Series: Action [#196]
HOW TO ENJOY LIFE- SHINE BRIGHTLY
Philippians 2:5-18
Introduction:
Our text tells us to shine in this evil and corrupt world- “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” I remembered something from Science Class about stars and googled it to see if I was correct. Here is what it said: “Stars produce their own light and energy by a process called nuclear fusion. Fusion happens when lighter elements are forced to become heavier elements. When this happens, a tremendous amount of energy is created causing the star to heat up and shine.” What must you do in order to shine like a star in this world?
Philippians 2:5-8
In order for me to shine brightly, I must have…
1. The right attitude.
Jesus was…
* Selfless.
Jesus did not demand His rights. He didn’t complain about the plan. He enacted it by leaving Heaven and taking on the form of man. God is Spirit and Jesus gave that up for a frail body made of clay that hurts, thirsts, etc…; and became a servant.
Jesus was…
* Humble.
The Creator of all things became a servant. Not only should we not demand our rights; but we should be serving others. God cannot use us until we are humble.
Jesus was…
* Obedient.
Jesus was obedient to the entire plan of God the Father. It is easy to be obedient in the beginning, but as it gets harder and harder; do you remain obedient?
Philippians 2:9-11
In order for me to shine brightly, I must have…
2. The right advocate.
You can only shine for Jesus if you…
* Belong to God the Father.
That only happens through believing and confessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God raised from the dead.
You can only shine for Jesus if you…
* Bow before Him.
We must be humbled before God in order to shine.
You can only shine for Jesus if you…
* Be about bringing glory and honor to God.
You can go through the motions of ministering and serving, but without Christ as your Savior; it means nothing. You can do Church things to shine for yourself or to shine for God- It’s your choice.
Philippians 2:12-18
In order for me to shine brightly, I must have…
3. The right actions.
Actions speak louder than words. In order to shine brightly as believer’s in Jesus Christ, the way we behave matters immensely. We need to do everything without complaining or arguing.
The reason for proper actions is…
* So that we may become blameless and pure.
The reason for proper actions is…
* Because we represent God as His children.
The reason for proper actions is…
* So that we will shine like stars in a dark world.
The reason for proper actions is…
* So that our life on this earth counted for Jesus.
The reason for proper actions is…
* So that we can rejoice together as God’s children.
Conclusion:
Are you shining brightly for Jesus?
