Why We're Here

Phil 2:1 NLT - Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Phil 2:1 KJV - If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Do you ever wonder why we’re here? Why we come to church? Why we worship God? Why we follow Jesus? Who was he and why is he so important, even after all these years?

In a world full of people attempting to make themselves important. Thinking they have all power to take from others, their livelihoods, their dreams, and goals.

With the swipe of a pen and without a thought for their wellbeing, or that of their children, change the trajectory of someone’s life.

How is it that so many are failing to do the job for which they were elected? Failing the very people they are supposed to be protecting and fighting for.

Well listen up, today I’m going to tell you, “Why We’re Here”. This is the title of today’s message.

This letter to the Philippian church was written by Paul, but he includes Timothy, his son in the ministry, in his greeting. It was written in the year 62, by a man who was in prison for preaching the Gospel of Christ.

As was Paul’s custom, he began his letters by identifying who it was writing the letter, a salutation or greeting, and a prayer for the recipient. While he followed the same format, each letter was specific to its recipient. They weren’t cookie cutter messages.

His letters addressed certain problems, behaviors, and encouragement for the recipients. So how is it this letter written over 1900 years ago, 1,963 years to be exact, how could it be relevant for us today?

Because the Word of God is always relevant, it’s always useful, and it’s always right on time, and if you give me just a little of yours, time that is, I’ll tell you how.

In this letter of encouragement...anybody need some encouragement today? That is part of Love Christian Center’s vision, “Be a place where people come for enlightenment, encouragement and

empowerment to advance and enhance the Kingdom of God.” So let me encourage you today with the Good News of Christ taken from this letter to the Philippian church.

When we preach, we go into the Scriptures and pull out a few key texts, we’re taught to not read more than six, but to get the full understanding you must read the whole letter. That’s what they did back then, the people sat down, and the entire letter was read in one sitting.

In this TikTok, Facebook, Instagram or whatever Social Media platform is out there of 15 second at a time reels or shorts, it would be next to impossible to get most people to sit still that long, and so we give you snippets. The Reader’s Digest version if you will. But when you get home, in your reading this week, please read the entire letter to the Philippian church. It’s a short one, just 4 chapters.

So as we look at this letter, back in the first chapter in the ninth and tenth verses, Paul expresses a wish for them, he says this, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”

Paul wants us to understand, what really matters.

The second chapter begins, “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?”

What do you think? Do you feel encouraged because you belong to Christ? Or are you spending your days worried about what the next pen stroke is going to take away? What the next made up government agency is going to decide to get rid of because they have no idea what they do nor do they care.

Do you find yourself distressed because they want to take from the poor and continue to pad the pockets of the rich. Paying one man 8 million dollars a day to take away the department that educates our children, to dismantle the department that investigates wrongdoing in pharmaceutical and tech companies including himself, while looking into the social security program, a program in which a person lives on at a rate of $65.00 dollars a day.

But, it should encourage you to know that this world is not our home? That one day every person on it will answer to God. Everyone! While some may think they are above the law, no one is above God’s law and there will be a reckoning and accountability for what is done to His people.

King David said, I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. For those of the household of faith, we don’t beg for anything, we ask Jehovah Jireh, our provider, we go to our Father who owns everything and ask in the name of our brother Jesus Christ, and he will give it to us, not for us to brag, not for vain glory, but so that God is glorified in all things.

Does anybody want to be encouraged? So you don’t think I’m making things up, let me give you some encouragement from King David.

“Ps 37:1 David said, Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. 2 For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. 6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. 7 Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. 8 Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. 9 For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. 10 Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. 11 The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.”

I’m trying to encourage you this morning and tell you why we’re here.

Is there any comfort from his love? You should find comfort in knowing that God loved you so much that he gave his one and only Son to die for your sins. There is no greater love than that.

Life giving, soul saving, heart fixing, mind regulating love.

Even in our sin Christ loved us and died for us.

Even in our sin Christ came to show us how to live a holy life.

Even in our sin Christ saved us from ourselves.

Even in our sin Christ saved us from hell.

Why do I keep saying even in our sin? Because I need you to know today,

for those of you who think you have to get yourself together before you can come to church

for those of you who think you have to change your life before you can come to church

for those of you who think you have to put some things down before you can come to church

Christ came and he died knowing all that you were doing, stop waiting and come now. If you could’ve gotten yourself together you wouldn’t have needed Jesus. Come on!

Jesus loved you this much...how much do you love him?

Is there any fellowship together in the Spirit? To be together in the Spirit is a wonderful thing. Jesus said the Father and I are one, I in he and he in me. He likened our connection to a vine and branches saying we can do nothing apart from the vine.

Some of you are masters at organizing your time and energy. You manage your calendar, you set your time and stick to it and you accomplish a lot. Now, imagine how much more we could do together.

Imagine if our spirits were one with the Spirit.

Imagine being on the same page when it comes to the things of Christ.

Imagine if we all had a heart and a longing to see the lost come to Christ.

Imagine if we all walked in the vocation God has called us to.

Imagine if we all knew what our vocation was.

Imagine if we trusted each other enough to know we wish each other no harm.

Imagine if we could get past the past hurts so we could move onward and upward in Christ.

Imagine, just imagine a world where the people, we the people, had tender hearts and were compassionate toward one another.

Imagine us agreeing wholeheartedly with each other. No arguments, no ulterior motives, no one trying one up the other, no big I’s and little you’s, just everyone working together for the good of their neighbor.

Imagine loving one another with a pure love that knows no bounds. A love that says I will consider your needs even before my own.

Imagine

o A love that is patient

o A love that is kind

o A love that is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude

o A love that does not insist on its own way

o A love that is not irritable or resentful

o A love that does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth

o A love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things

o A love that never ends

As disciples of Christ, we are identified by the love we have one for another. That’s how people will see who we are. We must look, think, and act different than the world.

Our demeanor should be different.

Our attitude should be different.

Our disposition should be different.

Our dress should be different

We are in this world, but we are not of this world.

We are called to work together with one mind and one purpose. What is that purpose? Why are we here?

Our purpose is to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything God has commanded. And remember, you’re not doing it alone because Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age”.

So how do we work together with one mind and one purpose? We do that by understanding what part of the body we are and doing our part.

Paul teaches us this in 1 Cor 12: 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.”

Did you catch that last part? God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

If you are connected to the vine,

if you are in tune with God,

if you are listening as God speaks, (and trust me when I tell you he is still speaking)

if you are studying

if you are praying

if you are meditating on his Word

if you are being obedient to his will

God will reveal to you which body part you are, he will reveal to you your purpose, he will reveal to you your gifts, and talents, where you are supposed to be using them and it’s not about going to the highest bidder.

For the musician, it’s not just another gig.

For the singer, it’s not for you to shine.

For the cook, it’s not about your dish.

For the preacher it’s not about your hoop.

It’s not about us, it’s about Jesus.

Why are we here? Why do we need to come to church, why do we need to gather together?

We come together because when we do we can accomplish so much more. We can defeat the enemy and his imps. Satan is an imposter, he is a copycat, he is a deceiver.

He is here for nothing more than to kill, to steal, and destroy. But the good news is, greater is he who is in me, than he who is in the world.

The Holy Spirit is in me and Satan is in the world.

I am great, in the Lord.

I am powerful, in the Lord.

I am protected, in the Lord

I am mighty, in the Lord.

I am beautiful, in the Lord.

I am consecrated, in the Lord.

I am set apart for his work, in the Lord.

You’ve got to know who you are, you’ve got to declare it with your mouth. You’ve got to declare it with your life.

Paul said don’t be selfish, don’t try to impress others. Be humble. Think of others as better than yourself. He’s not saying you’re less than, he’s not saying what you do or that your gift is any less important, it’s just not any more important than your brother or sister’s either.

Everyone has a call and a purpose on their life and at the end of the day, when all is said and done, it’s all to glorify God the Father.

What does your neighbor need? Have you asked them? Do you know who your neighbor is? Let me give you a hint. Your neighbor is anyone God places in your path.

You must have the same attitude Christ Jesus had, and what was that. He was God, but he gave that up, he gave up his divine privileges and took on the position of an ordinary man.

He suffered hunger and thirst and cold and homelessness for our sake. It’s in the Bible, when Jesus had finished ministering a scribe comes and says he’d follow him anywhere to which Jesus responds, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”

It’s easy to follow someone when they’re popular, when they’re rich, when they have a lot of power and prestige, when the crowds are chanting their names. But what about when they don’t have much. What about when the ministry is small and building? Can you hang in there through the lean years?

Will you stay when they say or do something you don’t like? Or don’t agree with, but it’s what the Lord said to do.

Will you walk through the storm with them when you have the opportunity to walk away?

Will you give your last the way you expect them to?

Are you here for just the good stuff, the fun times, the fair weather or will you stay when the road gets rough and the going gets tough?

Why are you here?

You see, Jesus went through some rough times.

He was in some storms, but he was God

his friends turned their backs on him, but he was God

he was betrayed, but he was God

he suffered at the hands of liars, but he was God

he knew what it was to be cold, and hungry, and alone, but he was God

he knew what it was to be whipped, and beaten, and slapped and spit upon, but he was God

he knew what it was to die a sinners death, even though he committed no sin, but he was God.

He was God and he knew that when it was all over, when he suffered that last blow, when he had done all he came to do, when he said it is finished, when he gave up the ghost, when he hung his head and died, he knew that God would elevate him to the place of highest honor.

He knew that God would give the name above all other names. That at his name, at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

He knew that every tongue would declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He knew that there would be no other name by which men and women, boys and girls could, nor would be saved.

He knew that there was power in his name.

Power to heal and forgive and save and deliver and set free and lift up and put down. He knew.

So when Jesus came, He was God in the flesh, he knew what was going to happen then and he still does now. That’s why he sits at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf right now.

So why are we here? We’re here to lift up the name of Jesus. To tell of his marvelous works, to tell others that he’s still doing miracles, to tell the lost that he died for their sins and that there is still hope. As long as they have breath, there is hope and with every breath that I take and every move that I make, I will praise the Lord.

I will tell of his goodness, I will tell of his kindness, I will tell of his grace. I will give him praise for his goodness and his mercy towards us.

Have you ever really stopped to think about what Jesus did for you? For the majority, I’m going to say no. You may be wondering how can I say that. Well let’s see.

I look out and see a lot of empty seats in front of me.

I hear weekly of those who say they’re coming, yet they are not here.

They can get up and go to work and be there at 8, but can’t be at church to give God praise at 10.

I see what man is doing to their brothers and sisters.

I see the atrocities of war.

I see the homeless.

I see the hungry.

I see the violence.

I see the news stories.

I see the jails filled with those who can’t afford a lawyer to help them get free.

I see the jails filled with our young Black men and women leaving our children to languish in a system that is failing them. Setting them up to be used and abused.

• I see people acting like there is no God. But let me assure of one thing for sure and two things for certain, there is a God, he’s still on the throne and he is still in control.

We are here to make sure that everyone knows that.

We are here so you know

when you get tired of spinning your wheels,

when you get tired of working hard and going further in debt,

when you get tired of putting forth your best effort and getting nothing in return

when you come to the end of yourself and all you know

when you’ve tried everything and everyone else

we’re here to encourage you to try God. It’s the best decision you will ever make. All it takes is a prayer.

Lord God, please forgive for me. I believe Jesus is your Son, that he died for my sins. Jesus, please come into my heart, I give you my life. In Your name I pray. Amen

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, congratulations and welcome to the family. Please send us a message so we can contact you and pray with you.

For those of you who have reached out and asked for prayer, please know we are praying for you and I also thank those of you who are contributing to this ministry financially. We thank you for your continued support.

Please know that we are good stewards over everything we are given. If you live in the Douglasville, GA vicinity and do not have a church home, a place where you can come and fellowship with like-minded people, a place where the pastor is praying for you, a place where we are meeting the needs of the people in our community, come meet us here at 3500 Hwy 5. Sunday school for adults and youth begins at 8:45 and worship service begins at 10.

Come as you are, Jesus loves you and so do we.

Salvation

Membership

Rededication

Communion