Children of God

Alright, so we're reading from 1 John chapter 2 starting at verse 28 through to 310.

1 John 2 · chapter mention

And now little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence

and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness

has been born of him.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God

and so we are.

The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Beloved, we are God's children now and what we will be has not yet appeared, but what

we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness.

Sin is lawlessness.

You know that he appeared in order to take away sins and in him there is no sin.

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning.

No one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

Little children, let no one deceive you.

Whoever practices righteousness is righteous as he is righteous.

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.

For the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning.

But God's seed abides in him and he cannot keep on sinning.

Because he has been born of God.

By this it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil.

Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God.

Nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Well good morning everyone.

Why don't we pray and ask God to help us as we meditate on his word this morning.

Heavenly Father please prepare our hearts to receive your word this morning.

Remove every distraction from our minds.

And please give us true thoughts.

Thoughts that will encourage and strengthen us in our faith.

In Jesus name.

Amen.

Well in the last couple of years my wife Jen has gone into gardening in a big way.

Some of you know this because she probably talks to you about her garden constantly.

And in fact the owner of an online business last year told Jen that she, this is a business selling seeds and tubers and the like.

Last year told Jen that she is her best customer.

I mean I don't know, I probably should feel a bit worried about that.

But our backyard is slowly being transformed.

So garden beds have gone in and lawn is disappearing.

The clothesline is under siege.

Like it is being besieged by garden beds and there are threats that it needs to be moved to a shadier part of the yard.

Because apparently flowers need sun more than laundry does.

I don't really get it.

For now there's sort of a line of demarcation at the 17th parallel.

Where you know the gardens, sort of a truce has been established, a temporary truce.

Garden beds are to the north and lawn to the south.

But I think the garden beds will start making incursions across that boundary soon.

It's, I mean, you look at our backyard and actually over summer there's been sort of splashes of colour everywhere from flowers.

But probably more green than other colours.

I think it's been a bad season apparently.

So she tells me.

But anyway, in any case, you look at our backyard and it tells a story, right?

The transformation of our backyard tells a story.

A gardener lives here.

Likewise, the transformation that takes place in the life of a Christian tells a story.

God lives here.

For any who are here this morning who are undecided about whether or not you want to be a Christian,

I hope you see in this passage some reasons why it's good.

And for those here today, many of us who are Christians already, who are believers,

well, you probably already know in theory that God's spirit is transforming you.

But sometimes we forget that, don't we?

Sometimes the change is so slow.

Sometimes it's punctuated by so many reversals that we begin to despair.

Is God really transforming me?

Well, this passage is given to encourage us.

In God's word today, we see three realities that utterly transform those who trust in Jesus.

Three realities that utterly transform those who trust in Jesus.

The reality of who you are, the reality of what you will be, and the reality of what Christ has done.

And we find those three realities in chapter 3, verses 1 to 6.

And that's where we're going to start.

And then afterwards, we're going to look just before and after those verses, the frame,

which kind of tells us why John was teaching us these things.

But first, we're going to occupy our minds with chapter 3, verses 1 to 6,

and those three life-transforming realities.

Now, I just want to say to the young people who are here today,

so if you're at school, young people here today,

if you can work out what these three things are and remember them,

come and tell me afterwards and I'll give you...

Well, actually, I won't give you a lolly because that's Don's...

I don't want to sort of tread on Don's territory.

I'll give you a high five, right?

So these are the three things to look out for.

Who are you?

What will you one day be?

And what has Christ done?

They're the three things I'm trying to remember, okay?

All right, first, the reality of who you are.

Look at chapter 2, verse 29.

Chapter 2, verse 29.

If you know that he is righteous,

you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness

has been born of him.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us

that we should be called children of God

and so we are.

The reason why the world does not know us

is that it did not know him.

Here, the word of God invites us to marvel

at the highest privilege of the Christian.

You know, think of what we might have been called.

We might have been called God's enemies.

Indeed, Romans chapter 5, verse 10 says

Romans 5:10

that we were God's enemies.

But no longer.

It's not God's pleasure or will

that we should be called his enemies.

We might be called God's creatures

and we are his creatures.

He's the maker.

We're his handiwork.

He's the potter.

We're the clay.

But it's not God's desire

that we should only be called his creatures.

We might be called God's servants

and we are.

He is the Lord.

It's his to command.

It's ours to obey.

It's his to lead.

It's ours to follow.

But it wasn't God's delight

that we should only be called his servants.

We might be called God's people

and we are.

Indeed, the Old Testament rarely reaches higher than that.

It's the goal of the promise to the patriarchs,

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

It's the goal of the covenant established with Abraham

and established at Sinai, the Old Covenant,

that he should be our God and we should be his people.

But even that wasn't sufficient for the joy of God.

God's will and pleasure and delight and joy is that we should be called his children

and that we might call him our father.

And when God calls us his children,

it's no mere label awkwardly placed where it doesn't really belong.

So verse 1 says,

see what kind of love the father has given us

that we should be called children of God

and so we are.

The so we are there doesn't mean

so we are called his children.

It means so we are his children.

God calls us his children because we are his children.

Now this most profound and wondrous truth about you

is something the world can't perceive and can't comprehend.

See, the world does not know us, verse 1 says.

It can only be perceived by those who know God.

Because the world doesn't know God,

it doesn't recognise us.

It can't recognise us as God's children

because it doesn't recognise who God is.

But we know it because God promises it to us in the word.

For us, this honour,

for us, this place of security and privilege

privilege and intimate access,

we are God's children.

There's a famous series of photographs

of John F. Kennedy

when he's American president

and he's in the Oval Office

working at the desk,

the resolute desk.

Apparently that's what the president's desk is called.

That's a good name for a desk.

But he's in the Oval Office

at the president's desk

and there,

playing at his feet,

hiding under the desk,

is his son,

John Jr.

You know,

such is God the Father.

Such we are, rather,

to God the Father.

We are scions of the great king.

We are the cherished toddlers

of the emperor of heaven and earth.

What love is this?

What grace beyond measure?

May we never tire of hearing it.

Bilquis Sheath

was a prominent Pakistani Muslim woman

who became a Christian

on Christmas Eve 1966

and she went on to be an evangelist.

And she wrote a book

sharing her testimony

of how she became a Christian,

an autobiography,

and she called that book,

the title she gave it is,

I Dared to Call Him Father.

It's a privilege

she had never previously known.

Now, in some other parts

of the New Testament,

for example,

Paul's epistles,

we are God's children

by adoption.

He adopts us as his children.

Here, however,

in 1 John,

we are God's children

by birth,

by new birth.

We are,

verse 28,

born of him.

Sorry,

verse 29,

we are born of him.

And this new birth

is for all

who belong to Jesus.

As it says in John chapter 1,

John 1 · chapter mention

John's Gospel,

that is,

Isaiah 1:12

chapter 1,

verses 12 and 13,

but to all who did receive him,

who believed in his name,

he gave the right

to become children of God,

who were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but born of God.

For all who believe in Jesus,

this is the reality

of who you are.

You are a child of God.

And the further point

God's word makes here

is that this is a reality

which transforms you.

Look at verse 29 again.

If you know that he is righteous,

you may be sure

that everyone who practices righteousness

has been born of him.

See, there's a family likeness

which cannot but pass down

from the father to his children.

By nature and by nurture,

by genetics and by unconscious imitation,

children come to resemble their parents.

You know,

we see that in our earthly children.

I see it in my children.

Sometimes I wish I didn't.

But there's nothing to be regretted

in the family likeness

that passes from God the father

to the children who are born of him.

For that family likeness

is his righteousness.

If we know he is righteous,

you may be sure that

everyone who practices righteousness

has been born of him.

Once we're born again

as God's children,

it is inevitable

that we will come

to resemble our father.

If he's righteous,

then we shall learn

to do what's right.

You see that same idea

in chapter 3 verse 9.

Chapter 3 verse 9.

No one born of God

makes a practice of sinning

for God's seed abides in him

and he cannot keep on sinning

because he has been born of God.

Now on an initial reading,

I find that unsettling.

If I take just chapter 3 verse 9

out of context,

it doesn't comfort me,

it alarms me,

it terrifies me.

For I still do sin.

So does that mean

I'm not a child of God?

Does even a single sin

post-conversion

disqualify me

as one of God's children?

If that's the case,

then I would live

in a state of constant anxiety

and insecurity

and despair.

But in the context

of John's epistle here,

that can't be what it means

because back in chapter 1

verses 8 and 10,

and you can look at those

with me if you like,

chapter 1 verse 8 and 10,

John writes,

if we say we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves

and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins,

he's faithful and just

to forgive us our sins

and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness.

If we say we have not sinned,

we make him a liar

and his word is not in us.

So those verses in chapter 1

say both that all of us

have both a principle of sin

dwelling in us still,

as well as specific sins.

sins of which we're guilty.

So none of us are sinless

and perfect yet.

So if here in chapter 3

John isn't claiming

that the Christian

is already sinless,

then what is he saying?

He's talking about

what is the defining reality

of your life,

the defining quality

of your life,

your central

and controlling disposition.

And if you're a child of God,

and you are,

if you believe in Jesus,

if you're a child of God,

then sin will not define you.

Those God makes his children

in name,

he must also make his children

in nature.

He cannot

and will not

leave you as you are.

He takes us

from the house of sin

and we are born again

into the house

of his righteousness

with the stamp

of our Father's nature

upon us.

This then

is the first reality

that

utterly transforms

us.

us.

The reality

of who we are.

We are children

of a righteous Father.

The second

reality

that transforms

all who trust

in Jesus

is the reality

of what you will be.

The reality

of what you will be.

Look at chapter 3

verses 2 and 3.

Beloved,

we are God's children

now

and what we will be

has not yet

appeared.

But we know

that when he appears

we will be like him

because we shall see him

as he is.

And everyone

who thus hopes

in him

purifies himself

as he is pure.

In verse 2

you'll see

there's a shift.

There's a shift

from talking about

what we already are

now we are

God's children

what we already are

to talking about

what we will

one day

be.

What we will be

has not yet

appeared

it says.

That is

what we will be

has not yet

been made manifest.

It's not yet

been revealed.

It's not yet

been made known.

Now certainly

it's not yet

been made known

to the world.

Now as you

walk down the street

or go to

Stockland,

Glendale

or

Westfield,

Qatar

or whatever it is

you shop

and walk through

the shopping centre

through Woolies,

you know

people aren't

they don't

stop and marvel

at you

as you walk

by and go

wow

this person

is an everlasting

splendour

to borrow a phrase

from C.S. Lewis.

I mean people

it's not yet revealed

what you will be

right

to the world

but

it's not even yet

fully revealed

to us.

It's not even

yet fully made

known to us

what we will be.

Do you know

you who are

mortal

what it will be

like when you're

clothed in

immortality?

Do you know

you with your

perishable body

what it will be

like when you

are raised

imperishable?

Do you

sown in

dishonour?

No

what it will

be when you

are raised

in glory?

There's a song

by Mercy Me

I Can Only

Imagine.

Do you know

the song?

It starts

like this

I can only

imagine

what it will

be like

and so it

is.

Now we can

imagine it

but we don't

fully see it

yet.

but one

thing we do

know

we know

that when

Christ

appears

we shall

be like

him

because we

shall see

him as he

is.

Is he

full of

compassion?

Then so

too will we

be.

Is he

gentle?

Then all

harshness will

flee from

us.

Is he

kind?

Then we

will outshine

Mother Teresa.

When we

see Jesus

as he

truly is

that vision

of his

infinite

glory and

goodness

will change

us in an

instant.

Because we

humans we're

worshipping

creatures.

We can't

help but find

things to

worship.

We're driven

by delight.

We lock

on to

things we

perceive as

good and

we pursue

them.

In the

garden Satan

deceived Eve

to sin

or rather

Satan

enticed

Eve to

sin by

deceiving

her.

By deceiving

her such

that she

came to

see the

world in

a different

place.

she came

to desire

the fruit

that God

had forbidden

to perceive

as good

what in

reality was

evil.

That's the

same with

us.

When we

sin it's

because we've

been seduced

by some

counterfeit

vision of

what is

good.

So you

tell a

lie.

Why do

you tell

a lie?

Because you

desire to

preserve your

reputation.

You want to

avoid embarrassment.

So you

lie about

something.

In that

moment you

can't see

that a

good name

is not

a good

name if

it's

false.

And your

disordered

desire leads

you to

sin.

Or you're

greedy.

You know

at a

shared meal

you take

too much

for yourself

disregarding

those who

are to

follow.

In that

moment you

can't see

that serving

others is

better than

serving

yourself.

That a

full heart

is better

than a

full belly.

Your

disordered

desire leads

you to

sin.

But when

we see

Jesus as

he is,

when we

behold

Christ in

all his

perfection,

when our

senses are

filled with

his supreme

goodness,

all those

little

deceptions to

which we're

prone in

the present,

they'll all

be exposed.

His light

will drive

out every

shadow.

when we

drink from

the fountain,

we'll

never return

to the

stagnant

pools.

When we

behold his

beauty,

we'll never

again desire

what is

hideous.

When we

delight in

the sun,

we will

never again

find pleasure

in an

idol.

There'll

come a

time when

you will

never have

to hold

your tongue

because

there'll

never be

anything

that provokes

you to

anger or

to speak

harshly.

There'll

come a

time when

you'll

never again

have to

look away

because

there'll

never be

anything to

tempt you

to impurity.

Everything

you see

will be

infused

with Christ.

And even

just knowing

that we

shall be

like him,

that has

an effect

on us

now.

That future

reaches back

into the

present and

awakens better

desires within

us.

See verse

three again?

And everyone

who thus

hopes in

him

purifies

himself as

he is

pure.

We don't

yet have

that full

unhindered

sight of

Christ and

what we

will be.

How will

we like

him?

But we

do have

his promise.

We do

have this

hope.

We

might not

see his

form but

we hear

his voice.

We might

not have

the vision

before our

eyes but

we at

least have

one for

our minds,

our imagination

and we're

drawn towards

it.

We're drawn

onwards.

We long

to be now

what we

will be

then.

And so

even now

that future

reaches back

and transforms

the present.

Everyone who

hopes thus

purifies himself

as he is

pure.

the more

we

contemplate

Christ

and the

reality of

what we

will be

the more

we become

like him

even now.

This then

is the

second reality

that transforms

us.

The reality

of what

we will

be.

We shall

be like

him or

we shall

see him

as he

is.

The third

reality that

transforms us

is the

reality of

what Christ

has done.

What Christ

has done.

Look at

three verses

four to six.

everyone who

makes a

practice of

sinning

also

practices

lawlessness.

Sin is

lawlessness.

You know

that he

appeared to

take away

sins and

in him

there is

no sin.

No one

who abides

in him

keeps on

sinning.

No one

who keeps

on sinning

has either

seen him

or known

him.

Verse

four gives

us a

definition

of sin

as John

is using

the word

in this

passage.

Sin is

lawlessness

John says.

Now John

is not just

talking about

particular

sins,

individual

sins,

he's talking

about the

root of

sin.

Sin is

lawlessness.

It's living

as an

outlaw.

It's

disregarding the

rule of

God's kingdom.

It's

disregarding the

commands of

our Lord.

heart.

It's the

heart that

says I'll

do it

my way.

I don't

care what

God says.

I don't

care what

anyone says.

I'll pay no

attention to

him.

Sin is

lawlessness.

It's

living as

a rebel.

Verse

five tells

us that

Christ

appeared in

order to

take away

our sins.

Christ's

coming,

Christ's

perfect life,

in him there

was no

sin,

Christ's

atoning death,

Christ's

resurrection to

new life,

all of

that is

with the

goal and

the outcome

that he

might take

away our

sins.

Now that

Christ takes

away our

sins means

in the first

instance that

it means that

he takes

away the

penalty of

our sins.

We are

truly and

completely

forgiven.

But it

also means

that he

takes away

our sins

themselves.

so long

as any

sin remains

in us,

as it

does in

the

present,

but so

long as

any sin

remains in

us,

there is

an aspect

of the

achievement

of the

cross that

has not

yet been

fully

realised.

Verse

six,

no one

who abides

in him

keeps on

sinning.

It's

impossible

to live

in,

to abide

in,

the one

who appeared

to take

away sins

and not

have your

sins taken

away.

If he

came to

take away

sins and

were in

him,

then he

will take

away our

sins.

Verse

eight says,

the reason

the son of

God appeared

was to

destroy the

works of

the devil.

It's

impossible to

be united

with the

one who

destroys the

works of

the devil

and not

have the

devil's

works

destroyed in

our

lives.

What

Christ has

already

done when

he first

appeared

must have

its full

outworking.

It must

have its

full effect.

The

achievement

of the

cross

cannot be

reversed.

What

Christ has

done

cannot be

undone.

Like a

domino chain,

if the

first domino

has fallen,

then the

rest must

follow.

If Christ

has taken

away your

sin,

then he

will take

away your

sin.

Anything

else is

unthinkable.

Jesus

didn't suffer

so that

sin might

be ignored.

He suffered

so that

sin might

be destroyed.

He didn't

die and

rise again

so that

sin might

be tolerated.

He died

and rose

so that

sin might

be uprooted.

And if

that's what

Christ has

done,

then the

power of

sin must

be shattered

in the

life of

the believer.

power.

Here

then are

three realities

that utterly

transform all

who believe

in Jesus.

The reality

of who

we are.

We are

children of

God.

The reality

of what

you will

be,

we will

be,

we will

be like

him.

And the

reality of

what Christ

has done.

He appeared

to take

away sin,

to destroy

the devil's

work.

And the

reason John

reminds his

readers of

these three

realities is

given in

the surrounding

frame.

So 2

verse 28,

3 verses 7

to 10.

We're going

to look at

that briefly.

Look at

chapter 2

verse 28.

And now

little children,

abide in

him,

remain in

him,

continue in

him,

and now

little children,

abide in

him so that

when he

appears,

we may

have

confidence

and not

shrink back

from him

in shame

at his

coming.

You could

summarise

verse 28

in this

way.

Be

Christ

now

that you

might be

Christ

then.

Be

Christ

now

that you

might be

Christ

then.

See,

this is

nothing less

than the

chief goal

of the

Christian.

If

Christ

is the

highest

treasure,

and he

is,

then the

goal of

the

non-Christian

is to

find

Christ,

and the

goal of

the

Christian

is to

keep

Christ.

If you

have

Christ,

then you

have all

that belongs

to Christ,

and since

all belongs

to Christ,

if you

have Christ,

you have

all.

Whatever

else happens

in life is

trivial compared

to this,

that you

are found

in Christ

when he

comes.

And the

way to

be found

in Christ

when he

comes is

to remain

in Christ

while you

wait.

For a

short time,

for a

short time

many years

ago, I

was attending

a congregation

of the

Chinese Christian

Church in

Milsons Point

in Sydney.

It was kind

of between

pastors,

and they're

sort of working

out what to

do as an

English-speaking

congregation,

and at

the time

they had

David Cook

coming and

sort of looking

after the

congregation and

preaching,

and David

Cook was the

principal of

Sydney Missionary

Bible College

at the time.

So I was

going along,

David Cook

was there,

and I

remember a

conversation

that took

place after

the church

service,

and David

Cook was

chatting with

a few

people,

and he

was talking

about how

he'd been

trying to

come up

with a

catchphrase,

like a

summary for

the New

Testament,

or really

for the

Bible.

I think

for the

New Testament

I think

it was,

a catchphrase

for the

New Testament,

so like a

slogan,

just a few

words,

a meme or

something if

you like we

might say

that captures

the message

of the

New Testament

in as few

words as

possible.

And so we

said,

look,

what have you

come up

with?

And he

said this

was his

proposal,

this is like

the New

Testament's

version of

just do it

for Nike

or something

like that,

right?

What is it

for the

New Testament?

This is

David Cook's

thought.

Come,

stay.

That's the

message of

the New

Testament.

Come,

stay.

Abide in

him.

Continue

in

him.

If you

want to

get to

Italy,

you must

get on

an airplane

and you

must remain

in the

airplane

until it

lands in

Rome.

There's no

point exiting

the plane

mid-flight.

That will

do you no

good.

Likewise,

Christian,

to arrive

at your

destination,

abide in

him.

Remain in

him.

The reason

this message

was so

urgent for

the believers

to whom

John wrote

is that

there were

many who

had not

continued in

him.

Many who

had not

remained.

Look at

chapter 2

verse 19.

Chapter 2

verse 19

where John

talks about

some of

these.

2 verse 19,

they went

out from

us,

but they

were not

of us.

For if they

had been

of us,

they would

have continued

with us,

but they

went out,

that it

might become

plain that

they all

are not

of us.

See,

there were

those who

hadn't

continued,

who hadn't

remained,

and what's

more,

those who

had departed

in John's

time,

those who

had departed

were influencing

those who

remained.

Those who

remained

were having

doubts.

Maybe they're

right.

Maybe I

should leave

too.

The same

is true

today.

I've been

a Christian

for almost

35 years.

But in

the last

few years,

more than

any time I

can remember,

there has

been a

chorus of

those who

have

departed

attempting

to influence

those who

remain.

Last year,

I was

listening to

a podcast.

I won't

tell you the

exact name

of the

podcast,

but let's

call the

podcast

Leaving

Church.

That's

close to

its name,

Leaving

Church.

And it

consists of

interviews with

people who

have walked

away from

church and

walked away

from Jesus.

And many

of the

stories are

tragic.

In some

cases,

it's

actually the

sin and

failings of

Christians in

the church

that is

largely to

blame for

people being

disillusioned and

leaving.

It's easy to

sympathise with

those who've

departed, to

see things from

their point of

view.

And they

want others to

depart too.

Each of the

episodes of that

podcast, the

host signs off

in this way,

keep leaving.

But God's

word for

first century

believers and

God's word for

21st century

believers is

abide in

him.

Continue

in

him.

And

God said to

them and he

said to us,

he says to

us, verse

seven, chapter

three, verse

seven, little

children, let

no one deceive

you.

Let no one

deceive you.

And so God

here in this

passage invites

us to compare

and to consider

these two

groups, those

who had

departed and

those who

remained.

And consider

where do you

see the power

that produces

godliness at

work?

Chapter

three, verse

seven, little

children, let

no one deceive

you.

Whoever

practices

righteousness is

righteous as

he is

righteous.

Whoever

makes a

practice of

sinning is

of the

devil.

Three, verse

ten, by

this it is

evident who

are the

children of

God and

who are the

children of

the devil.

Whoever

does not

practice

righteousness

is not

of God,

nor is

the one

who does

not love

his

brother.

If you're

tempted to

follow those

who abandon

Jesus, well

just consider

where do you

see the

power that

produces

godliness at

work?

Is it in

those who've

departed?

Or is

it in

those who

remain?

Is it in

those who

turn their

back on

Christ?

Or is

it among

those who

cling to

Jesus still?

You'll find

perfection in

neither place,

that there are

no perfect

people this

side of

Jesus'

return, but

you will

discern a

different power,

I believe,

at work in

each?

Where do

you see

malice and

spite and

vitriol?

And where

do you see

those who,

where do you

find those who

prize patience

and gentleness?

Where do you

see reckless

living and

coarse language?

And where

soberness and

wholesome speech?

Think,

where is the

power that

produces

godliness at

work?

You know, I

look around the

community of

those who

cling to

Christ and

I see the

power that

produces

godliness at

work.

I can think

back over the

course of my

35 years as a

Christian and

one of the

things that has

drawn me on

is in each

church I've

been, in each

place I've

been, to see

those who are

further along the

path and to

see how their

lives have been

transformed.

I think of

when I was in

high school,

Ruth Howard,

now Ruth

Flanagan, who

was a high

school teacher.

I was lost.

She was full of

kindness and the

joy of the

spirit, a life

transformed.

I think when I

was at

Willoughby,

Anglican Church,

of Paul

Bayliss, the

minister, a

humble man, a

man of faith, a

man who lived

on his knees

in prayer, and

of Sheila

Spencer, an

evangelist who

loved God's

word with a

heart for the

lost, lives

transformed.

At

Erinner, I

think of

Margaret Dodd,

a retired

woman who

we were meeting

in a high

school and

she'd come in

each morning and

clean the high

school toilets

for the sake

of the church.

And

Royce Warner,

in his final

years, who

could hardly see

anything before

his eyes and

yet he could

see heaven.

Lives

transformed.

At

Narenburn, I

think of Reg

Becker, faithful

until the end,

now with the

Lord.

When I've

preached this

message in other

churches, the

example I gave

at this point

was not from

churches I've

been at in the

past, but

from here.

You know,

someone here, I

won't name them

because I

think that would

probably embarrass

them, but you

know, you can

go and look it

up online if you

like.

But just think,

here among us,

right, even here

among us, consider

those who have

remained in Christ

50, 60

years, or even

more, the

senior brothers and

sisters among

us, who have

something better to

live for than the

fleeting pleasures of

this life, who have

endured hardship and

loss, who are sound in

speech and upright in

conduct, who serve with

what strength God gives

them as long as they

can, and who wait in

hope for Christ's return.

And just consider men

and women, brothers and

sisters, lives transformed

by the reality of who

they are, the reality of

what they will be, and

the reality of what

Christ has done.

And all that is just the

first fruits.

All that is just the

beginning of the

splendour which Christ is

working in us.

So if you're disheartened

about your progress in

godliness, if you're

discouraged at the

slowness of your

sanctification, continue

in him.

For you will bear your

father's likeness, and you

will be like your Lord, and

what Christ has done will

have its full effect in

you.

come, stay.

Will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father, what a

tremendous privilege, even

that, that we can call you

our father, and that we are

your children, born of you.

Lord, please do produce in

us the likeness of your

righteousness.

We thank you for sending

your son, Jesus Christ, for

the testimony we have of

him.

And thank you that we don't

only have testimony, but one

day we will see him face to

face.

We will see him as he is, and

in that moment, we will be

transformed.

And so purify us, even

now, make us more like our

Lord.

And we thank you for what

Christ has done through his

death and resurrection, that

he came to take away sins.

Well, Father, please take away

sin from our lives.

As we are completely

forgiven, so sanctify and

transform us.

Help us to cling to Jesus

throughout whatever ups and

downs and hardships life may

bring, and whatever