Christmas Came

On this morning and just that worshiping and praising God. I'm excited that I have the ability to be here this morning and don't have to be at work. So praise God for that. That's what we just standing just lift our voice and where she was leasing a sound of adoration.

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Steven Lee Family Guy we just come before you this morning or just thanking you guy I'm glad that you are a good shepherd guide. You think you're the king of love and got that you're the king of our heart. Shall we just pray and ask if we continue on with this morning service guy that you guide and direct our hearts. How do you speak to us this morning that we would truly see just how much you love us got this in Jesus name we pray amen. Good morning again as we prepare to as we prepare to open God's word and just hear what he has to say to us through this time. I am I constantly and I always I always want to be on guard and I always want to be someone I think one of the most that the best attributes as somebody can have is that they are a constant learner that they never have fully arrived. They understand that there's always more to learn and that they they can always know something different and I learned something new this morning, and I just wanted to share it with you and hopes honestly for Your Grace may be at some point in the future I learned that I should stand behind the podium are behind the pulpit whenever I pray whenever my eyes are closed because I was praying a little bit earlier I open my eyes at one point and realized I was dangling out here and almost ready to fall off with my eyes closed and so if I should perhaps ever do that again in fall in the middle of prayer, please don't laugh too hard I asked you for your grace but you know, so we this morning as we get ready to is we get ready to head into God's are open in God's word, I I want to take a moment to put that into to put that into practice and we're just going to pray and ask God this morning that he would really bless this time. I fear just like just like I spoke about announcements like I don't ever want us to do Church Just because we always do church or just because it's like a Sunday thing or because it's because it's just a religious habit or something like that. I don't ever want to do offering or do announcements or do worship time or do the preaching time or whatever just just because it is what it is and that's that's what we always do. I want us to see every part of our service as an opportunity to to interact with God and to learn from him and to draw closer to him. And so we're going to pray that here in a second then we've got a short video to watch and then we'll jump right in his let's bow our heads here this morning Father. We we come before you and God we we

We don't want this to be the service today. We don't want it to be just a Rhodes religious experience. We don't want it to be something that we just have him come here today to check off a box that that we are fulfilling our religious duties. And therefore we are good people got your word says that there are none good. No, not one God not one of us here is deserving of the grace which you have lavished Upon Us in the the love, which you demonstrated for us when you sent your son Jesus to die on the cross not one of us is worthy of that in and God because we are not worthy of it. And because you've given it to us anyway. That's why we are here is an act of of love in return is an acting of work. Ship in return to you to show you God that you have the the first place in our life. That's why on the first day of the week. We are giving you the first part of our day. That's why we give the first part of our income. God we want to give you what you deserve.

And give you what you desire. As a father today, we we pray that you would use this time to really convictus if we need convicted to to comfort us if we need comforted to to give us strength if we are weak. But God use this time whatever our need is God. Would you use it to draw Us close to you? God we thank you so much fill us with your spirit so that I may speak your truth and we all make carrots and we all may believe it. And God, would you just change us today through the preaching of the word in Jesus name? amen

Imagine Christmas is over.

All the programs have been performed.

All the pictures have been taken.

The carolers are done singing.

Holiday parties have come and gone.

The presents are unwrapped. and the big dinners of Albany

Christmas music just turned off.

families headed back home

Someone from work is on the phone.

the kids have a practice to got to

the house needs to be cleaned.

The bills still need to be paid.

The groceries are running low.

The stock market is still down. enough I'm down.

The TV is still on.

The news is still worrisome.

Wife just keeps going as if Christmas never happened.

But it did happen. Look around. Church is full of family and friends and laughter.

Because the baby is still the savior. And the savior is still the gift held out. the world still looking for joy the Earth still waiting for peace and the peaceful still sing in wonder.

The God Who gave his son

The son gave his life. To add us to his family and one day welcome us home.

Imagine Christmas is over.

But remember that it really happened. And it changed everything.

you know that last line in the video in years past but ever you probably if you stick around the church long enough will probably watch it in some years future because every time I watch it, you know that last line it really it really just impacts me in a lot of different ways, you know Christmas it really happen and it's changed everything and when I watch that video this week, I thought to myself has it really Has it really changed everything and you my Sable Shore it it's changed everything. I mean literally it changed the course of history that I did not. The birth of Jesus literally change the way that people counted the passage of time. Does the letters BC whenever we say whenever we talk about a year, you know 500 BC the letters BC mean before Christ the letters a d as we speak about the year. We live in now 2018 ad does not mean after death as I thought I did for many many years, but it stands for anno domini or the year of Our Lord. Before Christ and basically before Christ birth and after his birth, that's that that's how time has been counted and although secular textbooks now have changed at 2 BCE and and Cee meeting before Common Era and and Common Era that the time. Is still split. They may have tried to change the the the titles of it, but the fact remains that the birth of Christ is literally the middle point or the the the splitting point of how we count years. Jesus's birth really did change everything it really happened. And although Christmas has changed everything my my thought this week was this. Has it really changed everything about you? Has it really changed everything about me? Hey has my life been changed because Christmas came we were studying and we've been talking for since the end of Thanksgiving or since right after Thanksgiving. The Christmas is coming. Will Christmas has now come Christmas game. And in this year not just this year in 2018. Did did my life change because of Christmas this year, but did my life change in general or has my life been changed by the fact that Christmas came that Jesus was born. Christmas Eve service if you were here for a Christmas Eve service many of you were mentioned the gift that Jesus wants from you and the gift that he wants from me. He wants me. He wants all of me and he wants all of you. That's the gift that he desires. Pindare there is something that he wants he wants all of you and he wants all of me. And I pray and I trust that that that the Christmas has changed you. But here's my concern whenever we leave a holiday like Christmas or whatever. We leave like a big event in our lives here is my concern. I remember back on 9/11 and I remember the event many of us many of us can remember where we were when we heard the events of September 11th, many of us remember watching the images on TV or many of us remember hearing it may be on the radio or talking to friend many. Some of us were impacted personally with loved ones that we knew we were friends or family. And when I think about the events of September 11th, I think back to my childhood whenever my parents would talk about JFK being being shot our president being assassinated and I remember thinking maybe some of you here are too young to remember personally the events of September 11th, but maybe you've heard your parents talk about it or you haven't seen it on TV or you learned about it in school, but I remember that day when it happened but what I remember even more than the events of September 11th, is that remember the next couple weeks going to church? If any of you remember churches were filled the Sunday after September 11th. So what would that have been September 11th was a Tuesday. So the September 16th would have been the next Sunday September 16th and September 23rd. Those are those are not days that you that you hear very much of when you hear the events of September 11th, but but something traumatic happened on those days churches were filled. Then I remember I believe it was on September 23rd. I was going to Calvary Baptist Church in State College. And I remember Pastor Dan note speaking about the events of September 11th. I don't remember if it was a 16th or 23rd. It was one of those. But he was saying this and he had just read along not article but a long piece that Max Lucado had written about the events of September 11th, and he said that you know is he talked about it and as he spoke it and everyone was crying the big cry or the big thing that everyone wanted after September 11th was this because you can run but you can remember if you live then every news station you turn to head videos of the planes flying into the towers over and over again, every newspaper had articles written about it radio broadcast talk about it. You you you can turn to sports channels and and they were talking about 9/11. It just was constantly in front of our face and people were talking about it. Over and over and and what people wanted more than anything was can't we just get back to normal? That's what people wanted. We were just what I get back to normal. We want to get back to her normal normal lives where we don't have to talk about it and we don't have to face it and we don't have to think about it. I remember password and old saying May and not be so.

He said I pray that we never return to normal. Because those two Sundays after September 11th 2001 people were seeking God for Comfort. They knew where to turn they knew what they had. They knew there was an answer in church in pain and seeking God and and and he was like, no way we not stop this may we not go back to normal where we think that we are? Okay, and that we don't need God.

And honestly is as I look at Christmas, it's really the same to me in many ways. There's all this hustle and bustle and there's the lights in the the the mess that's left. I look up here. I stayed up here and there's straw and hay everywhere because the Alison's brought straw and Hayden. But we asked them to so it's okay. But there's there there's there's all the mess. I like taking down a tree and and I don't know where that guy had his tree at or not. But my goodness it was the most well hi to hydrated tree at the end of the year that I've ever seen because if you go into our house right now the bottom half of the tree is brown. It doesn't look like that whenever whenever it comes out of our house and when you pick it up and you move it out the needles fall off and they're everywhere. And honestly, there's a there's a part of me that may be a part of of you that's like, you know, just all this stuff in the pasture keeps mentioning countdown to Christmas and we've been spending money all over the place in all this. Can we just kind of get back to our normal lives? Let's just put it all the way and get back to our everyday life and whatever you getting ready with Pastor. Dan said may it not be so.

I don't want to just get back to my normal day and everyday life where where where I don't want us to be, you know, not thinking about the birth of our savior and its impact. I don't want to move away and and where Christmas is not on my mind all the time.

I don't want to go back to my life. Where I forget that that fit just that Christ desires is me.

I don't want to go back to I don't want any of us to go back to a life where we think that we can give God half of us or ninety nine and a half percent of us and think that that's all right.

May not be so that we would return to our lives as normal pre-Christmas.

Play the focus. We had on Christ be the focus we have on Christ every day because because here's my praise God that his grace isn't just a one-time for a short time thing. Praise God that he's not like yeah, you know what I'll give you I'll give you my grace on Christmas for the rest of the year. You're on your own. work for it Praise God that his his grace. Is it a one-time thing? If you remember how we looked at Romans 12:1 is going to come up on the screen. Again. We looked at it on Christmas Eve and and we've looked at many many times and ended in this translation in the ESV. Not you don't plan to get the full the does the full view of this but he says I appeal to you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice. Holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship other translations say in view of his Mercy. in view of his Mercy offer your body as a Living Sacrifice its logical it's a logical response. I see when I look at God's grace when I look at his Mercy went when it's in my view. I realize it's not a one-time thing. I realize it's not an only a Christmas thing. I realize that it's not a a some part of the Year thing. I realized that his grace is an all-the-time thing.

Is it all the time thing and if his grace is an all-the-time thing, then my gift of myself should be an all-the-time thing. It should be a daily thing because it says in Luke chapter 9 verse 23. It says this it said and he said to me if anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross once a year and follow me.

There was says daily. Daily, we are to take up our cross and follow Christ, but even more it's not just a day-by-day thing. It's a moment by moment. They look at Ephesians 5:18. He says don't get drunk Paul tells the Ephesian Church don't get drunk with wine and that includes beer and it includes whiskey and it includes anything else that would control laws lust and greed and materialism. It includes all those things. So let's not get hung up as I will as long as I don't get drunk with wine. I'm good. But that the issue here is is about control. The issue is about control access. That's what debauchery means says don't get drunk with wine. Don't be controlled by alcohol or drugs or or your lust or anything else don't be controlled by those thing that's access but instead be filled with the spirit in this is where our our our english-language doesn't quite grasp or doesn't create start weight on a jet. What what is being communicated here in the Greek language? That that that command to be filled and it is a command of scripture to be filled with the spirit. It actually is to be being continually filled with the spirit Moment by Moment by Moment by moment every second of the day every every every part of our day. We are to be under his control. I don't want to stoop to just look at Christmas and be like, yeah, I'm going to give Jesus a gift this Christmas. And think that that's it. That's not what he wants. He wants every day and every moment of every day to us. They yeah. I'm giving you me.

Every moment of every day for the rest of your life. That's the gift you can give Jesus. That's following him.

That means that would you have a decision to make what what do you want me to do?

And when you're asking him what you want and what he wants you to do. That doesn't mean we just say well I think he wants to do this. Well, we know a lot of what he wants us to do because he's shown us and he's told us in his word. Let's start there. I've got a decision to make does your word have anything to say about that? Can I apply any direct commands? Can I apply any biblical principles in making this decision. Would you show me from your word didn't do you not think that God's going to answer that prayer. If you pray it I know he will because in James he says of any of you lacks wisdom. Ask God for it and God who who who knows everything who has all wisdom and loves to give it generously. He'll give it to you. He'll give it to you but make sure that when you're asking that that you're actually going to obey what he says because this is the Joe Rose paraphrase because he's not going to waste his time giving you wisdom if he knows in advance that you have no intentions of doing what he says is right to do. But if you have a heart that is like. I just want to do whatever you want me to do and got to uncommitted that no matter what you say. That's what I'm going to do. Can you please help me understand what to do. I will answer that prayer.

You can pray that prayer with faith. He will answer that prayer. That's what James says. So not just once a year everyday and every moment of every day God wants us to continually be offering ourselves. That's what a Living Sacrifice means and in view of his Mercy. It's only logical we would do that. It's always we are about to begin a new year. Let's make this commitment.

Then we will allow Christmas to change everything. about us and let us offer him the gift. He truly desires every day every moment of every day in 2019 and Beyond let's make that commitment.

And as I speak about the new year, I come to one of my least favorite things of all time New Year's resolutions. You can call me. I'm a shame and lie a New Year's resolutions Scrooge. Now listen, I'm not against making goals. I'm not I'm not against setting goals for a new year and I'm not against setting goals for a life. But I am in fattic Lee I say in fattic Lee bah humbug.

to making promises that you have no intention to keep

and isn't that what many New Year's resolutions are I want to get fit in the new year. I want to do that. But you know that you're not willing to do what it takes to do it. I want to get out of debt, but you're not willing to stop spending. I want to get fit but you're not willing to give up Pepsi like I'm not.

I want to I want to I want my relationships to improve but I have no intentions of being unselfish this year.

I want I want my relationship with God to grow this year. I want to be a better Christian, but you have no intention to be in church more where to spend more time in his word.

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I said bah humbug the New Year's resolutions.

But what I know, I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions not a fan is so so not doesn't even describe it. Again, I'm not I'm not against setting goals. If you have an intention of doing what it takes to accomplish those goals go for set those goals if their Godly goals.

If you're just saying things to make yourself feel better. I'm not for that. You're lying to yourself and your lying to other people.

not a fan of New Year's resolutions about tell you what I am a fan of Looking back at the last year. I'm a fan of looking back and assessing. How is the last year been listen successful businesses? Do it all the time. They look back and they say when what Workforce this year? What didn't work for us? What could we have done better? What did we do well, and they look at the things they did well and they say, hey, let's continue those things. They look at the things that they didn't do well or things that cost them money and they didn't see reward from and they say well, let's get rid of those things.

As Believers in Christ, I believe is a helpful practice as well. And they said that's why we celebrate communion on a bi-monthly basis every two months at the end of the month like we're going to do later today. We celebrate communion and remember Christ's sacrifice and we when we and we take we take care of an account of of of where we are in our relationship with God because it says this in 1st Corinthians 11 will turn to Romans here in a little bit but 1st Corinthians 11 says this I believe this is where we find our instructions instructions quote-unquote instructions. For communion is what we read every time we have communion, but but this is what Paul was telling the Corinthian Church cuz you got to understand that the Corinthian Church was a mess the Corinthian Church and there are people that were literally getting drunk at the communion table. There were people that work where we're living in constant sin and then showing up in church and be like, hey, I'm all good because I'm in church. And not worrying about what their life look like and 1st Corinthians. The book was like a a very very harsh rebuke saying listen, let's get it together Church. And then if 2nd Corinthians was written back to that was like way to go was like a really good job. What would what was put in place and are you took what I said and then put it into your life but here so anyway, we receive our we hear these words from Paul. He says whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of Christ. What does that mean? How would we eat it unworthy in an unworthy manner? Will this is how if we don't do this let a person examine himself then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup for anyone who eats and drinks without the surname the body eats and drinks judgment on himself another word. Listen, when we take communion. That's why we do it throughout the year so that we can constantly be assessing where am I at in my relationship with God? How am I doing? Am I walking with him? Am I straying what's going on here? Let's let's take a let's take a closer look in and here's the thing. This is what we do in a church, every two months. I believe we should kind of do this every day as a believer.

That that whole Moment by moment everyday think this business should be done all the time. Got it. How how do I do today at the end of the day. What what kid what do you want me to change? What do you want to change in me tomorrow?

We're told to examine ourselves. And so just just briefly today. I want to look at 2 to short passages of scripture to versus or couple versus really that will help us know. What should what we should examine as we look back at the past year. What should we examine as we look at the past year and as we look at ourselves every day or when we do communion, what what should we examine? First of all this term when turn in your Bibles with me if you would the 2nd Corinthians Chapter 13, Verse 5 if you're going to the New Testament you got Matthew Mark Luke John acts as Romans, then you've got the two Corinthians. This is 2nd Corinthians.

That'll be the eighth book of the New Testament. 2nd Corinthians Chapter 13 Verse 5 it'll be on the screen to but if you could turn to it, it's good to look at the Bible in front of you as well. And this is what Paul tells the Corinthian Church and what God instructs us to do as well examine yourselves. To see whether you are in the face. Test yourself or do you not realize this about yourself that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail to meet the test. Does examine yourselves? To see whether you are in the face.

I remember sitting with a man one time who was dying of cancer. His name was John Perryman and we had just spent a really cool time hunting together and we were out together and you know, we we had hunted and he was successful and we went back and I was sharing with him on the way home. We're sitting in my driveway and I said to him John I said John. I said, do you know that it if you drew your last breath to 9 to know where you would spend an eternity? And he said will Joe I just don't know if people can know such things.

And I said John I said I understand that but I understand where you're coming from, but I believe that God's word tells us we can now I don't believe God would tell us to examine ourselves to see whether we're in the faith and to test ourselves if there was no way to know for sure if we were really in the face. Here's how we can know.

Have we trusted Christ as our savior? I'm not saying do we come to church? I'm not saying do we put money in the offering plate? I'm not saying do I sing louder in the worship time than the person right next to me. I'm not saying do I say Amen when the pastor says something good or do I not an approval? Do I not fall asleep? I haven't fallen asleep and 14 straight church services. I'm pretty good doing all right.

I'm not saying how good is your life or how good of a person are you? The Bible is very clear that none of us are good. None of us are deserving infinite Fusion. It says that there's a infusions to it says that salvation is not based on our works. It's not of us. It's not by what we do. It's a gift from God and it's only received through faith. So, how do I examine myself well? Look at my life and has there been a time in my life where I've done what it says in Romans 10:9 that I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. And I believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead on the third day in if Romans 10:9 there says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. So, is there a time in my life where I have come to a point where I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. The hills the sinless Son of God born in a manger that he died on the cross for my sins.

If I admitted my sin before him and and come to understand that it was because of me that Jesus had to die on that cross.

And I confess that he is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead. If I've done that then the Bible says I'm saved. A test of that is it is. How is my life changed since then? I remember when Ginger and I became members. Are we coming members of First Baptist Church in Bellefonte. This was after we were married for a couple years and we had our first daughter Grace and we were we were becoming members there and I remember during the little interview that we had with the deacons of the church. The one Deacon it was a very Gruff who was a very rough man and is still a very Gruff man in a lot of ways and a wonderful wonderful man of God B just comes across graph. Sometimes. He looks at ginger in it and you guys didn't know Ginger, you know, five foot two hundred fifteen pounds of this sweet little person. She he looks so tell me ginger. What songs have you given up since you've come to know Jesus as your savior? How has your life changed? And she said he was so like four people in it, but this Wild Ginger stays downstairs most of the time.

Hit his response. Although it. Came across graph. His question was listen. How is Christ impacted you how was your life changed and my my my my my my question for you is as we examine ourselves to see if winner Faith. Okay made a decision to believe in Jesus my Savior has it changed my life. Is there evidence in my life that I'm growing in my relationship with him? And I say that I've met him I say that I've had an encounter with him, but has it changed my life. I'm not saying that you are perfect now that you live perfectly but are you increasingly being more obedient to him?

When you send are you convicted by it or do you just send this? I don't cares. If there's no conviction of sin if there is no growing relationship with him. I'm sorry. I can't give you Confidence from God's word that you are saved.

Paul Washer says this and I said it many many times and but he says if you have an encounter with a Mack truck your life will be changed. It will be changed for the worst granted. But if you have an encounter with Christ, your life will equally be changed but for the better. If you are indeed a new creation in Christ than your life should reflect that.

And so today I asked. At the end of this year first, let me examine. Am I in the face? That's not a suggestion of Joe rose. That was Paul suggestion to the Corinthian Church. That's. Suggestion to us. Are we indeed in the face? If not, there's only one logical response I believe. No, I don't think I am I've come to church on I'm trying to be a good person. I'm trying to do do what's right. But I don't know that I've ever placed my faith in Christ. I'm not growing in my relationship with him. There's been no marked change in my lifestyle. There's no open. I'm not growing and moving increasingly closer to him. The only response is to To save today admit your sin before him. Admit that you are a sinner. Listen, if we are honest with ourselves, that is genuinely pretty easy. It's only been one person. I've known my whole life. Two people actually that I've ever heard say they they didn't need forgiveness. But they didn't know that they weren't a sinner who needed forgiveness.

Everybody else I've ever come into into contact with if they're honest with themselves. Like I've known what's right. I've known what's wrong. I've chosen wrong. That's the easy part. Admit our sin before him confess that Jesus is Lord that he is who he said. He was the son of God who died on the cross for our sins believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead and be safe today.

It seems examine yourself today and realize that you're not in the face. I pray that today would be the day of your salvation.

So we examine ourselves to see if we're in the faith and then we examine ourselves. To see are we being used if if you would turn the Romans chapter 12? Romans chapter 12. We're going to start off by looking at verses 3 and 4.

If you've been here for any length of time, you know that Romans 12 is by far my favorite passage of scripture is it's absolutely my favorite passage is just so much in that chapter. But Romans chapter 12 looking at verses 3 and 4. This is what Paul says in this is this is after he said it is because we have to understand context. This is after he said offer your bodies as a Living Sacrifice don't be conformed to the pattern of the world be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Stop being fed into what the world wants you to do start filling your mind with what God wants you to do and watch your life be changed. Play says this in verse 3 says for by the grace given to me. I say to you I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but the think was sober judgment each according to the measure of Faith. What God that God has assigned for as in one body. We have many members in the members do not have all the same function. So we though many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.

So we are told. As Paul was telling the Roman Church. We are told to to to take an account. Not to not to think too highly of ourselves, but also not to think too low. That's not what he's getting at. But most of the time our problem isn't thinking too low of ourselves.

And he says he says think of yourself with sober judgment with a sound mind. Let's take an account here. Let's see. What what God has made you to be. Let's see how he's gifted you.

And then he goes on and he talks. About being a part of a church. About being used in that church about using what God has given you two to serve one another two about being a part of a body. He talks about loving each other with sincerity.

He talks about not showing Revenge.

He goes on and talks about how we treat one another in. This is one of the most awesome chapters because in it, I believe God talks about all the relationships that we that we will all have in our lifetime a relationship with him. First of all our relationship with him. We should be a Living Sacrifice relationship to the world were supposed to be separate from the world a relationship to two other bodies are the body of Believers. We're supposed to be we're supposed to be a part of that in serving one another in love our relationship to those who treat you poorly. We are supposed to respond in an in goodness not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good all these relationships Our relationship with our self as well. We're to think of ourselves and sober judgement. It's always we taking account. We taking account of ourselves as we read Romans 12. Are we spending time in his word? Like it says in verse to have I done that this year if I have I desired his word is pure spiritual milk have I spent time in his service?

Am I giving generously am of my time of my talents of my resources my treasure? Am I loving other people have I done have I done these things this past year? And I'm not saying take a Rosy view of it. Cuz often times will remember is that I did pretty good actually.

It always amazes me.

If I if I went around individually to each one of you and I said, what's the most important thing in your life? Because I'm a pastor many we are God's most important thing in my life.

What do you want more than anything? I want to be like Jesus. I want to be what God wants me to be or if I asked you directly. Maybe this would be it to you at the end of next year when when we come back together at the end of next year and we we probably have some sort of similar message to this and I asked you right now. Do you want to be closer to God then then you are right now. I believe most of you will say yes. Yes, I do. I want to be closer to God at the end of 2019. Then I am at the closer or at the end of 2018.

What is that just a New Year's resolution?

Is that just a Wishful promise? Because here's the deal when I was in for most of my life. I wanted to be a professional athlete.

And during my high school years. I put in the time and the effort to become a Collegiate athlete cuz I had to be there first so I worked out and I I trained and I did everything that I could for the most part 2 to become a a a cop College athletes. And then I wanted to be a professional athlete. So when I was in college, I studied film and I I went to practice and I went to you know the training room and I went to the weight room and I did all these things to be at. Like I said that I hope to be I hope to be like a great athlete someday and then magically one day I'm like, hey, I'm a great athlete. I had to do all these things in order to to to get to that level.

but for some reason in our spiritual life We we understand that about everything else in life about our jobs. We understand we'll listen. I got to work really hard and I have to do this and I have to you know, go to school to get an education. I have to do all these different things in order to to to be this person in this in my career and Athletics. We understand we got to put the time and it do all this stuff and I had to get to this level I have to do this, but for some reason in our Christian Life or like why I just hope to be a better Christian next year, and I'm not going to do anything.

To make it happen.

And listen, I'm not saying like this. Is this is this is me preaching to me at the moment.

We can't just say what? Yeah. I want to be a better Christian at the end of 2019 and not be willing to do what it takes. What does it take will let's let's read Romans 12. What does it take offer my body as a Living Sacrifice? Stop being conform to the pattern of the world. Take some sober judgment about myself be used in the body of Christ and and active in serving him love other people don't practice Revenge. Let's just keep going in those areas.

And so here's the deal. Because we come to the, this point you may be like, oh my goodness. Like I'm taking it assessment pastor Joe thinks I'm a wreck now. I don't think you're a wreck anymore than I think I'm a wreck.

But that's where I find a verse like Philippians 3:13. So incredible.

Paul says this Brothers don't consider that I've made it my own but one thing I do I forget what lies behind and eye strain forward to what lies ahead I press onward toward the goal. See I'm all about making goals. I press onward toward the goal for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus today. Listen, we're about to take communion and we're about to examine ourselves. I don't want anyone here to examine themselves or to the eat of the bread and drink of the cup unworthily. I don't want that. God doesn't desire that. But each one of us today if we would just examine ourselves and better yet. Say God is any of this true about me.

Is my desire to have to be more like you is it just wishful thinking is it just another New Year's resolution that I don't plan on keeping God. Do I have no intention of actually doing the things that that you want me to do that you tell me that you want me to do in your word.

It is that's the case in listen. I every single time we take communion we are to examine and if something if God bring something to our mine that did the awesome thing is that we can confess it we can say God. This is not how I've been living. We could say God. I'm sorry, and we can repent that means we turn from it. Literally, so we turned that's what this verse is talking about that we turn from our sin and we turn away from it, and now it's behind us and now we press on towards Christ.

an awesome thing is

he's right there waiting for us. Whenever we do it with open arms. Not a judgmental pointing finger not a shin that stuck up in the air. not a Pfister boots

But open arms. Ready to receive us to love us to wrap his arms around us and to tell us that we're forgiven. To tell us that he's never going to bring that stuff up ever again.

It is behind us.

So encourage us today as we take communion if we could have those same officers that came forward earlier Stevie. Can you help as well? Cuz Greg Schaumburg had to leave.