Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / A Great Reminder
Transcript
- 0:00We're reading in Philippians chapter 3.
- 0:03So our time we're going to look at the first three verses here in this chapter.
- 0:07Philippians chapter 3, again we read at verse 1.
- 0:11Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.
- 0:15To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
- 0:20Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers,
- 0:24look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
- 0:26For we are the real circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God
- 0:33and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.
- 0:41Are you someone who is easily distracted in these times when there's so much going on around us
- 0:49and our television screens are full of what's happening around our land?
- 0:53We can maybe think to ourselves, well just before I go and sit and read my Bible,
- 0:58go and have my own quiet time, just for a few moments switch on the telly
- 1:02and just see what's happening now.
- 1:05Only an hour later, an hour and a half later, you're still sitting there watching what's happening.
- 1:12It can happen so easily in our lives, not just when there's some major incident going on,
- 1:16some major event, but day after day we can easily be distracted
- 1:20from the main thing that we should be doing.
- 1:23And as we read in the book of Philippians,
- 1:26we read Paul writing to a people and to a congregation of God's people
- 1:31who were often in danger of being distracted by the things that were going on around them.
- 1:37And what he's doing is he's writing in a real pastoral way,
- 1:40just bringing them back to what they are meant to be doing
- 1:43and where their focus is meant to be.
- 1:47That they are to be a people who rejoice in the Lord.
- 1:51It's a recurring theme throughout this letter,
- 1:54the joy of the Lord and the fact that we are to rejoice in the Lord.
- 1:58So you find him saying again and again, this is what we are to be doing.
- 2:02Now as you look at the beginning of chapter 3 here,
- 2:06we're in the middle, very center point of the letter.
- 2:10It's halfway through the letter in terms of the chapters as they are laid out before us.
- 2:16But you see, Paul begins chapter 3 by saying,
- 2:19finally, my brothers.
- 2:22It's maybe like a bit like a minister saying in conclusion,
- 2:27and you think to yourself, well, he's going to be finished early tonight.
- 2:29But then he goes on and repeats everything that he said before.
- 2:33And he goes on for about the same amount of time again.
- 2:36Is that what Paul is doing here?
- 2:38Is he just saying finally, but then just going on to repeat himself
- 2:42with actually no real gain, nothing to be gained or no purpose in it?
- 2:46Well, it's not at all.
- 2:49Although he covers the points again,
- 2:52he does so in a way where he's giving even more insight
- 2:54to what the people are to be doing,
- 2:57even more insight into the Lord that they are worshiping,
- 3:00even more insight into the glory that there is in Christ
- 3:03and the way that they are to live.
- 3:06It's not just a finally in terms of we're nearly there.
- 3:10It's like a finally in sense of it's just pause for a moment
- 3:13and reflect on what we've heard already
- 3:16before we go on and look at it again in even more depth.
- 3:21There is repetition in the points he's made,
- 3:23but they're profitable.
- 3:25And it's no great, as he says here,
- 3:29it's no trouble to me to say the same things to you
- 3:33because it's of benefit to you.
- 3:35It's good for you to hear these things again and again.
- 3:39Let us, he's saying, focus and prepare ourselves
- 3:41to go into the world in which we live,
- 3:44to face up to the challenges that are around us,
- 3:46to be aware of the distractions that will easily come our way
- 3:50and to be focused on what we are doing, rejoicing in the Lord.
- 3:56And so in these days when we can be so easily distracted,
- 4:00let us always bear heed to what Paul is saying,
- 4:03what the scriptures are saying to us,
- 4:05that our first and main purpose is to be a people who worship God.
- 4:11How many times do you have to hear something
- 4:14before you understand it?
- 4:16If you're like me, there's some things that almost doesn't seem to matter
- 4:21how many times you hear it,
- 4:23you still can't just grasp it properly.
- 4:26It's like learning algebra in school.
- 4:29The teacher's repeating it again and again,
- 4:31telling you how to do it.
- 4:32It's just not sinking in.
- 4:34It's just not registering.
- 4:35No matter how many times you're hearing it,
- 4:37there's certain things that it really doesn't matter
- 4:40how often we hear it.
- 4:41It's just not sinking in.
- 4:43Now maybe in our own lives,
- 4:46think about how many sermons you heard
- 4:49and it just wasn't registering.
- 4:51The word of God wasn't penetrating.
- 4:54You were hearing the word again and again,
- 4:57whether it was in church, in Sunday school,
- 4:59from other people around you.
- 5:01You're hearing the word, but it's not penetrating.
- 5:06How often do you have to hear it to understand it?
- 5:09Well, the gospel is different in that sense.
- 5:13It's only by God's grace and by his spirit
- 5:15in opening our hearts that we begin to receive
- 5:18and to understand.
- 5:21But as Paul is writing to the church at Philippi,
- 5:23as well as many of the other churches he wrote through
- 5:25in the New Testament,
- 5:28what you find is repeating the same things
- 5:30again and again, prayerfully,
- 5:33that that word would penetrate
- 5:34and work in people's hearts.
- 5:37And so we keep hearing,
- 5:39we keep coming to hear,
- 5:40yes, it can sound the same thing again and again,
- 5:43but all the time it's working away in us
- 5:45and building us up in the faith,
- 5:47reminding us of who we worship.
- 5:49And as we go on,
- 5:51we're strengthened in our faith.
- 5:54John Flavel once said,
- 5:56there was a time when 3,000 souls
- 5:59were born to Christ at one sermon.
- 6:04Again, about the day of Pentecost.
- 6:06And as Peter preached the word,
- 6:083,000 souls were saved.
- 6:11But he went on to say,
- 6:13it may now be 3,000 sermons may be preached
- 6:16and not one soul converted.
- 6:20But does that mean we lose hope?
- 6:23Does that mean we lose heart?
- 6:25Because every time we come under the word of God
- 6:27or gather together around God's word,
- 6:29that it seems to be doing little
- 6:31or having no effect?
- 6:32No.
- 6:34Paul, as he says here,
- 6:36he's just reminding them again and again
- 6:38to go on in faith,
- 6:39to go on in the strength of the Lord,
- 6:41always rejoicing in the Lord
- 6:43and always make sure that in your own heart,
- 6:45your priority is first and foremost
- 6:48to worship God,
- 6:50not to be distracted,
- 6:52not to be distracted by the devil
- 6:53and the way he'll try to discourage you,
- 6:56not to be distracted by things
- 6:57that are going on around us.
- 6:58First and foremost,
- 7:01to always rejoice in the Lord.
- 7:04If you put on a fire and leave it,
- 7:06it's going to burn out.
- 7:08If you keep feeding that fire,
- 7:10it's going to keep burning.
- 7:11And that's what Paul is saying here to the people.
- 7:14Keep feeding your souls.
- 7:16Keep coming to the Lord
- 7:18and being strengthened in your faith.
- 7:21Yes, you come to faith,
- 7:24but unless you continue to refuel your faith
- 7:27and come to the source of your faith,
- 7:30it's going to burn out.
- 7:32We are to be a people who again and again
- 7:34approach God in worship.
- 7:38And that's why there's wisdom
- 7:39in gathering in the middle of the week.
- 7:43Perhaps we're doing so in the midst
- 7:45of a busy week.
- 7:46And in a busy week,
- 7:48all we're doing is giving out all the time,
- 7:52giving out of our strength,
- 7:54giving out of our time,
- 7:55giving out in our work.
- 7:57We're giving to others
- 7:58as we serve in different ways.
- 8:00All the time giving out.
- 8:02But then there's a time when we come
- 8:04to take in,
- 8:06to take in what God is saying to us,
- 8:09to recharge our batteries,
- 8:11to refresh our souls,
- 8:13to refresh ourselves among one another
- 8:16and around God's word
- 8:17and in singing his praise,
- 8:20to delight and to worship God at all times.
- 8:24Psalm 42 speaks about that
- 8:26and its sense of thirsting for God.
- 8:30It says that's the kind of people
- 8:32that we are to be
- 8:33and longing to meet with God.
- 8:35I knew the psalmist says
- 8:36we should long to come together
- 8:39and worship God.
- 8:40We should be thirsting for our God.
- 8:43We all need to recharge
- 8:44and to come to the source of our faith,
- 8:47the Lord,
- 8:48and to refresh ourselves in him.
- 8:52That's what Paul was constantly doing,
- 8:54no matter where he was,
- 8:55whether he was on his missionary journeys,
- 8:58whether he was writing from a prison cell.
- 9:01He was able to rejoice in the Lord
- 9:02and find his strength in him.
- 9:05So here in these first three verses
- 9:07of chapter three,
- 9:09Paul pauses to reflect here
- 9:11and he takes us back to the heart of worship
- 9:14with encouragement and warnings as well.
- 9:18And these we're going to look at
- 9:19just for a few moments.
- 9:21He's taking us back to Christ.
- 9:23It's all about him.
- 9:25It's not about what we do
- 9:27or what we are.
- 9:29It's about who he is
- 9:30and what he has done.
- 9:33So there's three things
- 9:34I want us to take from these verses,
- 9:36each verse individually.
- 9:38Verse one, first of all,
- 9:39tells us that we are to remember.
- 9:43To remember.
- 9:45They're all reminders to us
- 9:47of what worship is.
- 9:48First thing is to remember.
- 9:51Finally, my brothers,
- 9:53rejoice in the Lord.
- 9:55To write the same things to you
- 9:56is no trouble to me
- 9:58and is safe for you.
- 10:02He's just reminding the people
- 10:04this is what it's about.
- 10:06This is what our lives
- 10:08are to be focused on.
- 10:10This is where we are to look to
- 10:12at all times.
- 10:14Rejoice in the Lord.
- 10:17It's like a command.
- 10:20A command to continue
- 10:21in this way.
- 10:23To go forward in this way.
- 10:25Otherwise,
- 10:26you're going to go off track.
- 10:27You're going to lose your way.
- 10:29If you start getting distracted
- 10:31by what's going on around you,
- 10:32what other people are doing,
- 10:33or what gods they are worshipping,
- 10:35or how they are living their lives,
- 10:37you're going to get off track.
- 10:40But he's saying,
- 10:41brothers,
- 10:42rejoice in the Lord.
- 10:44And it's no trouble
- 10:46for me to say this to you.
- 10:48And it's safe for you.
- 10:49This is where you are to find
- 10:50your salvation and your safety.
- 10:52It is always in the Lord.
- 10:55That is the great recurring theme
- 10:57in this letter.
- 10:59And what he constantly wants
- 11:00the people to remember.
- 11:02And what he repeats here.
- 11:05And what he repeats again,
- 11:06as you see in chapter 4,
- 11:08where he says in verse 4
- 11:10of that chapter,
- 11:11rejoice in the Lord always.
- 11:12Again, I will say,
- 11:14rejoice.
- 11:17Repeating it again
- 11:18and again and again.
- 11:20But it's for the people's good.
- 11:22And it's for our good
- 11:23to hear it as well.
- 11:24That we are to be a people
- 11:26rejoicing in the Lord always.
- 11:30He knows it for himself.
- 11:33He knows the blessing
- 11:34that there is in this.
- 11:35In the midst of all his distractions,
- 11:38his own distractions,
- 11:40he finds his strength
- 11:41in rejoicing in the Lord.
- 11:46And so what does that mean
- 11:47for ourselves tonight?
- 11:50Well, again,
- 11:50it's just this reminder.
- 11:52Whatever circumstances
- 11:53we find ourselves in,
- 11:56whether it's internationally,
- 11:58nationally, locally,
- 12:01or just personal to ourselves,
- 12:03whatever is going on
- 12:04in our hearts,
- 12:05whatever our troubles,
- 12:06whatever our joys,
- 12:08whatever our fears and worries,
- 12:10we bring them to the Lord.
- 12:13We bring them to him
- 12:14and we rejoice in him.
- 12:17That he is a God who hears.
- 12:18That we are coming to a living Savior.
- 12:22That we are coming
- 12:23through the Holy Spirit,
- 12:24as he says here,
- 12:25that we worship
- 12:26by the Spirit of God
- 12:28and glory in Christ Jesus.
- 12:31This is our great privilege
- 12:33as a people of worship.
- 12:36That we come to a living God.
- 12:38And so we come
- 12:42and we come again
- 12:44and again
- 12:45and again.
- 12:46We come together.
- 12:48We come in our own time.
- 12:49We come and approach
- 12:51the living God
- 12:52who is able
- 12:53to refresh our souls
- 12:55and to bless us.
- 12:56And if we don't,
- 13:01what happens?
- 13:03We are in danger
- 13:04of falling.
- 13:06We are in danger
- 13:07of just slipping back
- 13:09bit by bit.
- 13:11We are in danger
- 13:12of just our hearts
- 13:14being on fire
- 13:15but being quenched
- 13:17little by little.
- 13:20It is always the danger
- 13:21that we have,
- 13:22the warning we have
- 13:23throughout Scripture,
- 13:24do not forget the Lord.
- 13:28You go back to Deuteronomy
- 13:29and it's a recurring warning
- 13:32in that book.
- 13:33Your people,
- 13:34Moses' people,
- 13:35God's people
- 13:36are going into
- 13:36the promised land
- 13:37with this warning
- 13:38ringing in their ears.
- 13:40Do not get distracted.
- 13:42Do not lose your focus.
- 13:44Do not forget the Lord.
- 13:47Remember,
- 13:48first and foremost,
- 13:49we worship God.
- 13:52What is it
- 13:53to worship God?
- 13:56You were asked
- 13:57that question.
- 13:57How would you
- 13:58answer that?
- 13:59What does it mean
- 13:59for you to worship God?
- 14:02Well,
- 14:03some people have
- 14:03put it down
- 14:04in different ways.
- 14:07But a man called
- 14:08William Temple,
- 14:10who was once
- 14:11Archbishop of Canterbury,
- 14:12he said this,
- 14:13defining worship
- 14:14in this way,
- 14:15as quickening
- 14:16the conscience
- 14:18by the holiness
- 14:19of God,
- 14:21feeding the mind
- 14:22with the truth
- 14:22of God,
- 14:24purging the imagination
- 14:25by the beauty
- 14:26of God,
- 14:27opening the heart
- 14:28to the love
- 14:29of God,
- 14:30and devoting
- 14:31the will
- 14:32to the purpose
- 14:33of God.
- 14:35There's much
- 14:36in that quote,
- 14:38so much in it,
- 14:39but what is worship?
- 14:41It's about God,
- 14:42all about him,
- 14:44our conscience
- 14:45being crooked
- 14:46by the holiness
- 14:47of God,
- 14:48feeding the mind
- 14:49through the truth
- 14:50of God,
- 14:51purging the imagination
- 14:53by the beauty
- 14:53of God.
- 14:54He becomes
- 14:54more precious
- 14:55to us,
- 14:56opening the heart
- 14:57to the love
- 14:59of God
- 14:59and devoting
- 15:01the will
- 15:01to the purpose
- 15:03of God.
- 15:04It affects
- 15:05change in us,
- 15:06not just
- 15:07by sitting
- 15:08and taking it in,
- 15:10but by going
- 15:11away with it
- 15:11and putting it out.
- 15:13We come in,
- 15:14we refuel
- 15:15so we can
- 15:16put out again.
- 15:17We come
- 15:18to remember
- 15:19the Lord
- 15:19as we worship him.
- 15:22Second thing
- 15:22we see here
- 15:23is in verse 2.
- 15:25And here's just
- 15:25a warning,
- 15:27don't be distracted
- 15:27by what's going
- 15:28on around you.
- 15:29Refuse to get drawn
- 15:31into these things.
- 15:32Look out for the dogs,
- 15:33look out for the evildoers,
- 15:35look out for those
- 15:36who mutilate
- 15:37the flesh.
- 15:39What is he saying here?
- 15:41Well,
- 15:41he's reminding them here
- 15:45that there are many
- 15:45who will seek
- 15:46to take them away
- 15:47from what they are
- 15:48meant to be doing
- 15:48in worshipping God.
- 15:51And in particular,
- 15:52he's talking here
- 15:53about those
- 15:53who are saying
- 15:54you have to be
- 15:55circumcised.
- 15:57Without circumcision,
- 15:58there's no way
- 15:58you can approach God.
- 16:00This is almost
- 16:01what's at the heart
- 16:02of worship
- 16:02for so many people
- 16:04around in Paul's day.
- 16:06Without this,
- 16:06there's no way
- 16:07you can approach God.
- 16:09But Paul is reminding them,
- 16:11refuse to be drawn
- 16:12into this.
- 16:13Don't be distracted
- 16:14by this.
- 16:16Worship isn't about
- 16:16what you do,
- 16:18but what I do
- 16:18and what I have done
- 16:19for you.
- 16:21That's what he goes on
- 16:21to expand on
- 16:22in verse 3.
- 16:24We are the real
- 16:25circumcision
- 16:25who worship
- 16:26by the spirit
- 16:27of God
- 16:28and glory
- 16:28in Christ Jesus.
- 16:29No confidence
- 16:30in the flesh.
- 16:32So the warning
- 16:33is there.
- 16:34Don't be distracted
- 16:35by those around you
- 16:37who will seek
- 16:37to lead you away
- 16:39in another direction.
- 16:41And again,
- 16:42it's such a warning
- 16:43to ourselves
- 16:43today as well
- 16:44when there are
- 16:45so many things
- 16:46that will distract us,
- 16:47so many things
- 16:48that people will tell us
- 16:49are important
- 16:50and how we're to live,
- 16:52even how we're to worship.
- 16:55What we worship
- 16:56is the living God,
- 16:58not man.
- 17:00And so we listen
- 17:01to what the word
- 17:02of God says to us.
- 17:04The Judea,
- 17:05the Jews around
- 17:06at this time
- 17:07were trying to force
- 17:08people to follow
- 17:09the law.
- 17:10the law was a big thing
- 17:13for them.
- 17:14And if you didn't keep
- 17:15the law,
- 17:15you weren't right
- 17:16with God.
- 17:17There was no way
- 17:18you could come near
- 17:19to God
- 17:20and yet the law
- 17:21could never be upheld.
- 17:23You could never
- 17:24keep it perfectly.
- 17:26You were enslaved
- 17:27in this way
- 17:28to trying to keep
- 17:28the law,
- 17:30something that was
- 17:30impossible to do.
- 17:34But what Paul
- 17:34is saying,
- 17:35refuse to get
- 17:36pulled into this.
- 17:37you come
- 17:39and worship
- 17:40God freely,
- 17:42not burdened
- 17:43by the law,
- 17:44but free in Christ
- 17:46who has fulfilled
- 17:47the law for you.
- 17:49What we could not do,
- 17:50he has done
- 17:51for us.
- 17:54And so we have
- 17:55this freedom
- 17:55to approach
- 17:57God in this way.
- 17:59But are we?
- 18:01Or are we still
- 18:02trying in our own way
- 18:03to satisfy God
- 18:05and to fulfill
- 18:06God's law
- 18:07and make sure
- 18:08that we are doing
- 18:09everything right
- 18:09ourselves?
- 18:12Human effort
- 18:13plays a big part
- 18:14in so many people's
- 18:15religion today.
- 18:16It's about
- 18:17what we do.
- 18:20If you try
- 18:21your best,
- 18:22as somebody
- 18:23once said,
- 18:24even though
- 18:25you aren't perfect,
- 18:27God will say,
- 18:28I let you
- 18:29into heaven
- 18:29because you
- 18:30tried so hard.
- 18:32is that
- 18:34the answer
- 18:35to life's
- 18:35troubles today?
- 18:36Is that
- 18:36the way
- 18:37to heaven?
- 18:38Well,
- 18:38the person
- 18:38went on
- 18:39to say,
- 18:39if that is
- 18:40what the Bible
- 18:41teaches,
- 18:42then it is so.
- 18:44But if it is
- 18:45contrary
- 18:45to what the Bible
- 18:46teaches,
- 18:47then trying
- 18:48your best
- 18:48to get into
- 18:49heaven
- 18:49is like
- 18:51trying your
- 18:51best
- 18:52to jump
- 18:53across
- 18:53the Grand
- 18:54Canyon.
- 18:56You're not
- 18:57going to make
- 18:57it.
- 18:59No matter
- 19:00how hard
- 19:00you try,
- 19:01it's impossible.
- 19:03We cannot
- 19:03do it.
- 19:05And if we
- 19:05are thinking
- 19:06the way
- 19:06to heaven
- 19:06is to try
- 19:07our best,
- 19:08to do
- 19:08our best,
- 19:09we will
- 19:10not make
- 19:10it.
- 19:12The only
- 19:12way is
- 19:13through faith
- 19:14in the
- 19:15Lord Jesus
- 19:15Christ.
- 19:17And we
- 19:18say,
- 19:18yes,
- 19:19my faith
- 19:19is in
- 19:20Christ.
- 19:21But yet
- 19:22there are
- 19:22times when
- 19:23we can
- 19:23still be
- 19:24pulled back
- 19:25into a
- 19:25way of
- 19:25thinking,
- 19:26but I've
- 19:27got to
- 19:27do this.
- 19:29I'm
- 19:30letting
- 19:30the Lord
- 19:31down
- 19:31because I've
- 19:32done this
- 19:32or I haven't
- 19:33done this
- 19:34and feeling
- 19:34this burden
- 19:35of guilt.
- 19:37But on the
- 19:37cross he
- 19:38said,
- 19:38it is
- 19:39finished.
- 19:40It is
- 19:41done.
- 19:42And you
- 19:43put your
- 19:43trust in
- 19:45me.
- 19:46Let us
- 19:47not be
- 19:47distracted
- 19:47by others
- 19:48who will
- 19:48say,
- 19:49you have
- 19:50to do
- 19:50this,
- 19:50that,
- 19:51or the
- 19:51next thing.
- 19:52You need
- 19:53faith in
- 19:53the Lord
- 19:54Jesus.
- 19:55And your
- 19:56faith will
- 19:56lead to
- 19:57works.
- 19:58Not works
- 19:58that will
- 19:59save you,
- 20:00but works
- 20:00that will
- 20:01fulfill you
- 20:02as you
- 20:02do all
- 20:03to the
- 20:03glory of
- 20:04God.
- 20:04Not adding
- 20:05anything to
- 20:05your salvation,
- 20:07but just
- 20:07doing all
- 20:08for him
- 20:09who gave
- 20:09his all
- 20:10for you.
- 20:12So why
- 20:13do we
- 20:14do what
- 20:14we do?
- 20:16If someone
- 20:16was going to
- 20:17ask you
- 20:17tonight as
- 20:18you leave
- 20:18the church,
- 20:19what were
- 20:19you doing
- 20:20in there?
- 20:21What
- 20:22response
- 20:23would you
- 20:23give to
- 20:23them?
- 20:24we
- 20:26were
- 20:26worshipping
- 20:27God.
- 20:27We
- 20:28were
- 20:28together
- 20:28singing
- 20:29God's
- 20:29praise.
- 20:30We
- 20:30were
- 20:30hearing
- 20:30God's
- 20:31word.
- 20:32Would
- 20:32that
- 20:32answer
- 20:33their
- 20:33questions?
- 20:35You
- 20:35may have
- 20:36to go
- 20:36a little
- 20:37further,
- 20:38but remember
- 20:38the scripture
- 20:39says you
- 20:40always have a
- 20:40reason for
- 20:41the hope
- 20:42that you
- 20:42have within.
- 20:44To say,
- 20:45I was
- 20:45coming to
- 20:45worship the
- 20:46Lord who
- 20:47died for
- 20:48my sins.
- 20:49I
- 20:50believe in
- 20:51him,
- 20:51that I
- 20:52might have
- 20:52life through
- 20:53him.
- 20:54Something as
- 20:55simple as
- 20:56that, but
- 20:56you're giving
- 20:56a response.
- 20:58If you
- 20:59leave here
- 20:59tonight and
- 20:59someone asks
- 21:00you, what
- 21:00were you
- 21:01doing?
- 21:02Well, I
- 21:02was just
- 21:03doing what
- 21:03I do
- 21:03every week.
- 21:05I don't
- 21:05know what
- 21:06I was
- 21:06doing in
- 21:07there.
- 21:07I don't
- 21:07know why
- 21:07I was
- 21:08doing it.
- 21:08That's
- 21:09not explaining
- 21:09it.
- 21:10We have
- 21:10to have
- 21:10an answer
- 21:11to give
- 21:11to people.
- 21:13There's a
- 21:13little story
- 21:14told about
- 21:14a church
- 21:15in Denmark.
- 21:17And every
- 21:17time the
- 21:18worshipers
- 21:20would enter
- 21:21the church,
- 21:23they would
- 21:23turn to
- 21:24the right
- 21:24and they
- 21:25would bow
- 21:26to the
- 21:27wall.
- 21:29And someone
- 21:30was visiting
- 21:30the church
- 21:31this day.
- 21:32And he
- 21:32was seeing
- 21:33the people
- 21:33coming in,
- 21:34looking to
- 21:35the right
- 21:35and bowing
- 21:36to the
- 21:36wall and
- 21:36then going
- 21:37to their
- 21:37seats.
- 21:38And he
- 21:39was just
- 21:39so curious
- 21:40as to why
- 21:41they were
- 21:41doing this.
- 21:41He was a
- 21:42visitor.
- 21:42He didn't
- 21:42know what
- 21:43they were
- 21:43doing,
- 21:44but everyone
- 21:44who came
- 21:45in who
- 21:45was local,
- 21:46they'd went
- 21:46through this
- 21:47motion.
- 21:48At the
- 21:49end of
- 21:49the service,
- 21:50he went
- 21:50to ask
- 21:51some of
- 21:51the people.
- 21:53He said,
- 21:53why were
- 21:54you bowing
- 21:54to the
- 21:55wall as
- 21:55you came
- 21:56in?
- 21:57He said,
- 21:58the only
- 21:58answer I
- 21:59got was,
- 22:00we've
- 22:00always done
- 22:01it this
- 22:01way.
- 22:03It's a
- 22:04common
- 22:04answer we
- 22:04have to
- 22:05things today.
- 22:05We've
- 22:05always done
- 22:06it this
- 22:06way.
- 22:07We don't
- 22:07actually
- 22:08understand
- 22:08why we're
- 22:09doing it.
- 22:10So the
- 22:10man wasn't
- 22:11going to
- 22:11leave it
- 22:11at that.
- 22:12He decided
- 22:13to go
- 22:13away and
- 22:14do a
- 22:14little bit
- 22:14of research.
- 22:16And what
- 22:16he found
- 22:16out was
- 22:17that the
- 22:17church used
- 22:18to be a
- 22:18Catholic
- 22:19church before
- 22:20the time
- 22:21of the
- 22:21Reformation.
- 22:22And in the
- 22:23church on the
- 22:24right-hand
- 22:24wall was a
- 22:25picture of
- 22:26Mary, a
- 22:26painting of
- 22:27Mary.
- 22:27Not a
- 22:28painting that
- 22:29we'd hang,
- 22:29but just
- 22:29actually on
- 22:30the wall.
- 22:31people would
- 22:32come in.
- 22:32So as people
- 22:34would come in
- 22:34in the days of
- 22:35the Catholic
- 22:36church, they
- 22:36would bow to
- 22:37Mary as they
- 22:38were going in
- 22:38and then go and
- 22:39take their seats.
- 22:40And for years
- 22:40after the
- 22:41Reformation, even
- 22:42though the
- 22:43painting had
- 22:43been painted
- 22:44over, the
- 22:45ritual continued.
- 22:47And over
- 22:47time, people,
- 22:49generations
- 22:50passed, and
- 22:51yet still the
- 22:52people, the
- 22:52only answer
- 22:53they had was,
- 22:54it's the way
- 22:55we've always
- 22:56done it.
- 22:56But it was
- 22:58no part of
- 22:59worship.
- 23:00It was just
- 23:01a ritual.
- 23:03And Paul is
- 23:03saying here,
- 23:04don't let your
- 23:05worship become
- 23:05just a ritual.
- 23:07Don't let
- 23:08anyone come to
- 23:09you and ask,
- 23:09what were you
- 23:10doing?
- 23:10And you say,
- 23:10well, just
- 23:11doing what we
- 23:11always done.
- 23:12It's the way
- 23:13we've always
- 23:13done it.
- 23:15Our worship
- 23:16is living and
- 23:16active, day
- 23:18after day, week
- 23:19after week.
- 23:20We're not just
- 23:21doing it out of
- 23:21habit, we're
- 23:22doing it out of
- 23:23love, out of
- 23:24love for our
- 23:25Savior.
- 23:26And that is
- 23:27where our
- 23:28focus is to
- 23:28be, to
- 23:29worship the
- 23:30Lord and
- 23:31no other, not
- 23:33to be distracted
- 23:33by anything
- 23:35else.
- 23:36Look out, he
- 23:37says, for the
- 23:38dogs, look out
- 23:39for the
- 23:39evildoers, look
- 23:40out for those
- 23:41who mutilate the
- 23:42flesh.
- 23:42Be on your
- 23:43guard against
- 23:43being led
- 23:44away from
- 23:45anything that
- 23:45isn't
- 23:46worshiping God
- 23:47in spirit and
- 23:49in truth.
- 23:50And the
- 23:51third and
- 23:51final thing we
- 23:52see here is in
- 23:53verse 3.
- 23:54And again, it's
- 23:55just a reminder
- 23:55to us of
- 23:56what we are
- 23:58as a people
- 23:58of worship.
- 23:59We are the
- 24:00real circumcision
- 24:02who worship
- 24:03by the
- 24:03spirit of
- 24:04God and
- 24:05glory in
- 24:06Christ Jesus
- 24:07and put no
- 24:08confidence in
- 24:10the flesh.
- 24:12Our faith
- 24:12relies on
- 24:14Christ Jesus
- 24:15as Lord.
- 24:16Not confidence
- 24:17in ourselves,
- 24:19not confidence
- 24:19in anything that
- 24:20we've done, not
- 24:21confidence in the
- 24:22flesh.
- 24:22We are the
- 24:23real circumcision.
- 24:24He says,
- 24:25our hearts are
- 24:26circumcised.
- 24:27Our hearts are
- 24:28melted by the
- 24:30glory of God
- 24:31in the person
- 24:32of Christ.
- 24:34Otherwise, we're
- 24:36relying on
- 24:37something that
- 24:37cannot save us,
- 24:39ourselves.
- 24:41Robert Murray
- 24:42McShane, I
- 24:43think I quoted
- 24:43him a couple of
- 24:44weeks ago, a
- 24:46famous minister
- 24:46in Dundee.
- 24:48He died before
- 24:48he was 30 and
- 24:49yet he had such
- 24:50a powerful
- 24:51ministry in
- 24:52that city.
- 24:54And it was
- 24:54him that wrote
- 24:55the hymn
- 24:55Jehovah's
- 24:56and Kenyu.
- 24:57And if you
- 24:58hear the
- 24:59words of
- 25:00that hymn,
- 25:01it reminds
- 25:01you of what
- 25:03he was and
- 25:03what he became
- 25:04and how it
- 25:05all changed.
- 25:07He was a
- 25:08stranger to
- 25:08grace and
- 25:09to God.
- 25:11Then one
- 25:11day it all
- 25:12changed.
- 25:14And he
- 25:14says in the
- 25:14hymn,
- 25:15when free
- 25:15grace awoke
- 25:16me by
- 25:17light from
- 25:17on high,
- 25:18then legal
- 25:19fear shook
- 25:20me, I
- 25:21trembled to
- 25:22die.
- 25:23No refuge,
- 25:24no safety,
- 25:25in self could
- 25:26I see.
- 25:28Jehovah's and
- 25:28Kenyu my
- 25:29savior must
- 25:31be.
- 25:32He saw
- 25:32nothing in
- 25:33this world
- 25:34that could
- 25:34save him.
- 25:35He knew
- 25:35only Jehovah's
- 25:36and Kenyu
- 25:37my savior must
- 25:39be.
- 25:40And he saw
- 25:41everything that
- 25:42he had placed
- 25:43his confidence
- 25:43in was just
- 25:45empty.
- 25:46He must have
- 25:47Christ as his
- 25:48hope.
- 25:48And that's
- 25:49what he
- 25:49found.
- 25:50My
- 25:51terrors all
- 25:51vanished before
- 25:53the sweet
- 25:53name.
- 25:54My guilty
- 25:55fears banished
- 25:56with boldness
- 25:57I came to
- 25:58drink at the
- 25:59fountain,
- 26:00life giving
- 26:00and free.
- 26:01Jehovah's and
- 26:02Kenyu is all
- 26:04things to
- 26:05me.
- 26:07His life was
- 26:07transformed by
- 26:09meeting Christ,
- 26:11by coming to
- 26:12that living
- 26:13water, to
- 26:14drink at the
- 26:15fountain, life
- 26:16giving and
- 26:17free.
- 26:17that is
- 26:18where he
- 26:18found what
- 26:19worship was.
- 26:21It was to
- 26:22love Christ
- 26:23Jesus with
- 26:24all his
- 26:25heart.
- 26:26Nothing else
- 26:27could save
- 26:28him.
- 26:29What the
- 26:30Lord has
- 26:31done for
- 26:32us, as we
- 26:34look to the
- 26:35cross, as we
- 26:36see what he
- 26:36has done for
- 26:37us, it
- 26:38deserves our
- 26:40worship.
- 26:41It
- 26:41deserves our
- 26:43all, all
- 26:44other forms,
- 26:44glory in
- 26:45the flesh,
- 26:46but through
- 26:48worship
- 26:49exalts
- 26:49Christ.
- 26:51It
- 26:51honors God
- 26:52and worship
- 26:54flows from
- 26:55a heart that
- 26:56is redeemed
- 26:57by him.
- 26:59So we
- 27:00come to
- 27:02him.
- 27:03We come
- 27:04to worship
- 27:05him, as he
- 27:06says here,
- 27:07as the real
- 27:08circumcision,
- 27:09who worshiped
- 27:10by the spirit
- 27:11of God and
- 27:11glory in
- 27:12Christ Jesus,
- 27:14putting no
- 27:14confidence in
- 27:16the flesh.
- 27:19Is that how
- 27:19we come to
- 27:21worship?
- 27:22Tonight,
- 27:23tomorrow,
- 27:25the day
- 27:25after, this
- 27:26Lord's Day?
- 27:28Are we
- 27:28coming
- 27:29distracted,
- 27:31or are we
- 27:31coming focused
- 27:32on the one
- 27:33we come to
- 27:34worship, and
- 27:35what he has
- 27:35done for
- 27:36us?
- 27:38Let us not
- 27:38be distracted.
- 27:39let us not
- 27:40lose our
- 27:41focus, but
- 27:42day after
- 27:43day, worship
- 27:44him, not
- 27:46losing heart,
- 27:48but living
- 27:48for him, and
- 27:50letting the
- 27:50love of
- 27:51Christ shine
- 27:52in our
- 27:52hearts, and
- 27:53going out and
- 27:55showing that
- 27:55love for
- 27:56others.
- 27:58The more we
- 27:58come and
- 27:59refuel ourselves
- 28:00in him, the
- 28:02more we have
- 28:02to go and
- 28:03give out to
- 28:04others.
- 28:06So as the
- 28:07psalmist
- 28:07says,
- 28:08O come,
- 28:09and let
- 28:10us worship
- 28:12him.
- 28:13May we go
- 28:13on in that
- 28:14way, day
- 28:16after day.
- 28:17Amen.
- 28:17May God
- 28:18bless these
- 28:19thoughts.
- 28:19Amen.