Get on with being God's people
Snap shots of a church 7
Philippians 2:12-18An image of a unity in the church
For the church to examine itself and see where it needs to improve
Get on with being God’s people
Intro
Context
Given 1 billion dollars
Tell everyone and it would become part of your story passed down through the generations
Work out salvation
Get on with being God’s people
How saved people live out their life
Observable behavior
Fear and trembling
Holy awe and wonder
Practice presence of God
1 Corinthians 14:25 (NIV)
25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
Without complaining or arguing
Division
When a brother offends us, our response becomes critical to Christ. There are four responses common to human flesh that we are to guard against with all diligence.
1) A self-centered response: acting babyish;
being consumed with the wrong done; keeping our minds on the personal injury until the whole divisive affair poisons our hearts and minds. Remember: this is common to human flesh, a tendency among us all.
2) A withdrawing response: avoiding the brother; being apprehensive, perhaps even fearing to face or associate with him;.
3) A gossiping response: a self-justifying sharing; a self-vindicating sharing; a tendency to share hurt and evil and wrong done, to share with close friends in order to picture ourselves as blameless.
4) A retaliating response: becoming embroiled in the divisiveness and wrongdoing ourselves; reacting and lowering ourselves to the level of the wrongdoer; getting back at the wrongdoer.
Thought 2. When a brother offends us, the most important response (after prayer, of course) is to go to the brother alone. There is great wisdom in this instruction, wisdom that teaches both brothers to subject the flesh and to give prominence to the spirit.
1) Wisdom for the offended brother. Human nature tends to react, brood, share the evil, and seek retaliation—whether simply withdrawing or attacking. Christ demands that we conquer the urges of the flesh to react and that we control the situation through the Spirit. We are to keep quiet and pray and then go to the brother and discuss the matter, seeking reconciliation. Simply put, we are to be spiritually minded.
2) Wisdom for the offending brother. Human nature avoids and is slow in admitting wrong. A humble, loving, and caring visit to seek reconciliation is an encouragement for a brother to confess, apologize, and be reconciled.
Blameless Pure
Holy
Set apart
Different
Internal witness
Crooked and depraved generation
Reminding the Philippians
Shine like stars
External witness
People will be less inclined to hear the gospel if we don’t live it
Hold out the word of life
Share the gospel
Even if I am executed here and now, I’ll rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith that you make on Christ’s altar, a part of your rejoicing. But turnabout’s fair play—you must join me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don’t feel sorry for me.