For the Joy Set Before Him

Good morning! Today we will have a short message followed by a time remembering our Lord and Savior with the bread and cup, and then we will gather together in a circle and those who desire can share what the Lord has been teaching them. Our church service takes this format once a month, because we truly believe Scripture when it says that God desires to use all members of His body to speak into and build up and encourage one another in the Lord.

One of the many things I love about our body, that is, I love about all of you, is the freedom we give each other to try things, even to fail, because we shower one another with grace and love. Today, I am going to break some well-known rules about public speaking and read a longish passage of fiction to you because it hits my heart, and I hope, hits your heart, in a way that I know no other way to express.

The passage I am going to read to you is from the novel Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. The story is highly allegorical in nature, using a style of writing similar to that of the classic Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. I recommend both books, if you are looking for edifying things to read.

Humility and Obedience

Philippians 2:1-18

John Farmer started this series in Philippians last week and today I am going to continue where he left off.

First let’s pray and ask God to glorify Himself and bless us through His Word this morning.

Just for the benefit of you who missed John’s message last week, he talked about Philippi being named after King Philip, Philip the Conqueror, who was Alexander the Great's father. So the Philippians had a prestigious name from a prestigious heritage and really proud men who went on to conquer the world. But Paul wanted to address some of that pride in his letter to the Philippians.

Now let’s look at Philippians 2:1-2

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Circumstances and Attitudes

 Philippians 1

Today we begin a new four week series on the book of Philippians.  To most of us, it is a familiar book.  It is one where we can go for encouragement and perspective on our circumstances.  It is a book from which we have committed verses to memory.  In chapter 1 (v.6), “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it [carry it on to completion] until the day of Christ Jesus.” 

Then in chapter 2 (v.3-4), “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

And then from chapter 4 (v.5-7, 8, 11-13, 19), “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

He Who Lives Forever

 Daniel 9:24-27, 11:35-45, 12

Welcome! Today we finish our series on the Book of Daniel, looking at Chapter 12 as well as portions of Chapters 9 and 11. In case you have not been going through this series with us, or have missed some of the lessons, let me give you some context. Daniel was taken away from Jerusalem, from Israel, from everything he had known, during a series of terrible events known as the great exile. The people of Israel, from the days of Moses, had been given this land and had also been given the Law, and in the Law, it was explained that the gift of the land, the blessings of the land, and God’s blessings on the people, was conditional on their remaining true to God, loving Him and following His decrees and commandments. Over the centuries, the people had again and again strayed terribly far from God, and in the years leading up to the exile things had only become worse and worse. And so finally, God removed His hand of protection from Israel, and Daniel, with many others, was taken as slaves to Babylon.

Face Like Lightening

 Daniel 10-11:39

Welcome! Today we continue our series on the Book of Daniel, looking at Chapter 10 and portions of Chapter 11. Two weeks ago we looked at Chapter 9, but did not study the last several verses. I have decided to put these verses off one more week, and we will look at them together with the end of the book of Daniel, because they have more in common thematically with this part of the book than with what we will look at today. We have a huge amount of verses to look at, so let us jump right in.

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. – Daniel 10:1-3