What Should We Do Now?
Philippians 4:1-3
Sermon by Rick Crandall
McClendon Baptist Church - Oct. 24, 2010
INTRODUCTORY NOTE:
*I was saved through the ministry of this church in 1975, and after answering God’s call to the ministry, I returned to serve as associate pastor from 1983-1992. After serving as the pastor of another church for 6 years, I returned to McClendon in 1998, serving for another year and a half as associate pastor, then almost 11 years as pastor. So to help the church understand why I was leaving, I gave them a personal testimony about how the Lord had moved me in past years. Then I gave a few comments about my plans for the near future and said:
*That’s what I am going to do, but a much bigger question is: What are you going to do? There are many uncertainties, but you will certainly be fine, if you apply the truths we see here in God’s Word. -- So today let me expand on some Biblical truths I shared at our last deacon fellowship.
1. What should you do now? -- First, STRIVE for HARMONY.
*In vs. 1&2, Paul desperately wanted that church to strive for harmony, and he said:
1. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
2. I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
*Euodia and Syntyche were having a disagreement, just like we have sometimes with our family, our friends, at school, at work, even at church.
*We don’t know what the argument was about. It wasn’t important enough for Paul to mention. (Have you ever gotten into arguments over nothing?)
*We also don’t know who was to blame.
-Both of these women were good, Godly women.
-Both of them were saved;
-Both of them had worked together with Paul to spread the Good News about Jesus. -- But now they were fussing, and fighting.
*Sometimes even the best of us don’t get along like we should, but God’s word says: “I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.”
-The KJV says “I beseech” or beg. The NIV says “I plead.” -- God’s Word says, “I implore, beseech, beg, plead with you to agree with each other in the Lord.”
*Bro. James Strittman is one of the most Godly men I have ever known. He and Mrs. Flora have faithfully served the Lord for close to 70 years.
*Several years ago, I visited with Bro. Strittman, while Mrs. Flora was in surgery.
-We talked about church, and he asked me about some of the churches around us that were struggling at the time.
*Then Bro. Strittman told me about a church he considered going to pastor one time. He said at first glance everything seemed fine. They had recently carpeted the whole church, and they had air conditioning, back in a day when most churches didn’t. But then Bro. Strittman looked a little deeper and found that no one had been saved in that church in over 2 years. That greatly concerned him. And over time it became clear that the people in that church were fussing with each other.
*Bro. Strittman said that on the day they voted to call him, the vote was 145 to 6.
-At the end of the service, one of the men who voted against him came out the door and said, “Preacher we want you to know that we weren’t voting against you. -- We were voting against that other 145!”
*Bro. Strittman paused for a moment and then he said: “I sure am glad the Lord led me in another direction.” He also said he could understand why people weren’t being saved. The church people weren’t loving each other. -- And that kind of fussing kills the witness of a church.
*“It kills the witness of a church,” Bro. Strittman said. And in John 13:35, Jesus said: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
*What should you do now? -- Do everything you can to get along with each other.
-You must strive for harmony.
2. And SEEK to HELP.
*You must seek to help. -- Listen to Paul in vs. 2&3:
2. I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
3. And I urge you also, true companion, HELP these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
*Paul said, “Help these women!” That word “help” is a strong word with the word picture that means “seize, grab, capture or catch.” Paul said, “Help these women!” -- And God wants us to be helpers too.
*There are many ways you can help right now. -- Here are 3 of the most important:
1-First: BE A PRAYER WARRIOR. Pray, pray, pray for our church.
*Pray for harmony. Pray for wisdom and guidance. Just because you want something doesn’t mean that God wants it. Pray for the wisdom to know the difference.
*And pray for special needs. Something new comes up almost every day.
-A death in the family, a wreck, a job loss, a bad diagnosis, family problems.
-These things are going on all around us.
*Here is a special prayer request we got this week from David’s wife Priscilla:
-Dear prayer warriors,
-Just got word that we need to pray specifically for this.
*Please keep my husband’s units and his base in your prayers. -- They only have a few more weeks and we are praying all the soldiers make it home safely!
*There is rumor of enemy plans to attack base again soon.
-Please take a moment to pray for Mike the CO, for my husband and other leaders as they make decisions.
-Pray for the soldiers there.
-Also pray that enemy plans will be confused and thwarted!
*May God intercede and get all the glory! He has done so many miracles.
-Thank you and God bless!
*Paul reminds us to pray down in vs. 6&7, where he tells us:
6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
*To help our church, be a prayer warrior.
2-But also BE POSITIVE.
*Think in a positive way. As Paul said down in vs. 8: “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things.”
*Think and speak in a positive way. Be an encourager. Proverbs 16:24 says: “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”
*Kenneth Pell says: “We have all watched infants who were on the verge of taking their first unassisted steps. For several days or weeks they stand alone confidently for moments at a time, squealing with delight at the accomplishment of balancing their bodies on their little feet.
*After a while they consider moving one of those firmly planted little feet in front of the other. All the while parents are coaxing the little tyke to venture toward them. ‘You can do it! Come on!’ says mom, arms outstretched to catch Baby if he stumbles. -- ‘Look at you! What a big boy!’ his dad declares. When Baby does finally take that first step it is a big day, helped along by Mom and Dad’s loving encouragement.
*Encouraging others helps them stay in the game. Encouraging others helps then move forward even when things are uncertain.
*Encouragement: It’s the word, the card, the look that says, ‘I am with you. I care about you. You will survive. You can do it!’ We cannot measure how many great advances have been made because someone else was there to encourage them on.” (1)
*God wants you to be those encouragers. -- To help our church, be positive.
3-And BE A PEACE-MAKER.
*One of the best things we can do for the Lord is be a peacemaker. That’s what Paul was trying to do in vs. 1-3, when he said:
1. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
2. I implore [I beseech, beg, urge, plead] Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
3. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
*God wants us to do everything we can to be peacemakers. God want us to do everything we possibly can to help other people get along. We can be like Paul! We can be the glue that helps other people stick together.
*What should you do now? -- You must seek to help. Be a prayer warrior. Be positive. Be a peace-maker. Seek to help.
3. And SHARE God’s HOPE.
*In vs. 3, Paul said: “I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
*Why were their names in God’s Book of Life? It’s because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s our only hope! -- And it’s the only hope of a lost and dying world. The gospel of Jesus Christ:
-The good news that God loves us in spite of our sins
-The good news that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
-The good news that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead. -- So He is both able and willing to save anyone who will trust in Him.
*We must share this hope! This is why in vs. 3 those women were working so hard with Paul, and Clement, and the rest of their fellow workers. They were sharing God’s hope.
*We have a wonderful new Children’s Building, -- But it will be worthless unless our church keeps the vision of reaching new families for Christ.
*I grew up going to a Presbyterian church in Macon, GA. When I was in the 7th grade, we had a brand new Sunday School building, not nearly as nice as ours, but it was something special for that day.
*Unfortunately, that church went through a terrible split a couple of years later.
-It was very ugly. It was so ugly that it wound up in court, and a lot of people were hurt.
*Well those hard-hearted people won their suit, but they lost their reason for being, and the church went down, down, down for the next 40 years.
-That wonderful, new, education building was padlocked for 20 years.
-But when I went home last spring, I noticed a new sign in front of the church.
*It’s now the Strong Tower Fellowship. That name is based on Proverbs 18:10, which says: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”
*I had to stop in to see what was going on. The nice secretary let me go in the sanctuary I hadn’t seen since 1969. And she told me the wonderful story of how the last handful of people in that church had come to their senses. They had gone to a thriving sister church, and asked them to help them breathe new life into that place. And by God’s grace they did!
*They are back up to 150 in worship.
-There are all kinds of new activities and programs going on.
-That padlocked education building is open again, and being used for God’s Kingdom!
*Don’t ever lose your reason for being.
-Start doing and keep doing everything you can to share God’s hope.
CONCLUSION:
*I have met many wonderful people over the years in this church. One of my favorites was Luther Craighead. He was a big man with big talent. He wrote dozens of Gospel songs.
*And Mr. Luther was a hoot! He had a great sense of humor. Luther sang in the Mature Melody Makers with us, and in later years he got pretty feeble. So one day, Robbie and I got on either side to help Luther from the Choir Room to Fellowship Hall. As we were slowly moving along, out of the blue he said, “Now I know how Jesus felt.” He paused just long enough for me and Robbie to think, “What in the world is he talking about?” -- Then Mr. Luther said, “Between two thieves.”
*Great sense of humor. -- Great guy in many ways. But whenever you gave a compliment to Mr. Luther, he would always say the same thing: “Put the good on Jesus. -- And put the bad on me.”
*When it comes to my time here with you, that’s what I want to say: “Put the good on Jesus. -- And put the bad on me.”
*McClendon Baptist Church is moving into a new day. And the ride may get bumpy at times, but it can be your best day ever, if you will do these three things:
-Strive for harmony.
-Seek to help.
-And share God’s hope.
*Let’s go to the Lord in prayer.
1. Adapted from “The Power of Encouragement” by Kenneth Pell - 1 Thess 5:11 - Potsdam Church of the Nazarene - Potsdam, New York - 11/25/07
