WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:04.719 Our sermon this morning comes from the book of Colossians, chapter 1. 00:00:04.959 --> 00:00:07.200 You'll find it printed in your bulletin. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:11.199 Colossians chapter 1, the first 14 verses. 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:18.320 We are in a sermon series entitled Arise, A Life of Stewardship. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:22.559 Two weeks ago we began this sermon series. 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:27.359 We looked at Jesus Christ's resurrection as the very foundation of our life. 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:33.439 If Christ was not raised, then we are still in our sins and there is no foundation on which to stand. 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:39.359 But because Christ arose, as we saw last week, we can rise. 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:49.679 Last week we looked at new life that we have because Jesus Christ arose, and as the Holy Spirit works in us, he raises us up. 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:52.000 The word arise. 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:53.679 Get up. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:56.399 Get up. 00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:58.719 We can rise spiritually. 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:01.280 This morning we're going to look at another aspect. 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:14.799 Not only are we alive in Christ because the Holy Spirit regenerated us, but we need the Holy Spirit to renew us because we can't do this on our own. 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:20.480 And so this morning we looked at what the Apostle Paul had to say about being renewed by the gospel. 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:35.840 Writing to the church at Colossae, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae, grace to you and peace from God our Father. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:02:23.280 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of this you have heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing, as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, he is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and has maintained has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:03:02.800 And so from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:14.240 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:20.960 This is the reading of God's holy, infallible, inerrant word. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:25.840 Let's give all attention and due reverence. 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:28.879 Ask the Spirit to bless us. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:37.199 Lord, we thank you for this message that you gave to your apostle Paul. 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:48.639 Spirit of God, we pray just as you use these words and these truths to transform the saints in Colossae, would you please do so in Alexandria in Washington, D.C. 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:53.439 This morning, we pray in the name of Christ. 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:54.400 Amen. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:02.000 This morning we're going to really focus on one verse, Colossians chapter 1, verse 6. 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:14.560 This is the text, the verse that I preached on, the 10th anniversary of Alexandria Presbyterian Church, and the 25th anniversary of Alexandria Presbyterian Church. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:21.439 This verse has meant so much to me over the years of my own spiritual growth and understanding. 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:25.920 I believe this passage captures the heartbeat of APC. 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:41.680 This powerful gospel bearing fruit and growing in us, through us, changing us, transforming us, our city, our world. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:47.279 I know you've heard me say this many times, some of you. 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:50.800 I'm not going to stop saying it. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:56.399 God wants this gospel to go further in us. 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:02.160 God wants this gospel to go higher, for us to go higher up, as C.S. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:03.040 Lewis put it. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:06.160 Lewis said, further in, higher up. 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:09.839 This is how the gospel renews us. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:15.199 This gospel is powerful when it is truly understood. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:17.120 Did you catch that verse? 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:19.279 Truly understood. 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:24.319 Another translation of that is understood in all of its truth. 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:30.000 In other words, the idea here is there is so much depth to this gospel. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:37.519 You know, one of my favorite parking garage illustrations is a DC parking garage. 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:39.199 You go in and you go down, eh? 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:48.399 You go in at salvation, but there are so many deeper levels that God wants us to go out into. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:53.680 As we learn to believe the gospel more and more. 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:57.680 There are further levels of the gospel. 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:02.959 There are deeper levels of the gospel that God intends for every one of us. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:10.240 I would say to some extent, a church goes as the pastors go. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:17.120 The gospel must go deeper in the pastors, the gospel must go deeper in the leaders, the elders, and the deacons. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:22.160 The gospel must go deeper in those who proclaim the word, who teach the word, who counsel the word. 00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:24.879 That's just the way it works. 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:28.160 Yet it renews us. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:32.959 This gospel is powerful when it is truly understood. 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:43.040 When it is truly understood, it gives us new spiritual life and regeneration, as we saw last week, but also in renewal after we are saved. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:49.839 We have always strived to be a church of people with fresh testimonies. 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:52.319 Do you know what I mean by that? 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:54.160 Fresh. 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:59.360 Like fish caught every day. 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:07.120 We don't want to be a church of people whose testimonies have to go way back, years back. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:11.360 Some of you have heard those testimonies many times. 00:07:11.600 --> 00:07:13.199 Well, let me tell you my testimony. 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:18.959 My testimony of how I got saved, oh, it happened about 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, or 30 years ago. 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:20.000 Praise God. 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:23.120 But what I want to know is what's your testimony today? 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:26.000 What's my testimony today? 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:33.439 What has God been doing in the present because of what he did in us in the past? 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:44.160 Not only a testimony of how God saved us, but a testimony of how God is saving us. 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:48.079 Am I suggesting a salvation by works? 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:48.720 No. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:53.120 How God is saving us from ourselves today. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:08:06.160 How God is saving us from our orphan spirit, the ways that we, our old nature is just fighting the work that the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:08.240 That's what I mean. 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:12.480 With a focus on inward spiritual transformation. 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:34.000 When the gospel is working in by the work of the Holy Spirit, by faith, taking the truth of God's word, the Holy Spirit has to open our heart, our mind, and apply this truth to wherever our orphan spirit is struggling at the moment. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:37.279 That is gospel renewal. 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:40.960 That's how we are renewed. 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:48.480 When the Spirit is at work in our sanctification, and sanctification is just the word of how you grow as a Christian. 00:08:49.440 --> 00:09:00.320 When we are growing in our sanctification, the Spirit is revealing more and more what is in our own hearts, but just as importantly, he's revealing what is in God's heart. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:12.399 He's opening up new vistas, new views of God's love and mercy and majesty and holiness and justice. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:18.480 God is becoming more beautiful to us as the Spirit is opening our eyes. 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:20.799 That's how we grow. 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:24.480 It makes us more honest about ourselves. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:29.679 We're not a church where we have to have it all together. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:32.639 That may be new to you. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:38.240 You may have been in churches where you feel like you have to have it all together. 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:40.639 You can't ever let people see you sweat. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:44.960 You can't ever let people hear you confess your sins. 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:48.480 That is not a gospel church. 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:53.120 I'm not saying they're not a Christian church. 00:09:54.320 --> 00:10:01.600 If you're in a church where people cannot confess their sins, the gospel is not renewing them. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:05.840 Martin Luther said it well in the first of his 95 theses. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:10.799 The first theses he said, the Christian life is one of faith and repentance. 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:13.440 Can you confess your sins? 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:16.720 No, I'm serious, I mean it. 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:19.360 Because I think a lot of Christians probably don't. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:23.039 When was the last time you confessed your sin? 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:27.919 Not only to God, but to another brother or sister. 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:37.679 And if you're your if your first thought is, well, I can't remember, that's not a good sign. 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:46.639 If your first thought is, well, I'm sure I used to do that, what does that mean? 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:49.279 Did you outgrow that? 00:10:50.480 --> 00:11:00.000 I I used to do that when I needed to, but then I I really got to know the Bible, and I know so much of the Bible now that I just really frankly don't need to confess my sin. 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:06.799 Brother, sister, that's not a good sign. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:18.879 If you were at a spiritual doctor's office getting a spiritual physical, I'm afraid that your doctor would have some very sobering news to give you. 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:33.120 Or how many Bible verses we've memorized. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:34.960 I'm all for that. 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:40.080 But that's not enough, is it? 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:50.399 The way we define spirituality in this church is not I need Jesus less because I know more, Bible. 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:55.360 The way we define spiritual maturity is I need Jesus more. 00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:58.960 Because I'm seeing more of my sin. 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:04.000 And I'm seeing more of the grace of Jesus Christ. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:10.879 How much he not only saved me from then, do you ever think about how much he has saved you from since then? 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:16.799 How much sin has he saved you since you became from, since you became a Christian? 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:22.159 I became a Christian as a young boy. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:30.399 Boy, what a joy it was for the elders to hear the testimonies of our children who just finished the communicate membership class. 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:33.759 We heard your testimonies this last Wednesday night. 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:41.840 Jesus has saved me from so much more of my sin. 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:44.080 I'm a Christian. 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:46.480 How about you? 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:55.759 Is this true gospel leading us to deeper levels of faith and repentance? 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:06.879 Or are we still trying to convince ourselves and convince others that we're so strong that we can't be weak? 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:13.919 Remember when Jesus told the story about the publican, the tax collector, and the Pharisee? 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:16.960 They were standing near the temple near each other? 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:20.320 And do you remember the prayer of the Pharisee? 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:24.399 With a smug arrogance about him. 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:28.159 Lord, I thank you that I'm not like him. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:34.720 And you remember the prayer of the tax collector? 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:38.399 Lord, have mercy on me. 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:40.080 A sinner. 00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:43.679 The sinner is really what it says. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:46.399 Do you know what? 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:49.919 There are only two ways to stand before God. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:58.559 We either stand before God as the Pharisee, or we stand before God as the tax collector. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:00.399 Did you know that? 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:05.200 Nobody stands with one foot here and one foot there. 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:21.519 When we come to God, we either come rejoicing in our forgiveness and the grace of Jesus Christ, or we come standing in our own righteousness. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:42.080 Richard Lovelace, who studied the dynamics of spiritual renewal as much as anybody I know, professor for years in a seminary, said this: only a fraction of the present body of professing Christians are solidly appropriating the justifying work of Christ in their lives. 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:59.360 Many Christians have so light an apprehension of God's holiness and of the extent and guilt of their sin that consciously they see little need for justification, although below the surface of their lives they are deeply guilt-ridden and insecure. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:24.720 Many others have a theoretical commitment to this doctrine, but in their day-to-day existence they rely on their sanctification for their justification, drawing their assurance of acceptance with God from their sincerity or their past experience of conversion or their recent religious performance or the relative infrequency of their conscious willful disobedience. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:46.159 Few Christians, it seems, today know enough to start each day with a thoroughgoing stand upon Martin Luther's platform that you are accepted, looking outward in faith and claiming the whole alien righteousness of Christ as the only ground for your acceptance. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:58.559 Resting in that quality of trust, which will produce increasing sanctification as faith is active in love and gratitude. 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:04.960 Here's the truth, let me put it very succinctly. 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:10.799 We are sanctified by the gospel just as much as we are justified by the gospel. 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:18.480 That is the truth that the evangelical church today simply seems not to grasp. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.799 Our own orphan heart tells us, doesn't it? 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:27.200 No, you're gonna grow because of what you know. 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:31.600 You're gonna grow because of how much you've learned. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:57.360 You're becoming stronger and all, and I'll tell you this, what I've seen over all my years as a Christian, too many times I've been in the presence of people that have just talked about how much they know and how close their walk with the Lord is, but I wonder why nobody really seems to want to be mentored by them. 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:00.879 Isn't that sad? 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:06.960 Something's dramatically wrong with that. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:21.519 Do we know how to confess our pride, our unbelief, our self-righteousness, our defensiveness? 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:31.039 Only as the Holy Spirit is taking the truth of God, showing us the beauty of God and his love. 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:37.039 The finished work of Christ. 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.359 And the Holy Spirit lifts that up and puts it in front of us. 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:46.960 And we say, God forgive me for too often living for my own record. 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:50.319 God forgive me for too often living for appearances. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:55.119 God forgive me for too often thinking it's about me. 00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:58.880 This is the gospel. 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:00.960 This is the whole gospel. 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.160 Not just the way that you're saved. 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:09.839 This is the way that we're being saved every day from ourselves and from the flesh. 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:14.640 The whole gospel for the whole world, that's what Paul's saying in verse 6. 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:26.160 All over the world, this gospel is growing and bearing fruit, just as it has been doing among you since the day that you first heard the grace of God and all of its truth. 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:27.759 Now, how could Paul say that? 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:32.079 The gospel wasn't all over the world at that point, but it was spreading. 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:35.680 Because it was going in, it was going deep, it was going out. 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:46.559 And Paul knew that it was only a matter of time until this gospel message was heard in every country and it was being lived out in every city in a radical way. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:51.359 One way to think about what he's saying is the gospel must be local first. 00:18:52.720 --> 00:19:01.680 The gospel has to be going deeper in me before it can go deeper through me to you. 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:03.920 And it's that's true for you. 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:17.519 If you want this gospel to have a powerful impact on the people that you work with or the people that you live with, it starts with me. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:19.039 It starts with you. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:23.200 Bearing fruit and growing. 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:30.640 This is a metaphor for a tree that bears fruit at the end of the season and puts forth the buds for the next season. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:35.440 The bearing fruit and the growing cycle repeats itself over and over. 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:39.599 Is bearing fruit, is growing. 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:45.440 The power is in the gospel, not us. 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:20.319 And in looking to Jesus, undoubtedly I see what I lack, what he wants to supply. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:24.000 This is a gospel church. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:33.519 When people seek God, what people seek from God is enough grace to be strong in themselves. 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:34.160 No. 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:40.640 It's too easy to not really seek God's grace out of our weakness. 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:45.599 If we're seeking grace from God to be strong in ourselves, he's not going to give it. 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:47.039 Why would he? 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:55.599 Those folks don't want a constant flow of grace living under from heaven. 00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:58.240 Because the gospel renews us. 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:00.720 The gospel's going out. 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:03.599 It's going out of this church. 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:12.079 We have the privilege today of partnering with 24 missionaries all around the world, 11 different countries. 00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:15.839 The gospel's going out through Alexandria Presbyterian Church. 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:18.079 It's going out in the city. 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:23.200 Again, one of our newest ministries we're partnering with for the nations. 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:29.519 I've heard some wonderful testimonies of what God is doing already in that ministry for the nations. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:32.000 It's going out. 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:35.359 It is. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:46.319 Tonight we're going to gather together and 70 different people that have signed up for sonship this year. 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:47.200 Again. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:49.759 Tonight we're going to talk about the gospel. 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:50.640 Again. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:55.119 We're going to talk about the friendly prosecuting attorney, the Holy Spirit. 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:56.319 Again. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.759 We're going to talk about how the Holy Spirit is the one that we often mistrust. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:01.359 Misinterpret. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:03.519 We think that he's our enemy. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:06.319 We think that he's after us. 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:10.240 He's after us to rob us of what God wants to give us. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:13.599 He's the friendly prosecuting attorney. 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:25.200 He's not coming after us, showing us our sin, to defeat us, discourage us, but rather to free us in new ways. 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:29.680 Renewal and mission always go together. 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:35.119 Renewal leads to mission. 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:39.440 Mission requires renewal for mission to be effective. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.720 That's just the way it works. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:23:01.200 Whereas Jack Miller used to say, the glory of God is the difference between what you normally would do or who you would normally be and what God enables you to be or to do as you repent and believe the gospel in new ways. 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:02.880 That's the glory of God. 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:05.920 That's what people see as something radically different. 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:11.200 That's where people see as dying to sin and living to righteousness, as our catechism says. 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:12.640 The whole gospel. 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:20.240 Again, as Jack would say, open the cage and let the lion, the lion of Judah, run. 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:22.640 He is powerful. 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:27.599 What does the lion want in me? 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:28.640 From me? 00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:31.359 What does the lion want from this church? 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:33.279 Jesus is the lion. 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:34.160 Or not. 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:49.759 I'm going to close with an illustration that Michael Horton writes about centuries ago, Duke George, as the king's son, was dying. 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:57.200 Duke George shared the gospel with him that it's all by grace. 00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:04.880 His dying son's wife was listening to the conversation. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:12.240 And she said to her father-in-law, Father, why have we not heard these truths before? 00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:17.279 That God saves us by grace through faith. 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:23.599 He said, Dear, these truths are for the dying. 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:30.799 No, they're not. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:33.200 They're for the living. 00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:44.000 What he was saying was he didn't want, he didn't think that we should teach real grace because people might go crazy. 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:48.799 Well, if God saves me from my sin, then I can live any way I want. 00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:49.599 No. 00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:52.480 That's not what the Bible says. 00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:56.240 But there's an awful lot of churches today that are teaching that. 00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:02.160 You're saved by grace, but you're sanctified by trying harder. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.000 Learning more. 00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:05.680 Doing better. 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:08.000 No, you're not. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:15.359 You're sanctified by grace, by running to Jesus every day. 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:19.839 We are sanctified by grace just as much as we are justified by grace. 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:22.319 All the power comes from the gospel. 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:30.160 As we believe that, watch what Jesus will do in your life in a new way. 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:33.440 You will become a more useful person. 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:37.519 You will become less a lecturer. 00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:40.079 Do you struggle with that? 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:43.839 Do you struggle with just doing a lot of talking trying to fix people? 00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:58.720 You'll become less of a lecturer, a fixer, and you'll become more of a listener, and you'll have more power to be able to actually have spiritual impact in a new way in other people's lives because it'll be the gospel. 00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:00.400 It'll be Jesus. 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:03.200 That's the way it works. 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:06.079 I'm going to close my sermon now. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:15.039 This morning I thought I think the Lord just led me this week to ask a couple different people in both services to share a recent experience of their own gospel journey. 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:21.119 And I've asked John Erickson, one of our deacons, to come and share how the gospel has been renewing, John. 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:22.319 Please come. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:33.759 So Tom asked me to consider providing a testimony of how the gospel has grown in my life over the past several years. 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:36.640 I will talk about three gospel changes in my life. 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:38.000 Number one is prayer. 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:40.480 Number two is learning to be vulnerable. 00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:44.319 Number three is learning to live by faith and not by self-interest. 00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:56.640 To back up one step before this ask, I just walked off a plane from Dulles Airport on a flight from the West Coast, and I had a voicemail from Pastor Tom requesting that I call him back. 00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:07.119 The first three things that went through my head and heart before I began this conversation with him were fear that I didn't know what was going to be asked of me, and I didn't know how I was going to respond. 00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:11.279 Number two was fear of speaking in front of this congregation. 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:17.440 And number three, faith that Tom had prayed for this request, and that is why he called me. 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:25.920 That night I prayed, Lord, please provide the words for my testimony so they can be used for your will. 00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:31.680 I want to point this out as the most important and specific heart change in my life. 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:46.480 Over the past several years, I started beginning tasks, uh, requests, or every other event in prayer, asking for his wisdom and guidance for me, advice mine. 00:27:47.119 --> 00:27:53.519 This may sound simple, straightforward, and self-explanatory, but I'm still not doing this in all facets of my life. 00:27:53.759 --> 00:28:03.279 However, I am continuing, continually bringing this question up to myself over and over again and praying over my daily activities more and more. 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:08.640 Four years ago, my parents were hospitalized in separate accidents 24 hours from each other. 00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:14.319 I was in their hospital recovery rooms and remembered saying, Dad, I don't know how to pray for this. 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:17.200 His words were simple and impactful. 00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:20.000 Pray to God like you're talking to me. 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:26.000 This leads me to heart change number two, learning to be emotionally vulnerable with my loved ones and friends. 00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:29.200 Later that year, my father passed. 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:39.039 The time leading up to this, I suppressed all emotions to quote unquote be there for my family and show them how strong I could be under the circumstances. 00:28:39.279 --> 00:28:50.559 Then, weeks after my father passed, I recalled being heartbroken, that I wasn't crying or feeling emotions of a loss of a great friend and a father. 00:28:52.720 --> 00:29:01.839 I realized that most of my life I had compartments for feelings and seldom let any of the feelings out without significant thought to control the perception of me. 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:06.960 I was more concerned what others thought of me and how they perceived me. 00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:13.839 Did they see me as weak, incompetent, a train wreck, or did they see me as strong, confident person, problem solver? 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:17.200 And what other description that served me positively? 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:19.279 This is what I wanted. 00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:29.359 Regretfully, I was completely blind to the effect that this was causing to my relationship with God, my wife, my children, my family, and others. 00:29:29.759 --> 00:29:41.839 After his passing, my prayer partner and I prayed for not only the return of emotions into my life, but also the sinful control issues that I had put in place to prohibit these emotions to begin with. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:58.720 It wasn't for several years later that I started thinking about these behaviors more selflessly and started asking the question: who is the man that God wants me to be, not only in these circumstances, but also every day in church, work, home, in store, in the store, and in our neighborhood. 00:29:58.960 --> 00:30:03.680 I started thinking through the behaviors I was modeling for my children, and I didn't like the answer. 00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:09.200 My self-assessment was this was not what Christ had modeled for us. 00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:12.000 Fast forward to this past Thursday. 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:20.160 When I told my wife, son, and daughter that I'm scared, anxious, and nervous on speaking and sharing the testimony in front of this congregation. 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:27.759 What an amazing opportunity to open up to my family and share something with them that they had no clue that I struggled with. 00:30:28.079 --> 00:30:30.079 Was I weak or was I strong? 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:31.680 It doesn't matter. 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:36.640 What matters is that Christ-centered focus and the opportunity for family prayer. 00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:41.039 We had an opportunity to pray as family and grow together. 00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:49.839 I will continue to pray that no matter how simple or complicated the problem, that God will use these opportunities to grow not only me, but also my family and his word. 00:30:50.559 --> 00:30:57.359 The final gospel heart change I will discuss is attempting to live by faith and removing self. 00:30:57.599 --> 00:31:06.799 The most impactful event occurred two and a half years ago when I was spending more and more time consumed with resolving problems and finding solutions at work. 00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:10.480 I was making a difference and I was thriving under the stress. 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:16.480 The issue was the more time I was separated from my family, the worse my son's behavior became. 00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:21.519 Through much prayer and discussions, I departed from that job and I took a new one. 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:39.039 I'm confident and saying that I would not have been able to make a change in this life and for me and for my family had it not been for the stripping of the ornaments of pride and selfishness, independence and reputation, had this not already begun. 00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:45.759 I would like to encourage all of you to start praying for what it means to live by faith in all facets of your life. 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:50.799 I continue to have fear for my own prayers on what answers will come. 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:57.279 I give up these fears to the Lord, and I ask him for his warm embrace and comfort to get me through this. 00:31:57.759 --> 00:32:01.279 I will leave you with two questions from previous sermons. 00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:06.000 What is the storyline that is driving my life or your life? 00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:07.119 What is the gospel? 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:12.000 How is the gospel continuing to transform your life today? 00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:16.240 So thank you for letting me share this testimony. 00:32:16.319 --> 00:32:37.200 Um, and I just want to share that um having written this down, it has been uh immensely just impactful for not only me but my family sitting over there, where I got to share this with them the other night and just uh for us to to grow together as a family. 00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:39.759 So thank you for letting me share. 00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:47.839 I want to stop here and I want to ask uh Matt Coombs to come up, one of our elders to share his testimony in the first service. 00:32:48.319 --> 00:32:53.279 Uh John Erickson, one of our deacons, shared his testimony of how the gospel has been renewing him. 00:32:54.319 --> 00:32:58.160 And um Matt, come up here and share with us. 00:32:58.240 --> 00:33:06.319 Would you have a question? 00:33:06.640 --> 00:33:09.279 So uh thanks for the opportunity to share. 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:14.640 Um Katie is gonna start the clock because I'm only given a certain amount of time. 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:18.960 So if I get to six minutes, just give me the cut. 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:34.400 Um yeah, I was asked to share what gospel renewal looks like uh in me, and so I just want to kind of start that gospel renewal in me looks like me willing being willing to come up here and share about gospel renewal. 00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:37.680 Um so what do I mean by that? 00:33:37.839 --> 00:33:42.000 Uh I'm a work in progress and I got a long way to go. 00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:46.960 Um but I'm up here today able to admit that I'm a recovering Pharisee. 00:33:47.599 --> 00:33:50.319 Pastor Tom just talked about two types of people. 00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:56.799 Um I'm the man who is a recovering rule follower, a lawkeeper. 00:33:57.599 --> 00:34:01.599 Uh my wife and kids know I'm a I'm a brilliant lawmaker. 00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:09.119 I was brought up to be obedient, to do my duty, to serve, to have discipline and self-control. 00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:15.840 That was sharpened by joining the military, where all those things are taught, reinforced, and even rewarded. 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:24.079 As the gospel takes hold of my heart, though, I'm I'm growing in my honesty about who God is, but also about who I am. 00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:32.559 Growing in my brokenness as I see like we sang about that I'm thirsty and I'm empty. 00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:35.039 Um I'll be honest, I'm a mess. 00:34:35.119 --> 00:34:37.119 I'm not just a mess, I'm a hot mess. 00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:39.199 There's a difference, I'm told. 00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:50.320 Um yeah, I uh I took many attempts to try to fix myself, but fail over and over again. 00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:55.199 Um that brokenness though has resulted in a growing willingness to surrender. 00:34:56.400 --> 00:35:05.599 To surrender to God, to give up on my self-reliance and my own quest for perfection and rest in Christ's perfection alone. 00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:14.559 Finally, I'm growing in my experience of God's goodness and love for me, which is resulting in me loving Him more and those around me. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:27.039 So I'd like to share three examples of what that really looks like uh and how that's changing me, growing me in my faith, repentance, and and my desire to cling to Christ alone. 00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:32.239 Even as I continue to struggle with pride and unbelief, self-righteousness. 00:35:33.760 --> 00:35:38.239 The first example is of service and and my role here uh in greeting. 00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:46.000 Most people at this second service uh probably don't know I'm really more of an introvert um than you think. 00:35:46.239 --> 00:35:49.440 I'm terrible, uh absolutely terrible with names. 00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:51.280 And I'm not outgoing. 00:35:52.880 --> 00:35:58.239 Uh I'm pretty reserved, I don't open up, I don't talk with people uh that I don't know well. 00:35:58.400 --> 00:36:08.719 And if I did talk to people at church or at fellowship time, it'd people it'd be people from my Covenant Fellowship group or people from my circle, people that I know uh pretty well. 00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:16.320 So despite me serving in ways that you could see on the outside, what you wouldn't have seen was a heart full of pride. 00:36:17.519 --> 00:36:21.360 A heart full of pride that led to criticism, judgment, resentment. 00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:26.320 Wondering why all you good people aren't serving as much as I am. 00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:32.480 Why you're not serving in the exact same ways that I am or the ministries that I'm serving in. 00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:36.000 So the gospel is changing all that. 00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:46.719 Most of you now see me greeting and asking questions because I want to welcome you into a community like God welcomed me into his community to fellowship with him. 00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:53.599 As God reveals the pride in my life and changes my heart, it's becoming more about him and less about me. 00:36:54.320 --> 00:36:57.840 I want to be encouraging and loving and have a growing desire to serve. 00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:10.480 Not to earn salvation, but not to earn or do duty or obedience, but out of a gratitude and a love for a loving and gracious Father that sent a son that washed away my sin. 00:37:11.679 --> 00:37:21.920 That gave me his righteousness and a Holy Spirit that prepares my heart, regenerates, renews, and transforms my heart and grows my heart to love God and others even more. 00:37:22.960 --> 00:37:26.320 The criticism, judgment, and resentment are melting away. 00:37:27.199 --> 00:37:34.239 And I'm finding security and significance in God, not in my self-righteousness or my need for reputation or approval from others. 00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:43.760 I'm growing in knowing the truth in my head, I'm growing in knowing the truth in my heart and down to the depths of my very soul. 00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:46.960 And it's setting me free to serve him and others in new ways. 00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:52.960 The second example in a way this is affecting me is opening up to others. 00:37:53.119 --> 00:37:55.760 A few months back I was asked to join a small group of men. 00:37:57.679 --> 00:38:00.719 What would we in the group be doing or talking about? 00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:14.159 Sharing our lives with each other, real life with each other, heart struggles with each other, sharing the ugly inside, the part of my life that I'm really, really good at hiding from other people. 00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:17.599 So we meet and we're real and we're open. 00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:20.960 We get to know each other and we attempt to point each other to Christ. 00:38:21.519 --> 00:38:23.039 I gotta say that I'm loving it. 00:38:23.920 --> 00:38:29.679 If you'd have asked me though, two or three years ago if I wanted to do something like that, the answer would have been no. 00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:35.519 Not only that, uh my kids would say that'd be a hard pass. 00:38:37.920 --> 00:38:41.199 Um I'd have thought the person asking me was crazy. 00:38:42.400 --> 00:38:47.199 Um as I grow in my faith, layers of pride are being cut away. 00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:53.519 I'm growing and uh in the gospel boldness, not in my own boldness. 00:38:54.320 --> 00:38:57.599 I'm growing in my courage to take a gospel risk and step of faith. 00:38:58.320 --> 00:39:04.239 And a couple years for the first time in my life, I asked another man to be my mentor to disciple me. 00:39:06.079 --> 00:39:07.280 And we still meet regularly. 00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:16.159 Gospel renewal in my life looks like me desiring to share real life and the gospel with others, like my mentor shares his life and the gospel with me. 00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:21.280 I'm opening up in our covenant fellowship and in sonship small groups. 00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:23.280 I'm opening up in one-on-one meetings. 00:39:23.920 --> 00:39:31.840 I'm opening up my heart to God and others so that we can walk together, we can grieve together, we can pray for each other and rejoice together. 00:39:33.760 --> 00:39:39.840 The final area of my life that's significantly changed and been impacted by gospel renewal is prayer life. 00:39:41.679 --> 00:39:49.679 My prayer life is more of a time of conversation with the Lord, less me dictating to God my plan and then asking for the sign-off. 00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:51.840 And I'm running to him. 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:56.159 I'm running to him now, not just when I'm in a real bind. 00:39:58.719 --> 00:40:06.880 Um I'm not just uh praying anymore and the type of person that would say, Hey, yeah, I'll pray for you. 00:40:07.360 --> 00:40:11.679 Um and then I might think about you later that week, but I wouldn't really pray. 00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:16.320 Uh it's more than just getting a prayer list from church. 00:40:17.599 --> 00:40:21.599 Um I'm actually praying and opening up my heart to God. 00:40:21.679 --> 00:40:26.079 I'm praying things like Psalm 139, 23 and 24. 00:40:26.320 --> 00:40:28.239 Search me, O God, and know my heart. 00:40:28.639 --> 00:40:32.320 Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any grievous way in me. 00:40:32.800 --> 00:40:34.960 Lead me in the way everlasting. 00:40:37.199 --> 00:40:41.440 Uh I gotta say, uh my life is changing drastically. 00:40:42.079 --> 00:40:46.000 I'm repenting and asking God to forgive me and change me. 00:40:46.639 --> 00:40:49.679 In my life, uh, I'm apologizing a lot more. 00:40:50.320 --> 00:40:54.960 I'm asking my wife, uh, Katie, and my four kids to forgive me when I mess up. 00:40:55.360 --> 00:40:57.760 And believe me, there's ample opportunity for that. 00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:03.199 I'm getting the cut sign, so I'm gonna go right to the final closing. 00:41:03.280 --> 00:41:07.760 And and that is my life isn't all cupcakes and roses. 00:41:08.800 --> 00:41:11.039 But the gospel renewal is giving me a fever. 00:41:11.199 --> 00:41:13.760