so so You. Good evening, everyone. Special welcome to those who might be visiting for evening worship here with us at Lake Sherwood. May you be blessed by God as you gather with us. Several announcements that I make in the morning and then we do again in the evening. One that I'd forgotten to make, and that is a special thanks to those who served for the memorial yesterday for Art Bennett. I had tried to reach out to all of them yesterday as a thank you, but also I may have forgotten some. So that often happens in human communication. May they be blessed for their giving and service to our dear St. Pam as well. On the yellow insert that we keep in the bulletin, and it's in the news that we send out each week, this week particularly, tomorrow night, the budget review meeting with Evan as we're anticipating the congregational meeting on February 12th, could you please contact Evan at the email lsopc at treasurer dot whatever, you know, It's in the bulletin, and I've just said it wrong, but you know how my day's been, so. Tuesday as well, our Winter Garden Bible study is happening. See the insert for more details there. And then two particular service opportunities in the family. Looking for a second team to serve by setting up the Lord's Supper. That was something that Art and Pam had done, as you guys had known. So we're asking for help there and looking for someone who would be interested in serving John Bennett. And as we mentioned, John's in the hospital right now, and he was someone that Art would call him and put his phone on speaker and allow him to listen through the phone to the Sunday service. It was a sweet service that Art provided to John, and you can talk to Carson for any further details about that. So we'd like to keep that going for John. And then, as we know, we keep this here, and it's in the bulletin that you may have grabbed. You got it this morning or this evening. We'll hear from Chris. Chris is one, especially for our visitors. He's one of our newly licensed men. We have many who are from the Bible College and in the seminary, and Chris was licensed, as the flock and the family know, just at our last Presbytery meeting that we hosted here for the Presbytery of the South. And so he is preaching for us these days, not just exhorting, as the Book of Church Order says. That said, let's take a moment again to quiet our hearts in preparation to worship the living God, Jesus Christ. Our great God and King Jesus at the right hand of our Father in heaven in that place of royal regal rule. Our mediator and intercessor. who you, Holy Father and Heaven and Jesus, have sent the Holy Spirit to indwell your people. As John 14 and 15 teach us, sent from the Father and the Son to indwell your people that they might glorify you and praise you, especially as we gather ourselves out of our lives and out of the world and we begin a new week here on the Lord's Day to give you worship. to give you praise, to begin our lives aright by directing them to you, loving you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength as you have taught us, Jesus. Be with us tonight. Inhabit our praises. Fill us so that we might sing to you and give you praise as the council in heaven does, as they behold your effulgent glory, oh God. They know the one true God. We are grateful to know you through Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen. Saints of God and Christian believers, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Our call to worship this evening comes from Psalm 100. It says, make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord, he is God. It is he who made us and we are his. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him. Bless his name for the Lord is good. His steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations. Praise the Lord. Let's join our voices together to sing that great reformational hymn number 164 in the Green Trinity Hymnal before you. Oh, 4,000 tongues to sing, number 164. And let's stand together as we sing number 164. Oh, 4,000 tongues to sing. The glories of my God. My gracious Master and my God, assist me to To spend all the earth upon the honors of Thy name. Jesus, the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease. He is life and health and peace. His blood can make the foulest sleep His blood availed for me He speaks and listening to His voice, who like the dead we see. The mournful broken hearts rejoice, the humble poor believe. Let's remain standing and pray together. Our God, we do this unique thing in the service that you well know, and we remind our hearts and we tune them, as it were, not only to sing your praise, but to pray that you are praiseworthy. You are the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the three in one. For many centuries, saints and martyrs through the ages have confessed the truth of your revealed will in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament. And so we remind our hearts again of this revealed truth, your incredible condescension, as we'll hear from Chris and Philippians 2 tonight, this incredible humility you demonstrated to reveal yourself, to come and to become incarnate. So we ask, oh God, that you would grant us greater knowledge of your word, greater humility of heart to accept what you have revealed, not only in your word, but specifically to us by your spirit, attesting to the truth of your word in us so that we might know and we might glorify you in all we do. We ask for your strength, your power, and your blessing, for we ask it in Christ's name, amen. You may be seated. Our New Testament reading comes from 1 Peter 1. If you'd like to turn there in the Pew Bible, it's page 1293. 1293 in 1 Peter 1. We'll read 3 through 25, so I'll give you time to turn there, especially as we follow along in the Word. It is a profound section. And it is rich with many Yeah, deep proclamations of who God is and what He has done. So if you have 1 Peter 1, verses 3 through 25 now, I will read for us and you can follow along in the Word. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who, by God's power, are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Things into which the angels long to look. Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on him as father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the feudal ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world what was based, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart since you have been born again. not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you." God's word. I'll take this time for pastoral prayer and you'll hear some of those that we put out each week as we hear the concerns of people preparing for surgeries and recovering from surgeries and some who've been in accidents, et cetera. So I'll just highlight a few. Many you know and I pray that you'd pray along with me and continue to pray this week for those who are specifically in need as we pray now. Our great God and King, we are so humbled to be reminded again tonight what a privilege it is to come to a throne of mercy and grace to find help in time of need. and to know, Father, that it is through the precious blood that we've just read about, through the prophesied, predicted one who came and lived and ministered and died in our place. And it's the access that we have in and through Jesus that allows us to have confidence that you hear our prayers, despite our sinfulness and our failures and all our flaws, you receive us in Christ. So thank you for this truth that we know and we confess. May you humble our hearts to remember that each time we speak to you, we speak words of praise at your glory and your majesty revealed to us in the scriptures. From the beginning of the creation account in the Old Testament, in the first book of the Bible, but also every day as we behold your glory in creation, help us not to be like those, the word says, fools. who are simple-minded and forget, but those who revel in the power of your creation, revealing your great glory and power and majesty. Help our hearts to be lifted up with adoration and praise for the many good things that you give us. As we said today, life and health and breath, everything that we have comes from your merciful, gracious hand, oh Father. Thank you, Jesus. And we remind our hearts what difficult and emotional trials people are going through, the fears that we carry in this life, the anxiety that we take with us, the worries and the nervousness and the stress over the matters of this creation. Help us not to be so dominated by this horizontal perspective, but to continually realign our hearts with this vertical knowledge of what you have revealed, what you have given to us, what you have said about yourself and how you are in us and with us. You will never leave us or forsake us. to confess these promises each day in prayer. And so again, to tune our hearts and remind ourselves of who you are and who we are in you. And Lord, help us to bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters who need our intercession. There are many who are enduring intense trials and suffering, grieving the loss of loved ones. We celebrated this even yesterday. But it seems that for years we know and we're remembering in heart and mind those who have been lost to us. We're thankful for those who are in your presence, who know your glory in a way that we do not. And so we thank you for the reminder of the salvation that we have in Jesus again, and the promise that the one who is the way, the truth, and the life is the one in whom we are hidden. Jesus, you are all in all. Help us to remember these things as we talk about things like how you provide for us in all our needs, that life is more than food and the body more than clothing. You tell us to look at the birds of the air and how much more valuable we are because we are made in your image and then we are redeemed and made your children. May we continue to praise you and thank you, God, for this reality. And as we pray for those who are enduring unique trials, we ask that you would help them to be encouraged by your spirit, especially praying for those in our flock who are still housebound. There are many who are continuing to come out and to be able to be with us physically in worship, and we rejoice in that, oh God. Help us to remember what a great freedom it is and what a great privilege it is that we can gather and not be afraid, that we can testify to the Lord Jesus Christ. in public. So we pray for those who are not able to enjoy physical fellowship with other believers regularly. We pray that you would bless them and encourage them by your spirit. Do that which is above and beyond what we could ask or imagine, O Lord. And as I mentioned, just a few of those who this week and the week past endured some suffering with Carly and Mackenzie, for instance, in the car accident last Saturday night. We're encouraged to hear Mackenzie's got a new car already, even though her other was totaled. But they've been enduring these physical trials, and they're going for tests, and they're recovering from that horrible accident. We pray that you would bless them and encourage them, even as they anticipate meeting with the doctor, specifically Carly. We pray for her back. We ask, oh God, that you would be with Ron as he continues to rehabilitate and recover and continues to recover from this knee surgery and that he would be patient with himself and that sweet Nancy would be patient with him as well. And that the two of them rejoice that he is doing well and that he is recovering. We pray for all those who are recovering from their particular ailments and their recent surgeries. There are many that we could think of, but we don't mention them all by name. We just ask that you would help us to remember how difficult it is to recover from trauma, and we ask that you would Strengthen and bless. We're encouraged to see Linda Owens here after the heart attack. We know that she's seeing the cardiologist again soon, and we pray that you would bless and encourage her. Her opportunity to be with us in worship, what a blessing. Many others are continuing to gather with us. Would you bless them and encourage and strengthen them? And as we mentioned, those who are grieving their losses, we pray for Pam tonight. We pray for all her family who was gathered here with her and those who were not able to be with her but did tune in in the live stream. That you would bless them with the word, specifically Pam's heart, that you would comfort her, that you would remind her of 2 Corinthians 1, how it says, blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our trials. And then with the comfort we receive in Christ, we would minister to others. We ask that for all our widows, specifically tonight. We ask that for all those who have lost loved ones and have been comforted by your spirit, that you would help us to speak mercifully and lovingly and gently to them, to listen well to them while they share their heart's burdens and sorrows in their losses. Help us to be these kind of people who love in this way, oh God. And then more particularly, Lord, as we know that many are gathering each week for fellowship and worship, we ask our fellowship and small group gatherings, as we say, that you would bless them in their time of prayer and fellowship, that you would encourage their hearts as they're able to gather, that they could enjoy each other's company, that they could bear one another's burdens, that they could bless and speak words of love and encouragement and grace to each other. That this would be something that resonates from our small family here. That we would not just bless one another, but we'd be a blessing to all those around us. And as we, Lord willing, this year have a chance to do more outreach and evangelism, a great commitment to the Great Commission, we say. Jesus, you promised certain things. You said all authority in heaven and on earth is given to you. And you pass that to us to carry your word, to carry your gospel that changes lives. Help us to care about these things and to pray for them because it's how we love you and then we love others. We love our neighbors in your name. Be with us tonight as we turn our attention to the word again with Chris and bless him, give him unction as we say by the power of your spirit. Encourage his heart, help him to know that he is part of the means of grace that feeds us this evening and as we go out all this week. Bless us in your word in Philippians 2 tonight. Help dig out our ears as the prophet said so that we might hear a word from you, oh God, as we pray and ask all this in Jesus' name, amen. We sing our praise to God in response, not only in prayer, but in the hearing of God's word tonight from 733. It's a well-known doxology. 733 in the hymnal if you need it. And let's stand together and sing before we hear God's word read and preached. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. You may be seated. It's a great blessing to be here with you once again this evening. As I explained in December, my hope was to spend more time in December in the previous message looking at the theology of the text before us in Philippians 2. And this evening in January, as we're considering some of our New Year's resolutions, what is the implication for us in that? So the title of the sermon is, have the mind of Christ. Considering verse 5 of Philippians 2, have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus. What does that mean for us? I'll read the the text. If you have your pew bible, if you're reading from the pew bible, the text is found on page 1248. Paul is transitioning into this imitation of Christ. What does it mean to imitate Christ? What does it mean to live as a believer? Ultimately he'll get to the point of working out our salvation in fear and trembling. The text before us is Philippians chapter 2 and I'll be reading verses 5 through 11. Paul says here, have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus. who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant. Being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." This is the Word of God. Let us pray. Oh, great God, what a blessing it is to come before you to your word and to hear from you. We pray that you would watch over the words of my sinful lips and the meditations of all of our hearts, Lord, that these things would be pleasing and acceptable in your sight. For Lord, you are our strength and a redeemer. And it is in the name of Jesus that we pray, amen. Tonight, I'll be primarily considering a word that my daughter Peggy loves a great deal, and that word is glory. As we've read from 1 Peter, most of chapter 1, you hopefully picked up on that emphasis of glory, glory, glory. What is it that is reserved in heaven for you? What is it that the prophets who prophesied long to look into, or that they wondered about, that these things were for you, the angels marveled at. They didn't understand this glory that is given to you. The two main points for us are walking humbly and walking worshipfully, and I'll flesh that out, but from the outset, I'd like to ask this question to you. How do you receive true glory? And then as a follow-up, when do you receive that glory? When are we recipients of glory? What is it that we're looking forward to, Christian? You might think of the Greeks. Everybody knows of Achilles. What is it that he wanted in life? Glory. He was faced with this option of seeking glory in this life, to be known forever and have a short life or to live a long life but never be known. Now, if you follow up on that story later, Achilles is in death in Hades. And he says, I wish I had chosen a long life and not glory. But that's not how it is for the Christian believer. We receive glory at death. And it's not a glory that lasts in this lifetime, it's a glory that lasts for all eternity. Now as we're considering what does it mean to have the mind of Christ, hopefully you can see throughout Paul's epistle here to the Philippians, humility. Think of others more significant than yourselves. And what do we see here in the example of Christ? But humbling, taking the form of a servant, and even dying a death on the cross. We are a proud people and often we're so proud that we cannot even see our pride. Yet we have no trouble seeing the pride of others. In fact, that pride often irks us. We look around, perhaps you've wondered how the person next to you can be so arrogant. How can that person in the pew across from me be so proud? Perhaps you secretly thought there's no way that Christ would die for that person. Maybe not someone here in this room, but another person who calls himself a believer. There's no way that person can be a believer because I know how evil that person is. I know how sinful or wicked that person is. Maybe your pride doesn't manifest itself quite in that manner. Maybe instead your pride shows forth in a different way. Laura told me a silly story of a man who sought to bring himself glory. A story about a wealthy and powerful man who at his death, or as his death was approaching, he pled with the Lord and he said, Lord, may I bring something with me into heaven? Something from this life, can I bring it with me into heaven? After pleading incessantly, the Lord allowed him to bring one briefcase full into heaven. The man thought long and hard and took measurements of his possessions. What could I bring into heaven to show, to bring glory to myself, to show that I am a man of status? And so after measuring his possessions, after thinking through what he could fit into the briefcase, he decided he was going to bring some solid gold 24 karat blocks and pack them into the briefcase. Pack it full. And upon arriving at the gates of heaven, the guard at the gate saw that he had this briefcase and the man quickly said, the Lord allowed me to bring a briefcase into heaven. Now, the guard at the gate was intrigued and he asked to see, well, what is it that you brought into heaven? What is so great? And so the man is eager to show, of course, his status, show what the glories of what he possessed. And so he throws his briefcase up on the table and he opens it up expecting the man to gasp. and wonder at the glory and the man looks inside the briefcase and he says, you brought pavement? See, we have no comprehension of what the glory of heaven will be like. We think that all of glory in this life gives us, is something that we want to bring into heaven. This life does nothing but declare that there is wickedness and sin. This life points us ultimately to a greater life, to a life where we are in perfect communion with Jesus Christ. This rich man had no concept of true glory. His pride hindered his reception of true glory. This is what we forget. Glory does not come through our selfish ambition, but it comes through a selfless submission. This is what Paul is demonstrating by directing our attention to the example of Christ. Here, Christ was glorified in His humble death on a cross. This point for us is clear. Christ was exalted in death. Therefore, we must be humble. If we are to have the mind of Christ, we must be humble in life and in death. We must walk worshipfully, serving the Lord and serving others as Christ has taken that form of a servant. It is through that, through that humble submission, through our humble service to others, that we shall receive glory from the Father. This brings me then to the first point. We are to walk humbly, knowing that Christ has accomplished all through His humility. Paul is making this consistent argument of humble living to the church there in Philippi, as we considered this morning. In chapter four, Paul tells the Philippians that he has learned contentment in all things. How has he learned contentment if it's not through humility and recognizing that all that he has is God's? All that he has been given is a blessing to his hand. When we recognize that we deserve nothing but damnation from God, and we learn of His glory and righteousness, and grace poured out upon us, we praise Him. It results in our humility and praise to God. True understanding of our wickedness before the righteousness of God will produce a true and joyful recognition of the loving kindness of God. which is everlasting. This morning, Pastor Downey provided and pointed out that everything that we own belongs to God. That the Lord will provide for us. There's nothing that we have that when we say we are giving 90%, we're not giving 90% of what we have. We're giving 90% of what is the Lord's. We're actually taking 10% from the Lord. If we give 90% or if we give 10% we're taking 9% from the Lord. Now that's, I'm not saying that's a wrong thing. We are stewards. What I'm trying to point out and what Donnie pointed out this morning is that this is not ours. And if we walk humbly in service, recognizing what we do deserve, that gives us a greater joy in what we receive. A greater joy in giving up what is not actually our own. Because of humility, Paul is able to rejoice in his imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. He's able to rejoice at the will of God in every circumstance. He's even able to rejoice at the false preaching there in chapter one. In Philippians one, Paul says, only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Ultimately, Paul will speak of his life being only significant if it is for Christ. There again in chapter one, verse 21, he says, to live is Christ. The world around us tells us that life is seeking pleasure, seeking self-gratification, seeking our own glory. Paul turns this idea on its head. We must have the mind of Christ who emptied himself, who turned away from glory. and through humility was glorified by the Father. He took on the form of a servant and died, died on a cross and sought the gratification of others. Paul tells us that it is because of Christ's humility in life and humility in death that God highly exalted him. Paul uses this section on humility to lead into his admonition to work salvation, work out sanctification in our hearts, in our lives. He hinted at this in verse 21 of chapter one. He said, if I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Living as a believer means serving faithfully, something that we can only do if we live humbly and seek the glory of God above our own desires. Paul mentioned sanctification again when he tells the Philippians here in this chapter, verse two, complete my joy. There's something that they must continue to do. Being a Christian is not it. Once you're a Christian, there is still work to do. Work in this life, a working of salvation, working of sanctification as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We live humbly and seek the glory of God above our desires. Paul is looking for progress in the life of the Philippians. This progress flows out of a humble living before a holy God. And sanctification is what Paul is urging them to pursue. Immediately following this section in verse 12, he says, therefore, my beloved, As you have always obeyed, so now not only as in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. He's not suggesting that they've neglected this, but that there's a work that needs to be continued. As you have always, so now not only in my absence, and not only in my presence, but also in my absence, work. This is something you have done. Continue to do it. He's encouraging them in that work that they've done. greater faithfulness through an honest humility in the mind of Christ. The end result is death. Death is the end of our walk here on earth. At our death, we no longer live for Christ. We no longer work out our salvation or our sanctification. Instead, we live with Christ and our sanctification is complete. Indeed, we are glorified in our death with our union with Christ. We are exalted and raised up to glory, to dwell for all eternity in union with Christ. It's what we look forward to. Our beloved bridegroom, our Savior, our Lord of glory. In verse 21 there again, Paul begins the sentence by saying, to live is Christ. but he ended the sentence by saying that to die is gain. This foreshadowed what he's demonstrating here in this section to the Philippians. Just as Christ was exalted in death, so are we exalted in our death. This is why the psalmist can say in Psalm 116, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints, because they are brought into glory, brought into union with himself. For an earthly-minded people, this doesn't make sense. Exaltation in death isn't possible. How can I receive glory? I'm not there to receive it. But that's the point, right? We don't want to be here when we receive glory. We want to be in communion with God, receiving glory so that we can then reciprocate that glory. As I've said before, when we receive that crown of glory, we cast it before the Lord. Because even that crown of glory that we receive in all eternity belongs to the Lord. Because he is the one that has given his righteousness to us. It is his spirit that has worked that sanctification in us. This is why Paul exhorts us to have this mind in Christ. Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to take a class on counseling. A counseling class on substance abuse and addictions and in this class we discussed several models for addiction. How do we address what addiction is? One of the models that the professor brought up was the deliverance model. The deliverance model tells us that if I am an addict, I must cry out to the Lord to take my addiction. and then I will never be tempted to that addiction again. It will be taken away by God." Now the professor acknowledged that this does happen, but it's not the norm. It's not the norm that our temptation to something will be taken away. It's not the norm that an addict will not have a desire to go back to that addiction. This spectacular event to remove temptation is not normal. While the teacher acknowledged that, She wanted to make it clear that that is not the best model to use. We continue to sin in this life. I'm making this parallel because that's us in our life. We still have temptation to sin. There is no spectacular event in life that removes us from sin. But we do have a spectacular event in death. Because in death we are freed from our sin forever. We are made perfect in holiness. And we have the full enjoyment of God for all eternity. Death is the only spectacular event that frees us completely from any bondage to sin and addiction. Did you catch that? Death is freedom. Death is perfect sanctification. Death is exaltation in glory. I believe that one of the reasons that believers still die is so that as we approach this eerie door of death, we may open it and see not a fearsome foe that we must fight, but a conquered and vanquished enemy that the Lord has slain. Because death does not hold us. Death was conquered by our Lord. By our dying, we demonstrate that death has no power over us. Because we die and we are raised up into glory. It is by death that we receive glory. Christ died to conquer death and we die to prove that death has been vanquished and conquered. We learn to live boldly when we are able to walk humbly. Christ counted the will of God as more significant than his life. This allowed him to boldly endure slander and persecution and abandonment. Christ saw the redemption of others as more significant than his life. It's through this that the mystery of the gospel is revealed. Christ forsook the realms of glory to bring us glory in death. By this he declared to the world and to you that he is God. We've discussed this last time that Christ showed that he is God by becoming man. That manifested and revealed his character. Paul tells us in Philippians one that it has been granted to us, granted to him and to the Philippians to suffer for the sake of Christ. There in verse 29. When life is not going our way, we must ask ourselves, how can I walk humbly in this moment? How can I serve and glorify Christ in this moment? Is this an opportunity granted to me to suffer for the sake of the gospel? This is something that Paul rejoiced in, to have an opportunity to be granted suffering for the sake of the gospel. How can I use this to glorify God? How can I do that well? Am I seeking my glory instead of the glory of God? How can I have the mind of Christ in this moment? These are questions we must ask ourselves. Walking humbly is the only way that a believer can walk. Yet, this is only a mind that we can have in Christ. Therefore, Paul directs us to our Savior. Humility exalts others. True humility exalts God. Which brings me then to the second point. If we are to walk humbly, we must then also walk worshipfully as Christ did. Walk worshipfully knowing that Christ glorified the Father through humility. Jesus lives for the glory of the Father. His name does not mean I save. Jesus does not mean I save, but the Lord saves. By directing our attention to the Father in glory, the Son receives glory from the Father. And all of His being is bent on worship. All of Christ's being is bent on worship. Jesus fully comprehends the immense glory of the Father and He is intent on manifesting that glory so that we can perceive the glory of the Father and the Father can glorify the Son. The more that Jesus upholds the Father's name, the more that Jesus' name is upheld Christ lived his life as a servant. He emptied himself and became obedient to the point of death. Even death on a cross. Jesus knew that death was the ultimate end. It was at his death that Christ cried, it is finished. His glory was manifested in death. The text tells us, therefore God highly exalted him. This is the mind of Christ. Throughout His ministry, Jesus is directing His disciples' attention to the crucifixion. The Son of Man will be lifted up. There, He will be lifted up in death. The Apostle John records these events through the lens of glory. One of the things that's interesting as you're reading John's Gospel, is that Jesus receives glory in death. And we also then receive glory in death. Turn with me if you will or make note in your notes John 12 verses 23 through 33. I'll read the account here where Jesus is directing the disciples attention to his death, to his crucifixion. I'll read chapter 12 verses 23 through 33. And Jesus answered them, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it. And whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me. And where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. The crowd that stood there and heard it said, said that it had thundered. Others said, an angel has spoke to him. Jesus answered, this voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world. Now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show by what kind of death He was going to die. So Jesus is pointing to the crucifixion. To see the glory of God there. And through that, the Father glorifies Him. And through that crucifixion, the Father glorifies us. We receive glory because of the death of Christ. And we receive that ultimately and perfectly at death. Jesus lived for the glory of the Father. And although his ministry ended in death, Jesus did not live passively. He wasn't passively waiting death. I'm just here until I die. But he was seeking to glorify God, living humbly in life, and serving the Lord faithfully. Jesus above all understood and upheld the significance of others. It's he that brought to himself the social outcasts. We often believe that people need to earn our love to prove their worth before we're willing to give them the time of day. Willing to give them any attention, but this is not the mind of Christ. Jesus' worshipful obedience and love for others flowed out of his humility before the Father and the world. Death is the end of suffering and mortal life, but it's the beginning of glory and eternal life. eternal communion with God in heaven. Although death is the end of our work, it is not the end of our worship. We look forward to worshiping and communing with God forever. Our worship and sinless communion will last forever because our Savior who died rose again and He ascended up into heaven. Reigning, glorified, and bringing many sons to glory as Jesus told us there in John 12. have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus. There was no one of greater status than Jesus, no one who had greater authority or power than Jesus, yet he humbled himself so that we might be glorified in him. In glorifying the Father, the Father glorified the Son. Oh, that we could have the mind of Christ. It was not a morning when Jesus woke, And he did not think, how can I glorify the Father this day? He did not seek out glory and pleasure for himself. All of his time and effort were spent in pursuit of the Father's glory. Where was the 12 year old Jesus when his parents couldn't find him? He was in the temple. And when they found him, they came to him and Luke tells us, he said to them, why were you looking for you? Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house? Beloved, how many of us rise and are eager to be in our Father's house? Eager to worship and walk humbly. Can you say with Jesus, I must be in my Father's house. Let us put aside our selfish desires and live in a worshipful manner as Christ has done. Perhaps you're concerned that What worship might look like? What does it mean to live humbly and worshipfully? How can I watch out for myself if I'm always watching out for others? Perhaps giving selflessly, you're concerned that you won't have what you need. Jesus acknowledges these fears. In Matthew 6, in the Sermon on the Mount, he tells us that the Father knows, just as Jeff said this morning, the Father knows all that you need. Even before you ask it. Because of this Jesus encourages us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all these things will be added to you. This is an echo of Deuteronomy chapter 10 verses 12 and 13. The text in Deuteronomy says, what does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good. The Lord gives us these commands and blesses us through them. The Lord blesses us through humility and exalting others. And the Lord ultimately blesses us and glorifies us in our death. If our concern is for the glory of God, he will take care of our needs and meet our concerns. And more than that, he will bring us glory. How did Christ receive glory? He died. Death is the exit from suffering and entry into glory. I'm not saying that we must seek death. I wouldn't want anyone to walk away and say that Chris is telling everybody to go kill themselves. That's not what I'm saying and Paul is clear on that as well. He talks about that as he's working through this in prison in Rome. Certainly life for him is not pleasant. He says, to live is Christ, to die is gain. But I know to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. That there's work to be done. And so I will continue. Death will come and it will be gained, but we must live in the flesh for the sake of fruitful labor. For that is more necessary. The Lord will take us home when he is ready. In our life, there is constant upheaval and suffering. How can we rejoice and remain faithful? We rejoice and remain faithful because these are opportunities for us to serve God, to glorify him through our suffering. And ultimately we know that we will be glorified. What is the end but death? And that is kept in heaven for you, as Peter told us. We do this by remembering that this is a fallen world. We seek after glory in death. Glory in the life to come. These trials are a reminder that we look forward to something greater, that we shall enjoy for eternity. Unending union with Jesus, our Savior. We endure by taking on the mind of Christ, by remembering that to live is Christ. Who would end their life if we are living for Christ? It is a joy to live for Christ. Yes, it is gain to die. but it is a joy to live humbly and worshipfully for Christ. It cannot be done by arrogantly seeking out the glory of our own name, but seeking to serve the Father, to glorify Christ. We shall not endure. We shall not receive glory if we hoard it, if we take to ourselves everything. We cannot endure this life. If we're seeking just the pleasure of ourselves, we're gonna find that there is no pleasure in this life. Our pleasure is found in something greater. We receive blessing and honor and glory from the Father by imitating Christ in his humility and worshipful service to others. Ultimately, we can rejoice in life and in death. We can live humbly and we can praise him for that. Let's close in prayer. Oh great God in heaven, what a blessing it is to know that you are our God. If there's anything that this year, this past year has taught us, it is that it is futile to live without you. There is no control, no certainty, no comfort in life if we do not receive it from your hand, Lord Jesus. We pray that as we go out into this world, into this sinful, broken, and corrupt world, as we still feel the power of sin waging war, this old man, we pray that you would go with us, that you would help us to live faithfully, to live for you, O Christ, that you would glorify your name in and through us, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen. The final hymn for us this evening is hymn number 230, Thou who was rich beyond all splendor. Please stand and sing together hymn number 230. Was rich beyond all splendor, All for love's sake he came as poor. ♪ Bones for a manger to surrender ♪ ♪ Sapphire paved courts for stable floor ♪ ♪ Thou who was rich beyond all splendor ♪ ♪ All for love's sake became as poor as I am ♪ Thou who art God, beyond all praising, all for love's sake, became as thou. ♪ So low but sinners praising ♪ ♪ Ever by thine eternal plan ♪ ♪ Now who art God beyond all praising ♪ ♪ All for love's sake became as man ♪ Thou who art love beyond all telling, Savior and King, we worship Thee. ♪ Well within us dwelling ♪ ♪ Make us what Thou wouldst have us be ♪ ♪ Thou who art love beyond all telling ♪ ♪ Creator and King, we worship Thee ♪ Receive now the blessing of God from 2 Corinthians 13-14. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, and God's people say, amen.