Understanding

and I heard about,

Watch Me Whip.

Are reading this morning is taken from Philippians chapter 3 verses 7 through 11. Remember we're doing a series called blessings of obedience. And remember last week. We took a look at the Salvation starting Mark, but we're going to continue on in the next few weeks. And talk about those blessings that they extend that point. They are obedient to the Lord. Today. We're looking at understand the thoughts says. But whoever to me, I can now, who is more? What is messing up? Knowing Christ. Jesus have lost all things. I'm going to rise and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the the righteousness that comes from God. I wasn't Christ. Yes. Or of his resurrection and becoming like him and so some hot attaining Volume a little bit ago to remove a ported enough. It removed above the knee and it drives me out and help him to understand his need for Christ. We won't need to. Also remember Ida Cowan, many of you might remember, seeing worship with us for a few years and she taught the Bible, the Women's Bible study here. They move to Alaska and she's discovered that she has lung cancer and will be having an operation soon and pray for recovery from that. Let's go to prayer.

Our gracious Father in Heaven who you who are Mighty and Olean true, who understands our lives because, you know, from the very beginning to the very end of everything that we will face and what we do. And so as we bring our request to you, we understand that, you know them and yet you desire to hear us and to recognize our hearts and our desire for each of the circumstances that we bring to you. Oh Father, we do want to always remember to pray for the needs of those who do not know you who are lost. And Bound for hell. And the need to know of the gift that was brought to us through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. And so, we pray for the people of our community. Our loved ones are friends that Do not know you and have that tremendous need in that respect. We think of Jake and his need to know you. And so father, we pray for the lives of those people that they would come to. That point is that they recognized, they are lost and in need of redemption and can find that Redemption clearly through the work of Jesus Christ in his life here on this Earth. Father, we also want to remember to pray for Leona. Our dear loved one who is going through Ray for your touch on her life, that you would truly keep her at peace through this traumatic time and that you would lift her up and she would understand and know you more and more as she goes through the struggles. Protect her father and we do pray for Janice and Shirley is they go through this process as well. We pray for your Mighty hand to give peace and comfort to them, strength and energy to sustain all that. They must go through along with their mother and just bless them. Father, we also want to remember Ida and we pray for your hand to be upon her life. I know she is trusted in you and I'm sure that she will continue to but may you just give her a piece in all these needs and we pray that you would that be with Wayne as well. May she come through this surgery well and father, we pray for your healing touch on her recovery, bring her back and help her to continue to honor and serve you in our life. We want to remember the unspoken needs of each person here. May you reach out and touch their hearts and encourage? Providing for what is needed in their lives? We ask for what we want, father. We know that you're the God who always provides the need. So help us to understand. We pray for your blessing. Now, as we continue to Worship You, may we find your grace and mercy or doubt abundantly Upon Us in Jesus name. Amen.

Our next song is the 495 in your hymnals, teach me thy way. O Lord.

Live map.

All right. We have. Come to that time of kids departure.

I don't know.

Little kid super Church.

Well, let's get started with a word of Prayer. Oh precious father how we thank you that we have your precious word that truly gives wisdom and guidance and understanding who our lives and we pray now that is we dive into it that your spirit would be truly active in a live in each of our hearts that that understanding would become clear. And our hearts would yearn to follow your lead. We do pray that your spirit would be upon me that as I speak, that you would be the guide for apart from you. Nothing good. Can come. And so father. I pray that your spirit would guide every word spoken. We pray this in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Okay, we are, we are working through blessings of obedience. As I said before. And last week, we started with salvation because there's no blessing apart from salvation. If you are unsafe. If you do not know, Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, there's no hope in life. You'll get through this life Surly, but your Eternal future is all wrong, and we need that salvation. But, you know, once we've come to Salvation, there are still choices to be made in our lives because we determine the path that we walk. And so, in the next few weeks, we'll talk about how God desires to lead us to draw closer and closer to him, and he wants us to do that is a body. And that's what we're doing today. We're meeting together as a body of Christ and we're opening his word and we're gaining understanding, which is the message today, understanding what God has for our lives, what his desire for all of us is because once we understand that, we can then take the next step which is to develop God's purpose for our lives. Because God does have a purpose for your life. If you know, Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, he wants you to grow in your knowledge of understanding him. That's what we read about earlier. When we read, Paul's message to the Philippians. He desires each and every one of us to draw closer and understanding to him, but that leads to serving him. Making our purpose, God's purpose, God's purpose, our purpose for this life, you know, and so we learned that there are things I can do in the body of Christ and I refer to the body of Christ because ultimately, it will lead to the last message in this series, which is Unity? What brings us to the Living? God. So that's all something to look forward to. I might, I would like to mention the Celebration of life service. That we I went through yesterday and some of you were also the Alex life and all that he meant for living for God in this life. And what are the things that you learned about Joe? If you were at the service or if you have been involved in his life, as he was one who came to know the Lord and then began to work. Very hard to understand him. I don't know if you had a look at his bible that was unfolded at the top is full of different papers that he written notes to himself and a guiding for his life. And of course he was at the men's bible study for the last few years that I've been there and you could learn it Ramen because he thought understand and know God and because of that he's doing He believed and I believe was God's purpose for his life. He wanted to serve other people. And that's what he did in his life. He did it through his work as in the forest and he did it through teaching, in The Scouting, Arrangement, and then serving the community on all kinds of different avenue. So, his desire was to serve the Lord. He learned what God wanted him to do. And the reason he learned what God wanted him to do, was because I thought to know and understand God. And so that's what we're talkin about today. The whole idea of coming to not only know God is Lord and Savior, and if he truly is Lord and Savior, you ought to want to take the next step to get to know him and understand him. More and more more deeply with each passing day and to do, we need to seek after. So let's go ahead to Philippi Visions. Chapter one will Starz 15. Verses 15 and 16.

The reason why we do what we do for the Living, God, who loved us and gave his life for us. It says, for this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Okay. Paul is riding to the Ephesian church, that he actually had administered in for a number of years will take take a look at that a little bit as we move along, but he came to love the Ephesian church and to enjoy how they represented the Living God. And so, he has this prayer that he carries on. It's the reason he part of the reason he is riding.

And we know this through Ephesians chapter 1. The starting point chapter 1 verse 11. It says in him. We were also chosen having been predestined, according to the plan of him who works out everything in Conformity with the purpose of his will. So the question for you. And for me is MI involved in the plan that God has for my life. You see God has a plan for your life, but it doesn't work unless you want to be involved in God's plan for your life. Ever think about that. You know, God has a plan for me. I need to think about what that plan is and be involved in it. Well, I can't think about what that plan is. If I'm not really speaking to know God and understand who he is. And so God calls me to be involved so that I can understand. Where am I going with this? What's the plan that God has for more? My life. Just like Joe plan is for me to serve others in the things I do in this life. So you and I have plan that God has for our lives. Would you like to know what God wants for you from you? You know, we all shouldn't join that. There's, there's something in the future for us, and we'll talk about that in a couple of weeks, but we need to look forward to that. Am I receptive to what God has for me? Or am I going along and serving my own desires and wills? And that's the whole thing that Paul is kind of leading forced desire to be to seek what God wants. Okay. Remember I told you Paul worked in the Ephesian church for a few years. And eventually his subordinate Timothy went and was a minister in the episodes for a number of years, but Paul's first visit happens. Next chapter 18, and he goes, and he meets with the people that are is evidently a small little congregation is friends. And Anne is not not ananias and Sapphira, a couple of his friends from Corinth came with him and I can't even remember their names now, it's Tiffany, but forgive me for that. But anyway, he goes and visits them and they asked him to stick around. Hey, we enjoy what you're telling us. Why don't you stick around? And he says these things, when they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined, but as he left the promise, I will come back. If it is God's Will, and then he set sail from Ephesus. In other words. He said, okay, if if God desires, I'm going to serve you. But their desire was I we want to know, we want to know about this stuff. And we want you to stick around to tell us what's going on. In other words. They were recept God wanted for their Lots. They wanted to know what God had for them and they wanted all the stick around so that he would know. Well, eventually he does come back. We'll read a little bit about that in chapter 19. He does come back and he comes back for a few years to spend some time with them. A question for each of us, is a my receptive. Am I receptive to what God wants for my life? Or am I just satisfied where it with where I am right now, you know, that's a good question for each and every one of us. It comes with the development of faith in our lives. Now, if you come to know Jesus Christ, as your lord and savior, you certainly have faith in God because you've accepted him as the one who can wipe away your sins, you've accepted him as your God, and hopefully you're receptive him as your Lord. Because if he's your law. Then there needs to be some of Desire from your heart. To look to him and to find what he wants for your life. It's Faith. Well, here's going back up. All goes back and he begins his ministry here in Ephesus and is he's going a wrong, some events occur. And in these events, people begin to realize that there's something special here. Okay, and so Acts chapter 19, verse 17. It says, when this became known to the Jews and the Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear. And the name of the Lord. Jesus was held in high honor. In other words as our faith, grows in the Lord. I we honor him more and more with our lives. We are to honor him. And so we need to seek after that. So Paul goes on and he says, yeah, I understand what's going on. I can see what they need is, I know where I want you to go. And so I'm praying for you that you continue in that way and God calls you. And I to be prayer warriors those who seek to direct God's people will talk a little bit of more about prayer, but God calls us to this, and just a little, a picture of this Paul writes this. In almost every one of his letters that he writes. He talks about how he prays for people in here, in the letter. To the Romans. He writes and Romans chapter 1 verse 8 first, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because your faith is being reported all over the world. Okay. In other words, he not only wants to pray for people but he wants to recognize what's going on in their lives and he recognizes from the Roman Church that they have a tremendous faith. That is being spread throughout the land and he recognizes this from the people. He has met that have served in the Roman Church and kind of have been dispersed. Perhaps, you don't know, but the Roman Church went through a series of pressures from the government and many of the Jews were kicked out of of Rome. So anyway, it continues on well. Paul doesn't just say I'm going to pray for you, but he tells them. Why. And how he's going to pray for them because he wants to see change happening there. Lots when you go and pray for somebody and you say, okay. I'm going to pray for my wife. Mary Lord. I pray that you bless Mary and go on to something else. Right? Well know, God wants us to pray for specifics about that person. Not just, you know, what do you want happening in the life of the person you're praying for, you know, just don't go through and haphazardly, say a bunch of names. God wants us to express our desire and how we pray for somebody is very important. Well, here's how Paul praise for the Ephesian Church, Ephesians 1:17 to 19. I keep asking that God our lord, Jesus, the god of our Lord Jesus Christ. The glory is Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and Revelation, interesting, huh? So that you may know him better about that, knowing god, very important. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the whole to, which he is called you the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and is in comparably great power for us who believe that power is the same as the mighty strength and will continue that sentence on as we finish off this section, but His prayer is specific and he wants some things happening for the Ephesian church. And you know, each week I pray for each of you. I don't know if you know that but I pray for you by name and my heart and my desire to happen in your lives. And I do that because that's what God has called us to do the pray for you. Specifically and that's what all does in his prayers for the Ephesian church, but not just the Ephesian Church, you know, he writes the each of the churches and deaf. He he loves them and he wants them to be growing in understanding and knowing god and that's mainly focus of his prayers, but he continues on in this prayer for the Philippian Church. Olympians 190 says, this and this is my prayer that you your love me abound more and more in knowledge and depth of inside to see that whole idea. Even for the Philippian church. He wants them to be maturing in their face. Give me growing up. He doesn't want them to stay at that point of Salvation And yet stay immature babies in Christ. He wants them to grow and become stronger in their face that elevate their face. And to know. In fact, jumping onto Philippians chapter 3, he makes this incredible statement about what his desire for his wife, and how that should be transitioning to other people's lives phillipians 3/8. He says, what is more And he's confused talk about his life and how he had all these Earthly blessings in his life. And he says, what is more? I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Jesus, my Lord for whose sake of lost all things. Okay, interesting. I consider them garbage. In other words, those things that I did have. They mean nothing to me. They are garbage compared to knowing Jesus Christ and he continues on that. I may gain Christ. In other words. I want to know Christ more and more. I want him to be the epicenter of my life. Knowing him. Why? Because as I know him then I can understand what God has for my life and my eternity. He has all those things that he wants these people to have. And so he yearns for that. Now, remember even play praise for the Ephesian church, that they would gain the hope of their eternity, you know, we grasp a hold of things a little bit and, yeah, I know that I'm saved and I'm going to have them in all of this. But it's kind of rolls off, unless we really consider what's going on in. So call once them to really grasp a hold of their eternity, because, you know, if we've grasped ahold of Eternity and understand all the blessings that are out there for us. Then we don't mind so much what we go through here in this earth. We don't mind it as much because I have a eternity that is going to far outweigh. Any thing that could happen here on this Earth. Zoey rice after the best alone in since 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 14. He says he called you to this through our gospel that you might share in the glory of our Lord. Jesus Christ. What's his glory? Will remember that when Jesus Christ rose again, and when is the heaven, he sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God, imagine that being right there. God joined with God, finding that Eternal Inseparable plan, and that's God's plan for you. And for me. If you know, Jesus Christ, that's your future to be continually in the presence of living God. What a glorious thing that is. But he also says, while you're here on this Earth, you have power. That he wants you to know, and understand. You know, God's power is a tremendous power. You know, when we go out and we look at the Starry Sky at night that we see each of those Stars, many of them are a million plus miles across. And yet, there are literally thousands and millions and if we could see far enough billions and trillions of stars out there. He created every one of them. By calling them out by his word, amazing power that is. And here we think on this Earth and we see little things that happen in our lives and weak. Sometimes, get frustrated in wonder. When we came home Friday, I we we went away to take care of my brother's place while he took a quick trip to Arizona and stuff. So we we went up and it's on the coast and then we came back Friday from that. And one of the things I want to do right away, it's because we purchase the dishwasher and I call. I was working on it. I couldn't get it down to call game. To come on over and help me put it in. So, we were putting any on in and we got it all done and we supposedly, turn back the port. Turn the power on in and it wouldn't work. And so I was exhausted by that time, frustrated, as well. Forget it. We'll figure it out later. Got up the next morning, I was praying, and they lured, you know, and I went through it. Don't have a list of the things I do. I'm going through going to frustration you ever get to that point. Well, I was a little bit frustrated. Anyway, Saturday afternoon in a little bit of time. I I came home and you know what? I was kind of bumbling around a little bit and I thought, Lord, maybe I'll just look at the breakers. And so I looked at the breakers and sure enough, one of them wasn't turned on and it was the breaker that actually brought power to our dishwasher. It's working. Well, if I did, just listen to it, I mean, it's a minor thing. And yet understanding that God works in, even the minor things can give us a hole for the great glory and power that we can grasp. A hold of as we looked at him, our power. Isaiah. 40:26 says, lift up your eyes and look to the heavens who created all these, he who brings out the story hose one-by-one and calls for each of them by name because of his great power and mighty strength. Not one of them is missing. So if he can do all of that, he can take care of getting your dishwasher going. You know, you know, he can take care of those little things and we need to just trust him for him. He lit into his hands, and let him take care of those things for us, and he will guide us and give us wisdom and figuring it all out, but it begins with us looking to him and trusting him. And that comes with our understanding of who we are in the Living God. Because you're an heir to the glory of God.

And when we think about all of those things, it should amaze us. But let's continue on starting verse 19. I'll start with verse 19 and then I'll jump over to finish it off 2023. It says, and his incomparable great power for us. Who believe the power is the same as the mighty strength. He exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at the right hand, in the Heavenly realms, for above all Rule and Authority, power and dominion. And every name that is involved, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come and God has placed all things under his feet and anointed him to be head over everything in the church, which is his body. The fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Why what great knowledge? We have Justin those verses, you know, when we think about, you know, the power of Christ and his work and authority and if we truly bringing to mind that he created everything, even those things that that fight against him. You know, he created Satan. And all his followers, he created every one of them and when you are a created being you have no right to challenge. The one who is the creator and certainly Satanist tried to challenge him and ultimately he will come to his end because he has not Faithfully, followed the Living God, his knowledge as great as it was, didn't allow him to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as you ought to And so we we have this in our idnr understanding. Now, remember that God brought you and I into this life that we now live in the spirit of the Living God, you know. You are reborn because God made it possible through his work. Ephesians verse Ephesians 15 is a chapter that first. Thank you. My wife 1st Corinthians as I read it here on my paper. 1st Corinthians 15. Thank you. My sweet 21st Corinthians. That talks about Jesus Christ in and what he has done and then carries onto what we have. And we talked last week about the victory that we see in the end. Well, this is a portion of it and he said and it's talking about the resurrection of Christ in the value of that Resurrection. Because if Christ is not raised, then we wouldn't be raised but he was raised. And so we have that great hope and it says but Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep and you. And I one day if Christ Not return will pass from this life and will pass into Glory. Just like Joe. How it did. Well, we passed into glory and we become part of the, the fruit of God's blessing in our lives. And Joe is spending his time. Now in glory and one day we will get the join him, but we are those who follow in his footsteps, you know, and has he being a son of the Living God. So we will become sons of the Living God and Yep. It is, for all of us to understand the God who made all things as a desire for you. And for me, he wants his epic part of his creation mankind to walk in his light and know him, so that they can spend an eternity with him. He is above all things Colossians 1:16, says, for in him, all things were created things in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether Thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him. And for him, Think about that. We were created along with everything else, but we were created or God or him.

Think about yourself. I was created for God.

But I have a choice, don't I? And you have a choice? What do I do with what God has given to me?

Do I look at him? Do I follow him or do I simply live out the life that God has given and

No glory, but then, no hassles, either hits what. He's giving me. Haha, you know that seems like a boring, why. Life is so much more exciting. When we truly come to grips with what God has for us and for our lives, because I guess, And he loves me. He wants the best for my wife. He wants the best for Your Life 2. Because as much as he might love me, he loves you just as much. And his love overflows for you, but what are you going to do with it? And that's the huge question that all is bringing forth in these. Vs. You know, are we truly going to look to him and seek him as our head. He is the head of each and everyone of us. Do. I serve the head or do I try to run around headless, doing what I wanted to congratulate what God wants me to do, you know, sometimes that's the way it is. Colossians, 118 says, and he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning and the firstborn among the dead so that everything he might have Supremacy, is he? God does want the rule over our lives and Graham. It's not because he is this egomaniac. It wants to rule over us, but he understands that. He knows what is absolutely the best thing for each of Our Lives. You know, he knows what is best for you. Now, the big question is, am I willing to allow God to do? What is best for me in my life? Or am I going to Simply going to take a hold of my life and do it the way I want to do it. And that's the call today is am I willing to know and understand him and growing him so that I will know what he wants for my life. We Are One in Christ you and I and this gets to the whole idea of what we will talk about in a couple of weeks, the idea of unity. And that's why we meet together, you know, we come together in this church because God could do all the work and your lie. Without bringing you to church, we could if you wanted to, but that's not God's plan. God's plan is to have you and I come to church so that we can have fellowship with one another, and we can be raised together as a body. To know him. He doesn't want us to be little individuals running around doing what? We want to do all over the place. He wants us to be a body of Christ working together to proclaim the name of Christ. And that's the way the church is to put the word because it's through the church that we truly Express the glory of the Living. God, the glory of God. We Are One in Christ. First Corinthians 12:13 for we were all baptized into one spirit. So as to form one body where the Jews or Gentiles slave or free we were all given the one Spirit to drink. So each of us have this spirit that lives in us and that Spirit wants to guide us and give us wisdom. You might remember from that chapter that That it was talking about the spirit working through the gifts that he is giving you, and these gifts are things that God has placed in our lives. To make a difference in the lives of others. In our church. Each of us has these gifts Are we ready to use them for his glory?

And that's the question. Well. To know and understand all of that is to come close and no God. That's why we're here today. That's why you came to church. I hope is so that you could worship them. But also that you could get to know him more deeply because God wants you to know who he is. That's why he gave his giant book. This is all here so that you can know God. That's why it was written.

Think about it a little bit. I wrote this entire book for you to know him. Do you know this book? Have you spent time and energy in going through it and understanding and knowing what God has in it? Because as we do that more and more, we draw closer to him and understand him more deeply and it leads us onto a maturing faith in Christ Jesus. Or we can. Stay infants and not grow and not be of any service to anybody other than ourselves. God wants us the honor him by knowing him so that we truly know where he wants to take us in this lot because God has a plan for each of us. And that plan is a wondrous plan that can make a incredible difference in the lives of the other people that are in this body of Christ. But also the people that we influence day-by-day in our lot. The great plan. It's God's plan and God wants us to take advantage of his plan. And the question for each of us to ask before we leave this place has, am I really taking advantage of God's plan for my life.

Or am I so focused on myself and the things I have to do in this life. I don't have time for that. That's a question that we all have to make is God the planner for my life. Or am I the planet?

Make a difference.

Grace's, father. We thank you that. You have given us. All these things to help us know you and John. You've given us that wonderful desire. Because most people here. I have asked you to be their lord and savior. And because of that. We have taken on that.

That faith in that strength that you give, but also the obligation to set aside. What we have for our lives and to take up what you have for our lives. So, father helped instill in each person hear the desire to grow in their understanding and knowledge. I love you. And so know you and what you have for each line. Because we can make an amazing difference in this world and we can grow and become complete. As we work together for the kingdom of the Living, God.

Turning our handles and sing the chorus number 462. Open our eyes, Lord. 162. Last Stand As we sing

123 G.

Open our eyes. May we see you? And may we come to know you more deeply than ever before. As we take up our crosses and live for you and just blocked be with us as we go out that we would go out with rejoicing and who you are in Jesus name. Amen.