The Mature Church Loves

Why Do We Rejoice? Collectively, Together?

July 20, 1969 - 400,000 people worked, 500,000,000 watched

Being part of something big, bigger than yourself - CELEBRATION

1) Paul’s situation (vv 3-8)

Roman imprisonment - b/c of the gospel

Paul’s thankfulness

Participation in the Gospel

Confidence that God will keep perfecting, growing His saints (growth will take place if surrender)

There is NO closer bond than believers (stronger than family) - Jesus in Matt. 12:48-50

Questions for US here:

How enthusiastic are we about the Gospel?

We share hard times now (not to the degree of Paul, 2 Cor. 11)

Where is our celebration, our excitement because of believers here, because of our family? Our unity?

Why do YOU like this church?

Friendly people? Good food?

How about looking deeper

Church bond, bond in Christ, is so much more than regular friendship and family (BONUS when families are believers)

Paul remembers what’s important? Do we?

I’m so thankful the gospel brought us together!

2) Lessons from Paul’s Prayer

Putting his talk into action

A) Prayer For A Growing Love

1-Nature - selfless action

Christ is the model

No specific “object” of the love, the believer just LOVES

This is a mindset

“Who is my neighbor?” - Luke 10 - There are no boundaries to Christian love

KEEP ABOUNDING - Overflowing! “Still more and more (v.9)

(Translation should read still more and more) - the believer is not done, still room to grow

2-Environment (of growing love)

Knowledge

Real, personal knowing, NOT LOGIC

Knowledge is to be used practically

A “complete knowing” - the ability to apply

Discernment, judgment - knowing what to do with what you know

Do you believe what you know?

If lack knowledge or discernment - love will not grow; failure to grow hinders love

Paul prays for believers to live healthy, Christian lives!

Again, no specific objects of this love

TODAY:

POINT- Moral insight - knowledge and application expose the rightness and wrongness of ALL thoughts and actions.

3) Result (of growing love)

Mature Christians - able to distinguish right from wrong (EXAMPLES?)

Test - ability to test what is done and said, choices - Do you know God’s Word well enough to know when someone is lying to you?

A growing love is fed by (energized by) proper knowledge, proper moral insight

Enables us to see the best way to live

PAUL’s GOAL OVERALL: Be blameless when Christ returns! Completeness of character!

B) Prayer for Complete Character

1.) Nature- what it looks like

Pure, blameless

(word is usage of words for “sun” and “judge” - holding something up to the light for inspection) ILLUST - Paper or Dollar

TRACE CHRIST - That was Paul’s prayer - a blameless life

Life, when examined, should be modeled after Christ in EVERYthing!

2.) How?

Knowledge, discernment, morality

Proper understanding

Good, Christ-like choices

POINT - live in such a way so that Christ can work in you, to produce fruit - Our choices actually affect the harvest!

This protects the church

Question: What does God do with a church straying from truth?

This character issue is not about us, but about and because of Christ - HIS character and reputation among others depends on US!

But…ASIDE - we WILL stand at judgment seat of Christ

2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB95

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Psalm 62:12 NASB95

And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work.

TWO BIG POSITIVES HERE (REM: Want to feel better?)

No condemnation here, Rom 8:1, if by faith, live for Christ

Rewards are eternal

3. Why? The Purpose of this Complete Character

God’s Glory - enough said (we talk response a lot, let’s DO!)

Reflect God’s character

Twitter - God’s image - what is that? Why/how do we suppress it, and why/how do we reflect it? It’s how we are created

Character is WHO WE ARE - Are we in Christ?

CLOSE

God began a work - in Philippi, in believers there

God began a work - here, in , in Cornerstone, in believers here

It MUST continue, WE MUST prepare for Christ to return

This work WILL continue, if we let God work through us

This work WILL continue, if we surrender, because then growth will take place, love will abound, self will take a back seat

AND CHRIST WILL SHINE - WE”LL REFLECT HIM!

Paul’s ultimate concern - eternal

Meanwhile....and this is of huge importance

This present life is not to be ignored (not to be worshiped, either)

Christian love is to characterize all Christians

The selflessness of Christ (jut like He did it, gave it all)

You cannot reflect Christ if your focus is on yourself - CAN’T

Mindset: I pray God continues this work, that we develop, grow, and keep unity in love/selflessness - excited by each other’s faith and growth!

EXCITED BY THAT - Come on, what excites you?

We Need

Knowledge

Application

Judgment

Discernment

SO WE CAN GROW - SO WE CAN LOVE

We can’t love without growth

We can’t grow without love

AND - WE ARE PART OF SOMETHING SO MUCH BIGGER THAN OURSELVES (moon landing? nothing compared to this)

You, are part of this amazing kingdom!