How would you rate your self as a Christian on a scale from 1 to 10? Better yet how would your family and friends rate you on the same scale? People see you and I on a different perspective than we do ourselves.
For the people who have internet I’m sure have encountered E bay at some point and time. Its an auction place where you can buy and sell just about anything you can imagine and its ordinary Folks just like you and I. If you want to sell something just put a picture and information on their web site and a small fee gets what ever your selling in the site of millions of people and the same if you want to buy something. Its from people just like you and I that want to sell and buy. When a member of E bay buys or sells something each member has a feed back area in which is filled out when each deal is done. If the buyer or seller didn’t do what they were suppose to or lied about their product then its recorded under their name so every body can see just how honest he or she really is. People try hard to satisfy who ever they are dealing with because of that feedback against their name from complete strangers. Its amazing how harder people try to be nice to others and do the right thing when their own name is on the line. Paul was encouraging the people of Philippi to do the right thing in their faith for Christ
Philippians chapter 1: and verse
27. And the Bible says Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
29. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
30. Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Need to note that when Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians he was in a Roman jail under close watch. Paul loved this church from what I understand, more so than any other that he had started. He was saying whether I’m there or not obey the word of God and not the laws of the world.
How could a man in such a terrible place encourage anybody to do good works and carry on the gospel of Christ and be content. When he was in jail because of the gospel. As hard as it may seem to have heaven in our hearts, we need to keep on striving. We need to hold heaven as first and foremost in our lives. That means we are holding on to Christ. Even in the midst of all of this flesh. This life is like a race, and if we want to finish the race so as to gain a prize we need to press on. We need to conquer. We need to overcome every thing this world has to throw at us. Our hearts need to be in heaven while our heads are here on earth. We need to desire to be with Christ in Heaven and not be distracted by the world around us.
Paul had a great impact on the people of Philippi , he was their role model you might say. What a role model he was. I cant think of a better one….. other than Jesus Himself.
Look at what Paul said in verse 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
Paul felt obligated to the church he started. So he cared for them ….you could say as a Pastor and someone to guide them along the way. He was setting an example.
He wanted to make sure that their feed back was good and was getting to their enemies because of the gospel of Christ because in verse 28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God
And the end of verse 27 Paul says that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; ……...Folks….if we would only stand together today for the gospel of Christ and turn to the word of God for America’s problems we would for sure be a much stronger country and unite families once again instead of letting false religions and power and money rule our society. But when trouble starts and watch these things happen right before our eyes…..Christians seem to disappear one by one and blend into the back ground of this world. One person cant do it, one person cant vote for the Christian man that’s running for office and expect him to win, it takes checking out his feed back from his past experiences as a leader and putting an effort together to get the bad people out whose only goal is a glory ride.
There is something drastically wrong with this world. We see it everyday in the newspapers. People think morality is relative; that there is no standard of right and wrong, and therefore, whatever feels good to them, whatever gets them ahead, that’s okay to do. We as Christians suppose to know differently. There is a standard of right, God Himself, and He sent His Son to teach us how to live well, to live in Himself. We read the Bible and we know that we aren’t of this world. Those in the world, who love the world and all its trappings have this sort of attitude: The world is about me first, the world revolves around me and everyone else should bow down to me. Ultimately, that’s the goal of folks who love this world, who are of this world. Complete control of their own destiny and fortune. Complete freedom to live however they want, to do whatever they want. We say no. This world is not about us; it is about the Creator. We were created to know the Creator. And when we finally meet the Creator, we know this world is not our final destination. There is something more coming, something good and pure, something worth waiting and fighting for. God’s presence is worth the sacrifices we make in this life.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, you know what the word gospel means? It means good news. Its good news for the sinner and the lost.
The good news is God loves you, and He has chosen us to demonstrate that love to you. The good news is that God provides for your every need, and He has chosen us to demonstrate His abundance to you. The good news is that God forgives you of your wrongs, and He has chosen us to demonstrate His forgiveness to you. The good news is that God is preparing a people for Heaven, and He has chosen us to demonstrate what kind of people you will be living with in Heaven.
Just who watches us? Just who watches our every move in our daily lives to see if we meet up to the standards of the gospel?
Who do we impact? ..Our kids ..Our grandkids ..Our friends...Our fellow workers. ..Our spouse ..Our church family We need to be aware of what people see in our walk with Christ. The life we see is not always what others see.
In 1784 Ben Franklin wrote to his daughter expressing his disappoint-ment at the poor choice the American government had made in selecting the eagle as our national symbol; Ben wanted the TURKEY! (I’M SO GLAD THEY DIDN’T LISTEN!)
We all as Christians have a different out look on how we should follow Jesus but, we should have one thing in common and that is to be more like Him, to be more like Christ, WWJD
Jesus said take up thy cross and follow me, he didn’t say it would be easy, He said it would be worth it.
There’s a man trying to cross the street. As he steps off the curb a car comes screaming around the corner and heads straight for him. The man walks faster, trying to hurry across the street, but the car changes lanes and is still coming at him.
So the guy turns around to go back, but the car changes lanes again and is still coming at him. By now, the car is so close and the man so scared that he just freezes and stops in the middle of the road. The car gets real close, then swerves at the last possible moment and screeches to a halt right next him.
The driver rolls down the window. The driver is a squirrel. The squirrel says to the man,
"See, it’s not as easy as it looks, is it?"
There is no where in the Bible that says it will be easy and without trials in a Christian life.
What would happen if we knew that everything we put out would come back to us?
1. We often say, “What goes around, comes around,” but what if it was a rule, not just a saying?
2. What if we knew that every harmful word or deed would be rebounded upon us immediately?
3. Wouldn’t that change the way we act?
In the old Soviet Union there were very few laws about factories polluting the water.
1. That was with good reason, because one of the few laws they did have was that any factory which dumped chemicals back into the river had to do so upstream from its own intake pipes.
2. In other words, whatever the factory dumped in the water was going to come right back into it before it went any further down stream.
3. It was amazing how much this simple rule did to cause factories to clean up their own pollutants
. Keep your attitude, thoughts and lifestyle calm and above reproach. Paul writes, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you."
Folks I’ll tell you something else that you can think about. I was using my camcorder to record my Grandson on day and I thought, you know I’d say that God has a camera on us that shots a better and clearer picture of our life than this modern day gadget I’m using. If we get up every morning and we know for sure that God hit the record button on His camera of our life would we act different? We should because He does.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart
Do you have anything to hide in your life? God will shine His light on it one day and play back all that you have done. You wont be able to lie out of it or blame it on some one else. Because there will only be you and you alone to defend yourself without Jesus. To stand in front of God without Christ and to here Him say And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:23
To be separated from God almighty is the worse thing and knowing to have had a chance to repent and to have had Jesus to defend you is even worse. Its not to late ……..but it could be. You could take your last breath before I end this message. Life is oh so fragile and really frighten without Christ in your life. Don’t let this program end today without accepting Jesus as your Saviour. Just ask Him to come into your life and forgive you of your sins and just as He promised in His word He will be faithful to do so and thank Him for sending the Holy Sprit to live with and comfort you in these last days I believe we have on this Earth. You wont have to worry about those recordings of your past anymore ….God will take the tape out of His great camcorder and throw it into the deep blue sea never to be remembered again. Folks we serve a mighty and great God who said it is His will that all would come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 The Bible says The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Friend…. get in the boat with Jesus and He'll will take you to the other side.
Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller
www.themillersbiblestudy.com
