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
viii. A VISIBLE UNITY TO PRODUCE PRACTICAL RESULTS
a. INTENTIONAL ACTIVITY
a. LIVE A BIBLICAL MORALITY
b. HAVING A REVERENCE FOR GOD
c. AVOID COMPROMISING BIBLICAL TRUTH, CHRISTIAN CHARACTER, PLAN AND WILL OF GOD
d. AGGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY
i. ADVANCE THE GOSPEL
ii. INTENTIONAL ACTIVITY
1. CHURCH HAS GOTTEN SAFE
ILLUSTRATION: E. STANLEY JONES WROTE: "THE EARLY CHRISTIANS DID NOT SAY IN DISMAY: 'LOOK WHAT THE WORLD HAS COME TO,' BUT IN DELIGHT, 'LOOK WHAT HAS COME TO THE WORLD.'
THEY SAW NOT MERELY THE RUIN, BUT THE RESOURCES FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THAT RUIN. THEY SAW NOT MERELY THAT SIN DID ABOUND, BUT THAT GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND.
2. WE NO LONGER SEE THE WORLD AS WE SHOULD
iii. THE CURE
1. DO NOT BE ALARMED OR TERRIFIED
a. EASILY SPOOKED
b. THEY ARE ONLY A TESTIMONY OF WHAT IS COMING
ILLUSTRATION: I POSTED TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE DR. DAVID JEREMIAH’S TEN SIGNS THAT THE TRIBULATION IS NEAR:
DECEPTION – MANY WILL SAY I AM THE CHRIST
DISSENSION – WARS
DEVASTATION - FAMINES
DISEASE – PESTILENCE
DISASTERS - EARTHQUAKES
DEATH – HATED FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST
DISLOYALTY – BETRAY, HATE EACH OTHER
DELUSION – FALSE PROPHETS
DEFECTION – TURN AWAY FROM GOD AND EACH OTHER
DECLARATION – GOSPEL PREACHED AROUND THE WORLD
2. STRIVE TOGETHER
a. WORK AS A TEAM
b. WORD USED OF ATHLETES
c. WE CANNOT TAKE ON THE WORLD BY OURSELVES, BE WE CAN WITH EACH OTHERS
3. STAND FIRM
a. DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND
b. DEFENDING THE GROUND REGARDLESS OF THE DANGER
OUR JOY IS WORTH DEFENDING, AND OUR JOY COMES FROM SERVING JESUS.
