In 2010, we are learning about what it means to take the Christian Journey in life. In the sermon series we just finished, we talked about the resistance we face on that journey. We saw how Jesus' enemies had moments of what they perceived to be victory over Him, especially the day they killed Him.
However, three days after his death and burial Jesus come out of the grave, ALIVE! His victory over death brings irrefutable proof of His divinity, and healing to His disciples.
Just before He is lifted up into heaven to be with His Father, He commissions His followers to preach the gospel to the world. His followers now know that they are not to become some kind of fan club or social group. They are not to be believers who quietly go and live their lives in solitude. They are to participate in the Gospel.
Soon they will be empowered by the filling of the Holy Spirit in a gathering on the day of Pentecost. From that gathering, they will go out and change their world by participating in the Gospel. The commission that Christ gave His followers more than 2000 years ago is the same commission we are constrained by today.
The letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians speaks to this issue of participating in the Gospel. We are going to take a look at it over the next few weeks. Our first study in this series talks about reasonable expectations for our participating in the Gospel.
Any organization, group, community, or nation has, what they consider, reasonable expectations for the members of their group. For example, our nation has a constitution that lays out reasonable expectations for its citizens.
Originally, those expectations were drafted in a document called the Declaration of Independence. In that declaration, they spelled out the expectations they had for the reasonable behavior of their own citizens, as well as the behavior of other nations that would interact with them.
You can read the Declaration of Independence online. Here are a few excerpts from that document.
"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. [Then a long list of grievances is given, and a closing statement. This closing statement is the spirit and foundation for the expectations of those who would call themselves citizens of the United States of America. dgb]
"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. - And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
(U S History.org)
It seems amazing to me that anyone could ever forget, or misinterpret, what has been laid down in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. A document that laid out reasonable expectation for its citizens. These expectations can only be reasonably understood in the resolve and commitment of those who signed that document. "...for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
Christ laid out some reasonable expectations for those who would choose to follow Him. These expectations only seem reasonable when viewed with the realization of what God has done for us on the cross of Calvary.
John 10:14-18 (NASB)
[14] "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
[15] even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
[16] "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
[17] "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.
[18] "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."
The foundation, spirit, and motive for the reasonable expectations of the followers of Jesus Christ are discovered as we look at His support for those expectations in His own behavior. To know all the details of these expectations takes a lifetime of learning, and intimate relationship with God.
We will see some of these expectations throughout the book of Philippians. The first eleven verses of chapter one are a helpful introduction. Another thing you will notice as we study the book of Philippians is that there are 5 essential aspects of the expectations that Jesus has for all of His followers.
First, we are to Acquire the investment already made for us through Jesus Christ. This is the pursuit of salvation through the blood of Christ.
Second, we are to Continue to invest. This is the Pursuit of spiritual growth through a moment-by-moment personal relationship with God.
Third, we are to Take the investment home. This is the act of bringing the love of God home to family and close friends.
Fourth, we are to Share the investment with others. This is the act of sharing Christ through Love, relationships, fellowship, community service, giving, sacrifice, and evangelism.
Fifth, we must remember that this is A work of God. He does the work in us. It is not our doing the work for Him. Yes, just like the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, we must pledge to Him, our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor, but it is God who works in and through us. This divine work is what saves, sanctifies, and changes us - and the world around us.
The text we will look at today is found in Philippians 1:1-11.
Philippians 1:1-11 (NASB)
[1] Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:
[2] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[3] I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
[4] always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
[5] in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
[6] For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
[7] For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.
[8] For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
[9] And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
[10] so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
[11] having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Three important things:
Matthew 28:16-20 (NASB)
The Great Commission
[16] But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.
[17] When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.
[18] And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
[19] "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
[20] teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
The Great Commission was not given as a mandate meant to repress and tie down the activities of the followers of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission was more than a command to go out and preach; it was also given as a prediction or prophecy. Jesus was telling His disciples what was going to happen if they would surrender their individual lives to the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Ten days later, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell on them and the world would never be the same again. In those original 120 followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit literally turned their world upside down.
That commission was not meant for them alone. The Great Commission was a prediction of the results of the lives of everyone who would believe in Jesus as the remedy for sin, confess and repent from their sins, and surrender their lives to the Holy Spirit.
The five essential aspects of the expectations that Jesus has for all of His followers are an outline of that prediction or prophecy of the Great Commission.
When we follow Christ, we will Acquire the investment already made for us through Jesus Christ. This is the pursuit of salvation through the blood of Christ.
When we follow Christ, we will Continue to invest. This is the Pursuit of spiritual growth through a moment by moment personal relationship with God.
When we follow Christ, we will Take the investment home. This is the act of bringing the love of God home to family and close friends.
When we follow Christ, we will Share the investment with others. This is the act of sharing Christ through Love, relationships, fellowship, community service, giving, sacrifice, and evangelism.
And finally, when we follow Christ, we will remember that this is A work of God. He does the work in us. It is not our doing the work for Him.
It is evident that the Philippians were involved in the Great Commission. Verse five says, "...in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now." In the New Testament, the word gospel was used to describe different aspects of God's divine work in the midst of mankind.
Here are a few examples:
This gospel is a message and a lifestyle that Paul recognized in the lives of the Philippians.
Whenever we talk about accomplishing some task, there is always a concern about where the resources will come from. When you want to build or buy a home, you are concerned about where the money will come from to purchase that home. There has to be a source for the purchase.
If you are going to exercise, you need to have a source of energy to do those exercises. That kind of energy comes from calories that we eat. Calories are the source; they are the energy needed to complete the exercises we want to do.
The Gospel is a message from God; it is His word to mankind. It is more than something to listen to or read. It is a message of guidelines about how mankind can best live their lives here on earth. It is not a set of rules and regulations, but rather a guide for a lifestyle that brings us into, and keeps us in relationship with God our creator.
The source of power for this lifestyle is the limitless power of Almighty God. Paul mentions this source several times in our text for today. For example, in verse two Paul says, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Grace and peace come from God, not from some inner personal power or force we possess. This is something God does for us because we cannot do on our own.
In verse six Paul says, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Paul says two important things about our relationship with God.
But remember this, it is God working in us. He is the source in our relationship with Him, and in our participation in the gospel.
In verses nine through eleven Paul says, "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
All of the things that Paul mentions in these verses that have to do with our relationship with God, and our participation in the gospel, flow out of the fruit of righteousness, which comes through our relationship with Jesus Christ. This is a work of God; He is the source of power and ability we have to live out this lifestyle in our daily lives.
God does not make any kind of demands on us without giving us resources to carry out those demands. He is the source of power in our spiritual lives, not self-effort. Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of this.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB)
[28] "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
[29] "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
[30] "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Jesus, in the yoke, working together with us, He is providing His power and resources for our success in the Kingdom of God and our participation in the gospel.
Success in the Kingdom of God does not depend on perfect performance although our performance does get better and better over time with spiritual growth in our lives. Success is dependant on two very important things.
This is what success in the Kingdom of God looks like: God's power and guidance through our persistent surrender to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. God does not expect us to live our spiritual lives on our own, His commission for us to participate in the gospel is reasonable.
We can only participate in the gospel, and be successful in our relationship with God, by our persistent choices to surrender to the guidance of the Holy Spirit moment by moment of every day. Perhaps today is the day you come to Him. Perhaps today is when you surrender your will to His will. Let us stand for a closing prayer.
NASB - New American Standard Bible (NASB). Cedar Rapids: Laridian, 2002.
U S History.org - http://www.ushistory.org...
I want to thank my research assistants, Debi Peck and Robyn Harper (HARPER), who do hours of research to provide some of my study resources. I also want to thank Vonda Watson-Bostick and Robyn Harper, who help me with editing.