Ascension Presbyterian Lord's Day Worship

Let's take just a quick moment to prepare our hearts for corporate worship.

Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome to the corporate worship of our great God.

Please stand.

O come, let us sing to the 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 songs.

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.

The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down.

Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker, for he is our

God.

And we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hands.

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 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.

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, amen.

Please kneel now as you are able for the corporate confession

of sin.

Let us join together now with one voice.

Almighty Father, God

of God,

you healed us.

We have not forgiven others, even though you forgave us.

We withhold kindness from the needy, and you freely gave us your son.

We are without excuse.

Please stand.

My little children, I write to you that you may not sin.

And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the 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.

People of God, if you be in Christ, take heart today.

Your sins are forgiven.

Amen?

Amen.

Let us take up the hymnal now and turn to number 455.

And can it be, number 455.

Please turn into the bulletins and find Psalm 85.

It should be the top insert.

It says number 262 on the upper left corner.

The tune is How Sweet and Awful or Awesome is the Place.

It's a familiar tune to us, and we are going to sing it to that tune.

How Sweet and Awful is the Place.

Let us begin.

Please remain standing for the reading of the word from Genesis 17.

Genesis chapter 17.

You need my Bible, David?

What a big chapter for you, brother.

Genesis.

Hear now the word of the Lord.

When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am Almighty God.

Walk before me and be blameless, and I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you

exceedingly.

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, as for me, behold, my covenant is

with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be 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.

And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you in their

generations for an everlasting covenant to be 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 God.

And God said to Abram, as for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout

their generations.

This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your descendants after you.

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.

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.

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.

And the circumcised male child who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that

person shall be cut off from his people.

He has broken my covenant.

Then God said to Abraham, as for Sarah, your wife, you shall not call her name Sarah, but Sarah shall be

her name.

And I will bless her and also give you a son by her.

Then I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations.

Kings of people shall be from her.

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, shall a child be born to a man who

is 100 years old?

And shall Sarah, who is 90 years old, bear a child?

And Abraham said to God, that Ishmael might live before you.

Then God said, no, Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son.

And you shall call his name Isaac.

I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him.

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you.

Behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly.

He shall beget 12 princes and I will make him a great nation.

But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.

Then he finished talking with him and God went up from Abraham.

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.

Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

And Ishmael, his son, was 13 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

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.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Let us now confess our ancient Christian faith with the

zealous singing of the Apostles' Creed.

Let us begin.

I believe in God.

Please take up the hymnal once more and turn to number 281.

I know that my Redeemer lives,

number 281.

Glory, hallelujah, I know that my Redeemer lives.

Let us begin.

Turn to number 32, very familiar hymn to all of us.

Great is thy faithfulness, number 32.

Let us begin.

Great.

Please make preparations now for the prayers of the people.

Men, we are on the Ten Commandments today, so we'd encourage all of you, members

particularly of our church, to take up these requests.

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

to obey your commandments, and also that we, being defended

from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness through the

merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, God forever,

amen.

The Lord says, I am the Lord your God.

You shall have no other gods before me.

Everything else in this life, all of our worries, all of our plans,

fears, everything, we're falling into

prophecy, we rise.

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.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

Honor your father and your mother.

You shall not kill.

You shall not commit adultery.

We ask Father that you

would be

with

your

people, that

you would tell

us, you would say to us, who is contrary

to the ways of the world that is practiced today.

We ask Father that you would help

us to be like not just the

Catholic or the CSS, but all of us, those who are married,

that they would be faithful to this house, those who are nominated,

that they would be faithful to this house,

that they would not kill themselves, but acknowledge the God of God.

You shall not steal.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

You shall not covet.

You shall not be the chief virtue that supplies the need for us to not covet.

I pray that you would repent before you get in, that we would be looking sideways at what our neighbor has and what

we don't have.

As this causes so much destruction in our lives, I pray that you would grant us Thanksgiving.

I ask this in the name of Jesus.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, mind and strength.

Amen.

Amen.

Please stand and take up the other insert, the Psalm of the Month.

To our guests today, we have a monthly psalm.

This one's a little bit different in that it requires some back and forth between

the men and the ladies.

The men are singing the portion of the psalm that says D -E -C over

the notes.

The ladies are singing the C -A -N portions, and we're all

together on the full.

The folks who are regulars here know how to sing this psalm already.

That's how you do it.

Let us begin.

Please take your Bibles with me and open to the Book of Philippians.

Paul's letter to the Philippians.

We'll be looking at only one verse here this morning from chapter 4, verse 8.

Paul's letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 8.

These are the words of God.

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.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we ask that you will grant us grace to understand your

word.

Fill us with your Holy Spirit, we pray.

In the name of Christ Jesus, our 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.

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 New Testament, at the end of a letter.

Some of these things that you may call to mind may include the book of Deuteronomy.

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 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.

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.

Moses' exhortations in the book of Deuteronomy can perhaps be summed up with the

great Shema found in Deuteronomy 6 .4.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your

strength.

We may also call to mind David's instructions to his son Solomon, which are

recorded for us in 1 Kings 2, which opens with this verse.

Now the days of David draw near that he should die.

And he charged Solomon, his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth.

Be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.

David, the great king, perhaps the greatest king of the Israelite kingdom,

was described as a man after God's own heart, and he was about to die,

and would leave the kingdom in the hands of his young son Solomon.

David perhaps gives his greatest and best advice to Solomon, which we read in 1

Kings 2, verses 3 and 4.

And keep the charge of the Lord your 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 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.

Be righteous and an obedient man, David says, and all will be well with you,

for the Lord will provide.

We may also call to mind an incident in the New Testament where Paul bids farewell

to the Ephesian elders, which is captured for us in Acts chapter 20.

You recall the scene where Paul calls for the elders as he is at Miletus

on the beach.

The elders come and Paul provides them some closing instructions regarding

the care to which they should provide for their flocks.

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.

Paul's final instructions and admonitions were to be alert, stay awake,

be vigilant, prepared for the attacks that would surely come.

And at the end of nearly every epistle that we have in the New Testament, there are always closing

admonitions.

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 God of love and peace will be with you.

Or what we read in Ephesians 6 10.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

And then Peter has in 1 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.

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.

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.

This letter was written to the church at Philippi, more likely a set of churches in

the city of Philippi.

Philippi was named after Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great.

It lay at the crossroads between the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.

A colony of retired Roman soldiers was located there, and the city had

received the great blessing of being 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.

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.

Paul and Silas and Timothy started to preach for the first time on the

continent of Europe.

The first recorded baptism of a European believer is noted as

taking place in Philippi.

Lydia, the seller of purple, was baptized by the riverside.

After this, Paul and Silas were the focal point of a riot that took place

after the 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.

And when she stopped, they didn't like it.

This led to the famous account of the conversion of the Philippian jailer, which is recounted for

us in Acts 16, 25 through 34.

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 Corinthians 2.

Paul writes this letter to a church in Philippi that he planted after and

during 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.

There are several clues within the letter that would lead us to believe that.

In chapter 1, verse 13, Paul mentions the palace guard.

In chapter 4, verse 22, he mentions Caesar's household, more likely point to

a Roman imprisonment.

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.

It is a wonderful letter.

We had the pleasure of taking a year to go through this letter in the teaching hour

last year.

One of the major themes, if not the major theme of this letter,.

Is joy.

Paul's affection for the Philippian church, and the work of Christ that was being done in

the church, caused him great joy.

He uses this word, or word pointing to joy, over 16 times

in this letter.

In fact, just prior to this verse that we're looking at today, in verses 4 -7,

Paul tells his readers that the antidote to anxiety is rejoicing.

He says in Philippians 4, Rejoice in the Lord always.

Again, I say rejoice.

Following in verses 6 -7, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by

prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

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.

Nothing reflects joy more than thanksgiving, and peace that we have with God.

Another great theme in Paul's letter to the Philippians, or really in all of his letters, is the

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

Father.

In many references, he notes God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy

Spirit.

Indeed, one God in three persons.

Another major theme of Philippians is the exaltation of Christ,

especially in his humility.

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, 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.

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 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.

But the one thing I would call out here of the great humility and exaltation of

Christ is his obedience to God the Father.

We should remember that, especially since we have a command to be like him.

Another major theme is justification by grace through faith alone.

Paul stresses that one cannot merit grace, one cannot

merit mercy.

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.

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,.

Another major theme is the Christian life.

Rather than a call to spiritual introspection, the 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.

And our Lord Jesus Christ was active in his earthly ministry.

Paul notes that we are slaves of Christ.

You may remember he opens this letter with this verse, Paul and

Timothy, bond servants of Jesus Christ.

Our modern translators do us a great disservice by attempting to clean up the word slave

by some other word.

It carries a lot of baggage in our culture.

The Greek word is doulos, that we are slaves.

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.

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.

No one was ever commanded to look out for themselves only.

Here Paul commands that we are to look out for others, but also he

reminds us that living the Christian life will invite suffering.

The tribulations of the New Testament are due to Christians because they are fighting

the world system.

They are turning the world, not upside down as our brother reminds me often when I say this,

but turning the world right side up is going to cause attention

and of the negative variety.

And even though we have this great tribulation in this life, we have joy and power

to make it through.

In chapter three, verse ten, we read that I may know him and the power

of his resurrection.

And in chapter four, verse thirteen, I can do all things

through Christ who strengthens me.

Man's effort in this area manifests the power of God if we

rely on God by faith.

It is not manifested sitting on the couch.

It is not manifested in day by day trying to downplay the commandments of God.

The power and the strength of Christ are manifested in doing his

will.

Well, those are the major themes of this letter.

And Paul brings a close to the letter to which he is writing, 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.

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.

He's saying something akin to, my brothers and sisters in Christ, here is my final bit of

advice.

As a matter of fact, that's how J .B. Phillips in his translation translates this verse.

Here is my last piece of advice.

The amplified version says, and now for the rest.

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.

It is not a summary of what Paul has already said, but saying something at the last

that he has left unsaid until now.

As we will see in a moment, that this last part of this letter is almost like

David's admonition to Solomon.

I go the way of all the earth.

Be strong, therefore, and be a man.

Manliness in the Hebraic culture was not something to be ashamed of, but rather

imitated.

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.

No, Paul in this last section, this one verse, is calling on the

Philippians to man up.

The first thing that Paul brings their attention to are whatever things are true.

There is one thing that immediately should come to our mind that the Apostle is saying

that there are things that are true.

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, your upbringing, where you

are from originally, your sex, or the color of

your skin.

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 Lord Jesus Christ at his interrogation.

Pilate asked him, are you a king?

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.

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.

No, Pilate was quite well aware there was such thing as truth.

And the Apostle Paul underscores that here, commanding that the believers

in Philippi and us by extension should be well

aware of truth ourselves.

Christians should be aware of and display in their actions everything that is

honest and just toward God.

Truth isn't just an agreement to some propositions.

Truth can be lived and seen.

It should be our common practice.

We should not perform partial duties.

Christians should never be unbalanced when it comes to the things that are true.

Unbalanced by being faithful and just in their religious duties,

but neglecting their duties to their fellow man or vice versa.

Nor should we provide a false witness to our character and how

we should carry ourselves.

Christians should be true in their engagements, true in their promises, true in their

statements, true in their friendships.

John Calvin said this, truth is the integrity of a good

conscience and the fruits of it.

What a great statement.

Full balance of every aspect of our being should be pointing

to Christ who said, I am the way, the truth and the life.

And remember, Calvin says it should bear fruits.

Truth, the integrity of our conscience should bear fruit and

Christians should be a fruitful people when it comes to the truth.

Christians should maintain the truth about God at all times.

His eternity, his judgment.

What God says about every man's character, what God says

about things such as submission, submission within the family or within the church

or to the state.

Truth is the representation of the things that really are.

We should live as though things are true.

Lip service is not what's required here.

True witness of truth is always a well -rounded

exhibition that can be seen.

Christians should always be striving for the truth and growing in our maturity in the truth.

The full support of scriptures and general revelation point to true

objectivity.

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 Lord and Savior.

But Paul continues and he says whatever things are

noble, nobility and honor have fallen out of fashion in our day,

in disrepair in our culture.

Honor is rarely seen in any sphere of life, in the home

or the workplace, in the civil government and even in the church.

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 could spout off and attack

those who have walked longer in this life, have greater experience, have been

the Lord's for a long period of time, have a credible profession of faith,

who have learned far more than they.

These people use soundbite type statements and they think it is high theology.

They lack to show honor to those to whom honor is due.

And all that high talk we've heard of Romans 13 in times past, we didn't

hear that referenced much.

To show honor to honor is due.

Modern man believes that honor only goes one way and that is to himself

and sadly that will include some of us, the modern Christian

but it should not be so.

Paul says that the Christian should be quick to show honor to one another.

As a matter of fact, he says that in Romans chapter 12 verse 10, in honor giving

preference to one another.

Christians are to respect to those to whom respect is due.

That list would start with God first and foremost and always

but also parents as we read today in our prayers of the people.

Elders, in that case it means people older than you.

The elders of the church and really everyone.

This showing of honor is consistent with a walk worthy of our profession.

Christians should also be honorable not only showing it in some way

but in their speech and also in their attire.

Avoiding slack speech and slipshod manners and inappropriate

dress.

I'm not referring specifically to a modest dress, although naturally it would include that.

But in dressing and our attire, thinking of the other person showing

honor to them and how we carry ourselves 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.

No, we should be thinking of them and the honor that they had.

We should not lean on our so -called liberty, which we'll talk about in just a moment.

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.

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.

If they say, you want to see what honor looks like?

Look at the Christian.

That's what honor looks like.

I think it's part of our humility.

We are commanded to be humble, to walk humbly before our

God as Micah reminds us in chapter 6 verse 8.

What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk

humbly before your God.

But Paul continues whatever is just, just or

right or correct or as we might say righteous.

Just not only with God and the things of God, but also between

man and man.

Giving to God what belongs to him and to man what is his due.

You really remember that in that teaching that our Lord gives on paying

taxes.

We render unto God the things that are God and unto Caesar the things that are Caesar.

Well that goes, it's true, render the things that are God and the things are due to man.

That is justice, that is righteousness.

Paul is exhorting us to be agreeable to the rules of justice and

righteousness in our dealings with man.

We should never injure or defraud anybody nor should we bear false

witness.

Christianity does not exempt a man from the laws that bind people together into the

exercise of justice.

But rather Christians should be most earnest to show righteousness and quick to do

justice.

Even to their own detriment we must remember

that justice is a very important topic to the non -believer.

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.

Well they're thinking about it incorrectly, but they have it before them.

And these people are scrutinizing you day in and day out.

And they don't care so much about the exactness of your religious observances,

how often you go to church or how much you honor the Lord's day or give service to others.

But they will take notice of you if you operate in any underhanded or shady way

in your communications in the marketplace.

Christians can make an impression on unbelievers by showing their uncorrupted integrity

in all their dealings.

But Paul continues and says whatever things are pure,

the Greek word here implies clean.

Those things that are chaste and thought and in our conversation without a mixture

with sin, an intentional mixture with sin.

Chastity in every department of life.

Paul is pointing out that the Philippians and to us that we should be a

holy people.

God said be holy for I am holy.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said be perfect for your father in heaven is

perfect.

We should be ever mindful that we bear the name of Christ on us.

We are Christians.

Naturally, when we bring up purity and chastity, our minds may drift to the

relationship between the sexes.

Time does not permit for a proper consideration and treatment of this subject.

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?

Are concepts like boyfriend and girlfriend in line with the biblical picture of marriage

and the relationships between Christ and his church?

Should we underwrite emotional adultery while at the same time trying to avoid

physical adultery?

I will leave that to you to study more.

But Paul is saying here we should be a holy people.

And he continues, whatever things are lovely.

Lovely is a difficult word.

I don't know what it conjures up in your mind, but the underlying Greek here implies

something that is dear to everyone.

It is pleasing and attractive.

Things that should make us be loved.

Things that make us amiable.

Things that cultivate goodwill and cheer amongst men.

That cultivate friendship and love among men.

Christians should not be crabby, sour, or irritable in temper.

A sour and crabby Christian is out of place with joy

inexpressible.

A hot -headed Christian is out of place with a peace that passes all understanding.

A stern -faced and scowling Christian is out of place with love, thy

neighbor.

An unkind and severe Christian is out of place with what Paul tells us in

1 Corinthians 13.

A Christian that finds fault in everything is out of place with

considering it all joy.

A sour, crabby, stern -faced, quick -tempered, unkind, unthankful Christian

will quickly undo any good he tries to do.

And Paul continues, whatever is of good report.

A few moments ago I had said that honor has fallen out of favor or out of fashion in our

day.

Really, everything that we've talked about here so far has fallen out of fashion,

and so has the good report.

Things that are truly reputable in the world at large is what is in mind here.

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.

Things like courtesy, politeness, kindness,

respect.

Those are the things, the patterns to which Christians should be a living example.

A Christian's usefulness depends on the cultivation of those things which

are more than anything else highly visible.

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.

That our actions preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

perhaps better than our own words.

Remember also that Christians should always think good of one another.

That's what we have in 1 Corinthians 13.

It says, love believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all

things.

We believe that our brothers and sisters in Christ have the

right motives behind them.

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.

Paul continues here and he says if there is any virtue.

A few moments ago 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.

This is where that connection means.

The word which we have translated here as virtue literally means

manliness, valor, or excellence.

Paul is pointing to those things which by nature have true virtue.

All those characteristics that we would add to be virtuous are those things which should describe a

man.

Christians should seek to cultivate those attributes within themselves.

Naturally it would come at the opposition to vice.

Sadly in our day the virtuous has been exchanged for the bawdy and the scandalous.

There's more desire today to be a rule breaker than a rule keeper.

Those who shun or move away from virtue think that they are cool

but what they really are rhymes with cool.

They are the fool.

Sadly it is sometimes like that with the Christian.

We will try to move away from traditional Christianity and to be more like the world.

Paul is telling the Philippians and us that we should be on our guard.

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 no but rather to devote yourselves

to the performance of good works that merit commendation.

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.

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.

Well that's quite a list of items for us that

Paul wrote to the Philippians but that is not the exhortation.

His last part of this sentence is meditate

on these things.

I have said this many times when we are faced by the challenges of

temptation the Apostle gives us in Romans 12 you're familiar with this these verses

that we should renew our mind.

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.

Meditate here implies taking inventory

going through your life and checking am I doing these things

are they the object of my careful attention and consideration am I

cultivating attitudes and

actions that are in line with the things which scripture gives us

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 or to turn

them over in our mind seriously reason within ourselves

and put them into practice.

This was Paul's closing exhortation to the Philippian

believers to be earnest to think and to act like

Christians that being part of the body of Christ is

to bear witness to Christ in the world it is part of

discipling the nations which is the great commission and it's a

command given to the rank and file Christian the

ordinary layman.

Well as I come to my concluding moment I would like to leave you

with some exhortations.

My first one is to love one another.

John writes for us in his gospel quoting the 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.

By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love

for one another 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 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.

Well how do we do that you might ask?

Well it's not just by churning up affectionate feelings although it may include that one

way is my second admonition serve one another.

In Galatians 5 13 Paul writes for you brethren have been called to

liberty only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh

but through love serve one another.

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?

Maybe not but that's what Paul is saying.

You've been called to liberty and we have liberty brothers and sisters but we should use that

liberty to serve one another.

My next admonition is to bear one another's burdens.

In Galatians 6 2 bear one another burdens Paul says and

so fulfill the law of Christ.

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.

One thing to keep in mind and that's probably true for all of these that it

is not a call for you to have your burdens born as if you're walking around

looking to give your burdens to everybody.

No you should be concerned with bearing others burdens.

My fourth admonition is to be kind and compassionate to one another.

Ephesians 4 32 says this and be kind to one another, tender hearted,

forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you.

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.

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.

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.

Be kind and compassionate to one another.

Show your love for one another by forgiving one another.

My fifth admonition is to accept one another.

Romans 15 7 says this therefore receive one another

just as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

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.

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.

And lastly, encourage one another.

1 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.

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.

Sometimes we think comfort is 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.

It comes from the Latin that means with strength

as we live the Christian life as we struggle against our temptations and the

sins which so easily entangle us.

As we struggle to live in community with one another we will need

to encourage one another.

Next month I will have been a Christian 22 years and as I've reflected back on

those 22 years the one thing that I think is most needful

from other brothers and sisters in Christ is encouragement.

Well, that brings us to the end

and I will close by quoting 2 Corinthians 13 11.

Finally, brethren, farewell.

Be complete.

Be of good comfort.

Be of one mind.

Live in peace and the God of love will be with you all

Amen.

Let us pray 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've 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, Lord, to do it for we

cannot do it on our own.

If we were, our striving would be losing.

We pray, dear Father, that you would not only give us the grace but the strength and the comfort

of the Holy Spirit to enable us to do that.

We pray all these things, Father and more also in the strong name of Jesus

and amen.

Well, let us continue our worship through the presentation of our tithes and offerings.

Please stand and let us pray Our gracious

God and Father we thank you, O 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,

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 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 its 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 Lord.

Amen.

Let us give glory to our great God in the singing of the Gloria Patri.

Glory be to the Father and

to the Son and to the

as it was, is

now and ever shall be, world

without end.

The Lord be with you.

Lift up your hearts.

Let us give thanks to the Lord.

It is right and a good and joyful thing that we should at all times and all places

give thanks to you, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, everlasting God,

because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death and to make

us heirs in him of everlasting life, that when he shall come again in

power and great triumph to judge the world, we may, without shame or fear,

rejoice to behold his appearing.

Therefore, with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we

praise and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and singing.

Amen.

Please be seated and let us pray.

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 them 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 himself for us, we pray in his most blessed name.

Amen.

In the night in which our Lord was betrayed, 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 he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, drink

this always.

This is the new covenant in my blood.

As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death

until he comes.

Therefore, we proclaim the faith.

Christ has died.

Let us prepare our hearts.

To approach the table as we pray together.

We do not presume to come to this your table 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 Lord who always shows mercy.

Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear 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.

Amen.

Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us.

Therefore, let us keep 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 Lord, let us make this commitment together.

Almighty and ever -living God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food

of the most precious body and blood of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ,

for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the body of

your 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, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you

as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.

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

Amen.

Please stand.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.

Praise him, all creatures, here he lies.

Praise him above ye heavenly hosts.

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

Lord.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be

upon and remain with you always.

Amen.

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

Thanks be to the Lord.