Joy In Community Series

JOY IN COMMUNITY

PHILIPPIANS 1:27-28 ONLY CONDUCT YOURSELVES IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, SO THAT WHETHER I COME AND SEE YOU OR REMAIN ABSENT, I WILL HEAR OF YOU THAT YOU ARE STANDING FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT, WITH ONE MIND STRIVING TOGETHER FOR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL; 28 IN NO WAY ALARMED BY YOUR OPPONENTS—WHICH IS A SIGN OF DESTRUCTION FOR THEM, BUT OF SALVATION FOR YOU, AND THAT TOO, FROM GOD.

PROPOSITION: WE ALL HAVE A MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST.

INTRODUCTION: UP TO THIS POINT, PAUL HAS SPOKEN PRIMARILY ABOUT OUR UNIQUENESS IN CHRIST. NOW, WITH THESE VERSES, PAUL TOUCHES ON THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH THIS SANCTIFIED RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE IN CHRIST. AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT WITH OUT A RESPONSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. AND, AT LEAST HERE, THIS RESPONSIBILITY IS FOUND ON OUR COMMUNITY AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST.

TRANSITION: SO, IN OUR TIME TOGETHER THIS MORNING LETS SEE IF WE CAN DISCOVER OUR RESPONSIBILITIES, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, DETERMINE IF WE ARE FULFILLING THEM.

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: “WHEN SPIDER WEBS UNITE, THEY CAN TIE UP A LION”. ETHIOPIAN PROVERB

I. THE CONCEPT OF CONDUCT

a. RESPONSIBILITY IMPLIES PRIVILEGE

i. THE PRIVILEGE OF WALKING WITH CHRIST

1. GOD IS PERFECTING YOU – COMPLETION

2. ABOUNDING IN LOVE

3. FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

4. BOLDNESS TO PREACH

ii. IMPORTANT TO LIVE WORTHY OF WHAT WE POSSESS

1. ALL THAT WE HAVE AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST WE DID OT RECEIVE BY OUR OWN MERIT

2. JUST AS THERE ARE PRIVILEGES IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THERE ARE RESPONSIBILITIES

a. SECURITY OF SINS FORGIVEN

b. SECURITY OF ETERNITY IN HEAVEN

c. ADOPTION AS CHILDREN OF GOD

WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES THE QUESTION, “ARE WE FULFILLING OUR OBLIGATIONS?”

b. PRIVILEGE IMPLIES CONDUCT

i. PAUL CALLS FOR A HIGH LEVEL OF CONDUCT

ii. PAUL CALLS FOR US TO MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT

II. THE RESPONSIBILITY IN CONDUCT

a. WE ARE TO CONDUCT OURSELVES.

i. ONE WORD IN THE GREEK – POLITEUO

ii. THE CONCEPT OF THE WORD IS TO BE A CITIZEN OF A CITY

iii. ONE WHO BRING HONOR TO A POLITICAL BODY

1. WE KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THAT IS TODAY.

b. PHILIPPI – THE LITTLE ROME

i. WAS A ROMAN COLONY, AND AS SUCH WAS AFFORDED ALL THE PRIVILEGE OF ROMAN CITIZENSHIP.

ii. THE BENEFIT OF ROMAN CITIZENSHIP – INSTRUMENTAL IN THE LIFE OF PAUL.

iii. GREAT PRIDE IN POSITION

iv. UNQUALIFIED ALLEGIANCE

1. DRESSED LIKE ROME

2. TOOK ROMAN NAMES

3. ADOPTED OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF ROME

v. COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS

1. WE CANNOT LIVE IN A PLACE AND FEEL NO ATTACHMENT TO IT.

2. WITHIN THE COMMUNITY SETTING, THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL WAS SUBORDINATE TO THE NEEDS OF THE GROUP/CITY.

III. THE CONDUCT OF A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

a. UNITY OF THE SPIRIT

EPHESIANS 4:1-3 THEREFORE I, THE PRISONER OF THE LORD, IMPLORE YOU TO WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE CALLING WITH WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED, 2 WITH ALL HUMILITY AND GENTLENESS, WITH PATIENCE, SHOWING TOLERANCE FOR ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE, 3 BEING DILIGENT TO PRESERVE THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE.

COLOSSIANS 1:10 SO THAT YOU WILL WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE LORD, TO PLEASE HIM IN ALL RESPECTS, BEARING FRUIT IN EVERY GOOD WORK AND INCREASING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD;

1 THESSALONIANS 2:12 SO THAT YOU WOULD WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE GOD WHO CALLS YOU INTO HIS OWN KINGDOM AND GLORY.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:1 FINALLY THEN, BRETHREN, WE REQUEST AND EXHORT YOU IN THE LORD JESUS, THAT AS YOU RECEIVED FROM US INSTRUCTION AS TO HOW YOU OUGHT TO WALK AND PLEASE GOD (JUST AS YOU ACTUALLY DO WALK), THAT YOU EXCEL STILL MORE.

TITUS 2:10 NOT PILFERING, BUT SHOWING ALL GOOD FAITH SO THAT THEY WILL ADORN THE DOCTRINE OF GOD OUR SAVIOR IN EVERY RESPECT.

2 PETER 3:11 SINCE ALL THESE THINGS ARE TO BE DESTROYED IN THIS WAY, WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE OUGHT YOU TO BE IN HOLY CONDUCT AND GODLINESS,

2 PETER 3:14 THEREFORE, BELOVED, SINCE YOU LOOK FOR THESE THINGS, BE DILIGENT TO BE FOUND BY HIM IN PEACE, SPOTLESS AND BLAMELESS,

i. BLAMELESS AND INNOCENT

PHILIPPIANS 2:15 SO THAT YOU WILL PROVE YOURSELVES TO BE BLAMELESS AND INNOCENT, CHILDREN OF GOD ABOVE REPROACH IN THE MIDST OF A CROOKED AND PERVERSE GENERATION, AMONG WHOM YOU APPEAR AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD,

ii. DEALING WITH THE LOSS OF UNITY

iii. CHURCH IS MORE CHARACTERIZED BY DISUNITY THAN UNITY

iv. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO CROSS LABELS, RACES AND CULTURES FOR THE SAKE OF THE CROSS.

v. THE CHURCH HAS MORE OFTEN SOUGHT TO TEAR EACH OTHER APART OVER THE TRIVIAL ISSUES

vi. DISHONORS CHRIST

vii. NEGATIVELY AFFECTS THE GOSPEL