Scriptures: Isaiah 43:16–21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b–14; John 12:1–8; II Nephi 11:48; Doctrine and Covenants 163:4c

Prelude

Invitation and Call to Worship: Isaiah 43:8–21

*Hymn: “As We Gather” sing twice NS 3
OR “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” HS 20

*Opening Prayer: We Open Ourselves to God

*Response

Focus Moment

Ministry of Music: “Lord, Help Me to Know Your Presence” NS 31

Scripture for Peace: Doctrine and Covenants 163:4c

Hymn: “Lord Jesus, of You I Will Sing” SP 31
OR Have a soloist sing it in French. SP 31

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:16–21

Sermon

Instrumental Music for Reflection

Scripture for Confessional Reflection: II Nephi 11:48

Disciples’ Generous Response

*Hymn: “When Christ Embodied God’s Shalom”

OR “Creation Flows Unceasingly” HS 69

*Closing Prayer

*Response

*Postlude

Scriptures: Isaiah 43:16–21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b–14; John 12:1–8

In the passage from Isaiah, the author makes use of the exodus story to shape this new story. The people are reminded that the Lord of Israel was the one who defeated Egypt’s hosts and delivered the people at the sea. This exodus tradition constitutes a “former thing”: a wide-ranging complex of traditions, divine absence, scarce resources, and judgment of death—things that cannot be dwelt on because God is proposing a new thing that will “spring forth.” Now the people of Israel who have been living in captivity in Babylon are reminded that God can again make a way in the wilderness. God was forming Israel here in a new way, which meant they would have to forget the things of the past. They were invited to be open for a new future with God.

Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians for whom he had a pastoral responsibility and whom he also regarded as friends. As his mind remembered other important issues, Paul started warning his friends about those who might keep them away from Christ, those who put trust in themselves and not in God. He contrasted the confidence in the flesh with the confidence in the Spirit. The confidence in the Spirit is based on faith, belief, trust, and faithfulness in Christ.

Paul had every reason to be confident, more than others. In the flesh, by birth and upbringing—being circumcised on the eight day, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews—Paul completely excelled in everything Jewish. Yet such privileges were worthless. Paul’s summary of his worldly credentials added further irony to his description of those (Jews, Pagan Christians, proselytes, or anyone falling in the group he describes as “dogs,” “workers of evil,” and the “mutilation”) who obey the law of the flesh. Flesh in itself is not sinful, though it can easily fall prey to sin. The concept of flesh denoted, however, what is physical, external, visible, and temporal, in contrast to the spiritual, internal, invisible, and eternal.

For Paul, confidence in the Spirit was very significant and a fundamental reason for boasting. First, those who have been formed by Christ belong to Christ and worship Christ in and by the Spirit of God. Paul knew Christ as Lord and acknowledged Christ’s actions as the self-revelation of God. He recognized Christ’s claims by adopting the same pattern for his life. Second, he abandoned the old privileges in order to gain and be found and formed in Christ. Even though Paul had found Christ, he acknowledged that he would always need to continue to find Christ. He said he would continue to press on to make Christ his own.

As we become formed in Christ, we need to avoid, also, the attitude that claims exclusive rights to divine favor and bars a great majority of men and women from fellowship with God. Paul reminds us all that the true people of God, those formed by Christ, consist of all who worship by the Spirit, and that Spirit is the essential mark of God’s people. That Spirit was at work in Jesus and was poured out on Jews and Gentiles alike when they believed the gospel; through that Spirit they are now able to worship God sincerely. Our call to be those formed by Christ is to be an inclusive model of the people of God rather than an exclusive one.

Since we are called to make and be signal communities, we are to renounce, like Paul, excessive nationalism, exaggerated flag loyalty and imperialism, unjustifiable oppression and domination of others, and all the privileges that keep us from accepting the gifts that are offered to us from Christ. We renounce them, like Paul, not because they are wrong in themselves, but because they belong to the old era of the flesh and have been replaced by something far better—a new relationship with God, freely offered to all, and not confined to those who were able to claim to be righteous according to the law.

4. What does it mean for you to be formed in Christ? What is the goal you are trying to obtain in your life? How can you make Christ your own?