Prayers & Gospel Go Together

Time To Move

Challenges bring out the best in you. Sometimes we’re not willing to make changes until we move. God sent a signal in my heart to move to Missouri a year after my high school graduation because God had a greater vision that I ever could of comprehended. Through my journey, the Lord shaped me into the person I am today. It was by his actions that he convince me that it was time to move.

Time to move from good boyfriend, to married husband to being a loving father.

And God is moving us together. God is saying it’s time to leave whats comfortable and predictable to unknown, so I can be glorified.

God is able to move in our community, church and lives when prayer and our good news go together.

Philippians 1:1–11 ESV

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Prayer aligns your spirit with God's mission.

Paul’s love for the church of Philippi is so strong because they have supported him in ministry. That’s what it means to partner with him. To be in fellowship with him in his ministry. They were the only church who sponsored Paul’s missionary journeys and their faith gave him deep joy.

His prayer for the church is for them to be filled up spiritually.

Application: For one week, straight, pray specifically for one person by name who has given you joy and who needs some back.

Philippians 1:12–18 ESV

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,

Preaching the gospel creates joy in every occasion.

His arrest is for God's glory of advancing the the gospel.

Paul only cares if Jesus' kingdom is being proclaimed.

Paul mentions there are Christians who are preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry while he remains trap in prision these people are going about announcing the kingdom of God. Perhaps we would be disgruntled, yet Paul rejoiced for the mission of God is going forward with or without him. Similar passage with people doing the ministry of God can be seen in Luke 9:49-50. Jesus says, "Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you." The context is other disciples were casting out demon in Christ' name and the twelve tried to prevent them because they were not apart of their group.

Partnership is the idea of sharing a responsibility or goal together? The burden of ministry is not on leaders solely but is given to everyone who belongs to Christ. He prays for them (Philippians 1:4), they pray for him (Philippians 1:19) The mission of prayer and preaching is for everyone.

I will commit to sign up for the prayer and go ministry.

Philippians 1:19–30 ESV

19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

God's gift to you is ministry of prayer and preaching.

Partnership is the idea of sharing a responsibility or goal together? The burden of ministry is not on leaders solely but is given to everyone who belongs to Christ. He prays for them (Philippians 1:4), they pray for him (Philippians 1:19) The mission of prayer and preaching is for everyone.

Every Christian would rather depart and be in the presence of Christ rather than remain here in this sin infested world. Yet, Paul says it for our benefit that he remains to build them up in progress and joy in the faith (Philippians 1:25). We should be content to be alive and strive to do the work of ministry. Eternal rest is given to the departed, not to the living.

Ministry belongs to the living as rest belongs to the dead.