28th April 2025

28th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Philippians 1:7-8)


Message (Alan Burke) 


I’ve seen the gospel bring transformation in peoples lives, some of whom when I have met years later I’m left with my mouth open, stunned by what the Lord has done. It is easy to read these verses and forget the transformation that had taken place in Paul. He was once called Saul and was a Pharisee and known for his hatred of Christian’s, he persecuted the church, people lived in fear of him. But it was by the grace of God that he was transformed. He was called by Jesus while he was on the way to Damascus to be an apostle (Acts 9:3-19), and the Lord had used him as  his instrument to take to the gospel to the gentiles (Acts 9:15) which included the church in Philippi to whom he writes.


This was a transformation that came because of the work of Grace in his life it was obvious, a visible 180 degree turn in the direction he was heading, the man once with a personal mission to destroy the church became a man planting and building up the church of Christ. He was one once filled with hate for Christian’s but transformed into one so filled with love for them that they are held in his heart. For us it confronts us with likewise how there should be a transformation within us, a transformation that should be seen in how we live and love, how we feel about and how we treat those around us, we should hold our brothers and sisters in our heart. 


In 1 John 4 we are told; If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother (1 Jn 4:20–21). Our love of Christ, our union with him leads to a response in our lives in how we live and love. If we have saving faith we know the love that has been shown to us by the Lord our God, that even though we were unlovable, his committed enemies, we were sinners who did not love the Lord our God. What happens that enables us to love is that the Lord changes our hearts and enables us to love him. It changes us inwardly from being naturally opposed to the Lord and his people to being enabled to love him and his people. That was the change that took place in Paul and for us as believers here in this place we are to share a love for one another in Christ Jesus. 


Think of the words of Jesus to his disciples in John 13, when he said; 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jn 13:34–35. For us can we say that we have those around us in our heart as Paul said to the church in Philippi? Do we pray for our brothers and sisters in the pews around us, do we seek to encourage them in their faith, to cheer them on as they race to the finish line? I would say if we are honest to that question we know that there is much work for the Lord still to do in us and there are times that all we want to do is hi five their face but for us we should always remember the wonder of what Christ has done. How he gave his life willingly for we who are his enemies, that love that will never let us down, that will never cast us aside, that does not grow or wain, ebb or flow, grow stronger or weaker it is intrinsic to the very nature of God and he loves you child of God. What love has been shown to us and that love should be our motivation in how we love.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q69 What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.
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