WEBVTT
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Sunday Worship Service, March 23rd, 1980, Duke Chapel.
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(serene organ music)
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(choir music)
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(classical organ music)
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This is the day in which the Lord has made.
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Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
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And let us begin our worship this morning
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by confessing together how we have failed
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to love God and to love and serve our neighbors.
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Let us pray.
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God we come before you knowing we have tried
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to hide from you, from one another, and from ourselves.
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Somehow we have felt that by depending upon our own powers
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we can solve the problems of life.
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We have tried to escape by withdrawing from the difficult,
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the challenging, the crucifying experiences of life.
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We have become trapped in a meaningless realm
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of insignificant activities while we have
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avoided projects we should have done.
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We have strayed far from the fullness of life
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you have promised us.
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Forgive us for our self-centeredness,
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our proudness, our weakness, our blindness.
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Have mercy upon us that we may become your people anew.
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Amen.
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Let us confess in silence the ways in which
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we have personally fallen short of God's expectation.
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Amen.
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The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance
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that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
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and there is therefore no condemnation for those
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who are in Christ Jesus.
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I declare to you, therefore, that in His name
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we are forgiven.
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And let us give thanks for God is good
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and God's love is everlasting.
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Thank you, God, (faint speaking).
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Thank you, God, for forgiveness.
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Thank you, God, (faint speaking).
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The Duke University Chapel Staff
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and the Duke University Parish Ministry Staff,
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welcome you this morning to our service of worship
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and call your attention to the following announcements
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which are not noted in your bulletin.
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The Durham CROP Walk will be held next Sunday afternoon,
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starting at one o'clock p.m.
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outside Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium.
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The 10 mile walk-a-thon, a project
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of the Duke University Parish Ministry,
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raises money to support the hunger fighting work
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of Church World Service and Durham's Meals on Wheels.
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Sponsor sheets and additional information
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will be available at a table outside the chapel
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following this morning's service.
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Also, at table outside, postal cards are available
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for you to write a brief message to members
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of the US House Appropriations Committee.
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This committee will be voting Wednesday
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on the appropriation to fund Selective Service registration
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beginning this summer.
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Please let these members of Congress know how you feel
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about this proposed program.
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Thirdly, Page Box Office will be open this afternoon,
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immediately following this service
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for those of you who would like to purchase tickets
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to the performance of Box, The Passion of Our Lord,
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according to Matthew.
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It's being performed next Sunday, March 30th,
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beginning at four o'clock p.m.
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by the Duke Chapel Choir Orchestra Soloists
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and the Durham Boy's Choir.
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And finally, I am pleased to present to you
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the preacher for this morning,
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Ms. Amanda Lee Barry, a Duke University junior,
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majoring in religion and psychology.
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We look forward to her message for today.
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Let us pray.
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Prepare us Lord, give us a clear mind
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that we may hear your word.
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Give us a submissive will that we may
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respond to what we hear.
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Give us an open heart, oh Lord,
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that we may respond to your word with love.
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Amen.
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The Old Testament lesson is from Isaiah 43:16-21.
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Thus says the Lord, "Who makes a way in the sea,
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"a path in the mighty waters,
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"who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior,
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"they lie down, they cannot rise,
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"they are extinguished, quenched like a wick.
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"Remember not the former things,
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"nor consider the things of old,
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"behold I am doing a new thing.
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"Now it springs forth, do not you perceive it?
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"I will make a way in the wilderness,
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"and rivers in the desert, the wild beast will honor me,
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"the jackals and the ostrich.
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"For I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.
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"I give rivers in the desert to drink for my chosen people.
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"The people who I form from myself,
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"that they might declare my praise.
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The Epistle reading is from Philippians 2:1-11.
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"So if there's any encouragement in Christ,
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"any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit,
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"any affection and sympathy, complete my joy
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"by being of the same mind, having the same love,
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"and being in the full accord with one mind.
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"Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility.
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"Count others better than yourselves.
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"Let each of you look not only to his own interest
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"but also to the interest of others.
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"Have this mind among yourselves,
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"which is yours in Christ Jesus.
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"Who though he wasn't a form of God,
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"did not count equality with God.
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"A thing to be grasped but emptied himself,
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"taking the form of a human, the form of a servant.
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"Being born in the likeness of men,
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"and being found in human form,
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"He humbled himself and became obedient onto death,
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"even death on a cross.
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"And therefore, God has highly exalted Him
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"and bestowed on Him the name which is above
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"every other name.
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"That in the name of Jesus, every name, every knee
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"shall bow in heaven and on Earth, under the Earth.
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"Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
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"to the glory of God the Father."
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Here reads the end of the reading of the Epistle.
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(solemn organ music)
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(choir music)
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Will the congregation please stand
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for the reading of the gospel lesson?
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The gospel lesson is from the Matthew 5:43-48.
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"You have heard it said you shall love your neighbor
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"and hate your enemy, but I say to you,
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"love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
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"so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.
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"For He makes His son rise on evil and on the good,
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"and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
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"For if you love just those who love you,
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"what reward have you?
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"Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
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"And if you salute only your brethren,
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"what more are you doing than others?
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"Do not even the gentiles do the same?
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"You therefore must be perfect,
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"as your heavenly Father is perfect."
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(solemn organ music)
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(choir music)
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Glory be to our Creator.
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That's what we're here for, to give glory to our Creator.
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To praise Him with joy.
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Joy in prayer, joy in song.
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The joy of Christians worshiping God together.
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In Paul's message to the Philippians,
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he asks that they complete his joy by being of one mind,
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if there is any encouragement in Christ.
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There is encouragement in Christ.
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First of all, the encouragement comes from
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the example that He set for us.
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Jesus came as a servant, as the scripture says.
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Though he was in the form of God,
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he didn't count equality with God,
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a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself,
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taking the form of a servant.
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We don't have an image of the man as a king,
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Jesus didn't come in princely fashion
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to rule over a great empire on Earth.
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Instead, we see Him on His knees
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washing the disciples' feet at the Last Supper.
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In Luke 22:27, He says,
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"But I am among you as one who serves."
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He gave all that he had in life and in death.
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His life is an example of humility and love.
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His words and teaching are also encouragement.
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In His teaching, He was stern yet encouraging.
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Turn the other cheek and if anyone asks you to go one mile,
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go with him two miles.
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Feed my sheep.
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Love thy neighbor as thy self.
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There is more to Christ than just
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a good example and teaching.
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The encouragement comes from the relationship
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that we have with Christ as a result
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of His death and resurrection.
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He died for our sins that we may be forgiven.
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God's love for us is so strong that we are empowered by it.
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His incentive of love is not like any other incentive.
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It is not a payoff for doing the right thing.
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Instead, it comes from inside,
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a real desire to do God's will.
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With the incentive of love, we make his will our own.
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And love, because there's no alternative,
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the incentive of love is the power that enables us
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to love one another.
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As we read in 1 John 4:12.
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"Beloved, if God so loved us,
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"we also ought to love one another."
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This is how we can respond to Christ's loving sacrifice,
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by loving one another.
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My youth minister once wrote an inscription to me
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in "The Good News for Modern Man," that read like this,
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"Know that all the love and power of the universe
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"is available within you."
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What is this power for?
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This encouragement in Christ.
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This incentive of love.
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It gives us the courage to love one another
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and to do what we are charged to do.
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Knowing that we have His love,
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we are able to take a risk.
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We can risk getting up in the Duke Chapel,
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opening up your thoughts in front of hundreds of people.
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We can risk sharing our love with a friend.
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We can risk giving everything we have for someone else.
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When I told my 14 year old brother that I was going
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to preach in the chapel, he wanted to know
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what I was going to preach about.
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I tried to explain to him in general terms,
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very simply, what it was that I was going to say.
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I told him it was about the encouragement in Christ
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for a loving community.
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After I struggled with the explanation,
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he responded with a grin saying,
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"Oh, you mean like in Psalm 133?"
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I had to admit, I wasn't familiar with the passage,
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but I looked it up.
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"Behold how good and pleasant it is
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"when brothers dwell in unity.
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"It is like the precious oil upon the head
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"running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron.
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"Running down on the collar of his robes.
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"It is like the dew of Hermon,
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"which falls on the mountains of Zion.
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"For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
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"life for evermore."
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The first verse is so simple but it says it all to me.
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"Behold how good and pleasant it is
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"when brothers dwell in unity."
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It is good.
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And so we can try to dwell in unity,
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in a community of Christ, with His encouragement
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and the incentive of love, God's love.
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Paul told the Philippians to be a full accord
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and of one mind.
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To be of one mind is to be of one spirit.
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We become one by sharing with others in a community.
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Again, Paul said, "Do nothing from selfishness or conceit,
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"but in humility count others better than yourselves."
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And the part of the sermon on the mount
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that was read this morning, Jesus said to love your enemies.
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That's a pretty strong command.
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It's not easy to love your enemies.
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It's not easy to love someone who's political
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or philosophical views are not like your own.
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And how about the guy who cheers for Carolina?
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Do I have to count him better than myself?
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We have to if we're going to be humble.
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Christ was humble, He lived a life of humility.
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He came to serve.
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He humbled Himself and became obedient onto death,
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even death on a cross.
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Another example is Saint Francis of Assisi.
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He gave up all his material possessions
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and devoted his life to serving others.
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He cleansed the wounds of a leper
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and gave his coat to the poor.
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He went hungry.
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He risked cold, disease, and fatigue for others.
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In humility he prayed this prayer.
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"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
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"Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
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"Where there is doubt, faith.
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"Where there is despair, hope.
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"Where there is darkness, light.
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"And where there is sadness, joy.
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"Oh divine master, grant that I may not so much seek
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"to be consoled, as to console.
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"To be understood, as to understand.
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"To be loved, as to love.
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"For it is in giving that we receive.
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"It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
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"And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."
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We try to apply these examples of humility to our own lives.
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Do we humble ourselves to be of one mind,
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one mind in Christ, in the most obvious example
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in our role as Christians?
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Too often we use the role of Christians
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as a label, a trademark.
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You're like the man in the advertisement
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with the Dime Savings Bank of New York.
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We see this man standing with this big fancy car
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in front of his new house saying,
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"I found the better way."
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How many times do we as Christians look down on others
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because we feel we have found the better way?
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Even between Christians, it is dismaying to see it
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right here on campus.
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There are factions and competition between them.
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Can you open-minded Methodists count the strict
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fundamentalists as better than yourselves?
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Can you Baptists count the Catholics
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as better than yourselves?
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Or do we look at one another with scorn
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because we all don't see things the same way?
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We are all sure that our way's best.
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But aren't we all on the same side?
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Aren't we all followers of Christ?
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Being in full accord and of one mind.
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Can we also do nothing from selfishness or conceit
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when speaking to those who do not know
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the loving community of Christ?
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Jesus said, "For if you love those who love you,
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"what reward have you?
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00:40:24.007 --> 00:40:26.997
"Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
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"And if you salute only your brethren,
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00:40:29.307 --> 00:40:31.807
"what more are you doing than others?
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"Do not even the gentiles do the same?
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"You therefore must be perfect
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"as your heavenly Father is perfect."
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If we as Christians salute only those who follow Christ,
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are we doing any more than any body else?
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We lose the point if we boastfully tell others
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that we are better.
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The better way is to do as Christ taught,
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to love one another,
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to count others as better than ourselves,
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and to have one mind among us.
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In John 13:35, Jesus said, "By this, all men
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"will know that you are my disciples,
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"if you have love for one another."
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An evangelism of love is the most powerful.
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Trying to share in community with God's love
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is our incentive, our constant encouragement.
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None of us can boast that He is better,
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in this respect, for no one is perfect, except Christ.
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00:41:32.210 --> 00:41:36.600
It doesn't take much to shatter our fragile human egos.
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I had an experience that taught me this.
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I was hardly expecting to be preached to over pizza,
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00:41:43.240 --> 00:41:45.800
when I went out to dinner with a friend.
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00:41:45.800 --> 00:41:49.020
But it's one sermon that I'll never forget.
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My friend told me in very plain terms
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that I didn't make a very good impression
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00:41:53.390 --> 00:41:56.015
with people that I didn't know.
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He said that you can't just be friendly with the people
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00:41:58.880 --> 00:42:02.030
that you know well, but you should treat
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00:42:02.030 --> 00:42:05.930
everyone the way that you treat your friends.
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00:42:05.930 --> 00:42:08.997
He told me, "You know, if you were concerned
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00:42:08.997 --> 00:42:11.357
"with what's bothering other people,
351
00:42:11.357 --> 00:42:14.527
"you'll forget about yourself."
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00:42:14.527 --> 00:42:16.660
He knew me pretty well.
353
00:42:16.660 --> 00:42:19.840
As a freshman, finding my way in the university,
354
00:42:19.840 --> 00:42:22.280
I was so worried about myself and the impression
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00:42:22.280 --> 00:42:26.301
that I was making, that I was forgetting about others.
356
00:42:26.301 --> 00:42:29.423
It's so easy to do.
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00:42:29.423 --> 00:42:30.810
Paul's challenge to the Philippians
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is a challenge to us today.
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With God's love we must count others better than ourselves
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00:42:37.840 --> 00:42:39.780
and look to the interest of others
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00:42:39.780 --> 00:42:44.726
to form a true loving community with one mind in Christ.
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00:42:46.110 --> 00:42:49.200
Anyone who has found acceptance in a community
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00:42:49.200 --> 00:42:53.270
knows the benefits of sharing relationship.
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00:42:53.270 --> 00:42:57.087
If you have a family with whom you can really be at home,
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00:42:57.087 --> 00:42:59.950
or if you have a special friend or a roommate
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00:42:59.950 --> 00:43:01.870
that you could share your thoughts with,
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00:43:01.870 --> 00:43:04.220
can really let it all out.
368
00:43:04.220 --> 00:43:08.028
Chances are they probably know you better than you realize.
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00:43:08.028 --> 00:43:09.860
Or if you're a part of a group
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00:43:09.860 --> 00:43:13.840
where your beliefs are respected, even shared.
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00:43:13.840 --> 00:43:16.810
We know the benefits of being in a community
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00:43:16.810 --> 00:43:19.160
where each side benefits from each other,
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00:43:19.160 --> 00:43:23.810
giving and taking, a symbiotic relationship of sorts.
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Still, such a relationship is subject
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00:43:25.830 --> 00:43:28.913
to human desires and whims.
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00:43:28.913 --> 00:43:31.010
But imagine a community where the incentive
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00:43:31.010 --> 00:43:34.160
is God's unconditional love for us.
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00:43:34.160 --> 00:43:37.280
We love because He first loved us.
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00:43:37.280 --> 00:43:42.280
We give what we can because He gave all that He had.
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00:43:43.030 --> 00:43:46.240
His gift of love encourages us
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00:43:46.240 --> 00:43:49.336
to share that love of Christ with others.
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00:43:49.336 --> 00:43:53.573
Just as Edwin Markham said in this short poem.
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00:43:53.573 --> 00:43:56.147
"He drew a circle that shut me out.
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"Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
385
00:44:00.213 --> 00:44:03.127
"But love and I had the wit to win.
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00:44:03.127 --> 00:44:07.944
"We drew a circle that took him in."
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00:44:07.944 --> 00:44:10.470
Being of one mind refers not only
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00:44:10.470 --> 00:44:14.933
to sharing common ideas and beliefs but also to actions.
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00:44:15.810 --> 00:44:18.020
If your mind is in Christ,
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00:44:18.020 --> 00:44:21.850
it implies that both thought and action will follow.
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00:44:21.850 --> 00:44:24.490
It is one thing to accept Christ's word
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00:44:24.490 --> 00:44:27.940
and to profess belief in his doctrine,
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00:44:27.940 --> 00:44:30.891
but quite another to put it to work.
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00:44:30.891 --> 00:44:34.590
When Paul said, "Have this mind among yourselves,
395
00:44:34.590 --> 00:44:37.130
which is yours in Christ Jesus,"
396
00:44:37.130 --> 00:44:40.250
he was not referring just a thought.
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00:44:40.250 --> 00:44:41.940
By having a mind in Christ,
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00:44:41.940 --> 00:44:45.030
it becomes an inherent part of the person.
399
00:44:45.030 --> 00:44:50.030
It is more than cognitive functioning, actions are implied.
400
00:44:50.470 --> 00:44:55.290
If our minds are in Christ, it will show in our lives.
401
00:44:55.290 --> 00:44:57.820
Acting in unity as one in Christ,
402
00:44:57.820 --> 00:45:01.270
let each of us look not only to our own interest,
403
00:45:01.270 --> 00:45:04.528
but also to the interest of others.
404
00:45:04.528 --> 00:45:07.463
This is a difficult challenge to accept.
405
00:45:07.463 --> 00:45:10.347
Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Most people are willing
406
00:45:10.347 --> 00:45:15.051
"to take the Sermon on the Mount as a flag to sail under,
407
00:45:15.051 --> 00:45:17.067
"but few people are willing to use it
408
00:45:17.067 --> 00:45:21.800
"as a rudder by which to steer."
409
00:45:23.810 --> 00:45:26.160
Too often we use the label Christians
410
00:45:26.160 --> 00:45:28.220
without regard to the responsibility
411
00:45:28.220 --> 00:45:31.041
and obligations which are attached.
412
00:45:31.041 --> 00:45:33.550
We can't go out and flaunt the better way,
413
00:45:33.550 --> 00:45:35.990
we're supposed to be humble and consider others
414
00:45:35.990 --> 00:45:37.960
better than ourselves.
415
00:45:37.960 --> 00:45:42.390
We can if we know that we have the incentive of love.
416
00:45:42.390 --> 00:45:45.310
The incentive of love cannot be ignored.
417
00:45:45.310 --> 00:45:47.830
God's love fills us with an enthusiasm
418
00:45:47.830 --> 00:45:50.021
that can't sit still.
419
00:45:50.021 --> 00:45:52.570
It's like yeast added to bread.
420
00:45:52.570 --> 00:45:56.060
It takes a small amount of dough and with enough warmth,
421
00:45:56.060 --> 00:45:59.390
it swells to many times its size.
422
00:45:59.390 --> 00:46:03.650
The incentive of love, God's love fills us
423
00:46:03.650 --> 00:46:08.206
so that we swell until we would burst into action.
424
00:46:08.206 --> 00:46:11.242
It lights a candle under us so that we might
425
00:46:11.242 --> 00:46:14.185
act upon this incentive.
426
00:46:14.185 --> 00:46:18.490
Viktor Frankl in his book "Man's Search for Meaning"
427
00:46:18.490 --> 00:46:21.338
talks about the meaning of love.
428
00:46:21.338 --> 00:46:25.817
He said, "Love is the only way to grasp another human being
429
00:46:25.817 --> 00:46:29.027
"in the inner most core of his personality.
430
00:46:29.027 --> 00:46:31.897
"No one can become fully aware of the very essence
431
00:46:31.897 --> 00:46:36.016
"of another human being unless he loves him.
432
00:46:36.016 --> 00:46:38.957
"By the spiritual act of love he is enabled
433
00:46:38.957 --> 00:46:41.697
"to see the essential traits and features
434
00:46:41.697 --> 00:46:43.747
"in a beloved person.
435
00:46:43.747 --> 00:46:48.717
"And even more, he sees that which is potential in him.
436
00:46:48.717 --> 00:46:51.047
"That which is not yet actualized,
437
00:46:51.047 --> 00:46:53.577
"but yet ought to be actualized.
438
00:46:53.577 --> 00:46:56.757
"Furthermore, by his love, the loving person enables
439
00:46:56.757 --> 00:47:00.681
"the beloved person to actualize these potentialities.
440
00:47:00.681 --> 00:47:03.197
"By making him aware of what he can be
441
00:47:03.197 --> 00:47:05.017
"and of what he should become,
442
00:47:05.017 --> 00:47:09.099
"he makes these potentialities come true."
443
00:47:09.099 --> 00:47:11.730
So we see here two ways in which love
444
00:47:11.730 --> 00:47:14.245
can be active in a community.
445
00:47:14.245 --> 00:47:17.070
First, it enables one to become aware
446
00:47:17.070 --> 00:47:20.158
of the very essence of another.
447
00:47:20.158 --> 00:47:23.943
By loving someone, we are able to know them better.
448
00:47:23.943 --> 00:47:26.481
By the act of love, we can know
449
00:47:26.481 --> 00:47:30.148
what can't be expressed in words.
450
00:47:30.148 --> 00:47:33.060
Love comes from the spirit and so it enables us
451
00:47:33.060 --> 00:47:36.350
to know each other on a spiritual level.
452
00:47:36.350 --> 00:47:39.060
This spiritual communication is important
453
00:47:39.060 --> 00:47:43.335
to a community which is one in the spirit.
454
00:47:43.335 --> 00:47:46.560
Second, love becomes active in a community
455
00:47:46.560 --> 00:47:50.026
by enabling us to actualize our potentialities,
456
00:47:50.026 --> 00:47:53.823
by making us aware of what we can and should become.
457
00:47:53.823 --> 00:47:56.410
This follows from communication.
458
00:47:56.410 --> 00:47:58.310
By knowing others, we can help them
459
00:47:58.310 --> 00:48:00.610
to better understand themselves.
460
00:48:00.610 --> 00:48:03.030
And then love gives us the support of strength,
461
00:48:03.030 --> 00:48:05.700
to realize our potentials.
462
00:48:05.700 --> 00:48:08.890
The love which enables us to know another person
463
00:48:08.890 --> 00:48:13.890
and to grow from this relationship, comes from God.
464
00:48:13.980 --> 00:48:17.225
With strength and encouragement from Christ,
465
00:48:17.225 --> 00:48:19.960
we can be humble in community by counting others
466
00:48:19.960 --> 00:48:21.920
better than ourselves.
467
00:48:21.920 --> 00:48:25.710
The incentive of love in Christ is the basis
468
00:48:25.710 --> 00:48:28.655
of loving Christian community.
469
00:48:28.655 --> 00:48:32.961
We acknowledge this love today in worship, in joy.
470
00:48:32.961 --> 00:48:36.550
So if there is any encouragement in Christ,
471
00:48:36.550 --> 00:48:41.550
any incentive of love, any participation in the spirit,
472
00:48:42.220 --> 00:48:45.170
any affection and sympathy,
473
00:48:45.170 --> 00:48:49.936
complete my joy by being of the same mind.
474
00:48:49.936 --> 00:48:52.210
Having one love.
475
00:48:52.210 --> 00:48:55.440
Being in full accord and of one mind.
476
00:48:55.440 --> 00:48:58.640
Do nothing from selfishness or conceit,
477
00:48:58.640 --> 00:49:02.360
but in humility, count others better than yourselves.
478
00:49:02.360 --> 00:49:05.660
Let each of you look not only to his own interest,
479
00:49:05.660 --> 00:49:08.576
but to the interest of others.
480
00:49:08.576 --> 00:49:10.830
Have this mind among yourselves,
481
00:49:10.830 --> 00:49:15.758
which is yours in Christ Jesus.
482
00:49:24.072 --> 00:49:27.155
(solemn organ music)
483
00:49:51.901 --> 00:49:54.401
(choir music)
484
00:52:00.560 --> 00:52:02.573
Let us affirm what we believe.
485
00:52:03.860 --> 00:52:08.860
We believe in God, who has created and is created.
486
00:52:09.300 --> 00:52:12.750
Who has come in the truly human Jesus,
487
00:52:12.750 --> 00:52:14.803
to reconcile and make new.
488
00:52:15.950 --> 00:52:19.750
Who works in us and others, by the Spirit.
489
00:52:19.750 --> 00:52:23.693
We trust God, who calls us to be the church.
490
00:52:24.640 --> 00:52:27.930
To celebrate life and its fullness.
491
00:52:27.930 --> 00:52:30.820
To love and serve others.
492
00:52:30.820 --> 00:52:34.070
To seek justice and resist evil.
493
00:52:34.070 --> 00:52:37.990
To proclaim Jesus crucified and risen.
494
00:52:37.990 --> 00:52:40.063
Our judge and our hope.
495
00:52:40.970 --> 00:52:45.620
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
496
00:52:45.620 --> 00:52:48.893
God is with us, we are not alone.
497
00:52:49.750 --> 00:52:51.503
Thanks be to God.
498
00:52:53.300 --> 00:52:55.230
The Lord be with you.
499
00:52:55.230 --> 00:52:57.400
And with your spirit.
500
00:52:57.400 --> 00:52:58.353
Let us pray.
501
00:53:08.640 --> 00:53:13.420
Holy God, we rejoice that you are our Creator,
502
00:53:13.420 --> 00:53:17.113
our sustainer, and the Lord of our life.
503
00:53:18.530 --> 00:53:21.583
We thank you for the beauty of our world,
504
00:53:22.550 --> 00:53:25.310
for the gift of friendship,
505
00:53:25.310 --> 00:53:27.903
for food, shelter, and clothing,
506
00:53:29.140 --> 00:53:33.680
for the opportunity to learn, for the freedom to think,
507
00:53:33.680 --> 00:53:36.883
and speak, and write, as we believe we should.
508
00:53:38.580 --> 00:53:42.113
Most of all, we thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ,
509
00:53:43.240 --> 00:53:47.270
through whom we are forgiven and to find hope
510
00:53:47.270 --> 00:53:51.393
and renewed strength for the challenges before us.
511
00:53:53.232 --> 00:53:54.950
And we pray for the healing power
512
00:53:54.950 --> 00:53:57.003
of the Holy Spirit among us.
513
00:53:58.110 --> 00:54:00.230
We pray that we might be the vehicle
514
00:54:00.230 --> 00:54:03.853
through which the Spirit comforts and supports others.
515
00:54:05.200 --> 00:54:09.380
Enable us to mend what has broken between us
516
00:54:09.380 --> 00:54:12.620
in order that we might enjoy more completely
517
00:54:12.620 --> 00:54:14.663
the communion of saints.
518
00:54:16.320 --> 00:54:19.563
But as seek to know and enjoy community,
519
00:54:20.490 --> 00:54:23.800
do not let us forget the needs of the stranger
520
00:54:23.800 --> 00:54:27.103
who stands outside our circle of faith.
521
00:54:28.290 --> 00:54:33.290
Help us to reach out, not only to the helpless,
522
00:54:33.380 --> 00:54:35.223
but to the hostile as well.
523
00:54:37.250 --> 00:54:39.660
We pray these things because we confess
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that Jesus Christ means more to us than
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anything else in the world.
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Together, let us offer the prayer which He taught to us.
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Our Father, Who art in heaven,
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Hallowed be Thy Name.
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Thy Kingdom come.
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Thy Will be done,
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on Earth as it is in Heaven.
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Give us this day our daily bread,
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and forgive us our trespasses,
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as we forgive those who trespass against us.
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And lead us not into temptation,
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but deliver us from evil.
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For thine is the kingdom and the power
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and the glory forever.
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Amen.
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(solemn organ music)
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(choir music)
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(serene organ music)
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(choir music)
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Holy God receive these gift we humbly pray to thy service.
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May they improve the life of the Christian community
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and this place and reach out with the good news.
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That healing and comfort may happen in our time.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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(solemn organ music)
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(choir music)
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Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
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and the love of God the Father,
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and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
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be and divide with you now and forever.
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Amen.
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♪ Amen ♪
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♪ Amen ♪
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♪ Amen ♪
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♪ Amen ♪
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♪ Amen ♪
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♪ Amen ♪
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♪ Amen ♪
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(serene organ music)