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Phlippians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsPaul encourages gospel partnership in the church that will advance the gospel as it changes people and expands to all nations. (vs12)
Notes
Transcript
Philippians Overview
BOOK SERIES OVERVIEW:
Main Themes:
Partnership: (financial generosity)
Epaphroditus was sent to Paul in jail with a gift from the Philippian church, and Paul returned thanks and encouragement through this letter
Encouragement: their reception of the gospel, the conduct of their lives
The social stigma of imprisonment is why so many turned away from Paul; but not this church
Change in people:
Making disciples as a healthy church
Lazy discipleship (past-focused or complacent: apathetic) contrasted with proactive discipleship (pressing on, advancing)
Main Idea:
Paul encourages gospel partnership in the church that will advance the gospel as it changes people and expands to all nations. (vs12)
GOSPEL SERVICE: Timothy
Philippians 2:19-24
SERMON OVERVIEW:
Main Idea: LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
Exegetical Thesis:
Paul teaches and encourages the Phillipian church that they can have True Hope in Jesus and be encouraged to learn from the life of Timothy’s Gospel service, which shows us that true gospel partnership leads to true gospel service!
Main Idea Thesis:
True Gospel Partnership Leads to true gospel service.
Main Idea Thesis Extended:
The church today can have True Hope in Jesus and be encouraged to learn from the life of Timothy’s Gospel service, which shows us that true gospel partnership leads to true gospel service!
Text:
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Php 2:19–24). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
WORD TOTAL: 4159
SERMON LENGTH: 37 mins
GOSPEL SERVICE: Timothy
Philippians 2:19-24
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
SERMON OUTLINE:
INTRO:
1. GOSPEL PARTNERSHIP PRODUCES UNITY IN THE FAITH
We have been in Philippians learning about gospel Partnership , Paul has said To live is Chrst and to Die is gain and tells the believers at Philippi that they will suffer and be engaged in conflict.
We can learn from this and know that these truths are true of us today as believers that there is yes worldly suffering for sin but that there is Christian suffering as well.
Paul wants the church to be encouraged basing his next thoughts on the foundation of Gospel Unity of Unity in Faith of the gospel in spite of conflict and suffering
Define partnership:
EXPOSITION: Philippians 2:19-24
2. Book Overview
Paul intro
Partnership Summary
We Partner because Jesus has called us to Gospel unity through partnership because Jesus the God man came in obedience to the Father to be our Humbly exalted savior who has called us to obedience in following Him as the The Light of the World to be Lights in the World
And so The church today can have True Hope in Jesus and be encouraged to learn from the life of Timothy’s Gospel service, which shows us that true gospel partnership leads to true gospel service!
READ TEXT Philippians 2:19-24
Gospel Partnership gives and strengthens true hope in Jesus!
Timothy Story:
1 Thessalonians 3:2
Timothy's Gospel Partnership
With Paul
With the Church
3. CONCLUSION:
Redeemers gospel partnership with each other
Leaders
Church body
Timothy's Gospel Partnership
Redeemers Gospel Partnership with other churches
Locally
US
Irving
Globally
Missionaries
Germany
Colombia
GOSPEL SERVICE: Timothy
Philippians 2:19-24
SERMON:
INTRO:
Good morning Redeemer family and friends….
My name is Israel Martinez and I am the Lead Pastor here at Redeemer Church Irving
I want you to know I love you and am so thankful we are able to get to worship together today.
It is a joy to live life together with y’all,...
I have have been so encouraged and blessed to share in Gospel Partnership with you as I see the Lord growing us and leading us to Abide in him and grow in gospel partnership together,
I see your humble gospel partnership and unity together in Christ and His gospel… So thank you for your work, support, as you continue blessing and teaching and leading our people and our church to truly LOVE GOD , LOVE PEOPLE and MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY!!!
And I am so thankful that we get to worship as we learn from the book of Philippians Today in Chapter 2:12-18 as we
learn that
Our text teaches and encourages the church to live as Shining Lights in the World who are obedient to grow in sanctification as they live together sacrificially, as gospel partners, anticipating the Day of Christ!
So remember we have been learning in the book of Philippians that
GOSPEL PARTNERSHIP PRODUCES UNITY IN THE FAITH
Paul has said an amazing Phrase, “ To live is Chrst and to Die is gain” and tells the believers at Philippi that they will suffer and be engaged in conflict.
And
Paul wants the church to be encouraged on the foundation of Gospel Unity in spite of conflict and suffering
So the apostle
Define partnership:
Paul uses the word partnership, which is the Greek word koinonia,... which some churches use in their names…..
as koinonia is also often translated as fellowship, community or partnership and even join partnership….
So based on scripture we have
Defined biblical partnership: saying….
“True partnership in the church is an active partnership in the gospel — a close relationship of mutual benefit, promoting the gospel through cooperation, sympathy, suffering, financial giving, active labor, prayer, and love.
EXPOSITION: Philippians 2:12-18
2. Book Overview
Paul intro
Partnership Summary
And this is one of the biggest themes in Philippians,
Remember the big themes Paul repeats are
Partnership:
Encouragement:
Change in people:
We have also learned that a good summary for the whole book of Phillipians is that:
Paul encourages gospel partnership in the church that will advance the gospel as it changes people and expands to all nations. (vs12)
You see The book of Philippians was written by Paul
The Apostle Paul was known as the Apostle to the gentiles or the Apostle to the nations. He was a great Christian church planter and Missionary. Paul is known as a Christian hero or example to follow ...
But Paul was a man who was not seeking God in the first part of His life before Christ saved him.
Paul was a man who then was totally changed and converted by Jesus on the road to Damascus as he was living as an evil persecutor of Christians…. Who was then set free by Christ to know the TRUE Gospel and be the apostle to the nations.
AND Paul’s letter to the churches in Philippi provides a wonderful example of GOSPEL PARTNERSHIP within the church. The Philippians had shared in Paul’s proclamation of the gospel, sympathized with his suffering for it, suffered for it themselves, gave sacrificially to support the cause of Christ, worked together to be a distinct people on display in their city, and prayed for Paul and the progress of the gospel — all as an overflow of love born in them by the Spirit. “
So in the book of Philippians we have Paul at the end of his ministry and life alone in a Roman jail…
And Paul was wanting the church to live lives worthy of the gospel in unity as gospel partners
And again, our text in Philippians 2:12-18, builds on that idea as it clearly teaches and encourages the church to live as Shining Lights in the World who are obedient to grow in sanctification as they live together sacrificially, as gospel partners, anticipating the Day of Christ!
SO LET’S
READ OUR TEXT together in Philippians 2:12-18
So as we walk through this text we will see, our text in Philippians 2:12-18, clearly teaches and encourages the church to live as Shining Lights in the World who are obedient to grow in sanctification as they live together sacrificially, as gospel partners, anticipating the Day of Christ!
Let’s look at verse 12 more closely together as it says,
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
So we see here in verse 12 that
3. Lights in the World are obedient to grow in sanctification
In Fear and Trembling meaning (humility) toward God and His holiness and hate toward sin. vs 12
And remember when we see a THEREFOR in the text….we must ask why is the THEREFOR, Therefore…
In this text we see the THEREFOR refers to all that Paul has addressed previously.
We see the THEREFOR means that we Partner because Jesus has called us to Gospel unity through partnership, because Jesus the God-Man came in obedience to the Father to be our Humbly exalted savior who has called us to obedience in following Him as the The Light of the World to be Lights in the World
So if we are true Lights in the World, meaning truly , saved or truly God’s children we will be obedient,.. Why because God’s children recognize that it was not their works that brought salvation, but rather God's works that saved you…
If you are saved God saved you…..
you could never save yourself… So our obedience stems from His obedience to death on a cross…. what Paul talks about earlier in the text…
You see, Christ's obedience leads to His humility , meaning His humiliation as the perfect God-man who as the scriptures say became sin , who knew NO sin,.... so that we could become the righteousness of God…
You see God’s humility and choosing and saving of us then allows us to follow HIm in humility and obedience which can be a synonym for TRUE belief,
Think of this when we talk of being obedient to Jesus, what are we talking about,???
Obedience brings about the relation of law or rules… So we know as sinners we could never be obedient or keep the law… NO ,
But Christ kept the law, SO,... obedience to Christ is keeping his law,...
And WHO was the only man that could keep the Law???
Yes,... you got it right,.... JESUS!!!!
So in His obedience as children we can become obedient through the power of the HOLY SPirit saving us and working out our salvation in fear and trembling…
Look at verse 12 with me again as it says 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
So Paul is saying obedience is Justification or being saved….
literally being made justified or righteous, which is the same word in the Greek… which is then tied to sanctification
Which is the process of Christian growth into completeness, and holiness once you are justified …
Again, we will never be sinless or perfect…
but the bible does tell us that we are being perfected or made complete in Christ .. this is the process of Christian maturity,...called sanctification meaning becoming more holy or santo for you spanish speakers
Which then will eventually lead us to glorification!
Again verse 12 teaches us that
Lights in the World are obedient to grow in sanctification
In Fear and Trembling meaning (humility) toward God and His holiness and hate toward sin
So if we are truly saved we can be obedient as we are sanctified and can actually work out our salvation in fear and trembling…
You see the fear and the love of God are philosophically connected, they are two sides of the same coin.
To fear God is to love God and his goodness, grace, mercy, forgiveness, all that God gives…
To love God is the greatest commandment God gave us…
this means we never stop growing in the love of God and his gospel…
We cannot think we have arrived in complete knowledge of the idea of Loving God, we are always growing in this…
Yes we can confidently love God but never arrogantly , you see the Love of God allows us to see the other side of the coin in the fear of God,
The Love of God , lets us love the true God of the Bible and NOT our own version of God..,
The God of the Bible is to be feared, Honored, respected and seen as HOLY…
You see when we speak of the LOVE of God….. fear and trembling is part of it. In the Old testament the Bible uses the phrase Fear of God synonymously with Love of God… the new testament in Ephesians 5:21 speaks of the Fear of Christ…
So as true lights in the world, as true children of God who are obedient to grow in sanctification…..
we must fear and tremble at our GOD,... in that we see His holiness, his perfection and and hate and displeasure toward sin.
We must fear God because we have sinned against him and we deserve His wrath …
but if we are loved by HIm, we can be comforted by having true FEAR of GOD. Fear of God is a good thing, it's a great thing,
The FEAR of GOD is true LOVE of God and seeing his mercy which he has given us. He has withheld punishment to His true children, He allows us to shine as LIghts in the world because as God’s word says , WE love HIm because He, God , loved us first!!!
And what a joy and privilege for those of us who are His children!!!
And so with true fear of God we must work out what God as worked in us!!!!….
Look at verses 12-13 in context with me…. Which say…
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Again see we
Lights in the World are obedient to grow in sanctification
In Fear and Trembling meaning (humility) toward God and His holiness and hate toward sin
Because God works in you through the Holy Spirit to vs 13
Will and
Work
For His good pleasure
We see here God works in you through the Holy Spirit to
Will: So this means all we just talked about that God is in control or sovereign in our salvation
and that it is His good will that works out for His children's good,...
God will use our sanctification and our process of growing in Christian maturity to glorify him,... when the text says ,
“God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. “ this means he will, WILL us to be sanctified in obedience to His glory…”
So do you trust God to will you to glorify HIm ???
Do you trust him to work in you ….
OR….. Do you trust yourself….???
Do you have obedience in Christ which comes from the true LOVE and FEAR of God that will make your life glorify HIM.???
You see the text says God works , meaning He has done the work in US, like we talked about earlier in our initial salvation or justification and God then allows us to work out our salvation our present salvation , meaning GOD allows us to grow through the process of growing in Him…and then we can then
Work, like we said earlier….,
For His good pleasure
GOD has done the work in us to then will us and allow us to work out our salvation….
Do you see the beauty of the gospel story…????
GOSPEL Creation; Fall
YOu see if we are LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
We know the gospel story that starts with God’s…..
Creation: God breathing and bringing everything to life and making everything good and making humanity in his image
Then the
Fall: which is humanity’s sin against God which allowed sin and death to enter the world which also caused a chasm between us and God that demands a sacrifice's redemption which would be Jesus our Redeemer. God wanted us to see our sin and brokenness and need for a savior to Redeem us!
Which leads us to
Redemption: is simply Jesus redeeming or being a sacrifice that appeased the wrath meaning the anger of God in His death so that His creation, namely His elect, his chosen , his children, could be REDEEMED, delivered or saved by His atonement, meaning His covering for their sin in His death, burial, resurrection and ascension.
In redemption humanity has this response to repent and believe meaning to turn from our sin and Satan’s kingdom and turn to the Kingdom of God by having belief or faith in Jesus by the Holy Spirit’s power, initially as we are first saved in Justification, and then as we grow in maturity in this process of sanctification which leads to glorification!
Which bring us to
Restoration: or New Creation: where God has promised to renew the whole world, and make all things new in His children and to bring about a glorious future.
As Christ will return to judge sin and evil, and so God will purge this world of evil once and for all
And He will usher in righteousness and peace…
where we will eternally see God’s glory!
And if we LOVE the gospel we truly LOVE and FEAR GOd because as the Bible says He has first loved us and then allowed us to be
4. Lights in the World who are obedient to grow in sanctification and who
Do all things without vs 14
grumbling or
Disputing
As verse 14 says
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
TRUE children of God who know their status as Lights in the World can actually live lives and do all things without grumbling or disputing,
Another way of saying grumbling is complaining…
It's hard to not complain right…so many things make us forget God and put down His power, that is what grumbling or complaining is….
Through Christ we can actually live lives where we are hopeful in what Christ does and NOT have to always be negative or pessimistic… and complain and grumble …
There is hope in Christ.
Do you believe it????
Now this doesn't mean that , we are not cautious or careful and discerning about situations
and as Paul reminds us, that conflict and suffering are inevitable, remember He is saying this from a Roman jail… but Paul has hope…
Paul is gospeling Himself to not grumble and complain as he reminds the church…
Imagine Paul tried, hungry, sweaty, stinky in this Roman jail Cell , preaching the gospel to himself to NOT complain ….
WHY????
Because he was for sure tempted to complain about his humiliation in a Roman jail cell being treated like a criminal ,
But Paul could remember the humble servant Jesus who was perfect and ultimately humiliated to glorify the Father and save our souls!
Paul also said don't dispute or argue pointless things.. We see this in His other writings, Paul speaks against a quarrelsome spirit, He speaks against those who want to fight about everything…
So gospel yourself to not complain and quarrell!
Again we see
4. Lights in the World are obedient to grow in sanctification and to
Do all things without vs 14
grumbling or
Disputing
As verse 15 says, SO
15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Paul is calling the Phillipian church to
Do all things without vs 14
grumbling or
Disputing
So that they could shine in the darkness vs 15
Shine, meaning be blameless innocent children of God
This is our testimony,
God wants us to in the World but NOT OF it…
So this means as scripture tells us that we will obviously live in the world and amongst the people of the world…
And so we are NOT to seclude ourselves from everyone in the WORLD and run away or hide in a secluded place…
Nor should we have secluded hearts that do not want to be around people…
Now, yes, we can live in different contexts of the world, some may live in a big city, some in smaller towns
but the point is that in whatever context you are in, that You love God and the people of your conext ….
And that you are actually obedient to make disciples of those people…
So do you love the world you are in??? Do you love you city and neighbors???
Do you love the people in the world God has created ???
God is the judge and NOT us…
Not all will be saved but we are NOT God
And we do NOT know who God will call to be his children and save….
So…. we must be LIGHTS IN THE WORLD that are in the World and not OF it and be LIGHTS IN THE WORLD that repeal darkness
Imagine waking up and seeing total darkness
What would you need???
A light, ……
A light can give visibility to the darkest of things…
You see a light in the dark is what you need to survive darkness
And how many times as believers do we live scared or threatened by darkness…
We think that this government policy is gonna take away this right… or this politician is gonna do this-thing or that-thing and change this-thing or that-thing…
You see Paul, like many Christians before, had lived in oppressive States and kingdoms where the darkness was equal too or worse than the darkness we see today..
The Bible says there is nothing new under the SUN….
AGAIN, as believers we lived scared or threatened by darkness…
WE CAN’T LIVE IN THE FEAR OF THE DARKNESS..
Do you think Jesus was scared of any type of darkness or sin… do you think Jesus was intimidated by governments or by the rulers of this world…
Do you think OUR TRUE HOLY God, whom we are to fear, trembles at DARKNESS… ????
NO….
Darkness trembles at him
And friends and family we can have His power AND hope and this gospel confidence to actually live like the LIGHT OF THE WORLD,.... JESUS…..
As we FOLLOW HIM by LIVING AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD, who don't walk in the FEAR of DARKNESS, BUT rather the fear of the GOD who created the darkness…
Friends and family are we living lives that ARE repealing darkness…???
You see we must repeal
Darkness: through Jesus….as we are IN THE WORLD but NOT OF it…
To be in the world speaks of location ….as we just talked about …..
And to be of the world speaks about the heart and the source of where we get our information…
Does your heart trust GOOGLE , and FAKE news…..
Or does it trust God’s word???
You see we are in a real spiritual battle and Satan wants your allegiance to him, the world and your own flesh which are
Our 3 enemies, and specifically the world in this context…
So if we live like verse 15 that encourages us to be “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Then we can do what verse 16 says
Look at verse 16 with me.. Then we can be LIGHTS in the WORLD that are
16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
We must be loving and clinging to Jesus and His Gospel ….
That is what the word of life means here that we are to hold fast…too
So
Are we holding fast ( literally holding out, or offering) our proclaimation of the gospel… vs 16
We must be passionate about offering the proclamation of the gospel..
And we can also be
Proud at the day of Christ of our purpose as believers as verse 16 continues
Look at verse 16 again it says
16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Again we can be Proud at the day of Christ and of our purpose as believers ,....mainly meaning Boasting about what Christ has done for us!
That’s why we proclaim the true gospel and can be secure like Paul here knowing that we are
not running in vain and are
Not laboring in vain…
The gospel brings ultimate purpose in our lives to understand and live out the gospel….
and we understand and live out the gospel as we LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY
CONCLUSION:
You see, ultimately Paul is calling Lights in the World to rejoice!!!!
Verse 17- and 18 teach us that no matter what….
Lights in the World are obedient to grow in sanctification while they rejoice
Look at verse 17-18 with me Paul says,
17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
You see,
Paul’s life was a sacrifice in gospel partnership with the Philippian church’s sacrifice of faith vs 17
Paul is calling the church to rejoice in Gospel Partnership that produces UNITY
He says my life is poured out or has been given as a sacrifice in gospel partnership with the Philippian church’s sacrificial offering of faith…
So the church was to: vs 18
Rejoice as Paul was too rejoice
The were rejoicing in the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ together!!!
The Philippian church was able to REJOICE in that Our God is who he says he is….
And that HE will come again some day!!!
And that is our HOPE , the fact that he lived perfectly, died, resurrected and ascended gave us gospel hope that we one day would be glorified with Christ and participate in our resurrection, where we will get new bodies and be with Christ eternally and have no more pain of suffering and have the completed or perfected salvation of being glorified in Christ!!!
Let’s rejoice in that together…
Jesus was the ultimate Light of the world and
We are to be those lights because if Jesus has changed us we can actually live as LIGHTS IN THIS WORLD!
FRIENDS AND FAMILY,
We have seen THAT our text today, in Philippians 2:12-18, clearly teaches and encourages the church to live as Shining Lights in the World who are obedient to grow in sanctification as they live together sacrificially, as gospel partners, anticipating the Day of Christ!
We can be LIGHTS IN THE WORLD ,
AND redeemer you have been lights…
And we want to encourage you church,..... and all our visitors here today,........ that we can be. lights. in this dark world … through our Great God!
LET’S PRAY
Call the names of parents and children
All Participants:
Parents: Justin & Bonnie Magers Child: Lela Ann Magers
Parents: Caio & Abigail Pinto Child: Lucas Anderson Pinto
Parents: Israel & Candace Martinez Child: Clara Martinez
Parents: Casey & Jessica Young Children: Isaac Alfred & Amelia Sue Young
Parent Commissioning / Child Dedication
Welcome we are here to Commission our Parents and dedicate these sweet children to the Lord..
We want our parents, and dear children from the earliest ages to begin to understand that they have been made by a great loving God for the purpose of glorifying and loving him forever.
We also want our parents and children to know that
Children are a gift.
Children are a gift from God and we are called to be stewards of our children.
By seeing our children as a gift, that we are to steward,...
We are then free to be thankful and enjoy them.
But we must know that we aren’t able to save them or force them to repent of their sins. There’s nothing we can do to guarantee that one day they won’t give into their sins.
But we are called to be faithful disciple makers.
Primary Disciple Makers
We believe parents are the primary disciple makers of their children.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Ephesians 6:4 - “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Joshua 24:14-15 - 14 “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. HE SAYS further in the text
“choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
“While ultimately it is the work of the Holy Spirit to save our children and lead him or her to repentance and faith, the Lord gives us the privilege of discipling our children!
So we want to spend ….
Time, Moments, Milestones Framework
Time: Creating intentional time built into the rhythm of the family's life for the purpose of thinking about,and talking about and living out the gospel.
We want to have gospel
Moments: with our children.
WE want to capture and leverage opportunities in the course of everyday life for the purpose of gospel-centered conversations.
We want to mark
Milestones: for our children. Meaning, marking and making occasions to celebrate and commemorate significant spiritual milestones of God's work in the life of the family and child.
This is a milestone we are creating today…
We want to model the gospel to our children!
Modeling
Don’t forget that no matter what, ….
You are modeling something to your children.
Be intentional to model repentance and ask for forgiveness.
Think about the behaviors you model on a daily basis.
Also Envision your family's future of building a gospel legacy… this is our privilege
Envision your family 5, 10, 20, or 50 years from now.
What steps do you need to take now to get there?
You see here at Redeemer we call our membership , Covenant Partnership… We believe that Gospel partnership is biblical and essential as we learned today in being LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
You see…
Contract vs. Covenant
Duty and obligation form a contract; but Loyalty and unconditional love maintain a covenant;
When we fail, a contract says, “This is broken. You can no longer achieve this.” When we fail, a covenant says, “There is grace. You can do this.”
Seeing parenting as a covenant… frees us from the pressure to get everything right and be perfect in our parenting. So that we can then receive the authority, influence and responsibility we have as a gift from our great God and intrust him with our children's future.
So….
Child Dedication
Is a covenant
There are 2 parts to a child dedication: 1) celebrating the gift of the child and 2) entering a covenant with the Lord before our community to disciple our children in the ways of the Lord.
We are
Celebrating the good gifts children are and that they are worthy to be celebrated and cared for specifically in raising them in the gospel of Christ!
When we dedicate our children to the Lord, we are ultimately entering a covenant with the Lord to disciple our children in the ways of the Lord. Parents are committing to instruct, discipline, teach and pray for their children.
And as a church we
Invite each other as gospel-partners to the responsibility of encouraging us, holding us accountable, and having eyes to see what we can’t to help us on this journey.
We we are doing today is a child dedication but also a
Parent Commissioning
When we celebrate your family in front of the church, we are joining you in the celebration of the life of the child, and we are commissioning you to go into your homes and disciple that child.
Parent commissioning is modeled to reflect how we send disciple makers for a specific God given task. We are sending, meaning commissioning you as parents to disciple your children in the gospel of our great God.
VII. Ending Parent Commissioning and Child Dedication Prayer
So we will end by naming the families and children and Praying for our parents and children.
And if you are family of these one of these children….
We encourage you to stand in support of our families and their children and to encourage you familes that you to especially is your are believers play an important role in discipling these children with your example , your words and influence and in how you support these families in the years to come!
So you to, be encouraged to make disciples of our children by supporting our parents and by yourselves living as disciples of Jesus!
Call the names of parents and children
All Participants:
Parents: Justin & Bonnie Magers Child: Lela Ann Magers
Parents: Caio & Abigail Pinto Child: Lucas Anderson Pinto
Parents: Israel & Candace Martinez Child: Clara Martinez
Parents: Casey & Jessica Young Children: Isaac Alfred & Amelia Sue Young
Present Give Gift bags to Parents ( as names are called).
Resources from Gift bag:
Family ESV Study Bible with Name imprint
The Biggest Story Bible
The Big Picture Interactive Bible (from the Gospel Project)
Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Ted Tripp
Joshua 24:15 Framed Wall Art
Pray over parents to be commissioned to make disciples of their Children
Pray for the Children to be saved and dedicate them to the Lord
Pray for the church to help parents preach the gospel and make disciples of the parents and children.
Release parents to sit.
Sing Benediction
Homework Listen to Song: As For Me and My House