Sunday Service – August 2, 2020
Today, I hope you're to be able to bless me to get to messages today and still have one but they're sure once and what I decide to do is I'm going to put them around our communion service the one that the beginning and one at the end and my hope is that as we come together and remember the table would remember that last supper. Remember all that Christ did for us my hope is that true these two messages to all the angel that sell clearance Raleigh animosity. You received two messages today a blurry of teaching and of encouragement enough.
The first one is a continuation on me the series that I've been doing through Philippians. Is titled the mind of Christ. And the text from Philippians 2:5 says You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. There's some words in our language that are are really important. And if you read this you must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had and if you change one word and you can take says you should have Or you can have or you may have or you decide if you want to have all of those being something different, but God's word says You must have the same attitude of Christ. Jesus hat. 1 Corinthians 2 12 to 16 says this and we have received Dodge Spirit not the world's. So we can know the wonderful thing. As God has freely given us when we tell you these things. We do not use words that come from Human wisdom instead. We speak words given to us by the spirit using the spirits words to explain spiritual truth, but people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it for all those who are spiritual can understand what the spirit means those who are spiritual. Can you die you ate all things but they themselves and not being evaluated by others for who can know the Lord sauce who knows enough to teach him, but we understand these things for we have the mind of Christ.
Pause challenge to the Philippians Christians in our text contains one of the most exciting invitations that all of the word of God always telling readers that it's possible for redeemed human beings the rise of the level where they think with the mind of Jesus Christ. This should be a continual Quest the object of our prayer is day by day. Then we might have the mind of Christ as we Face the issues and Alternatives of life. I know I don't always do this when I make my post on Facebook stop for a minute and say with Jesus post this. Would Jesus bless this with Jesus fill in the blank? If I'm honest with myself, it'll be a number of times. I would say I don't think he would probably one of them yesterday yesterday. I posted my predictions for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. And yesterday I was full for 5 for the games yesterday. So don't come to me for betting advice on sports sporting events. Tell somebody that there's two things I love to do on Sundays. One of them is me with the fellowship of believers. I love to do on a Sunday is to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff playoff hockey game. In the last 15 years. I've been able to meet I did the numbers which of the fellowship of Believers on a Sunday morning over 600 times. give or take in the last 15 years. I think I've been able to watch the Leafs play in a playoff game. Maybe three or four times on a Sunday. Play I get to see them for a fourth or fifth time. So I'm really looking forward to that.
Call before you and the end of this year this and it might be getting too old for you. But I intend to be talking a lot about Facebook and social media because I think that's where our culture is, but just ask yourself before you where you click it. Just take a look at it and say we Jesus say that was Jesus last time I learned this lesson many many years ago in the corporate world. I would sometimes get myself in trouble cuz I was type up an email and it would be an angry email. Because something would happen that I wouldn't be happy about and I would send it either to the bosses or to the team or whatever was a nice pretty young in the corporate world as he sat down with me since Rob is nothing wrong with typing what you're typing what's wrong is in you sending what you sent. So he taught me that she said here's what I want you to do is type up your email. I want you to get about you a chair and I want you to go for a 15 minute walk outside around the building and then I want you to come back and read your email. And then decide if we're going to send it and I will tell you that tip has saved me a ton of grief probably nine times out of 10 19 times out of 20 of the type to email Matt go for a used to be short in a 15 minute walk off and I wouldn't have 15 inch spare by go for a little walk. I come back and I will read it and I would delete it almost every time. Do that when you post something when you respond to something by post walk away and make yourself a tea coffee go say hi to the dog. These are now things that I do and then come back and you'll find you'll probably be deleted.
And here's the thing about thinking with the mind of Christ as we all know and as our actions have shown we do not naturally think with the mind of Christ. We are at a battle with her flash Russell battle with the Demonic world. We do not live in service price lived in served. We will never become christ-like hair conduct until we become christ-like in our spotlight. And that's really important. Right. It's not always about what we do and how we love from the outside but maybe more importantly it in before the supports. What's on the inside? What's your thought life like
Isaiah tells us as let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them yesterday for he will forgive generously. My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts as the Lord in my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine. The unrighteous man must forsake his own right? Just thought if he wants to escape his Wicked Ways. We talked about this word repentance right to turn away from to turn around and head in the right direction and repentance is not only an act. It's an attitude. Paul said you must have that attitude attitude of the mind of Christ and repentance not only takes place in a moment. It's not a one-time thing. It's out of turning on a light switch and turning off a light switch. What is a continuous thing discontinuous mindset of repentance that every single time you do something that you shouldn't do? And I do it constantly, but it but it's pretty awesome that when I do is not too long after I do it that the Holy Spirit within me just convinced me and says, why did you what are you doing?
It's at that moment. That I'm required to repair ends at that moment that I come to God if I'm so sorry in the exact moment that I come to God and I thank him for his forgiveness and often. It's at that moment that I need to make a decision to go and ask somebody else for her difference.
Repentance don't in the one-time thing. It's a continual thing for us the call to repent and in reality a call to accept his mind of Christ. Though. It is possible to have the mind of Christ.
I don't make this stuff up the mind of Christ calls for humility, and I surrender to the will of God. John 5:30 says I can do nothing on my own. I judge. As God tells me there for my judgment is just because I carry out the will of the one who sent me and not my own will. Our Lord Express his humility and his commitment to his father as well by being willing to close himself and given Flash. He further expressed his commitment to his humility but naked by commitment to doing God's will to the point that it became a servant and yielded himself in service to the point of a shameful death on the cross. Are you willing to be a servant of God?
representing the Stone Church in this community I said something to this is somebody's morning and said here's what I am seeing all of this stuff going on houses of miles away that we have no control over. There is nothing that we can do is taking so much of our attention that we are giving no attention to this community. And we are giving no attention to our neighbors that we are giving no attention to the fishermen that we are getting no attention to the single. Mom that needs our help. We are getting no attention cuz we are so enthralling so Focus fun stuff going on thousands of miles away.
Therefore my judgment is just because I carry out the will of the one who sent me not my own well. Are you willing to carry out the will of the Gods who is sending them? not your own will our Lord Express his humility and his commitment to his father's will by being willing to close himself in human flesh.
This is the example that Paul holes up for us. Is a challenge in process week after? By the pathway of the cross the Christ was to find his throne and his printer.
There are crowds waiting for each and every one of us.
Do you want that crown or do you want the crown of the one that gets the most likes? I don't get a crown or an award or something for that.
The mind of Christ to find one's purpose for being in terms of service. Right. We're here to serve the Lord.
And I will contend I think if we did a pool and ask what do you think? I'm personal level. Not not not God's word. But what do you think is the most damaging sin in our culture today? What do you think? I know they want to just come in off in your mind right now. And I will tell you ever since I've become a Christian in 1999 whenever I've asked myself this question. The answer is never changed for me. and it says sex. So Gossip is the most dangerous sending. This is my views in my thoughts. And I seen the damage that it is done. Gossip slander is another word for that it in and now he see it a bun on social media from Brothers and Sisters in Christ that are throwing stuff out there that they have no idea if it's true or not.
Escada Again, before you do that or before you say something publicly. Just ask yourself. Jesus say this would Jesus do this with Jesus Last of Us. You could be a time when and we don't see them anymore bright marvelous bracelets the wwjd bracelets. The wwjd bracelets got me a job. Is a manager in a call center? I went for an interview in this high-level executive. Who is there in the interview song by bracelet? Say anything about it, but he told me afterwards. He said you know what? He said the interview went really really well, but I'll tell you why I hired you is because you were wearing that bracelet and he said I need help here in this house I have. What would Jesus do?
Our Lord was a worker tireless worker even though he had the rest. We do know that he was he was for the most part what we would call in our calls for a tireless worker even when he was tired. He still had compassion for people he still serve people. And John Leary we must carry quick carry. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned Us by the one who sent us the night is coming and then no one can.
How desperate are you to show Christ to others? our Lord believe with all his heart that the greatest joy possible in life came as a result of giving rather than getting right as I was saying that we use often in the in The Crucible right? It's better to give than receive.
Scripture describes. Our Lord is the one who went about doing good hotels. The Ephesian Christians that God has created us in order that we might give ourselves to a life of good work.
I think we get so caught up in grace alone in faith along with just the truth. Do we think we can stop working? Because we are not saved by works. Right? We know that if we understand that soapworks is not going to save me and then what's the purpose of works? Why should I work? Ephesians 2:10 says for we are God's Masterpiece stop and think of that for a moment. And I know for many of us including me is hard for me to see that cuz I see so many flaws in me. I see so many faults in me. I could have so many errors in me and so many mistakes and me but I am not looking at me Through The Eyes Of God for we are God's masterpiece.
And it doesn't stop here and he says so we can do the good things that he planned for us long ago. We are workers for the kingdom of God the mind of Christ calls for compassion Matthew 9:26 to report of this miracle swept throughout the countryside. What are Lord soth multi to do was moved with compassion rather than by an attitude of critical condemnation and read that again? He was moved with compassion rather than by an attitude of critical condemnation. I can pass this at times and I need prayer for this but I really struggle with that when I look at the leadership of this country. In my continual critical condemnation of the leadership of this country when that energy energy could be used in a better way to serve God. Simply one of those just afraid for the leadership of his country because there was nothing that my critical condemnation can do.
Got to work continues to go on to say he came into the world not to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved. If we did one mind with Jesus. We need to let the love of God within us express itself holding concern and in help for the needy.
Concerted help for the needy. You know anybody else there who is needy?
If you don't I'll help you find one. Just look around look around this room. There's not one person in here who is not needy. We need Jesus. We should demonstrate Jesus compassion for those in our immediate surroundings compassion. How how how awesome would be it's been Church in all of those in the church were just flooded the passages flooded our hearts and we think of those who suffer and countries ravaged by War and pestilence. instead of these people aren't wearing masks are these people are wearing masks?
Thing is so compassionate to be genuine right at the heart thing is being into that the mind of Christ Jesus suffer for those about him and gave himself in meeting the needs of others.
One of his last words that Jesus said was forgive them for they know not what they do.
It wasn't hate them cuz they're followers of trump or hate them because they're not followers of trump.
It wasn't hate them cuz they're liberals or hate them because they're part of this political party forgive them for they know not what they do. Have the mind of Christ is going to be caught. maybe costliest car I know you would I have this. I don't know what this means but the news is I have a type A personality and I like to be right.
Not sometimes not most of the time but I like to be right out. I don't like it when somebody points out that I'm wrong. To the point that sometimes I'll argue my rightness, even when I realized how long I am, but I still don't want them to know that I'm wrong. I had to work with for a long time, but I'm getting you a better out of it.
Because the Holy Spirit within me when that happens is convicting me Rob. You need to listen to this personal you need to listen to that person. It's costing it will involve inconvenience. It will change the total course of your life if you focus on the mind of Christ. It will produce a profound change in you.
Can you imagine somebody saying to you? I knew you weren't Fortune. And here's the thing if somebody says that you that could mean one of two things. I knew you were a Christian because of how you are loving people how you are a compassionate four people. How you how you are responding to situations Beebe. I just knew there was something different about you, but it could also mean then I knew you were a Christian because you are self-righteous because you are judgemental because you are this is that perception that is out there, right? Blastoise off when somebody if somebody says to you right now today. I knew you were a Christian. How would they know which one of these two answers are coming to your mind? It will produce a profound changing you when you have the mind of Christ and only as we Face the problems in the potentials of life with the mind of Christ. Can we begin to be christ-like in our continent? Here's the great news whenever we are not whenever we don't whenever we don't follow whenever we don't follow Christ whenever unrighteous anger gets a hold of us every single time. We are forgiven and what a beautiful thing. I've been hitting research. We come to repentance we can say sorry Mochi God help me work on my anger. Help me work in this emotion. That is sucking my energy help me help me help me.
I got Play the song. The very quiet flow meditative contemplative song. I'm going to play this just as we coming to the table and come to communion and it's a very simple song from simple words and it just goes really well with this message of getting in being in tune with the mind of Christ on the song called come to Jesus selected meditate on this song and you play the Amazon.