Exalting Christ

Yes, that's what we're here for praising. The Lord. Our reading is taken from Philippians chapter 2. Dealing with Jesus Christ and his designer in your relationships with one another have the same mindset as Christ Jesus who being the very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own Advantage rather. He made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearance has a man. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to even death on the cross.

Prayer request caffeine I had hip replacement surgery on Wednesday, and she's in recovery right now. So we need to pray for her. So let's go to prison.

precious father now thank we are to come before you the mighty one who does hold all things in your hands and you know all things you even know the request we bring before you before we do so father may you may you touch each heart here today your goodness and love for each person here. We pray for the people of our community. We especially pray for those who do not know you is Lord and Savior who are wandering in darkness and lost lost for all eternity because they have not found that precious gift that you have given through the blood of Jesus Christ the salvation of Our Lives May you touch their hearts and father may you use The people here who love you to demonstrate through their lungs what it is to have Victory in Jesus Christ. We do pray for a Kathy that you would be with her that you would continue to heal her and restore her legs so that she will have better mobility and less painful Mobility than she had prior bringing her back to us with me Lord. And we do want to remember the unspoken request those who have desires of their heart.

Or you know them, you know each one and you know what the answer should be but father we lay them at your feet and trust that you will guide and direct as you will then each circumstance and then we will trust you because we've given them to you. And I didn't each and every circumstance. May you continue to be with us this day as we worship. You may you behind lift it up in our hearts and made this praise. Give glory to you in Jesus name. Amen.

Florida

Wednesday

Very crazy is where you are.

new song to do raspberries

when Temptation comes my way. And I cannot login.

I guess it supercharged diamond.

Trying to help him along the way there.

It's kind of a new one learning the reins around here. And what's what's what to do. Let's pray before we get started.

Mighty God the Eternal Everlasting father you who hold our lives in the palm of your hand we come before you with Thanksgiving and praise is an honor for you are mighty king. We thank you for your presence. We pray that it would be Mighty and Powerful we pray for your spirit to be The Guiding Light for our lives. So that

He would reveal to each of our hearts the desire that you have for us. May you guide us and help us to draw near to you pray that you would be with me. Then as I open my mouth and speak I would be doing so in your power and your strength alone that I would not do dependent upon myself for you are the one who makes the difference in everything we do. Oh Lord. We asked for this blessing from you in Jesus name. Amen.

well In in a couple of weeks. I'm going to be heading up to Washington because we're going to have my mother's memorial service. And so I'm going to give you a little bit of a preview of what I might be talking about there. She was a woman who love the Lord as well as my father. And so I had some real good guidance as I was growing up when I graduated from high school. They gave me a Bible. And on the inside cover of the Bible was written to versus they've taken from Hebrews chapter 12 the first two verses it says therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses speaking of chapter 11 in that chapter of faith in Hebrews. Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so entangles our lives and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and Perfecter of Our Lives. Who for the joy set before him endured the cross despising the shame shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God. And if you take those two verses and you really examine them deeply it speaks of everything that you and I really need in this life. The progress forward, you know, because central figure in this is Jesus Christ and he needs to be the central figure in our lives if we truly are going to find success for apart from him. There is no success whatsoever. And so it doesn't matter what in our lives except that we live for him. Cuz when you depart from this life, it's there's only two things that will matter number one is that you truly believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That's the big one because it makes a difference in all your destiny in what is before us. The second one is is it calls us to live a life? Just as Christ lived his life say he's the author is the Perfecter of your life. If you're not dependent upon him and looking to him you're not having success in this life. I don't care what you do, whether you're the president of the United States whether you were at the corporate executive of the biggest company in the world, whether you're the greatest athlete in the world that makes absolutely no difference in life. The only difference made is what is made for Jesus Christ.

And so we're going to take a look today at the first John chapter 2 verses 1 through 6 and we'll take a look at our relationship with Jesus Christ. First part of it talks about God's will in this relationship his desire for you and for me in this relationship what he wants to achieve through it.

It starts off with the first two verses my dear children. I write this to you so that you will not send but if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ, the righteous one he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for hours but also for the sins of the whole world.

You see God's desire. Is that everyone be saved? He created us in the beginning for a relationship with him. And that's his desire is desire. Is that relationship? And so he gives us some guidelines to help achieve that relationship that we need to have with him.

In 1st Peter, 1 15 and 16. It kind of defines the basis for this relationship you see God is a god. That is absolutely holy and so this is his desire. It says but just as he is ho he who called you is Holy so be holy in all you do for it is written be holy because I am Holy you say that kind of wraps it up. And what gods does are for you is he is a God where there is no Darkness whatsoever. And he wants that from each of Our Lives. I know we have that problem of send it still binds us down a little bit but we are to be progressing towards that desire to be holy people living as God has called us to live and hopefully as we continue through this life, we become more and more the picture of that hole in it that Holiness is found in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ Alone God if we come to that point where we have that relationship with God we've come to him and ask him to be our Lord and savior, you know, he's up there cheering us on you know, that that God wants you to be successful in this life. You know, that's his desire. And he is an advocate for our lives, you know, Jesus docket for a reason. He died to change your life. And when you change it, you know, he's going to go before the father and say Hey, you know Don messed up here, but that's okay.

His sin is covered by the blood. Romans 8:34 is a great chapter in the Bible and it talks about our relationship with God first through the Holy Spirit and then through Christ and in verse 34 it says who then is the one who condemns. You know, that's the way it starts off. You know, there's no condemnation.

Who's the one who condemns? No one Christ Jesus who died more than that who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for you. See he's interceding for you. He's talking to God about you. He's wanting to develop more and more that relationship with you earlier on in the chapter. It talks about the Holy Spirit also going before God. And interceding for your life and my life before God, you know that Holy Spirit is dwelling in US guiding us and helping us to press forward in our effort. To be more holy to be more like Christ.

In Jesus Christ can do that because he is our atonement. He has done to work as matter fact. He's done all the work. What you have to do is say yes, Lord, I believe I believe in that work. Romans 3:25 says God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood. Perfect blood to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness because it is forbearance. He left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. In other words those that died before Jesus Christ work punish their faith in God bless them enough that when Christ died. It was for their sins as well cleansing them.

Jesus came to make a huge difference. That's why he came to the Earth. He came so that he could make it so you and I could come before God.

Ask for his salvation. He didn't come to condemn the world. You'll do that in the future for those who don't receive that gift that he's promised. But for those of you who have received that he did this for you and for me, but he also did it for everybody else in the world? We all have that choice. We all have that desire our need for our lives. And we just have to come before him.

John 3:17 says for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. His desire is to save the world. So we see that that's God's desire and he's done all the work. He's done all the work so that we could find atonement for the precious blood of Jesus Christ because he wants a relationship with you. Everyone's last one of you God wants that relationship and he's paid the price for it and all that you have to do is believe who he is and what he's done and say Yes, Lord. I want some of that. Please forgive me and allow me to be a child of the Living God Well, it continues on let's go ahead and read the next 2 verses 3 and 4 and this is our part in it. This is where were John to what we need to understand about the whole relationship between the Living God in this. It says we know that we have come to know him if we keep if we keep his commands. Whoever says I know him was not does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in him. You say there's a lot of people running around today that say I know Jesus Christ is Lord and say all yeah, I believe in him but they run off and they do their own life. They don't involve their life in him at all. And that's not what God wants. God wants a relationship. In other words. There's a connection there. There's not a ho. Yeah. I know God and I believe in him and then I run off and never attempt to come to church and worship him and fellowship with him. I never pray to him during the week. I never do anything about God. I'm living my life for myself. That's not believing him. It's not being obedient to God's commands. And that's a struggle that's a pressure that we have. Paula has we know one of those guys that truly sold out for Christ. Once he became a Believer. He says this Philippians chapter 3 verse 18 says what is more after he talked about all those things that achieved you know, he did a lot of things at least by human standards, but he said I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ. Isn't that amazing? There is there must be a desire on our hearts to know Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior remember back to what I that's verse I gave you earlier verse 2 of Hebrews 12 looking unto Jesus the author. He's the one that guided you to come to him and receive him but he's also the Perfecter. And you can't perfect unless you know what you're perfecting to. And that means Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior. So that's why we looked at him why it is so valuable for our lives because I said as I said before nothing in this life is of any value unless it's connected with Jesus Christ and his work for you and for me. Loving Christ. Lucky and that's what it's called to.

Jesus says this of a few times but it's also in other passages of scripture in John. 14:15. Jesus is talking to the disciples just before he goes to the Cross is in the upper room and he's explaining things to them. And he says this and he says it several times if you love me keep my commands if you love me keep my commands. Be obedient to what I've called you to be. And there's so much in there that he calls us to be. So when we say I love Jesus part of our demonstration of our love is that we truly feel we need to be doing those things that he's said we

We can't know that if we don't know Jesus Christ.

There's the other side to it that he mentions here the side where people claim make that claim of Christ in yet. They don't show it in their lives Titus 1:16. It says they claim to know God but by their actions, they denying their detestable disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. You see unless we're walking in Christ. What we do really isn't any good. It's only good as it comes through is funneled through our knowledge of him. And this is what I because truly the good stuff in our lives are things that first of all draw you closer to God, but also help others see God and then ultimately draw closer to him as well. Those are the important the valuable things in life. And if we are truly following them. And we're in the truth. We're walking in the truth. We're not wires.

But we have an advocate. I helper as we mentioned before. the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ Our advocates But if we are Guided by the spirit if the spirit is truly dwelling in us, then there will be a hard or each of us to know Jesus Christ, Warren Moore. 1st John 3:24 says the one who keeps God's commands lives in him and he in them and this is how we know that he lives. We know it by the spirit he gave me but you see when we came to know Jesus Christ. The spirit of God came to dwell inside of us imagine that God living in you guiding you directing your hat giving wisdom and understanding and sometimes discipline to our lives if we're listening. But we have to listen to that Spirit we have to listen to his guidance and wisdom. So that's our part in it. Let us extend that out a little bit as we go along filling up, you know getting more full of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit verse John to 5 and 6, but if anyone obeys the word got love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know. We are in him whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus. Did I kind of Says it. All right there if my life doesn't reflect Jesus Christ if I'm doing things that You know Jesus Christ would never do. Then I'm going the wrong way. I've chosen the wrong path.

Part of that path is what you're doing right now. You know that all of you here are you doing one of the things that God has called you to do he's called you to gather together. And the reason he does that is he doesn't want it to be a one-man show or one-woman show or one person show. He wants it to be a unified effort in the body of Christ. And that's why he encourages us to be attending.

The church or at least I'll be involved in the church and some respect and he says this over and over again scripture, you know, some people say well I like to worship God out in nature. That blesses me. Well, you're not doing what God called you to do because one of the things he wants is for you to work with people. You say one of the important things that we see in scripture we see in Jesus Christ. Remember I read that thing about Jesus Christ at the beginning from Philippians chapter 2, you know, why did christ do this? He did it for people? Look at this ministry. Everything he did he did for people. And we are to reflect Jesus Christ. So what does that call us to do the work and live with people to be involved in their lives? Ephesians 4 12 and 13 says In talking about the the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how we are to use them. You see if I claim Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I also I'm claiming that the spirit of God lives in me and when he came in me, he gave me gifts to use for the Fulfillment of the body of Christ OK and if so, this is concluding that and he gives his gifts to equip is people for works of service so that the body of Christ the church maybe build up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining the whole measure and the fullness Abu Jesus Christ Christ You know it all comes back to him if he is the central figure in your life you're doing well, if he's not need to re-examine your life and see where you're going. It needs to be the focus of Our Lives, you know, he wants us to be complete in him. His desire is that we press on forward to take in that fullness and make it completely apart of Our Lives. That's the goal that's surprised we seek we want to be complete John 14:21 going back to that chapter when Jesus talking to the disciples notice what he said the first time he said he said obey my commands. Erie says it again. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me the one who loves me Will Be Loved by my father and I too will love them and show myself to him. You see if we're truly wanting to follow God God is right there with us ready to guide us and lead us and help us to do all that we can. and following him because that's he's our cheering section to do. What's right and complete that's his desire. It ends up once again cycling back to our relationship. With each other how we treat each other how we love one another. That's the most important thing to God. Is that somehow we unite together in our love for him and express that to one another so that you will be growing and I will be growing as we commune together. 1st John 4:12 says no one has ever seen God. But if we love one another God lives in us and his love is made complete.

You see if I want to be a complete individual if I want to stand truly. The way God wants me to stand. I have to be involved in your lives and you have to be involved in the lives of each other. It's so important. It's what gone to call this to. We need to love as Christ loves. Bank of Philippians remember that verse why Christ came You love people so much. Did he die for people?

in Romans 5:8 it says gone, but God demonstrates his own love for us in this while we were still sinners Christ died for us. He didn't wait till we were good and holy and righteous to die for us. He died for us when we were Sinners had to be when we were Sinners cuz we were old Spinners. There wasn't a Holy One Among Us.

now there is if you're in Christ, you're holy you're separated to God. You're mature and wonderful, and you're living in obedience to him. And that's where we want to go. We want to have a love of Christ in US. And so that's something to think about in just a few minutes. We're going to have a baptismal service. I'm excited about it because it's my youngest grandson and he loves the Lord. You know why he's being baptized. Because he loves the Lord is being obedient to that call. He wants to live as God wants him to live.

Talk to him about it if you want and you'll give you a good discussion.

But it's a joyful time, you know him and it's a celebration because he's chosen to do this to show you how much he loves God and that's what baptism is all about. It's just demonstrating the gods made a difference in my life. And I want you to know I want you to see what he's done.

So it's a step of obedience and so each one of us need to take those steps, and I don't. Can't even attempt to know your heart and what direction you want to go. But if God is speaking to your heart today about your love relationship with Jesus Christ, and there's something he wants you to step out and do you know? I'll be praying. But you'll take that stuff that you'll have a willingness to stand up and make a difference as Zack wants to make today.

Because God wants to make a difference in your life and he wants your life to display that difference as we talked about last week the light of the world. Let's pray.

Our gracious Father in Heaven how we thank you that. We can come before you the Living God isn't it? Amazing that just fellowshipping together in this house is the wonderful power of the Living God dwelling among us. Thank you Father. Thank you for that father. I pray that you're touching each heart in this room in some respect drawing them closer to you and helping them to love you more and more and father if there's One or more here that don't know that love that you have given a pray that they would not walk away from here without coming before you and falling on their knees before the Living God and trusting in you changing their eternity.

For there is an eternity. Guiding bless O Lord Our God in Jesus name. Amen. Okay. Well, I am going to be heading out for just a few minutes and then in just a few minutes we'll be in the Baptist Baptist. So I'll be right back. Who sings this song?

girl from The Grinch

Rhode Island

Lord I love seeing your face. I'm so glad I'm so glad you say you came from

this guy

Lord I Lift Your Name on High

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