05-20-07 - Stand fast - Philippians 1.27 - NSB
NTSK – TBKC – Believer’s Bible Commentary – JFB – KJV Bible Commentary - The Bible Exposition Commentary – The Bible Reader’s Companion – MacArthur Study Bible – The Nelson Study Bible NKJV – Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nothing) – NAC on Philippians – The New Bible Commentary – McGee – Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary (Nothing) – Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the NT – Wilmington’s Bible Handbook (Nothing) – With The Word Bible Commentary (Noting) – Word Pictures in the NT – Vincent’s Word Studies (Nothing) – Wuest’s Word Studies - Johnny Hunt’s Outline on this verse – Be What You Are -
INTRODUCTION
Tonight it is a privilege to speak to these seniors in particular and to the rest of you in general.
Read Scripture here?
Seniors…
I hope that you are happy with the gifts that your have received for your graduation, including those from the church and from your Pastor and his wife and from Darlene and I.
Tonight I would like to direct your attention to the book of Philippians – Because…
In Philippi there were some people who knew what it was to receive a gift. In the days of the apostle Paul, there were three ways to become a citizen of Rome.
Birth – Purchase – or as a gift.
To be a Roman citizen was something special -
There were rights, privileges and benefits that came with being a Roman citizen.
And Philippi was a Roman colony -
So, people living in Philippi had all of the rights and responsibilities of Roman citizenship.
By the same token…
You have received as a gift from God, because of your faith in Jesus Christ, citizenship in heaven. You live here but your citizenship is there. – Ph. 3:20
And so, you have all of the rights and responsibilities and benefits that accompany that citizenship.
That means that wherever you go in this old world
To institutes of higher learning
To fortune 500 companies so that we can make a million bucks
No matter where you go –
You do not take with you the great title of, Roman but you take with you the far greater title of, Christians.
And…Because you are citizens of heaven there are two things that you cannot do.
Never bow down
Never back up
I. DON’T BOW DOWN
You may say, “Well, I would never bow down to anyone other than God.”
Yet…
When you compromise Heavens standards you are bowing to the world’s standards.
When we claim to be Christians and yet we live like the world we are blaspheming the name of God.
If we try to be a follower of Christ 60% of the time then we are bowing down to something else 40% of the time
You are children of God – citizens of heaven – Never bow down to what the world offers.
Do not bow down because…
A. THIS AIN’T YOUR HOME
You may have your name written on deeds to property here
There may be millions of dollars worth of stocks and bonds in your name
Your name may be on half a dozen car titles.
Your name may be written down at the courthouse on valuable documents there.
But Jesus said the most valuable place to have your name recorded is in heaven.
Luke 10:20
We live on earth as earthly men and women but Paul has challenged us here to walk as heavenly men and women.
”Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
William Morrow summed it up nicely when he said:
It is not what is behind you or what lies in front of you that matters – It is what lies inside of you.
You are Christians…
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
“Live your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ.”
That means that you are to behave as citizens of there even though you are here.
You are not just part of a special place but of a special group.
You are earthly men and women who have been charged to walk as heavenly men and women.
It means at school that you represent Christ to the world.
The gifts that you have received can be valuable to impress others with the truth of God’s Word but what is going to impress them the most is the way you live.
It means when there is a crisis and others are unsure of their destiny, you can tell them about the place that Jesus has prepared for you.
It means that when there are attacks on the truth of God’s Word, you hold it up and watch as it defends itself.
It means when others do not know who to turn to, you can tell them about your king.
It means that the life you lead should cause others to glorify God.
It means that people know where you stand.
Maybe people did not know where you stood in high school –but they can from this moment on.
Our Christian Leadership has suffered some losses recently.
Dr. Jerry Falwell, Dr. Lee Roberson, Dr. Adrian Rogers, Dr. Stephen Olford have all gone on to heaven.
But one thing these men all had in common is that people knew where they stood.
They never bowed down to the world.
Do you remember the three Hebrew children?
So, don’t you bow.
As Jeff and Sheri Easter would say, “No way, No how, I ain’t gonna bow.”
And then, as citizens of heaven, whenever you are tempted to bow down and compromise your beliefs and God’s standards, just remember that the world’s lifestyle ain’t your lifestyle.
B. THAT AIN’T YOUR LIFESTYLE
Walk worthy of the calling that you have received.
“Behave as citizens.” “Live as citizens.” “Perform your duties as citizens.”
You occupy a privileged position – Let is show in your lifestyle.
Matthew 5:16
So, #1 – Don’t bow down and then #2 -
II. DON’T BACK UP
Ephesians six lists the spiritual armor that God has equipped you with as a citizen of heaven.
It is all designed for a soldier who is moving forward.
Matthew 16:18 – Here is a verse that many of you know -
When the Bible says that the gates of hell shall not stand against the church it paints the church in an offensive light – not defensive
A. STAND FIRM
Paul said, if you live your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ then what I am going to hear about you is that you are standing firm.
He uses a military term here that means to stand fast.
If we were ever given the order to stand fast it means don’t you back up.
And what is implied in this is that there is an enemy to stand fast against.
There is an enemy alright. And wherever you go after tonight, Satan will already be there.
And you will encounter him.
But when you do just remember that you are a citizen of heaven.
You be constant in your walk in the truth.
And then this church will be able in agreement with John the beloved:
3 John 1:4 (KJV) 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
And then Paul switches from using a military term to using a term about athletics.
And he says -
B. STRIVE TOGETHER
Now, strife is bad but striving is good.
Not just strive but strive together -
God did not equip us with unique and varied gifts so that we would be able to compete with one another more effectively but so that we would be able to cooperate more effectively.
Pencils?
The Bible says in Eclessiastes that a threefold cord is not easily broken.
You are going to be most effective for the Lord when you surround yourself with others who are citizens of heaven and you all work together.
That is called church – Wherever you are you need to not just be in a church but you need to be in one and be involved.
There is no substitute for the unity and harmony of the Christian church. Satan is the great divider and destroyer; Christ is the uniter and builder.[1]
And the church said…
Strive together – Leave this place as a team – The 2007 Christian Seniors.
Because…
(And, everyone in the church needs to hear this part - )
There are going to be many times in your future when you are going to be in disagreement with one another as far as your feelings go – LISTEN - but tonight would be a good time for you to silently pray and ask God to guide you in a way that your feelings about God and His Son Jesus Christ and the Word would always be in harmony between you.
You may be separated from your church and from one another by geography but you are to be united in Christ.
My prayer is that God will give you the good sense to realize that you have a common enemy.
And… That alone should help unite you.
CONCLUSION
So…
Do not take your responsibilities or your privileges for granted.
Wherever you go in life there are going to be folks who need your ministry.
Wherever you go, your greatest weapon for bringing others to Jesus is going to be the consistent life that you lead in front of other people.
The man that Ted led to the Lord last week knew how he lived his life and called him to hi bedside.
Now I want everyone to be clear in knowing that right now I am speaking to the entire church.
Some people here tonight can follow through on what I have spoken about tonight.
But some are already bowing down to the world. You need to ask God to forgive you.
Some cannot strive together because something has busted up your fellowship.
I understand being mad at one another – I have been mad at plenty of folks, I guess.
But listen, can’t we kneel and pray together and agree that while we might not agree on everything, we desire to be in harmony in God’s work.
We have a common enemy
We need to unite under the banner of heaven’s citizenship and for the glory of God and the gain of heaven.
Seniors:
Philippians 1:27 (HCSB)
27 Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith of the gospel,
[2]
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[1]Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1997, c1992), 562.
[2] The Holy Bible : Holman Christian Standard Version. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003.