Ascension Presbyterian Lord's Day Worship

Ascension Presbyterian Church Longwood iconAscension Presbyterian Church Longwood

0 views

0 comments

01:43
Let's take just a quick moment to prepare our hearts for corporate worship. Grace and peace to you in the name of the
02:18
Lord Jesus Christ, welcome to the corporate worship of our great God.
02:23
Please stand. Oh come, let us sing to the
02:31
Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to him with psalms.
02:44
For the Lord is the great God and the great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth, the heights of the hills are his also.
02:56
The sea is his for he made it and his hands formed the dry land.
03:02
Oh come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the
03:07
Lord our maker, for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
03:19
Please pray with me now. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we come into your presence with great joy and expectancy, knowing that we have benefits as your children because of the grace and mercy, the salvation of Jesus Christ our
03:38
Lord. We pray that our worship would be pleasing in your sight. I pray that you would invigorate our hearts, that you would energize and give us great zeal that we might proclaim your praises.
03:52
We have confidence to ask this because we have that great mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's in his name that we pray.
04:01
Amen. Please kneel now as you are able for the corporate confession of sin.
04:12
Let us join together now with one voice. Almighty Father, have mercy on us.
04:31
We have not bound up the broken, though you healed us. We have not forgiven others, even though you forgave us.
04:40
We withhold kindness from the needy. You freely gave us your
04:45
Son. We are without excuse, but not without hope. By your power and grace, we come from our sins to Jesus' death, and amend our ways by the power of his glorious resurrection.
05:00
Amen. Please stand. My little children,
05:06
I write to you that you may not sin, and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the
05:13
Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous. And he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the whole world.
05:26
O people of God, if you be in Christ, take heart today. Your sins are forgiven.
05:32
Amen. Let us take up the hymnal now and turn to number 455.
05:39
And can it be number 455? Please turn into the bulletins and find
11:04
Psalm 85. It should be the top insert. It says number 262 on the upper left corner.
11:12
The tune is How Sweet and Awful or Awesome is the
11:17
Place. It's a familiar tune to us. And we're going to sing it to that tune.
11:23
How Sweet and Awful is the Place. Please remain standing for the reading of the word from Genesis 17.
15:29
Genesis chapter 17. You need my Bible, David? What a big chapter for you, brother.
15:40
Genesis. But your name shall be
16:14
Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
16:23
And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be
16:32
God to you and be your descendants after you. Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession, and I will be their
16:44
God. And God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
16:53
This is my covenant, which you shall keep between me and you and your descendants after you.
16:59
Every male child among you shall be circumcised, and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
17:09
He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations. He who was born in your house or brought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.
17:20
He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
17:29
And the circumcised male child who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people.
17:37
He has broken my covenant. Then God said to Abraham, As for Sarai, your wife, you shall not call her name
17:43
Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name, and I will bless her and also give you a son by her.
17:49
Then I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations, kings of people shall be from her.
17:55
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old?
18:03
And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? And Abraham said to God, O that Ishmael might live before you.
18:11
Then God said, No, Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name
18:16
Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.
18:22
And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly.
18:30
He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom
18:37
Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year. Then he finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
18:44
So Abraham took Ishmael, his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins, that very same day as God had said to him.
18:58
Abraham was ninety -nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
19:07
That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael, and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
19:17
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let us now confess our ancient
19:25
Christian faith with the zealous singing of the
19:31
Apostles' Creed. Let us begin. I believe in God the
19:37
Father, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten
19:50
Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the
19:59
Virgin Mary. He was crucified, and ascended into hell.
20:17
He rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven.
20:24
I come to judge the living and the dead with the
20:42
Holy Spirit. I believe the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
21:16
Please take up the hymnal once more and turn to number 281.
21:24
I know that my Redeemer lives. Number 281.
21:36
Glory, hallelujah, I know that my Redeemer lives. Let us begin. Great is thy faithfulness, number 32.
24:50
Great is thy faithfulness, time and time again.
28:21
Please make preparations now for the prayers of the people. Men, we are on the
28:38
Ten Commandments today, so I would encourage all of you, members particularly of our church, to take up these requests.
28:48
Let's pray together now in unison. O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsel, and all just works, give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give.
29:08
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
29:21
Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever.
29:27
Amen. The Lord says, I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.
31:28
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters below.
31:59
So we pray that you would keep us from worshipping you in ways that we make up.
32:05
Rather than we look to your word, that we would be sure and confident in what you tell us, how you want to be worshipped.
32:14
God, keep us from worshipping idols in general. And I pray that you would shine light on the dark corners of our hearts where we need reformation.
32:23
Blessed is the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen. You shall not take the name of the
32:30
Lord your God in vain. Remember the
33:03
Sabbath day to keep it holy. Honor your father and your mother.
34:21
Speak this through our Lord. You shall not kill.
35:37
The Lord have mercy on us and incline our hearts to keep this through our Lord. You shall not commit adultery.
36:35
The Lord have mercy on us and incline our hearts to keep this through our Lord. You shall not steal.
38:07
Keep this through our Lord. We pray that we work so that we may have something to give and share with those who are in need.
38:33
We pray that Ascension Presbyterian Church may be a church marked by hard workers.
38:39
Blessed is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
38:47
Honor our hearts to keep this through our
38:53
Lord. Pray God that we would not mar our neighbor falsely about them by slandering them, gossiping about them.
39:32
But pray that we would by your grace be actively promoting their good, speaking well of them, and seek salvation in the name of Christ as their
39:47
Lord. I pray God that we would give people here at Ascension that holy faith. Amen.
39:59
You shall not covet. This is our law.
40:08
The Lord our God, we pray that in the midst of all of our goals and aspirations, our godly ambitions, God I pray that we would give people here at Ascension who are so happy and thankful and content with what we give.
40:23
I pray Lord that Thanksgiving would be the chief virtue that supplies the need for us not to look sideways at what our neighbor has and what we don't have.
40:39
As this causes so much destruction in our lives, I pray that you grant us
40:44
Thanksgiving. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. You shall love the
40:50
Lord your God with all your heart and soul, mind and strength. Amen.
41:26
Please stand and take up the other insert, the Psalm of the
41:31
Month. To our guests today, we have a monthly psalm.
41:36
This one's a little bit different in that it requires some back and forth between the men and the ladies.
41:44
The men are singing the portion of the psalm that says D -E -C over the notes.
41:52
The ladies are singing the C -A -N portions. And we're all together on the full.
41:59
The folks who are regulars here know how to sing this psalm already. That's how you do it.
42:06
Let us begin. Please take your
44:31
Bibles with me and open to the Book of Philippians. Paul's letter to the
44:38
Philippians. We'll be looking at only one verse here this morning from chapter 4, verse 8.
44:46
Paul's letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 8. These are the words of God.
44:53
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.
45:21
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we ask that you will grant us grace to understand your word.
45:30
Fill us with your Holy Spirit, we pray. In the name of Christ Jesus, our
45:36
Lord. Amen. Please be seated. As we come to this point in the life of our local congregation here at Ascension Presbyterian, it seemed good to me that we would consider some closing instructions and admonitions that we see in Scripture.
46:05
We can call to mind several instances where these closing admonitions are given, perhaps at the close of a ministry, or at the end of a chapter in the life of the people of God, or, as frequently seen in the
46:21
New Testament, at the end of a letter. Some of these things that you may call to mind may include the book of Deuteronomy.
46:30
Really, the entire book of Deuteronomy is Moses' farewell address given to the children of Israel, and contains many closing exhortations at the end of the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness for the
46:45
Exodus generation. In this book, Moses recapitulates the giving of the law, the history, and gives a reminder of the righteous and holy demands and commands of a loving and gracious God.
47:04
This discourse was given on the east side of the Jordan River, and given to the children of Israel before they crossed over into the land of promise.
47:16
Moses' exhortations in the book of Deuteronomy can perhaps be summed up with the great
47:22
Shema found in Deuteronomy 6 .4. Hear, O Israel, the
47:27
Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your
47:32
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. We may also call to mind
47:40
David's instructions to his son Solomon, which are recorded for us in 1
47:45
Kings 2, which opens with this verse. Now the days of David draw near that he should die.
47:53
And he charged Solomon, his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth.
47:59
Be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. David, the great king, perhaps the greatest king of the
48:09
Israelite kingdom, was described as a man after God's own heart.
48:14
And he was about to die, and would leave the kingdom in the hands of his young son,
48:21
Solomon. David, perhaps, gives his greatest and best advice to Solomon, which we read in 1
48:29
Kings 2, verses 3 and 4. And keep the charge of the Lord your
48:34
God. Walk in his ways to keep his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the
48:51
Lord may fulfill his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, if your sons take heed to their way and walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, he said, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.
49:10
Be righteous and an obedient man, David says, and all will be well with you, for the
49:18
Lord will provide. We may also call to mind an incident in the
49:23
New Testament where Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian elders, which is captured for us in Acts chapter 20.
49:32
You recall the scene where Paul calls for the elders as he is at Miletus on the beach.
49:39
The elders come and Paul provides them some closing instructions regarding the care to which they should provide for their flocks.
49:52
Most significantly, he warns them, saying that savage wolves will come in to ravage the flock, that men would rise up speaking perverse things, misleading things, heresies, to draw away the disciples.
50:08
Paul's final instructions and admonitions were to be alert, stay away, be vigilant, prepared for the attacks that would surely come.
50:20
And at the end of nearly every epistle that we have in the New Testament, there are always closing admonitions.
50:27
In addition to our verse here today, we have 2 Corinthians 13 11. Finally, brethren, farewell, be complete, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the
50:41
God of love and peace will be with you. Or what we read in Ephesians 6 10, finally, my brethren, be strong in the
50:50
Lord and in the power of his might. And then Peter has in 1
50:55
Peter 3 8, finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tender -hearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil, or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
51:23
We come today to a concluding moment of our own, and it is fitting to take a closer look at one of these admonitions, that which we found in Philippians 4 8.
51:35
I'll read it again. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.
52:00
This letter was written to the church at Philippi, more likely a set of churches in the city of Philippi.
52:08
Philippi was named after Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the
52:13
Great. It lay at the crossroads between the eastern provinces of the
52:18
Roman Empire. A colony of retired Roman soldiers was located there, and the city had received the great blessing of being
52:30
Roman citizens, many of the inhabitants did. Paul first came to Philippi, as you recall, after seeing a vision, which was recorded to us, for us rather, in Acts chapter 16 verse 9.
52:44
A vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man from Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, come over to Macedonia and help us.
52:55
Paul and Silas and Timothy started to preach for the first time on the continent of Europe.
53:02
The first recorded baptism of a European believer is noted as taking place in Philippi.
53:11
Lydia, the seller of purple, was baptized by the riverside. After this,
53:18
Paul and Silas were the focal point of a riot that took place after the
53:24
Lord removed an evil spirit from a young girl. The spirit, through the girl, was doing some fortune -telling, and it provided no small fortune for her owners, for she was a slave.
53:38
And when she stopped, they didn't like it. This led to the famous account of the conversion of the
53:46
Philippian jailer, which is recounted for us in Acts 16, 25 through 34.
53:53
Paul was asked to leave the city after that moment, but he does return at least two times, that we know of, recorded for us in Acts 20, and also, he mentions it in 2
54:06
Corinthians 2. Paul writes this letter to a church in Philippi that he planted after enduring his long imprisonment in Caesarea, or more likely, this is either written to them during his long imprisonment in Caesarea, or more likely, when he was imprisoned in Rome.
54:32
There are several clues within the letter that would lead us to believe that. In chapter 1, verse 13,
54:37
Paul mentions the palace guard. In chapter 4, verse 22, he mentions
54:43
Caesar's household, more likely point to a Roman imprisonment.
54:49
Since we are only looking at one verse of this letter, I want to provide a brief overview of the major themes that are contained within the letter, and I commend it to you.
55:01
It is a wonderful letter. We had the pleasure of taking a year to go through this letter in the teaching hour last year.
55:11
One of the major themes, if not the major theme of this letter, is joy. Paul's affection for the
55:19
Philippian church, and the work of Christ that was being done in the church, caused him great joy.
55:26
He uses this word, or word pointing to joy, over 16 times in this letter.
55:34
In fact, just prior to this verse that we're looking at today, in verses 4 -7,
55:40
Paul tells his readers that the antidote to anxiety is rejoicing.
55:47
He says in Philippians 4, Rejoice in the Lord always.
55:52
Again, I say rejoice. Following in verses 6 -7, be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving.
56:04
Let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
56:16
Nothing reflects joy more than thanksgiving, and peace that we have with God.
56:24
Another great theme in Paul's letter to the Philippians, or really in all of his letters, is the
56:30
Trinity. Throughout the letter, Paul's Trinitarian theology comes through time and again, ascribing to Christ the same dignity and praise and glory as God the
56:43
Father. In many references, he notes God the Father, God the
56:48
Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Indeed, one God in three persons.
56:56
Another major theme of Philippians is the exaltation of Christ, especially in his humility.
57:06
We can see this in these well -known verses from chapter 2, verses 6 -11, which is a great hymn of Christ, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
57:32
And being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.
57:43
Therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
58:07
Lord, to the glory of God the Father. In our opening hymn today, we were reminded of this humility of Christ, coming in the form of man.
58:20
But the one thing I would call out here of the great humility and exaltation of Christ is his obedience to God the
58:29
Father. We should remember that, especially since we have a command to be like him.
58:37
Another major theme is justification by grace through faith alone.
58:43
Paul stresses that one cannot merit grace, one cannot merit mercy.
58:51
There is no such thing as earning your own salvation. Our confidence in our performance and our works for salvation is a very great sin.
59:03
Paul underscores this by providing a history of his own life. The zealousness that he had in keeping the law, even to persecuting the church, he sums up the uselessness of this like this.
59:20
But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
59:28
Yet indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
59:34
Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain
59:42
Christ. It is not by works, but by grace that you are saved.
59:48
Another major theme is the Christian life. Rather than a call to spiritual introspection, the
59:56
Christian life is a call to action. Paul points that if we are to conform to him and his image, we must be like him.
01:00:08
And our Lord Jesus Christ was active in his earthly ministry. Paul notes that we are slaves of Christ.
01:00:17
You may remember he opens this letter with this verse. Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ.
01:00:28
Our modern translators do us a great disservice by attempting to clean up the word slave by some other word.
01:00:37
It carries a lot of baggage in our culture. The Greek word is doulos, that we are slaves.
01:00:44
And slaves do their master's bidding. Especially we are to do our master's bidding in the serving of others, caring for their needs, and not just looking out for our own.
01:00:58
Paul writes in chapter two, verse four, let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also the interest of others.
01:01:08
No one was ever commanded to look out for themselves only. Here Paul commands that we are to look out for others.
01:01:17
But also he reminds us that living the Christian life will invite suffering.
01:01:25
The tribulations of the New Testament are due to Christians because they are fighting the world system.
01:01:34
They are turning the world, not upside down as our brother reminds me often when
01:01:39
I say this, but turning the world right side up is going to cause attention and other negative variety.
01:01:51
And even though we have this great tribulation in this life, we have joy and power to make it through.
01:01:59
In chapter three, verse 10, we read that I may know him and the power of his resurrection.
01:02:07
And in chapter four, verse 13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
01:02:19
Man's effort in this area manifests the power of God if we rely on God by faith.
01:02:29
It is not manifested sitting on the couch. It is not manifested in day by day trying to downplay the commandments of God.
01:02:39
The power and the strength of Christ are manifested in doing his will.
01:02:47
Well, those are the major themes of this letter. And Paul brings a close to the letter to which he is writing.
01:02:56
And he opens our verse with the word, finally. Paul writes here not a summary of what he has given already, but rather a last bit of exhortation as he is closing this letter.
01:03:12
He says, finally, brethren. One thing that we can take away from this is that he is identifying himself with us, the family of God.
01:03:25
He's saying something akin to, my brothers and sisters in Christ, here is my final bit of advice.
01:03:32
As a matter of fact, that's how J .B. Phillips in his translation translates this verse.
01:03:38
Here is my last piece of advice. The amplified version says, and now for the rest.
01:03:46
As if Paul realizes that he has said so much already, now he's going to try to speak really quickly for this last set of verses.
01:03:59
It is not a summary of what Paul has already said, but saying something at the last that he has left unsaid until now.
01:04:09
As we will see in a moment, that this last part of this letter is almost like David's admonition to Solomon.
01:04:20
I go the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and be a man.
01:04:28
Manliness in the Hebraic culture was not something to be ashamed of, but rather imitated.
01:04:36
Paul did not live in a culture when he gave an exhortation to manliness and manly behavior that immediately had to be qualified because of a slight to femininity might be assumed.
01:04:49
No, Paul in this last section, this one verse is calling on the
01:04:55
Philippians to man up. The first thing that Paul brings their attention to are whatever things are true.
01:05:06
There's one thing that immediately should come to our mind that the Apostle is saying that there are things that are true.
01:05:16
He believes in the objective reality of truth. It is only in our modern conception of truth that we believe that truth is based on things that are subjective.
01:05:29
Your upbringing, where you are from originally, your sex, or the color of your skin.
01:05:41
That's not what Paul is talking about here. We may call to mind when we hear that word truth the conversation between Pontius Pilate and our
01:05:53
Lord Jesus Christ at his interrogation. Pilate asked him, are you a king?
01:06:01
And Jesus responds that the reason he came into this world was to bear witness to the truth and all who are for the truth will hear his voice.
01:06:15
Pilate then asks that famous question, what is truth? Pilate is not responding as if he's a 21st century hipster asking the question with the unspoken answer that there is no truth.
01:06:31
No, Pilate was quite well aware there was such thing as truth.
01:06:37
And the Apostle Paul underscores that here commanding that the believers in Philippi and us by extension should be well aware of truth ourselves.
01:06:52
Christians should be aware of and display in their actions everything that is honest and just toward God.
01:07:01
Truth isn't just an agreement to some propositions.
01:07:08
Truth can be lived and seen. It should be our common practice.
01:07:16
We should not perform partial duties. Christians should never be unbalanced when it comes to the things that are true.
01:07:25
Unbalanced by being faithful and just in their religious duties but neglecting their duties to their fellow man or vice versa.
01:07:37
Nor should we provide a false witness to our character and how we should carry ourselves.
01:07:45
Christians should be true in their engagements, true in their promises, true in their statements, true in their friendships.
01:07:54
John Calvin said this, Truth is the integrity of a good conscience and the fruits of it.
01:08:04
What a great statement. Full balance of every aspect of our being should be pointing to Christ who said,
01:08:15
I am the way, the truth, and the life. And remember,
01:08:21
Calvin says, it should bear fruits. Truth, the integrity of our conscience, should bear fruit.
01:08:32
And Christians should be a fruitful people when it comes to the truth. Christians should maintain the truth about God at all times.
01:08:43
His eternity, His judgment. What God says about every man's character, what
01:08:52
God says about things such as submission, submission within the family or within the church or to the state.
01:09:01
Truth is the representation of the things that really are. We should live as though things are true.
01:09:11
Lip service is not what's required here. True witness of truth is always a well -rounded exhibition that can be seen.
01:09:23
Christians should always be striving for the truth and growing in our maturity in the truth.
01:09:30
The full support of scriptures and general revelation point to true objectivity.
01:09:39
But we do have a word of caution when it comes here. A man who is false in any way, false in his engagements, false in his statements, false in his promises, will always give disgrace to his profession of faith and a false witness, and bear a false witness to his
01:10:03
Lord and Savior. But Paul continues and he says,
01:10:11
Whatever things are noble, nobility and honor have fallen out of fashion in our day, in disrepair in our culture.
01:10:24
Honor is rarely seen in any sphere of life, in the home or the workplace, in the civil government and even in the church.
01:10:37
This is on display nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with anyone with a 10 cent idea and a keyboard in front of them.
01:10:47
Could spout off and attack those who have walked longer in this life, have greater experience, have been the
01:10:58
Lord for a long period of time, have a credible profession of faith, who have learned far more than they.
01:11:11
These people use soundbite type statements and they think it is high theology.
01:11:18
They lack to show honor to those to whom honor is due.
01:11:25
And all that high talk we've heard of Romans 13 in times past, we didn't hear that referenced much.
01:11:33
To show honor to honor is due. Modern man believes that honor only goes one way and that is to himself.
01:11:43
And sadly that will include some of us, the modern Christian. But it should not be so.
01:11:52
Paul says that the Christian should be quick to show honor to one another.
01:11:57
As a matter of fact, he says that in Romans chapter 12, verse 10. In honor giving preference to one another.
01:12:06
Christians are to respect to those to whom respect is due. That list would start with God.
01:12:15
First and foremost and always. But also parents, as we read today in our prayers of the people.
01:12:23
Elders, in that case it means people older than you. The elders of the church.
01:12:30
And really everyone. This showing of honor is consistent with a walk worthy of our profession.
01:12:42
Christians should also be honorable not only showing it in some way, but in their speech and also in their attire.
01:12:52
Avoiding slack speech and slipshod manners. And inappropriate dress.
01:12:59
I'm not referring specifically to immodest dress, although naturally it would include that.
01:13:06
But in dressing and our attire, thinking of the other person. Showing honor to them in how we carry ourselves.
01:13:17
And it's not that we should be thinking of what they'll be thinking of us. Look at me or something along those lines.
01:13:25
No, we should be thinking of them and the honor that they have. We should not lean on our so -called liberty, which we'll talk about in just a moment.
01:13:37
No, rather we should be quick to show honor to others. And this would include keeping our distance from the profane, the filthy, and the foolish.
01:13:51
Christians should be paragons of honor. It should be said in and around us and the people which we traffic with day in and day out.
01:14:01
If they say, you want to see what honor looks like? Look at the Christian. That's what honor looks like.
01:14:10
I think it's part of our humility. We are commanded to be humble.
01:14:17
To walk humbly before our God. As Micah reminds us in chapter 6, verse 8.
01:14:24
What does the Lord require of you? But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your
01:14:32
God. But Paul continues. Whatever is just, just or right or correct, or as we might say, righteous.
01:14:45
Just not only with God and the things of God, but also between man and man.
01:14:52
Giving to God what belongs to him and to man what is his due.
01:14:58
You may remember that in that teaching that our Lord gives on paying taxes.
01:15:06
We render unto God the things that are God. And unto Caesar the things that are Caesar.
01:15:12
Well that goes, it's true. Render the things that are God and the things that are due to man. That is justice, that is righteousness.
01:15:19
Paul is exhorting us to be agreeable to the rules of justice and righteousness in our dealings with man.
01:15:29
We should never injure or defraud anybody. Nor should we bear false witness.
01:15:36
Christianity does not exempt a man from the laws that bind people together into the exercise of justice.
01:15:44
But rather Christians should be most earnest to show righteousness and quick to do justice.
01:15:52
Even to their own detriment. We must remember that justice is a very important topic to the non -believer.
01:16:05
You can't even just have a cursory glance at our culture today and see that justice is first and foremost in the minds of people.
01:16:16
Well they're thinking about it incorrectly, but they have it before them. And these people are scrutinizing you day in and day out.
01:16:28
And they don't care so much about the exactness of your religious observances.
01:16:34
How often you go to church, or how much you honor the Lord's day, or give service to others.
01:16:41
But they will take notice of you if you operate in any underhanded or shady way in your communications in the marketplace.
01:16:51
Christians can make an impression on unbelievers by showing their uncorrupted integrity in all their dealings.
01:17:01
The Paul continues and says, whatever things are pure. The Greek word here implies clean.
01:17:11
Those things that are chaste and thought and in our conversation, without a mixture with sin.
01:17:18
An intentional mixture with sin. Chastity in every department of life.
01:17:26
Paul is pointing out that the Philippians and to us that we should be a holy people.
01:17:34
God said, be holy for I am holy. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, be perfect for your
01:17:43
Father in heaven is perfect. We should be ever mindful that we bear the name of Christ on us.
01:17:52
We are Christians. Naturally, when we bring up purity and chastity, our minds may drift to the relationship between the sexes.
01:18:04
Time does not permit for a proper consideration and treatment of this subject.
01:18:11
But I will ask a few questions and leave them with you. Is the modern conception of the interaction between men and women in line with what the scriptures teach?
01:18:23
Are concepts like boyfriend and girlfriend in line with the biblical picture of marriage and the relationships between Christ and his church?
01:18:33
Should we underwrite emotional adultery while at the same time trying to avoid physical adultery?
01:18:42
I will leave that to you to study more. But Paul is saying here, we should be a holy people.
01:18:51
And he continues, whatever things are lovely. Lovely is a difficult word.
01:19:00
I don't know what it conjures up in your mind, but the underlying Greek here implies something that is dear to everyone.
01:19:10
It is pleasing and attractive. Things that should make us beloved.
01:19:17
Things that make us amiable. Things that cultivate good will and cheer amongst men.
01:19:25
That cultivate friendship and love among men.
01:19:32
Christians should not be crabby, sour, or irritable in temper.
01:19:38
A sour and crabby Christian is out of place with joy inexpressible.
01:19:46
A hot -headed Christian is out of place with the peace that passes all understanding.
01:19:53
A stern -faced and scowling Christian is out of place with love, thy neighbor.
01:20:00
An unkind and severe Christian is out of place with what Paul tells us in 1
01:20:06
Corinthians 13. A Christian that finds fault in everything is out of place with considering it all joy.
01:20:17
A sour, crabby, stern -faced, quick -tempered, unkind, unthankful
01:20:22
Christian will quickly undo any good he tries to do.
01:20:30
And Paul continues, whatever is of good report. A few moments ago
01:20:36
I had said that honor has fallen out of favor or out of fashion in our day.
01:20:41
Really, everything that we've talked about here so far has fallen out of fashion.
01:20:47
And so has the good report. Things that are truly reputable in the world at large is what is in mind here.
01:20:57
To give us a good name and a good reputation, a good standing in the marketplace. Things that are commendable by all times and by all people.
01:21:08
Things like courtesy, politeness, kindness, respect.
01:21:19
Those are the things, the patterns to which Christians should be a living example of.
01:21:26
A Christian's usefulness depends on the cultivation of those things which are more than anything else highly visible.
01:21:40
One man once said, and I can't remember to whom it should be accurately attributed to, at all times preach the gospel, this man said, and sometimes use words.
01:21:53
That our actions preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ perhaps better than our own words.
01:22:03
Remember also that Christians should always think good of one another. That's what we have in 1
01:22:11
Corinthians 13, it says love believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.
01:22:18
We believe that our brothers and sisters in Christ have the right motives behind them.
01:22:26
We hope that they do and we endure when they don't. We should be quick to give a good report as well as to receive a good report.
01:22:41
Paul continues here and he says, if there is any virtue. A few moments ago
01:22:48
I mentioned that Paul was saying something akin to what David I go the way of all the earth be strong therefore and show yourself a man.
01:22:59
This is where that connection means. The word which we have translated here as virtue literally means manliness, valor or excellence.
01:23:12
Paul is pointing to those things which by nature have true virtue.
01:23:19
All those characteristics that we would add to be virtuous are those things which should describe a man.
01:23:27
Christians should seek to cultivate those attributes within themselves. Naturally it would come at the opposition to vice.
01:23:38
Sadly in our day the virtuous has been exchanged for the body and the scandalous.
01:23:45
There's more desire today to be a rule breaker than a rule keeper.
01:23:52
Those who shun or move away from virtue think that they are cool but what they really are rhymes with cool.
01:24:03
They are the fool and sadly it is sometimes like that with the
01:24:09
Christian. We will try to move away from traditional Christianity and to be more like the world.
01:24:18
Paul is telling the Philippians and us that we should be on our guard.
01:24:25
Look at those things that are virtuous. He goes on and say if there is anything praise worthy this is not a command to seek praise from others or to regulate our lives by the judgment of others.
01:24:39
No but rather to devote yourselves to the performance of good works that merit commendation.
01:24:46
Live in such a way as the unbelievers when they revile you for your faith and your beliefs will have no grounds for condemning your actions.
01:24:58
Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 3 16 having a good conscience that when they defame you as evil doers those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
01:25:13
Well that's quite a list of items for us that Paul wrote to the
01:25:20
Philippians but that is not the exhortation. His last part of this sentence is meditate on these things.
01:25:34
I have said this many times when we are faced by the challenges of temptation the
01:25:42
Apostle gives us in Romans 12 you're familiar with these verses that we should renew our mind.
01:25:50
Well how do we do that? By this. Focusing on those things that are true that are noble, just, lovely, pure, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.
01:26:12
Meditate here implies taking inventory going through your life and checking am
01:26:22
I doing these things? Are they the object of my careful attention and consideration?
01:26:32
Am I cultivating attitudes and actions that are in line with the things which scripture gives us?
01:26:44
Am I thinking about my obligation to do so and to observe them and to think of what influence they may have in the world around me?
01:26:56
Or to turn them over in our minds seriously? Reason within ourselves and put them into practice.
01:27:06
This was Paul's closing exhortation to the
01:27:12
Philippian believers to be earnest to think and to act like Christians.
01:27:20
That being part of the body of Christ is to bear witness to Christ in the world.
01:27:29
It is part of discipling the nations which is the
01:27:34
Great Commission. And it's a command given to the rank and file Christian the ordinary layman.
01:27:48
Well, as I come to my concluding moment I would like to leave you with some exhortations.
01:28:02
My first one is to love one another. John writes for us in his gospel quoting the
01:28:10
Lord Jesus Christ a new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you that you also love one another.
01:28:22
By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.
01:28:33
No matter how much theology you know, no matter how many Bible verses you have memorized, no matter how well you can argue the points of Christianity with others the one thing that our
01:28:49
Lord says that will call attention from the world to you and know that you are his disciples is the love that you show for one another.
01:29:02
Well, how do we do that you might ask? Well, it's not just by churning up affectionate feelings although it may include that.
01:29:11
One way is my second admonition serve one another.
01:29:16
In Galatians 5 .13 Paul writes for you brethren have been called to liberty.
01:29:25
Only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh but through love serve one another.
01:29:33
In all of your discussions on Christian liberty were you reminded in those discussions to say that I have been given liberty to serve you?
01:29:44
Maybe not. But that's what Paul is saying. You've been called to liberty and we have liberty brothers and sisters.
01:29:54
But we should use that liberty to serve one another. My next admonition is to bear one another's burdens.
01:30:04
In Galatians 6 .2 bear one another burdens Paul says and so fulfill the law of Christ.
01:30:15
Bearing one another's burdens requires us to know your burdens. You should be quick to share your burdens with your brothers and sisters so that they may help you to bear those burdens.
01:30:33
One thing to keep in mind and that's probably true for all of these that it is not a call to have your burdens borne as if you're walking around looking to give your burdens to everybody.
01:30:48
No. You should be concerned with bearing others' burdens.
01:30:57
My fourth admonition is to be kind and compassionate to one another.
01:31:04
Ephesians 4 .32 says this and be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you.
01:31:17
Kindness is something else that I find hard to define sometimes. We know it when we see it but rarely would we have defined kindness as forgiving one another, as being tender hearted.
01:31:36
Well I hope from now on when we think of kindness that it would be brought to mind that we are to forgive one another.
01:31:45
As we live in community with one another, as we seek to reach the lost with the gospel, as we labor here in this local congregation to reach out to Longwood and beyond, there will be friction, there will be collisions, there will be sin.
01:32:05
Be kind and compassionate to one another. Show your love for one another by forgiving one another.
01:32:14
My fifth admonition is to accept one another. Romans 15 .7
01:32:21
says this therefore receive one another just as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
01:32:29
The ESV translates the word receive as accept. As we reach and work for the gospel, new people will come in on a regular basis.
01:32:45
They may have different backgrounds, they may have different nations of origin, they may have different likes and dislikes and interests but we are to receive them as we have been received and accepted into our fold.
01:33:09
And lastly, encourage one another. 1
01:33:15
Thessalonians 5 .11 says therefore comfort one another, I'm sorry, therefore comfort each other and edify one another just as you are also doing.
01:33:29
The ESV translates this word comfort as encourage and that is because we in the modern day don't understand what the word comfort means.
01:33:43
Sometimes we think comfort as a warm blankie or our favorite pair of jeans or a pair of sweats to throw on after a hard day but that's not what the word means.
01:33:57
It comes from the Latin that means with strength as we live the
01:34:05
Christian life. As we struggle against our temptations and the sins which so easily entangle us.
01:34:12
As we struggle to live in community with one another we will need to encourage one another.
01:34:22
Next month I will have been a Christian 22 years and as I have reflected back on those 22 years the one thing that I think is most needful from other brothers and sisters in Christ is encouragement.
01:34:43
Well that brings us to the end and I will close by quoting 2nd
01:34:58
Corinthians 13 .11. Finally brethren farewell be complete, be of good comfort, be of one mind live in peace and the
01:35:23
God of love will be with you all. Let us pray
01:35:29
Our gracious God and Father we are so thankful Lord that you have brought us together into this community into this local congregation known as Ascension Presbyterian Church and Father we pray that as we have considered these things which we ought to do as Christians that we ought to do not only individually as Christians but Christians in community with one another that you would give us the grace
01:36:03
Lord to do it for we cannot do it on our own if we were our striving would be losing we pray dear
01:36:13
Father that you would not only give us the grace but the strength and the comfort of the
01:36:21
Holy Spirit to enable us to do that we pray all these things
01:36:30
Father and more also in the strong name of Jesus and Amen Let us continue our worship to the presentation of our tithes and offerings please stand and let us pray
01:37:10
Our gracious God and Father we thank you oh Lord that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus and that these blessings have overflown to us
01:37:23
Lord into material blessings and we thank you Father that we have incorporated as part of our worship an opportunity to render back to the service of this local congregation a portion of those blessings we pray dear
01:37:41
Father that we have done this cheerfully and we pray Father for those who receive these funds to use them for this local congregation and it's gospel ministry that they would use them faithfully and we ask for the grace and the strength to do this in the name of Jesus Christ our
01:38:02
Lord, Amen Let us give glory to our great God in the singing of the
01:38:08
Gloria Patri Glory be to the
01:38:14
Father and to the
01:38:19
Son as it was, is now and ever shall world with the
01:38:47
Lord be with you lift up your hearts let us give thanks to the
01:38:55
Lord it is right and a good and joyful thing that we should at all times and all places give thanks to you,
01:39:06
O Holy Lord Father Almighty, Everlasting God because you sent your beloved
01:39:13
Son to redeem us from sin and death and to make us heirs in Him of everlasting life that when
01:39:21
He shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear, rejoice to behold
01:39:31
His appearing therefore, with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we praise and magnify your glorious name, ever more praising you in singing
01:40:27
Amen. Please be seated and let us pray
01:41:12
O God, the Father of all mercies and God of all consolation grant your gracious presence and the effectual working of your spirit in us and so to sanctify these elements both of bread and wine and to bless your own ordinance that we may receive by faith the body and blood of Jesus Christ crucified for us and also feed upon Him that He may be one with us and we one with Him that He may live in us and we in Him and for Him who has loved us and given
01:41:56
Himself for us we pray in His most blessed name,
01:42:02
Amen In the night in which our Lord was betrayed
01:42:08
He took bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples saying, take, eat this is my body which was broken for you likewise, after supper,
01:42:24
He took the cup and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them saying drink this only, this is the new covenant in my blood, as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the
01:42:39
Lord's death until He comes, therefore we proclaim to faith Christ has died
01:42:48
Christ will come again let us prepare our hearts to approach the table as we pray together we do not presume to come to this your table
01:42:59
O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies, we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same
01:43:14
Lord who always shows mercy grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear
01:43:22
Son, Jesus Christ and to drink His blood that our sinful bodies may be cleaned by His body and our souls washed through His most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in Him, and He in us
01:43:39
Amen. Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us, the gifts of God for you, the people of God what a glorious hymn that is a great closing hymn for the communion time well now that we have been fed at the table of our
01:55:40
Lord, let us make this commitment together Almighty and ever -living
01:55:46
God we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of your
01:55:54
Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, for assuring us in these holy mysteries, that we are living members of the body of your
01:56:04
Son and heirs of your eternal kingdom and O Lord, grant us this other benefit 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 and now
01:56:24
Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses,
01:56:31
Christ our Lord, to Him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, the honor and glory, now and forever.
01:56:39
Amen. Please stand Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
01:56:49
Praise Him, all creatures Here He lies
01:56:57
Praise Him, above ye heavenly host
01:57:16
Receive now the blessing, the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of His Son, Jesus Christ, our
01:57:27
Lord and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father the Son, and the
01:57:32
Holy Spirit be upon and remain with you always. Amen Christ before me
01:57:49
Christ beside me, Christ to win Christ beneath me,
01:58:01
Christ above me Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
01:58:07
Christ in arms unto myself the name, the strong name of the nation, of the same the free
01:58:33
In the name of the