Practicing Christlikeness | Sunday, November 14, 2021

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I'm looking at the choice you made, the rule that led to suffering. Nothing was fair to prove your love for me. Oh, the mystery! Your final breath became eternity. Forever, Jesus, forever.

Majesty, there’s never a yard beyond Your victory. You are the one that we are welcoming. Forever, Joseph.

Over the last several months, I have realized that I have probably said this somewhat frequently, but I think it's worth saying again. Myself and the other leaders on our leadership team here at Cross Connection Church are called to the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. I have been reiterating this truth just as much as a reminder for myself as it is a perhaps redundant reminder for you as well.

The Apostle Peter wrote in one of his letters, in Second Peter chapter one, these words: "For this reason, I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent or in this body, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always..."

I have a reminder of these things after my decease. Now, I don't plan on leaving or dying anytime soon, but I still think that it is good for me, as a pastor, to remind you and perhaps to remind myself what our purpose and call is as church leaders. I will confess that there have been times when I've lost sight of this very clear call.

If you have been a part of this church for any length of time, it's likely that you know the words from the Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter 4. Pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets, and evangelists are given for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ. These words are the very words that God used in my life to call me into the ministry back in January of 1999, so quite a few years ago. Those words have an important place in my own life personally. They are the very passage that, when I was asked if I would begin teaching a Bible study here at this church, I said I would pray about it. Those are the words from Ephesians chapter 4 that God spoke to me as I was reading through that passage.

However, these words are not only important to me personally; they should also be important in the life of every pastor or leader within the church. I bring this up because I know that there have been times in the nearly 14 years of me serving as the senior pastor here that I've lost sight of this very clear call. Even though this is the passage that the Lord used in my life to bring me into the ministry, I would say that many pastors experience times when they get distracted from their primary call of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.

We can drift into thinking that our call is to build the church. Building the church is actually the work and task of the Lord. He is the one who said to His disciples in Matthew chapter 16, "I will build my church." It couldn't get any more explicit than that. But sometimes, pastors drift into this mindset where they think it's their responsibility to be the one building this church, coming up with all the plans, and trying to bring people in. We can drift into thinking that that's our job, or we can drift into thinking that our call is to plan out people's Christian lives, to be kind of like a spiritual guru.

Directing all the activities of a person's life is certainly not what we're called to, but we can drift into thinking that our call is to be a spokesman on behalf of God to the culture. I've certainly run into or seen a number of people over the years who are distracted by that thought, believing that this is their call.

We can also drift into thinking that we are here to fix every issue or problem that people have within their lives and within the body of the church. Some people think that their pastors are like spiritual fix-it men who must come in to right every wrong and fix every problem. However, that is not the call. That is the work of the Lord. In reality, we can begin to take on the task of being God or being the Holy Spirit in people's lives, both in the church and sometimes even in the culture. But that really isn't the task that God has called us to.

In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul makes it very clear that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—some people call these the five offices of the church—are given for the equipping of the saints. If you are a Christian and have put your trust in Jesus Christ, you are what the Bible would call a saint. The leaders within the church are here to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. We are here to help you become ready to do the work of the ministry that God has called you to, for the purpose of building up the church.

The church is to be built up unto maturity in Christ Jesus, where we are united together and made one in Him. With all of that as a preface, I want to return again to something that I've said a lot in this year, 2021. As a pastor, I am somewhat grieved. To be honest, looking over things in the church—not just this church necessarily, but the churches that make up the body of Christ here in our culture—I feel a little bit grieved and a little bit discouraged. I am grieved and discouraged by the state of the church in our world today, and these emotions weigh heavily on my heart.

They're not really unique to me. I've probably had a half dozen or more conversations with other pastors in just the last few weeks, and these other pastors are also expressing the same discouragement. We, the church, are not united, and our division reveals the extent to which we might still be a little bit immature; that we are still carnal.

So, what does that all mean? If we are still immature and still carnal, it could mean a lot of different things. One of the things that I think it does mean is that church leaders may have been a little bit distracted by other things that are not our primary call. If we were wholly committed to the call given in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 11 and 12, which states that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, then perhaps we would be a little bit more mature, and we as the church would be a little bit more united at this cultural moment.

Now, when I say that we as the church would be a little bit more united, I'm not saying necessarily that all of the churches here in North County, San Diego, would be united together in some ecumenical movement. I'm talking about the individual local churches. There is a lot of division and immaturity that I and many other church leaders are seeing within the individual local churches, and that's discouraging. It should be discouraging to us.

All of that has been the basis for the teachings that I have given for the better part of this year, especially through the second half of 2021. We have gone through a series of teachings over the summer that I called "First Things First," laying the foundation, if you will, for a faith in God that our trust and faith in God is reasonable and rational. Then, we've spent the last six to eight weeks going through a series that I've been calling "The Disciplines of a Disciple."

As we approach the end of the year and the Christmas season is coming up, I want to take an additional couple of weeks to add a postscript and epilogue to those thoughts from the series "First Things First" and "The Disciplines of a Disciple." This postscript is basically an answer to an important question that was posed by a great apologist and philosopher.

In the 20th century, a man by the name of Francis Schaeffer posed a significant question that became the title of a book he wrote, as well as the title for a series of videos he produced. The question was, "How shall we then live?"

I had the opportunity this past weekend to go up north to Santa Cruz, where I spoke at another church and engaged with a group of men at a men's conference or retreat. I discussed this topic of how we should live, drawing from the Old Testament, specifically the book of Isaiah. I have been reflecting a lot on this question, and it is a topic that is much larger than what I will be able to cover over the next two weeks. I am quite certain that I will return to this topic at various times in the coming months.

As we have this brief interlude between the last series we did on the disciplines of a disciple and our upcoming series as we look forward to Christmas, I want to share some thoughts that I believe are important for us as Christians living in an increasingly post-Christian and non-Christian culture.

You may have noticed that the culture we live in is drifting away from Christian fundamentals and beliefs. So, how shall we then live as Christians in the midst of such a culture? It seems to me that there was a time, not too long ago, when one could generally expect that people would treat you or interact with you in a civil, ethical, and moral manner.

I believe that this moderate expectation arose from the fact that the world we inhabit, particularly in the West—such as the United States, North America, Western Europe, and Australia—has been shaped by a culture that has been enculturated under a generically Christian framework for the better part of the last millennium and a half.

The Christian worldview in the Western culture we live in has what is typically termed a Judeo-Christian underpinning. The values, principles, ethics, and morals are linked back to the Christian Scriptures and are largely founded upon Christian thought and Christian theology. However, at this moment, we are witnessing the breakdown of civility, ethics, and morality. This isn't really an unprecedented breakdown or a drift away from these things. Those of you who might be watching this and lived during the 1960s and 1970s saw a similar breakdown during that period. I wasn't born until after that breakdown, but you may have witnessed it. You observed the decline of morality, ethics, and civility in the culture.

When such breakdowns occur, we can see cycles of this in history, even recent history. There is always a reaction to those breakdowns, a response to them. As we approach the end of 2021 and move into 2022, we are seeing responses and reactions to this breakdown in our culture. One of the reactions is what sociologists have called the "big sort."

What is the big sort? There is a lot more to it, perhaps, but the basic idea is that many people are uprooting themselves and their families, moving to other regions and states in the country to find others who are more like-minded. People are self-selecting or sorting themselves to gather with those who share similar values and want to raise their families in the same way. We are witnessing this happen right now, and much of it is a response to the breakdown of civility, morality, and ethics in our culture. This is what is happening as we observe all these people moving to different places throughout our country; they are sorting themselves according to those who might be a little more like them.

In the midst of these changes, I find myself constantly returning to the thought: what should my response be to all these things as a Christian? How shall we then live? As a Christian, my response is to be informed by the Scriptures. With that as a preface to this message, I want to return to what is probably my favorite book in all of the Scriptures.

Philippians was a letter written by the Apostle Paul nearly 2,000 years ago to a church that was facing an increasingly contrary and antagonistic culture. When Paul wrote this letter, he was himself facing challenges. At the very moment he wrote, he was a prisoner in the city of Rome, facing political opposition. He was not really sure or confident about what was going to happen next in his life. Because of his faith and witness for Christ, he found himself in this challenging situation.

The people at the church in Philippi, as well as the other churches that Paul wrote to during that period, were also going to face opposition for their faith and witness in Christ. We refer to his letters from that period as his prison epistles or prison letters. Paul did not know what the outcome of his situation would be. He wanted to return to Philippi to visit his friends and church family there, but he recognized that this visit might not come to pass.

Looking back in history, we know that ultimately he was released from what is called his first imprisonment when he wrote the letter to the church at Philippi. He probably did visit the church in Philippi, but eventually, he found himself back in Rome and back in prison. He was eventually beheaded as a martyr for Christ around A.D. 66. He did not know what the outcome of his trial would be, and he understood that it might mean the end of his life, which it ultimately did.

In the midst of this context, he writes to the church at Philippi and shares these powerful words in Philippians chapter one. He says, "According to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Those are powerful words from the Apostle Paul. His attitude in Philippians chapter 1, verse 21, reflects the mindset of a man of faith and faithfulness. He expresses a desire to be freed from his troubling situation in prison.

The Apostle Paul tells the church in Philippi, just prior to what I read from Philippians chapter one, that according to his earnest hope and expectation, he believes he will be released through their prayers and the supply of the Holy Spirit. His desire is to get out of that troubling situation, and his expectation and hope—whether he does or does not get out—are that he ultimately will be a witness for Christ. He wants Christ to be exalted in his life, whether he lives or dies. As he famously states, "To live is Christ and to die is gain."

These are spectacular words. When we read those words from Paul, we see that, regardless of the outcome—whether he dies because of the trial he is in or is released to continue serving the church, planting more churches, and teaching the Scriptures—it doesn't really matter to him what happens. His mindset is clear: to live is for Christ, and to die is gain. This kind of mindset made it possible for Paul to say, as he wrote to the Corinthians, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." Later, in this very book, he tells the church at Philippi in Philippians chapter 3, "Brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern."

Paul's mindset was that he would serve the Lord as long as he was here, but if he died, that would be gain because he would be with the Lord. His citizenship is in heaven, and those are powerful words. Remember, Paul could say, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ."

For you, at this moment, sitting and watching this message—whether on your phone, your TV, or perhaps on a Sunday when it releases, or even several months from now—consider the situation you are in. Maybe you are troubled by it. Paul was certainly troubled by his situation, and other Christians were troubled by what he was facing. You might find yourself in a similar circumstance right now.

I want you to think about this question: What is your outlook at this moment? As you sit and look at all the chaos of the last 20 months due to COVID, consider the intractability of the big problems our culture is facing. Reflect on the seeming inability of our politicians to confront and deal with these significant issues. We face problems in business, problems in the economy, and just this last week, I received news that the consumer price index...

Went up 8.6 percent over October of last year. We all experience the increase in prices and difficulty shipping. There are problems in business, problems in the economy, and racial tensions, which we are constantly being told are major issues in our culture. Business, economy, racial issues—there are so many different things that weigh on people.

At this moment, looking at all those things, I assume you are probably a person who keeps up with what is going on in the world. Maybe you read the news or listen to podcasts. Those things can weigh on you. So, what is your outlook at this moment? Can you gauge your outlook? Are you hopeful or are you hopeless?

The answer to the question, "How shall we then live?" will differ significantly depending upon your outlook. Paul’s outlook was, "Whether I live or I die, it’s going to be for the Lord. To live is Christ, to die is gain." He had that outlook, and the outlook that you have will dramatically affect the way that you answer the question, "How shall we then live?"

Is your confident expectation at this moment that Jesus, in the future, is going to transform your lowly body so that it will be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able to even subdue all things to Himself? That is what Philippians chapter 3 says. Or are you hyper-concerned and burdened by all the things that are going on in this world?

Paul’s confident expectation was in the Lord and in the future he would have with the Lord in eternity. He knew that his citizenship was in heaven. He trusted that dying was not a finality but a transition. I want to suggest to you that one of the reasons so many people in Western culture are fearful because of COVID is that they don’t have any hope of being with the Lord in eternity. They don’t have a citizenship in heaven.

If your only hope is this world, then you are going to be significantly affected by downturns in the economy, or you are going to be massively taken out by the possibility of a pandemic. If your outlook is that this world is all there is, you are going to be discouraged and pretty hopeless. But if your outlook is the outlook of the Apostle Paul, then you can say, "My citizenship is in heaven."

God is going to transform this lowly body and will conform it to His glorious body according to the same power that was at work in Jesus when He rose from the dead. This transformation will totally affect how you live. The answer to the question, "How shall we then live?" is crucial.

Paul's mindset and the framing of his focus dramatically altered his response to the troubling circumstances he faced. It is safe to say that Paul's circumstances, 2,000 years ago when he wrote the letter to the church at Philippi, were dramatically more troubling than ours. He was in a situation where he was not really sure that he would live for another year or that he would be able to see his friends at the church at Ephesus or the church at Philippi.

The exhortation that Paul gives here, along with his outlook and mindset, is not unique to the Apostle Paul. Last week, Pastor Mark talked about Abraham in Genesis chapter 22. Abraham, along with all the men and women of faith in the Old Testament, had a similar confident expectation. Because of the confident expectation and hope they had in the Lord, they could face difficulty and respond to it correctly. This is the foundational sentiment of those who are listed in what is called the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter 11.

The faith-filled and faithful men and women of the Old Testament shared the same mindset as the Apostle Paul. He expressed this when he said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain. My citizenship is in heaven." We see this clearly in the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews chapter 11, beginning in verse 8, we read these words: "By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. He went out not knowing where he was going. By faith, he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

Consider verse 10 and think about it: their focus was not on this life and what they might inherit in this life. Abraham's focus was on a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. In verse 11, we read, "By faith, Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age because she judged Him, God, faithful who had promised." Therefore, from...

One man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky and a multitude innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. These all died in faith, these men and women of faith in the Old Testament, having not received the promises in this life, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. They are looking for something beyond this world. Truly, if they had called to mind the country from which they had come out, they would have had an opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.

By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. That's what Pastor Mark talked about last week in Genesis 22. By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promise offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called." He concluded, Abraham did, that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Enoch—all the different people that are listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter 11—had this mindset, the very same mindset that Paul had in Philippians chapter one: to live is Christ, to die is gain. This world is not my ultimate home; my focus is on something that God has promised to me in eternity. Because they had that outlook, it affected the way that they lived.

So how shall we then live, knowing all these things and thinking about all these things? This is key: my faith determines my outlook. I put my trust in Jesus Christ just as Abraham did. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness (Genesis chapter 15, verse 6). He followed God by faith.

My faith determines my outlook, and that outlook alters my mindset and transforms my behavior. My conduct in this world is completely affected by my trust in Jesus Christ, and the outlook changes as I trust in Him. When I put my faith in Jesus Christ, I now have hope—a certain hope of some great future—and it changes my mindset. It transforms my behavior.

So in Philippians, Paul is writing to try to equip the...

The church at Philippi was established to equip and transform those Christians. Paul, as a pastor, understood that this was his role; pastors are given for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the building up of the body of Christ. Paul aimed to equip and transform the believers there.

Reading Philippians carefully reveals that the Christians at the church in Philippi had some issues, just like every church does. They were not a perfect church; they were a great church, but they had their flaws. Some of their issues included immaturity and division, which are very similar to the challenges faced by our churches today. My discouragement and grief as I observe the church today stem from the reality that we have a lot of division and immaturity, just as the church did 2,000 years ago. There is no perfect church, but God wants to transform us.

Paul was writing to see a transformation in the church. The issues of immaturity and division were somewhat under the surface in Philippians, but if you read through the letter carefully, it becomes very clear that there were problems. Paul addressed these issues to deal with the carnality present in the church, which is why this book has application for us today. The church at Philippi had issues of division and immaturity, and we face similar challenges. Paul wrote to equip and transform them, and if we take these words to heart, we will see transformation for ourselves as well.

All of that serves as the backdrop that brings us to the book of Philippians, specifically chapter 1. If you look at the Scriptures with me in verse 27, Paul says, "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel."

If today I have faith in God, then as a result of that faith, I have a proper outlook, a right mindset, and a confident hope in what He will bring me to in the future. My citizenship is in heaven, and with that faith in God, I must consider how we should then live.

What should my behavior be like? This is something that we've been talking about a lot this year. We have been transformed; we have been justified by Jesus Christ. We have the hope of glorification in Jesus Christ. Right now, we are in this gap between justification and sanctification. This is the gap of transformation or sanctification, where God wants to transform us.

How shall we then live? Practically speaking, Paul says, "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ." We ought to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Our conduct ought to be characteristically Christ-like. Let me say that again: our conduct ought to be characteristically Christ-like. I ought to align with Christ's character as God is working in me by His Spirit. As I am working out my own salvation with fear and trembling, I ought to be aligning with the teaching of Christ and with His will.

If you are not sure what that practically means when I say that our lives ought to begin to align with the character and will of Christ, it is an indication that we need to get to know what Christ is like from His Word. This way, we can begin to follow Him and imitate Him. The Scriptures reveal to us God's nature and His expectations or will. If I want to know what I ought to look like, then I need to read the Scriptures so I can learn what Jesus is like and understand what it is that He desires me to do.

In this passage, Paul expands or explains what he means by conduct worthy of the gospel of Christ, providing us with some things to think about—some food for thought. So, what are the particulars of a conduct that aligns with the nature of Christ? What are the practicalities of conduct that is worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

It is a reputable conduct. What are the qualities of that? One of the things that Paul says is that you stand fast in one spirit. This is an indication that you are conducting yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel. Another quality is that you are like-minded with one another. A third quality that he gives us is that you are working together for the faith of the gospel. If you skip ahead and read in your Bibles, you will find more insights on this topic.

Verse 28 states that one of the other things Paul emphasizes is that we should not be intimidated by opposition. There are certainly far more aspects that could be discussed regarding conduct worthy of the gospel. However, at least included in the long list of things that are fitting for a Christian are the qualities Paul lists here: unity of the Spirit, unity of mind, and a unified labor. Together, we are working for the gospel.

This is what Paul is writing about, and these themes are consistent throughout the New Testament. We will explore more of them next week, not just from the Apostle Paul but from others in the New Testament. The concepts of unity of spirit, unity of mind, and a unified labor in Christ are recurring themes found throughout the Scriptures. Christians are called to work toward maturity and oneness in Christ. This is crucial.

As a Christian, I have been justified and have hope for glorification. In the gap between justification and glorification, as I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind and sanctified by the Spirit of God and His Word, I need to strive for maturity and oneness in Christ. This is part of what Jesus was conveying when He told His disciples, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another," as recorded in John's Gospel, chapter 13.

Now, stepping back from the Scriptures in Philippians for a moment, let us consider the church in America. When I refer to the church in America, I mean the local churches that comprise it. Why are I and many other church leaders feeling discouraged at this moment? The dominating features or characteristics of the local church do not reflect maturity, oneness, and love.

If that is the case, what should we do? How shall we then live? What can be done? At the same time that the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the church at Philippi, he also wrote another letter to the church at Ephesus. In Ephesians chapter four, Paul addresses these very issues.

Listen to the similarity of what we just read back in Philippians chapter 1, verse 27: "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel."

Then, written about the same time, Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1: "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all."

Paul says to the church to walk worthy of the calling with which you are called. The hallmarks of mature Christian love are humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and unity. In addition to those five, we could probably come up with a whole lot of other things to say, but at least the hallmarks of mature Christian love are humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and unity.

We are going to see some more of this next week, but as a preview of what we will discuss, Paul highlights many of these same things as he continues on in Philippians. I know I'm jumping back and forth between Ephesians and Philippians, but let me read to you the passage that follows what we're looking at in Philippians 1:27 today.

Look at what we read in Philippians chapter 2, verse 1. Paul says, "Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others."

Now, I'm going to resist the temptation to jump into those words right now. I will talk more about Philippians chapter 2 next week, but I'm sure you can see the connection between what we read in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 1 through 6, and what we read here in Philippians chapter 1, verses 27 through chapter 2, verse 4. There is a lot of similarity and connections, and this is a consistent theme in the New Testament as it relates to Christian conduct.

Maturity in Christ is far less about how much you know the Bible. It is not primarily about Bible knowledge or even how gifted or talented you are. Maturity is not about the wealth you possess or the big risks of faith that some people talk about. Instead, maturity in Christ is far more about humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, unity, and love.

If you have been following along with us in our series on the disciplines of a disciple, you may see the connection between these qualities and the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and long-suffering. Therefore, maturity in Christ Jesus is closely connected to the fruit of the Spirit and attributes such as humility, gentleness, patience, unity, love, and forbearance.

As we begin to close today, I want to circle back around and bring this home to something that is, shall we say, uber practical. A few weeks ago, when I shared about sanctification, I mentioned that it is God's desire for us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds through the Scriptures. We are called to display in our daily lives what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

In Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, Paul writes, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may show what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God."

It is God's desire in sanctification that we begin to be transformed and that we would demonstrate in our daily lives what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. In this work of sanctification, as we work out our salvation, I shared with you several weeks ago that God has given us His Holy Spirit as our helper to assist us in walking in His ways. God is working in us to will and to do His good pleasure, and He has equipped us with many different tools to make it more likely that we will be transformed.

Among those tools are the body of Christ, the local church, and prayer. As we pray, God begins to transform us. One of the other major tools is the Word of God. God has given us His Word as a guide for our transformation.

If you were here a few weeks ago, I talked about the Word of God being a tool for our sanctification. I shared with you one of the ways that you can use God's Word in your daily life, and I discussed the tips for Bible study—T-I-P-S. The tips for Bible study are as follows: we read the Scriptures for the truths that they teach; that is the "T." The truths are the principles that are present in the text.

Next, I examine myself in light of those truths, which corresponds to the "I" in TIPS. Then, I pray in light of how I've examined myself, represented by the "P." Finally, I step forward with the Spirit's help, which is the "S," to be able to walk these things out.

In this passage from Philippians, we find some truths or principles. Some of the hallmarks of Christian maturity are humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, unity, and love. These are the principles or truths of Scripture. If you recall from several weeks ago, we have the plumb line of doctrine. The Scriptures reveal to us the truths and principles, establishing the true line of doctrine. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God; it is useful for doctrine, so it establishes the true line.

The hallmarks of Christian maturity include patience, love, and so forth. Now, I examine myself: How well do I stack up? How well am I doing with humility? How well am I doing with patience? How well am I bearing with other people that I disagree with? How well am I doing with being unified and at peace with my brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I in alignment with God's Word? The hallmarks of Christian maturity are things like patience, forbearance, love, and unity. Or am I out of alignment?

If I find that I am out of alignment, then what do I need to do? I look at the truths and examine myself in light of those principles from the Word. If I find that I am out of alignment, then I need to pray. We bring our failures, faults, and sins to the Lord in prayer and confess those to Him. As John says in First John chapter...

1 John 1:9 states that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. I take the truths of Scripture, which highlight that the hallmarks of Christian love include humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and unity. I examine myself, and if I find that I am not exercising patience, or I am not being gentle, or I am not being humble, I come to God in prayer. I pray, "God, would You forgive me for being arrogant? Would You forgive me for being unkind? Would You forgive me for not having self-control?" God is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

Then, I may need to pray for a petition or supplication. I ask, "God, would You give me Your patience? Would You give me Your self-control? Would You give me Your love in this situation? Your peace?" I ask God to help me have His patience with that person and to be at peace with those people in my life.

Finally, I follow the T-I-P-S method. The truths or principles in the passage guide me. I examine myself, pray for confession if needed, and make supplication for God's help to be able to do these things. Then, I step out with the Spirit's help to walk in these truths.

This week, after you've examined yourself in light of the truths of Scripture and prayed, consider who you may need to talk to in order to apologize for your impatience or arrogance. Who do you need to be reconciled with after having been separated from them because of anger or frustration? Paul talks about forbearing with one another and bearing with one another in love. If you haven't been doing this, perhaps you should say, "God, help me by Your Holy Spirit's power to reach out to that person this week so that I can walk in righteousness."

The Word of God is inspired by God and is useful for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. It exposes where I am out of alignment, brings me back into alignment, and helps me walk in righteousness before God and the Lord. This is what it looks like practically to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, as God is working in you to will and to do His good pleasure.

In answering the question, "How shall we then live?" the Scriptures provide guidance on how we ought to conduct ourselves. Paul says, "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel."

Christ, conduct yourself in this manner. As I look at those things, I have to examine: Am I conducting myself in this manner? If not, I have to confess, "God, I've not been walking in a way that is honoring to You." You may know the Bible really well, but if you're not walking in a way that is honoring to God according to His Word, then you are out of alignment. God would call you to repentance; He would call you to confess it, and He will forgive and cleanse you of any unrighteousness.

His aim is to transform us so that we would be the people of God, living in a way that honors God here in this world that is in chaos. It is possible that the world is just going to continue to be in chaos until the Lord calls us home. In the midst of that, we need to be a bright, shining light, displaying love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, gentleness, and self-control—the fruit of the Spirit. May it be that God causes these things to abound in our lives this week.

Father God, I do pray for us, Your church, and maybe for some people who are watching who have not yet trusted in You. Lord, I pray that You draw them by Your Spirit, that they would put their trust in You, and that they would experience Your justification. I pray that they would have the hope of glorification and begin to experience the work of sanctification in their lives.

I also pray for the church that is listening to this message. I ask, God, that You would do a work by Your Spirit and by Your Word in us, transforming us more and more by the renewing of our minds, so that we would display in this world what is good and acceptable and perfect will. Lord, do a work in Your church, we pray. Cause us to shine brightly in the day in which we live, in this dark time. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Join now and sing: Jesus is King. Blessed is...

He who comes in the name of the Lord, join now and sing Jesus. Join now and sing Jesus.

Thanks for joining us for our broadcast today. As we close, we would love to invite you to our services at Cross Connection Church campus at 8:30 and 10:30 every Sunday.

If you'd like more information about Cross Connection Church, go online at lifeinconnection.

Hey, Cross Connection Church! How's it going? It's Pastor Garrett here. I've got a couple of announcements for you this morning.

First of all, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we here at Cross Connection Church are thankful. We're thankful for so many things. Our youth group is getting ready to go out into the community with Thanksgiving baskets and share with some businesses that serve us how thankful we are for them.

This is just a great opportunity for us, on behalf of Cross Connection Church, to go out and tell people, "Hey, this is a busy time of the year. You're dealing with difficult people. People are more upset than usual, and they are already kind of on edge with everything going on in the world." We want to love you, care for you, and thank you for everything that you're doing. It's just a great way for us to be a light and a witness here in Escondido and the surrounding areas.

If you would like to donate a basket or if you have any old leftover baskets sitting around that aren't doing anything in your house, bring them by the church. We'd love to use them and fill them up with some goodies to hand out. We will be doing this the week of Thanksgiving, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. So, if you have baskets, bring them by the church, and you can sign up and get all the information at events.lifeinconnection.com.