Sunday November 3, 2019

I am who you say I am. I am who you say I am in the Church of God one of our grand old hymns is I am a child of God. Did you catch that in that song? I'm a Child of God. You are for me not against me and I am who you say I am practicing what we preach. I don't you wish more people would do that practice what we preach.

Paul instructs us in his letters to the church at Phillipi. We call it the book of Philippians. He talks about Joy he talks about. worship talks about prayer and relationship. But in the passage we are going to be reading today. He talks about practicing.

Our walk with Christ practicing the things that make for a good relationship with each other and with him. And I hope you can see that this morning this week go through this scripture found in Philippians. Just a portion of the scripture. We read some for our call to worship and during our prayer time, but in Philippians chapter 4 verses 4 through 9, we have these words to us. and see if you can see some of what Paul was trying to teach the church then and what we can learn today about rejoice in the Lord what always and again, he says it a second time and again I say Rejoice rejoice

Can you have joy at all times in all situations? It's hard. It's hard work. But you can have joy in your life when Christ is in your life if you abide in him or lived in him and he abides or lives in you you can have real joy in the struggle in the fight. When the winds sale in the storm is at hand you can say to the storm. Peace be still. In my heart peace be still in my life because I have Christ in the boat with me and I'm not worried rejoice in the lord always and again, I say Paul says Rejoice verse 5. He says let your Gentle Spirit be known to all men now. Is that true of you and me do we have a Gentle Spirit?

Vibes could you tell on your husband's? husbands you be quiet. Don't say anything about your wife. kids Do you have a Gentle Spirit are your words gentle with each other? Let your Gentle Spirit another way to look at that when we look at the fruits of the spirit is one of the fruits of the spirit is around here somewhere as gentleness. long-suffering meekness

its power under control. You have the power of God. You have his strength.

But like the dynamite it's under control. It doesn't explode unless it's ignited at the right time for the right purpose. Let your Gentle Spirit be known to all men and then he uses these words. I've highlighted them for us here. The Lord is fear. turn to your neighbor and say the Lord is near the Lord is near the poor could be saying.

The Jesus is coming back a second time. He came once born in the stable. With the Shepherds and the wise spend all around. He came once as our savior. But he's coming again and it could be that Paula same we look with expectancy and hope that the Lord is coming soon. And and you do I do hope that he is coming soon. There is another import here. Paul could be writing to the church and saying the Lord is near because as weak immune daily with him. His presence is near and dear to us when we practice the presence of Christ in our lives as his holy spirit abides with us. He is near to you. When you have a problem call out to him he is near and he hears your cry for help. His desire is to bring healing and hope to you he is near to us. If you didn't get anything else out of the message. I hope that you would get this. In your daily struggles in your daily life. When the rubber meets the road at times. Things are hard. Remember the Lord is near. Call on his name. He is there for you.

And then Paul continues in verse 6. I've underscored this be anxious for nothing. Be anxious.

For nothing can worry add one day to your life.

The truth is worry and you know, this worry does not help in any situation. It doesn't help to to ring your hands and and to worry about a situation. Oh, how are the Bills going to be paid?

How is my health situation going to be changed? What was me worry doesn't have you know, the root word for the English word worry is the German word for working and Bergen means to strangle.

Worry strangles the very life and joy out of the Christian. The joy of the Lord is my Strength you you had it on your lips. The joy of the Lord is our strength, but anxiousness worried. Strangles out the very the life of the believer. Don't do it.

It supposed to be anxious for nothing. No, he's the same one who just said a minute ago in everything give thanks.

But in everything by everything and for everything be in prayer with supplication and Thanksgiving and these are two ways that Paul is saying your supplication making your requests known to God. That's what's up location means and Thanksgiving is when you're praising him for what he has done and what he will do in your life. in everything in prayer and supplication and Thanksgiving let your requests what Be made known to God, so we start with praise. t'god and then we moved into prayer. for our needs and thanking him for what he has done.

Well, thank you Lord. Thank you for what you have done in my life. Thank you for the wonderful General Assembly that the Michigan Church of God had in the transition smooth transition the power transition.

From Bill to Mark and we have new leadership.

and we have trust and faith in Enmark to lead us into

a new realm Building on what Bill Jones did Mark Richardson can move the church forward as we pray for him and believe for him. And believe for God to do Mighty miracles in the Church of God. In these years to come. Let your requests be made known to God.

And here's the result of When you pray you praise God rejoice. You pray to God with your supplications the thanksgivings and the result is. What Paul says here and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will do what it will guard your hearts and your minds. In Jesus Christ, we need to guard our heart.

Oh, we can have our hearts hurt. So easily. Have you ever heard somebody say my heart was broken. They broke my heart. May the Lord strengthen you encourage you and guard your heart through his Holy Spirit and your mind. When Paul talks in Ephesians chapter 6 about putting on the full armor of God. One of the pieces that he talks about is putting on the helmet. of salvation Let's see the helmet protect your mind. from the blows of the enemy If they get through the defenses of your shield and they get by your sword and they should use a club or a rock or some weapon against you flaming darts from hell. I come against you your mind is protected by the helmet of salvation. Good news on your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. That's what we pray for. Are you praying that for yourself? Are you praying for your pastor? Are you praying for the people in our Church Fellowship in the body of Christ? The guard that the Lord will guard their hearts and their minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, he says finally. So, you know, I'm coming close to the end. Finally Brethren whatever is true. Whatever is Honorable. Whatever is right, whatever is pure whatever is lovely. Whatever is of good report. If there is anything of Excellence now that covers a lot that's in it that this is a nice list. It is not a list of everything but it's a good list that the Paul was given to us if there's anything that's true. That's honorable that is right. Whatever is pure whatever and he said whatever a few times here Destiny whatever is lovely whatever is of good report. If there's anything that is excellent, if anything is worthy of Praise that we're back to praise again.

praise and worship if there is anything worthy of Praise been underscored I understood this for us. Let your mind let your mind dwell on these things. Think on these things in other translations think about these wonderful things this list and others if there's good stuff in the world if there's good things happening. Don't let your mind dwell on all of the bad news. the wars the rumors of wars the plagues the pestilence the the stuff that's happening. That's so evil in the world. Let your mind let your thoughts go to and let them dwell on the good things of God. God has good things happening in your life in your family's life in your friends lives. Thank the Lord for the good things that happen and let your mind dwell on the good.

Turn your eyes from all of the evil. You can pray for that pray for those who persecute you pray for those who do all manner of evil in the world. Pray for them. Pray. Pray pray, but let your mind dwell on the things that are worthy that are holy of excellence. And that is what Paul is trying to tell us.

And then some sit up with this. And the things you have learned and received and heard and even seen in me. This is Paul speaking to the church. He speaking to you and to me the things you've learned in received and you've heard and seen in me. The key word is that p word we've moved from praise to prayer.

But we need to put into. practice

practice these things and the God of Peace will be with you you want peace in the midst of your storm you want peace in this world. We pray for peace. Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me you saying it? We need to practice the things that we've learned in scripture when when you've taken your your Bible and you've read it. Then practice it. The instructions that God gave to Joshua be before he went into the promised land these he said Moses is dead. Well, that's a wonderful word. Isn't it? Moses is dead. And now you

Will take up the mantle and you will lead my people. Then he says to Joshua meditate on the word day and night.

And you will be strong in me. I can I can just hear Joshua saying to Moses, but you know, I'm not ready. And God said be strong and courageous.

like that Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz I want a rich.

I bought some courage. Will you find the courage and the strength? As you dwell in the word of God dwell and let your mind think on those things and then you practice the things that you've learned and you bread from God's work you put them into practice.

Then when you're boster. Somebody in your family or somebody you don't like particularly does something evil or wrong?

Let your mind dwell on the things of God and practice the things of God old that whole list and so many more.

Fruits of the spirit are love joy peace, long-suffering long long-suffering meekness goodness faith.

And you you let your mind dwell on these things.

the Holiness of God the presence of God didn't you practice the presence of God practice these things and the God of Peace will be with you this next little slide. Is just to remind me. That we can teach our kids Rhonda had been teaching. Emerson the ABC song remember and she recited the ABC song to me ABCD EFG HIJK LMNOP QRS TUV WX y&z now, I know my ABCs won't you sing along with me? Yoshi you can teach us a child. a simple song like that little tune But do they really know their ABCs if you lift it up a a letter A or the letter w? Would they be able to recognize it and know it and so it is with our own lives that many times we learn little short little quips and songs and we sing nice songs at church, but do we really get the word of God within us to we let our minds dwell on the things of God do we put into practice the scripture and do we know the scriptures and do we know the address to find John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life, but do you know John 3:17? For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world. But but that through his son Jesus we might have life and eternal life that so we need to go beyond the ABCs of Mere Christianity. We need to know scripture in our hearts memorize let our minds dwell and think on these things and then put them into practice.

So that you could live out your faith.

the next slide

and I put raybons heater problem that whole list of all of those things that weird to think on and let our minds dwell on.

Rayvon a pastor friend of mine

He says when his kids were little. He was working by vocationally. Then I've been there. I know what it's like to have to work a job full-time and then then be a pastor at a part time, but you can never be a part-time Pastor. Can you because when the phone calls and and you need to respond people need you right now? And so Ray Vaughan said that he was living in Northern Indiana and that he had to travel about 20 minutes to get to his job and the heater stopped working in his car during the winter.

Have you ever had your heater go out in your car?

in the winter any had to make a decision can I? Stay home. On these cold bitter cold days, or do I just bundle up and and go to work because my kids need winter coats in my my kids need food to eat and So Raven.

Made it a point that he would bundle up put his gloves on and get in that cold car started up and drive the 20 minutes to work and the 20 minutes home and he did that for a couple of months and then one day on his way home the Lord lifted his eyes to see a sign that says radiator repair shop. And he said I wonder if there's a problem with my radiator. I just wonder and so he pulled the car in and he said Pastor Dave he says. I could see hanging up drying. Radiators from cars that he had boiled out in the end in that boiling process is not water. They use a solvent where they dip down the radiator and they flush it out. And make it like new and solder any. Place where there's leaks that they can find. And he asked the gentleman at the shop. He said I I don't have a heater in my car. It's it's not working and maybe it's my radiator. Maybe there's there's something wrong it. The band says could you leave it with me for a day? He says I could leave it with you for a day if if there's any hope I could get heat back in my car.

Gentleman called him back up the next day said come and get your car. I boiled out your radiator and I I flushed out your heater core and then it was blocked. It was blocked.

And he said by the time he got home from the radiator shop. There was heat in the car.

I said rave on pumpkin. What did you learn out of that experience?

G kind of hunting Hardy said I don't know that maybe I should have gone to him sooner and I said I haha. Maybe you should have gone to him sooner and you would have been driving around in a cold car. Raybon isn't that true of our own spiritual lives that there are times when we are we are suffering from unforgiveness.

We we have pain from rejection. We have worries that weigh us down. There are stuff things in life. That have got us all clogged up.

And so we're not operating the way we should and we don't have the warmth of the Holy Spirit flowing through us and to us to warm us up. I said if you if you could see that imagery. How many of the people in our Church Fellowship?

I needed to be freed up. So that they can let their minds dwell on the things of God that they can be practicing. Christianity the way it should be that it's not a religion. It's a relationship with an almighty God who loves us enough that he gave us his son to die on the cross for our sins to free us up. To unclog a radiator in our heater core that we might have the joy of the Lord is our strength. So we can Praise Him and we can pray and we can practice.

the things of God so that we can practice what we preach. As Christians because we're all Ministers of the Gospel out there sharing with our family and our friends the good news.

Would you stand with me as we close today?

I know that you want to have the peace of God.

and Paul says if you would rejoice in the lord always that you would have the peace of God that if you would practice praying.

It making your requests known to him let the peace of God would abide with you. Did the God of Peace not just the peace of God, but the God of Peace would have died and live in you. Let's pursue the things that make for peace. We're going to skip the little video that I was going.