Ministry With The Mind Of Christ-9

MINISTRY With The MIND Of CHRIST-IX

—Philippians 2:15-18[part-3 of :12-18](2:1-18)

Attention:

Such A Nice Boy:

One evening, an older teenage girl(Barbara) excitedly waits for her new boyfriend to pick her up at home, where he will meet her parents for the first time.

The parents were appalled by his appearance: He drove up on a trashed out Harley, which they could hear thruout the neighborhood, Sported a WW-I style German army helmet complete with a spike on top & a German ‘iron cross’ emblazoned on the front & back. He had two Swastika tattoos, one on each forearm, & a chain attached to his ear on one side & connected to the same side of his nose.

He gets off the Harley, hangs his helmet on the three pronged ‘devil’s pitchfork’ backrest.

Without introducing himself, & with a smug attitude & tone, he says, ‘Tell yer little girl that her man’s here.’

The parents quickly pull their daughter aside & voice their concerns. Dad said, “While I’m alive, you’ll NEVER go on a date with with the likes of that guy!” Barbara’s mother a little more diplomatically said, “Dear,” “He doesn't seem very nice.”

Barbara rolls her eyes & replies to her parents, “Oh please, If he wasn't nice boy, why else would he be doing 500 hours of community service?”

Proper direction is elusive for many people!

Decisions made in ignorance are very poor decisions!

God’s people, individually & gathered as the Church, are EXPECTED to minister with the highest level of wisdom, understanding, & trustworthiness...WITH The MIND Of CHRIST JESUS, their Savior & Lord!....in Whom alone “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge”(Col. 2:3)....

It’s one thing to know Jesus as your Savior, but it is quite another to live by His direction as your Lord!

Need:

The apostle Paul counseled the Philippian church to minister empowered with the mind of Christ Jesus.

God’s people are to minister with the mind of Christ Jesus.

How do God’s people minister with the mind of Christ Jesus?

4 characteristics of ministry with the mind of Christ Jesus.

So far in our study of Php. 2:1-18, we’ve found that:

‘MINISTRY: With The MIND Of CHRIST’...

1. ‘LOVES As JESUS LOVES’(:1-4)

2. ‘GIVES As JESUS GIVES’(:5-8)

3. ‘RECEIVES AS JESUS RECEIVES’(:9-11)

4. DEMONSTRATES A CHRIST-EMPOWERED WALK(:12-18)[parts-1 & 2--:12-14]

....TODAY we’ll continue looking into verses :12-18, where we’ll find that....

(CONT...)4—MINISTRY with the mind of Christ...

DEMONSTRATES A CHRIST-EMPOWERED WALK(:12-18)

[Part-3--:15-18]

:15—“that you may become blameless & harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked & perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”

*For God’s Church—gathered believers—to openly “complain” & “dispute”(:14) among themselves, is a sure sign of their being worthy of “blame”, “harmful”, & at “fault”, in regard to living out their faith(:12)!

•“Blameless/Unblameable”—amemptov—Adj. Nominative Plural Masc.—1) Blameless, deserving no censure, free from fault or defect. Amemptov is strictly unblamed, one with whom no fault is found. This of course refers particularly to the verdict of others upon one. Strong—Irreproachable. Used 5X--Lk. 1:6; Php. 2:15; Php. 3:6; 1Thes. 3:13; Heb. 8:7.?From—A(as a negative particle).—& a derivative of—memfomai—To blame; middle voice of an apparently primary verb.

•“Harmless/Innocent/Pure/Simple”(no ulterior motive)—akeraiov—Adj. Nominative Plural Masc.—1) Unmixed, pure as in wines or metals; 2) of the mind--Without a mixture of evil, free from guile, innocent, simple. Akeraiov also means simple, literally free from any foreign admixture, unadulterated, free from disturbing elements. Strong—Unmixed, i.e. figuratively--Innocent. Used 3X--Mat. 10:16; Rom. 16:19; Php. 2:15.?From—A(as a negative particle).—& a presumed derivative of—kerannumi—To mix, mingle; To pour out(for drinking).

•“Without Fault/Without Rebuke/Above Reproach/Unblameable”—amwmhtov—Lit. = ‘lack of flaw or blot’—Adj. Nominative Plural Neuter—1)That cannot be censured, blameless. Strong—Unblameable. Used 2X--Php. 2:15; 2Pet. 3:14.?From—A(as a negative particle).—& a derivative of—mwmaomai—To to carp at, i.e. Censure(discredit). From--mwmov—A flaw or blot, i.e. figuratively--Disgraceful person.

When a person is “blameworthy”, “harmful”, & at “fault”, in regard to their Christian faith,...such a testimony results in the ‘quenching’, ‘blanketing’, ‘covering’, or hiding of God’s “light.”....

•And God’s “light” is INTENDED to bring about the salvation of “the world”!

•Jn. 8:12—“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.””

•So IF God’s “light” that God’s people—Christians, are offered thru Christ Jesus,....IF that “light” is HIDDEN, THEN God’s own people—you & me, have become supportive of, share-in, & contribute to, the same mentality as the “crooked & perverse generation” of “the world”!The very “world” that God WANTS to save!

•Acts 13:10—a Jewish sorcerer named Elymas & ‘Bar-Jesus’, Paul rebuked saying,—“...will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?”

“Crooked”—skoliov—Adj. Genitive Sing. Fem.—1) Crooked, curved; 2) metaph.—2a) Perverse, wicked, 2b) Unfair, surly, froward. Strong—Warped, i.e. Winding; figuratively--Perverse[morally]. Used 4X--Lk. 3:5; Acts 2:40; Php. 2:15; 1Pet. 2:18.?English = ‘Scoliosis’.