SPEAKER_00: This sermon was recorded at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
SPEAKER_01: I don't remember a lot from my growing up days, but I do remember that my growing up days were a study in contrasts, often.
SPEAKER_01: So one contrast was that in tiny, isolated Marmouth, North Dakota, we were lucky to get one television channel from Dickinson on occasion.
SPEAKER_01: But oh, when I went to grandpa and grandma's, they had all kinds of channels.
SPEAKER_01: Study and contrasts.
SPEAKER_01: At grandpa and grandma's, there was the Flintstones and the Jetsons.
SPEAKER_01: What a study and contrasts, right?
SPEAKER_01: One you're pedaling your car by your feet, and the other you're flying through the air.
SPEAKER_01: I was watching a couple of videos about the new autonomous cars.
SPEAKER_01: And one video showed the car taking a passenger through a very crowded and busy city all the way directly to its destination and announced when it had reached its destination and the passenger got out of the car.
SPEAKER_01: Same vehicle, different situation, different video.
SPEAKER_01: The video showed the car trying to drive into a lake.
SPEAKER_01: Now imagine what would happen if you were following that second car that's trying to drive into a lake.
SPEAKER_01: You're trusting its ability to navigate correctly to take you to the destination, but in the end, all you do is get wet and lose your car.
SPEAKER_01: Some of us get that, right?
SPEAKER_01: We've misread maps for you, younger people.
SPEAKER_01: It's one of those papers that gets really big and has lines on it.
SPEAKER_01: We followed maps and ended up in the wrong place, right?
SPEAKER_01: We followed GPS directions, and we've still arrived at the wrong destination.
SPEAKER_01: The Apostle Paul warns us about a similar problem in our spiritual lives in the book of Philippians, chapter 3.
SPEAKER_01: His words in our passage for this morning serve sort of as a spiritual GPS, guiding us along the correct path for our spiritual lives.
SPEAKER_01: He urges us here to follow godly examples.
SPEAKER_01: He urges us to guard our lives from worldly influences that will lead us astray and distract us, and to keep our eyes focused in the right direction on eternity.
SPEAKER_01: We're going to look here in Philippians chapter 3, beginning in verse 17, at the Apostle Paul's dual command to watch the right people.
SPEAKER_01: We're going to see his heartfelt warning against watching the wrong ones.
SPEAKER_01: And then his insights on our ultimate vision to stand firm until we see the Lord Jesus return.
SPEAKER_01: Would you look with me at Philippians chapter 3 if you have your own Bible or using the Bible in front of you or your device?
SPEAKER_01: I'd like to read Philippians chapter 3, beginning in verse 17.
SPEAKER_01: We'll read all the way through chapter 4, verse 1.
SPEAKER_01: I think our chapter division isn't the right place.
SPEAKER_01: So we're going to read through verse 1 of chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: Again, Philippians 3, verse 17.
SPEAKER_01: It says, brothers, and that's just a general term that means brothers and sisters together, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
SPEAKER_01: For many of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Their end is destruction.
SPEAKER_01: Their God is their belly, and they glory in their shame, whose minds are set on earthly things.
SPEAKER_01: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body.
SPEAKER_01: How will he do that?
SPEAKER_01: By the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
SPEAKER_01: Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus in the Lord my beloved.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Because Christians live in a sinful world, but their true citizenship is in heaven, because of that contrast of situations, we must focus on godly examples to protect our hearts from the idolatry of earthly things and stand firm together until the Lord returns.
SPEAKER_01: That's what he's talking about here.
SPEAKER_01: Let's look at that a little more closely by noticing first the commands in verse 17 for proper focus.
SPEAKER_01: There are two commands.
SPEAKER_01: Watch and imitate.
SPEAKER_01: Or imitate and watch.
SPEAKER_01: Join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
SPEAKER_01: If you're interested at all in photography, you know that proper depth of field is crucial for the right shot.
SPEAKER_01: Depth of field, for those of you who don't know photography, refers to having the right area in focus.
SPEAKER_01: Every family has been through a photo session where there's that one child, maybe it was you, there's that one child who won't cooperate, right?
SPEAKER_01: Everyone is trying to look at the camera, everyone's trying to smile at the same moment that the shutter clicks.
SPEAKER_01: And you pay good money for that.
SPEAKER_01: And then when you get the pictures returned to you, the only face that's in focus is of that one kid sticking out his tongue with his eyes closed.
SPEAKER_01: Everybody else is blurry.
SPEAKER_01: That's depth of field.
SPEAKER_01: It's having the right things in focus.
SPEAKER_01: The Apostle Paul wrote two commands to the Philippian church here in verse 17 about proper focus.
SPEAKER_01: He says, be fellow imitators and keep watching.
SPEAKER_01: And those commands work together.
SPEAKER_01: They're kind of like two sides of the same coin.
SPEAKER_01: The first one, he says, is to be imitators of Paul.
SPEAKER_01: Make your life a life of imitation.
SPEAKER_01: Pattern your life after the life of the apostle.
SPEAKER_01: Imitate him.
SPEAKER_01: Now he's not being arrogant here.
SPEAKER_01: He's going beyond himself to point to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: We need to remember what he said to a different church, to the church in Corinth and 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 1.
SPEAKER_01: He says, be imitators of me.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: Because I imitate Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: The Apostle Paul's life, any person's life, is only worth imitating because they imitate Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Paul's life has been shaped by Christ.
SPEAKER_01: And the word that he uses here for imitating is unique.
SPEAKER_01: It's very likely that he invented the word himself, combining the ideas of imitation and unity.
SPEAKER_01: He's not just asking the Philippian church to do what he does, to imitate him.
SPEAKER_01: He's calling them to do it together.
SPEAKER_01: The church is to imitate Paul together.
SPEAKER_01: The whole church should imitate him.
SPEAKER_01: And that echoes what we find back in chapter 1 and verse 27, where he said, Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I am there with you or am absent, I may hear that you are standing firm together in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.
SPEAKER_01: There's this element of doing things together, thinking together, walking together, that's all throughout the book of Philippians.
SPEAKER_01: And interestingly, if you look down at chapter 4, verse 2 and 3, that we'll look at more closely next time, it applies to what follows after.
SPEAKER_01: There are a couple of people in the church in Philippi who maybe aren't doing that so well.
SPEAKER_01: Yodi and Syntici are not imitating Paul.
SPEAKER_01: They're now at odds with each other.
SPEAKER_01: So that's the first command.
SPEAKER_01: Imitate.
SPEAKER_01: Imitate together.
SPEAKER_01: The second command is to watch, to focus, to keep your eyes on those who walk according to the same example.
SPEAKER_01: Look around you and see those who live out their faith like the Apostle Paul.
SPEAKER_01: And watch them.
SPEAKER_01: Really watch them.
SPEAKER_01: Don't be creepy watching, but pay attention.
SPEAKER_01: Watching is integral to imitation.
SPEAKER_01: Imitation isn't just about using your ears and taking something in by hearing, it's about seeing and doing.
SPEAKER_01: Think about how you learned as a child.
SPEAKER_01: A few kids learn well just by listening.
SPEAKER_01: But generally, children learn better by watching.
SPEAKER_01: We learn to tie our shoes by watching somebody else.
SPEAKER_01: We learn to cook by watching.
SPEAKER_01: I learned patience, perseverance, at least I think I did, and a strong work ethic by watching my dad.
SPEAKER_01: You have learned more than you realize simply by paying attention to the people around you.
SPEAKER_01: And the same is true in your spiritual life.
SPEAKER_01: Much of your spiritual life is an example of those you watch.
SPEAKER_01: And when you keep your eyes locked in on people who walk faithfully with Christ, you will soon begin to live like them.
SPEAKER_01: It's like following a car on the highway.
SPEAKER_01: Have you ever noticed that when you're following behind somebody at the same speed, after a while you begin to notice that you're drifting in the lane just like they are?
SPEAKER_01: That's the way it is in your spiritual life.
SPEAKER_01: Others' movements become your movements.
SPEAKER_01: This is why the Apostle Paul doesn't just say, imitate me.
SPEAKER_01: He also says, keep watch on those who walk this way.
SPEAKER_01: Walking worthy of our calling requires a sustained, a continual, intentional, ongoing gaze at those who are following Christ well.
SPEAKER_01: And it's part of why being together is so critical to following Christ.
SPEAKER_01: So take sto take stock.
SPEAKER_01: Who are you watching?
SPEAKER_01: What are you watching?
SPEAKER_01: What what influences are you taking in?
SPEAKER_01: Who is influencing you?
SPEAKER_01: What fills your heart and mind on a on a routine basis?
SPEAKER_01: How are social media, podcasts and news channels and television shows and the voices you invite into your home, how are they shaping and molding your desires and your direction in life?
SPEAKER_01: Do those influences that come into your life point you toward Christ or away from Him?
SPEAKER_01: Do they move you away from grumbling and questioning, as we saw in chapter 2, or toward greater trust in God's work?
SPEAKER_01: These are challenging commands.
SPEAKER_01: He says, imitate me and keep the right focus.
SPEAKER_01: Make sure they're in the right location.
SPEAKER_01: Now in verse 18, that shifts to a warning.
SPEAKER_01: And that warning in verses 18 and 19 is not simply watch me and watch others like me, it's watch out who you watch.
SPEAKER_01: Because who you watch can be very dangerous indeed.
SPEAKER_01: For many of whom I have often told you, and now tell you, even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Their end is destruction, their God is their belly, and they glory in their shame.
SPEAKER_01: Because their minds are set on earthly things.
SPEAKER_01: Notice that Paul says this with tears.
SPEAKER_01: He isn't wagging his finger, accusing people.
SPEAKER_01: He's not climbing up onto a personal soapbox.
SPEAKER_01: Guys, this is this is this is a guy who's lost everything that is valuable in an earthly life.
SPEAKER_01: We saw that at the beginning of chapter 3.
SPEAKER_01: He considers it all rubbish.
SPEAKER_01: Paul's been beaten, he's been stoned, he's been left for dead, he's been shipwrecked.
SPEAKER_01: Now he's imprisoned for the sake of Christ, and here he is weeping over people who are headed for eternal destruction because they cling to the things that he's lost.
SPEAKER_01: He's not arrogant or smug, he's grieving.
SPEAKER_01: And he's grieving enemies of the cross.
SPEAKER_01: He's grieving enemies of the cross because he knows their end, their road, will take them to destruction.
SPEAKER_01: Their end is destruction because they find the satisfaction for life in the things of this world instead of the things of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: He says their God is their belly.
SPEAKER_01: They glory in their shame, their minds set on earthly things.
SPEAKER_01: These may have been people in religious circles.
SPEAKER_01: Most likely it goes back to the beginning of chapter 3 and the people who are Judaizers.
SPEAKER_01: Paul warned against them.
SPEAKER_01: They're people who claimed to be followers of Christ who looked like they were followers of Christ, but were not genuine believers.
SPEAKER_01: That group of people was devoted to themselves and to their appetites, not to the cross of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Now, this isn't merely an appetite for lunch or food.
SPEAKER_01: It's any consuming desire.
SPEAKER_01: Whether it's pleasure, whether it's comfort, whether it's success or status or power.
SPEAKER_01: Following your own desires instead of Jesus means that your cravings may become your idols that you worship.
SPEAKER_01: And Paul says, many live this way.
SPEAKER_01: Their idols are earthly things that are going to fade away, that promise satisfaction, but deliver only emptiness.
SPEAKER_01: It's heartbreaking to see lives destroyed by these kinds of worthless idols that promise the world but deliver nothing but ruin.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe you're aware, a few months ago, a top executive of a company was caught on national television with someone other than his wife, sacrificing his marriage and his career for something that he thought would bring happiness and fulfillment, but instead left him shattered.
SPEAKER_01: Social media influencers promote lives based on appearances while quietly leading their followers into anxiety and comparison and despair.
SPEAKER_01: Many in our world reject God's good design for men and women, exchanging it for empty promises that you can shape your sexuality however you want, only to end up confused, forlorn, and lost.
SPEAKER_01: These patterns are all around us.
SPEAKER_01: Unless we think too highly of ourselves, we get caught up in them too.
SPEAKER_01: Because we all have those idols that need to be crushed in our hearts.
SPEAKER_01: Paul wept for these people because their idolatry showed that they were focused ultimately on the wrong things.
SPEAKER_01: They were living on the broad road to destruction.
SPEAKER_01: He's not judging.
SPEAKER_01: He's not making a judgment.
SPEAKER_01: It's a warning to those he cares about.
SPEAKER_01: It's a warning that danger isn't just out there in society or in our world, because the pull of idolatry, of success, and satisfaction and comfort is in our own hearts.
SPEAKER_01: The apostle's warning here is a warning to us.
SPEAKER_01: Guard your heart.
SPEAKER_01: Be careful about who and what you follow.
SPEAKER_01: Because the tempting road of self-gratification, of earthly ambition and unchecked desire leads to nothing but destruction.
SPEAKER_01: And it's problematic because the appeal of our idols is strong.
SPEAKER_01: In the moment of temptation, it looks good, it smells good, it feels good, and it is the right thing.
SPEAKER_01: It can even be a true thing.
SPEAKER_01: For example, you might indulge in podcasts or YouTube channels that discuss honest things or biblical topics, even.
SPEAKER_01: But if those sources that you indulge in that you are following, if they lead you to grumble and question rather than remaining blameless and innocent, as chapter 2 taught us, then those might not be worth watching and following.
SPEAKER_01: Demas is a biblical example of this.
SPEAKER_01: Demas is a man who's mentioned in the Apostle Paul's letter to the church at Colossae, giving them greetings.
SPEAKER_01: Somehow Demas is a coworker with the Apostle Paul.
SPEAKER_01: He's also mentioned in the book of Philemon positively, as though he's a coworker.
SPEAKER_01: He's part of what's going on, of what God's doing.
SPEAKER_01: But in 2 Timothy chapter 4, the Apostle Paul gave Timothy a challenge.
SPEAKER_01: He said, Come and see me soon.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: Because Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me.
SPEAKER_01: Demas chose to satisfy himself instead of imitating Paul and finding his hope in Christ.
SPEAKER_01: So there's this stark contrast.
SPEAKER_01: We are to imitate and to watch those who imitate Paul by imitating Christ, we're to follow those who follow Christ, whose lives reflect Christ, and we're to avoid those whose lives are on the way to destruction through earthly joys.
SPEAKER_01: We see how that plays out in verses 20 and 21.
SPEAKER_01: In his original letter, verse 20 begins with a sharp, emphatic contrast.
SPEAKER_01: But our citizenship, not theirs, not those who are on the road to destruction, but our citizenship.
SPEAKER_01: So this is a challenge then to focus on your citizenship.
SPEAKER_01: But our citizenship is not in the earthly satisfaction, not in earthly joys, but it's in heaven.
SPEAKER_01: That is, it's not here.
SPEAKER_01: And from it, from heaven, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.
SPEAKER_01: But our.
SPEAKER_01: Unlike those whose minds are set on earthly things, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in shameful things, we, God's people, have our eyes set on a different horizon.
SPEAKER_01: This is an incredibly pointed point.
SPEAKER_01: Because the city of Philippi was a Roman colony filled with proud Roman citizens, including a large group of retired Roman soldiers loyal to Rome who enjoyed the privileges of Roman citizenship even while living far from their capital.
SPEAKER_01: The Apostle Paul takes that pride of citizenship and flips it on its head.
SPEAKER_01: He tells the Philippians, you also are far from your capital.
SPEAKER_01: You belong to a heavenly kingdom.
SPEAKER_01: This world is not your permanent home.
SPEAKER_01: Rome is not your ultimate authority.
SPEAKER_01: Caesar is not your true Lord.
SPEAKER_01: You belong to another country ruled by the Lord of heaven and earth, before whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is the eternal God and he has the power to do that.
SPEAKER_01: You will either do it by choice or by force, by faith or by compulsion.
SPEAKER_01: Beloved, as the Apostle Paul calls us, beloved, you are an alien on earth if you belong to Christ.
SPEAKER_01: This is a call to live an alien life by pursuing Christ.
SPEAKER_01: And your citizenship changes how you live here and now.
SPEAKER_01: Because people whose only hope is in this earthly life, they pursue satisfaction here and now in this life because this is all there is.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, live up life here and now if that's all you got.
SPEAKER_01: But God's people know the truth.
SPEAKER_01: We understand that this world, with all that it offers, isn't the end.
SPEAKER_01: In fact, it's merely a prelude.
SPEAKER_01: It's a foreword, it's a preface, it's what comes before.
SPEAKER_01: It's a shadow of the fullness of life that awaits when Christ returns and makes all things new.
SPEAKER_01: We're not chasing after earthly desires that demand satisfaction.
SPEAKER_01: Instead, instead, he says, we are awaiting a coming glory.
SPEAKER_01: And the glory here is a person who will subdue everything to himself.
SPEAKER_01: It's a glory that will make any kind of satisfaction in this life seem meaningless.
SPEAKER_01: The Apostle Paul says that Jesus will transform our humble bodies to be like his glorious body when he returns.
SPEAKER_01: So the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead, the power by which he subjects all things to himself, will change us.
SPEAKER_01: Physically, these bodies, these fragile, aging, broken, demanding bodies will be gloriously remade.
SPEAKER_01: Everything we've complained about in this life will be undone.
SPEAKER_01: Because we will be like Jesus, and we will finally and fully realize our satisfaction.
SPEAKER_01: So this is really a call to delay present satisfaction for what is far more glorious than you can imagine.
SPEAKER_01: This isn't escapism.
SPEAKER_01: You know what that is?
SPEAKER_01: Escapism means that you dream about what could be so that you can psychologically escape the pains and the sorrows of the present.
SPEAKER_01: No, this isn't escapism.
SPEAKER_01: This is the most practical truth in the world.
SPEAKER_01: Because knowing that your true citizenship is in heaven and that Christ is returning and will make you like himself has the power to transform your daily life by reorienting your focus, and you can then begin living an alien life.
SPEAKER_01: So, yes, alien life exists.
SPEAKER_01: It's you if you belong to Christ.
SPEAKER_01: So when you're tempted to satisfy yourself now, remember that your true home is with Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Living as a citizen of heaven means seeing the world around you through an eternal perspective.
SPEAKER_01: That kind of view changes your life.
SPEAKER_01: And this section ends in chapter four, verse one, with a clear reminder to be steadfast and immovable.
SPEAKER_01: Is therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus, in this way.
SPEAKER_01: This is how you stand firm in the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: That word therefore links everything he said throughout chapter three into an urgent yet loving charge.
SPEAKER_01: Notice his language, brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, my beloved.
SPEAKER_01: There's an attachment here, an emotional attachment.
SPEAKER_01: And he says, stand firm, don't drift on the road.
SPEAKER_01: Keep watching Christ and those who imitate him.
SPEAKER_01: Maintain your focus.
SPEAKER_01: So if we back up in chapter three from the beginning of chapter three onward, we see that standing firm means not trusting in the flesh.
SPEAKER_01: Not relying on your pedigree, your performance, not relying on your religious resume.
SPEAKER_01: Standing firm involves considering worldly values worth sacrificing just to know Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Because he is the ultimate satisfying gain.
SPEAKER_01: Satan uses the world all around us to offer us substitutes for Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Substitutes that we think will satisfy, that we hope will satisfy, but that in the end will leave you lost.
SPEAKER_01: Standing firm involves recognizing those substitutes for what they are and refusing to give in to them.
SPEAKER_01: Refusing to allow them a foothold in our hearts.
SPEAKER_01: Standing firm means ultimately knowing Christ, not just knowing about him, but growing in an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus to truly know him, as verse 8 of chapter 3 says.
SPEAKER_01: This is the relational, intimate knowledge that comes first through faith, through trust in him, and then grows over time through prayer, scripture, walking with him through years and through trials, keeping your eyes on those who imitate him.
SPEAKER_01: Standing firm means pursuing Christ and His righteousness.
SPEAKER_01: Trusting not in your own efforts, not trusting in your own goodness, but in the righteousness that comes from Christ through faith in him.
SPEAKER_01: And standing firm means longing to be conformed to Christ instead of what the world offers to satisfy.
SPEAKER_01: You know, strong trees survive storms because of deep roots, right?
SPEAKER_01: And strong trunks.
SPEAKER_01: They don't survive because the storm is weak, but because their roots and their trunk is strong and deep.
SPEAKER_01: Standing firm in Christ means the same for you.
SPEAKER_01: You've sent your roots down deep and strong, and you've grown by watching others and following Christ.
SPEAKER_01: So Paul's call for collective imitation from verse 17 in chapter 3 comes up again here.
SPEAKER_01: We're to observe other believers around us who imitate Christ and to do it together.
SPEAKER_01: We stand firm together.
SPEAKER_01: That means we support each other in resisting idolatry while watching for our Lord's return.
SPEAKER_01: Of course, we need to observe and imitate the right people.
SPEAKER_01: We must resist the temptation of satisfying our desires with the things of the world.
SPEAKER_01: And we do that together.
SPEAKER_01: We must guard our hearts by mourning over the destruction that awaits those on the wrong path, rather than be drawn towards them by an attractive, apparent attractiveness and a satisfaction that is seemingly there and the comfort that they seem to have, but instead to look for the transformation that Christ brings.
SPEAKER_01: We must keep our eyes fixed on our true home, our coming Savior, and his soon return, and our upcoming being made like him.
SPEAKER_01: And we must stand firm not in our own strength, not in our own resolve, but in Christ alone, deeply rooted in all that he is and all that he has done.
SPEAKER_01: Now maybe, maybe you recognize yourself not in the standing firm, but in the warning.
SPEAKER_01: You know deep down, maybe you haven't been willing to admit it yet.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe you you know deep down that you've been chasing the gods of self-satisfaction.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe you know deep down inside that you've been in the wrong lane, pursuing things that don't satisfy, that just leaves you with an emptiness.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe you find yourself without joy and further and further from peace, longing for something true.
SPEAKER_01: If that's you, my friend, hear this clearly.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus calls you to switch lanes.
SPEAKER_01: You're drifting behind the wrong car.
SPEAKER_01: You're on the road headed for destruction.
SPEAKER_01: But Jesus offers you true satisfaction.
SPEAKER_01: No, not today.
SPEAKER_01: Not even tomorrow, but fully and completely in eternity.
SPEAKER_01: He calls you to put off your satisfaction today, but to find your satisfaction fully and completely in him.
SPEAKER_01: By resting in him.
SPEAKER_01: By finding your hope only in him.
SPEAKER_01: And then he gives you strength to pursue satisfaction eternally in him.
SPEAKER_01: Because he's the Lord who left heaven's glory, who died on the cross for your sin and rose to give you new life.
SPEAKER_01: He's the Savior for whom his people wait.
SPEAKER_01: Trust in him.
SPEAKER_01: Trust in him as your source of true life, eternal life.
SPEAKER_01: Become a citizen of heaven today.
SPEAKER_01: Set yourself on the right road.
SPEAKER_01: And that's for all of us, right?
SPEAKER_01: All of us should evaluate what road we're on.
SPEAKER_01: Are we listening to the right voices?
SPEAKER_01: Are we watching the right people?
SPEAKER_01: Are the right influences pouring into our lives?
SPEAKER_01: Are we replacing unhelpful ones with godly examples?
SPEAKER_01: Are we embracing our eternal heavenly citizenship?
SPEAKER_01: If so, let it reshape who you are.
SPEAKER_01: How you spend your time, how you spend your money, how you set your ambitions, how you labor to know Christ personally and not just being filled with information about him.
SPEAKER_01: Watch others and send your roots deep.
SPEAKER_01: Stand firm in his righteousness, not your own.
SPEAKER_01: And friends, invest in one another.
SPEAKER_01: Watch for who is walking faithfully and watch them.
SPEAKER_01: Stand firm, beloved.
SPEAKER_01: He's coming, and he's worth it.
SPEAKER_01: Could you pray with me?
SPEAKER_01: Lord Jesus, we come and we bow before you.
SPEAKER_01: Having heard your word, being challenged by it and maybe even convicted by it.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, I ask that your spirit would move among us to do what is necessary and right.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, some might some might be seeing the light of Christ for the first time and yearning to trust in you.
SPEAKER_01: Oh Father, draw them and be gracious to them and merciful so that they can see the value of Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Some of us might need conviction of sin.
SPEAKER_01: Conviction of being on the wrong road too often, jumping the ditch and going in the wrong direction, having the wrong focus, whatever image we want to put there, Lord, we we confess our sin to you.
SPEAKER_01: And we confess that too often we follow the wrong influences, pursuing temporary satisfaction.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, remake us.
SPEAKER_01: Give us clean hearts, pure hearts.
SPEAKER_01: Cleansed by the washing of the water with the word of God.
SPEAKER_01: So we might see you with newness, newness, new eyes, and be drawn to be satisfied in you alone.
SPEAKER_01: For it's you who have paid the price for us.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: That concludes this sermon from Faith Evangelical Free Church.
SPEAKER_00: Our mission is to declare the Word of God and disciple believers into mature, devoted followers of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: You can learn more by visiting our website at faithfree.com.