My name is Matt Frey and I want to welcome you to Winter Grace.
I have the privilege of serving as one of the pastors here at
PCPC, and we're really delighted that you are here with us this
morning. Winter Grace is our church's
annual on campus retreat for our congregation.
It features a variety of activities centered around some
key theme of God's grace in our lives.
The first Winter Grace I learned this week, the first winter
grace was actually 30 years ago, 1996.
Alec Moitier was the guest preacher.
Some of you may have been there and enjoyed that.
For the last several years, Winter Grace has not only
included special worship services and a guest preacher,
but has also included times of fellowship and teaching.
That's part of what we're doing this morning.
Beautiful music. There will be a concert this
evening with Sandra McCracken. It's not too late to register
for tickets and and and time together that in several
different ways we might emphasize and and embody the
themes of God's grace that we're focused on.
Before I introduce our guest preacher for this weekend to
lead us in devotions this morning, I want to say just a
few words about the theme for this year's winter grace.
This the theme this year is God's grace in our fellowship.
Fellowship is one of those unique Christian vocab words
that's often used and rarely defined.
Fellowship is a Bible word. The Greek word is Koinonia.
Interestingly, it's not used with great frequency in the
Bible. It's kind of like the word
covenant, a good Reformed word, rarely used, but the concept is
everywhere. And similarly with fellowship.
Fellowship is not really something we do as an activity.
Fellowship is not really somewhere we go even yes, I know
this room is called the fellowship hall.
Fellowship is above all, it's a relationship we've been given.
It's a relationship we've been given between God and his
people. The union we have with the
triune God through Jesus Christ, It's, it's this covenantal bond
with God and therefore between people in the church.
We recited the Apostles Creed and worship this past Sunday and
we recited that we believe in the communion of the Saints.
That's what we're getting at and what we talk about fellowship.
Like the church in Acts 242, we as God's people are to be
devoted to prayer and to the apostles teaching, to the
breaking of bread, which means breakfast tacos, and devoted to
the fellowship. Devoted to the fellowship.
That's how the early church was described and certainly how we
would want to be characterized continually until Christ
returns. So why that theme this year?
Why talk about fellowship this year?
Well, it's especially timely because fellowship is a
beautiful gift that that seems to be increasingly
countercultural, increasingly countercultural.
First, fellowship is countercultural because we live
in a culture of loneliness. Loneliness is a problem
throughout history, throughout cultures, but it's an especially
profound problem today. Listen to what author Andy
Crouch wrote a few years ago. He said if there was one word
that sums up the crisis of personhood in our time for the
powerful and the powerless alike, it is loneliness.
Loneliness has spiked just as our media became social, our
technology became personal, and our machines learned to
recognize our faces. It is the shadow side of living
in a technological world. Against that dark cultural
backdrop of loneliness, the fellowship of the Saints in the
Church is a bright light and a healing balm.
Second, fellowship is countercultural in a culture of
religious consumerism. We in Dallas are still, quote UN
quote, enjoying the broad acceptance of the church and of
the Christian faith. But that acceptance comes at the
cost at times of people viewing churches consumeristically.
Too often we unthinkingly treat the church as a provider of
goods and services for the family, or for a particular
mission or a particular aesthetic of musical taste.
And so we need to work hard at both teaching and embodying the
truth that the church is first and foremost a covenant family
that worships our Savior Jesus Christ together and proclaims
him together. And so to push back against this
loneliness and consumerism, God's given us a few resources
to help us swim upstream. The first, the first resource is
a conceptual resource. The best conceptual resource we
have against loneliness is good, strong biblical theology.
It helps us see that loneliness is a result of the fall.
It helps us see that Jesus has come as our only healer, our
only Redeemer, offered us the gift of union with him and with
one another. And so in that vein of strong
biblical theology, this morning we have some breakout sessions.
I encourage you to pay attention, specially if you're
interested in that kind of lens. Look at those breakout sessions
by Kelly Kapick and Mark McDowell.
Lean into the Sermons Tomorrow by David Gibson.
The second resource God's given us is a practical resource.
The best practical resource we have to push against loneliness
and lean into fellowship is the practice of healthy Christian
fellowship. Doing it, embodying it.
So I encourage you to look at those breakout sessions by
Robbie Higginbottom and John Paul Schultz and Sandra
McCracken. Invite a friend to lunch today
after breakout sessions conclude in your home or at a cafe.
Spend time with someone talking about what you heard this
morning. Come back for a concert tonight
and linger and talk. Come for worship tomorrow.
Tomorrow evening we'll have a time of food and fellowship and
just extra time lingering in in the Grand Hall tomorrow night
after worship. Also, you'll hear more about
this through the weekend, but sign up for parish dinners
that'll happen in February for our time of parish prayer
that'll happen in March 3rd. And finally, and maybe the
easiest of all, the the best resource God has given us to
lean into this value and reality of fellowship is to simply give
him thanks for it, to recognize it, and to thank Him.
Fellowship in the church isn't ever perfect, and it is rarely
easy, but it's a good and gracious gift from our Heavenly
Father. And so consider these words from
Dietrich Bonhoeffer from his book Life Together, and then
I'll pray, Bonhoeffer writes between the death of Christ and
the last day. It is only by a gracious
anticipation of the last things that Christians are privileged
to live in visible fellowship with other Christians.
It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to
gather visibly in this world and to share God's Word and
sacrament. Not all Christians receive this
blessing. The imprisoned, the sick, the
scattered, lonely, The Proclaimers of the gospel and
heathen lands stand alone. They know that visible
fellowship is a blessing. Therefore, let him who until now
has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with
other Christians praise God and praise his grace from the bottom
of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees
and declare it is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed
to live in community with Christian brethren.
And so let me pray, Father, we do give you thanks for the gift
of life in your Son Jesus. And we give you thanks for the
days of life together as your people in the Pilgrim journey
that you've called us to in being your church to worship and
to break bread and to pray and to proclaim your name.
And we pray this weekend that you would renew our our sense of
appreciation and gratitude and even increase the health of our
practice of a fellowship in this particular church, in the
churches that you've called us to.
We pray that you would that you would by your spirit be at work
building us up, sending us out, causing us to be more faithful
reflections of your love and your faithfulness to us.
We pray in Jesus name, Amen. A year ago we had the privilege
of having Sinclair Ferguson as our guest preacher for Winter
Grace. And before the evening service
last February, I was talking with Sinclair and I told him
about the theme that I was considering for this year's
Winter Grace. And I asked him, who would you
recommend that we invite to preach on the theme of God's
grace in our fellowship? You know the format, Sinclair.
You've been here twice for Winter Grace.
You know our congregation. Who would you recommend?
And I said, who is who's, who's written something that you found
helpful? Who's who have you heard speak
on the topic in a way that you found compelling?
And if you know Sinclair, he responded very gently and wisely
and correcting me and said, well, I do read many books and I
travel quite a bit, and I hear other people speak, but I don't
often visit their churches. And if you're going to invite
someone to speak on fellowship, you really ought to know a man's
church and you really ought to know his life in that church.
And so for me, he said, I would recommend my own pastor.
And so he recommended David Gibson.
I took that as a fairly strong endorsement.
Our session seemed to agree, and so we are privileged to have
David Gibson here with us this weekend.
David is not only Sinclair's pastor, but he's become a good
friend to many in our congregation.
Paul Goebel and his family spent time with David during their
sabbatical last summer. David is the minister of Trinity
Church in Aberdeen, Scotland. He's published a number of
beloved books, including The Lord of Psalm 23 and Radically
Whole and Living Life Backward. By the way, David mentioned that
100% of the proceeds from that Living Life Backward book go to
help fund the the construction of Trinity Church's new
building. So buy more than one of those.
David's married to Angela. They have four children.
And we're really, really grateful that they are sharing
you with us this weekend. Please join me in welcoming
David Gibson. Well, good morning, everybody.
A real delight to be here with you I.
Do not remember Matt telling me that story about Sinclair, but
it it now means you know who to blame for what's going to what
you're going to get this weekend.
It's all his fault. I bring you his greetings and
the greetings of the Trinity Church family in Aberdeen, my
own family. Like Matt said, it really feels
like being among friends this morning, and that's I simply
want to say thank you to many of.
You who over the last? Years have opened your heart to
us in Aberdeen, given us of your time and your wisdom, your
friendship. It's a very, very special.
Blessing to be with you and speaking on this topic of.
The grace of fellowship because. We've known that fellowship
between our congregation and this congregation and many of us
in it. So thank you very much indeed
for having me. I want to say thank you to you,
Mark, your pastor, senior pastor, and to Paul and to Matt
for the warmth of welcome and looking after me so well.
Kirk and Carrie Jay and I'm staying in the Sinclair.
Suite at the Pogalofts. On the on the Ferguson.
Floor. So it's a it's a very special
place to be. I want to begin 222 things.
I want to commend a book to you over this weekend.
Your bookstore Amy's done an amazing job of getting.
Lots of these little books. If you buy nothing else.
We've got to buy books by doctor.
Kelly Kapick by Sandra McCracken You've got to buy those if you
buy nothing else. Please pick up this little book.
John Calvin, A Little Book on the Christian Life.
I do feel a. Little bit embarrassed doing
because. Doctor Kapick has just.
Published a book called Christian Life and here I am
recommending a different book. I think he will be happy with
this being commended and really everything I'm going to give you
in different ways comes from Calvin South view of the
Christian life. You'll find it all in here.
This is the most wonderful translation.
It is readable. It is smooth.
It's. Accessible if you're at.
All intimidated of Calvin and think I don't where should I
begin? There are two places to.
Begin one is to read Calvin on the Lord S prayer and the
second. Place is to read.
Calvin on the Christian Life I'll say a little bit more
about. This book I think particularly.
Tomorrow evening, Sunday evening service, but I want to commend
that to you. I don't know how many Amy's got
a couple of hundred of these, I think 200 yet.
So please don't leave without picking up picking up one of
these. From your bookstore.
What we're going to look at over three sessions this morning and
then tomorrow morning in church and Sunday evening, 3
expositions from the book of Ephesians on the.
The topic of fellowship. This morning is the foundation
of fellowship. Tomorrow morning is going to be
the. Wardrobe.
Of fellowship and Sunday evening is going to be the.
Walk. Of fellowship.
So I want to invite you to turn to Ephesians chapter 4.
Think it's printed in inside the little bulletin that's on your
on your tables. You can read it from there with
me, or if you have a Bible, you might want to turn to Ephesians.
Chapter 4. And I'm simply going to read
this morning from verses 17 to 24.
This is the foundation of fellowship.
Let's hear God's word together, the apostle Paul.
Says Now I say this and testify in the Lord, that you must no
longer walk as the Gentiles do in the futility of their minds.
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from
the life. Of God because of the.
Ignorance that is in them due to their hardness of heart.
They have become callous and have given themselves up to
sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
But that is not the way you learned Christ, assuming that
you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth
is in. Jesus to put off your old self.
Which belongs to your former manner of life and is.
Corrupt through deceitful desires.
And to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the
new self created after the likeness of God in true
righteousness and holiness. Amen.
Have any of you ever been asked this question?
Who? Are you wearing this evening?
Now, some of you, some of you in the room, You know immediately
what that question means. You know who would ask it if the
question seems very strange to? You.
Who are you? Wearing this evening.
That is the red carpet. Event question.
There, there's the celebrity at the Star.
Studded event there for the premiere of the film or some
grand opening and the red. Carpet is rolled out.
And the celebrity walks down the carpet and there's a certain
type of journalist at the end of the row.
That always asks, who are you? Wearing and what are what are
the answers is going to be Louis Vuitton Armani Gucci not not
what are you wearing but. Who are you wearing you?
Wear the person. You.
Wear their brand. You walk down the carpet in
whatever. Bizarre.
Creation it is that they've. Created.
And everybody sees you. And as the cameras flash and the
lights are flashing at the same time as the world looks at you,
that person's name is up in lights, isn't it?
You are wearing them, taking them out into the world,
friends, as we think. About fellowship.
This weekend, here's the picture.
The fact that. You and I know what.
It is to put a piece of. Clothing on and off in the Bible
to put a different piece of clothing on and.
Off to put a. Garment on and to take it off in
the Bible. That is a picture.
Of what it means to become a Christian and to live as a
Christian. I don't know if you spotted it
in our passage twice. There is the language of putting
off and putting on. And so I want to ask you this
morning. Who are you?
Wearing Who are you wearing it is a simple.
Wardrobe choice. That there are in fact in life
only ever. Two people to wear.
It's a really simple fact. You will only.
Ever wear? Two people in your life, and
some people, in fact, only ever wear one person.
Well, I want you if you have a Bible, just to turn back to the
book of Galatians. I was, as I was thinking about
this, because it's a kind of informal setting.
I was going to get someone to read it and shouted out, but I
don't I I guess the size of the room you might not.
Hear each other so. Galatians chapter 3, verse 27.
Let's just do a little bit of thinking about this.
Galatians, chapter 3, verse 27. Paul says.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on
Christ. You ever noticed?
That before but. When was the last time you went
to a baptism in a church service and somebody at the baptism said
to you, welcome to today's clothing ceremony.
But we are here today. At this baptism to dress someone
in the Lord Jesus Christ that we we are actually used to it in
life, aren't we? Think about a graduation that
you go to and you're given the new.
Clothes of the college or. The mortar board is placed on
your head. The ribbon and the clothes do
not belong to you until your head is ceremoniously.
Touched or your shoulder touched.
By the person in the university conferring the degree and the
moment they touch. Your head or your shoulder?
You are now for life, dressed in the.
Colours of the university The the the water pours.
Down on the baby. 'S head or the the adults head.
The water pours. Down and they are dressed in
Christ for life. Just just turn back again to
Romans this time Romans chapter 13, Romans chapter 13.
Again just one verse. Romans, chapter 13, verse 14.
Paul. Finishes the chapter saying but
put on. The Lord Jesus Christ.
And make no provision for the. Flesh to gratify its desires.
Put on Christ, isn't it true? We tend to think about in in
relation to Christ, believing in him, trusting in him and we
don't really use that preposition on very much.
But here it is in our in our Bibles, a beautiful, beautiful
idea. But what what I want us to know
this morning, friends, is that fellowship with each other
horizontally needs to begin. With fellowship with Christ
first. My fellowship with you begins
individually with my fellowship with Christ.
The foundation of fellowship is not anything between us.
First of all, the foundation is me and Christ and the image that
Paul. Uses is the idea of.
Putting Jesus on, and as I put him on, putting me.
Off the old self off. If you come back to Ephesians
with me again, I want you to see this morning that there are only
ever. Two people to wear only ever two
people to wear in all. The world look at verse 22 you
were taught in him as the truth is in Jesus to.
Put off your old self which? Belongs to your former manner of
life and is. Corrupt through deceitful
desires. Friends you can spend your life
wearing only. You.
You can spend your life trusting you, spend your life being true
to you, following you, finding truth for yourself, inside
yourself. That there is you yourself.
And that's all there is. You can you can take what is in
here and project. It out to the world, I guess
people say it over here as much as they.
Say in Scotland, your truth. Be be true to yourself.
Find your truth, be true. To you.
You can wear. You forever or you can.
Wear well. What's Paul's language here?
What did Galatians say? What did Romans say?
You can wear Christ. Look at verse 20.
Four, put off your old. Self and to put on the new self
created after the likeness of God and true righteousness and
holiness. Who?
Who is the new? Self here that you put.
On. The Lord Jesus Christ.
Is the invisible image of God. He is the one true likeness of
God if you want to know. What God is like you, You look
at Jesus. Don't you?
You see who? God is by looking at Jesus that
that is God's likeness in the flesh.
Look at Jesus in Jesus. That's.
Where you see true righteousness, true holiness.
So he although Paul doesn't use exactly that phrase here in
verse 24 to put on the new. Self created after.
The likeness of God and true righteousness and holiness.
Friends, you don't have to make those things up yourself.
You don't have to find righteousness and holiness.
You don't have to create them yourself and then stick them on
to. You God gives you his.
Image his. Likeness.
He gives you Jesus. And as you.
Clothe. Yourself in him.
Now you have a new self. There is a new.
You. In him.
See, here's the message of Ephesians we're diving into.
Chapter 4 over this this. Weekend, but here's the message
of Ephesians chapters 1 to. Three, God has brought you.
Together in Christ go to under understand the book of
Ephesians, chapters 1 to 3. God has brought us together.
In Christ. So it's the whole message.
Of the first 3 chapters, God has raised Jesus.
From the dead. And now he is joining the world
together in him. Chapter 2 June Gentile The wall
has been taken down. You are one in him.
God has brought us together. Chapters 4 to 6.
So let's stick together, if God has brought us.
Together in Christ you can look at if you have a Bible, the
heading. Over chapter 4.
In my Bible it says unity in the body of Christ.
That's what the rest of the book is about.
If God has. Joined us to Christ, joined us
to each other. Let's stick together.
And friends, the foundation of fellowship that the rock
underneath this church family's feet is that you come to.
Church week by week. And you now notice no.
Other label that. Somebody is wearing other than
Christ himself. It's as simple as that.
This morning you are either in. Christ or out of Christ?
You're either in him, wearing him, if.
So you're a. Christian.
And then because of that, you belong to me beside me.
If you're wearing Christ, you are the same as me.
Doesn't matter. Your age.
Your gender, your background. Your social status.
You know we, we. Use clothes to.
Differentiate ourselves from each other, don't we?
We. We.
Use clothes to express status to express wealth, We we use
clothes to. Create an in.
Crowd. A cool crowd.
And an outcry and I know in the in the United.
States you don't. Really have a class system like
we do in the United Kingdom working class.
Middle class, upper class, but there will be ways.
In which in your world you different differentiate
yourselves from one another. By what you wear, Paul is.
Saying there is no class system in Christian fellowship.
There is no class system in that.
The Christian uniform is not individual things.
The Christian uniform is a person, the Lord Jesus, and we
all wear him together. If you belong to Jesus, you
belong to me. It's as simple as that.
Friends is an incredible thing to fly thousands of miles across
the world and to land and be at home.
Because we are together. In Christ we belong to him, you,
you. I I get off the.
Plane and meet people and I see are you wearing him?
Too well. What I hope these sessions are
going to show us. Is the.
Tragedy. And it is a tragedy, isn't it?
The tragedy of seeking to have more fellowship in our lives
with the kind of people who wear the same.
Literal physical clothes as us. Than those who wear the same
savior as us. So think of the the other realms
in which you can walk the, the club that you belong to, the
the. School that you go.
To the fraternity group, the mums group, the the young
people. 'S group, whatever it is.
Friends. What a tragedy to have.
More in common with people who wear the same physical things
than than with people who wear the same spiritual thing as you.
It is a tragedy. So you know what the Christian
life is, the Christian life, Ephesians says very simply.
Is be who you are. That's what the Christian life.
Is if you have. Put on Jesus, then where?
Jesus, if you have. Put on the new self, verse 24.
If you have. Put the new self on.
Do you know what the Christian life is?
Then put on. The new self.
If you've done it once. Do it again.
Keep. Doing it.
Keep doing it again and again. If you are.
A Christian today you are wearing Jesus's righteousness,
you're wearing Jesus's holiness. So dress yourselves in those
things, wear them, put them on clothes, yourselves in them
every day. I simply want to ask you that
this morning. Are you wearing him?
You, you say? Well, that's a bit.
Abstract. How do I?
How? Do I know if I'm wearing him?
Here's the question. Can someone look at you and then
look? At the Lord Jesus.
And see, they're the same, that that's how you know if you're
wearing him. You you look.
The same as him, if you've put him on he he should be seen.
By all the world. Around you.
So, so think about it in terms of clothing.
Are you wearing Christ or are you embarrassed to be seen out
in Christ? Are you wearing Jesus or or is
wearing Jesus? A little bit like my.
Kids are at the stage now. It's a bit like going to a.
Party with your dad. It's.
It's it's really, really embarrassing.
And the reason it's embarrassing is.
Because look at what? Dad is wearing, you know, not,
not, not, not here, Dad not, not with my friends.
There, there's the old. Joke isn't there that two women
turn up to a party wearing the same dress and it is a disaster.
They have to go home and change because they're wearing the same
dress, but two men turn up to the same party wearing the same
shirt and they are best friends for life.
It's not right. You.
Just think, amazing what a legend you are wearing.
Exactly the same as me. I had no idea anyone else was as
cool as this. You're the same friends.
Be, be, be. More male than female when it
comes to what we're wearing. Isn't Paul saying we should all
be wearing the same thing? All wearing the same thing?
Here's the question. Can people?
Look at you. And see who you're wearing.
Can someone look at me and the only label they?
Spot is that he looks like Christ.
He looks like the Lord. Jesus, brothers and sisters,
look at our passage again this morning.
Look at the apostles, the Apostle Paul's language in verse
17. There is only one command in our
passage, one at one at the start, one imperative.
Verse 17 You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do.
You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do.
Coming to Christ means. That that lifestyle.
Choice that you've been living up to now the way that you were
living. It has to change you.
You must stop dressing like that and instead start dressing like
this. Look how we live is not pick and
mix. Look at the words you must and
look how the must is given in the rest.
Of the verse. Now I say this, and testify in
the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles.
Who testify It is a legal word. It's it's.
I'm here, I am in court, swearing to give the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Paul. Paul is testifying in the Lord.
In other words, friends, what Paul is saying.
Is that what I say? Jesus says that's what verse. 17
means I I say and testify in the Lord, and here's the command.
This must stop. What Paul says, Jesus says.
That the Lord Jesus here is. Saying we must, you must, I
must. I want to ask you this morning,
do you have a must? Jesus.
Do you have a must Bible or do you only have a maybe Bible?
Do you have an if you want to Jesus or do you have a must
Jesus can the boardroom? You OK?
The boardroom you, I imagine. Is that the no nonsense?
You the the brook no peer you the the no one tells me what to.
Do you? Can that you?
Submit to the Bible. If you can't or you won't, you
might. Say that you love the Lord
Jesus. But you are not listening to
Jesus wearing the. Jesus, we have put.
On must mean change. It must mean we leave certain
things behind just. Look at the way Paul.
Describes what we once were verses 17 to 19.
And notice how Paul is saying in those verses 17 to 19 that.
The old self, the old way of life.
Is now left behind verse 20, but but that is not the way you
learned Christ. Friends, I think in these verses
this morning. Verse 20 is the most beautiful
verse in the whole of our passage.
It's so beautiful and you probably didn't even notice.
The beauty of the phrase. Tucked into it.
Notice Paul does not say in verse 20.
But that is not the way you learned.
About Christ, do you notice? That.
Here's what you were verses. 17 to 19 here's.
What you used to wear? Verse 20 But that is not the way
you learned Christ literally. He says, do you know what?
Do you know what changed you? It was a person that changed
you. It it wasn't information about
the person, it was him you learned.
Christ. You, you learned the Lord Jesus,
you came face to face with him. Yes, there was an intellectual,
mental, cognitive aspect to it. You see that in in verse 21,
assuming that. You have heard about.
Him and we're taught in Him as the truth that is in him.
You you were not converted by looking at.
Pictures of Jesus. No, Someone had to tell you
about him. Someone had to use.
Words to teach you. About him, yes.
But what? What you.
Learned was a person you learned a person of incredibly.
Beautiful, beautiful phrase. Can I can I put it like this?
It it was like. Falling in love.
Do you remember that? Those of you in the room that.
That's happened to you, happened.
To. If it hasn't happened to you
yet, it's. Maybe hard to grasp.
This to understand this, but many of you in this room you,
you do know what that's like. You can remember it.
Let me put it like this man, if you're married.
I hope. You don't just know.
About your wife, I hope. You know.
Your wife. There's a difference, isn't
there? You can tell me after this
session. About.
Your wife hope you can you can tell me about her till the cows
come home and I can learn about. Her.
But only you know her. Not right, only you have learned
her. It's the language of heart to
heart relationship, heart to heart change.
That the Lord Jesus is that real?
He's that true? He's that beautiful that you
don't just want to learn about him, you want to learn him,
don't you? You want to know him, and when
you learn him, that is the foundation of everything else.
When you learned your wife. You put off.
Everything else you knew about every other woman.
Every old. Girlfriend, it was taken off.
It was gone. You now learned her.
You put off everything in verses 17 to 19 and now verse 24.
You put on everything in verse 24 true righteousness and
holiness. I wonder if you have the apple
lie here in Dallas. I I know you.
Do. It's everywhere, isn't it?
We we have the apple lie in Aberdeen.
Do you know what the Apple lie? Is the Apple lie?
Is. That there is a new you in you.
Did they, did they use that advert here, there with?
I think it came out with the watch the Apple Watch in.
Particular there is a better. You in you.
You get our product. And it will unlock the.
New you the better you. Friends, I have flown a few 1000
miles to tell you this morning, there is not a new you in you.
There is not a better you in you.
No verse 18 in you. There was a hard hearted.
Ignorant you? Is that what Paul saying in you?
There was a dark you, a dead you, a callous you, a reckless
you. There is not a new you in you,
but there is a new you in Jesus, in Christ.
He is the new you. And if you know that, and if I
know that, we have the foundation of fellowship, don't
we? That is what makes US1 together
remember how it. Works the story of the Gospel.
Do you know? Do you know why the Lord Jesus
was born of a virgin? Do you know why it had to be
done that way? It's because it's because.
In in his birth, God was going right back to the beginning of
the world again, wasn't he? He was putting into the world
and knew Adam, putting into the world a new image of himself, a
true man, a perfect, exact likeness.
The Lord Jesus is. Born of Mary, so that his
humanity is. True, but he's.
Born of. God so that his.
Humanity is new. It is a fresh.
Start a new beginning. He is not tainted with Adam's
sin. He is not the same as us,
corrupt from the inside out. And in him you can be new.
God takes you and puts you inside him, and His newness
becomes your newness. Wonder if you remember?
I just want to finish with this for this morning.
Do you remember the beautiful incident in The Voyage of the
Dawn Treader? If you've read CS Lewis
Chronicles of Narnia, it's often forgotten and neglected because
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is so dominant, so, so
well known. But in the Voyage of the Dawn
Treader, you have Eustace. And Eustace is vain, cowardly,
obnoxious, and he finds some enchanted gold.
And because of what happens in his heart when he finds.
The gold he. Turns into a dragon, remember?
Because of his greed, CS Lewis says.
Let me. Let me take what is inside that
heart and turn it outwards. Let me.
Show you what it's really like. He is.
A dragon. It's a mesmerizing sequence.
In the story, Aslan rescues Eustace and he.
Takes Eustace to a. Garden where there's a well and
he says, Eustace, you must. Bathe but.
Before you can bathe, you must undress and Eustace.
Scratches off his scales. He's.
Running his fingers. All over his body, scratching
off his scales. Or, or so he thinks with every
layer, that. He takes off the outer.
Skin just simply reveals the next layer of the dragon skin,
no matter how much he. Takes off.
There is. Dragon, dragon, more dragon
everywhere. He peels off layer after layer
after layer. He goes down to the.
Water to bathe, but he's. Got no.
Further, he's still a dragon. What's he doing?
He's believing the apple lie, that there's a new you in you,
in him. He's looking for the new you
inside himself. Then the lion said, you will
have to let me undress you. The very first tear.
He made was so. Deep that I thought he.
Had gone right into my heart and when he began pulling the skin
off. It hurt worse.
Than anything I've ever felt. Then he caught hold of me and
threw me into the water. It's smarted like anything, but
only for a moment. And after that it became
perfectly delicious. And as soon as I started
swimming and splashing, I find that all the pain had gone.
And then I saw. Why I had?
Turned into a boy again. After a bit, the lion took me
out and dressed me in new. Clothes.
CS Lewis knew the gospel, didn't he?
What a picture of new life in Christ.
He took me out, dressed me in new clothes.
So. What are the clothes?
Tomorrow morning, the wardrobe of.
Fellowship. That's what we wear.
Well, let me pray. Loving Heavenly Father, we thank
you for the immense, really indescribable blessing that you
have taken us from old Adam, in whom we were born, in whom we
entered this world, and you have taken us and placed us in the
true and 2nd last Adam, your Son, our Saviour.
Lord Jesus, we simply want to thank you together this morning
for what You have done in making us belong to You, for placing us
in You, for beginning this lifelong process of transforming
us. To look like you.
And our prayer together this morning is very simple.
Would you take your life and plant it deep within us 'cause
it? To.
Extend and grow to every single part of.
Who we are so that those who. Look at us, see, not us, but.
You. We long to love you more and to
be like you in every aspect of our lives.
So help us, we pray. Be the foundation of all our
fellowship. Together.
We ask it in your precious name. Amen.