Mighty Transformin’ Power Disciples (Philippians 3:10)

April 21, 2019

People always want more power:

Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor would ask his Tool Time studio audience, “Men, if we want a job done quick, and we want it done right, what do we need?” They’d answer loudly in unison, “More power!” He’d then use a tool so powerful it destroyed the project, or blew-up in his face.

In almost every episode of the original Star Trek, Captain Kirk would call down to Scotty and demand “More power!”

In The Matrix Reloaded, Neo asks the Oracle, “What does he want?” The answer: “He wants what all men want. More power!”

The great apostle Paul wanted to “know Jesus and the power of His resurrection.”

He already knew the Lord; he was already saved when he wrote those words. He’d been saved for at least twenty years. He must have meant something else by “know.”

Scholars tell us the the word translated “know” is to know by experience. Paul was talking about experiencing the power of the resurrection in his daily life.

If Paul experienced, but also longed to go on experiencing, the power of the resurrection in his life – so can, and so should, every believer.

What does it mean, and what does it matter, to experience the power of the resurrection?

One way to approach answering that question is to see how Paul did experience the power of the resurrection. There are a lot of them.

We can start on the road to Damascus. First introduced to us as Saul attending the stoning of Stephen, he would go on to be a vicious persecutor of the early believers.

He’d imprison them; murder them. Picking up his story in the Book of Acts, we read,

Act 9:1  Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
Act 9:2  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Act 9:3  As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
Act 9:4  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Act 9:5  And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
Act 9:6  So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The resurrected Lord saved Saul. It may seem obvious, but the power of the resurrection is to save. In First Corinthians 15:17-20 we read,

1Co 15:17  And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
1Co 15:18  Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
1Co 15:20  But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

The forgiveness of sins, and the guarantee of eternal life, are dependent upon Jesus having risen from the dead in a glorified physical body.

Do you “know” Jesus? Think of it this way: We all “know” famous people. I follow on Instagram DisneyCelebrities; they post photos of celebs in the park.

Whenever we are in the park, we are on the look-out for celebs. A year or two ago, Geno pointed-out Dee Snyder in Toon Town.

I “know” who he is. But I don’t really “know” him personally.

How do you “know” Jesus? You have your own Damascus Road encounter. Maybe not as dramatic; maybe more. But it must be personal, intimate.

Paul went on in his life to have a lot of further experience with the power of the resurrection. One night, at midnight, he and his companion, Silas, found themselves falsely accused, wrongfully imprisoned, locked in painful stocks in a dark, dank dungeon.

Act 16:25  But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Act 16:26  Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.
Act 16:27  And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
Act 16:28  But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
Act 16:29  Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
Act 16:30  And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Act 16:31  So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Act 16:32  Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
Act 16:33  And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
Act 16:34  Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
The power of the resurrection permeates that episode:

Without it, Paul and Silas would not be saved to preach the gospel.

Without it, no one could be saved by believing the Gospel.

Without it, there’d be no miracle-at-midnight earthquake.

The power of His resurrection certainly accounts for the joy that Paul and Silas expressed regardless their dire situation.

As a first century apostle, Paul experienced the power of the resurrection to be able to heal certain people, or to cast out of them demons. In one somewhat odd episode, we read,

Act 19:11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,
Act 19:12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

God can, and He does, heal. It bothers me as much as anyone that God so infrequently chooses to heal – at least here in the West – in this dispensation of the Church Age. It hurts to see loved ones suffer and die.

I’ve been, for lack of a better word, harping on the problem of pain for some time now. It was the Holy Spirit readying us for the onslaught of diseases and deaths that so many among us have been experiencing.

It’s not just us who struggle with suffering. I believe it to be the chief obstacle we need to overcome in sharing with nonbelievers. At the heart of their reluctance to receive the Lord is their argument that an all-powerful God of love would do something to alleviate or end human suffering.

Of course, He has done everything. He has died in our place for it. His plan is to end it. You can read all about it in the last book of the Bible.

Theologically, our answer to the problem of pain prior to the end is one potent word: Longsuffering. God is longsuffering, allowing sin to continue, and because of it suffering, because He isn’t willing anyone perish eternally.

Where does that leave us? I think it’s obvious that the teaching of the New Testament is that the power of the resurrection is as evident, perhaps more evident, in its empowering to endure suffering.

Paul’s own handkerchiefs and aprons, that healed others, could not heal him:

2Co 12:7  … a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
2Co 12:8  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I, for one, am glad that this servant who was used to occasionally heal others, was himself un-healed. Think of the modern so-called ‘faith-teachers,’ who claim perfect health and extreme wealth as the norm for you. None of them have ever healed anyone.

Paul essentially said that while healing would have been great, God’s grace to endure his thorn in the flesh was even greater.

Paul said, “that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.” The next words in that verse are, “and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…”
Here me on this: It may take a while for you to experience the power of the resurrection in these dark moments.

Did you ever wonder why Paul mentioned, concerning the thorn in his flesh, that he prayed three times? One thing it tells us is that it took him a while to experience the power of the resurrection to trust in the sufficiency of God’s grace. But once he did, he rejoiced.

In the eighth chapter of Romans, Paul said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). It alludes to the next experience we will talk about: the power of Jesus’s resurrection is the hope that we, too, will be raised from the dead.

The power of His resurrection proves that all those who believe, and have believed, will themselves be resurrected. We will have a perfect, glorious resurrection body, like the one Jesus has and will have for eternity.
Jesus is called the firstfruits of many brethren. His bodily resurrection from the dead was the first time a dead man rose in a glorified, heavenly body. But it won’t be the last time. All of the righteous – all believers – from all of human history will, in stages, be raised in a great harvest.

On a more intimate note: The resurrection guarantees that you will be united with your deceased believing loved ones in Heaven.

There is so much more we could discuss:

The power of His resurrection gives us the ability to obey the Lord.

To keep the Law of Love.

To experience victory over the sins of the flesh.

More power? It is yours to discover and to experience.

Let me return to an earlier point, then we will close.

Around town, you might spot Steve Perry. You “know” who he is. Since he is local, some people “know” him personally.

In which sense do you “know” Jesus? If it isn’t in a personal relationship, you need to come to the Cross where the Lord died in your place, for your sins, confess, and repent, and receive Him.

Jesus literally rose from the dead physically. Without the risen Savior, there is no Christian faith. As Paul said elsewhere, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (First Corinthians 15:14).

Pray It Again, Saul (Philippians 1:3-6)

May 3, 2017

One of the regular bits on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon is him writing out Thank You Notes.

Thank you, emergency row on a plane, for making me lie every time the flight attendant asks me if I can function in case of an emergency.

Thank you the word “moist” for being the worst word ever.

Thank you, slow walking family ahead of me on the sidewalk. No, please, take your time, and definitely spread out, too, so you form a barricade.

The apostle Paul inserted “Thank You Notes” in his letters. With the exception of Galatians and Second Corinthians, all of his letters begin with a mention of his thanksgiving. Paul was thankful for what God had already done for the believers, and for what God had promised to accomplish in them.

Rom 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

1Co 1:4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,
1Co 1:5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,

Eph 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
Eph 1:16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

Col 1:3  We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
Col 1:4  since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;
Col 1:5  because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

1Th 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,
1Th 1:3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

2Th 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,
2Th 1:4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,

Our text tonight is from his letter to the Philippians, where Paul states his thankfulness for their “fellowship in the Gospel.”

We’re taking a look at some of the recorded prayers of Paul. It’s hard to have a definite list, because sometimes he is praying, whereas other times he’s talking about how he prays.
Believing we are being Spirit-led in the texts we choose, we’re looking at his prayers in chronological order; and that takes us from the Thessalonians letters we’ve already looked at to Philippians.

On his second missionary journey Paul visited Philippi. Through his ministry there several people trusted Christ as their Savior. Some of these were Lydia and her family and the Philippian jailer and his family.

Soon after Paul’s visit a local church was established in Philippi. The church often helped the apostle in different ways so this epistle was written to acknowledge their help, as well as to help them.

Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter – probably in Rome. The believers naturally were concerned. Nothing wrong with their concern, but they ought to have remembered that when Paul was in prison in their own city, he and Silas prayed and praised and, at midnight, an earthquake shook the city, opening up the prison’s cells.

They stopped the jail or from committing suicide, and convinced the prisoners not to escape. The jailor and his family were saved. Paul and Silas returned to their cells.

In the morning, when the city officials thought their prisoners had learned their lesson, Paul dropped that he was a Roman citizen. The city officials had broken several laws in detaining them; their careers, if not lives, were on the line.

Paul was a prisoner, for sure, but not of Rome. Never of Rome. He was a prisoner of Jesus Christ. He had resolved in his heart that whatever he encountered in his life, it was for the furtherance of the Gospel.

Prison gave Paul opportunity to write some of his letters – Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon were prison epistles. And it gave him extended prayer times.

Let’s see what he was praying for regarding the Philippians.

Php 1:3  I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Php 1:4  always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
Php 1:5  for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
Php 1:6  being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Hard to say exactly what he was praying for. It doesn’t read like a prayer-list.

What we can glean is something we haven’t yet mentioned in this series, and that is what we might call the tone of his praying.

From one quick reading of these verses we can see Paul was thankful, joyful, and confident in his praying for them.

Let’s keep that in mind as we dig in a little deeper.

Php 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

You’re too young to remember Bob Hope; but I’ll ask anyway. What was his signature song? Right – Thanks for the Memory.

Paul thanked God for the memories he had of the Philippians. They loved him; they put that love in action, caring for him, and sending him support.

Paul didn’t merely receive a one-time gift from the Philippian believers; he received gifts from them on a number of occasions. Even when he was in another city, the Philippians continued to send material support.

It wasn’t the money that made the good memories, but the thought behind it.

Here’s something to ponder: Are you remembered by others with thankfulness on account of your being a help to them?

Paul referred to God as “my God.” It’s a term of endearment, and of intimacy. Of course God was the God of the Philippians believers just as much as He was Paul’s God. But they – and we – should all have an intimate relationship with Him.

This is one reason why I get frustrated, then angry, when folks erect barriers to our worship of God, then act as though they feel closer to Him. Currently there is a movement to return to the liturgies of ancient church groups. Robes and rituals. To me, they are a new veil, separating you from immediate contact with Jesus.

The tone of Paul’s prayers was thankfulness. Wherever God is at work in people, we have cause for thanksgiving. It’s no easy thing for a hard heart to be penetrated by grace and for a persons freed will to choose the Lord.

Php 1:4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,

The words for “prayer” and “request” mean the same thing. They are translated from the same word. Paul was making specific requests for them.

He undoubtedly prayed for them as a church, but he also prayed for “all” of their requests, as individuals.

In the age of smartphones, folks are split over just how rude it is to be noodling on your device while talking to someone. Jerry Seinfeld has a routine based on this.

I actually don’t mind, because we are totally capable of multi-tasking.

If you’re a believer, you can do something like that, but without it being observable. You can silently, secretly, be praying for someone while they’re talking to you.

I do it anytime I’m in a counseling situation – since I want to say what God wants them to hear.

Just don’t move your lips!

Paul tells us he made his requests for them “with joy.” To have “joy” when making a request, you must believe that God will do what is best for the person, regardless your personal wishes. Whatever His answer – “yes,” “no,” or “wait” – you believe all things work together for the good for those who love the Lord.

Php 1:5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

“Fellowship” isn’t just friendship on a deeper level because we are all believers. Don’t get me wrong: friendships are great, and friendships with believers ought to be profound.

But our fellowship is “in the Gospel.” It is based on the common salvation we share, and in our participating in THE fellowship of the gathered saints, and in our desire to work together to see that the Gospel is shared.

I need to remind myself that I don’t need to be on a missions trip in order to be on a mission trip. My whole life is a mission trip, to fulfill the Great Commission.

Let’s make sure our fellowship is around the Lord and, if we do, we won’t be able to keep from sharing Him.

Php 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

“The Day of Jesus Christ” in this context is the day you die, or you are raptured. In those moments, you’ll be completed; finished; fit for eternity.

Paul was “confident” because God was the One Who is responsible, ultimately, for transforming each of us into the image of His Son. We therefore pray with confidence knowing that everything else God said He’d accomplish will happen.

Our prayers, obviously, ought to take into consideration that God is working in the believer to transform him or her. Thus it isn’t always appropriate for the trial to end, because God can use it.

I pray for folks to be healed, believing God can do it. But I an excited to see Him at work if He withholds healing.
I don’t know how much suffering we might need to endure prior to the Rapture, but I know that my future is secure, and the future of the earth is already written out.

If I’m confident Jesus will return during Armageddon to save the world from destruction, I ought to be confident He is with me in my battles; because He is.

I am confident that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation. I am confident that I can announce to a sinner that God forgives their sin, and saves them, by virtue of the Cross, and in light of the resurrection.

I am confident that the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of the Lord when He comes to rule and reign.

I’m confident mankind will not obliterate itself because I know the Lord will stop that from happening.

We are a supremely confident people. We ought to pray with confidence, tempered by the Lord’s will.

And we ought to have a general, overruling confidence, that God is at work – always, in every circumstance.

Thankful… Joyful… Confident.

Am I? Are you? Listen to your prayers, to their tone, and you’ll know.

Permit Process (Philippians 1v1-11)

August 13, 2014

Tonight we’re going to take a break from our series looking at spiritual warfare and instead sort of retreat from the front line of battle to be reminded of the wonderful plan that God has for us in Christ. We’re here after a day of battle rallied together spiritually speaking and our Commander wants to encourage us from His word and remind us of the richness of His power. We’re not fighting a losing battle. We serve an able God who walks with us through life and He has carved out a path for fullness for us in His grace. But, like any marching orders, it’s up to us whether we’ll obey and carry them out, or whether we’ll ignore those orders and head down a different path.

Find your way over to Philippians chapter 1. This is a very quotable book of the Bible. I’m sure many of you find some of your favorite verses in these passages. Here, Paul (who can so often be very technical and theological and doctrinal) opens up his heart to speak very personally to his dear friends in Philippi. Of course, it wasn’t just Paul speaking, but it was the Holy Spirit speaking eternal truth through him and, as we’ll see, by extension He is speaking to us as well.

Let’s look at our text starting in verse 1 and then come back to make a few observations.

Philippians 1.1-11 – Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

One of the things that catches my attention about this passage is the big, broad brush strokes Paul is using in his choice of words. “ALL the saints,” “ALWAYS in EVERY prayer,” “it is right for me to think this of YOU ALL,” “YOU ALL are partakers,” “how GREATLY I long for YOU ALL,” “I pray your love may abound still MORE AND MORE in knowledge and ALL discernment.” Paul is speaking big in these verses. It’s not a meticulous dissection of some tiny doctrine, he’s talking about big ideas and big plans that God has for His Church. But alongside that ‘bigness’ we sense a deep, personal element to what he’s saying. He even says that he has a special place in his heart for these people.

Now, step back and remember that it’s not just Paul talking to Philippians, but it’s the Spirit talking to us. In His eyes you are significant and special and God has a big plan for your life that includes the power of grace and the transformation of your life. It includes spiritual abundance that fills up your life more and more as you walk with God. He has a destination in mind for your life. That’s why He said ‘follow Me.’

We may feel insignificant in different ways – in our worldly accomplishments or in some of our relationships, but always remind yourself that you are significant to God. He’s gone to great lengths to declare that to you and prove it with His actions.

Paul describes it here in these verses and he is a man who speaks with authority. He was a great thinker. He was a man who was filled with the Holy Spirit and whose life God radically transformed and used. He was an apostle. He was selected to pen Scripture. And so as he speaks, we should listen. And there in verse 1 he opens this letter and says:

Philippians 1.1-2 – Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul is writing to a specific group: All the saints in Christ Jesus. The initial audience was in Philippi, but if you are in Christ Jesus tonight, these words are to you as well. If you’re not a Christian here tonight, if you’re not born again, these words can not yet apply to you.

You know, we have people we know or people who impact our lives or this world who aren’t Christians, and we’ll want things for them or expect things of them that are Biblical, but if they aren’t in Christ, we’re getting the cart before the horse.

Take marriage. We love Biblical marriage. But we get upset with the world when they don’t live up to the standard of Biblical marriage. But how can they? If you don’t have Christ and you haven’t had your life transformed, how can you live the kind of life God wants for you. The answer isn’t to get angry with people that they aren’t living up to what God says about marriage, the answer is to get those people in Christ so that Jesus can then transform them from the inside out, impacting their marriage and all their other relationships and their behavior and everything else.

If you’re not a Christian, the beneficial promises of God cannot apply to you. If you are in Christ, they can. And so Paul is speaking to a large group here, those who are in Christ. And specifically he mentions the bishops and deacons.

Here’s something I was reminded of from that little CC Paul put on there (it was TO: the saints, all the Christians, CC: the bishops and the deacons). I was reminded that a healthy spiritual life aspires to greater spirituality.

Paul told Timothy in First Timothy 3:1:

1 Timothy 3.1 – If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

In First Corinthians chapter 12 we’re told to “earnestly desire the best [spiritual] gifts.” If our spiritual lives are healthy, we’ll be hungry for more to do and more ways to serve God. A healthy spirit isn’t dormant, it’s operating and active in the ways God asks us to be active.

Now, to this group of spiritual people, Paul says, “grace and peace to you from God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” And down in verse 7 he makes this interesting statement about grace when he says:

Philippians 1.7 – …you are all partakers with me of grace.

To Paul, grace was something to be received and continued in. Now, grace isn’t something we generate, it’s from God. But it’s clear from Scripture that grace is something we don’t want to take for granted. It needs to be received and continued in. We need to partake of it, once for salvation and then perpetually as we live our lives before the Lord.

Listen to these 2 verses.

1 Corinthians 1.4 – I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus

Acts 13.43 – Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

In 2nd Thessalonians we read our daily hope comes through grace and in Hebrews we’re told the heart is established by grace.

So we find that grace is available, but it’s something we must engage with. We need to receive it from God and continue in it day by day so that the Lord can effectively work in our lives.

We can think about it this way: On Wednesday mornings we’re studying through the book of Exodus and so a lot of my reading has been about the Tabernacle and how it was laid out and all that. The Tabernacle was an incredible place, thought up in the mind of God, planned by Him, so that human beings could interface with Him and receive atonement for their sins and be made right. They could go there and worship and experience God. But, you had to come in through the door at the front of the courtyard, and not just once, but perpetually. See, the Tabernacle was a little tent and all around it was this big wall of curtains, making a big courtyard around it. And in that courtyard was the bronze altar and the laver. And these curtains were about 7 and a half feet tall. You couldn’t see over them, but you were welcome to come in through the door and experience God. He wasn’t trying to keep people out, but He had a specific method and desire for how they would interact with Him.

Jesus said in John chapter 10:

John 10.9 – I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go IN and OUT and find pasture.

God wants us to have fullness and satisfaction in our spiritual lives and He has provided a way, by His grace, that we can do that, but we have to go through His way, we have to go through Jesus by loving Him and obeying Him and receiving Him and His word. We need to be partakers of grace perpetually as we live out this life.

Paul continues in verse 3:

Philippians 1.3-5 – I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

There’s a lot of talk about prayer in these verses. Paul was a pray-er. Just because these Philippians were Christians didn’t mean they didn’t need prayer. They needed it. We need it. We need to be prayed for and we need to pray for others. I like how he words it here, he says “every time you cross my mind, I pray for you!”

Dan Finfrock is a name some of you know. He’s been a Calvary Chapel missionary for many years and he goes all over the world teaching native pastors how to study the Bible without outside materials like commentaries and the internet and those types of things. I’ve heard him say before, “If you think of me, please pray for me, because usually that means I’m in some kind of trouble!”

We want to be growing in our prayer lives. And, as is the case with almost every aspect of our Christianity, our prayer lives should always be growing more outward-oriented, rather than inward-oriented. Paul thought of these other Christians, he thanked God for them, and then he made request with joy.

There are a few different ‘prayer methods’ out there. Probably the most famous one is A.C.T.S. And I think those can be good disciplines to help us not slip into a self-oriented prayer life.

Philippians 1.6 – being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

This is such a big verse with lots of thoughts packed into it. First of all, we need to remind ourselves that Paul wasn’t living the easy life when he wrote these words, he was unjustly imprisoned. Can you imagine being put in jail even though you were innocent? It happened to Paul more than a few times, as we saw last week. But, despite his circumstances, Paul was convinced that not only were things going to work out for the Philippians, but they were going to work out for him as well, because he knew that GOD was at work.

All over this planet, God is working. He has put in motion not only a plan for this world but also for your life. And those plans that He is working on have ultimate, definite conclusions. For the world, it is to return and eradicate sin once and for all, making right what we made wrong. For you and I, the plan is going to be individualized, but the ultimate destination is that we will be made complete in Him, conformed to the image of His Son. Are we following where He’s going? The question is not whether God is working, it’s whether we’re cooperating and allowing Him to make progress in us.

One of my favorite examples of that tension is right at the beginning of the life of Abraham. God calls to Abram, tells him what He wants to do in his life. And rather than obey immediately, Abram waited five years before he did what God wanted. God didn’t want to wait 5 years to get started, but Abraham wasn’t partaking of what God was offering. So the work didn’t progress. It seems to me that Isaac, the son of promise, could’ve arrived 5 years earlier had Abram cooperated with the Lord.

God is completing a work in your life, but we need to go through the permit process. Are we permitting God to do what He wants to do? When He moves and directs and prunes and shapes us, are we permitting that or are we resisting it? Paul was joyful and excited about what God was definitely doing in his life and the lives of the Christians in Philippi because he knew they were partaking in the grace of Jesus regularly and perpetually.

Philippians 1.7 – just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.

Paul expressed that these people were in his mind and in his heart. And, of all people, Paul had good excuses to not be concerned with people many cities away. He was barely hanging onto his own life most of the time. He was starting all these churches and writing these letters and making disciples and a lot of other things, not to mention his incredible physical suffering. But here he says, “in my mind and in my heart, I think of you guys a lot.”

Our circumstances may get difficult. At times they may be downright dire. But that’s all the more reason for us to open our hearts to our brothers and sisters in Christ and really knit ourselves to them in love and fellowship. It’s not going to profit us to be isolated families or individuals. And, although being in a loving, fellowship relationship with people is not always easy, in the long run, it’s what we need and it’s what God wants for us because of the blessing it can be.

A good verse on how to be in that kind of Christian fellowship is Ephesians 4:2:

Ephesians 4.2 – Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Like the song says, “love will keep us together.” And we need to be together, supporting one another, praying for one another, part of each other’s hearts and lives.

Philippians 1.8 – For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

Our God is an affectionate God. And that’s good news for us. He is affectionate to us. But His desire is also to be affectionate through us. It’s not a good thing that Christianity in our culture is more known for animosity than it is for affection. Now, of course, some of our bad rap is undeserved. Some of it is prejudicial or simply untrue. But, in all honesty, a lot of the criticisms of the church in America from the unbelieving culture around us is accurate and deserved. We shouldn’t be known for animosity or who we hate or what is repugnant to us. We’re called to shocking amounts of love and grace – the kind God showed to us is what He wants to show through us.

Colossians 3.12-13 – Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

The Lord is radically affectionate and His desire is to multiply His affection through His people.

Philippians 1.9 – And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

There’s a lot to learn about prayer in these verses. How to pray for others, how to pray for growth, how to thank God, how to seek God’s will in prayer. Those are things we should pay attention to in our personal lives.

But what we also learn here is that the grace of God, when we partake of it, explodes love in our lives. And that love doesn’t just feel things, it does things. This love that God is growing in our lives gets us moving and developing in our relationships and in our affection and, here we see, in our knowledge and discernment. Not just here and there but more and more. There is a limitless supply of God’s transformative power for each and every one of us. Jesus said that a time is coming when sin will be rampant and love will grow cold. But that doesn’t have to describe us if we endure and abide in Jesus Christ. As we abide, we will bear fruit. Our knowledge of spiritual things will abound. Our discernment will abound. We will continually be worked on by God. Paul continues in verse 10:

Philippians 1.10-11 – that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

It’s such a great plan! The Lord has so much in store for us, even on this side of eternity. He says, “I want your lives to be filled with the fruits of righteousness. Love abounding MORE AND MORE. Locked in relationship with people who care about you as My grace and my affection working through your life.”

It’s easy for us to feel the pressure of those onslaughts we face each day, the battles we’re facing as we live out the Christian life on this side of eternity. But when we come back to base-camp and take a look at what our Commander has said, I hope we’re refreshed to see the victory and the plenty and the fullness of God’s spiritual plan for us.

The question is this: Where are you at in the permit process of all this? Are you partaking of the grace that the Lord has made available? Do we believe God and follow Him? Do we let His mind be in us and His affection and His understanding and His desires drive our heart? Because if we don’t partake of grace, there’s no way we’re going to enjoy His peace or that fullness of fruit or the kind of joy that can fill our hearts like it did for Paul, an innocent man in prison.

God is working. Let’s permit Him to work the way He wants to in our lives and in our minds and in our desires and in our actions.

In-N-Out Believer (Philippians)

February 16, 2011

TITLE: IN-N-OUT BELIEVER

TEXT: PHILIPPIANS

On Wednesday mornings the guys have been going through the book of Philippians. In fact, we finished up those studies this morning.

And for me, Philippians is a really powerful book. Of course it’s God’s word and God’s word is living and powerful. But what I love about it is how clearly and profoundly the Christian life is presented to us through Paul’s writing. In my Bible it’s just like 3 and a half pages, but in just a few words we see how incredible the Christian life is meant to be. How abundant it’s meant to be. And we hear it from Paul, a guy we esteem and admire and hold high in our minds, who explains that the ideals we sometimes wish for in our faith are really offered to us as assets that are available to us right now.

As we look at the pages of this letter and the rest of Scripture, we discover that what we see in Paul, as far as the power of God and the intimacy with God and the confidence and the contentment and the satisfaction that he demonstrated, those things weren’t reserved for only him and the other Apostles. In fact, it was his understanding that every Christian was meant to receive and experience those things day by day as we abide in Christ and as Christ transforms our lives. Not all of us are going to have the same calling as Paul or the same level of miraculous outpouring, but what he expected the Christian life to be is sometimes very different than what we would characterize our lives as today.

Paul, in this letter, wrote the famous words: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That is perhaps the most famous life-verse out there. It’s printed on every Christian graduation program and is the mission statement for countless Christian organizations. It’s a phrase we’re very familiar with.

Yet, if we’re honest, I think we would have to say that sometimes we don’t feel that statement characterizes our existence here on the earth. More often our lives tend to get defined by our struggles or our shortcomings or our discouragements or other earthly things. We sometimes feel stuck and feel like that intimacy with God that we see in the Bible is far away from us, something we haven’t earned or discovered yet.

Paul opens up this letter and he was so excited for the Christians in Philippi. He starts talking to them about all these incredible things that God wants to do in and through their lives. How he’s so excited and confident about how Christ is going to continue and complete the work He’s begun in their lives. How their love is going to abound in the Lord, both for Him and for others. How the Church is going to be unified and healthy. How their knowledge in spiritual things and discernment are going to grow. How, as they walk with the Lord, they are going to be more and more conformed, holier and holier, shining brightly to the world around them. How fruit is going to abound to their lives and the Gospel is going to go out all over the world and how their rejoicing is just going to overflow day in and day out. All these incredible things.

That’s what Paul expected for them and, by extension, that’s what Christ desires for us today. And it’s not just a theoretical thing, because we see it demonstrated by Paul himself. He’s writing to them and to us while a prisoner in Rome. And along the way he’s encouraging them by saying, ‘Don’t worry about me being in prison. Don’t worry about my suffering. I’m exactly where God wants me to be and I’m satisfied with what God is doing. He’s sufficient for me. I don’t mind being hungry. I don’t mind these physical circumstances. AND I’m not really worried about money. I’m not looking for comfort. I have Jesus and that’s what I want.’

We’ve got to get it through our heads that the Christian life is more than just an eternal destination. What God has laid out in the Bible is a description and demonstration and direction for a life completely changed and revolutionized by the power of heaven. And because God is faithful and gracious, He has given us this book so that we can know what His desire for us is and how we get there!

Even in this little letter that Paul wrote, with all its heavenly promises and all its teaching on what Christ wants to do in us, we also receive some wonderful instruction on how it actually happens and some wonderful encouragement to keep pressing on. How we get there from here and how we connect with God in a way that brings us the kind of confidence and satisfaction that we see exemplified through all of these characters.

Paul, this incredible man of faith was able to say, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,’ but it’s not because he was special and we are not. No, he gives us the secret to the Christian life in the verses leading up to that statement, where he says this in Philippians 4, verses 11 and 12:

Philippians 4.11-12 – …I have LEARNED in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, but to abound and to suffer need.

And that is the other great message of Philippians: That God has given us the ability and the choice whether to engage in this filling that He wants to do in us or whether we don’t want to embrace it. Paul says, ‘Look, I have learned these things as I chose to follow the Lord and embrace His plan for my life.’

Yes, Paul had special gifting, but so do you.

Yes, he had a special calling, but so do you. He is not different than us.

Our Lord does not separate Christians into different classes. He draws you to Himself and says, ‘You are my beloved and My desire is to fill you and complete you and use you in the time and the place where I have sovereignly put you.’ That’s what God wants for us. But we have a part to play.

It’s an unmistakable teaching when you read through this letter that the Christian life does not happen on accident. It takes focus. It takes perseverance. It takes sacrifice and submission. It takes obedience. But, for those who are willing to embrace real Christianity, the stores of heaven open and fill their lives with unbelievable spiritual fruitfulness and contentment and all of those other things that we see demonstrated and yearn for in our own lives.

We all want to get to the place of Philippians 4.13, right? We all desire to get to the place where we can say, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ But if we want that, then we have to engage in this life, choosing the direction given to us in the Scriptures and allow God to take us there by His power as He walks with us through this disciple road He’s called us to.

So, since we know God’s word is His revelation to us, not only of who He is but of what He wants for our lives, let’s look at a couple of key verses from this letter to see how we get going on the disciple road and move forward in that plan that God has for each of us.

First, Philippians 2, verses 12 and 13.

Philippians 2.12-13 – Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Love these verses because they so excellently demonstrate what Philippians is all about.

So we look at that and we say, ‘Ok, there is this amazing salvation and transformation that is being offered to me, but is it me working out my salvation or is it God working in me?’

The answer is yes. Both. We are to work out our salvation as God works in us both to will and to do. You’re called to be an In-N-Out Believer. God working in you and you working it outward as you apply this salvation to your life.

Now, quickly, are these verses implying that a Believer can lose their salvation? The answer to that is no. Just looking at this passage contextually, it’s clear that Paul regarded his audience as saints. Brothers and sisters. Members of the Body of Christ. There’s no indication that he thought, even for a moment, that their salvation was in question.

Instead, this verse is exhorting us to apply the power of God and the salvation we’ve received to our daily lives. Because salvation isn’t just a destination. It’s also an implementation. We’re called to apply salvation to our daily lives. God has shown us mercy, so we should show mercy. God has shown us generosity, so we should show generosity. God has shown us love, so we should show love. We have to get away from the kind of thinking that takes our regular life and just adds the Lord or our faith on top of it. Quite the contrary, the call of Christ is one of total and complete surrender. We see an analogy of it in Elisha. Elijah comes along, tosses his mantle, Elisha stops what he’s doing, burns his plow, butchers his oxen and says, ‘Ok, let’s do this.’ Peter, James and John – they received the call, left their nets and went after the Lord.

Does that mean we’ll all be called to literally leave our nets? No. God called Peter to a specific ministry, but He called others to other things. The choice we’ve all received is whether we’re going to actually allow the salvation of Jesus Christ to actually change our lives, if we’re actually going to allow Him to Lord over our everyday, or if we’re going to be more like Simon the Sorcerer in the book of Acts. Where we appreciate parts of God’s power, but also would like to keep in touch with our old life and our old pursuits and our own control over our decisions.

God has given us a thousand page explanation of what He is all about and how it is meant to impact this world. And then we’re told to work it out. Apply Christianity to our actual living. Allow this relationship with God to permeate everything, down to the smallest thing, so that we can receive the abundant things that Christ has planned for us.

Salvation isn’t just a destination. What we must not do is take this Christ and say, “Well, Lord, I’m not interested in what You’re interested in right now, but at the end of my life I’ll find a way to serve You or to sacrifice to You or to submit to You.” People did that in the Gospels and we very plainly look at them and say, “They’re not disciples.” Rich Young Ruler? Nicodemus? They’re not disciples, why? Because they weren’t willing to follow the Lord. The liked Him. They liked some of what He said, but when He came to them and said, “Apply this to your life,” they weren’t willing.

We are commanded to work out our salvation intentionally and carefully because God has a specific place for us in His will. And if we’re not careful to discover the plan of God and the leading of the Spirit, then we’re going to end up in a place He didn’t call us to, working in the power of the flesh instead of the filling of the Spirit. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, if we fail to work out our salvation purposefully and personally, then we become stagnant disciples. People who used to follow the Lord, but stopped at some point and just exist now. Not really receiving the filling because we’re not looking for it. Not being a part of God’s work because we’re just stuck.

Our relationship with God is about us participating in the things He wants to accomplish in us. God working in and us working out. We cannot purify ourselves, but we can allow Him to purify us. We cannot bear fruit of ourselves, but we can allow Him to bear it in us. And, perhaps more significantly, we can hinder God from that which He desires to do in our lives if we fail to obey Him and love Him.

The Lord intends to will and to do in our hearts for His good pleasure. He intends to not only transform us, but then actually use us in significant ways. But if we choose to neglect His will for our lives or if we choose to not apply His salvation to the way that we think and speak and act, then we’re shutting ourselves off from the transformation that He wants for us and we’re shutting ourselves off from all those things that we admire so much about people like Paul and Barnabus and all of our other favorite Bible characters.

It’s important that we individually come to the Lord, willingly submitted, and focus on letting His salvation transform our lives day by day. We have to willfully and purposefully put on Christ and take up a cross to follow the Lord and to receive the blessings He intends for us, otherwise we’ll always be in that place of wilderness, where we’re people of God but we’re not in the land of promise and power that God desired us to be in. We’re Christians, but we become unsatisfied and beset by sin, weighed down by discouragement. It starts by becoming uninterested in the filling of God day by day.

Head on down to chapter 3, verses 13 and 14.

Philippians 3.13-14 – Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

What a great encouragement it is to hear Paul the Apostle say that the pursuit of God is never finished until we enter into eternity. He understood what God had done in his life. He obviously knew how significant his relationship with the Lord was. But he turns to us and says, ‘God wants for you exactly what He wants for me. Intimacy. Love. And if you see my life and want what I have, the key is to press into Jesus.’ That’s it. That’s the deal. It may not always be easy, but it’s never complicated, because the Lord is not far from us, He is near and He is willing and He is able to do all those things He wants to do in and through us.

And what’s interesting to me is that Paul, even here toward the end of his life on the earth, expected that there was more God wanted to do in his life and through his life. He hadn’t stopped growing because he felt Christian enough. That’s something we have to guard against. Because our flesh, the world around us and our enemy the Devil, all want us to hang up our relationship with the Lord. The whole purpose of those adversaries is to get God’s people to divorce their day to day lives from their faith in Christ. And Paul urges us to purposefully press toward God and reach for those things which are ahead. Those people the Holy Spirit has placed on our hearts, that future reward in heaven. We’re to press toward those things and cut away those thorns and tangles that are trying to separate us from Jesus. Focused forward, not backward, behind or around.

If we’re not gaining any ground in our Christian life, something’s wrong. That doesn’t mean we’re going to be perfect or sinless or performing miracles at will. But when fruit isn’t being produced in our lives, then something’s wrong. Because we are to be like trees planted by living waters which bring forth fruit continually. And if I’m stagnant or beset by sin or if I’ve divorced some part of my life away from the influence of Christ, then something is very wrong. That’s not what God plans for us. The Christian life is to be an all-consuming pursuit that defines every aspect of our living. We expect God to speak continually and direct continually and fill us continually because that’s what He’s promised to do.

He’s set it up so that we can choose to let Him be at the helm of our lives or not let Him. The final destination are the glorious shores of heaven. Along the way He has various seas and ports and assignments for us which will accomplish all those good things He wants for us. Our part is to come to Him as Lord and Master and say, ‘Which way do You want me to go? What can I do to speed our journey? Where else might we go today?’

But we’re also free to muscle over and grab hold of the wheel. That happens sometimes. We see a pretty little oasis off to the starboard side and we think it would be nice to summer over there. So we nudge the wheel. God allows us to do that and often times we will find that we’ve driven ourselves into a storm or among jagged rocks or some other calamity that He didn’t desire for us.

But if we understand the amazing goodness of God, then we will focus on the destinations which He has determined. We’ll see them coming and reach out toward them. That is the way to take hold of the prizes of Christ.

Part of that pursuit, Paul says, is to forget those things which are behind. Be they past sins which the Devil tries to use to discourage or trip us, or past victories, which can sometimes cause us to slow our pace. Paul was all about moving forward vigorously.

The question I must ask myself before the Lord is: Am I moving forward in my walk or have I slowed, tripped or stalled? Because God has progress planned for us. It’s not a condemnation, it’s an invitation that the Lord has given that we might find abundant, indescribable life in Him.

Sometimes the things in our past slow us or stall us in our walk with the Lord. They have a tendency to halt our progress. Whether it’s a sin that haunts us or a victory that puffs us up. Our focus is to be what God has placed ahead of us, both here on the earth and our future in heaven.

Look at it this way: If you’re competing to win a marathon, you don’t have time to think about how great you did back at mile 4. “Man, I just CRUSHED it during mile four. I ran so fast. I passed so many people.” Great. But mile 4 is gone. All that’s left is what’s in front. Because if you’re running to win, there has to be singular focus and strenuous effort to get there. And so, one of the keys to living a Spirit-filled life and attaining the kind of confidence and satisfaction we see in Philippians 4.13 is to not let your past control your present or your future. If there’s sin, repent and be set free by God, who is ready to forgive. If there’s great victory in your past, praise the Lord. Give God the glory. Don’t consider yourself finished because you ran a great mile 10 years ago or because God used you back in college or whenever. There are more depths to God’s grace and providence in your life. Keep running to win. That’s what we’re called to.

The Christian life is not meant to be full of disappointment and despondency. It’s meant to be something crazy full. Every few sentences in Philippians it seems Paul is talking about how much rejoicing a Christian can do. We look at the book of Acts and we get all excited just by reading about what God did through people. We see how the Lord orchestrates all of time and space to accomplish His good pleasure and that He gives us gifts and sets before us a path to walk and that on top of all that He goes WITH us in a love relationship like no other.

Yet in America, it seems like a lot of us aren’t enjoying our Christianity. It seems like we’re not overcoming all the earthly stuff down here that the Lord wants to raise us out of. We all struggle. We’re not perfect. That’s not what we’re talking about. But many of us in our culture have stopped anticipating God. We’ve stopped being excited about God. We’ve stopped living out the fact that Christianity is meant to be something completely different than nonChristianity. And when we look into a little book like Philippians, it just doesn’t make very much sense. And, overall, we see in God’s word that He doesn’t want us to miss it. He doesn’t want us to miss out on the incredible plans and power and purpose and filling that He has for us.

He says, ‘I will fill you. I will send you. I will love you, if you are willing.’ Philippians alone makes these incredible promises to us from God that the Lord will guard our hearts, He will transform our lives, He will teach us and use us and glorify Himself in us. He wants to unify the Church and separate us out to make us holier and holier, more and more like His Son. He is faithful to do that work.

And so the question is: Are we willing? Are we pressing? Are we running the race to win the race, at a flat out exertion? Do we understand that the Christian life is more than just a destination?

Jesus came to give us abundant life. We get to Philippians 4.13 by pursuing the Savior and by pressing into Him. We can’t get where our hearts want to go if we’re only obeying him conditionally or partially. We can’t discover the fullness of God if we’re only interested in parts of Him or if we want to retain control of our own lives, which we don’t have anyway.

This is Philippians. The book reveals to us an incredible invitation. It shows God’s intention, our future and how we get there. The grace extended to us is readily available if we’re willing to take up the call. If we do, there is a sure and loving Savior there who will supply all that we need. With Him at the helm, the destination is always good and full. Sometimes He will navigate us through a storm to reach our port, sometimes the place He’s taking us is across a long and barren sea, but in the end, God’s goal is completion, not desolation. His desire is to supply us richly with spiritual fruit and transformation, not leave us to stay in the same state throughout life. And we have to keep ourselves from being tricked into a Christianity that is admiration without pursuit. It’s not always easy, but it is very simple. God’s says, ‘Follow Me.’ The direction is supplied. The strength is supplied. The satisfaction is supplied. The transformation is supplied. But the call of Christ requires action. Real, heart, soul, mind and strength action.

I invite you to pour over this book and see all the things God wants for your life and then the practical instruction on how you overcome discouragement and avoid disunity in the Church and keep from being deceived. How you lay hold of the fullness of God. It doesn’t happen automatically and it doesn’t happen overnight. But if we’re willing to follow the Lord, then the words of Philippians 4.13 that we love so much will be made real in our lives.

Calvary Hanford Transcripts

Follow The Sermon Live

Mighty Transformin’ Power Disciples (Philippians 3:10)

Pray It Again, Saul (Philippians 1:3-6)

Permit Process (Philippians 1v1-11)

In-N-Out Believer (Philippians)