Rejoice In The Lord

This is the manuscript of the sermon delivered at Christ Church on January 10, 2021. This is the second sermon in a sermon series "Great Imperatives For Effective Living"

Paul, from a prison cell, in either Rome or Ephesus, wrote this letter of joy to the members of the congregation in Philippi, where he had also been imprisoned at one time. It was in Philippi where the prison was shaken when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praising God.  After having been beaten, Paul and Silas were able to experience the joy of worship in the midst of unfavorable circumstances.

Many people live in defeat and despair today because they search for joy and happiness in the wrong places. Paul did not say, “Rejoice in your health.” Your health can fail. Paul did not say, “Rejoice in your wealth.” You may not have wealth, and even if you did, you could lose it. Paul did not say, “Rejoice in your friends.” Your friends may disappoint you. Paul did not say, “Rejoice in your family.” Your family can be a source of unhappiness. But Paul said, "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!"

For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of this manuscript.  

To see a video of the entire service click this link https://youtu.be/U2McxTkwPrU

Scripture Reading: 

Philippians 4:1‭-‬7 NLT Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work. Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Text: 

Philippians 4:4 NLT Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

Philippians 4:4 KJVRejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Introduction

Paul, from a prison cell, in either Rome or Ephesus, wrote this letter of joy to the members of the congregation in Philippi,  where he had also been imprisoned. It was in Philippi where the prison was shaken when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praising God.  

After having been beaten, Paul and Silas were able to experience the joy of worship in the midst of unfavorable circumstances.

Acts of the Apostles 16:25‭-‬26 NLT Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

It is rather surprising to find an exhortation to rejoice in the Lord coming from someone who was a prisoner for his faith. Yet Paul repeatedly urged the believers in Philippi to rejoice. In this  crucial moment he reveals to us the source of his joy, and he encourages us to respond to this same source of joy. He is recommending a positive mental attitude characterized by optimism and hope in the midst of circumstances that may not be favorable.

The Philippian believers needed this exhortation, and we need it today, with everything going on with a pandemic and everything else that’s happening in this country.

Jesus’ desire for us His disciples  is to experience the fullness of joy.

John 16:22‭-‬24 NLT So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.  At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.  You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

John 17:13 NLT “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy.

Many people live in defeat and despair today because they search for joy and happiness in the wrong places. Paul did not say, “Rejoice in your health.” Your health can fail. Paul did not say, “Rejoice in your wealth.” You may not have wealth, and even if you did, you could lose it. Paul did not say, “Rejoice in your friends.” Your friends may disappoint you. Paul did not say, “Rejoice in your family.” Your family can be a source of unhappiness. But Paul said,

Philippians 4:4 NLT Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

He encourages us to take a spiritual inventory. He urges us to truly value that which is valuable and to find our greatest satisfaction in our relationship with God.

In our series on stewardship when we talked about being good stewards of our time we said that we need to concentrate on the main things.

Matthew 6:33 NLT Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

When Paul said in

Philippians 3:13‭-‬14 NLT No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

he was saying that he was not going to waste time worrying about the foolish mistakes and sins of the past but, concerned with the main thing, he was going to press on toward the goal ahead.

He was going to rejoice and pursue the joy of his salvation.

Romans 14:17 NLT For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

 I. So let us rejoice in the Lord’s characteristics.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is a moral God. He is a God of integrity who is characterized by righteousness and dependability. 

Deuteronomy 32:4 NLT He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

Psalms 119:137‭-‬138 NLT O Lord , you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy.

God never makes a mistake and if we are truly seeking His will He will never disappoint us, 

Psalms 18:30 NLT God’s way is perfect. All the Lord ’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

Numbers 23:19 NLT God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through.

God is holy.  When Isaiah was in the temple and saw the seraphim 

Isaiah 6:3 NLT They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

And when Hannah was praying and asking for a son she said in her prayer

1 Samuel 2:2 NLT No one is holy like the Lord ! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

And the Peter in writing to the early Christians said

1 Peter 1:15‭-‬16 NLT But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

We can rejoice because He is a God of love. 

Psalms 36:7 NLT How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

1 John 4:7‭-‬8 NLT Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

So let’s rejoice that he is the kind of God he is. 

II. Let us rejoice in the Lord’s purposes for us.

All of God’s purposes toward us are purposes of love, and he deals with us according to his perfect wisdom. 

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

He knows our past, our present, and our future.  There is no evil in Him and no selfishness is in his purposes toward us. 

Romans 8:28‭-‬29 NLT And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Romans 8:31‭-‬32‭ NLT What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 

God’s will is that none of us should perish, but that all of us should experience life in its fullness.

Jesus said 

John 10:10 NLT The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Then Peter wrote later 

2 Peter 3:8‭-‬9 NLT But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

III. We can rejoice in the Lord’s promises.

The bible, God’s word, contains thousands of promises.  According to one person, who in my research is unnamed, there are 3573 promises. There was an article in Time magazine in 1956, that someone did some research and came up with 7,487 promises by God to man.  Whether it was 3,573 or 7,487 or 7, God who is Holy didn’t have to make a single promise to sinful man but he made lots of them.   

We need to discover these promises and respond to them in faith and obedience.  

God is faithful and He keeps all His promises but we sometimes misapply them.  We take our preferences and turn them into His promises - even when those aren't actually things He has promised to do.  Many times we pick things out of the Bible completely out of context and try to make them fit our situation and claim victory because, after all  God said it.  Then when it doesn't happen the way we thought it should happen, and let's be honest, we think that God or wouldn’t, or worse yet couldn’t, keep His promise.  We get angry then we don’t trust God.

But the truth is God's promises uplift us and enrich us. 

So how do we find and apply these promises to our lives?

Here are three suggestions;

1. Use a concordance

First, think of specific words that you associate with the problem you have, such as fear, afraid, fearful, anger, sick, or sickness

Now realize that many words, such as depression, for example aren’t found in the Bible, so you will need to look for a similar word such as heaviness.

Next, search for these words in the concordance in the back of your Bible for scripture on the subject.

Read over the verses from your search results. But always be sure that you read them in the context which they appear.

A few of these Scriptures will speak hope to the problem you are facing. These are your promises.

2. Read through portions of your Bible.  You might want to look at 

Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, and all of the New Testament. As you read through these books of the Bible pay particular attention to any Scriptures that address your problem or issue.

When a verse or passage jumps off the page and into your heart, you know the Holy Spirit wants you to grab onto that verse as a promise from Him to you.

3. Use a Bible promise book or go the the Internet and do a search. 

This is the simplest way to find a list of God’s promises but it doesn’t have  the same impact in your life as does personally digging in God’s Word for His promises.   If you do go the the Internet be sure that you double check  the verses in the search results with what’s written in your own Bible.

Let’s review the reasons for us to rejoice we have looked at so far; rejoice in the Lord’s characteristics, His purposes, and His promises.  

IV. Let’s also rejoice in the Lord’s power.

Our God is no weakling. He is the creator and the sustainer of everything. 

Hebrews 11:3 ESV By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Colossians 1:15‭-‬17 NLT Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

God provides all good things for us. In his strength we can resist evil and can become what he wants us to be and achieve what he wants us to do. 

James 1:16‭-‬18 NLT So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Let us rejoice in God’s inexhaustible spiritual power, which is available to all who seek and serve him.

Philippians 4:12‭-‬13 NLT I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

1 John 4:4 NLT But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

 V. Let us rejoice in the Lord’s abiding presence.

Jesus promised his disciples that he would be with them at all times, in all circumstances, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 28:18‭-‬20 NLT Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

He is the God who has promised never to leave us or forsake us. 

He told Joshua before he led the Israelites into Canaan;

Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

In fact It is impossible for us to drift beyond the range of his loving care.  I want you to read all of Psalm 139 but I’m just going to read the seventh verse.  

Psalms 139:7 NLT I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

 VI. And finally let us rejoice in the Lord’s provisions.

First of all God has provided for the forgiveness of all our sins, past, present and future. 

Ephesians 1:3‭, ‬7 NLT All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

He provides for our deepest needs. 

Matthew 6:27‭, ‬31‭-‬34 NLT Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

In addition to that he promises to provide a home for eternity. 

John 14:1‭-‬3 NLT“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

 Conclusion

Many things in life can cause us to become downcast, disappointed, and discouraged. Let’s make sure that we don’t search for happiness and joy in the wrong places. When the Lord is the basis for our hopes for the future, we will find the source of unending joy.

Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” As you rejoice in the Lord, you will find life to be more meaningful. And you will find life to be more productive as you seek to minister to others.

Sermon Audio

 

 

The Shape Of Our Christian Citizenship

Photo credit IgnighterMedia.com

This is the manuscript of the sermon delivered at Christ Church on January 10, 2021. This is the second sermon in a sermon series "Great Imperatives For Effective Living"

Even with all the struggle and uncertainty of 2020 let's us rejoice that we find ourselves in 2021 with all of its opportunities for ministry to others and service to our Lord. So that we might do a better job for our Lord, ourselves, and others, we are going to look at some of the important and crucial things found in the writings of the apostle Paul as he wrote to the churches that were so dear to his heart.

We started, last week, with Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.   In that letter Paul issues a challenge to all disciples of the Lord Jesus, to present their bodies as a living sacrifice in service to God and others. 

Romans 12:1‭-‬2 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Today we are going to look at Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi.  Philippi was a Roman colony, and its citizens enjoyed the privilege of being Roman citizens. They enjoyed the same legal rights there as if they lived in Rome itself. However Paul reminded these believers on two different occasions that their real citizenship was not Rome or the Roman Empire their real citizenship was heavenly.

For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of this manuscript.  

To see a video of the entire service click this link https://youtu.be/wUkSmJSGug8

 Scripture Reading: 

Philippians 1:27-30 NLT Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.  Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.  For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Text: 

Philippians 1:27 NLT Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

Introduction

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 

That's from Psalm 90:12 NIV 

The end of something tends to bring perspective. The end of a year, a project, a relationship, or a life, can make us take a step back to consider the time spent. What have we invested in? Where have we toiled? How have we performed, and when did we fall short?

Here is the way someone described it in a New Year' devotional that I just read yesterday;

You don’t remember, but it was scary. You tightly gripped the finger that steadied you. 

A pause. 

Another pause. 

Then you let go. Your foot shot out instinctively; then the other. The room exploded in applause at your awkward, determined wobbling. Waiting arms stretched before you, calling you. Life had opened up in a way you had never experienced before, for once . . . you crawled, but now you walked. 

It’s interesting that once we learn to walk, we don’t want to go back to crawling. In fact, we do more. We run, we hop, we skip. But there are challenges in all of that. And we move forward without a real understanding of how God created and enabled us to do it all.

So that we might do a better job for our Lord, ourselves, and others, in 2021 we are going to continue our look at some of the important and crucial things found in the writings of the apostle Paul to the churches that he loved.

We started, last week, with Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.   In that letter Paul issues a challenge to all disciples of the Lord Jesus, to present their bodies as a living sacrifice in service to God and others. 

Romans 12:1‭-‬2 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Paul makes that appeal to all Christians in Rome, because God has shown his great love to them. So they should be grateful. Paul uses the idea of a priest who offers a sacrifice. The sacrifice had to be perfect.

So we Christians should try to use every part of our bodies in a manner that pleases God. We should use our feet to go where God wants us to go. We should use our hands to give practical help to other people. We should use our ears sincerely to listen to other people’s problems. With our mouths, we should  speak to encourage other people and to tell them the good news about Christ. 

The right use of our bodies will be like the perfect sacrifice that pleases God. Then our worship would not just be a ceremony. When we present our bodies as a sacrifice it is the right kind of worship. It is spiritual. It is the worship that God wants.

John 4:23‭-‬24 NLT But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Sacrifice of our bodies shapes our Christian citizenship.    

Today we are going to look at Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi. 

Paul shared many thrilling truths in his letter to his beloved church at Philippi. The letter to the Philippians is a letter of gratitude and joy that reveals the love of Paul for this congregation. It records repeated expressions of the congregation’s love and support  for him in his missionary ministries. With genuine love and wisdom and with great optimism, Paul gave them crucial information regarding their walk with God, and as he spoke to them, he speaks to us today.

Philippi was a Roman colony, and its citizens enjoyed the privilege of being Roman citizens. They enjoyed the same legal rights there as if they lived in Rome itself. However Paul reminded these believers on two different occasions that their real citizenship was not Rome or the Roman Empire their real citizenship was heavenly.

The first is in our text;

Philippians 1:27 NLT Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

And then;

Philippians 3:20 NLT But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

Now Paul was not suggesting that they ignore the obligations of earthly citizenship,  nor are we to ignore our obligations as citizens of the United States, but he challenged them to recognize their unique relationship with God and his kingdom work. He challenged them to live, while in the pagan city of Philippi, as citizens of the holy and higher kingdom of God.  So we, while citizens of the United States are to live as citizens of the kingdom of God.

Near the end of his letter, Paul sent greetings to the saints in Caesar’s household.

Philippians 4:22-23 NLT And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household.  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

This may have served as an additional challenge to the Philippians to be faithful and devoted servants of Jesus Christ because if someone could live for Christ in Caesar’s household, it follows that one could live for Christ in Philippi or in anywhere else.  So our challenge is to live for Cnrist in Los Angeles. 

It is interesting to notice that Paul presents four ways Paul hoped his readers would conduct themselves as citizens of the kingdom of God.

1.  He would have them stand firm in one spirit with one mind.

2. He would have them strive together in a united effort.

3. He would have them stand firm against opposition.

4. He encouraged them to be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ 

I. He would have them stand firm in one spirit with one mind (Phil. 1:27).

Let’s read our text again.

Philippians 1:27 NLT Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

The threat of divisiveness or disunity has always threatened the church’s witness. This is as true today, as it was true in the early days of the Christian movement. How can a church full of people with different backgrounds, genes, personality types, ways of communicating and thinking, struggles, emotions, values, desires, experiences expectations, and convictions ever expect to find unity?

We are talking about Paul's letter to the Philippian church today but he also spent some time in his letter to the church in Rome dealing with divisive issues, like certain foods and celebration of special days.

The folk who were in Bible Study will remember this passage but I want to go over it briefly today.

Romans 14:1‭-‬9 NLT Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval. In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

You see otright, blatant sin is not the only danger to a church’s spiritual health and unity. Certain attitudes and behavior can destroy fellowship and fruitfulness, and they have crippled the work, the witness, and the unity of countless congregations throughout church history. These problems are caused by differences between Christians over matters that are neither commanded nor forbidden in Scripture. They are matters of personal preference and historic tradition, which, when imposed on others, inevitably cause confusion, strife, ill will, abused consciences,  and disharmony.

When people have different opinions about certain actions, that are not commanded or forbidden in scripture, Christians should respect each other. 

We need to recognize that there are many handicaps or hindrances to maintaining a unity of mind and spirit.

1.  The individuality of persons can often create disunity.

2.  Honest differences of opinion can sometimes be very divisive.

3.  Physical and emotional fatigue can often create disunity.  That’s happening today with COVID, racial justice, political differences, and other things.

4. We must recognize that our enemy the devil is always seeking to divide the people of God so that he might, if possible, conquer them.

The apostle Paul was urging the church in Philippi to take steps toward unity within the body in order that they might reflect God’s grace and goodness.  

Philippians 1:27 NLT Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

II. He would have them strive together in a united effort.

A. We must strive together side by side for the sake of the gospel. 

Jesus’ followers should work together like dedicated members on a winning team. We should cooperate in redemptive activity like the members of a choir singing in perfect harmony. We should seek to avoid any discord so that we don't cast a bad reflection on the message we proclaim.

2 Corinthians 5:18‭-‬20 NLT And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

B. We must strive together to protect the purity of our faith. 

Truth has always been attacked by error. Some people try to mix error with truth. So we must strive together to protect the purity of our message.

John 14:6 NLT Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

The gospel is all about Jesus. It’s about Him, it’s from Him, and it’s for His glory. There is no gospel without Jesus. No one comes to the Father, no one has eternal life, no one has loving fellowship with God apart from Jesus, the real Jesus, the true Jesus.

C. We must strive together side by side in proclaiming the good news 

Like I said last week  Paul challenged the Philippian Christians, and I challenge us today to have the mind of Christ.  

Philippians 2:4‭-‬8 NLT Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

III. He would have them stand firm against opposition.

In Paul’s world, preaching a message of a crucified but risen Savior was not a popular thing to do. Because of the numbers of idols and shrines, people with vested interests opposed any religion that served as a competitor for the status quo. 

Bravery, with a refusal to surrender to fear, was an essential for success in the face of opposition to the gospel message. 

Here’s an example,

Acts of the Apostles 14:19‭-‬22 NLT Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.

We may not face arrest or violence like Paul but we shouldn’t run off in terror when we are confronted by those who oppose our Christian message.

IV. He encouraged them to be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ.

Philippians 1:29‭-‬30 NLT For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

In Philippi it was not popular and socially acceptable to be a professing Christian and that's the case in many parts of the world today.  If we want be true followers of Jesus Christ, we must be willing to suffer as he suffered and as others have suffered for their faith.

Conclusion

What is the shape of your Christian life today? As those who seek for a city whose builder and maker is God, our faith should lead us to believe that God's ultimate purpose for us was not earthly, but heavenly.

Like it says in 

Hebrews 11:8‭-‬10 NLT It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

Remember the scripture we read earlier?

Philippians 3:20 NLT But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

We must demonstrate the characteristics of heavenly citizenship today. Philippi was a Roman colony, and the citizens of Rome were encouraged to dress like Romans, act like Romans, think like Romans, speak like Romans, and never forget that they were Romans.

Paul encouraged the saints at Philippi to dress, act, think, and speak differently  in a way that would be worthy of Jesus Christ. 

I said it last week and I’ll say it again today; If you want to change your behavior, you first have to change your beliefs. If you want your conduct to become Christlike your thinking must become Christlike. For only by a revolutionary change in your thoughts can you experience a revolutionary change in your conduct. 

Philippians 4:8‭-‬9 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Paul challenged the Philippian Christians, and I challenge us today.   

Let us strive with the help of the Holy Spirit to be good citizens of the kingdom of God everyday. 

Do people know you are citizens of the kingdom of God, part of God’s family? The early believers did not keep it a secret that they were part of the household of God. Their lives were testimonies of who they belonged to and the same should be known about us.,

When you and I believe in Jesus, we become part of a new family, the family of God. As His children, we bear His name and His reputation. Wherever we go and whatever we do, we carry the name of Christ. Being in Him makes us part of a new family. The family of God

John 3:1‭-‬3 NLT says "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure."

How do you  become a part of this family?

Romans 10:9‭-‬10 NLT If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

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