Live, Worthy of the Gospel

(S1) — Title

…the phrase, standard of Living’ — Refers to the quality of ones life, their access to basic necessities.

Standard for living—the quality of ones life as it pertains to Christian living. The Bible s filled with how one is to live in following Jesus…

But what are the basics for being a Jesus-centered church? The Apostle Paul sums it up…

(S2) — {1:27)

Series: Church Mail—(4) Prison letters

How were they to live a life worthy of the Gospel?

Philippians: the book of Joy…but, his journey is anything but a joyous one...

— Convicted, brought to his knees, and blinded after his encounter with Jesus

— His life threatened...beaten and dragged out of the temple...arrested and put in chains {Acts 21:33}

And yet he finds a way to rejoice in suffering because Paul’s chains served a purpose—his willingness to suffer for the Gospel would perpetuate its advance.

We can not be sure if Paul fully understood how God’s orchestrating hand and his suffering intersect; but it is clear he trust enough in God’s governance over the events…

1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

How are we to live worthy of the Gospel? What does it take to be a Jesus-centered church that is taking the good news of Jesus to the world?

PRAY

(S3)— Paul/Philippi {Acts 16:11-34}

Paul established the church of Phillipi in a Roman colony of the city of Macedonia (North Greece)

His 2nd missionary journey. There he encounters…

a God-fearing praying woman named Lydia…

a female fortune-teller…

Is confronted by an angry crowd; dragged in the market place, flogged and thrown in jail

There he converts a guard after the jail doors are flung open; Baptized

Church Planting 101-Saline

Phrase: Making the most of a bad situation/lemons out of lemonade

“In every situation there are two factors: there is what happens, and there is how we take what happens.” A third shown in Pauls life; what we do with what happens

Paul's saga continues…as he is writing his letter he is under house arrest in Rome

(S4) — {12}

Notice; Paul is not focused on his circumstances; his chief concern is of the continued progress of advancing the Gospel

Two friends were talking together, one older and wise, the other younger and passing through a severe testing-time. The older friend, with loving wisdom, said, ‘No moment will ever again be like this; let there be something for Jesus in it.’ The Message of Philippians 2. The Explanation of the Fruitfulness

To advance is to spread the Good News about Jesus. What is that good news? Jesus alive, our salvation!

“We don’t share the Good News because we don’t yet believe its good news” (S. Bishop)

Jesus’ command to the apostles…and to every follower…the results of Paul’s work his mission to the Gentile world...

Notice the vastness of his proclamation

(S5) — {13}

“The gospel flourishes and advances in the empire that had imprisoned him” (Wesley One Commentary).

He was bound by Roman law...but his chains could not keep him from doing what Jesus had called him too!

John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these...

Because of his encounter on the road...he is bound to the cause of Christ. To life worthy of the Gospel.

4 principles of living worthy of the Gospel

To Live, Worthy of the Gospel…is to

(S6) —

I. Become CONFIDENT in the Gospel

14 “because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”

Lord and gospel are one…master…how the disciples addressed Jesus

They were not to be dependent of Paul…but to trust completely in their Lord.

1 Corinthians 3:5–6 NIV

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

This is not a new thing

Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

Confidence in God’s gift of grace—Jesus’ work on the cross...and his redeeming love

— In creation humanity was to be in absolute union with God

— (the fall) had ruined the whole thing; severed this relationship

— Terminal soul disease called SIN

“The gospel (Good News), offered an eternal fix; made possible by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus” (Rev. Bishop).

This gave Paul confidence in his crisis...

Falling to pieces in a Crisis, E.H.

Their confidence would come from knowing Jesus and his saving love...so that no matter the circumstances, without fear one could live worthy of the Gospel.

Where are you on the confidence scale?

To Live, Worthy of the Gospel…is to

(S7)

II. To LABOR for the Gospel

21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!”

Paul’s life, after he met Jesus was an example of fruitful labor for the Gospel—much of the NT attributed to him

John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

How did Paul labor for the gospel under such extreme circumstances? Paul’s perspective was both temporal and eternal. Why he

Paul here is telling them his thought process...his future was secure no matter the outcome. He was bound to Jesus in both life and death!

Galatians, Philippians, Colossians: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition 2. Paul’s Future Prospects and Their Effect on the Proclamation of the Gospel 1:18b–26

In the words of Bishop Handley Moule, “The dying hour is to Paul the mere gateway into the ‘large room’ of the presence of Christ.”

How is the church to labor for the gospel?

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—

By bearing fruit for the kingdom; winning people to Christ—

Colossians 1:10 “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”

How are you being called to LABOR for the Gospel?

To Live, Worthy of the Gospel…was to

(S8)

III. GROW because of the Gospel

23 “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,”

Not only was be suffering for the advancement of the gospel but for their moving forward in faith as followers of Jesus—in this they would find joy for living

(NLT) 24 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.

Some thoughts on GROWING our faith-Bishop Greenway

(S9)

“A truth as old as time itself is you're either growing and developing—or declining and dying in your faith. There's no such thing as “status quo” when it comes to following Jesus. You can't hide spiritual development—and while we may mask spiritual stagnation for a season, it'll always be revealed.”

The result of the growing

26 “so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.”

Is the gospel spreading on account of your faith

“ A master violinist was asked the secret of his success. “Planned neglect,” was his reply. He didn’t have time to practice sufficiently and keep up with the rest of his life, so he neglected everything else until he had practiced his violin. He used to take care of other things first and practice his violin second, but this resulted in mediocrity. So he began to practice his violin first and do everything else afterward. The result was his mastery of his profession

Paul’s example of the church in...

2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.”

We won’t GO until we GROW

(S10)

To Live, Worthy of the Gospel…was to conduct themselves...

IV. Conduct themselves in the SPIRIT of the Gospel

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel”

...They lived as little Romans. and how they acted mattered...

Normally when Paul wants to describe day-to-day conduct, he uses the word “walk.” (Walk in a manner worthy…) But here Paul chooses an unusual term - this is the only place in all of Paul’s epistles where he uses this word. It literally means to live as a citizen. It is the Greek word polituo. We get our words politics from it.

They could be apart of advancing the good news of Jesus by living in the Sprit of their true citizenship or be a hindrance to it.

Matthew 18:6 ““If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Where is a believers citizenship? In heaven! While our conduct matters, Paul is being specific on what he meant by living in the Sprit of the Gospel

(S11) — {Phil. 3:20}

To live in the Spirit of the Gospel is knowing they had one foot here and the other with God. When they did, then they could—Stand Firm...and Strive Together to advance the Gospel; which is what happened; not only in Philippi but through the Roman empire

How did Paul do it? He lived a life worthy of the gospel imprisoned under Rome? He knew his citizenship was in heaven!

Living for the advancement of the Gospel...sharing the Good News of Jesus means

But what are the basics for being a Jesus-centered church? The Apostle Paul sums it up…

(S12)

Become CONFIDENT in the Gospel

LABOR for the Gospel

GROW because of the Gospel

Conducting ourselves in the SPIRIT of the Gospel

There’s an old saying...“Don’t be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good.”

Being Heavenly Minded Will Make You Earthly Good

To Live, Worthy of the Gospel…