you you you Let us stand as the triune God, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit calls us now as his church in his presence to worship him. I ask you this morning, congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, where does your help come from? And we all say, our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Come, let's sing for joy to the Lord. Let's shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let's come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving. Let's shout joyfully to Him in songs with instruments. For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hands are the depths of the earth. The peaks of the mountains are also His. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let's worship and bow down. Let's kneel before the Lord, our maker, for he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Let us all pray together in unison. Almighty God and our Father in heaven, today we come before you, our maker and redeemer, to worship you. Bless us, we pray, in this time of praise, prayer, and learning. Remind us through the working of your Holy Spirit, of all you are, and of all your promises, that we might remember that our help and hope is in you, that you are forever faithful to all generations, which you continue to renew us, so that we will continue to serve and worship you in lifelong obedience. We pray in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. Let's sing Psalm 95. O come before the Lord our King. ♪ Come before the Lord our King ♪ ♪ And in his presence let us sing ♪ ♪ Let us in glad and joyful ways ♪ ♪ The rock of our salvation praise ♪ ♪ Before him come ♪ Thankful song, in joyful songs, His praise prolong. And let us worship thou Before our Maker, let us bow We are His sheep, and He our God He feeds our souls in pastures broad He safely leads us in the way, O come, let us hear his voice today. Take heed, and guard, and not your heart, As did your father's holy part, or with complaints instead of praise. With doubt instead of faith confess, they put his mercy to the test. ♪ Take heed that you provoke him not ♪ ♪ As did your fathers who forgot ♪ ♪ With erring heart God's holy ways ♪ ♪ And grieved him all their sinful days ♪ ♪ In womb, in breath ♪ Amen. You may take your seats. Turn with me to Exodus chapter 20 as we listen to the summary of God's commandments, the 10 commandments, the moral law as he gives it to us every week. Then God spoke all these words, saying, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. The first commandment, you shall have no other gods before me. The second commandment, you shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. The third commandment, you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes his name in vain. The fourth commandment, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them and rested on the seventh day. and therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. And I remind you every week also about how Christ has deepened the meaning of this commandment for us, that even the day changed, that we celebrate now the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week and not that rest day on the seventh because that was the day he was still in the grave. So after the resurrection, the Church of Christ continue to celebrate this wonderful day on the first day of the week because now Christ is our true rest that we have. Our faith in him provides that to us. The fifth commandment, honor your father and your mother that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. The Sixth Commandment, you shall not murder. The Seventh Commandment, you shall not commit adultery. The Eighth Commandment, you shall not steal. The Ninth Commandment, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. And the Tenth Commandment, you shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Let us reflect now on these commandments in our own lives for a while as we become silent before the Lord. And after a while, I will lead us in a prayer of confession. Our Father in heaven, as you bring your commandments again before us this morning and hold it up as a mirror so that we could see our own iniquities in it, it reflects to us not only just that and the wrath that we deserve because of our sinfulness, but Lord, apart from Sinai, if we look back, It reflects also to us Golgotha, where Jesus Christ has died for all the sins that we commit each day against your commandments. But we also praise you, Lord, that he has not only died, but also lived for us a perfect life of obedience, so that he eventually becomes our perfect righteousness, and that that is true for each and everyone who believes. So, Lord, as we come to you this morning, we ask that you would forgive us for all our acts of sinfulness that we have committed against you this past week. There was such a lack of holiness and righteousness in our lives. We search our own hearts again, Lord, and ask you to forgive us all our sins, the jealousy, the contempt, the pride, the bitterness, hatred, malice. Perhaps we hold grudges. Yes, forgive us when we engage in acts of unforgiveness, such as arguments and criticism and lying and gossiping and vengeful acts within our families and friends or workplace and community relationships. Forgive us for expecting to be forgiven by you when we choose not to forgive others. Father, remind all of us of those we need to forgive and help us to be quick to forgive. Continue your sanctifying work in us that we would become more and more Christ-like for the benefit of all around us, but most of all for your glory. And we pray this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. It's beautiful words written in Isaiah 54. With everlasting love, I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. And it's because of that that you and I can sing, My Faith Has Found a Resting Place. Let us sing that. My faith has found a resting place, not in divides nor creed. I trust the ever-living one, His words for me shall be, I need no other argument, I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died, and that he died Now for me that Jesus saves, this ends my fear and doubt. A sinful soul, I come to Him, He'll never cast me out. I need no other argument, I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me. My heart is leaning on the Word, the written Word of God. Salvation by my Savior's name, salvation through His blood. I need no other argument, I need no other plea. is enough that Jesus died and that he died for us. My great physician heals the sick, the lost he came to save. For me his precious blood he shed, for me his life he gave. I need no other argument. I need no other argument. That is so true because of the fact that God has effectually called us unto himself. And as we confess our faith this morning, profess it according to the Western Assured Catechism, that's exactly what I asked you this morning. I ask, what is a factual calling? And we all say, a factual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery. enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel. What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life? They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sanctification and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them. What a blessing. So you may take your seats and turn with me to our Old Testament scripture reading, which is from the second part of Psalm 71 this morning as we make our way through the Psalms. Psalm 71, we read from verse 12 through verse 24. We've seen that the author is already an elderly man, but being encouraged by the truth that God will never forsake him even then. Verse 12, O God, be not far from me. O my God, make haste to help me. May my accusers be put to shame and consumed with scorn and disgrace. May they be covered who seek my heart. My heart, sorry. But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will come. I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You have done great things, O God, who is like you. You have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again from the depths of the earth. You will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. I will also praise you of the harp for your faithfulness. Oh, my God, I will sing praises to you of the lyre. Oh, holy one of Israel. My lips will shout for joy. when I sing praises to you, my soul also which you have redeemed, and my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed, who sought to do me hurt. Let us worship the Lord now with our tithes and our offerings. you you you you you you Please pray with me. Our Father, we come to you this morning thankful for these gifts. We thank you, as we were reminded in our Sunday school class and in our studies on Wednesday night of Genesis, that you are the creator. You are the owner of all things, and so, Father, You provide for us, and we are grateful. We pray that You will receive our thanks through the giving of these tithes and offerings, and we ask, Lord, that You will use these gifts to further the work of Your kingdom here in Eau Claire where we live and around the world where You rule. We ask, Father, Your blessing on all these things. In Jesus' name, amen. Please arise for the doxology. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him, above ye heav'nly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. Please take your seats and turn with me to our New Testament scripture reading as we read through the letter to the Ephesians. We read this morning Ephesians 5, 9 through 21. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 9 through 21. Once again, this is God's word. For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true, and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them, for it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible. For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Look carefully, then, how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Well, I tell you, we can just go home now and contemplate these verses, right? What an amazing practical passage from Scripture. Let us go to the Lord now in prayer, and you pray with me. Lord God and our Father in heaven, we come before you this morning knowing that you are indeed the God of gods, the Lord of lords, You have the whole world in your hand. And in and through your son, Jesus Christ, you hold everything, this whole universe together. Lord, we know that is also true of our own lives and the lives of people, because when we push Jesus Christ out of the center of our lives, everything falls apart. Thank you that you are so good to us. We thank you for your grace. Thank you for knowing exactly what we need before we even ask. Thank you for never abandoning us or leaving your children begging for bread. Thank you for being our faithful source. Thank you that we could always depend on your goodness. Yes, Lord, we take delight in you because you direct our steps and you delight in every detail of our lives. You love us with an unfailing love and your faithfulness endures forever. We find comfort in knowing that the very hairs on our heads are all numbered. Therefore, we are not afraid because we know how much you value us. Not for our own sake, but for the sake of your son. Lord, we praise you for you have shown us the wonders of your unfailing love in him. As a church family, we come before you this morning, we confess that as we come close to you, you will come close to us. We expect, Lord, that we may trust in your promises. We expect that all your blessings will come upon us and overtake us in a sense because we are committed to obeying your voice. Help us to grow spiritually as a church family. Help us to become more and more dependent on you and more obedient to your word daily. Give us a continuous hunger for your word and still eat daily as we are into your word. Let us grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and as you continue to bless us, make us as a church a blessing to others. Father, we thank you that we could hear that your work across the oceans are also continuing. We pray for all the missionaries, and specifically this morning for the Swansons. Oh Lord, thank you for the stories that they've shared with us. Stories of your work in the lives of people. Stories that are telling us about miracles that take place because, Lord, when you bring someone out of the darkness into the light, it is indeed what it is. Lord, thank you that you use them in France. Thank you for your kindness to use them in your kingdom. We pray that you would continue to strengthen them and fill them with the wisdom and the power of your Holy Spirit to persevere in their ministry. Prepare their paths for them and prepare the hearts of those who hear the gospel to accept it and embrace Christ. Create opportunities for them to speak the gospel daily. Send your chosen ones to them to hear the preaching of your word. Bless them as a family, providing all their needs, whether it's spiritually or materially. Keep them safe also while they are here in the States. Father, we pray that you would bless our relationship with them also for many years to come. Father, we pray for our country. We have been such a blessed country, and yet we sin against you in so many ways. The leaders seek and build their own kingdoms and enrich themselves instead of serving the people of this nation. Thus, Lord, we pray this morning for the inauguration of the new president. We pray that You would bless this event beyond our thinking, that you would keep the President safe, that you would continue to work in his life. Lord, that you would bless him with humility, with wisdom, with discernment, to be an instrument in your hand who does what is in line with your will. Lord, we pray that you would rid America of any corruption and raise up leaders in general who are wise and discerning, even in our local authorities. Leaders who understand your ways and prove it by living honorable lives. Leaders who are humble, leaders who know they receive their authority to rule from you. We pray for our churches. We pray that you would rid the churches across the country from false teachers and help our people to discern and identify and follow spiritual leaders who are not just preaching what our itching ears want to hear, but with humility, preach the gospel truths of your inerrant word. Lord, we pray for the wildfires in California and all the needs that that brought about But we continue to pray also for the devastation in Western North Carolina and Tennessee, where the damage is estimated billions of dollars. Oh Lord, would you come and provide, would you use us also to alleviate those pains and the needs in whichever way you see fit. Lord, we pray for each and everyone on your prayer list, also for those who we heard this morning about the needs that they have, the concerns about mothers that have become sick, where traveling is also involved. We pray that you would heal each and everyone. We especially pray for Pat as she is in Tampa now and as she's going through this bone marrow transfusion of her own bone marrow. Or we don't always know how these things work, but just pray that you would use that to restore her health completely and bring this cancer into remission. We continue to pray for Rebecca for strength and healing of her cancer. Lord, would you just provide for each and everyone and use even their illnesses to make them realize that they need you and that you are the true physician. Father, as we open your word, we need your Holy Spirit. So would you come and speak to us, that he would come and speak to us the words that are intended for each and every one of us and that you would reach your divine purposes in our lives. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Let us sing, Holy Spirit, living breath of God. ♪ Holy Spirit, living breath of God ♪ ♪ Bring new life into my willing soul ♪ ♪ Bring the presence of the risen Lord ♪ ♪ To renew my heart and take me home ♪ ♪ Cause your will to come alive in me ♪ Give me faith, for God I cannot see. Give me passion for your purity. Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me. Holy Spirit, love abide within. May your joy be seen in all I do. cover every sin in each thought and deed and attitude. I bless to the greatest and the least, of grace a a a Let the fragrance of our prayers arise, lead us on the road of sacrifice, that in unity the face of Christ will be clear for all of us. please take your seats and turn with me to Philippians chapter 1 as we continue our series through Philippians. We read this morning verse 19 through 31 and focus on verse 29 specifically. And you will see that the sermon really addressed this issue that the Swansons brought up to us this morning about faith and suffering. So let us read God's word. Philippians 1, verse 19. This is God's Word. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I'm hard-pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith so that in me you may have ample cause to glorify in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life, and that's what we focused on last week, be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. Engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. Now, we love it in our Lord Jesus Christ. You remember, as I just said, Paul encouraged, that's what we focused on last week, the Christians in Philippi to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ. And he said, the way that you will know that you do that is by standing firm in one spirit and one mind, and in this unity, striving together for the faith of the gospel. So being united in Christ, living in Christ, he also said we won't be scared, or as he said, alarmed by our opponents. Yes, Christians don't have to be afraid. We are not to be intimidated by or in any way. It doesn't matter how fierce the opposition is in our lives as Christians, nothing should take away our commitment to live a life to the glory of God. Lined up side by side as one in Christ, we all should continue to stand firm in the one spirit and not be scared of any threats or persecution. Now suddenly focus on these two aspects of the Christian life that made me think about the law of action and reaction. God's word says, if you live in faith, when you live as a Christian, if you strive to do good in the eyes of the Lord, when you proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, when you bear witness for Him, there will be persecution. We will suffer. And you and I know if it happened to Christ, why not to the body of Christ? Now, when we think about the persecution in the time of the Philippians, we don't know exactly who caused that persecution for them. There are two possibilities. There were, on the one hand, the Jewish Christian intruders who wanted to persuade the Gentile believers that it was necessary for them to become Jewish in order to belong to the righteous people of God. They also told the Gentile Christians that they have to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul actually used strong language and warned them against them in chapter 3, and we'll get to that later, when he says about them, beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision. And again, in verse 18 to 19, he talks about them as the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, and who set their minds on earthly things. The second group worthy of mentioning is the Roman non-Christians. That's also a possibility for the persecution. He refers to his own struggle. You remember he was caught and he was held in the Roman palace guard or by the Roman palace guard who put him in chains. He was always chained. And he says, their struggle is very much like this. So that could be a reference to the fact that the Roman non-Christians also started to persecute the Christians in Philippi. But we also know what a great example. You remember how I showed you how Paul used that opportunity, even chained to a guard, to speak the gospel wherever he went, and how that eventually influenced the lives of those people. Thus, Paul once again encouraged them not to be afraid or to live with despair. And he does it in a surprising way. He shows that faith and suffering are inseparable. When you believe in Christ, he says, you will suffer. And he shows that both, and that's kind of surprising to some people, that faith and suffering is a gift from God. I want to break these two up. I'm going to focus on faith as a gift and then also on suffering as a gift. Usually, when we talk about faith as a gift from God, what is our place to go to? I think the first verse we think about is Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8. For by grace you have been saved, through faith and that not of yourself, it is a gift of God. It's a great passage. But this one in Philippians is equally great. Listen to it again. Listen to what he says. He says, for to you it has been granted for Christ's sake. And what was granted? It has been granted to you for Christ's sake, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. You see, two gifts from God. And once again, Paul reminded them how blessed they are. You know, if you ask people today how is it that they follow Christ, most all will usually say, well, because I made that choice. Joe talked about it this morning in Sunday school. Because it is free will, you know? The Word of God says no. There is far more to it. He says, don't be so quick to say that. Humble yourself before the Lord and truly listen to his word because the Bible says the fact that you are able to believe was granted to you. It was given to you as a gift. If you just think back in the beginning of our series on Philippians, you remember we talked about Acts chapter 16, where Lydia, the saleswoman, eventually said, and we read about her in chapter 16, verse 14, that the Lord opened her heart when she listened to the word of the apostle. First Corinthians chapter 12, verse 3, we read, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by what? except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12 verse 3. John chapter 5 verse 1 says, everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. You see, first God, then us. Not first you believe and then you will receive a new birth. No, those who have been born again, those who have been regenerated, they believe. because God made them new, because God made them alive from their state of spiritual death. He also now give them the faith to believe. And that was done by the grace of God. So let me ask you this morning, if you think about your own lives, do you still believe that your faith is truly and completely a gift from God? which he granted you by his grace. Do you still believe that it is entirely a privilege to be a believer? Or do you think that it's all your doing? Perhaps you think there was some good in you from which your faith eventually developed. Or perhaps you might think that the good in you moved God to grant you faith. I think if that is what you think, We completely miss what the Bible teaches when it says that God has granted you faith. In other words, we could say you have nothing to do with the fact that you have received faith, nothing. It is all of God by his grace as a gift for the sake of Christ. And it's important that we hear and understand it again this morning. Because it's my wish that this truth anew this morning will encourage us to live as people who were blessed by God in such a wonderful way. That we are part of the church is by God's grace. It is His blessing. He granted it to us. You and I do not have the right to be a Christian. In a sense, well, he gives us the right when he makes us his people, but the fact is he did not start in us. You and I are nothing better than anyone else out there who still do not know Christ. But this wonderful truth does not mean that we don't have any responsibility. I'm saying you have nothing to do with the fact that you have received faith, but being the receiver of such a great gift. Our passage uses a word that says, this faith in Him, to believe, calls for continuous activity. God calls us to use our gift. God has given us faith to rest in Christ alone for our salvation and to continuously bring glory to him through the way we live. Is your faith still active? Remember what James says, just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. So perhaps it's time to decide again this morning to display your faith afresh every day this coming week. Remember our text of the year, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. And how do we do that? pray every day for opportunities to speak the gospel to someone. There is much to do even among us as a church family in serving each other, projects around the church buildings even. I remember someone said that he tries to build an ark every day, and I thought, an ark? What do you mean? And he said, I try to show a random act of kindness each day. And I thought, you know, that's something to think about. The point is display your faith. Use it for the purpose God has given it. Embrace Christ and put all your trust in him for your salvation. Serve him as your savior and king because that will bring much glory to him. That will display the thankfulness that we have that he has granted faith to us. But that brings me to the second part where he says suffering is also a gift from God. Not only faith, but also suffering. And this was probably a very new concept to the Philippians. Coming from mostly a Gentile and pagan background, the idea of suffering for your God was entirely strange to them. The Philippians were even accused by the Romans as superstitious because they believed in a God you cannot see. And now on top of that, they have to suffer for this God. That is why Paul refers to his own suffering and why he warns them of the necessity of suffering. He says, remember, every action has a reaction. If you believe in Christ, you will also suffer for his sake. It most likely terrified the Philippians. I can imagine even if we think about this man who were watching this service, and a police knocking on your door, the next day and say, I know what you do, must be terrifying. That idea might terrify us. I think just in general, the idea of suffering terrifies us. I actually list a few examples here. How does this sound? Coming to worship and be attacked by people hostile to Christianity. Or to be thrown in prison if you speak the gospel with someone on the street. Or just the idea of to be cursed or ridiculed when you speak about your faith. And as I was busy writing this, brought back a picture that someone showed in our previous church, actually hanged it up there for a few weeks in the back of the sanctuary. And it was a picture of people that was part of a Russian church who had to go into the forest about five miles out or five kilometers out of town in 18 inches of snow to have a worship service, and they took all, everything they needed for the Lord's Supper with them. because they were afraid of persecution. Will you and I do that? What will be the reaction of the average person today when you think about these circumstances? I tell you what I think could most likely happen, if we are attacked People will say, well, if it's not safe, I will not come to church anymore. I will just worship at home. You know, you can watch it over television. So what about those who are here? You know, that kind of thing. Or you can say, well, I cannot risk to be thrown in jail. I have a life. I will rather keep the gospel to myself. Someone else can take the risk. God knows I believe. One thing is certain, and that is, that the average American is not used to suffer. And I'm talking about suffering for the sake of Christ. We have become so comfortable. When it's too cold, we don't wanna go to church. And I mean, I didn't know this is gonna be the weather, okay? When it rains too much, we stay at home. You see what I'm saying? Our own comfort has become so important to us, it has become an idol to us. Safety is our stronghold and what we trust in. And anything that might take our safety away or might cause us to suffer, we want to avoid desperately. We even keep that away from our children because we don't want them to experience that. You know, Paul has often been accused that he did not know what he was talking about in his own time. He was opposed by Greek philosophers and great orators who said he knows nothing and he wanted science, and wanted science, not him, they wanted science. Today, people still do the same. When they read the readings or the writings of Paul, they say, no, he doesn't know anything about sexuality. Things were different in that time. He was a bachelor. How could he give advice on marriage and oppose homosexuality? Also, when it comes to suffering, they say, no, he was a masochist. The fact is, Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these things down. The things that God wanted his people to hear He did not give his own opinion. He did not just oppose homosexuality for a personal reason. No, he put down on paper God's will for mankind and what is best for the church. And even if we did not experience any suffering, even if he did not experience any suffering, he would still be the channel through which the Holy Spirit would write to us what God's will is. But talking about suffering, I mean, when it comes to suffering, Paul experienced quite a bit of suffering in his own life. He always had to defend his apostleship. He was always attacked and accused that he was a false teacher. If we just look at 2 Corinthians 11, you can go and read the whole passage this afternoon. Five times he was beaten with 39 stripes by the Jews, in verse 24. Three times he was beaten with rods, in verse 25. Once he was stoned, verse 25. Three times he was shipwrecked. A night and a day he was in the deep. Miscellaneous perils on his many journeys, many different discomforts, verse 27. His daily concern for the condition of the churches. It's all there. He did suffer for Christ. So many, many other Christians also has this experience as they confess faith in Christ. But that does not mean that there are not, I mean, that I want to make clear, that there are not other forms of suffering. I mean, Peter, for instance, you referred to Peter this morning. makes a clear difference between suffering for the sake of Christ and suffering that is caused by our own sins. For instance, in 1 Peter 4.15 we read, By no means let any one of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or troublesome meddler. You see, your own sinful decisions can also bring suffering upon you. Whether it's on your own personal life, whether it is in a marriage, whether it's at work, it doesn't matter. There are always consequences for our actions, good or bad. But this is not the suffering Paul is referring to in the Philippians. He talks about the sufferings Christians endure because they love Christ. The suffering of, let's call it association, or as some call it, the suffering of discipleship. And that suffering he calls a gift of God. He says, to you it has been granted. It is a unique expression used in the New Testament. But it is also starling. Because believers find it difficult enough to accept the inevitability of suffering. We think we grow in our faith when we accept grief because it cannot be avoided, kind of. But I want you to see what Paul does here. He actually challenges the Philippians' theology. And He does it by asking them to understand that afflictions are not merely inevitable, but that they are a manifestation of God's gracious dealings with them. You see, we so often have this approach to suffering, well, that is life. But God wants to tell us this morning that our reaction should rather be, well, that is God. It is Him. He caused that. He grants that to us. Yes, it is suffering we are privileged to bear because of our love for Jesus Christ. I was planning to read all these passages, but I'm not going to do it. But do yourself a favor and just write these few chapters down. Go and read what Peter says in 1 Peter 4, especially verse 13. 2 Corinthians 1, verses 3-7, where Paul speaks again about suffering. And Matthew 5, verses 10-12, where Jesus speaks about suffering. Now, does it mean that only the suffering for the sake of Christ has meaning in our lives? You remember I said there's different sufferings. No, I think other sufferings come to us also under the hand of God our Father, a Father who loves us, who wants the best for us. This suffering also brings over us for His own glory and for our benefit. Yes, when we follow Christ, it means we accept everything in this commitment, in this covenantal relationship God provides for us because He does it in His sovereign, loving care. And we can accept that because we know He loves us. He loves us so much that He sent His own Son to suffer in our place for our sins. He suffered injustice. He was mocked and ridiculed and beaten. They spit in his face and eventually killed him while he was innocent. Through our suffering for his sake, we share in his suffering. We are marked as one of Christ's people, his sons and daughters. So once again, I ask you this morning, are you willing to suffer for Him? If you accept that not only your faith, but also your suffering is a gift from God, then you will not hesitate to continue to witness and to stand firm in the faith, doesn't matter what the consequences will be. Because that brings glory to our God. Even though Satan uses suffering to pull us away from God, God uses it to purify us and to draw us closer unto Him. And thus, even amidst of such circumstances, you and I never have to be afraid of anything, not even suffering. It is not a God who is angry, punishing us when we suffer. No, it's a gift from God to strengthen His children and serve as a sign of our salvation. It is by His power that you and I can stand steadfast in our sufferings for the sake of Christ. Do you for one minute think that if our head Jesus has suffered and conquered that He will not allow His body to suffer and conquer us? Well, no, we are more than conquerors. Through Him we love us. So endure then your piece of suffering also in this coming week for the sake of Christ. There is much for us to look forward to in the life to come. But also in this life, God will be glorified and people will be drawn unto Him even through our suffering. It was said about those who suffered for their faith that their blood was the seed of the church. Treasure your gifts. Use your gifts. These gifts, faith and suffering, and use it for the glory of God. And God's people say, let us pray. Father, we ask you to make us so much more aware of these wonderful gifts that you have blessed us with, that you have granted us. O Lord, let us use these gifts for your glory. Let us know that you are divinely working through everything that happened in our lives, especially when we testify for you, especially when we worship you. O Lord, and it doesn't matter if suffering comes because of that, would you continue to unite us as a church in our faith that we would indeed stand firm against the world a wicked nation around us, and will you defend us? In Jesus' name, amen. Let us sing Psalm 43. Before a wicked nation, God, my innocence defend. O vindicate and rescue me from cruel, deceitful men. For you are God who gives me strength, why have you cast me off? Why must I go about in grief while foes oppress us all? O send your light forth and your truth, and let them be my guide, to lead me to your holy hill, the place where you abide. Receive God's blessing and go from here in peace. Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come. and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Amen. I think we just forget it. so you you you you