The Journey
The Journey • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsPaul’s instructions for Christians to live as the Church
Notes
Transcript
Announcements
Announcements
The Christmas Open
This Saturday
9am-1pm - Open Putt
1-3pm NextGen Event
The Journey
The Journey
The Church (Mini-Series)
The Church (Mini-Series)
Recap
Recap the series (quickly)
Last week we talked about 2 major things that happened when you got saved.
God placed a desire inside of you to do His Will (what is right).
Now we also saw that even though God placed this Desire in you, you still have this opposing pull inside you that pulls you away from this desire.
We call this the flesh - Paul described is as a War that rages inside our minds and it is a war that on our own we are doomed to lose.
However, God also gave us the power to overcome temptation and sin.
First, by Jesus defeating Satan when he was crucified and resurrected
Secondly, by indwelling us with His Spirit, which gives us the power to defeat the war of sin.
Because of these 2 things we saw last week that Paul said that we should consider ourselves to be dead to the power of sin and Satan.
We are already victorious, because of what Christ did for us!
The Struggle
The Struggle
We have been talking about this struggle that we find ourselves in after we are saved.
Now we know that this struggle comes from this desire placed in us and we know that God has given us the power to overcome, but Paul also shows us the why in our struggle.
Why should we fight? Why should we go to war? What is the point of the Struggle?
In Philippians 2:12-18 we see Paul also tells us the answer.
Philippians 2:12–18 (NLT)
Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
Pray
Now before we jump into the very specific things he tells us to do (and not to do); I want us to look at verse 16 and 17 again
Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.
Liquid Offering
Here Paul is not saying that you should simply “live for God, for him”, but rather he is setting himself as an example.
In verse 17 he says “even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God”
Now this is an interesting analogy that Paul is giving because he is saying that giving his life teaching and preaching the Gospel is like the pouring out of a liquid offering.
To understand this meaning we must look back at the Torah (the Law)
In the Law there were many different offerings.
Some of these offerings required a Drink/Liquid offering to be poured out as part of the sacrifice.
Two things that are important to note about the Liquid offering
It represented an act of joyful worship.
It was not the primary sacrifice.
So Paul is saying that pouring his life out as a liquid offering is his absolute joy as it points to the main sacrifice and that main sacrifice is Jesus Christ!
Paul’s example here is that giving his entire life up for the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most joyous act of Worship and reverence he can give.
Paul says this so that we can understand the Why of our struggle in this life. Our struggle is an act of sacrificial worship that points to the ultimate sacrifice.
In verse 14-15 - Paul lays clearly out the why.
Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
Be the Light
Paul says - this world is filled with darkness
This analogy of light vs darkness is pretty common to our ears. It is simply good vs evil.
The world is described as crooked and perverted.
This does not mean that the people are evil and beyond redemption, but that they can’t see. - They need light.
This is where Paul gives us the Why -
We are to live clean and innocent lives so that we can shine light into the darkness so that those trapped in the darkness can see Jesus!
This concept of being the light is found constantly throughout scripture.
Jesus himself in his famous Sermon on the Mount said:
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
You who we Paul describes as Citizens of Heaven, As Children of God, as The Church; are supposed to shine the light to this sinful world!
Now what is the Light?
The Light is Jesus Christ who is alive in you!
You must understand that you yourself are not the light, but rather Jesus who is working in your life is!
So In order to shine the light you must live a sacrificial life and let Jesus Shine through you!
You must live like Jesus did and to understand how to live like Jesus you must learn and study how Jesus lived!
Now, Jesus showcased is actions constantly throughout the record of his life in the 4 Gospels.
We do not have time to showcase them all, but I want to bring one up for us to look at.
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Here we find Jesus as he was teaching the Pharisees approached him with a “gotchya” scenario
Here they had a woman who was caught committing an action that per the Law of God in the Torah was punishable by death.
Jesus, being God in the Flesh, would have been able to rightly judge and condemn this woman to death, but that is not what he did.
Rather, he began to write in the dirt on the ground (we have no idea what he wrote, some speculate he wrote out the Pharisees sins).
After being pressed he stood up and said ““All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” - Then he bent over and kept writing.
When he got back up, Jesus looked and saw that all the Pharisees were gone.
He asked the woman where are all your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?
She said, No, Lord - Jesus said “Neither do I. Go and sin no more”
This woman was no doubt guilty according to the Law. She was destined for a painful death.
She was brought before a righteous Judge and instead of dropping the hammer of condemnation, he offered a hand of mercy…
You want to know what verse 12 says?
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
Modern day Christians for some reason feel like it is their job to bring about condemnation upon the sins of this world.
They accuse people left and right of sinful actions and levy condemnation and judgement on them because of their sins.
You know who the Bible says is the condemner of the World?
Revelation 12:10b (NLT)
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
before our God day and night.
This verse is speaking of Satan. Satan is the one who brings our sins before God day and night accusing and condemning us.
So when you find yourself acting out of a spirit of condemnation, you are not acting with an attitude of Christ but rather with the attitude of Satan.
Here is what John said about Jesus’ roll in the spirit of condemnation
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Being the Light of the world does not mean that you are the condemner of the world!
Being the Light means that you understand that just as you were once full of sin, crookedness, perversion; lost in darkness not able to find your way out until someone showed you the light of the Gospel that didn’t reach out and condemn you but rather said you are forgiven go and sin no more!
When you understand this, you don’t look at others as being in need of condemnation, but rather in need of the same mercy and grace that God extended to you!
I’m just so glad that when God showed me the extent of my sin and I saw the penalty of that sin, that even though I deserved it, God did not drop the hammer of condemnation, but rather sent his Son to free me of that condemnation and of the power of the sin that used to control me.
Now when Satan my accuser goes before God to accuse me of my failures, you want to know what God says? - He says “What failures” because now when God sees me, he sees the blood of Christ that has wiped away all my sins.
Then Satan would turn to me (since God wouldn’t condemn me) and he would get in my head and remind me how big of a failure I was.
I used to let this destroy me and defeat me.
Until I learned to live in this truth right here…
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
I am saved by the Grace of God and if I try to live in a prison of condemnation than I will never be able to live in the freedom that Christ gave me.
This is why I will say the same words that Paul said:
But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.
There is no greater joy in my life than to pour out my life for the one who saved me.
This is my why!
My Why is that just one more person, who is lost in the darkness of sin, sees the light and grace of Jesus Christ.
If just one more comes to Christ, every tear, every drop of sweat, and every ounce of pain that is found in the struggle will not just be worth it, but be an absolute joy!
Closing
God instilled within you, that are saved, the desire and the power to do His Will in the struggles of this Journey!
He also gave you the Why and that is that you are supposed to shine the light of the Mercy and Grace that is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Challenge
The world is full of darkness—brokenness, hate, and people searching for answers.
You have the incredible opportunity to shine the light of Jesus in the places where it’s needed most: your schools, your sports teams, your homes, and your friend groups.
Being the light isn’t about being perfect; it’s about letting Jesus shine through you.
This week, I want to challenge you to live boldly for Jesus. When others complain, choose gratitude. When someone is hurting, show kindness. When you're tempted to hide your faith, speak up with love.
Ask yourself daily: 'Am I living in a way that helps others see Jesus?'
You are called to reflect Christ—to live in such a way that people trapped in darkness can see the hope, love, and grace of the Gospel.
Let your life be a light that points to Jesus, and don’t wait for someone else to step up.
