[0:00] Anybody able to check in with the wells between services? They showed up in the parking lot with a flat tire, and then I could hear AAA out here taking it off.
[0:10] Did anybody see or notice them now? Okay.
[0:25] So they're taking care of the flat tire, apparently. That stinks. All right, if you have your Bibles, please open them up. We'll begin in Ephesians chapter 4 this morning. Find the book of Ephesians.
[0:53] Chapter 4. And let's begin with three verses here in this book. Verse 11, 12, and 13. And follow along as I read.
[1:03] And he, that is, Jesus Christ, that has led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
[1:36] And he goes on with some other reasons to give these offices to the body of Christ. He mentions for the work, the work of the ministry.
[1:47] He mentions the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. And he talks about growing into a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
[1:58] Now, ask this question, and you answer this question in thought. Has that work been fulfilled yet? Has that been accomplished that we have come to the unity of the faith, till not just we, but we all have come to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man?
[2:20] Can we, as individuals or as a local church, line ourselves up with the stature of the fullness of Christ? We're not even close, are we?
[2:34] Now, he gave them these offices for the perfecting of the saints. That's their maturing, and it's a work ongoing, the completion for the work of the ministry.
[2:47] Now, come over a few pages to Philippians, the next book, Philippians and chapter number 1. What Paul writes there in Ephesians 4 about the work of the ministry, it's an ongoing process.
[3:02] It's not even isolated to Ephesus or to that specific church in Ephesus. But it's ongoing. We definitely haven't arrived at the measure of the fullness of the stature of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[3:18] And so he's given these offices and positions to help with that. Philippians chapter 1 and verse number 6.
[3:29] The Bible reads, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
[3:40] Now, we often teach this verse to associate, or we associate it with the eternal security of the believer. And that thought is that when you're saved and Jesus Christ is your Savior, that you're secure eternally.
[3:55] It's fixed. Your eternity is secure in Christ. And what he began in you, he will perform. And so your salvation is not based upon your performance.
[4:05] Most religions teach that it's about your performance. It's what you do. If you check all the boxes, you should be good enough. You may be able to enter into the grace of God. But this verse we take to teach otherwise.
[4:19] To teach that God did something in you and he will perform it. He sealed you with his Holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption. And so that is true. But I want to look at this verse outside of that thought and look into the context that it's given.
[4:33] And see a little different. I'm not taking that teaching away by any means. But I want you to notice here, Paul in verse 1. Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints.
[4:45] All the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi. With the bishops and deacons. Right into all of them. In verse number 4 he says, Always in every prayer of mine for you all.
[4:58] Making requests with joy for your fellowship. In verse number 7 he says, Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all. Is there any question who is already?
[5:08] He's writing to the church at Philippi. Every last one of them. The saints, the bishops, the deacons. And he says in verse 6, Being confident of this very thing, church at Philippi.
[5:19] He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. What's Paul saying? He's not just talking about the eternal security of a believer.
[5:32] He's talking about God beginning a good work in that church. A work that he began in Ephesus just the same. The work of the ministry. A work that is going to go on and to grow and to further and to move forward.
[5:47] And to grow people in their faith. And this again is not isolated to this local church. Just like it wasn't isolated to Ephesus. Because that local church or those individuals have not lived until the day of Jesus Christ.
[6:03] Which is the appearing of Christ. The rapture of the church or the body of Christ. And this local church to my knowledge is no longer in existence in these members.
[6:14] So that's not what he's saying. He's going to perform something with that local church until the rapture. I believe the application of this is again not isolated to Philippi.
[6:27] It's good work that God began in that local church. Is going to go on and go forward until Christ returns. Now look at Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2.
[6:42] And here Paul's talking about a man that's been a big help to him. Epaphroditus. He mentions him in verse 25. And I'll just read verse number 29 and 30.
[6:55] Philippians 2.29 Here it's called the work of Christ.
[7:16] In Ephesians 4 it was called the work of the ministry. Earlier in this book he calls it a good work that God has begun in you. And here he talks about this singular man that he's putting all his life's effort into the work of Christ.
[7:32] Epaphroditus almost died for the work of Christ. It said not regarding his life. Epaphroditus believed that the work of Christ was more important than his own life.
[7:46] Epaphroditus believed that the work of Christ must go on. It must go on. I want to preach a message to you this morning. The work of Christ must go on.
[8:00] And what God began in that place in Ephesus years ago. And what he even began in that place in Philippi. Which was non-existent. A work that Jesus Christ started in that place.
[8:12] I believe he also began at some point here in the San Fernando Valley. And the work of Christ must go on. The work of Christ is not isolated to these walls.
[8:25] And it's not isolated to these members here today. The work of Christ is to spread to the north and to the south and to the east and to the west. It's God's will that the work of Jesus Christ covers the globe.
[8:39] It's his will that this work lives and grows and it must go on. It cannot die with this generation today. It cannot die. The work of Christ must go on.
[8:52] And you have a part. If you're part of the body of Christ, you're in to the work of Christ. Whether you see yourself as some minister or some pastor or called to something wonderful or not.
[9:05] If you're in the body of Christ, you're part of the work. And the work must go on. And you're part. You have a part. Let's pray before we go any further. I'll ask Brother Morton if you would lead us in prayer, please.
[9:18] Thank you.
[9:48] Amen. We're in Philippians chapter 1 again this morning. And I want to say a few things about the work of Christ and what it is and how it must go on.
[10:04] And how you have a part in that. And we're going to begin here in verse number 12. I want you to draw your attention to something that Paul talks about a few times. Verse number 12, Paul says, But I would, you should understand, brethren, that the things which have happened to me have fallen out rather under the furtherance of the gospel.
[10:20] What's happened to you? Well, you've been apprehended and thrown into prison again. But Paul's like, listen, brethren. It sounds bad. But understand something. It's not as bad as it looks.
[10:31] What's happening here is the gospel is going further than it would have. And in verse 13 he describes, he says, So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, for one thing, and in all other places.
[10:46] And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. That's an odd thing, that the apostle Paul, who is set for the defense of the gospel and the preaching of the gospel, and is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, and is ready to give his life for Jesus Christ, ends up in prison, and that emboldens others to preach the gospel.
[11:11] Don't you think that's kind of backwards? If somebody gets thrown in, if they come in here and take me to jail and throw me in jail, is anybody going to be like, well, I guess I better get up and start preaching then? Or are you going to be like, well, let's just make our way to our car?
[11:25] And we'll see how this plays out. But these men start preaching. And this is weird to me. Verse 15, Some indeed preach Christ, even of envy and strife, and some also of good will.
[11:36] The one preach Christ of contentions, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds, but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.
[11:47] And he says, what then? Notwithstanding every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. In prison, locked up, I'm just going to rejoice, because out there, some men are taking the reins, they're stepping up, and they're preaching Jesus Christ.
[12:05] But Paul, don't you know that they're doing it out of contention? They're trying to add affliction to your bonds. I don't fully understand what that means, or why that's being said, the antagonism there, or why it's against him.
[12:16] But I don't think Paul even gives a rip. He's pleased to know that the gospel is being spread, and Christ is being preached, and the work of Christ is going on.
[12:29] I want to say, firstly, that preaching Christ must go on. Now is not the time to get quiet. Today is not the day to shut your mouth and wait for the rapture.
[12:41] Although we sang the words, I sing, I think those words, how long? Lord Jesus, how long? Today is not the day to sit on your pew and say, one of these days, bless God, we're going to go, and I'll just sit here and wait until that happens.
[12:56] Preaching Christ must go on. The last days are not the days to hide your light under a bushel. If Jesus Christ is in you, it's because somebody preached Christ to you.
[13:07] In one form or another, somebody preached Christ to you, and preaching Christ must go on. Others need to hear the message of Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 5, the Bible says, And daily in the temple, daily, and in every house, every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
[13:31] And what started back there in the early church in Acts chapter 5, what started in the temple and the streets and the homes of Jerusalem, has, by the Spirit of God and the movement of His people, has spread to the regions around the area.
[13:50] What the preaching of Jesus Christ has, the Apostle Paul said that he strived to preach the gospel not where Christ was named. And he took off and spread and took journeys and even started these very churches that we're reading about this morning.
[14:07] Paul said, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Over time, the Lord God and His plan has moved men and women on.
[14:18] The gospel of Jesus Christ has spread. It has spread across continents. It came overseas to this land. And over time, it came across this continent to the west coast of North America.
[14:33] I don't know the dates. I don't have history books to... I haven't looked this stuff up to see specifically here, there, and isolated. But I know this, the gospel of Jesus Christ has made it out here.
[14:44] It made it here. And it showed up and at some point it reached the region of Southern California. The gospel of Jesus Christ spread and was preached.
[14:56] A work begun. A good work begun. And it cannot die out. It must go on and it's up to us to do our part.
[15:08] I wonder this morning, what are you doing to assist in the preaching of Jesus Christ? To assist in going on. What's your part?
[15:19] What is your part? Another thought here. If it was solely up to you, would it go on? Would the preaching of Christ go on if it was just your job to do it?
[15:31] You know what a missionary gets? He gets called to go to a country. And so many of them don't have families and mentors there. So many of them go cold turkey.
[15:42] They go into that place. They strive to... And look, that's not for everybody. I'm not going to put that on you. God has to put that in your heart. He has to convict you about it, call you to it.
[15:53] He'll enable you to do it. All of that's on God. And if you submit and obey and all of that. But He does that with some people. And they show up on the shores of another foreign country having strived to learn the language or get themselves prepared.
[16:06] And they want to do something. They want to start something where there's nothing. So many of them, they don't have a church to start. I mean, to show up to on Sunday morning. What do they do?
[16:17] They start reaching out in the streets. They start passing tracks out. They start preaching on the street. They start trying to win a soul. They win a soul. They win a second soul. They try to disciple them.
[16:27] They start slowly and slowly to meet and to pull them together. In their house, start having church. And it's weird. But they get it started. The seed is planted.
[16:39] A good work. God begins. If it was up to you, in this world that you live in, if it was up to you, would the work of Christ go on?
[16:51] Would the preaching of Christ go on? I'm preaching to myself here about something because I've been convicted about something for a couple years.
[17:01] And I was raised or trained in a Bible school to go out and preach on the street. And I did it for years. And then I came back to my hometown, and I kept doing it.
[17:12] And I kept doing it, and I kept doing it. And just over time, things just kind of changed in the town and changed with some people. And I started, the kids started to have more children. Families started growing.
[17:23] I just felt more obligated to staying at home here and there. And I let that thing start to disappear. And then a missionary or an evangelist came by, and he wanted to preach on a street.
[17:33] And I was like, yeah, let's go. We went out and preached. It felt good to be back again. And he left, and that was it. And then I got to go out to another church at one time, and there were some guys there, and they wanted to go street preaching.
[17:44] And I was excited to do it, and I went with them. We went preaching on the street. And it felt good. And then I just felt so convicted over these years that why am I not doing it anymore? Why did I let that go by the wayside?
[17:57] It's so easy to have excuses and reasons. And I feel like if it's up to me, preaching on the street has fallen by the wayside, and I've let it go, and I've felt like the Lord's dealing with me about it, and I want to commit to him.
[18:14] I'm going to figure out a way to do it and find a place to do it, and I'm going to do it. And if you want to be part of that, let me know. You might say, well, we don't do that here. Well, we're going to.
[18:25] Maybe you won't. You don't have to, but I'm going to. And I'll do it by myself if I have to. That's fine. That's my conviction. That's what I want to do. I'm going to do it. And you don't have to.
[18:36] You could say, that's crazy. We don't do that. Well, we'll see. But if by the grace of God, I'm committing to it, I'm saying it publicly, just to put that out there even further, to force myself to do it.
[18:51] Because preaching Christ must go on. It must go on. And I have a part, and you have a part. Something else, look back in chapter 1 again, and there's something else about the work of Christ.
[19:05] It's not just preaching Christ, as much as that's a big thing. Notice there's more. There's something else that must go on, and that's something we kind of hinted at in Ephesians when we talked about the perfecting of the saints and coming to that measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ.
[19:28] I want to say, secondly, that conforming to Christ must go on. The Bible says, Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed.
[19:39] We read that verse last Sunday. Chapter 1, look at verses 9 through 11. We're just going to read a few passages here in this book, and then make comment. But verse number 9 says, Now come over to verse 25.
[20:10] He continues by saying, And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith, that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
[20:25] Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel.
[20:41] He wants to see their furtherance and their conversation be different. They weren't raised in a Christian home. They had to change an awful lot for them to be of one spirit and of one mind and that they're in unity striving for the faith of the gospel.
[20:57] That's brand new to them. Now look at chapter number 2 and verse number 3, 3 through 5. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
[21:10] Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. And then he's going to talk about the Lord Jesus Christ and how he humbled himself and obeyed God.
[21:26] And that's who we're looking to conform ourselves to, the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at verse 13 through 15. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure.
[21:38] Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ.
[21:57] The apostle Paul wants these believers to be conformed to Christ. When once they were filled with the works of the flesh, he now wants to see them filled with the fruits of righteousness.
[22:10] When once they strived with one another and mankind, now he tells them to strive together for the faith of the gospel. Their vain glory is to be replaced with humility of mind, like Jesus Christ was, where each esteems other better than themselves, where they once stood as wicked sinners, and amongst a crooked and perverse generation, now they're to stand as the sons of God, blameless and harmless without rebuke.
[22:44] That's conforming to Jesus Christ is what that is. These Philippians, Paul's pushing them a big change in their lives. It's not good the way it was.
[22:56] It's not good the way it is. It needs to get better. The apostle Paul, even then in chapter 3, describes how he repented of some things in order to conform his life to Jesus Christ.
[23:08] And how he even continued, we won't read the passage, but he takes how he counted it all but loss. He wanted to win Christ, and he's going to move forward and press toward the mark. He's going forward, conforming to Jesus Christ.
[23:22] In verse 13, saying, I count not myself to have apprehended. I'm not there yet. Still got some conforming to do. Look at chapter 3 in verse 17.
[23:33] Paul says, Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so. As you have us for an example, there's people in your life, there's positions around you in the body of Christ to follow so that you can conform to Jesus Christ.
[23:52] Philippians chapter 4, another verse in verse 9, the apostle Paul tells this church, those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, do.
[24:03] He's their teacher. He's their trainer, their instructor. He's their example. Follow me so that you can conform to Jesus Christ.
[24:15] Conforming to Christ must go on. The work of Christ must go on. Preaching Jesus Christ must go on. But the change on the inside has got to continue as well.
[24:26] You haven't reached the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ. The work of Christ must go on inside of your heart. Something else that must go on, come back to chapter 1 again.
[24:39] And I want to say surrendering to Christ must go on. Surrender, not just the change on the inside from the old man to the new man, but know where you surrender yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the work of Christ.
[24:56] In this epistle, we see some brethren that are fully surrendered to the work of Christ. In verse 1, Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ. The servants of Jesus Christ is who they are.
[25:10] In verse number 21, the apostle Paul says, for to me to live is Christ. Talk about a man who's fully surrendered. Paul is in prison for the work of the Lord, and it did not deter him one bit.
[25:24] Notice in chapter 2, here's what he says. He's hoping to get out of prison. And in chapter 2, verse 23, Paul says, Him therefore I hope to send presently, speaking of Timotheus, presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
[25:45] But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. What do you know about Paul? You know that Paul wants to get out of prison so that he can get right back to it. Because he surrendered to the work of Christ.
[25:57] For to Paul, for his life, it's Christ. He surrendered to Jesus Christ. He's not quitting. He's not giving up. He's rejoicing in prison because Christ is being preached.
[26:11] And I can't wait till I can get out of here so I can get back to it, boys. I'm coming. I'm coming. Paul surrendered to Jesus Christ. What an example. Timotheus.
[26:21] What about Timothy? Look at chapter 2 and verse 19. Paul writes this, to these men. He says, to this church, he says, but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you that I also may know of your good.
[26:35] Why is he sending Timotheus to them? Do you know that Timothy's a pastor at Ephesus? Do you know that Ephesus is on the other side of the Aegean Sea from Philippi?
[26:48] But Paul's going to send him to go to this church to check him out? He's traveling. Timotheus. Timothy's going to go travel. Is it on business? Well, kind of.
[26:59] Because his business is the work of Christ. This man is fully surrendered to the work of Christ. I'll travel. I'll go where you want me to go.
[27:11] Another man, Epaphroditus. In chapter 2, verse number 25. Take a look at this guy. In verse 25, Paul says, Why so many descriptions of this man?
[27:35] I know why. Because he sold out to the work of Christ. Epaphroditus completely surrendered to the work of Christ, even if it cost him his life.
[27:47] Let's continue reading about him. Verse 26, For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness because that ye had heard he had been sick. Indeed, he was sick, nigh unto death.
[27:58] But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him, therefore, the more carefully, that when ye see him again ye may rejoice, and that I may be less sorrowful.
[28:08] Receive him, therefore, in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in reputation, because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death. Not regarding his life. That's a man that's fully surrendered.
[28:21] Boy, when he got sick, he didn't say, okay, I'm done. I've got to get well, and this isn't worth it. It's too much. No, for the work of Christ, he was willing to give his life. The work must go on.
[28:33] Men need to surrender to Jesus Christ as God continues to move. Look at Colossians chapter 4. We'll be back in Philippians shortly, but come to Colossians chapter 4.
[28:45] I want to show you a list here as Paul closes this epistle. Nearly one of his last epistles here. There's more that are surrendered to the work of Christ.
[29:02] Colossians 4, we'll start in verse 7. He says, Sounds like he's sold out.
[29:17] whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate and comfort your hearts. With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who's one of you, they shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
[29:32] Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, saluteth you. And Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, touching whom he received commandments, if he come unto you, receive him. And Jesus, which is called Justice, who are of the circumcision, these only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
[29:52] Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ. Notice, there's people that left this local church in Colossae, surrendered to the work of Christ.
[30:04] And Paul writes back to tell them how they've been, how they're doing, and if they say hi. This man, Epaphras, in verse 12, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
[30:21] For I bear him record that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. Luke, you know Luke. Luke wrote the gospel of Luke.
[30:32] He wrote the book of Acts. Luke's the beloved physician. He's traveling at this time with the apostle Paul. Luke's a doctor, and he's sold out to Jesus Christ.
[30:43] Surrendered his life and his practice to travel for the work of Christ. The beloved physician and Demas greet you.
[30:53] Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea and Nymphos and the church which is in his house. There's another man started a church in his house. There's all kinds of men listed here that have surrendered to the work of Christ, and the work of Christ, church, must go on.
[31:12] As God continues to move in the hearts of believers as he did in these men and women to preach, to start churches, to pastor, to travel, or just to be sold out for anything, surrendering to Christ must go on.
[31:30] We need Christians still today that will stand up and say, for to me to live is Christ. One more thing I want to say. come back to Philippians in chapter number one again.
[31:50] It's not going to end on a pretty note, but it's on a biblical note. One more thing we need to say is that suffering for Christ must go on.
[32:03] I feel like I've been saying a lot of that lately, and it's not because I'm watching the news, because I don't give a rip. I'm telling you, I don't watch it. I catch enough of it just to know, but I don't, I'm not worried about anything.
[32:18] I'm not scared of anything in America or losing my rights, or I'm not scared of anything. And I'm not some big, bold man either. I'm just telling you that talking about suffering is not some hang up that I have because I'll bring it up again and bring it up again.
[32:37] I'm saying it because it's in the Bible. And every time I say it, I'm preaching it from the Bible. And so, it's not because I'm scared or because I'm watching the news, but suffering for Christ must go on.
[32:49] Paul was imprisoned. We saw that in verses 12 and 13. He refers to his bonds in chapter one in verse number seven. In verse number 12 or in verse number 13 and verse number 14 in several places.
[33:04] He continues in verse 16. And he's hoping to get out, but he doesn't know how it's going to go with him. He's in prison suffering for Jesus Christ. Remember what we read about Epaphroditus?
[33:17] He was on his deathbed. He was nigh unto death. Indeed, he was sick nigh unto death in chapter two in verse 27 and 30.
[33:28] Come to chapter one and look at verse number 16. There always is going to be opposition to the work of Christ. Verse number six, the one preached Christ of contention.
[33:40] What in the world? Not sincerely. Supposing to add affliction to my bonds? What is that about? I'm telling you, I don't quite understand that. Look at verse 28 and 29.
[33:54] Paul says, And in nothing terrified by your adversaries. So these Christians had adversaries? Which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God.
[34:06] The very fact that you're receiving adversity is evidence that this is the work of Jesus Christ. Verse 29, notice this, For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him but also to suffer for His sake.
[34:24] Americans don't understand that. They don't like that. They think they have the rights to bear arms and the freedom of speech. And that's in the Bible I think somewhere. No it's not. You know what's in the Bible?
[34:36] Right there it is. What's given to you in the behalf of Christ believe on Him one and then suffer for Him. And boy, we don't like that second part.
[34:48] But that's Bible Christianity. It's all over the New Testament. The whole thing. You want to be in the New Testament do you? Find where try to eliminate suffering.
[35:01] Try it. You're going to have to rewrite that Bible to come up with some blessing positive God blesses everything health and wealth. It's not in there. There's always going to be suffering.
[35:13] Look at chapter 2 in verse number 15. This is the outlook right here verse 15 that we take being part of the work of Jesus Christ the good work that you may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine as lights in the world.
[35:35] That's your environment. That's your world. Chapter 3 in verse 2 Paul says beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. They're everywhere.
[35:46] If the work of Christ is going to go on that we'll be opposed. Chapter 3 in verse 18 Paul identifies some more warning says for many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
[36:05] There's always going to be opposition. If it's the work of Christ it will be opposed. There will be pushback and there will be resistance. There will be suffering in some form. Suffering has become it has been synonymous with the work of Jesus Christ since it started.
[36:25] We've been fortunate to avoid it if fortunate is the right word. Judgment seat of Christ may tell a different tale but as far as our comfort and safety level we have been fortunate to not have to put up with much of anything.
[36:40] Maybe just some ridicule and some reproach but I don't believe you can have one without the other. The work of Christ. Suffering for Christ must go on. I was thinking on this and I just thought I'd refresh myself and I picked a book up about Fox's Book of Martyrs and just skimmed through it and picked out a few places and read some more and read some more and read some more and oh the stories of the racks of the Christians and they thought they were torturing them and dislocating their shoulders and their joints and they started to speak and they were quoting the Psalms but hearing them speak they stopped it and thought they were going to recant and no they were just blessing God a little more.
[37:28] The sufferings of Christ. The work of Christ must go on. It cannot die. It cannot fizzle out here in the San Fernando Valley.
[37:41] There's work to be done and you have a part. Preaching Christ must go on. Conforming your life to His life as the world sees it it must go on.
[38:00] Surrendering to the work of the ministry and even suffering if God has it it must go on until Jesus Christ comes back and we don't know how long that is.
[38:14] It's up to us. It's up to us to do our part. We can't sit back and say it's the other generation they had it going on God was using them.
[38:25] It's up to us. The work must go on. There's still people God wants to save. There's still changes He wants to make in your heart. He's still working on you.
[38:37] He's still calling men and women. It's a privilege and a blessing. It must go on. Let's bow our heads together and we'll be dismissed in a short time here.
[38:49] Lord. With your heads bowed and your eyes closed my question to you is are you involved in the work of Christ?
[39:00] Have you taken up your cross? Are you standing for Jesus Christ or are you just sitting by? Be honest. Are you just sitting by even sitting in this local church just sitting by while the work of Christ a good work that God has started and seeks to perfect and go on and you're not in?
[39:24] If you in your heart know that you're not in you need to make a commitment today if God's dealing with you about it. Are you preaching Christ? When's the last time you preached Jesus Christ with your lips?
[39:38] When's the last time you even made an attempt with your hands and feet to get the gospel to someone who doesn't know? The work must go on church.
[39:50] He didn't save us to sit in a stinking pew and grow moldy and dusty. He saved you to work. Is your life being conformed to Jesus Christ?
[40:05] Are you surrendered to Him? Are you willing to give up your life? Like Epaphroditus or is that just crazy talk? Have you faced suffering or ridicule or are you prepared for it?
[40:21] I wonder if Jesus Christ has cost you anything. Anything at all. On Wednesday night I was preaching about this thought of offering the sacrifice of praise that it has to cost you something.
[40:35] And I said a few things about it. It will cost you relationships with others if you let everybody know who you serve. Has Jesus Christ cost you anything? The work must go on and you have a part to do.
[40:50] You have a role to fulfill. Are you doing it? Father, as we ponder these thoughts this morning please move in our hearts and break our stubbornness.
[41:05] God help us to yield to your spirit to take serious the charge to consider what our Savior has endured and calls us to and equips us for.
[41:23] I can do all things through Christ which strength that it be. Lord, I pray that one that all would surrender their hearts to you and would hold forth the word of life and not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[41:45] Lord, if we need to commit some things to you help us to do that. If we need to conform some things that you put in our hearts then help us to conform. Give courage. Lord, may this church be moving toward that measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ.
[42:01] Thank you for this Bible and for this truth. Now, Lord, drive it into our hearts. Help us to respond. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. We're going to have a time to sing. I have no idea which one here.
[42:14] 439. Sorry. 439 in the hymnal. 540 in the hymnal Situation That's at the level. 440 in the hymnal events.
[42:25] 540 In the hymnal Melody in the hymnal of the hymnal material which one here has and więcej it is again numerous after the recipe that's going to beil by that.
[42:44] I would AA