Ascension Presbyterian Lord's Day Worship

For those of you who are guests today for probably the baptism welcome. We are not concerned about starting or finishing on time. So you should be aware of that. We're glad you're here today. We are not in a hurry.

Preparing to Worship the Lord

So let's take a moment and prepare our hearts to worship the Lord. Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome to the corporate worship of our great God. Please stand. For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire into blackness and darkness.

And.

Tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words. So those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore For they could not endure what was commanded as if so much as a beast touches the mountain it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.

And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said I am exceedingly afraid and trembling. But you have come to Mount Zion Into the city of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of angels to the General Assembly in Church of the Firstborn who are registered in heaven.

To God the judge of all to the spirits of just men made perfect. To Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things Than that of Abel. Oh people of God Come now and let us worship him.

Amen. Please pray with me father son and Holy Spirit.

We.

Come into your presence not fearing touching the mountain but recognizing that you are our God and All glory laud and honor belong to you our Redeemer and King. We ask that our worship would be pleasing in your sight.

Not through technical excellence or flawlessness But through the merits of our Savior and mediator the Lord Jesus Christ. And This we have confidence that you will do it. You will accept it. We ask that you would be pleased with our worship in light of Christ.

It's in Jesus name that we pray.

Amen.

Please kneel as you're able for the corporate confession of sin. Let us join together now in confessing our sins. Eternal Father. Grant us to know that the way of transgressors is hard. That evil paths are wretched paths that depart from thee is to lose all good.

All these sins we mourn lament and for them cry pardon. Work it us more profound and abiding repentance and grant that through the tears of repentance. Rightness. Please stand. It's a terrifying thing to come into the presence of a holy God.

But we have Christ and we have forgiveness of sins in him. Receive now the assurance of pardon. This is the covenant. I will make with them after those days declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts and Inscribe them on their minds their sins and lawless acts.

I will remember no more. Give thanks today. Oh people of God in Christ. Your sins are forgiven.

Amen.

Please take up the hymnal and turn to number 75. We're going to be singing. Oh father You are sovereign and the tune is all glory laud and honor. Let us sing to the glory of God number 75.

Please take up now the insert and find the side of that one that says Psalm.

87 through here. Just a few moments ago DJ led us in a quick rehearsal of that. We're going to sing. Oh this tune is oh for a thousand tongues to sing Psalm 87.

The Reading from Genesis 19 and the Judgment on Sodom

Please remain standing for the reading of the word from the book of Genesis in chapter 19.

Genesis chapter 19. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening and lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When lot saw them he rose to meet them and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.

And he said here now my lords Please turn into your servants house and spend the night and wash your feet then you may rise early and go on your way. And they said no, but we will spend the night in the open square.

But he insisted strongly so they turned into him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread and they ate. Now before they lay down the men of the city the men of Sodom Both young both old and young all the people from every quarter Surrounded the house and they called to lot and said to him Where are the men who came to you tonight?

Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally. So lot went out to them through the doorway Shut the door behind him and said please my brethren do not do so wickedly. See see now. I have two daughters who have not known a man.

Please let me bring them out to you and you may do to them as you wish only do nothing to these men. Since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof. And they said stand back. Then they said this one came in to stay here and he keeps acting as a judge.

Now we will deal worse with you than with them. So they pressed hard against the man lot and came near to break down the door but the men reached out their hands and pulled lot into the house with them and shut the door and They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness both small and great.

So that they became weary trying to find the door. Then the med set then the med said to lot have you anyone else here. Son-in-law your sons your daughters and whomever you have in the city take them out of this place.

For we will destroy this place. Because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord. The Lord has sent us to destroy it. So lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who had married his daughters and said Get up get out of this place for the Lord will destroy this city.

But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking. When the morning dawned the angels urged lot to hurry saying Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.

While he lingered the men took hold of his hand his wife's hand in the hands of his two daughters. The Lord being merciful to him and they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass when they had brought them outside that he said Escape for your life.

Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plane. Escape to the mountains lest you be destroyed. Then lot said to them Please know my Lord's. Indeed now your servant has found favor in your sight.

You have increased your mercy Which you have shown me by saving my life, but I cannot escape to the mountains Lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now this city is near enough to flee to and it is a little one.

Please let me escape there. Is it not a little one and my soul shall live. And he said to him See, I have favored you concerning this thing also and that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.

Hurry escape there for I cannot do anything until you arrive there. Therefore the name of the city was called Zohar. The Sun had risen upon the earth when lot entered Zohar. Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of the heavens.

So he overthrew those cities all the plane all the inhabitants of the cities and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him and she became a pillar of salt. Abraham went early in the morning to bring to the place where he had stood before the Lord.

Then he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah. And toward all the land of the plain and he saw and behold the smoke of the land Which went up like the smoke of a furnace and it came to pass when God destroyed the cities of the plain.

That God remembered Abraham and sent lot out of the mists of the overthrow. When he overthrew the cities in which lot had dwelt. Then lot went up out of Zohar and dwelt in the mountains and his two daughters were with him.

For he was afraid to dwell in Zohar and he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave. Now the firstborn said to the younger our father is old. And there is no man on the earth to come into us as is the custom of all the earth.

Come let us make our father drink wine and we will lie with him that we may preserve the lineage of our father. So they made their father drink wine that night. The firstborn went in and lay with their father and he did not know when she laid down or when she arose.

It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger Indeed, I lay with my father last night. Let us make him drink wine tonight also and you go in and lie with him. We may preserve the lineage of our father.

Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him and he did not know when she laid down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of lot were with child by their father.

The firstborn Bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day and the younger she also bore a son and called his name Ben Ami. He is the father of the people of Amman to this day, this is the word of the Lord.

Thank you, I'm gonna ask everyone to sit down. Normally we sing the Apostles Creed but On baptism days. We don't do that. Caleb and Alex you have a couple of minutes before you have to come forward. A couple reminders for the congregation about baptism.

Baptism as Covenant Sign and Seal

The.

Ordinance of Baptism is administered by the church in obedience to the command of Christ. That the nation's should be converted baptized and taught all that Christ has commanded Matthew 28. Baptism represents and seals our union with Christ.

It.

Demonstrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and resulting regeneration. Adoption and cleansing from sin. By baptism we are admitted into the covenant community. Underlying the diversity of biblical covenants is a unifying and singular covenant of grace.

Abraham had the gospel preached to him says in Galatians 3 He believed God his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. Genesis 15 and he entered into a covenant with God signified by the sign of circumcision.

Yet he was a commanded he was commanded to apply this sign of his adult faith To his infant child and all infant children thereafter. The question is why? Because of God's promise Genesis 17 I will be a God to you and to your children.

The saving purposes of God include the children of believers. Because he is Their God as well as their parents the children also Received the sign of the covenant and are admitted into the covenant community.

When we come to the New Testament, there is no new principle introduced. Children are not now Excluded from the covenant community rather in an era in which we rightly speak of a greater covenant with better promises.

Children have not a reduced but even a more privileged status at Pentecost. Peter says for the promise is for you and your children and For all who are far off and as many as the Lord our God shall call to himself.

The echo of the promise made to Abraham is clear. Children have the same covenantal status in the New Testament. New Covenant as in the old they are set apart. They are holy. First Corinthians 7 says that even if only one parent is a believer they are consecrated and set apart.

And to be members of the covenant community and recipients of the sign of the covenant households were baptized acts 16. When Jesus took infants into his arms and blessed them. He demonstrated not only That passive infants may receive grace, but also that God continues to love our children through us.

All I can say is amen. We often wonder about the passivity of the infant receiving the sign and If you were converted as an adult I have news for you you passively receive the grace of God. It came upon you and you believe For all of you who are baptized.

We wonder about the significance and benefits for Children infants who are baptized. Maya is very young. But every time baptism occurs and Maya is present she too will need to heed the exhortation. All of you who appear present are to be reminded of your own baptisms of the grace of God confirmed of the privileges of the covenant into which you are entered and If your responsibility to live holy lives and to serve God.

With Thanksgiving, but all of you parents here, especially be charged and admonished To not neglect the means of grace. Be sure that you provide a godly example. That you pray with and for your child.

That you instruct them in the Word of God that you make use of the catechisms of the church. And that you bring them weekly to the public worship services. To the covenant renewal of the church. I'm gonna ask you to pray with me now.

Oh Lord, our hearts are filled with Thanksgiving today for the gift of this child and for your covenant promises. We pray Oh God that the inward reality that corresponds to the outward washing Would be accomplished.

That the child would be received into the protection and care of Christ in his church that even as Christ has been the God of Caleb and Alexandra. That the Lord would be Maya's God as well that she would be granted the gift of the Holy Spirit.

That her heart would be renewed and regenerated. That she would grow up never knowing a day apart from Christ like John filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. Like David Trusting God while he was still a nursing infant.

Oh.

Lord.

We pray now for the visible form That speaks of invisible grace and we ask this all in Jesus name. Amen. I'm gonna ask mr. And mrs. Breno and Maya to come to the front. Do you trust in God's covenant promises on her behalf.

Do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for her? Do you unreservedly? dedicate your children. Your child and promise and humble reliance upon his divine grace. That you will endeavor to set before her Christ and his gospel.

That you will live and provide a godly example. And you'll pray with and for them that you will teach them the doctrines of our you will strive by all means of God's appointment.

We do.

When asked the members of congregation of Presbyterian Church you have you as a church body undertake the responsibility. And the Christian Caleb may ask you what is the Christian Maya Rosalia? Bring you?

Maya Rosalia Brenda I Baptized you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy. Amen. I thank you so much. He's very godly parent. I thank you for the gift of children. I thank you for a healthy Lord.

I pray that all these covenant promises You should be a great servant in your kingdom and walk in your ways all for days. Oh Lord bless her in every respect. Whatever could be said a child of God give it to Maya.

I'm gonna ask the congregation to stand now light of these things. It seems fitting that we would now Confess our faith in the joyful singing of the Apostles Creed. Let us begin. Please take up the Trinity.

Please make preparations now for the prayers of the people.

Prayers of the People

This is our prayers of the people probably number one and These are words are very familiar to us but I hope that Familiarity does not cause us to not give attention to these very familiar words. So as we pray even though we prayed this once every ten weeks or so Let's be mindful of what's being said and pray along the appropriate.

Let's pray together now in unison Almighty and ever-blessing God in whom we live and move and have our being. We your beloved children Offer to you our humble praises for having preserved us from the beginning of our lives to this day.

Especially do we praise you for having delivered us from the dangers and uncertainties of this past week? For these verses we bless and magnify your glorious name Humbly beseeching you to accept this our morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

For his sake who lay down in the grave and rose again for us your son our Savior Jesus Christ. Fulfill now O Lord our desires and petitions as may be best for us Granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth and the world to come life everlasting.

I.

Ask your prayers for God's people throughout the world for our denomination For this church and for all ministers and missionaries. Pray for the church.

Lord hear our prayers.

Ask your prayers to the poor the sick the bereaved the burden and for the widows. Orphans and prisoners pray for those in any need or trouble.

I.

Ask your prayers for those who do not know Christ and for those who seek a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ. Pray that they may find and be found by him. I ask your prayers for our children and future generations, which will be born to them.

Pray that the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth through them. Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day. Amen, please stand and take up the psalm of the month. Psalm.

119 please remain standing for the reading of the word from 1st John and chapter 3.

Love for the Brethren in 1 John 3

Began reading in verse 10 this is God's holy and infallible word in This the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Whoever does not practice Righteousness is not of God nor is he who does not love his brother.

But this is the message that you heard from the beginning that we should love one another Not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brothers righteous.

Do not marvel my brethren if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life Because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

By this we know love. Because he laid down his life for us and We also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him.

How does the love of? God abide in him my little children let us not love in word or in tongue, but indeed and in truth and By this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him for if our heart condemns us God is greater than our heart and knows all things Beloved if our heart does not condemn us we have confidence toward God and Whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight and This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ and Love one another as he gave us commandment.

May the Lord be pleased with our Consideration of his most excellent word. Please pray with me now. Oh Lord, we are challenged again by your servants inspired words. I Pray if there be any want of love for us For our brother that today we would start loving them and if our love is shallow and Superficial I pray that it would be sincere and in deep.

No, Lord, I pray that we would love and give thanks to Christ for his example and that this would be The impetus to our newfound zeal to love one another we ask all this in Jesus name. Please be seated.

John has been hard on my back. Because I feel as though the Lord has struck me with many blows. Revealing ways that I do not love as I ought and I pray the Lord continues to use this book as a sanctifying influence in our lives.

That we might grow to be more and more like Christ. The title of the message today is we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. That's found in verse 16 today. We will be considering Verses 13 through 16.

I think the bulletin says 19, but we're only going to get through 16 if you want to know what the sermon is about really in just a few words. It's really about the Christian and Self-sacrificing love the Christian and Sacrificial love and there was an object to the message today a real purpose.

I would like us To be that church that would reflect the self-sacrificing love of Jesus By loving the brethren and by sharing with the lost.

That.

Reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ and his gospel. The Christian and Sacrificial love it goes all the way to. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. I have four points for you for an outline for those of you Who are in need of this.

If you don't catch it on the first time it's on the slack general page. You can refer to it later. First very simply is the world's hatred the world's hatred. Second how we know we have passed from death to life.

How do we know if we've passed from death to life? Hatred should not be found amongst the Saints is number three. And number four is the title of the message. Lay down your life to the brethren. As you will remember there are three Chief errors that is facing the audience that John writes to.

The first is a denial that Jesus is the Christ. That he's the incarnate second person of the Trinity that he's come in the flesh to accomplish this great work of redemption and and John has labeled them as Antichrist a very strong word denouncing their unbelief.

As we've mentioned before that doesn't seem to be a problem for our church particularly. The second major error was worldliness. Now, this is hitting a little bit closer to home. In chapter 2 it says do not love the world or the things in the world.

The world calls for us and it allures us and it beckons us to come in and to play and even the people of God are Deceived and go along with the ways of the world. All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father.

But is of the world and the world is passing away and the lust of it. But he who does the will of God Shall abide forever. That's the second error is worldliness. Every church in the land needs to Guard against and mortify and put to death the worldliness that is in them.

But maybe the most challenging and it seems to be the most prominent and Jane and John's argument is the want of love. The want of love for the brethren and today again in 1st John 3 We're on repeat we are hearing again about the love of God.

Let's consider the Word of God together beginning again at verse 13 It says Do not marvel my brethren if the world Hates you. Do not be amazed do not be astonished if the world hates you my beloved brethren because you are living in a way that is Antithetical to them.

The world here you'll be reminded is the cosmos and it's that ordered system. The ungodly multitude we say worldly to be distinguished from godly the ungodly multitude. The whole mass of men alienated from God.

The church the people of God Align themselves with the mass of humanity that is alienated from God. They're hostile to the cause of Christ. We can't be with them. We can't go along with them. We can't desire their things and their ways their worldly affairs the aggregate of things.

Earthly.

The whole circle of goods endowments riches advantages pleasures. Which are although hollow and frail? They stir desire. And they seduce us from God and our obstacles to the cause of Christ. That's what worldliness is.

So if you're a Christian Need to take an inventory and do some self-examination. And with great sobriety and circumspection. You need to look and list those things in your life that are worldly and you need to mortify them.

You need to put them to death. They are not fitting. For the people of God we have much more fun in communion with God and his people than they can ever have. They have nothing for us. But now we go down to the next phraseology and it's the idea of the world's hatred.

If you're a Christian, why does the world hate you? Why does it detest you? This verse harkens back to verse 12. Look again at verse 12. It said Cain who was of the wicked one. He represents the worldly.

Abel represents the godly and Cain murdered his brother and Why did he murder him? Because his works were evil in his brothers righteous. The answer to the question of why does the world hate us is The Christian is a walking rebuke for the ungodly.

They can't bear to be in our presence because we rebuke their lives by our very existence. I Demons of hell and the enemy of God hated the baptism of Maya today. Praise God. They hate that we have assembled in the name of Jesus Christ and we've said that he is Lord.

That there is salvation found in no other. Oh, they despise that because it condemns them. The wicked on the streets of Longwood hate the message of Christ they hate his people because We are a walking condemnation of their very lives his presence.

The Christians presence and character chastens the soul of the wicked. Their deeds are evil. And are exposed by the righteous. That's why the Unbeliever when they come into our presence. They hear all the things that we say and the things that we do they squirm a little bit.

It's hard for them. Is it any wonder then that the world hates us? But it does beg the question Does the world hate you? It's not gonna hate you very much if you're going along with her ways. If you are not Dismonstrably living and acting like a Christian the world's not gonna hate you.

So another little test. Am I worldly. How in which ways am I worldly. I might list those and I might have things to repent of. On the other side of the ledger. Does the world hate me? Well, the world doesn't hate me very much you might say.

You might not be walking in righteousness if you're walking in righteousness the ire of the world the the Bullseye of the world the arrows of the world will be pointed at you. If you're not experiencing any kind of that conflict in the world.

You might not be living and acting as a Christian. You and I are not necessarily called to stir up unnecessary strife. But if our righteousness is an open rebuke to the wicked. The question has to be asked do they see Christ in you?

Are they responding to you in this way and if they are not why are they not? There needs to be more conflict more confrontation. Not less. That's thing we want to avoid right? Don't be bad ill-mannered.

Don't be rude. Don't be disrespectful, but you have to be detested. There should be seething anger directed at you because of your allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and you should fear nothing because you belong to Christ, but.

Very challenging message here. Does the world? Hate you. Well, that's the first element of this section in John the second question to be answered is How do we know that we've passed from death to life and I'm so creative.

It's found right there in the verse. Because we love the brethren the answer is right there. You say oh, I love Jesus. Do you love the brethren? Oh I love the church. Oh, do you love the brethren? I love theology.

I love studying theology. Do you love the brethren? I love reformed things. Oh, do you love the brethren? I love Presbyterianism. Oh, do you love the brethren? I said it a number of times but my grandfather's generation was a fan of the Dale Carnegie course.

How to be friends and influence people. No doubt there's some common wisdom in that line of thinking. But it's transactional. It's surface level. And in fact, I think most people prefer that kind of relationship with one another.

Kind of you conform to my ways. We have a polite understanding of things. We don't get really too deep with each other and in order to love the brethren. You've got to know them. You've got to know all the bad stuff.

You got to know strengths and weaknesses. You got to be not performing for the Saints in the church you got to be living an integrity filled honest Christian life before them. You have to be acknowledging your sin that you might confess it to them that they might come alongside and help you In order to bear each other's burdens.

We have to know what the burdens are. To meet the practical needs we have to know what the needs are we pass from death to life if we.

Love.

The brethren and I think the love for the church is generally like the love of the Rotary Club or the fraternity or The sports team. The sports team is more zealous than ours. Gators are crying today.

Sorry John Rachel. But I mean that that hurts more than conflict with the Saints for us culturally. Our football team losing. So this is as plain as day for every Christian loving the brethren. But we keep it at that surface level.

We don't penetrate into that deeper place. It doesn't permeate our whole lives together in order to love each other in this way. We have to be very close. We have to be deeply connected. In fact, we have to commune with one another as those who commune with Christ.

This is a big challenge.

Genuine.

Christianity loves in a very deep way not a surface way. Not in a way for performance. Not like the Rotary Club, but the Christian loves in a self-sacrificing way. We know that we've passed from death to life.

We know that we've been transformed by Christ and his gospel because he's been self-sacrificing to us.

He.

Lays his life down that We might live. You do not love your brother. You abide in death. That should cause some pause for us. Do not love your brother. You might be abiding in death. The believer has been so loved by God that he must love others.

He has to. He has been so crucified and buried with Christ. And he has been so raised with Christ that he has to walk in newness of life. We're gonna learn in just a minute and we think of salvation. We think about Being delivered from our sins.

And certainly a huge component of it. There's another part. It's very significant. In Galatians 2 20 Paul says. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me in the life.

I live in the flesh. I Live by faith in the Son of God who loved me. The rest of her says. And gave himself for me. Told you a story. One of the most impactful things in my life was about 20 years ago a British Reformed Baptist preacher told me.

He has two Cards on his mirror. One is a three-letter word and the other is a four-letter word. It's so appropriate because it's a mirror. On the left side it says him. And on the right side it says them.

There's no me. There's no I. He looks in the mirror and immediately he's shaving or whatever. He looks to the left and he looks to the right. We are so Self-serving. We are Idolaters of self. It is the highest worship that we perform without faith.

The real joy of living comes when we sacrifice our Interests when we look at that man in the mirror and say not your will be done. But his will be done. Not your glory be pursued. His glory not your good being pursued.

Their good being pursued. This is how Christianity transformed the world. And if we want an effective witness in the community. We have to be the people of him and them. Not me and us very different. Not me and mine, but but his.

We have to be all-in for Christ and in fact, we've been crucified with him. We've been buried with him. We've been raised with him. And if that's true, then our lives have to be radically different. We have to put our Interests to death for the good of the brethren is your passing from death to life.

Is your resurrection? Is it real? Is it evident to all? Can we observe your deep and sincere love for the brethren. Whoever hates his murderer verse 15. We're getting to the third point those of you are trying to wonder what's going on with the clock.

Verse 15 whoever hates his brother is a murderer and. And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. So isn't that the same thing you said about verse 12? Well, it is to some degree I want you to turn back with me to Matthew in chapter 5.

I have greatly reduced my Bible citations and page turnings. But I am gonna ask you to turn to Matthew 5. The absence of love is not neutrality. We've learned already in 1st John it's actually putting on this putting us on the path of murder if I'm not actively loving my Brother and sister in Christ.

I'm actually not in a place of neutrality. I'm on the place of going to murder. I Have to actively love the brethren.

Active.

It seems as though John Is making some reference to Matthew 5 the Sermon on the Mount here. Look at Matthew 5 verse 21 very familiar to you. You have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not murder and Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause Shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother in Aramaic Shall be in danger of the council. And that means literally empty head.

Call your brother an empty head. I call drivers on the road idiots almost every day in my head. It doesn't seem like a big deal. I'm like you idiot. Why'd you cut me off in my mind? Don't say it out loud.