Being Most Excellent!!!

We are all believers and lovers of JESUS CHRIST, AMEN?

We are here to grow together, we do for each other and with each other.

We pray together, we eat together, we praise and worship together, we study the full and complete word of GOD…AMEN?

Let’s go through some scripture...

Philippians 4:4...Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

What we have, what we do, what we say, who we are…is all by GODS grace. Do you really think that you got that job, or that car, or that phone, or anything you have, without GODS grace and selflessness?

In this dark world, our rejoicing will show what hope we have…and we get to explain where we get it from.

Rejoice means feel or show great joy or delight.

Being thankful, really thankful, not just I’m thankful Lord…while you yawn…THANKFUL. SHOUT IT OUT.

LET’S do that now...

AMEN!!! PRAISE JESUS. An everyday, every hour, every minute, every moment feeling.

Philippians 4:5... Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

This means not when you’re watching Old Yeller, a game the Yankees lose, or in my case, Bruce almighty.

Gentleness means being kind, tender, or mild-mannered.

Caring, sharing, being truly interested in someone else’ stuff, feelings, goings on…etc…and not necessarily with believers, but with non-believers as well.

Showing gentleness to all shows hope, shows love, shows joy, shows heaven…shows JESUS.

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Philippians 4:6...Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to GOD.

Be anxious for nothing...why? Because that means that we trust that our Father will take care of us. Yes…we are a controlling animal…some more than others…but we need to trust our Father.

How do we began to trust more? Well, the verse tells us how to... by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to GOD.

Do we pray enough? Probably not, but as has been said many times by all of us, we have to get better at praying.

We know what prayer is…that conversation we have with GOD. Supplication…say it…it’s a cool word. It means...the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.

Always being humble when we pray.

Using it in a sentence..."he fell to his knees in supplication."

synonyms: appeal, petition, urge, prayer, invocation, request, application...

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Philippians 4:7...And the peace of GOD, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in CHRIST JESUS.

YAY AND AMEN!!!

We will never truly understand the peace we are given or why, we know that it’s a gift that makes life easier to get through.

We receive peace when we trust GOD. We receive peace when we surrender to GOD. We receive peace when we abide in GOD. We feel peace when we obey GOD.

Colossians 3:23-24...Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Pretty plainly said. Work heartily since it is for our Lord, knowing you will receive the reward of inheritance. The inheritance is what we obtain a heritage, a portion, the possession, of all the benefits of salvation offered in Christ.

…eternal life, renewed bodies, no more sickness, no more pain, no more sadness, no more anger…pure love, joy and peace.

Our inheritance is unspoiled! Things will not decay, debase rust or fall apart. Cars, machines, motorcycles…all can be taken care of, but nothing is made to last forever.

Our inheritance in is imperishable! Things will not decay, will not spoil. Even the prettiest things decay…flowers, trees, grass, food... They have a shelf life. WE have a shelf life.

Think about it.

Finally...

Philippians 4:8-9...Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Being and doing for GOD is honorable, right, pure, lovely, and of good repute.

The title of this message is Being Most Excellent!!!

This is how we must do what we do for the kingdom…with excellence.

AMEN???

Let’s pray...