Normal Christian Living

Realistic or Bibles in the list go to the book of Philippians Philippians chapter 1 planning to return to second Timothy have a couple more things I want to share first, but hopefully enough, shall we say three weeks will be back in second Timothy continuing our study through that New Testament epistle, but this morning thinking about some beginning off the new year getting back on track and even though I don't have a number the faithful brother. Now this coming holiday weekend, folks traveled to Steffens's are gone. They'll be back but nevertheless for us. I want us to look at. Then send recommit ourselves of France to what call God has called us to be and called us to do a primarily as a body together because that's the way this is written. It is an encouragement for the individual Christian but it's written for us to gather to hold hands the lock arms and to be encouraged together to go on for Christ of the context Paul is writing this and as often is true.

These be suffering these bidding with imprisonment send many trials against him for being a faithful preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ and he does not want his churches that he started all these local congregations. He does not want them to be alarmed, paralyzed by fear or discouraged that as a Christian in this wicked world. We have some troubles but I tell you what we do have a list in church. We have each other. The local church is not just important that meant that the local church is not just essential local churches. The centerpiece of God's purposes and God's glory for time and even for eternity. So let's look at it together this morning.

Philippians chapter 2 verses are for chapter 1 am sorry beginning in verse 27 go to the river. Verse 30 Paul writes only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you all remain absent, I will hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel 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 for to you it has been granted excellent means of grace gift is been granted for Christ's sake not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now here to be in me think it's safe to say that all of us are citizens of the United States of America and I think where proper properly proud of that. We are patriotic people, but we grasp deeply that we have a citizenship greater and higher than that. But when we talk about being proud of our country today.

We probably mean more so that we are proud of the idea of our country and what we were not necessarily what were becoming. But Paul writes here about the higher citizenship we belong to another kingdom where were members of another family that is greater and more important.

And actually what he's talking about here. This is what I've entitled the unpacking.

This text normal Christian living and they basically say here's what normal Christian living in an antichrist God opposing world is like for you young people are moms are bad. 31 and tier banished from your thought that we now live in a country where our Christian convictions and morals are generally embraced by the society that used to be true of Francis Schaeffer is been with the Lord alone time was he considers himself a Christian philosopher I think was a godly man and a good man and he used to write about how, though certainly not all the founding fathers and and America in its original love composition.

Everyone was in the Christian but he said it was very very clear.

We had a strong Christian consensus.

There wasn't hardly any pockets in our nation for the first hundred 50 years or so that would rise up and really work against our post basic biblical principles or basic biblical morality will that's no longer the day.

Men now radicalism. I mean leftist radicalism is in the main square in the seats of government.

But so far things vile things so brothers and sisters. This I here's women safe. What Paul and these early churches faced in a rapidly anti-Christian culture is what we are beginning to face in our country. You do understand what we enjoyed as a country far first hundred and 5075 years. Maybe where our Christian faith in our Christian convictions. Generally, was embraced by the culture even though they were not all individual Christians. That's over now were much like and more so every day what the early church today so what's normal in that context, and I might remind you that phrase that I use often. I first heard it from Dr. Vance Hebner who said you know if if we just act normal. Most Christians and most churches are so subnormal than they think were abnormal and the Internet limit so that out again. As far as my our introductory thinking here.

You have to grasp it was true in biblical days. It was true in the Old Testament dispensation and is true today that we have to deal with a lot of opposition and undermining from professing Christians and professing church I was a part of the service. The last couple of years where another minister who's who's the pastor of a large congregation was a part of the program and if he had stood up and said just now that I hate your guts.

He couldn't send any louder by his body language, his actions, his snobbery toward me that he just did not like what we are and what were about him that I've not been through this many times it doesn't bother me about away and I've come to expect it.

So you need to also expect not just the world but many who claim to be God's people have a habit I mean folks look like it was me this morning. It's hard to verbalize this because it is hard to comprehend that even in southern Baptist life. There is now the open discussion of rethinking things like homosexuality.

The that the men in southern Baptist life that were mentors from a let's say, as a young minister and I disagree with some of things I did in their churches, and I think they tell you privately.

They were happy with a lot of into but nevertheless those men would burn the thing down. If they saw that coming in us, just like 30 years 40 years. Just the downgrade.

So now we get into what really parallels quite closely with what the early church faced the listen to me and with them at the church faced in the majority of generations since she began 2000 years ago. All right, first of all this talk about conduct that exemplifies our citizenship. Paul wants to say to the church at Philippi, not not conduct yourselves not as a good American.

At one time you back and said that that would be consistent with Christian truth, not anymore.

You don't conduct yourself is just a good American you conduct yourself as a citizen of God's kingdom knows say words appear in verse 27. Look at it again, only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel, and as the text unfolds what he's pointing out his there are those who are citizens of Satan's kingdom and the world's kingdom, and there against us.

And then there are those gods rescued by grace and by his billing alone. Amen by just doing a loan. We are citizens of God's family and God's kingdom salute you for this unit is signed up to big get this against this world God rescued you and make your party's family so you are in opposition to this world.

Conduct yourself is the idea of citizenship is the idea of perform your duty, and as you perform your duty and live out your Christianity. Again, the primary this is in the context of how we served together scribed together. Love each other care for each of the correct each other what families do. That's what families do as we do that biblically and write, then were showing the world were citizens of another kingdom were showing the world were citizens of God's kingdom now for this church. The church at Philippi. This is a Roman colony they they were proud of their Roman citizenship. Rome was the powerhouse of the world.

I think Paul saying, but much much more.

Be thankful for, and live consistently with the fact that your citizens of a high-ranking than the kingdom of God couple cross-references that spell this out so clearly in Philippians 324.

Our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 219 so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, that's that strangers and aliens to God, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household.

Subpoint one under this conduct that exemplifies what our true citizenship is this.

Look at the motivation for our conduct. We see he says it quite succinctly there in verse 27 when he says live worthy of the gospel. Make sure your life makes a statement of Christ and his gospel make sure church that you function as a church body, your functioning together in the agape love. God's put in your heart of the new birth and is the kind of devotion and care for one another that is worthy of the gospel changed person. Are you living the kind of life that looks like the gospel has changed you by the way, a foundational mark foundational mark of the gospel. Changing you is you love God's church and in our context, it means you abhor so much that's out there that's calling itself church life today looks more like a country club. Our Sunday amusement center, more than a real church you love what God loves and you begin to abhor what got a port. Paul had told the church at Thessalonica that he had been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel is the same kind idea that it by God's grace we are bearers of the gospel by God's grace we are reflectors of the gospel to the world live worthy of it. He says now of course the gospel is God's good news to man, but the evangelizing element is not really what he is talking about is talking about the character. The change that has happened in us and us individually in us as a corporate family and Titus 210. He canna gives another inside and amplifies this truth. He said that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect, adorning that's that.

That's like putting on clothing.

You and I are to live together as a church family and in our individual lives in such a way that we put proper clothing on Christ. You might say on Christ reputation on the gospel of Jesus Christ is interesting in this just jumped out at me. If you look at Titus chapter 2 all just kind of hit on this and run, but you have a weighty teaching their own husbands and wives and you have a weighty teaching their own. No one's objection to her husband, and I think what he's getting to there is that. Listen to me when God's changed. You, you begin to enjoy again and embrace the wisdom of the creator to cause our families, our churches and our culture to function in a structured and orderly way. God has a way he wants things to be structured in a way he wants things to function when you're saying you regress that you embrace that God meant for man to be married to women and women to be married.

God made it that way. There's no other way that's acceptable when you get saved you begin to embrace that structure.

God made husbands to protect and care for and look after and considered love their wives.

God made wives to be in subjection to their husbands in all things. That's God structure that's God's order when you're saying you begin to embrace that as a pastor I'm embracing it, but I'm struggling will keep fighting.

We don't give up. Amen in order to know we could go. We respect the civil authorities.

Not if they ask us to do something that's clearly on biblical course, but we have a respect for them. So as the world looks at us and sees us embracing the creator's ordained design for the way things are to be structured and the way things are to function in the world looks at us and says they must be citizens of another kingdom. They must have wisdom we don't have as our men go out in the workplace are ladies go out in the workplace. Hopefully it's not taking too much of our ladies type is God's given them other assignments. But when you go out in the world and you work for your employer lot working under the Lord you're saying we are God's given us wisdom at the how this is supposed to function in the other workers look at you and say that's not the way we think.

No, were citizens of a different kingdom. We think differently about things we're learning to restore the structure in order that God's ordained anyway. Titus two brings out that element.

I think that's so powerful, but in general, since Titus said that we adorn the flight putting on clothing. The behavior that is becoming the Christ and his gospel if he was on keep your bobble ribbon there in Philippians 1 and go over the Colossians 3 would you do that is just one book over about what eight pages or so over to the right Colossians chapter 3 what is kind of blows through this as it amplifies this very idea of your citizens of the new Kingdom Christ as Savior now live that out brothers and sisters. That's why the Bible teaches that we didn't just repent will be got saved were repent tourers because you go out into the world and pretty soon you start thinking, like a person is not a citizen of heaven and you can fall into behavior that Benelux citizen heaven and then the spirit of God convicts you neck repent again and get back on track. No quit repenting and don't quit getting back on track is one way says in Colossians 3, beginning in verse eight, but now you also put them all the side of the words to be a citizen heaven you'll not be known for these things.

Anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Verse nine do not latch one of the note since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices and you put on the new sale.

The new one created when you were born again who is being renewed. The present tense verse here in the process of being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created him numbers 12, Colossians 3. So as those who have been chosen of God that he coasted believed on Christ. But he's again given us that perspective of God's sovereign eternal perspective, that if you are believing in what he was chosen by God and he said what should characterize you. Verse 12 holy and beloved, heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patients that this is church family life right here primarily 13th, bearing with one another spokes in your local church, forgiving each other, who has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you again Paul always comes back to the local church always and choices. Now the local church family live out these things these virtues so that you only proper that you will probably be adorning and showing you're a citizen of another kingdom. Well, that's the motive for conduct are part of the motive for conduct. Let's talk about the manner of our conduct in this this really gets down to brass tacks of where you and I live go back to Philippians chapter 1 and look at verse 27 again and that last phrase. Well let me just basically read all of verse 27 again to get the flow, the context only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent is convinced he said if Paul is still functioning as their pastor.

We know pastors were reported in these churches after they been established a while but basically you could say Paul saying I may have beat me away.

If your pastor, but you do understand you're still in God's household, and citizens of another kingdom whether I'm there or not. Don't let my absence be a temptation for you to drift off from your earlier convictions. I never do this but I will take this jacket off for I have a nuclear meltdown from Pope. Make sure you are conducting yourself, whether I'm with you are with them absent from you, and then he says this very interesting thing in verse 27 the of one spirit and mind are with with one mind. Rather, striving together for the faith of the gospel, not broken this down into three things that spell out the manner the the actual living out about our citizenship as a church together right now. Organize it this way. Number one he says be united in truth that's the phrase they're striving together for the faith of the gospel that speaks of doctrine that we are committed to the same doctrine, there is the ludicrous, there is the absurd notion in churches and in church leadership today that you're here Scott has usually cloaked.

We don't need to worry so much about the gospel about doctrine. Rather, we just need to get people say that's the most ludicrous absurd statement. I think I've ever brothers are called faith comes by hearing and hearing present tense continual building truth on truth hearing the things of Christ.

If you want your sons and daughters in your grandsons and granddaughters to come to faith. We need to give them the most doctrine in the most truth, not the least amount to get them to go through a hoop job go through a shallow motion and then check them all for their sake. Now and then you have what we have been bad just like today 16 million members own role in about 5 million who ever come to church because we checkboxes off. We gave him a tiny tiny have thimbleful of truth got them to go go motion, check the box so we feel good. Now they're going to heaven. That is force the Bible's concern that should give you hope they're going to heaven. It's the most true.

That's why dispositional preaching is so important, line upon line truth from truth, precept upon precept, giving the people of God, the truth of God and in the spirit of God has something to work with to bring them to repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ being united in doctrine folks is essential doctrine matters. The faith definite word there the faith of the gospel.

We we we reject all syncretism's you know the folks who would say what you know, if we take the basic tenets of Judaism and the basic tenets of Islam or Buddhism are Confucianism and are all about the signs. Another not know they're not know they're not. We hold as Jude said to the faith body of doctrine once for all delivered to the saints. It matters if I was visiting a church and I called them, saying the old doctrines of the faith that our forefathers by the way bled and died over though. Don't you think it been easy for the early Baptist account of fudge only Martian when they were killing them over being immersed, but they didn't fudge on it.

If I was in a church in the leadership say what word about the we just want to get people say I'd say I see that your son this is not wrong to be you want to sit in a church where the preachers harks are aflame with the doctrines of the faith will united in truth number two.

The manner of our conduct. So we come to church committed together to the true doctrines of the faith once frog in the saints. You know what our statement of faith is it's on our website, you can look it up there and it's not just words on the page. It's what we believe. Secondly, united in spirit word here in verse 27 Pierce I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, now this. This is not the Holy Spirit here. However, this requires the illumination and power of the Holy Spirit. This is more the idea of being united on one team. When these boys go to University to be recruited and the coach sits down and he says okay here's our philosophy of the of the of the football we run these conformations. We run these kind of defenses and here's how you fit in which the same world of one spirit here world on the same team here were all united in certain the fundamental doctrines of the faith is the foundation, the Holy Spirit has to empower that.

But we have to be agreed is how are we going to get this job done. God lift us as a church to get done. That limitless look at our wheel illustration again because this is been our strategy our structure if you will that we've committed to. So that will all be of one spirit, all on the same team so the hub of the wheel. The middle is preaching the word congregational worship were all on the same team on this world, all united in spirit on this.

The foundation stone of local church life is the congregational meeting under the preaching and the receiving of the preaching of the word of God that there's no option there there there is no plan B there anybody in the ring if they're going to stand up anybody. What good were all one spirit about that.

Amen. That's and by the way, that means were not going to chase any ludicrous ridiculous worldly novel concept of showing movies and God's worship service.

That's the hot new thing your standard doctrine. Are you listen are you kidding me this whole book we hold as fully authoritative and absolute side. That's absolutely sufficient for all faith and practice, and instead of pouring my energies into this book to give you everything I possibly can out of this book I'm going to look at some sort of ungodly movie produced by ungodly people with ungodly actors with an ungodly message. I'm going to going to give you unbelievable to me. God's never promise that he would use Disney to convert your soul, but he has promised to use his word. I don't want to produce followers of Dumbo. We will produce followers of Christ were in one spirit about that preaching the word is the hub of the wheel of our ministries, I didn't look at look at Tom. The right top spoke of the big fixed folks are strong will. Every member ministry through small groups were united in spirit about that one step further to brother David sit down here and he redirects our small group ministries now brother Nathan's coming along as a cohort to work under him and I wrote that small group ministry strategy statement. I do know a few decades ago, 30 years ago. So 35 out of a Renaissance don't member David commanded. David said pastor you know what now our strategy statement for small bridges biblical, but I've got my own twist on and put out some about deer hunting in their something to put my own twist on the first to sink 100% confident if David wrote the strategy statement to be biblical but we don't need to biblical statements.

If we do know will be united in one spirit, word got to good things will come working against each other. You can run the spread offense of an old fashion way to the same time, Simpson. You gotta be united on this thing and on and on we could go local church centered missions and we amplify that a personalized strategic world missions. We gotta be one spirit about that that that's what were about home life discipleship. We don't have any structure for that because the Bible didn't give us any. But what were saying yes it needs to be real at home what the edifying and the encouraging and the instructions in the admonitions we get in small groups and in the preaching service should go home with us and I don't how to say that other than it just has to be real thereto are the wheel has a flat part on it and roll along very well and then did the vision statement are churches actually dental statement of the bottom there church. God uses as a pattern for others again. I'm guesstimating we voted as a church 30 years or so ago that that would be our vision statement. Actually, that's not exactly the vision statement is the mission statement is to be a biblical church. God not uses him as a pattern from his website each week. They will know my we all know we don't all have the same job we all have the same available time, perhaps, but I expect every single one of us together, preaching the word. Every member ministry. This Baldridge person as a teacher were mentioned in Holland discipleship.

Those are so clear in the Bible, we will get rid of everything else to make sure those folks in that hub. Stay strong that's united in spirit to team spirit. Now we have a big fourth July picnic and I like it you like it I like but we don't have to have one when you have to have stuff like that you do should not have it enter your people mature enough to where they enjoyed but they don't have to have it if I had to put on the big shenanigan picnic blow off firecrackers and feed you ice cream to each keep you come to church. I don't need you.

Neither does Christ we got something better than that. That glues us together that's that's what the world uses to keep people coming. I'm trusting God to use his spirit of his word to keep you, so were united in spirit on this we may do other things but are you listening we must do those things you just don't know the hours and hours and many many hundreds of times I've talked pastor to preach the pastors and they will ask questions about what about this, this, this, and I said that's not wrong what are you doing those well get those down while and then move on to something else that I smiled a big site. You never will get through those next Sunday we start small groups back with the exception of any legitimate concern about the virus. I expect to be back in there, doing what we've agreed to do as a team because the church is nothing if we are not connecting together to admonish to encourage the love and care for each other. I'm not miss our you estimate I'm not asking you do you feel like coming back together. I'm saying it's right to come back together and when you come back together, you'll start feeling good about it. Well to commend you. You've been solid on these things and I think now we could even say decades not years. But this Sunday morning. Let's reunite our hearts to be of one truth and be of one spirit about what were doing church and then lastly here number three united in-service. He uses a graphic illustration here in verse 27 I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, private scholars say that could be mined thought and reflection. Your all kind of the same page together with one mind and here's the phrase about service striving together for the faith of the gospel. He takes that phrase striving together to phrase really out of the gladiatorial world of the day they have to train gladiators and for those gladiators in the Coliseum and they were train fighters. They would fight to the death. Yet here were not. It might be an apt bad just analogy to talk about church members fighting each other to death. But that's not what I'm saying here what he means is we lock arms together and lock gladiators together we go forward with what God has called us to do so were beginning 2022 and we have the doctrine we are convinced is from God. I didn't come up with it but looking at our forefathers, century after century after century Afrocentric, a century of godly and good man who sorta compiled the doctrines of the faith in the Bible and we have embraced those and we have our we have the truth down. We think with exception of some minor tweaking from time to time just to verbalize it better work one spirit, we got the will got RRR biblical structure and spirit of how were going to be a team together which are you listen to me, Satan, I'm convinced is probably not going to start a movement in this church against our doctrine are against our purpose and strategies what he will do is get you so busy and so tired in the world you're not against it. But you don't have much energy for striving together to get it done church. This ankle today. This is not relevant. This is not the happening way to do it you going to have to continually find the good things in the world to say no to. So you got the time and the energy to be a cold gladiator the best teacher, Paul uses as we work together for this for the glory of God never grants laughter to the shoals. What a powerful motivator that we have hundreds of pastors and churches who have purposely connected to us so that we might get encourage and help them and I would not be exaggerating to say that there are thousands of churches that in some form or fashion are watching our ministry and learning from range that we don't know about whom much is given much is required. So let's commit afresh one doctrine, one spirit, and one together in services gladiators arm in arm, working for Ward to exemplify that we are indeed citizens of the kingdom.

We are indeed living worthy of the gospel. Now you may be getting older and you're more tired than I understand that Mark out of your life.

Adequate time to keep the main thing the main thing in your life. Some of your young folks in the state.

Young guys have to put the nose to the plow seat is Charles Haddon Spurgeon actually said that if if a pastor will keep his nose to the grind stone in the earliest years of his ministry. He won't have so much grinding work to do in the latter third of his ministry. I found that to be true so you young men young ladies you had to be intentional say I'm doing those things. I don't have say this in your life you don't want to go to heaven with a pastor who slated out for you like that and then you neglected it. There's a lot of places where it's kind of muddy that you know the church is doing this and that, therefore, five years, I reinvent themselves and have another approach of this we been like this for decades.

So the judgment bar of God. When you stand there and he said what did you do for me in your church, you can't say what what real clear you know we did movies for a while. We did sketching drama for a while. We did this we did Jesus and that's not what you heard. You knew what biblically you were about. Did you give yourself to them, comparing ourselves with other churches you do real well.

Thank you Dr. Hebner again. He said that's like the folks of the cancer were comparing themselves to the folks at the funeral home. Bob says if you judge yourself by yourself.

Your unwise so let's recommit ourselves to the I'm recommitting myself and I want you to recommit yourself to these I don't know exactly what that means for you, but it would be healthy to say Lord I will bump it up a notch and 2022, not really… Bob just on this. Is anybody here but us is more real estate burden for ladies. Most you ladies are doing far too much in it on the Georgetown is not your fault. We expect too much out of our ladies.

They walk in the church computer pastor scream at him like this this morning. You have to be proactive to take some things out of your life's to be available to do what your citizenship requires we know what we believe we know how to get in there.

Lestrade together for the glory of God was fun about this. What I'm in my 41st year ministry here actually taken from the time I got here because I would know staff when I first got here. I'm actually my 42nd year of the servicing scuba this this is as valid today as it was 43 years ago pastors would just learn that you cool relevant stuff just the truth is the truth well pastor, you seem kinda dogmatic about these things all know know I'm bull dogmatic about. I do love you and I do appreciate your wanting with the enemy is raging but what a great day to be a part of church, because you know what against a black backdrop of this culture the lot shuns will brilliantly let's keep shining all men will know you are my disciples by the love you have 1 foot of that's local church that small groups that's encouraging, upholding, praying, caring, correcting, holding each other accountable. All the things families again. I'm saving the last half of the sermon for next week right