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Romans chapter 11.

We're starting at verse 33, which is towards the end of the chapter. Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of god. How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out? Who has known the mind of the lord or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to god that god should repay them?

For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever, amen. Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters in view of god's mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. Holy and pleasing to god. This is your true and proper worship.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what god's will is. His good, pleasing, and perfect will. For by the grace given me, I say to every 1 of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment. In accordance with the faith god has distributed to each of you.

4, just as each of us has 1 body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function. So in Christ, we, though many, form 1 body. And each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.

If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then give encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously. If it is to lead, Do it diligently.

If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to 1 another in love. Honor 1 another above yourselves.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the lord. Be joyful in hope. Patience in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the lord's people who are in need, practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you.

Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Morn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with 1 another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position.

Do not be conceded. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge my dear friends, but leave room for god's wrath.

For it is written, it is mine to revenge. I will repay, says the lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Well, good morning. My name is Rory Connect. I'm 1 of the members of staff here at at Cornerstone. Let's pray then as we begin now, in this passage.

Father, we we thank you so much for your word. We thank you so much for the book of Romans and just how glorious it is. We thank you for the passage that we've just read. And, we pray that as we consider it now, that you will help us to understand it, we pray father that as we consider this book, that you'll help us to understand your incredible grace and mercy. And that in the light of that, you will help us to be those who who live for the lord Jesus Christ.

And so we pray these things in his name. Ma'am. Now I'm sure, you would recognize that we live in a world and we live in a culture that's all about the individual. There was a a 2002 Adam Curtis, Docu series called The Century of Self. The Century of Self.

And that was really based upon the philosopher Sigman Freud and his sort of ideas that the the self and the person, the individual is really at the center of of all things. It talks about how we've gone from wanting to to satisfy our needs to satisfying our desires. It talks about how we've gone from being about public duty and we're now about individual fulfillment. You know, they they it's all about individual self expression and the pursuit of personal happiness. We even got a film called the pursuit of happiness.

That is our world, and I think you would probably agree when you just look around with what we're surrounded by and we've got messages all about around us that say be all about self. I mean, all the Apple technology has I at the front of it. Why? Because it means that you're the center. IPhone.

I did anyone still have iPads? I don't know what anyway. IMac. Anyway, I I I. You would have adverts that that want you to, to be dissatisfied with the the thing that you've just had a little bit and you need to get the new thing.

This pursuit of happiness, the messaging that is in the school system that says you can be whoever you want to be. Yeah. Follow follow your dreams. Create your identity, and you look at some people's what they put out into the into the into the social media space and it's all consuming about themselves and they don't seem to have any friends that we live in an age of individuals and where people are all into selfies. It's all about me.

Although I think that the age of individualism, the century of self, the road to the pursuit of happiness will often end in misery. You cannot deny the statistics that the mental health in young people and the mental health, across the UK, is in dire straits. Why are more people than ever struggling with such issues? And so that's our our world that I think we live in. That's the age of individualism.

And the antidote to that is the church. See, the purpose of the church, and the purpose of the church always has been to be radically different to the world. Is to be like completely the opposite in a sense. It's meant to be different. It's meant to be an alternative.

It's meant to be seen as a shining light to a world that needs hope and peace and joy. And so last week, we were looking at this woman in the well in the well at the well. She wasn't in it. That would've been terrible. That would've been a very different story.

There's a woman at the well, and she encountered the lord Jesus Christ and so enamored with him was she that she became 1 of the first evangelists in the service of the lord Jesus Christ. And she went into her town and said, come and see. Come and see a man that told me everything that I've ever done. And our message is come and see this man. And 1 of the great ways that you see this man, the lord Jesus Christ is that you come and see his church in action.

For the church is the great apologetic. It is the great defense. It's the great picture of all that Jesus is. And so to see Jesus, we must come to his church. And to reflect Jesus, we must listen to these words of the apostle Paul this morning.

So here's my first point, true and proper worship. True and proper worship. You'll notice in verse 1, it starts with therefore. Whenever you see a therefore, you must ask what it's there for is what a once a wise youth leader said to me. Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters in view of god's mercy.

In view of the in fact, the the the the Greek word is the mercies of god, the compassions of god. It's not just the mercy for the the mercies of god is is is multifaceted. It's got so many angles. And so Paul is saying, get in view the mercies of god. And what are the mercies that he's been talking about?

Well, that's the whole of Romans 1 to 11. And Romans 1 to 11 is just an amazing, as I said, exposition of the gospel. That causes him to sing in verse 33 to 36 that that we had read out to us. So what is it that he's been saying? Well, it's worth raveling in this.

So if you're bear with me, and you might want if you've got a hard copy of the bible, which I would always encourage you to bring to look through this with me. See, Paul has gone from saying in chapter 1 verse 16 to 17 that he is not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the power of god that brings salvation to everyone who believes. First, to the Jew, then to the gentile, 4. In the gospel, the righteousness of god is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, the righteous will live by faith.

So here he is. He's starting his letter to the Christians of Romans, and he's saying, this gospel is a gospel that is worth proclaiming. This gospel is a gospel that's worth saying, come and see the man. And so then he's gonna set out what this gospel is, and you think, oh, it sounds like it's gonna be really fun news, doesn't it? This gospel?

I can't wait to hear it. And then very next sentence, he's saying for the wrath of god has been revealed because of the wickedness of mankind. And he says, all of humanity since the sin of Adam is guilty of falling short of the standards of god. He finishes in in chapter 3 this sort of look into the heart and the sin of mankind with a damning, damning judgment. In verse 10 of chapter 3, he says, there is no 1 righteous.

We we just sang about it before. Not even 1. There is no 1 who understands. There is no 1 who seeks god all have turned away they have together become worthless. There is no 1 who does good, not even 1.

Their throats are open graves, their tongues, practice the seat, the poison of vipers, is on their lips, their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin, and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of god before their eyes. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be silent and the whole world held accountable to god. Therefore, no 1 will be declared righteous in god's sight by the works of the law, rather through the law we become conscious of our sin. And so we are shown the very depths of human despair and depravity.

There is not 1 person who has sought to glorify god. There is not 1 person that is innocent in the eyes of god, and so none can be pronounced innocent in god's sight, and we're meant to feel our sin and the weight of our darkness. But Paul comes in with a a glorious but now. 2 of the greatest words in the scriptures is but now. Verse 21 but now apart from the law, the righteousness of god has been made known.

And so Paul says, look, you couldn't get right with god. There is no way that god could call you innocent in his eyes, but there is someone apart from the law who can make you right with the eternal god of the universe who you have so deeply offended. But now, there is a righteousness apart from the law. The lord Jesus Christ walked onto the scene and was totally righteous in the eyes of god, and so was able to die upon a cross to be your sacrifice so that you can be justified. That god through the blood of the lord Jesus Christ can look upon you, a sinner, and declare you innocent.

The grace of god upon sinners is outstanding. It is breathtaking. In 5 verse 8, It says for whilst we were still sinners. Fingers up to god. Christ died for us.

Christ justifies us, but more than justification, more than being declared innocent. Chapter God adopts us into his family. Now you think justification is breathtaking that you may be declared innocent? But god goes further in his grace and his mercy that that you who has so offended him not only have you been justified, but also now you can be in the very family of god that you may know him as abba father that you may have been given his spirit so that you can now live for him. And so that you can have an assurance that no matter what happens, Christ will always hold you in his love, what great verses at the end where it says What then shall we say in response to all these things chapter 8 verse 31?

If god is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him what up for us all. How will he not also along with him graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom god has chosen? It is god who justifies, who then is the 1 who condemns.

No 1. Christ Jesus who died more than that, who has raised a life is the right hand of god and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ. Anybody shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or swords? As this is written for you sake, for your sake, we face death all day long.

We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No. In all these things, we are more than Congress through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels, nor demons, neither the present, nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor death, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of god. That is in Christ Jesus our lords.

Is that not worth praising god for? Is that not incredible news that not only are you justified, but you're adopted, but that nothing can kick you out of the family of god. No matter what you do, you will always know the love of god through the lord Jesus Christ. Me, a sinner. Can have those truths?

And so Paul spells out that all people chapters 9 to 11, Jewish and gentile. Can come and know the mercy of god and know what it is to be saved into the family of god. And so what is the response for Paul? Verse 33 to 36. How can you do anything?

But sync? Verse 33 to 36 of chapter 11. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of god. How unsearchable is judgments and is passed beyond tracing out? He was known the mind of the lord, or he was ever been his counselor.

He was ever given to god that god should repay them for from him, and through him, and for him are all things to him, be the glory forever. Our men? Men, we sang our god. It's all in all. He deserves all the glory.

And that brothers and sisters is what should be in view. That is what should be in your window. That's what you should be gazing at. You know, when when people wanna succeed in things, they always have a goal. Whether it's the the professional athlete that wants to win, they have to have the goal of the prize in their eyes so that they may live.

Well, just as that is the case, we have something far greater than a gold medal. We have the very grace of god, the very mercies of the lord Jesus Christ in view. And they demand their response. Great events demand response, don't they? You see something spectacular, and you respond with awe.

Great events demand a response. And so Paul urges in verse 1 that you respond in a fitting way. What is that fitting way? Well, let's read again verse 1 of chapter 12. Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters in view of god's mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.

Holy and pleasing to god. This is your true and proper worship. Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. See, in the in the old testament part of the bible, they used to offer lots of sacrifices. The problem with those sacrifices that they all died.

So you they would cease then to exist. But here, Paul is saying to you as Christians that with the the view of god's mercy in your eyes, you've got you go and be a continual sacrifice. You continually give yourself to the lord Jesus Christ. And you're gonna be holy and pleasing. You're gonna be set apart.

You're going to be special. You're gonna be different to the world around you, and we know that because of what he says later on. That's your true and proper worship. So the word worship is the same word as service. If you wanna be a worshipper, you are gonna be a servant.

That's what the word worship means. And he says that's your true and proper worship. The word true. That word true is the word logic. I guess that's how you say it.

I'm sure there's a Greek scholar. He'll tell me off. Logic. It's used twice in scripture in in the new testament. It gets the word logos, logos, which is the word for god.

And so what it's saying is that your worship, your service is going to be fitting with the god that you worship. And so what does he say in verse 2 to drum the sin? Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind then you will be able to test and approve what god's will is. His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Do not be conformed.

The word conformed is to be fashioned or to be or to take on the outward act of being shaped, by mirroring a an existing model. It is essentially don't copy everybody else. Which is what the world does, isn't it? The world does, you know, everybody copies each other. We wanna be individuals, don't we?

But we wanna be individuals like everybody else. I don't know if you've seen Dairy Girls. It's a brilliant comedy. And there's a group of girls and and 1 boy, weirdly. And, they they've decided that on the first day of term, they're gonna wear denim jackets rather than the school blazer.

Unfortunately, for the some of the girls, they're not allowed to do it. And so then they go, okay. Well, my ma, they say, won't let me be individual. And they and there but then they see 1 of their friends who is wearing a denim jacket. And she says, what's going on?

I thought we're gonna be individual, and they said we're not allowed to be said, well, I'm not being individual on my own, but copy cats. We wanna do what everybody else is doing. We wanna think the way everybody else is thinking to listen to the music that everybody else is listening to. You know, You just remember school. You didn't wanna stand out, did you?

You wanted to wear your tie like everybody else wore a tie. You know? Like an Egypt usually. In my days, they were, like, really short. Why do people wear really short ties?

You look ridiculous. Don't be conformed to the pattern of the world. Don't speak like the world speaks. Don't listen like the world listens. Don't live for the the things that the the world lives.

Don't just outwardly paint yourself to be what everybody else looks like. No. Be transformed. Don't be conformed externally, but inwardly, be transformed. Be changed, be made into something new.

And the way you do that is by the renewing of your mind. The the mind is gonna be reprogrammed before we said that when we were sinners, we had these depraved minds that could not could not listen to god, could not glorify god, but now we know Jesus and we know the mercies of Christ. And so we can be reprogrammed and rewired to how we were meant to function and how we were meant to think and to listen. And so as we reflect on the mercies of Christ, as we meditate on his word, we will bring ourselves into line with the god of the universe. And as we grow in our understanding, then you're gonna be able to more and more give yourself in a in a way to serve god that is appropriate for him.

See, I don't know what you think when you hear the word worship. Often we think it's, you know, the band comes up and they play, and we worship in song. Worship is not confined to singing. It is singing. We've seen that haven't we in verse 33 to 36?

We should praise and lift our voices in song. But it is so much more than the singing. Worship is mind, body, and will. Worship is my whole life. It's my whole being.

It's every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month, every year. That is what worship is. It's your whole life. I said, will you worship with all of your being? Have you seen the mercy of god upon your life?

And will you act in accordance with that? Well, what does that look like? Well, here's my second point, humble service. Humble service. But with me at verse 3, for by the grace given me, I say to every 1 of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you walked, but rather think you think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the faith god has distributed to each of you.

Now that is a counter cultural thing to say to the Romans or in a Roman culture. And I think you might agree. It's quite counter cultural to what we was hearing all in our circles in our culture. Think not more do not think more highly than you warts about yourself. I mean, the Romans were all about self praise, self promotion, self reward, pride, inflated egos.

And I said the Roman culture because it's the same as our culture, isn't it? It's all about self praise, self promotion, pride, inflated egos. But Paul says, don't think like that. Don't think like that. No.

Rather, think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the faith god is distributed to each of you. Think of yourself as you as you really are. It's hard hard not to think of yourself when you've read this letter, remember who you are, a sinner. Remember that you don't deserve the grace of god upon your life. Remember that it is only for the grace of god that you go.

Remember the words of Jesus on the and his greatest sermon in the world in Matthew 5 verse 3, he says blessed are the lowly in spirits. Don't think of yourself as someone bigger and better and greater and superior to anybody else. Be humble. And that theme carries on throughout the chapter. Look verse 10.

Honor 1 another above yourselves. Verse 13, share with the law's people who are in need, the needy. Verse 16. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceded.

Be humble. Many of you will know the CS Lewis quote. Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking about yourself less. Think about yourself less and think about other people.

And so he goes on with that idea of humility. He gives us this illustration verse 4 to 5 for just as Each of us has 1 body with many members. These members do not all have the same function. So in Christ, we, though many form 1 body, and each member belongs to all the others. It's a classic Paul Paul illustration.

He loves this illustration of the body because it's so simple, and it's so easy for us to get, right? All of us in this room, I believe, have a body. Yes? Okay. Good.

So you are able to nod. That's good. We all have a body. We all have different parts of the body. I've got a hand.

I've got some fingers. I've got a head. I've got feet. We've got 1 body made up of different parts. Very simple, very simple illustration.

Then they serve different functions. The hand in my hold things and write things and throw things. The foot doesn't necessarily hold things unless you got weird feet like myself who can pick up things with my feet. Anyway, There's different different functions. And and the point that that Paul is making is that if we are in Christ, if we are connected to the lord Jesus Christ, if we have trusted in him, and if we've trusted in his death and his resurrection, we are so connected with him.

We are so united to the lord Jesus that that we become 1 body. When we trust in Christ, we're so united to him, but we're not just so united to Jesus and all that Jesus is is ours, but also we are completely connected and united with 1 another. Don't know if you've ever thought this through. I think in our age of individualism, we forget this. It's brilliant in in in 1 Corinthians later on.

Paul talks about when 1 member or 1 part of the body gets injured, we all feel it. Because we're 1 we're so united. We are so together. And so there's different members. Yes.

We are individuals, but we make up this collective, the church, the body. And so just as this physical body that I have has different members that that that that that do different things, well, the church is 1 body made of a load of different people with different gifts. Make most successful teams work on the basis that people have different roles, don't they? The best the best teams do. The best work teams know who know they know each other's roles.

They know their goal. And they they're able to get to where they need to because they they they're clear on what they're doing, and they're all united in the common goal. I I love my sport. As many of you do know. Maybe a bit too much, but I've I've really enjoyed watching the lion series.

That's rugby for those who are thinking, what is he talking about the lion series in sport? I love it because because they have a a common goal to come together as the 4 nations are off rugby, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and there's another 1. Can't remember it off the top of my head. And they come together, and they they always talk about not having 2 big egos. It's always about team first.

And and they might not make the whole squad, but they they go, well, we're still gonna work hard for the other people. That's that's a that's a successful sports team. But the church is so much bigger than a sports team. So if you hate sport, fair enough, but the church don't hate because it's much bigger. It's not just 1 1 element.

It's the whole of life that we're doing together as a church. And we've been given gifts to serve. And and and there you might be in the in the room here going, well, I don't have a gift. Well, verse 6 to 8, Paul himself disagrees with you. You think, no, I'm not gifted at all.

We'll look at what he says in verse 6 to 8. We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach.

If it is to encourage then give encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously, if it is to lead, do it diligently, if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. If you're someone sitting in the rose this morning, and you're saying Oh, I'm not gifted. We'll read that again. Every single 1 of us is gifted.

Isn't that an amazing thing? Where where some people in some environments would be cast aside and said you have nothing to offer. God says in my church, every single 1 of you is valuable. Every 1 of you is gifted, and every 1 of you is essential for my people. You are so important.

And so maybe you're not gonna prophecy, preach the word of god. Maybe you're not gonna teach. That might not be you, but certainly you can support it. And maybe there's some in this room. You should maybe think about it.

But if that isn't you, the majority of you in this room, I believe, just by looking at you, unless my eyes are deceiving me, have arms. Right? Yes? Hands and arms will use them. Use them.

You can use your arms and hands and feet to serve people in this church. You can pick up a chair. Can you pick up a chair? 1 of my sorry. 1 of my favorite stories.

Is when Chris Chris Tilley, 1 of our elders came to the church and he become a become a Christian and he came up to 1 of our elders at the time, Dave Redington, who's gone gone to be with the lord. And he said, Dave, I really wanna serve. I may and I don't know if T Tilly says he he thought, I maybe I'll I'll be on the preaching router next week. And Dave Redington gave him a black bin bag and said, there you go. That's what you serve.

I remember, in the old days before we were here, we're in Beatlesersford, and, you didn't need to be on a roader to serve. So 1 of the reasons I I think some of our young people are exemplary. They're not on a road, and they just get get mucky. But when we were in, we didn't use to have any storage space, and we used to have to we used to have, like, the most humongous speakers and kit. And it was ridiculous.

And at the end of the evening, we were like, right. We need to set down. And so we were like, log in these massive speakers upstairs, and and you think, my goodness, but it was fantastic because we were serving 1 another. Can you serve? Can you encourage?

Hopefully, your facial twitch muscles work so that you can turn that frown upside down if you're frowning. Can you smile? Can not not just sit in the sit on the on the front row or on on the rows and and sort of, you know, don't just go to sleep. Yeah. Encourage me.

Encourage me by nodding even if you don't agree. You can encourage. You can encourage your fellow brothers and sisters. Say, come on. Let's go.

Let's live for Jesus. Come on. Let's go and serve together. Shall we serve together? Shall we go and tell someone about Jesus?

Whoa. Can you use your your voice and go and talk to somebody that you haven't talked to before and make them feel welcome? In this place? Can you give? You've all got stuff to give?

Money? Oh, time, energy, possessions. Give generously. Do you see that generously means open handed and and lovingly. If it's to lead or to provide, do it diligently.

If it's to show mercy, do it cheerfully, not begrudgingly. I suppose I must give you mercy for I have been given mercy, but I don't want to give you mercy. No. Don't do that. I'll give you mercy cheerfully.

Every 1 of you, if you are united to the lord Jesus Christ, are united together. And so your worship is to serve 1 another in the ways that the lord has gifted you. And so Paul, there goes to spell that out in more practical ways. Verse 9, he says love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good.

It's agape love. It's unconditional, sacrificial love must be without hypocrisy. It must be with integrity. And the opposite he doesn't do the opposite to love is hate. In fact, he puts love and hate together, didn't he?

So in my desire to love you, I must hate what is evil. And cling cleave to what is good. It's like be glued together. It's like being stitched together. Be devoted in brotherly love.

It's not just a dutiful and miserable if I have to. This is a I have been loved beyond imagination. I have been served beyond imagination. I'm gonna be loving my brothers and sisters in Christ. Be joyful in hope.

Be a joy. Be patient in affliction. You might think, oh, to be patient in affliction is just for me. Being patient in affliction is not just for you. It's for me too.

I have been hugely shaped, I think, in my understanding of what suffering is by brothers and sisters in Christ. Talked about Dave Redington the other just before before Dave Redington went to be with the lords. He was just incredible. He would use it to encourage us. I remember 1 time we're in a prayer meeting and he was like, this was 1 of the worst weeks of my life, but that's in the past.

Jesus is in the in the in the future, and he pointed us to Jesus the whole time. There are all the people in this church who are suffering who use their suffering to say I am patient in this, and they point us to Jesus. In my own family, my own family, my mother's had cancer 3 times. The last time they thought it was I mean, it wasn't, but they thought that she's alive. They thought it was it, and I remember my dad saying to me, we need to get our church ready.

And he was thinking not not about himself. Not even just about the family was thinking about the body of believers and thinking, how do I get people ready for the day that they meet their maker? Be patient in affliction. Be faithful in prayer. There's nothing greater that you can do than pray.

That's what Tom said today. There's always things that we can do There is nothing more important than bringing our requests to the father to bring brothers and sisters to the lord Jesus. Verse 13, share with the lord's people who are in need practice hospitality. Brothers and sisters, will you open up your lives and your homes to people to share with them. Verse 15, rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn.

That's a great thing to be. Very easy when people have success to be jealous and to sort of cut them down and say, well, they weren't that good. Now, rejoice with them. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Even if it's hard, because it can be hard, especially when someone gets something that you don't have.

Paul says rejoice. Moren with those who mourn. Our brothers and sisters who are in pain, we mourn with you. Don't be cold and isolated. Don't be worried that you don't know what to say, but get in the get in there with them and mourn with them.

Pre with them. Verse 16. Live in harmony with 1 another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceded.

That's radical. To be willing to be associated with those that are marginalized or who are of low position. I've said this before. I love it when I see, like, people who are who are quite big in, like, they've been big in business world or charities or they're a bit older, and yet they still go out and serve in Cornerstone kids. They're willing to, like, put up with, like, a 4 year old.

What the heck's that about? That must be supernatural, isn't it? So when you're thinking, yeah, I know some of the 4 year olds, it absolutely is. But that word that you might notice, the footnote says, are willing to do menial work. That's following our lord Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus Christ was willing to do the menial work in Philipp too. It's 1 of the greatest chapters in in my eyes in that that that tracks the lord Jesus from going from being the god of the universe all the way to a human servant that he would do the most dirty of jobs and getting down on his knees and washing his disciples feet. A job that would be only reserved for the lowest of the low. Yet Jesus was willing to do it. Are you willing to do the menial task?

Or do you just want the job that looks great and everybody loves you? This is what service in the church looks like. And so, can I encourage you to serve and to worship? Let me say this. Worship or service, because they're the same word.

Starts with presence. You can't serve if you're not here. You can't serve in these ways if you're not with people. You need to be present, and that's the start of your service. Sitting here is serving because you're serving each other that you would come and be a part of of this this worship together that you would listen and you would sing together is serving 1 another.

And for many of you, and and there are some of you, sorry. Like, you may think actually and you you're coming to the end. It's your twilight years. And you think, well, I can't really do much anymore. And maybe I'm just in the way.

Can I just say brothers and sisters, is that is you? The fact that you are here is that 1 of the greatest encouragement to my soul that there is, that you, after years of serving Jesus and his people, would come and still sit in this in in in the rows and listen to the preaching of god's word. And I know that there are some who do that. Be encouraged brother and sister. And we thank you.

I remember We had a, I don't know. This is story time of Cornerstone. I do apologize. We had a a man from Camry, when they came when we joined with Camry Park. His name was Doug.

Doug was, was 1 of my biggest fans. I don't know why. It certainly wasn't, any I don't know why. And Doug was all much older in years, but he would come to me and say, when are you next preaching? I thought gosh, Let's give this man insight.

No. He was calm. He said, when are you next preaching? I love your preaching. And they would come to me and say, Rory, I'm I'm too old.

I'm I'm no use anymore. And I've said as you say Doug, That is rubbish. The fact that you come. We and he used to come morning and evening, and he was, like, 90 something, I think, maybe. And he could morning and evening and sit and listen and encourage people to go and live for the lord Jesus Christ, and he would pray for brothers and sisters.

And that's why I love that man. So is that not something you wanna aspire to be younger people? Young people aspire to be Doug Wilson. But for some of you, service doesn't just stop with presence. And so maybe you need to think through how will I serve the lord's people?

How will I go on? I don't just need to be on rotors. And as you serve and as your faithful, the lord jesus will bless you with more. Verse 11 says never be lacking in zeal. But keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord.

That can be translated as be set on fire by the spirit. Blazing with, like, desire to go and serve god's people. Be radical, be devoted, be committed. So so viewing the lord Jesus Christ and how radical he was in the way that he dealt with your sin to bring you to a saving knowledge of himself. Be radical in the way that you serve your brothers and sisters.

So what about you? Have you viewed the mercies of God? You viewed them. Maybe today was the first time that you really understood or you heard that you are loved more than you could ever fathom that you have been served by the lord Jesus Christ and the fact that he would be willing to give his life and lay it down to bring you to salvation, to bring you and make you just a innocent in god's eyes to bring you into the family of god. Maybe that's the first time this morning.

And so if that is you, then the way that you access justification, adoption assurance, is by faith in Jesus Christ. Come and see him and come and trust in him. And, Christian, keep that in view. Keep that at the forefront. Keep that ever present in front of you and go and serve his people.

How will you serve? Christ's body? How will you love as you have been loved? 1 of the my favorite songs of and I'll finish on this is that when I survey the Wanders Cross, it's a beautiful song. But the last verse of that is were the whole realm of Nature Mine that were a tribute or offering far too small.

Love so amazing. So divine demands my soul, my life, my all. Let's pray. Father, we thank you, so much for your words. And we thank you that you are an incredibly gracious and merciful god.

We thank you for the reminder of what the lord Jesus Christ has done in sacrificing himself the perfect man who was willing to die so that we may be declared just. We though so sinful We, though, even though we were your enemies, that Jesus would die so that we may be declared innocence, but not just that, that we may be able to call you the god of the universe father. And so we pray that you will give us such a vision of these mercies that we will offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, that we will remember that Christ is so united to us, and we are so united to 1 another that we will go and that we will serve 1 another for we have understood how loved and how served we have been. Let us be those who serve and love each other. We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.