LIVE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL
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PHILIPPIANS 1-2
PHILIPPIANS 1-2
Talk about being gone
Thank Jim, Jeff and Kevin
Recap Year 2 vision
1. Not planting a church but building a community
2. CCR will have a presence at all community events, activities and governmental proceedings
3. Forget the build it and they will come mentality. We are going to them.
4. 3,2,1 challenge: 3 new acquaintances, 2 new meals (1 with church member, 1 with non-church member), 1 gospel conversation
“How can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?”Rom 10:14
5. Connect Group/Team challenge. Choice one outreach event or community service project in Lynnville prior to Christmas to do as a group.
Our #1 goal this year is to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom right here where He has planted us.
It was not an accident that we are here. I do believe that there is a reason we are here and we have barely scratched the surface of what they is.
But I believe that He who began a good work in us, will see it through to completion.
So those are the missions and goals of our 2nd year here in Lynnville.
I cannot do this alone. Jim and I cannot be the only ones out there accomplishing this mission.
My prayer is that you will join us! Take an interest in the welfare of the people that we are called to advocate for. To reach for the gospel.
I, as the pastor, are attempting to give you challenges and opportunities to pursue the goal that God has laid out for us.
But there is another aspect that I can’t accomplish for you.
According to 1 Corinthians, we are all called to be ministers of reconciliation. We ambassadors for the King.
So, what we do, how we live our lives, the places that we go and what we say to those in this community should reflect the one that we are representing.
The book of Philippians chapters 1 and 2 talks a good deal about this topic.
Chapter 1 verses 12-18 talks about the different motives and ways that people preach the gospel. I don’t think this is saying that they are acceptable methods but that the best things that is happening is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed.
How pivotal and centering should the Gospel of Jesus Christ be to not just us as a church but as a people?
I believe that it is the one unifying message that people of all denominations should be able to unify around.
I believe that each of us a believer should be able to explain that which we claim to believe in and put our faith in!
If you are a believer in this room, you should be able to know why you have eternal life. You should be able to explain that. You should be able to explain from your heart why you personally believe that you have Jesus and His promise of eternal life.
If you don’t know why you believe that, as the foundation of our faith and belief, don’t you think that you should? We are talking about eternity here people!
But not just that, but our lives should reflect the gospel that we claim to believe in.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
We should be living a life that is worthy of reflecting the Gospel to others in the community. They should be able to see us standing in unity, with one mind, one Spirit striving towards sharing the Gospel with others.
We as a church body or even the big “C” church should be able to unify around these truths.
So, challenge number 1 from today is to know what you believe about the gospel and be able to share it. I’m not talking about some canned outline, although it is important that you understand what scripture says about it. I’m talking about being able to share how Jesus saved you and how He was able to do that for you. This is essential to a Christ follower. And we are all called to be prepared to give an account to the joy that is within us. Not just those who are pastors or have the gift of evangelism.
Challenge number 2 today is to strive to live a life worthy of the Gospel. Don’t just be able to explain it verbally but the way that you live your life should reflect the Gospel just as clearly.
Read Philippians 2:1-16
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
So, how can our actions reflect the gospel? How can we all unify in this mindset?
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
It astounds me how selfish my mindset and my motives can be.
I think about myself entirely too often.
But this verse is telling us that in order to reflect the gospel, we must consider others more significant that ourselves.
Others who are like us?
Others that are good people?
Others who agree with our political views?
Others. All others. Everyone. Everyone else first. You last.
This is a mindset. Consider or think about them as more significant than you.
How difficult is this is today’s age? This divisive age we live in wants to divide us from everyone else. This culture wants you to only accept people like you and reject everyone else.
That is not scriptural! That is not how God wants us to live! We are to have standards and values that reflect the Word of God but we cannot expect them to live like Christians when they aren’t Christians!
But we have to be the one who bridges the gap caused by our culture. Not with arrogance or anger. But with humility, serving and the love of Jesus!
And it starts in the mind with thinking others to be more significant that yourself.
It starts with thinking about them like that and moves into our actions.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Look out for the interest of others.
The others that we are called to look out for is those in this community! Those who go to Richland HS, MS and Elem. Those who work there. They who live or work in Northern Giles County. Those neighbors that God placed you around.
We are called to act on behalf of their interest.
How can we know what is in there best interest if we don’t go to them to find out?
If we don’t do the 3,2,1 challenge or go to them, we can’t meet them to find out the interest that we are supposed to helping them do! I can’t tell you that, only they can!
If we do this, we are reflecting the life of Jesus to those around us! We are imitating how Christ lived.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
How many of you would like to take on the title of servant today? How many of our prides swell up within ourselves and reject that kind of thinking?
That is the opposite of what Jesus did. Jesus who is the Son of God, came to this Earth, not to sit on a throne and be worshipped but He came to serve others.
He came obeying the will of the Father. He came to fulfill the greatest need or interest that mankind has. The need of a Savior, dying on the cross for our sins and reconciling us to the Father.
Jesus set the example with His life on how we should live for others first. Being like a servant and obedient to the Father even to the point of death.
The greats in our Christian linage are those who were willing to serve and give everything that they had for the best interest of others or those God called them to.
Simple and humble, men and women throughout Christian history have rocked countries and societies throughout the world by taking this mindset and lifestyle.
12 men carried the Gospel to the world and we are here as the produce of they labor. Of their work.
Throughout history, God has called a person or a people to reach a group of people with the Gospel. They are sent. They are equipped. They are intentional. They humble themselves to the interest of the people. They humble themselves as servants to others because they consider other more significant than themselves.
(Stress this) I believe that this is what God is calling us to do for this community. He placed us here. He brought each of us here from all across the country. He has given you eternal life, not just for you sake but so that you can share it with others.
He is calling us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. We are saved by grace through faith alone. Our salvation is not through works or we would brag about it. But we are asked to work out of, or because of our salvation.
Remember, when you recieved Christ? You said that Jesus would be your Savior and Lord? With Him as you Lord, He is going to put you to work! If you love Him, you will keep His commandments.
He is calling each of us to work out of our salvation with fear and trembling. Because God is trying to do something in this community. He is trying to do something new here and He wants to put you to work to see His will be done and His kingdom come, right here is Lynnville as it is in Heaven.
God has given us a vision and a mission and it is to Go to them. Get to work. Put others as more significant than yourself. Humble yourself to the point of being a servant.
Now, verse 14 is for some of you that are not liking me right now....
Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
Why? Why should we do this?
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
We are being called out to be lights in this community.
We are asked to labor and work for this community.
We are asked to be able to give an account for the joy that is within us.
We are asked to serve the interest of others before we serve our own interest.
We are called to live lives that the reflect the life and gospel of Jesus Christ.
Will you please join me in this?
Will you please, join in what the Lord is doing and wanting to do in our community?
I believe that He will see it to completion.
This community doesn’t need us, it needs Jesus.
We are not the answer, Jesus is.
But He has asked us to be His hands and feet to accomplish His will. To bring His Kingdom.
Will you join me in saying yes to what He is asking us to do?
Before we pray, I have homework for you.
I almost preached this lesson today but I think you need to do this at home for yourself.
The homework is a reading and a prayer.
The reading is Psalm 139.
This Psalm is about all that God knows about you. How you can go nowhere that He is not there. How He knows every detail about who you are.
Verse 1 says “O Lord, you have searched me and known me.”
He goes on to show just how much He knows.
But he also says that there is no way for us to know who we are like that.
But the prayer is the final 2 verses.
Would you pray that the Lord would do this in your life?
Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
You’re not giving Him permission to do something that He already doesn’t know. You are praying to ask Him to show you those things so that you can better reflect Him. So, that you can can be the light to this community that He is asking us to be.
Close in prayer.