balls
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There is only one He is our God He is our
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God Holy You alone are worthy
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Matchless in your glory Holy God Who could come to save us
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Who turned away His love Conquered us with kindness
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There is only one He is our God He is our
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God Holy You alone are worthy
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Matchless in your glory There is only one
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He is our God Holy You alone are worthy
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We adore you Holy Holy God Now to the
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King on the throne Who was and is to come And to the
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Lamb who was slain Be all glory Now to the
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King on the throne Who was and is to come And to the
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Lamb who was slain Be all glory Holy You alone are holy
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Matchless in your glory No one is like you worthy
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You alone are worthy We adore you only
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Holy God God We are so grateful
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Lord Jesus that you and you alone are to be glorified Be exalted
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O God above the heavens Let your glory be all over all the earth
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Give Him the glory, do His name together as we sing To God be the glory great things
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He has done So loved He the world that He gave us
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His Son Who yielded His life and atonement for sin and opened the life gate that we all may go in Praise the
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Lord Praise the Lord Let the earth hear
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His voice Praise the Lord Praise the Lord Let the people rejoice
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O God to the Father through Jesus the
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Son and give Him the glory great things
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He has done O perfect redemption the purchase of blood to every believer the promise of God the vilest offender who truly believes that moment from Jesus a pardon receives
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Praise the Lord Praise the Lord Let the earth hear
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His voice Praise the Lord Praise the Lord Let the people rejoice
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O God to the Father through Jesus the
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Son and give Him the glory great things
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He has done great things
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He has taught us great things we have done and great are rejoicing through Jesus the
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Son but pure and higher and greater will be our wonder our transport when
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Jesus we see Praise the Lord Praise the
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Lord Let the earth hear His voice Praise the
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Lord Praise the Lord Let the people rejoice rejoice
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O come to the Father through Jesus the
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Son and give Him the glory great things
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He has done Amen. You may be seated.
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Michael, what an amazing transition to the time of the Word. Give Him the glory great things
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He has done we as believers have this ability to hear the Word of God to allow the
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Word of God to be in our hearts to transform us great things He has done
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I appreciated I think Michael you mentioned that next week Pastor Jeff thank you for being here this morning we continue to pray for you and for your family.
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He's going to be starting in Genesis and so we have two banners up right now it's out of Genesis 131
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He created everything through Him everything was made and He looked and behold it was very good this is our
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Lord this is the God of all creation this is Yahweh it took
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Him six days and on each day by His sovereign will and by His sovereign
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Word part of creation came to be and He would at the end of each day look and He would say this is good and on the sixth day when
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He had made man and then woman and He looked and He said this is very good to know that what we have around us is a handiwork of the creator of all of our
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Lord God and as He looks at it He says this is good this is very good but not everybody has that perspective now we know in the book of Isaiah Lucifer was one of the high exalted angels in heaven but he wasn't satisfied and he makes a proclamation that ends by saying
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I will make myself like the most high God and that blasphemy brings
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God to casting Lucifer down to the earth and Lucifer does not look around at God's handiwork and say this is very good because for Lucifer he wants to be like the most high
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God and for all of humanity and history Lucifer has been working to eliminate what he knows is the inevitable coming of the
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Messiah and we can read the accounts through history of how
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Satan has worked through various means to try to end the march of what would be the eventual coming of Messiah and that hatred continues even today and too often the world looks around at what is and perhaps attempts to explain it away but can't give
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God the credit or sees faults in things and can't accept that God is the sovereign the
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God of all creation you see our God created in six days out of nothing and each day he looked and he said it is good and then eventually he said it is very good but the world has an agenda under Satan.
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In the 15th century in Germany as within much of Europe civilization was under the thumb of the
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Roman Catholic Church they told what was to be the
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Pope who was infallible the priests who were the intermediary between the people and God the people were not given the ability to go directly to God the sacraments which were performed and they were proofs of your worthiness before God and in fact as individuals would pass from this life to the next for the people of that time they knew that their loved ones were going to purgatory because they were not yet worthy of heaven and so the church introduced and brought about indulgences where people wanting their beloved one to be transformed from purgatory into heaven sooner giving money to the church indulgences and the thumb of the
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Holy Roman Empire was heavy upon them in the town of Lippendorf Germany lived the the
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Van Gora family, I got to get that right they were part of the church they were part of that culture in 1599 1499 excuse me,
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Catherine was born to that family and so she was raised in a Catholic church seeing the world through the eyes of the
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Catholic church five years later Catherine's mother passed away her father not ready not prepared to be a single parent did what he thought he had to do and he sent
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Catherine to live in a Catholic boarding school so for the next 11 years
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Catherine was taught instructed in the ways of the Catholic church until in 1515 she took the vows of celibacy, she became a nun and she was known as being married to Christ and so her life was one organized as the church would have it and quite frankly under the tutelage of Satan she did things to prove her value so that she might please
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God two years later 95 thesis were nailed to the doors of the church in Wittenberg by Martin Luther and so began what we know as the
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Reformation and this teaching spread through even to Catherine who heard the truth and she surrendered, she bowed the knee, she became a believer as a nun now at that time it was very dangerous for priests, for nuns who accepted the message of the
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Reformation and many not wanting to stay under the monastery or the covenant ways of life attempted to leave but were caught brought back and punished so it was a dangerous time for nuns, for priests to accept the truth of salvation in 1523 there were 12 barrels that were loaded with young women in each barrel placed on the back of a wagon cart that went away from that covenant
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Catherine was one of them in there three of the young ladies were returned to their families and the other nine were taken to Wittenberg where they would meet young men, get married and where Catherine met
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Martin Luther and became his wife her life starts to transform, she had heard the message of the
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Reformation, of the true gospel, no longer needing to do works to prove her rightness in front of God, she now was right in front of God because she had bowed the knee and so as Martin Luther's wife she did the works that were done because of her love for God and her love for her husband and she participated in the ministry history records the glorious fact that the marriage not only succeeded but set a high standard for Christian family life she was a young woman who was no longer married to Christ, she had a relationship with Christ and so when she saw the world she could see it through the eyes of the creator who on each of those six days looked and said it was good and it was very good and for Catherine now the things that had been under the heavy, heavy hand of the
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Roman Catholic Church were now beautiful because they were seen through the eyes
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Grace had changed her heart and through faith she became a follower and this transition just emphasizes the truth of John 1 12 but as many as received him to them he gave the right to become children of God even to those who believe on his name and so fortunately at the age of 24 when she left that convent as a believer and met
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Martin Luther her life of transformation took place in a beautiful way
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Paul in his letter to Philippi is going to give us some aspects of what it means to live a victorious life transformed by God and I would like to read out of Philippians 2 the first four verses so if there is any encouragement in Christ any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy complete my joy by being of the same mind having the same love being in full accord and of one mind do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves let each of you look not only on his own interests but also the interests of others let's pray
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Lord God we come to you as your creation we come to you as children who were fallen as children who were in sin but by the love of God by the grace by the blood shed on that cross you have led us to faith that we could become your children we could live a victorious life that the world cannot understand through these words
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I pray Lord that you would encourage us on the way and the path you would have us walk in Jesus name
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Amen victorious living each one of us who have bowed the knee victorious living my thought when life is transformed the believer is set free from the bondage of the flesh let me get that again when life is transformed this is the moment of salvation when life is transformed you are set free from the bondage of the flesh the world celebrates control the world teaches control and self control the world teaches that you are to be gathering getting all you can get in life the world does not want to be controlled by God the world finds that to be a weakness to say
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I am controlled by God but here's the thing that the world does not understand they are being controlled they think they are in control in their own master they think that God is irrelevant but the world is being controlled and that is by Satan now for those of you who have bowed the knee and if you not if you have not yet bowed the knee perhaps this message is the right time for you to understand that there is a difference between life without Christ trying to prove and satisfy
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God and a life with Christ that is now victorious and I would pray that that would be for you today but for those who have already done that Satan is still going to be in attack he is still in attack mode but he can't control you for those who are believers in Christ true joy the victorious living replaces the frustrations of never experiencing life as God intends
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I make the emphasis that for each one of us there is a life that in his sovereign will he intends for you and the world's path will not get you there true joy victorious living replaces frustrations because you cannot experience
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God's joy without him I wanted to highlight some realities in scripture about what this transition actually looks like and the first one it comes out of Ezekiel 36 you see we are born in sin we are born with a heart of stone that cannot even respond to God but by his grace he replaces that heart of stone with a heart of flesh when
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Adam and Eve were created they walked in the cool of the day with God in pure fellowship until that horrible day when
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Satan deceived Eve and Eve got Adam just to go right along with it and they ate of the forbidden fruit and when
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God comes down to walk with them what did they do they go up to him and say Lord you said we shouldn't please forgive us that's not what they did they were embarrassed because they knew they were naked and they couldn't face their
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Lord their heart had become a heart of stone God promises he will give you the grace and at that moment of grace when you respond by the faith that he even gives you he replaces that heart of stone with a heart of flesh that is soft for him he gives you the ability to enjoy his creation to enjoy him the second transition is that we are no longer a slave to sin and I want to emphasize that word slave because all mankind without God without the
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Holy Spirit doesn't have a chance doesn't have a chance sin will come and you can't stop it but we know as bad as Ephesians chapter 2 1 and 2 and 3 are in describing how despicable we were that verse 4 starts with the words but God in his great love wherewith he loved us we don't be we don't we don't we don't have a problem anymore where we can't say no to sin because of him because of what he does for us even to the point where when temptation comes we're no longer having to address that temptation to walk away from that temptation to overcome that temptation by our own strength it's not your own strength as it says in 1
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Corinthians 10 13 and I will give you the way of escape that you may be able to endure it this is our transition from slaves to redeemed and to protected by our
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Savior the third one is that now we start to see the world through the eyes that God would have us see he created the world and he said it was good he said it was very good
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Satan in his defiance is banished to earth things get messed up and people can't even see
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Adam and Eve couldn't even see God's love they had to hide the transition is getting rid of all those false images
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Isaiah 5 21 is going to say woe to those who are wise in their own eyes we are not wise in our own strength we are only wise in the grace and in the power of God but woe to those who think they are wise in their own eyes just a bad image
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Jeremiah 5 21 is going to talk about those who have eyes but cannot see and have ears but who cannot hear you probably if it's not you you know people who attended church for many many years and maybe the message was proclaimed but you couldn't hear it which is to say you couldn't understand it yeah there were words being said but it didn't make any sense or you could even see the beauty of creation and not respond to it
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I have a son -in -law who now is a believer praise God but for many years he would say
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John I don't even know that there is a God if only he would do something and it was like Miles your son was just born 4 months premature lived for 6 hours and died how much more do you want
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God to do before you open your eyes the world has eyes that cannot see ears that cannot hear but you my brothers and sisters have ears that can hear and you have eyes that can see because you have the
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Holy Spirit within you and then 1st Corinthians 5 .17
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is this beautiful words it says we are a new creation the old has passed away behold all things have become new the things that I would have enjoyed doing how many people have a testimony that they have a later in life conversion perhaps it's in college and their buddies would say what happened to you you used to be fun yeah but now
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I'm having real fun you see the old things are past I don't need those things anymore all things are become new at the point at the point of turning to God you are saved you are justified your stand in front of God is made secure cannot be taken away
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Romans 8 .38 and 39 but we're still not perfect and so what's going to happen for the rest of our life we call sanctification this is that transformation of taking you and getting rid of those things which need to be ejected and holding on to those things which are for you for Catherine that transition happened gloriously even as a nun in the coven and then continued as she met
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Martin Luther for each one of us Paul is going to give us an encouragement on how we can experience this transition
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I'm going to start in verse 1 the blessings of salvation so if there is any encouragement in Christ any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy life that is surrendered to the sovereignty of God opens the believer to things that the world can never provide
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I need to say that again because it's so important life that has surrendered to the sovereignty of God opens the believer to things the world can never provide confession is good for the soul
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I watch TV and there are commercials that are just brutal the things that they want us to think are true and the slide just keeps going deeper and deeper and deeper as there are images portrayed of men holding hands with men and worse the world thinks their way provides happiness through whatever but it can't the life that is surrendered to the sovereignty of God for the first time opens the believer to things the world cannot provide and he lists four of the blessings the first is encouragement in Christ I go through life doing things experiencing things having conflict with somebody and I struggle and without Christ I try to fix it but in Christ I no longer have to rely on or am limited by my own courage or my own power
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I have victory when I am with Christ. Joshua 1 8 the nation of Israel having left
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Egypt having gone into the wilderness and failing at Kadesh Barnea because there were giants in the land even though the land was filled with milk and honey they were giants and were grasshoppers for another 40 years now they're on the east side of the
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Jordan River at Shittim looking across ready to go in and God encourages
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Joshua the new leader by saying be strong be courageous because you are the dude no that's not what it says be strong, be courageous
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I'm with you I'm with you what words of encouragement that is there are going to be trials the nation of Israel was going to fight battles and they were going to find out exactly how bad it goes when they don't rely on the strength of God when they try to fight
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AI for the first time but he says be strong be courageous I am with you you see you're going to go through trials these are not a surprise to God in fact in the high priestly prayer
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John 17 Jesus says don't take them out of the world but keep them in the world be with them in the world you see he knows every trial and he knows how you will have victory through him as the sovereign one he says you will experience trials but be comforted he says
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I have overcome the world Satan thumbs his nose at God and says
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I will make myself like the most high and God says you're down you're going down to earth and so Satan does everything he can to throw the world into turmoil but Satan cannot overcome the world we know the end of the story
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God wins and we even know the story today God overcomes the world he is our encouragement
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Isaiah 41 verse 10 I want you to consider and to identify in your mind the
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I am's and the I will's in this passage fear not for I am
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Ego Ami for I am with you be not dismayed
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I am Ego Ami I am your God now here's his promises to you
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I will strengthen you I will help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand this is our promise this is our encouragement as believers
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God has given me many opportunities to enjoy his creation
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I love being in the outdoors God also in his sovereignty blessed me with the fear of heights
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Mount Washington is an amazing opportunity to see God's creation and so a number of years ago a buddy and I decided to climb
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Mount Washington and we started out at the base camp there's a store down there and we climbed all the way up to the top it was about 4 ,000 feet worth of ascent as we went up and I was okay because I was pretty much in control except one time about three quarters of the way up there's a boulder it's only about 8 feet tall and it's not straight up it's curved but you gotta go over this boulder to continue on the path now if I were to put that boulder out in the field
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I would climb that boulder without a problem but at the bottom of the boulder was a path which came this way and then was going to go up the boulder and here's the boulder and there is
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Tuckerman's Notch it's about a thousand foot descent no railing and I looked at that boulder and I looked at Tuckerman's Notch and I go oh boy laughter now my friend who had no fear of heights like a little squirrel just scampered up the top of the rock and he was looking at me
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I said Bob I can't I can't do it so we each took our sweatshirt off he tied it into a rope and held the rope over the edge so that I could hold on to the rope and work my way up the boulder and proceed on here's my point life happens and it is sometimes frightening and it sometimes could even defeat you if you were not relying on God but God takes that sweatshirt and he turns it into a rope and he holds it over that boulder and you can take that and you can climb up because he's got that other end firm in his hand don't rely on your own strength or your own power rely on God the second blessing he says is the comfort of love now it's interesting that passage doesn't say the comfort of God's love it says the comfort of love now this is agape what happens if you're living life and experiencing trials and you don't find any comfort because of it many of you have heard me share that I have on occasion responded not appropriately to a coach who challenges my call on the basketball court and without the comfort of God I could spend the night in sleeplessness feeling guilt over what
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I've done but I have a God I have a God who knows me and I have a
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God what did he say on the cross? it's on your sweatshirt telestai that sin of mine was on the cross
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I'm forgiven by the blood of Christ Paul is going to say that part of the blessings of salvation is the comfort of love, but what is love?
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well the most obvious answer is God, by the way this is agape, Jeff you taught us the difference between agape and folio, this is agape 1st
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John 4 the most obvious place to go for it it's going to tell us that he agapes us it is also going to tell us that we are empowered to agape others agape is perfect, it is not conditional, it's a gift we get from God it is a gift that we are empowered to give others we might be in the world and we might be experiencing difficulties, but God's love is like this warm blanket that just makes everything okay have you ever been at a hotel a
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B &B, a cottage and the bed just doesn't feel right can't get the thermostat set right man that chair is just really uncomfortable
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God's agape love will cover all of those lumps and everything else that you might want now it's interesting because I've been talking about we're encouraged by love, the comfort of love and talking about God's love but this passage doesn't limit it to agape love that comes from God it says the comfort of love
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Charlie you and I have fun with each other I call you I call you shorty and you call me no medium sized one
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I love that guy because we just banter and we have fun with each other do you know that the comfort of love includes what we do here what we do here before we gather together, after we gather what you guys are going to be doing on March 2nd having that dinner time what the guys are going to be doing on the retreat, what the girls are going to be doing on their retreat what the young adults are going to be doing tonight here at 730 sharing life together that agape love that gives so much comfort
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I get the opportunity to go to Cooperstown as a baseball umpire they have camps up there and my brother
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Dave Reynolds is another one of the umpires that goes up there and I praise God for him because I've got fellowship with him no matter what else is going on up there,
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I've got, I get to feel agape from a brother in Christ do that with each other comfort each other and be comfort in each other the third blessing is the biggie it's the participation of the
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Holy Spirit wherever you go wherever life's journey takes you as a believer the
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Holy Spirit is right there with you the flesh is going to do everything,
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Satan is going to do everything to distract you but the Holy Spirit is there in the passage some of your versions are going to say the participation of the
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Holy Spirit, others are going to say the fellowship of the Holy Spirit this is koinonia in the
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Greek now we're used to the word koinonia when we use it in context of the koinonia of the brothers and sisters and how we build each other up, we encourage each other we share life with each other
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Ivan, I know your life we have koinonia and you are on my daily prayer list and so I can ask you, how are things going because I have koinonia with you we support each other, we're there for each other we celebrate, we suffer together, whatever it takes we have koinonia, one with other this is koinonia with the
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Holy Spirit get that, God, very
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God the third person of the Trinity you have koinonia with the God, the third person of the
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Trinity the God who in the beginning was part of God who created all the universe the
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Comforter you have koinonia with the
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Holy Spirit the saints of the Old Testament would have been blown away by that concept because for the saints of the
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Old Testament they couldn't even say the word Yahweh it was too holy don't dare touch the ark if it's going to fall off a cart because it's going to kill you that actually happened don't go into the holy of holies unless you are the high priest once a year when you're allowed to go and oh by the way, have bells on your on your cloak so that if you're doing something wrong and you die, they have a rope tied and they can pull you out because you don't go there unworthily,
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I, you, we have koinonia with the Holy Spirit at all times the
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Holy Spirit convicts, He regenerates He enables, He guides us
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He gives us gifts, He gives us fruit but we are blessed to have a victorious life knowing and experiencing koinonia with the
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Holy Spirit the fourth one is a full experience of affection and sympathy, fallen man without Christ can only emulate affection and sympathy, yeah they can try and yes it can look like it but it is only an imitation, we get the fullness of it we are free, we are empowered to have it
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Paul spoke in his letter to Philemon the owner of the runaway slave and he said, I get the fullness of joy knowing our fellowship together, all too often things like doubt envy, greed, jealousy get in the way but we experience because of the
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Holy Spirit, because of what we are new in Christ true affection true sympathy
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I have to read 1 Corinthians 13 4 -7 love is patient and kind love does not envy or boast it is not arrogant or rude it does not insist on its own way it is not irritable or resentful it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth love bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things
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Paul first encourages the church to experience a victorious life because of the blessings of salvation the blessings that come along with salvation and then the second one is going to be the fullness of fellowship verse 2 complete my joy of being of the same mind having the same love being in full accord and of one mind and my thought on this true joy is found when we seek the unity of the
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Spirit and abide together in common faith.
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Pastor Jeff, I think this is one of your first favorite verses, the unity of the Spirit what a joy it is when the church comes together and half the church wants to buy a building and the other church doesn't what a joy it is because we have unity in the
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Spirit we have full fellowship unfettered by little things
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Danica McKellar you probably don't expect me to quote her Danica McKellar she was an actress she starred in a
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TV show called The Wonder Years as a child actress now many of the child actresses completely went off the wheels as they grew older and their lives became a mess
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I can't tell you where Danica McKellar's heart is, I can't, I don't know but she seems to have kept it together to an extent she is in many many
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Hallmark movies but get this, whether I can tell you she is a believer or not get these words that she said the most rewarding part is spending time daily in the
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Word and the rewarding part is just getting to know
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God better those are words that we ought to be able to say and to rejoice in.
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She goes on she speaks out against wokeism and then she says that Joseph is the model of fellowship now think about Joseph for a minute he wasn't perfect in fact as a young child he perhaps was a bit on the prideful side he had a beautiful coat that was given to him and he bragged about it and it irritated his brothers and I'm thinking this is sanctified imagination ha ha ha
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I got a coat, you don't I don't think he was perfect and his brothers were irritated so they sold him off into slavery and so Joseph goes to Egypt as a slave under Pharaoh's house and we know how his life seems to be changing this arrogant youthful pride is now a reliance on truth and honor because Pharaoh's wife
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Potiphar's wife I guess tries to lure him in and he won't go there and he gets thrown into prison and he speaks truth and he's given the chance to speak to Pharaoh and he gives
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God the glory and then God gives him insight and he tells Pharaoh there's going to be seven years of famine excuse me, there's going to be seven years of plenty store up the food because there's going to be seven years of famine and Pharaoh does it and then
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Joseph is raised up into a place of honor well the famine occurs the Jews are without food so they send a group down to Egypt to get some food they don't know it's
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Joseph they're talking to and we know how that story progresses and eventually there is this opportunity for Joseph and the brothers to get together and these words
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Joseph said to them do not fear for am I in the place of God as for you you meant evil against me but God meant it for good to bring about that many people should be kept alive
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Joseph understood the sovereignty of God and so he was able to get out of the way and to allow fellowship to be good with his brothers and so Danica McKellar says that's the example of fellowship not being so involved with myself promoting myself but considering the good of others and not putting myself in the place of God as with Joseph we're not perfect but we're justified and we're growing and we're being sanctified we need to not be putting ourselves on a pedestal but we need to recognize that all of our brothers and sisters we are the same under God and when we have that mindset we're no longer driven by a brother who does something that irritates me an offense instead
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I see Tetelestai that God already took that back to the cross I'm no longer driven by the fact that I have a different opinion than my brother or sister has they're wrong and I'm right we're no longer driven to that we now see one truth and that's
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God I no longer have to have my needs satisfied but I see
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Jehovah Jireh the God who provides it enables us to have fellowship without getting in the way so ask yourself what separates me what stops me from having fellowship well even for the believer it's when the flesh speaks but you're no longer a slave to sin that's a path you do not have to go down we are no longer slaves here's the picture together we're not perfect but we walk in Christ together together together we are called to fulfill the great commission together the same calling together we are salt and light we're in a common ministry together together we glorify
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God who sits on the throne and is worthy of all praise and then how about this one together we will be together in glory at the end of days we're promised the blessings of salvation we are promised we are called to experience the fullness of fellowship now he's going to tell us choose others above yourself
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Philippians 2 3 to 4 do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves let each of you look not only on his own interests but also on the interests of others and here's my thought humility is the product of seeing others as being wonderfully and completely created by God in contrast selfish ambition is motivated by the flesh when we choose others above ourselves when we choose others above ourselves we are set free from the chains and disappointment of self promotion you choose others above yourself you're no longer under the chains and disappointment of self promotion humility is not listed in Galatians 5 among the five fruit love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance humility is not one of the nine but it's in all nine of them and you can look at them
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I'm going to look at agape it's manifested when a person places high priority about honoring somebody else without having to be recognized humility joy is an attitude of gladness in any and all circumstances without having to place priority on my needs for recognition humility peace is a state of tranquility and satisfaction without having to fight for it all nine of them you can look at as an example of humility self satisfaction self ambition is never satisfied humility is satisfying
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John D. Rockefeller was asked how much is enough and he reportedly answered just a little more
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Paul is challenging us here to have an attitude that focuses on the needs of others that's victorious living we can find throughout scripture what it means to love
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God Deuteronomy 6 5 thou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul and all your strength and it was one of three passages in the
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Shema of Israel that they would read three times twice a day in their prayers focusing on the love of God but here's interesting when
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Jesus was challenged what's the greatest commandment he quoted Deuteronomy 6 5 but then added love your neighbors as yourself have that agape love if I place myself as number one
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I'm pursuing great things for myself but these things this ambition will become a chain it will fall short and it will disappoint but if you stand before the throne of God and in humility seek
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God to bless others if you surrender to his will this will give you a life a fulfillment this is victorious living so what do we do with this so my application is simple but yet I think powerful
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Paul's letter to the church at Philippi in general speaks of joy and encouragement that's experienced in full when we as believers allow
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God to build them up amidst circumstance he is sovereign he gives true fulfillment that the world can never provide
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Catherine von Bora found true life even in the convent she heard the true message she became a
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Christ follower no longer married to Christ but a Christ believer here's the calling from Paul from God's very word enjoy his blessings experience the fullness of fellowship and choose others before yourself this is victorious living let's pray dear
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God you are the author you are the sovereign God by your grace we have been called and we are now your children
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I pray father that these words of encouragement will help us as we find the path to living and experience a victorious life with you and in you in Jesus name amen will you stand with me one voice in the dark a song that lights up the stars one breath that gives life one sovereign in power who speaks with thunder and fire one lord one king there is no other that can compare to you you are the one alluring greatness the one who never changes
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Jesus you are the one who rose in power the one forever
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Jesus the one true
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God one man on a cross one light of the world one name one word one way to be saved one lamb that was slain one love above all there is no other that can compare to you you are the one alluring greatness the one who never changes
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Jesus you are the one who rose in power the one who reigns forever
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Jesus the one true God you're the one true
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God and we have seen the glory of the one and only son of God yes we have seen the glory of the one and only son of God you are the one alluring greatness the one who never changes
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Jesus you are the one who rose in power the one who reigns forever
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Jesus the one true God you're the one true
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God you're the one true God Ephesians 4
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I therefore a prisoner of the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace there is one body one spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call one