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Let's take just a moment and prepare our hearts for worship. Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome to the corporate worship of our God. Please stand. Praise the Lord praise.
Oh servants of the Lord praise the name of the Lord. Bless be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever more. From the rising of the Sun to its going down. The Lord's name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God who dwells on high? Who humbles himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust and Lifts the needy out of the ash heap.
That they that he may seat him with princes with. The princes of his people. He grants a barren woman a home like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord.
Amen.
Please pray with me now Father Son and Holy Spirit We joyfully with Thanksgiving enter into your presence Asking you to bless us Asking you to meet with us here and we know that you have promised to do it and in this we rejoice.
We pray that our worship would be pleasing in your sight that it would be acceptable. And we have great hope because we have a great Savior and mediator who is Christ the Lord who makes our worship Our lives acceptable to you.
I ask that you would bless these your people today and ask this in Jesus name.
Please kneel if you're able for the corporate confession of sin. Let us join together with one voice confessing our sins. Have mercy on me. Please stand. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and Conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of his love in Whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins.
Oh people of God take heart today if you be in Christ your sins are forgiven.
Please take up the hymnal and turn to number 295. The only appropriate way to Sing crown him with many crowns is with great volume and zeal and joy in our hearts number 295.
Please take up the bulletin and find the insert with Psalm 84.
Many of you have remember this from our psalm of the month. We just played it a few moments ago. So we're relying on a few of you to help us. Get started. Psalm 84. How lovely Lord of hosts.
Please remain standing for the reading of the word from.
Genesis 16.
Genesis 16. Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children and she had an handmaid an Egyptian whose name was Hagar and Sarai said unto Abram behold now the Lord hath restrained me from bearing I pray thee go in and go in unto my maid and it may be that I may obtain children by her.
And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai and Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian. After Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
And.
He went in unto Hagar and she conceived and when she saw that she had conceived her mistress was despised in her eyes and Sarai said unto Abram my wrong be upon thee I have given my maid into thy bosom and when she saw that she had conceived I was despised in her eyes the Lord judged between me and thee.
But Abram said unto Sarai behold thy maid is in thy hand do to her as it pleases thee. And when Sarai dwelt heartily with her she fled from her face and The angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness by the fountain in the way to sure.
And He said Hagar Sarah's maid whence camest thou and whither wilt thou go. And She said I flee from the face of my mistress. Sarai and the angel of the Lord said unto her return to thy mistress and submit thyself unto her hands.
And The angel of the Lord said unto her I will multiply thy seed exceedingly that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And The angel of the Lord said unto her behold Thou art with child and shalt bear a son and shalt call his name Ishmael because the Lord hath heard thy affliction and He will be a wild man his hand will be against every man and every man's hand against him and He shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
And and she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her thou God seest me. For she for she said have I also here looked after him that seeth me wherefore the well. Wherefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roy behold it is between Kadesh and Bered and the Hagar and Hagar bear Abram a son and Abram called his son's name which hate Hagar bear Ishmael and Abram was four score and six years old when Hagar bear Ishmael to Abram.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thank you, please be seated. This is a very exciting day for our church and also for Stephens Almeida's. Their friends who have come to visit today. We're thankful that you are here. The ordinance of baptism is administered by the church.
In obedience to the command of Christ that the nation should be converted baptized and taught all that Christ has commanded. Baptism represents and seals our union with Christ. Represents the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and resulting regeneration adoption and cleansing from sin.
By baptism, we are admitted into the covenant community and made members of the body Christ. Underlying. The biblical revelation is a unifying singular covenant of grace. Abraham had the gospel preached to him.
It says in Galatians 3. He believed God his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. And he entered into a covenant with God signified by the sign of circumcision. Yet he was a commanded to apply this sign of his adult faith to his infant child and all infant children thereafter and The question has to be asked why?
It's because of God's promise. Genesis 17 7 says 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 receive the sign of the covenant and are admitted into the covenant community.
We come to the New Testament. No new principle is introduced. Children are now excluded from the covenant community rather in an era in which we rightly speak of a greater covenant with better promises.
Hebrews 8 Children have not a reduced but a more privileged status at Pentecost in the delivery of the first Christian sermon. Peter said for the promise is for you and your children and For who all who are far off 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 covenant as in the old they are set apart. And even if one parent is a believer first Corinthians 7 says they are holy and 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.
What a great promise. For all of you who are baptized whenever you are baptized whether you be a child an infant or an adult you need to be reminded of your own baptism of God's grace confirmed of the privileges of the covenant into which you entered and of your Responsibility to live holy lives and serve God with Thanksgiving.
Let the parents here assemble be charged 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 and that you make use of the catechisms of the church that you bring Them weekly to public worship for their benefit and.
The glory of God. I'm gonna ask you to pray with me now. Oh.
Lord, we give thanks to you today for Thomas Christopher Almeida Stevens. We thank you for your covenant promises. We pray that you would grant the inward reality that corresponds to the outward washing.
That this covenant child would be received into the protection of care and care of Christ in his church. That even as he has been the God of the child's parents. That the Lord be faithful to be the child's God.
That Thomas would be granted the gift of the Holy Spirit. That his heart would be renewed and regenerated. That he 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 still a nursing infant. I'm gonna ask Stevens. Mr. Stevens. Almeida's pastor Almeida.
The venuses if you would come up come all the way to the front. I am going to.
Do the covenant vows that I'm gonna ask pastor Almeida to take it take over and Baptize the child. Everybody come on this side of the rail.
Please. A great gathering of people so great your family can be here. We're very honored. It's your dad.
David and Sara Do you acknowledge your child's need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?
Do you?
Do you trust in God's covenant promises? On Thomas's behalf. And do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation? As you do your own. Do you unreservedly Dedicate your child to God and promise and humble reliance upon divine grace.
That you'll endeavor to set before them Christ and his gospel. That you would provide a godly example that you will pray with and for him. That you will teach him the doctrines of our holy faith and you will strive by all means of God's appointments.
To bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, do you? When asked the congregation now to stand. Congregation of Ascension Presbyterian Church. Do you as a church? Body undertake the responsibility of assisting these parents in the Christian nurture of this child.
Do you? Amen. You may be seated.
Today as we come together to witness. And you are reminded of this sacred responsibility entrusted to you as his parents. This Holy Sacrament is not just a moment of blessing but a solemn commitment to nurture Thomas in the ways of the Lord.
First you are called to teach Thomas to read the Word of God. His scriptures are the lamp of our feet and a light to our path. It is true then that Thomas will come to know the wisdom and guidance of our Heavenly Father.
Secondly, you must restructure him in the principles of our holy religion. As they are faithfully contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. An excellent summary of these principles is found in the confession of faith and the larger and shorter Catechism of Westminster Assembly.
These documents which have been adopted by our church. We serve as invaluable tools for you Guidance and assist you in the critical study of spiritual instruction. Third you are exhorted to pray with and for Thomas.
Prayer is the lifetime Lifeline of your faith connecting us to the grace and mercy of God. Through your prayers may Thomas be continually lifted before The throne of grace and may he come to know the power and presence of God in his life.
For you must set an example of piety and Godliness before him. Children learn not only through instruction, but also through observation. Your lives should reflect the love Humility and devotion that you desire to see in Thomas Providing him with a living testimony of what it means to walk with God.
Finally by all the means of God's appointment Endeavor to bring up Thomas in the nurture and admonition of the Lord whether through family worship participation in the sacraments or daily acts of Hopefulness.
May you continually point Thomas to Christ Encouraging him to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. May God grant you the strength strength and wisdom to fulfill these duties with joy and steadfastness.
And may Thomas be blessed growing faith and love.
Thomas I.
Baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Shall we pray again? Almighty and everlasting God. Our gracious Heavenly Father. We thank you for the gift of this precious child Thomas whom have have now baptized in your holy name.
We acknowledge your covenant promises in rejoicing your faithfulness to us and to our children. Lord, we pray that you would pour out your Holy Spirit upon Thomas. May he grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Grant him a heart that seeks after you and mind that delights in your truth. And a life that is devoted to your service. We ask your Lord that You would estranged Sarah and David as they raised Thomas in the fear and the domination of the Lord.
Equip them with wisdom patience and love as they fulfilled their calling calling as Christian pirates. May their home be Fulfilled filled with your peace and may it be a place where your work is cherished and leave Leave it out of that daily.
We also pray for the congregation that they may support this family with you.
Their.
Prayers.
Encouragement walking alongside them with faith and love as they nurture Thomas in the ways of righteousness. Finally Lord, we commit Thomas into your loving hands trusting in your promises. Keep clean your care all the days of his life and may he grow to be a faithful Servant of your kingdom bearing much food for your glory.
We pray all these in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I'm gonna ask the congregation now to stand just as you got comfortable. Sorry.
As we confess our faith in the singing of the Apostles Creed. Let us begin.
Please take up the hymnal now and turn to number.
111 this is my father's world and whether the culture.
Recognizes it or not. It belongs to the Lord To his Christ. What a saying with joy. This is my father's world.
Be seated or since they prepare yourself for the prayers of the people.
Let us pray together now in unison. Oh God from whom come all holy desires counsel all just words. Give to us your servants that peace which the world cannot give. That our hearts may be set to obey your commandments and also that we being defended from the fear of our enemies May live in peace and quietness.
Through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit God forever.
For the Church of Jesus Christ That it may be filled with truth and love and be found without fault at the day of your coming We pray to you O Lord. For all ministers missionaries in the mission of the church that in faithful witness the gospel may be preached we pray to you O Lord.
Pray for those in positions of public trust that they may serve justice and promote the dignity and freedom of every person We pray to you.
For.
The poor the persecuted the sick and all who suffer for refugees prisoners and all who are in danger. That they may be relieved and protected. We pray to you. Oh Lord.
I.
Pray for those who are present and those who are absent that we may be delivered from hardness of heart and Show forth your glory and all that we do we pray to you. Oh Lord.
Please take up the insert and find psalm 127. It is the psalm of the month and we really need a DJ today. But we were gonna try to press on without him. Just to remind you for our guests and members to be reminded the part that says DEC that is the men.
The C a n parts are the ladies and that goes through the first two pages and we get to the back. Everyone is together. It says full I think there and then it goes to the men at DEC and then it does the Cans again and it ends with everyone together.
So this is psalm 127.
We take up your Bibles and turn to 1st John in chapter 3.
I'm going to read verses 1 through 9. This is God's holy and infallible word. 1st John chapter 3 beginning at verse 1. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God.
Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him. Beloved now we are the children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is.
And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself. Just as he is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness in sin is lawlessness and You know that he was manifested to take away our sins.
And in him there is no sin. Whoever abides in him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him. Little children let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous Just as he is righteous.
He who sins is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God Does not sin for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he has been born of God.
Please pray with me now. Oh Lord. I pray for your blessing upon our study of your word Holy Spirit we ask that you would supply light and heat conviction and Comfort that your church would be edified and built up.
And we ask all this in Jesus name. Amen, please be seated. Today we'll be considering verses 4 through 9 in our section and the title of the message is born of God and The simple statement that tells us about what we're going to be learning about in this section is the believer in sin the believer in relation to sin.
I Put this on our channel, but I'll give you a quick overview of the outline. The first point is Committing sin is lawlessness. This is derived from verse 4. Second Christ came to take away our sins. Hallelujah the gospel in verse 5.
Verses 6 through 8. We have a question to be answered. Are we abiding in Christ or abiding in sin? And finally in verse 9 point for those born of God Cannot remain in sin. When we read a text like this it causes us to wonder if anyone can be saved.
It says in very stark terms that People who sin are not reconciled to God. And we read this text we often look for a way to minimize its force we are urgent and our desire to seek a Reprieve from the harshness of the tone we look for an exception or an explanation that makes sinning more palatable.
This is an.
Error.
There is an explanation. But we need to receive the correction. We too quickly say well, we're all sinners and Christ died for our sins. We need to be corrected by the scriptures today. Let us now accept the weight of its correction.
Let us receive the chastening of the father that loves us. Do you remember our text from last week? I just read it. Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us. That we should be called children of God.
Hebrews chapter 12, it says my son Do not despise the chastening of the Lord. Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him for whom the Lord loves he chastens and Scourges every son whom he receives.
If you endure Chastening God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening of which all have Become partakers then you are illegitimate and not sons.
Furthermore we have had human fathers who corrected us and we'll pause here. Fathers you better be correcting your children. Fathers who love their children correct their children and now when we're older.
The scripture continues we paid them respect. We didn't enjoy the correction when we were young, but now we enjoy it. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live?
This is all from a Hebrews 12. For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them fathers. The time of chasing is now because the days are few. There's only a few days you get to chase in your children.
Pretty soon we'll be going to Thomas's wedding. And Thomas will have grandchildren. It all happens very fast. God has done this for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful.
Nevertheless afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those Who have been trained by it? It seems that verses 4 through 9 are a direct application of the great idea that we were rejoicing in last week.
Beholding the great manner of the love the father has us that he calls us children of God. Let us be those faithful sons who spurn not the father's correction. Knowing he loves us too much to leave us in our sin.
Age.
Seems to ask what can I do and still be a Christian? What can I get away with and still profess my faith in Christ? It's a horrific question. It's a wrong question. What a rebellious Question what an abomination?
The proper question is Oh merciful God. What ought I to do to be faithful to you? Oh What sins must I repent of. What righteousness should I hunger and thirst for. Not how much can I get away with and still be a Christian?
Let us consider what it means to be born of God to be his sons. To answer the question at least in part How is the believer to view his sin? It's been famously said a few different ways. Back to the church fathers and through the Puritans.
Sin must be bitter in order for Christ to be sweet. Sin must be bitter in Order for Christ to be sweet. Now, let's continue with the exposition of the text in verse 4. It says whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness.
If I were to do a poll before the service today I was asked the question what is the Antithesis of law. We might have had the answer with grace or gospel. The antithesis of law is lawlessness. It's different isn't it you see grace and law are compatible law and lawlessness are not.
This term anomia and it sounds like very familiar to us. Doesn't it like antinomian. It's a similar root Nomos being law the absence of law here in John. It is the utter Disregard for God's law. It is the condition of one without law.
This is what characterizes the reprobate and all who hate God. Here in our text it means to do iniquity to act wickedly. Brethren to show contempt for God's law is to show contempt for God. Sin by definition is the rejection of God's law.
John has already reminded us both in his gospel and he does here in different ways in the epistle. Echoing Christ's words if you love me. Keep my commandments. Children you say you desperately love your parents.
You were in love with your parents. You adore your parents. Do you obey your parents? You see sentimentality will only go so far. Oh I love God. I just I love worshipping him, but I I don't want to live as a Christian.
I don't want to live according to his word. That's a duplicitous kind of living. And John is trying to arouse us out of that that we would not have that duplicity in our lives. Sin is lawlessness the last phrase in verse 4.
This is the brand of sin that emphasizes its self-originated nature. It's not a faith. It's not originated or empowered by God. This is that which is a doing of a wrong an offense a violation of divine law in thought or act.
And so John is asking the question. How do we as Christians? Reconcile being lawless and sinners and having Faith in Christ abiding in him being born of God and he is saying to us. He's urging us To not reconcile what is irreconcilable.
First question I have for you today is What areas of your life are you compromising in? Or are you compromised in? How do you reconcile praising the name of God on the one hand and then Perverting that faith with a life that doesn't match it.
Don't worry. The gospel is coming, but we're really quick to rush off of this, aren't we? I need this to be explained away. John's speaking in harsh tones. We don't like our church services to have this edge this this hardness.
John is saying that sinning and lawlessness is inconsistent incompatible with faith in Christ. The church today has made them compatible. If you're a sinner practicing sin you commit lawlessness. What takes us to the second point.
He gives us a breath of air and it's Holy Spirit air, it's it's refreshment. It's a balm to the soul. He hits us with reality. You call yourself a child. I've declared you to be a child of God. Oh what manner of love that father has shown on us.
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness. Look at verse 5 this takes us to the second point and You know that he you're referring to Christ Was manifested to take away our sins and in him there is no sin when I think about Christ and his Sacrifice on the cross.
I'm led first of all to think of Christ paying for the penalty of my sin and my guilt. But I forget often that he goes to the cross and he is my mediator. That sin might be put to death in my life in a very practical sense.
That I might be a righteous one that I might have his righteousness and walk in his righteousness. Christ has come to take away the presence the penalty in the power of sin. And we like the penalty part.
But are we denying the other two. Christ has slain. The power of sin in the life of a Christian our doctrine of total depravity is so far much better Than us being new creatures in Christ, isn't it funny we defend our total depravity.
Stronger than we defend our new nature in Christ. We are no longer under bondage to sin. We've been set free from it in Christ. Why do we go back and put the shackles on again? He's unlocked them and yet we go and we bind ourselves to them again.
Christ came not only to remove the penalty of sin. He came to reduce. Remove the presence and the power of sin in our lives. How are you responding to this great work of Christ. Christ has come to cause our sins to cease.
Heaven will be the cessation of sin because we enter into a fellowship with Christ who is free from sin and Because we then begin to abide in that fellowship. You should be taking ground for away from sin in your life.
You should be putting sin to death. You say well, I've been doing the same sins for 20 years. I haven't really restrained or changed them. I would urge you To be chastened today to be corrected. Christ has come.
He's come without sin to be sin for us. He appears to take away our sin. He comes in the incarnation that we might be freed from sin. Not just its penalty. We love that. I don't want to go to hell. I want to go to heaven.
But what about its practical power and presence? Are we impotent to act against our sin? Apparently not according to John the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, how can the Holy Spirit live within us and Flourish our lives if there be sin.
Practiced cherished coveted residing in our hearts. What causes us to Get back to this question. Look at verse 6 of abiding in Christ. So cover three verses this idea. Are you abiding in Christ or abiding in?
In sin. To abide you'll remember needs to be knit to him by the Spirit. I love that idea of knitting. I've never knitted. But I love the idea of the thread and the needle then going from one person. From Christ and going to the believer and then back again and binding himself to us.
Christ has exercised himself in such a way that we're gonna learn later that a seed has been planted in us. There is a Permanent difference for the child of God who's been united to Christ. They are now Fully knitted together.
They abide they stay with Christ and This power of Christ exerts itself in the heart of the believer. But apparently there is some responsibility on the part of the Christian. To stoke these holy flames to not quench the spirit not throw water on.
It.
Renewing grace is an abiding principle. The regenerate person cannot sin as he did before he was born of God. That is our testimony, isn't it? There's conviction There's mourning over sin, there's repentance.
The child of God cannot continue in that perpetual state of sin. There is a light in his mind which shows him plainly the Gives him the ability to distinguish between evil and righteousness. I have two questions for you.
Do you hate sin? We don't hate it that much.
The.
Hardest question. We hate the sin in the culture. We talked about this recently. Do you hate your sin? You hate the sins that you don't perform. You hate the sins that are performed against you. Do you hate your sin?
I can see some room for growth in us. For me for you and our hatred of sin. We don't hate it that much. We learned in Sunday school today. We don't love Christ we don't love his church and we don't love one another as much as we ought.
We certainly don't hate sin and we really don't hate our sin. In fact, we protect it. We cherish it. We excuse it. Do you hate your sin? Little children. Don't let anyone Deceive you. Whoever has not either whoever continues in this sin has neither seen him or known him a.
Little children that term of endearment. Little no one deceive you the false teachers are saying and they're rampant in our age. Morality is Not so important. The standards of Scripture and the church historically are antiquated.
We're living in a new time now that the standards of sexual ethics the way we use our mouths the Our view of every area of life. Those things are old-fashioned. John says let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous.
Told you at the outset that I wanted to us to feel the weight and conviction of this text. I think the language in English practices righteousness. Gives us a clue an insight. John is not calling us to sinless perfection.
We don't have that. It's not possible only Christ is. But is your life characterized by a practicing of Righteousness or is it something else? Righteous people perform righteous deeds. They do it because Christ enables them to.
They are righteous because they've been united to the one who is righteous. Look at the end of verse 7 just as he is righteous. He's the one who performs all righteousness. He that does righteousness is a righteous man a woman a child.
And to be a follower of Christ it shows an interest by faith and his obedience and sufferings. One commentator has said and I love this. I hope you catch it. It is the hope of hypocrites. Not of the sons of God that makes allowance for gratifying impure desires and lusts.
Hypocrites make an allowance. Not the sons of God. Man cannot act like one under the sway of the devil. At the same time be a disciple of Christ Jesus. And if Christ came to take away sin, we have to say let us not serve or even indulge.
What the Son of God came to destroy? You and I have to shed our duplicity. We have to repent of every known sin and We take comfort because we have a Savior who is Christ the Lord who forgives us all of our sins.
He cleanses us from all Unrighteousness. The section concludes with this verse 8 says he who sins is of the devil. For the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was Manifested it says in verse 5.
He was manifested to take away our sins. It says in verse 8. He was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. Why do we tolerate sin in our lives? There's something so much better for us.
We can walk in faith. We can turn away from sin. We're not enslaved to sin any longer. That is a great lie. We have been set free in Christ. This is the very purpose for which he came into the world. And finally in verse 9 Something very exciting happens here.
It says whoever has been born of God does not sin and again, we're Terrified because we've sinned. Does that mean we're not born of God? No, the idea here is pattern unrepentant pattern of life. Whoever has been born of God does not sin for his Seed and the Greek word is sperma.
Remains in him when conception happens a baby is produced and in the spiritual conception that John here speaks of God has planted his holy seed in his people and they cannot continue in sin because They have a new nature.
They're new persons. They've been born of God. So, how's your sin today? What sins are you cherishing? We confess Corporately some categories of sins today. You need to confess and repent. Particularly right now there are sins in your mind that you perform and commit.
You need to turn from them. You need to repent of them. You have a Savior to forgive you and a Holy Spirit to work within you that you might be able to mortify. And put to death these sins in your life that you might more consistently Walk as a child of God today.
It's coming into sharper focus. I saw Thomas when he was the first day he was born and now as we have a few weeks have passed.
His.
Distinctive Characteristics. I see mr. Stevens and I see David Stevens and mr. Stevens. I see both parents of Sara. In Sara's face. I look at the Zeno's. I see Zeno characteristics. Let us to bear the family resemblance.
Of the people of God. We're different. We've been born of God. Sin has no allure for us. Because of what Christ has done. You need to preach that to yourself because your flesh tells you something different.
I don't understand the idea of getting high but the heroin addict loves getting high. It feeds something in him. He loves it he pursues it. It's sin. He's got to put it to death. You and I have our own heroines.
And we need to see it no matter how pleasing it is to our senses we need to to put it to death. But us to bear the family. Resemblance. A few words of application and we'll conclude we have to be honest about our sin and Not coddle it.
Our counsel to one another shouldn't be oh, it's okay that you've said our counsel to one another should be. You need to repent of your sin. Let's be honest about our sins. Let's Also be honest about the power of Jesus Christ the power of the Holy Spirit.
To break the yoke of sins presence and power. It seems fitting for us to show our gratitude for this great gift of salvation that we would walk in the light to abide in Christ and that we would. Love his righteousness.
We love his forgiveness. Do we love his righteousness. You love daddy's money, but do you love daddy? It's very different, isn't it?
Third.
Abiding in Christ is characterized by conquering sin. Some of you today have been bound by sins, and I'm telling you That you've given yourself a pass you have said that these things can't be beaten. I Promise you today that today could be the day that those sins could be overturned in your life.
Never to be returned to it's possible with the active working of the Holy Spirit in us. Christ came to take away sin. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. It seems that Christ is able to Help us put sin to death.
Abiding in Christ is characterized by this conquering and saving faith is an abiding principle. It knits us to Christ never to be severed never to be let go. It may weaken But it never fails. Those of us who are born of God cannot remain in sin.
It's in time for us to live lives of continual repentance. Your confession of sin should not be limited to Sunday morning. You should be confessing your sins daily hourly. Moment by moment. He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and.
Finally if you are uncomfortable today and parents this little practical parenting advice when correction happens. We want there to be a.
Restoration.
We want there to be repentance and want that child to know just how much we love them. I want them to come back. But sometimes we rush as fast as we can through the correction. Sometimes we learn that the child doesn't want real repentance.
They just want to be relieved of the correction. Fathers.
You.
Must be those who receive chastening from the Lord and are changed as an example to your family. That your children need to see you waging war with sin enduring the chastening of the Lord happily. Joyfully accepting the correction of your God that they might understand how they're supposed to repent.
Same for moms same for older siblings. We need to receive the chastening of our Heavenly Father and not rush really quick through it. We need to receive it. When you be instructed by it. Are you being corrected of the Lord?
Do you model repentance and become? exemplars of this to your children. Are your children. Rebellious is It because covenantally you've been rebellious. Have they learned their rebellion from you. All of us have to receive correction from the Lord.
All of us need to make progress in the faith and to grow in godliness. Are you applying the word from your devotions? Will you apply? The word of this sermon. Are you willing to submit? To the discipline and correction of the church all those should be yes.
Yes and amen. I'm going to close with that Passage I started with and this will be our conclusion. It starts in Hebrews 12 verse 3. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself.
Referring to Christ lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You've not yet resisted to bloodshed striving against sin and you have forgotten the exhortation. What speaks to you as sons? Here it is again.
Listen carefully. My son do not despise the chastening of the Lord. Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him for whom the Lord loves. He chastens. Thomas needs to be chastened by his parents and by the Lord because he's loved.
The congregation needs to say Thomas you can't do that. Because we love him. He scourges every son whom he receives. Now listen carefully if you endure chastening. Children do not rebel against your parents correction.
You have to endure it. Dad's you have to endure the chastening of the Lord for the good of your family. If you do this God deals with you as with sons for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
But if you are without chastening which all have become partakers and you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore we've had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live.
They indeed for a few days chastened us to seem best to them, but he for our profit. That we may be partakers of his holiness. See if you love Christ and you love righteousness and that excites you you want that you want holiness.
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present but painful. Nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness To those who have been trained by it Oh Lord. Train us by your word train us to see that sin is incompatible with our lives.
Help us to cherish and love Christ and his righteousness far more than we could ever Cherish our sin, let's pray together now. I'm so thankful for Your salvation Oh Lord Jesus. What a wretched man I am Oh Lord.
I pray that your love would be the impetus to my growth in godliness. That your forgiveness and your the security of your love the the Permanence of the sonship you have given to your people that this would be an encouragement to me to walk in your ways To look more and more like Christ.
Oh Lord, I pray that in the power of your spirit that you would bring heavy conviction upon your people who are cherishing sin today. That you would press down on them until they repent to never do it again To turn from their cherished sins Oh Lord that they might be set free To walk in the Liberty you have supplied in your son.
Oh Lord, we we ask for you to make us uncomfortable today not from a manipulative Standpoint because we love righteousness. We want to be trained. We want to be instructed By it. We want the peaceable fruit of righteousness we want to be those who are Easily recognizable as those who have been born of God and we ask all this in Jesus name.
Amen. Let's continue our worship with the reception giving of tithes and offerings. Please stand and let's pray together now. Oh Lord, we thank you for the work. You've given us the stewardship the resources.
We ask that you would use these tithes and offerings For the advance of your kingdom they ask this all in Jesus name. Amen. It is a glorious thing to be here on a day where there's a baptism. We've heard many things in our singing.
We've heard some challenging things from the word today, but we have great cause To give glory to God in all things. Don't we? Let's respond now by singing the glory of Patria in an appropriate way, let us begin 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 in all places Give thanks to you. Oh, holy Lord Father almighty Everlasting God because you have 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.
Please be seated.
Please pray with me now. Oh Lord, I'm so thankful for water and bread and wine. I'm so thankful for creaturely things that speak of heavenly things. Lord we ask that We would be so united to Christ and he to us.
So perfectly assimilated together would be like the eating of bread. That we would be washed from our sins and that it'd be so deep down and so comprehensive that it would go down our throats and into our bellies Like the wine.
Oh Lord, I pray that these signs and seals Would be effectual for your people that they would be nourishing to their souls. That it would bind them closer knit them closer to you and to one another. We ask all this in Jesus name.
Our Lord Jesus on the night. Likewise he took the cup after supper saying this cup is Drink from it. Therefore we proclaim the faith with humility sobriety and Expectation. Let's pray together now. We do not presume to come to this your table.
Oh 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.
Our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body our souls washed or his most precious blood.
Evermore.
Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. The gifts of God for you the people of God.
Covenant blessings require covenant obligations. So.
Let's make this commitment together sincerely and earnestly in faith Almighty and ever-living God. Thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food your son our Savior Jesus Christ. And for assuring us of these Holy Mysteries that we are living members of the body of your son and heirs of your eternal kingdom.
And The Lord grant us this other benefit that you will never allow us to say these things But having them imprinted on our hearts.
Now.
To.
Him to you and to the Holy Spirit the honor and glory now and forever. Amen, please stand and let us give glory to God in the singing of the doxology. Let's begin. The people of God come in to God's presence.
And there's a progression of things that happens. We are confronted with God and his holiness. We confess Our sin to him. We're assured of his pardon. We're consecrated to him through the preaching of the word and we it culminates in the feast at the Lord's table.
But we've come in and now we leave with the Lord's blessing receive it now the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and The love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
