Partners

Thank you for tuning into the radio ministry of community church had clear our focus is making Christ visible providing an atmosphere, worship, community come check us out at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson or visit us online activities. He.org join us for this week's message by Pastor Albert on shop palm writer resident of life waited a twitter survey couple years ago on silly things, church members fight over our you want to hear that lives don't you at least a couple of them. So here is what he found arguments over the appropriate length of the worship pastor's beer. Apparently there was an issue for some. Here's one that is very interesting. Charge dispute over whether or not to install restroom stall dividers in the women's restroom, a fight over which picture of Jesus to put in the foyer. A disagreement over using the term Pablo consider pot blessing. Today we can learn from the apostle Paul, how not to fight in the church, but instead to be partners in ministry to be partners in taking the gospel to the ends of the earth and the messages call partners in our series through Paul's letter to the Philippians. The series is called grateful and we are in Philippians chapter 1 in verse seven, Paul says, just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart and as much as both in my chains and 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 as we go further into this message, you will realize how rich and how deep that prayer. That passage really is. But before we do that the Philippians were partakers with Paul. They were partners with Paul and sharing the gospel.

How do you view yourself. Do you see yourself as partners with others in the body of Christ. This is the convicting message because we are so individualistic we we feel like this is my life. My walk, my gift, my service, my ministry, Paul talked about partnership and here's a question I ask every week.

Are you saved before you can be a partner before you can be a participant you have to be a recipient of the gospel. Paul's relationship with the Philippians was one of trust, joy and hope.

Last week, and if you were here we learn that Paul had the whole the solid confidence that what God began in their lives on the first day he will finish on the day of Jesus Christ. We learned what this really means in Philippians 1 in verse six we also looked at other references in Paul's letters to understand the assurance of the believer that what God begins. He always completes salvation from start to finish is God's work of grace and it's a good work we may stumble.

We may fail but we cannot take away what God is doing in our lives is totally his work and it's always by grace and is always completed so, how should we live. Some people think that if you tell people about the grace of God that start to finish is his work, people will send it will take that as a license to sin. Just the opposite is an exhortation to walk in the spirit is an exhortation to grow in grace to serve in freedom, to be less judgmental of others, and even himself to walk blameless and to be more grateful to God because it's all his so is not a license to sin, to the contrary is an assurance that God loves you and and that love. I need to live a life that is pleasing to him.

But Paul when he says I am so confident that what God has begun with you in you, he will completed.

He gives us another reason why he is saying that I was to look at that reason, in verse seven we just read this passage, Paul says, just as it is right for me to think this of you all. In other words, Paul was not just giving them a platitude. He was not just giving them a cold, lifeless doctrine.

He was not just giving them a cheap peptalk. He said I feel in me that this is right for me to say this to you, why is it right. Paul listen to what he says because I have you in my heart the reason I am so confident that what God began. He will complete his because I know it's the right thing to say to you because you are in my heart. When you read Paul's letters don't just read the words pay attention to the emotional undertones and overtones, but many times people mistake is the just read it for doctrine, the just read it flat letters on the page. When Paul is writing his emotions are coming through you have to pay attention to those emotions because they take you deeper into the understanding that Paul is placing behind those were he says is right for me to say this to you because you are in my heart that Paul is intentional. He is passionate. The Philippians understand that God will finish what he has started because he loves them he's telling them again and again almost picture a parent with the child cupping their face and saying son up. I know you can do this. There's a great challenge coming. Maybe it's a sport. Maybe it's an exam.

Maybe it's something they have never been through cupping the phases and I know you can do this.

I trust you. Don't worry, you can get this Paul has that kind of intensity involved when he says, just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because you're in my heart. When you truly love somebody it reflects in the way you speak to them. Your heart comes through when you truly care for someone when you truly want the best for them. You don't just talk from your head. You also talk from your heart when you truly love somebody you truly care for them. Your heart reaches up and joined your head so now when you speak is not just the head speaking but is also the heart coming through. When Paul is writing these words is not just his head is also his heart yelled with me. Would you agree that people can tell when you genuinely care for them and how you speak to them. You have people like that in your life that when they come to you and when they begin to speak with you the speak with you would intensity with passion and you know that this person really cares about me how you feel around that person is relaxed. This person has the best in mind for me that's the relationship. The Philippians had with Paul and Paul had with the Philippians.

It was a heart relationship, not why did Paul have this kind of tight bond with the Philippians he tells us. Listen again to that verse just as it is right for me to think this of your because I have you in my heart and as much as both in my change in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. You all are partakers with me of grace. The reason Paul and the Philippians had this connection is because they were partakers with each other in grace another worse, they were partners in the gospel.

This was not some superficial relationship because we are members of the church. There were partners in the gospel. This stood with Paul when he was in chains. By the way, that was an honor and shame culture that was horrible.

We don't think about it, but Paul was imprisoned with equipment what a martyr. Back in those days he is in prison and he is your chief apostle would God treat his chief apostle by sending him to a Roman prison. Are you serious the Philippians were not ashamed of him. This stood with him and Paul defended the gospel against the Judaizers of the Philippians stood with him. When Paul confirmed the gospel against the world.

The Philippians stood with him. There was a bond there was a partnership in the gospel in many churches the bond has nothing to do with the gospel. The bond has to do with your skin pigmentation because were all of the same skin tone. The bond has to do with your standard of living how much you make the charge bond is not dependent on which side of the railroad tracks you live on. See if that is the bond of unity. It will be superficial and it'll be unstable. That's why you can see churches that are seems like when mom and that amazing the growing outlook thereof tracting all of them of the same type and same job and all yuppies of the all young people, and next thing you know there are problems and things are beginning to happen because that is not the glue that holds the body together. You know what the bluest partakers with me of grace.

Grace is a synonym for the gospel. What unites us together is that we are here to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the there's a much bigger cause at stake and so we gotta get along. We better get along. Are you getting this you take over the gospel and in the relationships become superficial to become unstable charges, not some club is not your favorite bar or you hang on. That's why they fight so much of those bars and those manuals a man asked why they fight so much of the church because they don't realize we are together for something much greater. The Philippians were with Paul for something much greater was the gospel. Stay with me. Paul is deep. We gotta get this verse six from confident that he who has begun a good work and you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Paul why are you so confident I'm not telling you, just some doctrine I'm confident is because I have you in my heart and it is the right thing for me to say to you, Paul Weiser the right thing for you meet it for you to say to us, because I love you deeply love you deeply because we are partners in the gospel because you were with me when I was in chains.

You were with me when I was defending the faith you were with me when I was witnessing to the world doesn't stop there. Paul's love for the Philippians continues to overflow. See if you miss these emotional taglines you will miss the depth of what he is saying here. Listen to verse eight he says for God is my witness, do you not this time Paul is taking an oath in a sense he is swearing I swear to God is what he is saying.

I swear to God. If I were to tell part of the poor. Paul you know you you not supposed to God's name in vain. Folks listen at this point he is talking more from his heart than from his head, his heart and head are coming together. This is not taking God's name in vain what he is doing is telling them I really truly want you to get what I'm saying to you how much I how much I think about you how much you think about is Paul. God is my witness how greatly I long for you all with the action of Jesus Christ that if you read that with God is my witness how greatly along for you.

The official you missed their some deep toss in that verse how greatly I long for you and the word for affection is the Greek word spline canal which means your vital organs. The noble organs like the heart, lungs deliver.

That's not the head talking process, the heart meeting the head and talking to the mouth or coming to the pin you'll get it how he speaking to them with the convicting message for me as a pastor, because I hate to admit to you I don't love you that much and I love all of you better love you with my vital organs. Paul says I greatly long for you with those vital organs. But if you notice carefully the affection over the spline canal the organs like the heart, liver and lungs are not Paul's organs.

Is he safe by the affection of Jesus Christ. I'm telling you when you are reading this book you're reading the inspired and inerrant word of God. But this is a man mountain who is speaking. Paul is an amazingly rich and deep man who walked very close to God. He says I love you but is not my love is the love of Jesus Christ through me. One scholar said it this way is not Paul who lives in Paul, Jesus Christ, which is why Paul is not moved by the organs of Paul, but by the organs of Jesus Christ. There will be time to some people will be very difficult to love and you cannot love them, you cannot have this kind of affection and longing for them. But if you let Christ love them through you. All things are possible and sometimes it is tough is an sometimes is difficult but if you let the Holy Spirit work in your life and you pray and you say God I can love them. But I ask you to love them for the vital organs of Jesus Christ with the affection of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit said okay through you. I will love them with the love of Christ in us. When the world says I agree don't know how you are so loving and kind and you don't have this fake superficial love this Michiko.

She love that is not real. You have a real love and the other person feels it. I can guarantee you that many times the Philippians offended Paul. I can guarantee you there were times when the Paul offended the Philippians, but the reason they were able to move past that is because of the love of Jesus Christ flowing through Paul. I'm telling you were a great church where an amazing show one of our core values is that we are a loving church but I'm telling you right now the bar is way too high were not where we need to be Re: let's be honest, were not highly were getting their and has a pastor I can tell you I'm in the negatives right 90 is the starting point of summer way down the negatives. But all this is more than just emotionalism. Paul says because of this, because I love you so much. I feel like I need to tell you these things and what I'm telling you is that God is going to finish what he has begun in your life until the day of Jesus Christ and our bond is deep is because we have been together in taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, and I want to be with you. I love you, through Christ in me. Let me tell you how I pray for you and this I pray that word and is very important because is not just okay let me talk about prayer time now know this is connected to what happened in verse eight, and this I pray Paul is going back and picking up what he started. In verse four memo in verse four he was saying always in every prayer of mine, making request for you all with joy. You know that's right and focus on that much because later on he tells you why he has this joy why he has this joy when you play praise for the Philippians is because he loves them so much was he loves him so much because they were together in the gospel when you say this this prayer is very important especially important to me as a pastor but is also important to you. If you are a ministry leader at Clearview because this is how you should be praying for your partners in the gospel.

If you are a CareGroup leader pay careful attention to this prayer.

If you are a Sunday school teacher.

This is how you should be praying for your class.

If you are in ministry leader of any capacity men's ministry women's ministry kindled joy blaze Alana converge illuminate. We have so many ministries bear care. This is how you should be praying for your partners in the gospel. You say how do we know this is a really a pattern of how to pray because all you have to do is compare Philippians with Colossians and their identical.

This is Paul's pattern when he prays for those who are partners in the gospel. He doesn't have this prayer when he is talking to the Corinthians. Over the Philippians, Colossians, who were his buddies in the gospel. His battle buddies. There's a pattern here. How does it go and this I pray that your love may abound still more and more. The first thing Paul prays for his partners is for love, love, love for God love for Jesus Christ. Love for those in the ministry.

Love for those who are lost in a beautiful little place. Paul begins is by saying I'm praying that you will not just have love, but you will have overflowing love. You need so much love in your heart because love will cover a multitude of sins. So when there is bitterness and envy and jealousy, and and and miscommunication.

Love will drown all those sins so you can keep doing what you're supposed to do. Love overflowing. He doesn't stop there.

Listen again, and this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge what kind of knowledge Paul knowledge of God. Knowledge of Jesus Christ. Knowledge of the word of God.

Knowledge of sin. Knowledge of the work of the Holy Spirit in the list is endless because knowledge is someone said is the way of love. This is not just all we heard a message on love Celeste hug each other and love each other in sin a couple cards and then a week later it all stops. That's not really does love that Paul is talking about is the love of knowledge is a way of love means is undergirded by knowledge, by instruction from the word of God. But that's not enough. Paul continues he said, and all was the word discernment discernment. This is no sloppy agape.

This is no lovey-dovey Christianity sentimental faith. There's a sense of discernment. The word therefore discernment is found many times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in the book of Proverbs. What is the book of Proverbs for help you make right decisions in life.

Skillful living making the right judgment calls in difficult situations. How do you how do you navigate through confrontation. How do you navigate through conflicts how you navigate through better investment.

This Paul says I'm praying that you would have discernment.

He doesn't stop there going to verse 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent. I don't have time to go through all the details, but all connected. What Paul is saying is that I'm praying that you will choose what matters you would choose what is excellent. Pray for each other in the body of Christ to bother with this prayer can be prayed for your husband for your wife or your children for your family. You praying God don't just let them self or someone, let them find the best that you have for that life Army fiancé. Oh, I just want my child to find someone good enough. I wanted to find somebody best is very convicting message.

I'm telling you because as I was preparing on this is a God of their times that I have seen people mess up in our church to mess up in the marriages must've been there home life with the children. The children have done crazy stuff and always blame myself and and I people tell me I don't blame you. So is not your fault. People have choices they have decisions they have will and I tell them know. But as a shepherd do not really pray for discernment that I pray God give them a sense of discernment. How to choose the better in the best ministry leaders. This is on you for too long we've said it's not my fault. This is on you. This is on me.

It doesn't stop there, that you may approve the things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, which means this many choose what is right what is excellent.

You will be pure and blameless means you will stay away from sin, you will save me from temptation and he will walk pure and blameless until the day of Jesus Christ helping God finish the work you will finish the work, but you can install the work it will be finished but you can get in the way and by the way, this is something you need to pray for our church church is growing great things are happening, but I someone said another level.

Another devil pray.

Are you I know were all excited about the new building and knew this and knew that. Are you praying God. Now the enemy is even more active to corrupt and blame him, praying God, that you would keep us pure and blameless. He is still not done. Verse 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Jesus. Fruits of righteousness meeting right conduct righteous behavior. Were talking about the fruit of the spirit or the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, Paul is saying I'm praying that God will bring out those things in your life. I think Paul was also laying down the model of pray for me this way. Still not through fruit of righteousness here comes that verse again being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ not listen to the glory and praise of God means ultimately the lives of the Philippians should glorify and praise God.

You know when I and the prayer many of y'all is gloom here. You should be saying amen. You know what Emmons means it means I agree we agree. We agree your your your almost sending that prayer back towards me and then towards God. So we agree that'll happen in your life and in our lives to God while it when you truly understand the depth and detail of Paul's prayer you understand how much he was a man of prayer.

How much his life depended and moved on prep and how much each truly prayed for his partners in the faith, why did he pray so much for them because he loved them what he love them so much because they were partners with him in the gospel. So what did he do. He encouraged them. He reminded them that God is going to finish what he has started in their lives. He he told them that he is loving them not through his love, but to the love of Jesus Christ how rich how deep it this morning on that scale. Where do you stand are you partners in the gospel you love people. This way when I find myself in the negatives. Are you saved you before you can be a partner you have to be a recipient. You have to receive the grace of God. You have to have Jesus in your life before you can join hands with others. This morning you to give your life to Jesus Christ and receive the gospel of grace. You, in a few moments we will have the invitation time God is calling you. You may want to come and pray pray for your family. Pray for your church family. Pray for your Sunday school class. Pray for your care group pray for those who work with you in this ministry weathers nursery or Kendall Laura joy ministry Alana blaze over there so many ministries so there doing this and they're doing that are not approved as an honorable eye.

What are you doing how are you being that stopgap that's keeping them from doing those things you praying for my thanks so much for joining us for this message. Just like Paul regarding the Philippians as partners in the gospel we are surrounded by brothers and sisters partner with us in the mission. God has called us to pray for your lift them up and encourage them and grow together spiritually as you pursue God's plan for your life.

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