Untitled Sermon (8)

THE MARKS OF MATURE BELIEVER

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer

Philippians 1: 3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

THE MARKS OF MATURE BELIEVER

What are the marks of a mature Christian believer? What are the marks of a dynamic, mature Christian church? If i were to answer the second question in my own words,it would be,The marks of a dynamic mature Christians church,is a body of faithful believers.Then I would add no man can be faithful to himself of his church without the power of God and his word.

Never the less this passage answers these questions. Concisely and clearly, the marks so desperately needed by believers and churches are spelled out. If we would just think of the faithfulness of Apostle Paul the writer of these instruction,We will know that marks of a mature believer is not about being rich in the thing of the world,The apostle Paul say I have learned to be be contented in little or much.

He says in Verse three ,the very mark of contentment is the mark of a thankful heart. Paul realize in this christian journey we do not stand along,we stand together in prayer for one another.We stand as a grate family of God -sharing Christ with a lost and needful world.

Remember the Apostle sitting there in a Rome prison, He is not remembering his own prison condition,But remembering the Colossians love and care and support, his heart swelled up with thanksgiving for them, and he thanked God for them.

What a lesson how Paul could thank God for believes above his sad condition,How much more should we thank God for sharing Christ together.Let me read Colossians 3:15 “let the peace that come from Christ rule in your hearts, Being member of one body we are called to live in peace,And always being thankful .Thankful of what we have in Christ Jesus.You can be alway thankful if you are living by faith and not by sight.

Verse four He says ,the very mark of contentment is the mark of prayer.Christ himself said while he was experiencing the suffering of the world-He say a man should always pray,If you don’t pray temptation will come into your life.If you don’t watch and pray,you are leaving the door wide open for the works of the devil demonic forces. Not only that we must pray for one another-We must pray where ever we see the need of deliverance. Where ever you see the hand of the devil,we see the devil in our churches that needs deliverance from . Jesus says john 17:20 I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. The apostle says col.1:3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you [the church]” .

What a dynamic lesson if Jesus and the apostle Paul had to pray. In verse 4 When we pray,We are to Pray with a joyful heart.It is the joy and peace of the Lord that give a believer contentment.Listen here,it is a cheerful heart that leads to cheerful and rejoicing behavior. The joy of the Lord is not the same as the joy of the world.No joy of the world can bring completeness in the joy of the world—There in no assurance in the joy of the world, No confidence, and satisfaction.Nothing in this world ,not even death can rob you of the joy of the Lord.

We want to name 5 thing we need to know about the Joy of the Lord. #1. Joy of the lord is divine. It is possessed and given only by God.John 15:11 says Joy belong to God- It is Gods His very own nature .Can i say it,we have been given a nature of Joy within us.

2. Joy of the Lord does not depend on circumstances or happiness. Happiness depends upon happenings, but the joy of the lord is implants in the believer’s heart that overrides all unhappiness , even the matters of life and death. (Ps. 5:11 Say let all who take refuge in the Lord rejoice-let them sing joyful praises forever-the lord will spread his protection over you-all who love the Lord will be fill with joy.

3.Romans 15 and 2 timothy 1 says Joy springs from faith .Faith springs from knowledge,wisdom and the power of God.

4. Joy of future reward makes and keeps the believer faithful Is there any grater reward than to hear the the Lord giving praises to your faithfulness.Well done,my-my my good and faithful servant.you have been faithful handling this little earthly responsibilities—So now i will give many more heavenly responsibilities. come on up and let us celebrate together.

Verse 5 the mark and source of contentment is the mark of fellowship. The source of fellowship is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great salvation of God. The gospel of Christ is the glorious news that He has died for our sins,And risen again, and conquered death that we might live with God eternally, What grater than never having to die.

Christian believers have fellowship, a spiritual bond, a spiritual union. Because …We have experienced the same salvation, the salvation of God-Because we have embraced the same faith. One of the most critical needs facing the church today is the need for peace and unity in the Spirit of God—In times like these we need a strong fellowship rooted around the gospel of Christ.

Verse 6 If you been born again you got to have assurance and confidence in Gods word Know that you can trust every word of God. John 14: 17 say   the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.Give us Assurance and confidence not base on hearsay ,But base on the power of our living God withing us.The Holy Spirit within the believer’s body is the very guarantee of the believer’s salvation.Do we not know that the same power of God that raise his son from the dead is now living withing us.

Every believer should know he has absolute confidence in the work of salvation or redemption which God has begun in his life. We should have confidence through the presence of God’s Spirit who dwells within us.We aught to be glade we did not begun this good work; It is a work of God that revolutionizes or radically changes the life of the believer. No matter what kind of life a person was living, Once God converts him, the new believer begins to live a good life: a life of … righteousness, purity, and holiness-A new life of love, joy, and peace faith, humility, and control.

I say again,because i would not have you to believe contentment mean to be perfect,as long as a believe on this earth the work of God is never completed .A men is never perfect. There is always work for God to do; Therefore, God is always working within the life of the believer to mature him more and more. God is always working to make the man more and more pure and more and more faithful in his service to the Lord Jesus.

b. The good work is to be completed when Jesus Christ returns to this earth. At that time, the believer will be transformed into a perfect man and given a perfect body. He will become a perfect man who will live in the new heavens and earth with Christ. And he will worship and serve the Lord Jesus in perfection throughout all eternity.

I know i got to hurry now-I am just going to visualize verses 7 and 8, The mark of a Christians partnership.The point is this: the affection between Paul and the Philippians was so tender that their hearts went out to each other. What one experienced, the other felt, . They were partners in heart. Paul loved them as he loved himself; he held them ever so dear to his heart and they constantly filled his thoughts.What a striking picture of Gods command To Love God with all your heart-soul and body. We must learn to be partners in Christ Jesus suffering. Then and only then can we bear each other’s burdens and truly minister to each other.

When believers are actively defending and proclaiming the truth of the gospel. There going to be some suffering. When believers are actively bearing witness to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. there has to be some self denials.

Love-Love of God: is the mark of growing and discerning . love is never focuses upon good feelings. Good Feelings is always changing from good to bad from bad to worse then is the focus. ⇒ The focus of love is knowledge. If we truly love someone, we want to know that person. In fact, we want to know all we can about the person. Don’t focus your love upon the devil nor the work of the devil.

⇒ The force of love is God saving grace and his judgment .Some body need to know that the saving grace of God is life and eternal.Somebody need to know death is not the end,every knee shall bow,every tongue shall confess Christ as God,the savior of the world.Notice that Paul wants the believer’s love to grow more and more. We need to know more and more about Christ and each other; we need to gather more and more understanding, more and more discernment, more and more intelligence about each other. The more we know about Christ and each other, the more our love for each other will grow.

Only a growing love will keep our eyes focused upon Christ. If we do not love Him, we will not look to Him. If we love Him, we will keep our eyes fastened upon Him, longing to see and be with Him. Only love—true love—will keep us pure waiting for His return.

end with john 3:16----5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. we are healed from a hill call Calvary continue.