"LIVING OUT THE GOSPEL PART I"
Twin Peaks Bible Camp JH 24 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The next five messages we will be talking about how believers live out the Gospel. It is extremely important that you understand that the following messages only apply to those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and and Savior!!
1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (NASB95)
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
How do you know if we are running the race?
Talking about the universal church – I believe that there are more people within the so called church at large who think they are going to heaven and in fact are going to hell – This is called easy believeism
Examples of Fake Faith –
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Matthew 13:3–9 (NASB95)
3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 “Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.
6 “But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 “Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 “And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 “He who has ears, let him hear.”
Acts 8:9–13 (NASB95)
9 Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10 and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” 11 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. 13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.
The Call to not Judge but hold accountable -
Matthew 7:1–6 (NASB95)
1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.
4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Those of us who are professing believers must stop and examine our lives to see how you and are doing at running the race. That is reflect back on your life and ask questions like the following –
What does my life look like at home, school, church, or with my friends?
Why do I do what I do?
How do I respond to life’s circumstances?
Why do I go to church?
Why am I in youth group?
Is my faith my own? Or do I simply believe b/c that is what my family does?
As we come to Philippians chapter 3 we must be aware of what is going on at that time - Paul has instructed the church at Philippi to be unified – now as we move into chapter three a group of people called the Judizers within the church are seeking to stir up major problems by deceiving people –
Proposition - As we look into the Word of God we will see five things that will be evident in our lives if we are running the race. Realize that if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ then these things only happen b/c of your love for God.
Interrogative question - How are you doing at running the race?
1.Rejoice in the Lord – vs. 1
1.Rejoice in the Lord – vs. 1
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
Finally – the rest of the things that remain – continuing on
Does not mean in conclusion -
Brothers – believers
Notice he does not just say rejoice – rather he tells us what to rejoice in - be glad in the Lord – (verb, present, active, and imperative) Why should you be glad in the Lord?
The reason that we can rejoice is b/c of our love for God –
Remembering what Christ has done for us
Took on humanity
Sacrificial death on the cross – He died for a people who are condemned to hell b/c of our sin – not His
Imputed His righteousness to wretched mankind (me)
Trouble – bothersome
Safe – definite, safeguard, facts, sure
Paul says – it is no trouble for me to tell you again church at Philippi to rejoice in the Lord. The reason that he is doing this is b/c it is safe for believers to rejoice in the Lord.
How many of you ya’ll have parents? Do they ever tell you the same thing more than once?
You must keep in mind what is going on during the writing of the book – the Judizers have come into the church trying to create problems. Paul says immediately church at Philippi “rejoice in the Lord” Can you imagine what is going through the Philippi churches minds?
As a run the race of a believer you are always to be rejoicing - now does that mean that you won’t have challenging times and or difficulties of course not -
How are you doing with rejoicing in the Lord?
2.Practice discernment – vs. 2
2.Practice discernment – vs. 2
2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;
The phrase “Beware of…” is used three times in this verse – it is the present verb, active imperative –
When a word or phrase is used several times in order it in primarily indicating the fact that it is extremely important –
Watch out for the Dogs –
Dogs – 1. “Dog,” esp. the annoying and despised eastern dog of the streets, in the OT כֶּלֶב, Aram. כַּלְבָּא.[1] – Metaphor - a bad person, a pervert
MacArthur says – “During the first century, dogs roamed the streets and were essentially wild scavengers. Because dogs were such filthy animals, the Jews loved to refer to Gentiles as dogs. Yet here Paul refers to Jews, specifically the Judaizers, as dogs to describe their sinful, vicious, and uncontrolled character”
Watch out the evildoers –
Evildoers – worker of harm, incorrect – morally bad and a bad value –
They took pride in their own righteousness not what Christ accomplished on the cross for them.
Watch out for those who Mutilate the flesh –
Mutilate the flesh – concision – NASB – false circumcision
The Judizers were only practicing the physical aspect of circumcision. In fact they thought in some way practicing it made them more spiritual –
Example - 1 Kings 18:28 – Cutting them themselves hoping that somehow that honored the baals.
28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.
Vs. on watch out for wickedness or wicked people -
16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog.
115 Depart from me, evildoers, That I may observe the commandments of my God.
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
We as believers are the true circumcision. In other words we are the ones who are right with God. We have had the cutting of sin done on our heart. We have had sin done away with as a result of what the Lord accomplished on the cross.
Vs. on the circumcision of the heart –
6 “Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
3.Worship by the Spirit of God – vs. 3
3.Worship by the Spirit of God – vs. 3
3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
Who Worship – serve – present, active verb
How do we worship the Lord?
Worship has to do with our response to the Lord. The ultimate way to worship the Lord is through obedience to Him and His Word.
The result of our faith in Christ is to worship Him alone –
4.Glory in Christ Jesus – vs. 3
4.Glory in Christ Jesus – vs. 3
3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
Glory – boast
What can we boast in Christ Jesus?
Your actions
Conversations
Prayer
Listen to how Paul boast’s about Christ –
2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
5.Put no Confidence in the flesh – vs. 3
5.Put no Confidence in the flesh – vs. 3
3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
Put confidence – trust, or obey (present, active verb)
Hendriksen – “For what is the flesh? Flesh is anything apart from Christ on which one bases his hope for Salvation”
The point is this – those of us who are true believers in Christ – do not worship ourselves or boast in anything pertaining to our Salvation which is solely a work of Christ.
SO WHAT?
Results of genuine faith –
Rejoice in the Lord - How are you doing at Rejoicing in the Lord?
Practice discernment - How are you doing at Practicing discernment?
Worship by the Spirit of God - How are you doing at Worshiping God?
Glory in Christ Jesus - How are you doing at Glorying in Christ?
Put no confidence in the flesh - How are you doing at not being Prideful?