- Because it is where I am part of God’s Work (Phil 1:5-6)
- Because it is where I am Comforted (Phil 1:7)
- Because it is where I grow in the Knowledge of God (Phil 1:8-11)
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
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00:00-00:09
Philippians 1. We're going to be looking at the first 11 verses. I love the church.
00:14-00:31
Actually, it's sort of become the cool thing to say the opposite. Get online and look at some bloggers and some YouTube video makers.
00:32-00:34
Do a search for it on Google.
00:35-00:36
I hate the church.
00:38-00:39
I hate the church.
00:40-00:43
What some people say, I came across a couple of things.
00:43-00:45
I'm not gonna read this all to you, but.
00:48-00:52
Couple interesting things from people that say, I hate the church.
00:53-02:00
Church is commonly attended by people who are not sure they attend. Do you know why you're here? Okay. Churches rarely teach the gospel that Jesus of Nazareth taught. Churches are often attended by a majority who are 20 years my elders and I am almost 40. Most church services are pitched to children and women, being non-inclusive of men and non-parents. Strangers are usually treated with suspicion and/or the membership mentality. Issues of real 21st century life are either not addressed or treated by shallow responses. Few who self-identifies Christians evidence any difference in their lifestyle to the majority in wider society. Churches are treated like entertainment centers instead of sacred communal spaces. Worship is superficial and shallow, evidence through, TWE music, T-W-E-E.
02:00-02:01
What's TWE music?
02:01-02:08
Is that like more hipster than-- is that like off my hipster radar?
02:08-02:11
TWE music, anybody heard of TWE music?
02:13-02:15
Oh, that's-- Will, what's TWE music?
02:19-02:22
Oh, it's supposed to be like tween without the N?
02:23-02:24
That is really hipster.
02:25-02:26
Wow, thank you, Will.
02:26-02:27
I had no idea, thank you.
02:29-02:37
It says, "Evidence through Tweed music "and platitudinous mumblings." All right, Will, do you know what platitudinous means?
02:38-02:39
I'm just kidding, I don't either.
02:39-02:46
"Given the above, it's like holding a mirror "up to my own life, faith, and attitudes." And here's another one, this was a long letter.
02:46-02:48
I'm just gonna read a couple things from it.
02:49-02:56
This was sort of one of those open letter to the churches that I'm going to post on the internet and this thing kind of made its rounds.
02:56-02:57
Maybe you saw this.
02:58-03:00
It says, "Dear church people, "I recently attended your church.
03:02-03:08
"I don't know why I decided to get up early "on a Sunday morning and I'm not sure why exactly "I chose this church, but nonetheless, I went.
03:09-03:17
"I guess it was because I overheard someone talking "about this man named Jesus and he seemed really edgy "and from what I gathered, he seemed like a rebel like me.
03:18-03:22
"And then I heard that somehow he can help me "get rid of all this junk that is messing up my life.
03:22-03:47
I'm not sure what you church people call it. I guess it's sin or something. So anyways, yeah, I was compelled but what I overheard And I didn't quite hear everything that guy was saying but he was telling the other person to check out their church I didn't catch what The church name was so I wound up here and he goes on he takes a little bit of a tangent But he's describing his experience at the church How he was looked at?
03:48-03:56
weirdly because of his lip rings and punk hair, that says, "In the music, well, I will say the guitarist "was totally killer and the drums were sweet.
03:56-03:59
"I didn't really know what you guys were singing about.
03:59-04:09
"I didn't know the songs, "but I did see that Jesus guy's name a few times, "so I tried paying attention." Then he goes on, he says, "The speaker dude wasn't too bad.
04:11-04:19
"He seemed like he really believed "what he was talking about." And he says, "All this to say, I guess I'm sure there's something I'm missing.
04:19-04:25
There's probably something I didn't read somewhere, but I was really just hoping to find out about this Jesus guy.
04:26-04:39
Sorry, church people, I can't do that church thing you guys do, but hey, if that's your thing, rather more power to you." But earlier on he says, "But can I just say, I really hate church.
04:42-04:44
I really hate church.
04:47-04:59
Now we expect that from the world, but the alarming thing is you're seeing some, even Christians say things.
04:59-05:00
These are hipster sayings, by the way.
05:00-05:05
If you want to be hipster, learn words like twee and platitudinous.
05:07-05:08
Here's another hipster thing to say.
05:10-05:12
I love Jesus, but I hate the church.
05:12-05:13
How many people have heard that?
05:13-05:15
I love Jesus, but I hate the church.
05:16-05:17
That doesn't work.
05:18-05:19
Okay, it doesn't work.
05:20-05:23
You're like, well sure it does.
05:24-05:25
No, it doesn't.
05:26-05:27
I'll prove it to you.
05:30-05:39
If you came up to me and said, you know, Pastor Jeff, I like you, but I hate your wife, how do you think I'm gonna react to that?
05:40-05:46
I'm like, "Oh, then you got nothing to do with me if you hate my wife, right?
05:47-05:48
Is that how it works for you?
05:49-05:50
Is that how it is?
05:51-05:51
Ken?
05:53-05:54
Ken, I love you, man.
05:54-05:55
I do, I love you.
05:56-05:58
I want nothing to do with your wife.
06:00-06:06
How does that sit with you?" Like, "Package deal, dude." Okay.
06:07-06:12
I love Jesus, but I hate his bride, the church.
06:12-06:12
Does that work?
06:13-06:15
We can't even make that work in a human level.
06:15-06:19
And we think we're gonna look at the God of the universe and say, I hate your wife.
06:20-06:22
Eh, bad idea.
06:23-06:26
Okay, I love Jesus and guess what else I love?
06:27-06:28
I love his bride.
06:29-06:32
I love Jesus and I love the church, amen?
06:33-06:48
Last week I said, hey, how many people here so excited that it's Sunday, and like, almost every hand was like, "Oh, that's me! That's me! I love the church! I love the church!" Yeah, me too.
06:50-06:51
The church is where God is working.
06:53-06:58
The church is the bride of Christ that He died for. It is the body where you are a member.
07:00-07:05
You know, VH1 had that series, "I Love the 80s." How many people have seen "I Love the 80s"? Have you seen that?
07:06-07:08
the greatest decade ever.
07:11-07:12
And the '90s wasn't as cool.
07:13-07:13
Sorry.
07:15-07:17
I love the '80s.
07:17-07:18
I'm sure it was for you.
07:18-07:20
I love the '80s.
07:20-07:22
All the things I loved about a decade.
07:22-07:35
And what we're going to see here in Philippians 1, the first 11 verses, is the apostle Paul is saying, "I love the church." but for reasons bigger than Pac-Man and jelly bracelets.
07:37-07:37
Okay?
07:38-07:43
Paul says, "I love the church." Let's get to the intro first of all, Philippians 1.
07:43-08:06
Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, or Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons, Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
08:06-08:09
That's a typical Apostle Paul greeting.
08:10-08:14
Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
08:18-08:25
He says in verse three, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you.
08:29-08:36
excuse me, every prayer of mine for you all, rather, making my prayer with, what's that last word?
08:37-08:37
Joy.
08:39-08:43
So Paul says, "When I'm praying for you, "my prayer is full of," what?
08:44-08:45
Go ahead, you can say it.
08:46-08:47
Joy, right?
08:47-08:49
Isn't that what we're going after this year?
08:49-08:50
Joy.
08:52-09:01
And Paul says, well, first of all, he says, "When I'm praying for you, I thank God for you." And we talked about that a couple of weeks ago.
09:02-09:06
You know, we shouldn't be thanked for our service.
09:06-09:07
Does the church appreciate you?
09:07-09:08
Sure, do I appreciate you?
09:09-09:09
Absolutely.
09:10-09:13
But you don't do what you do to get thanked.
09:13-09:16
We do what we do because we are servants of Jesus Christ.
09:17-09:22
So when Paul was thinking about the Philippians, he didn't say, hey, thank you, thank you, thank you.
09:23-09:25
He says, I thank God for you.
09:25-09:26
Do you see the difference?
09:27-09:30
because they're just servants of Christ, just like Paul.
09:33-09:41
And everything that we're going to see, they did to minister to Paul, it was just all from God anyway.
09:41-09:42
So Paul says, "Hey, you know what?
09:42-09:47
"When the thank yous are being given out, "they go one place, they go to God.
09:47-09:48
"They go to God.
09:48-09:56
"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, "making my prayer with joy.
09:57-10:03
Now again, there are lots of attitudes that we can have when we are praying for the church.
10:05-10:06
And I've been there.
10:06-10:09
Sometimes it's feeling burdened for the church.
10:10-10:15
Sometimes it's being discouraged over the church.
10:15-10:17
Sometimes it's being angry with the church.
10:18-10:39
Paul says, "When I'm praying, "the attitude that accompanies is joy." So let me ask you this morning, can you honestly say, again, whether this is your first time here or your 53rd time here or whatever, can you honestly say, "I love the church"?
10:39-10:40
Can you say that?
10:41-10:42
Can you say it and mean it?
10:43-10:46
I'm gonna give you a try, all right?
10:47-10:51
On the count of three, I wanna hear you say, if you don't mean it, don't say it, right?
10:53-10:56
Like, let's leave the hypocrisy in the parking lot, okay?
10:57-11:03
And don't pick it up on your way out, but count of three, let me hear you say, I love the church, you ready?
11:04-11:05
One, two, three.
11:06-11:07
I love the church.
11:08-11:09
That was pretty convincing.
11:10-11:12
I'm gonna give you another run at that.
11:15-11:16
But you know, I can say that.
11:18-11:25
You're like, "Well, Pastor Jeff, why do you love the church?" Well, I love the church for the same reason that the Apostle Paul loved the church.
11:26-11:27
And that's what we're going to look at.
11:27-11:28
Do you have your outline?
11:30-11:31
Why do I love the church?
11:32-11:36
First of all, it's because it is where I am part of God's work.
11:39-11:39
Why do I love the church?
11:40-11:42
Because it is where I am part of God's work.
11:42-12:13
Look at verses 5 and 6. Again, Paul, he says, "As I pray for you, I'm thankful and I'm joyful." Why, Paul? What's going on here? He says, "Because of your partnership in the gospel, from the first day until now, and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
12:14-12:15
Let's pause there.
12:15-12:19
Why is Paul praying and so thankful and so joyful?
12:21-12:29
He says, "It is because of your partnership." Some translations, fellowship, that's koinonia in the Greek.
12:30-12:33
It's partnering in a work that God is doing.
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Understand that this happens nowhere else.
12:38-13:04
Right? The work that happens in the church doesn't happen in any other organization or institution anywhere in the world. It doesn't happen at a school. It doesn't happen at a hospital. It doesn't happen at card club. It doesn't happen at bingo. It doesn't happen anywhere else. God says, "I'm going to do something and here is where I'm going to do I'm going to do it in the church.
13:06-13:11
And that's why Paul says, you know, I'm so joyful because it is with you, church, in Philippi.
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We're partnering together in the work that God is doing.
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You're like, well, what work is God doing?
13:19-13:20
Well, look at verse five.
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You tell me, because of your partnership in what?
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In the gospel.
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Do you see that in the text?
13:27-13:29
Because of your partnership in the gospel.
13:30-13:34
Paul doesn't say, "I'm so joyful for you because you sent me a gift," which they did, and he was thankful.
13:36-13:53
But he says, "What I'm most joyful about, not that you sent Epaphroditus, I'm excited about that too, he's been a blessing to me, but here's the real reason I'm so thankful for you, because we're partnering in the gospel together." What is the gospel?
13:56-14:01
What is the gospel? I'd just like to remind you what the gospel is from the most famous verse in the Bible.
14:01-14:03
You know the most famous verse in the Bible, right?
14:04-14:07
John 3,16. How many know John 3,16?
14:07-14:09
All right, I'm going to give you a run at that here in a second.
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Why is it so famous? Because John 3,16 encompasses almost the entire scope of the gospel in just one verse.
14:19-14:21
That's why it's so often quoted.
14:21-14:35
That's why, you know, I'm sure today when you're watching the Stillers beat the Eagles, when you're watching the Stillers beat the Eagles, we don't have anybody here from Philadelphia, do we?
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But you're going to see somebody with the John 3 16 sign because it encompasses the gospel.
14:43-14:45
And if you're taking notes, what is the gospel?
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Well, from John 3 16, the gospel is four things, eight words.
14:51-14:53
It's just four things, eight words.
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Write these eight words down.
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First of all, let's quote it.
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Okay?
15:00-15:00
Ready?
15:00-15:02
One, two, three, go.
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For God so loved the world that He...
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That...
15:15-15:16
Beautiful.
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For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." That's the whole gospel.
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Four things.
15:26-15:27
What's the gospel?
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First of all, number one, God loves.
15:31-15:32
Isn't that how the gospel starts?
15:33-15:33
Isn't that where it starts?
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It starts because God loves.
15:37-15:47
And so many people, you know, their exposure to God, and from the teaching they hear, the church that they grew up in or whatever, is God's out to get you.
15:48-15:49
God's out to get you.
15:49-15:52
God's this cranky old man in heaven and he's out to get you.
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That's not the gospel.
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The gospel is God loves.
15:59-16:03
Understand that there's nothing lovable about us.
16:04-16:08
You know, when I look at my sons, oh, they're just so cute.
16:08-16:10
Oh, I just love you guys so much.
16:12-16:16
Some people think that's what God's like when he looks down at us, like, oh, they're so precious.
16:17-16:19
We're like a basket of puppies to God.
16:20-16:21
We're not a basket of puppies.
16:22-16:23
We're a basket of snakes.
16:24-16:32
We are wayward, rebellious, bent to evil human beings that have rejected our creator by nature.
16:33-16:34
That's what God sees.
16:35-16:36
So that's what makes his love even more amazing.
16:37-16:46
God says, I'm going to choose to love them anyway, Though they've rejected me, though they persist in going in their own way, I'm going after them in love.
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That's how the gospel starts. God loves.
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So what's the second part? God loves, so God what? God gave.
16:57-17:01
God gave. What did He give?
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He didn't give a list of do's and don'ts.
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He didn't give some way that we can work our way out of the problem we're in.
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What did He give?
17:17-17:18
You tell me, what did He give?
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His only begotten Son.
17:22-17:27
The Bible says that God took on flesh and blood.
17:28-17:30
God became a man, Jesus Christ.
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among us and died a horrible death, nailed to a cross, publicly executed.
17:41-18:04
But being nailed to the cross wasn't really the pain, you understand that. It was painful beyond words, but that wasn't really the pain that Jesus was experiencing to the highest degree. What Jesus was experiencing was God pouring out His wrath that I deserve and that you deserve while Jesus was on the cross, God was pouring out His wrath on Him.
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Do you understand that?
18:07-18:10
Jesus Christ came to save us from God's wrath.
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You could say that God is actually saving us from Himself in Jesus Christ.
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Why?
18:17-18:18
Because He loves us.
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Isn't that incredible?
18:21-18:23
that God loves, therefore God gave.
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And then there's the rest of the verse is about us.
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We believe that whosoever believes in him, we believe.
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Understand that just because Jesus died on the cross doesn't mean that everybody automatically goes to heaven.
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All right, that God's like, I have this gift of salvation and you're taking it whether you want it or not.
18:47-18:50
There's an aspect in which we receive by faith.
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We can't work for God's gift.
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We can't earn it.
18:54-19:04
We can't be good enough little boys and girls that God's like, "Okay, I'm going to give you a gift "because you've been so good." We receive this gift of grace that he's given.
19:06-19:07
And that's through belief.
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That's through belief.
19:10-19:19
Understand that so many people think, "Okay, because God did this for me, "now I'm going to do something for him "and hopefully God will be happy with me." It doesn't work that way.
19:24-19:26
What God wants you to do is to receive His Son.
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And the last part, "Whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have," what?
19:36-19:40
"Everlasting life." We, so the last two words is we live.
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We live.
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Jesus Christ didn't come into the world to turn bad people into good people, you know that?
19:48-19:52
Jesus Christ came to turn dead people into alive people.
19:52-20:01
The Bible says, Ephesians 2, "We were dead in our trespasses and sins, "but he has made us alive with Jesus Christ." He's come to give us life.
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Okay?
20:04-20:16
Receiving Jesus Christ isn't, "Well, I wanna be a better person," or, "I sure just don't wanna go to hell, "and he's my ticket out, he's my fire insurance." Jesus Christ is life.
20:18-20:22
So God loves, God gave, we believe and we live.
20:22-20:23
That's the gospel.
20:23-20:26
And Paul says, you know why I have so much joy?
20:26-20:28
It's because we're partnering in this together.
20:29-20:29
Isn't that awesome?
20:30-20:34
Isn't that awesome that God's like, I got the greatest news that I can give the world.
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You live in a lost and dying and decaying world that is heading straight to hell.
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And God's like, and I stepped in so that I could deliver people.
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Instead of getting the worst that I have to offer, I gave people the best that I have to offer so that they can have eternal life in glory in paradise with me forever.
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Isn't that awesome?
20:55-20:59
And God's like, by the way, here's how I wanna communicate that message through the what?
21:00-21:01
Through the church.
21:02-21:03
Through the church.
21:05-21:07
God's like, I'm going to do something eternal and something awesome.
21:08-21:10
And you're in on that with me.
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So Paul's like, that's why I'm so excited.
21:13-21:14
We get to like work on this together.
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Isn't that cool?
21:18-21:19
It's beyond that.
21:20-21:29
Notice he says, "Your partnership in the gospel "from the first day until now." Reminder, faithfulness.
21:30-21:34
Faithfulness is not just starting strong.
21:34-21:36
Everybody starts strong, by the way.
21:37-21:43
Faithfulness isn't starting strong, nor is faithfulness sporadically pitching in.
21:43-21:44
Oh, partnership in the gospel.
21:44-21:45
That sounds interesting.
21:45-21:48
Maybe I'll try that a couple of times a year, stop by, offer my service.
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That's not faithfulness either.
21:50-21:56
Notice Paul says, "From the first day until now." Consistency, consistency.
21:59-22:01
The next verse is often applied to individuals.
22:01-22:08
And I'm sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
22:10-22:13
A lot of times that verse is applied to individuals.
22:13-22:18
In fact, you remember that song, that little chorus from the 90s that was based on this verse?
22:18-22:19
How many people remember that song?
22:19-22:20
Anybody else sing it?
22:20-22:21
That song was horrible.
22:23-22:28
Great verse, great premise, lousy tune.
22:28-22:33
Okay, can I get an amen on that or am I just like up here by myself on that?
22:34-22:35
Okay, sorry.
22:36-22:39
The person that wrote that song is obviously here and I owe you a big apology.
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Great message behind that song.
22:44-22:45
Let's just leave it at that.
22:50-22:51
Now what?
22:53-22:56
Notice that Paul is talking to the church corporately.
22:56-22:59
Corporately, okay?
22:59-23:05
So this verse really applies to the church because the work happens in the church.
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Do you understand that?
23:09-23:12
He's talking about his partnership with this church in the gospel.
23:12-23:20
He says, "To all the saints," here at Philippi, "the overseers, the deacons," he's like church and leadership, I'm talking to all of you.
23:21-23:35
In the same vein, he says, "All of you, I am sure of this, "that he who began a good work in you, "in all of you, as a church, he will complete it." He will complete it.
23:36-23:37
The work happens in the church.
23:38-23:45
And you're like, "Well, Pastor Jeff, "things don't look good for the church." I don't know if you've noticed, but we live in a day of moral decay.
23:46-23:51
We live in a day of not only sin, but public applause for sin.
23:51-24:00
We live in a day when the government tries to legislate sin and put a stamp of approval on sin.
24:02-24:04
Things don't look good for the church.
24:05-24:06
Well, even in the church.
24:08-24:11
Newsflash, you're not everything that you need to be yet.
24:12-24:12
Right?
24:14-24:16
And me too, right?
24:18-24:22
How many people are still being conformed to the image of God's Son?
24:22-24:24
God's still a work in progress with you?
24:25-24:25
Yeah, with me too.
24:26-24:31
I'm so thankful for how far the Lord has brought me, but I'm like, well, I have a long way to go.
24:31-24:35
But every day, God's still working that process out.
24:35-24:36
I'll talk about that in a couple of minutes.
24:39-24:47
So you're not what you ought to be, so when you get together, you become a group of people who aren't what they ought to be, in a church that has leadership that isn't everything it ought to be.
24:48-24:50
And well, here's the good news though.
24:52-25:04
Look again at verse six, Paul says, "I am sure of this." No suppose, no maybe, probably, possibly, I'm gonna give you an over and under on that.
25:05-25:09
Paul's like, "I am absolutely sure about something." What are you absolutely sure about, Paul?
25:10-25:16
That he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
25:17-25:18
So the question is, who began the work?
25:20-25:21
Who began the work in the church?
25:21-25:22
Who did that?
25:23-25:24
God did, right?
25:26-25:26
God did.
25:27-25:30
So what are the chances that God's going to finish what he starts?
25:31-25:31
What are the chances?
25:32-25:34
Let's do a percentage on that.
25:35-25:37
All right, just go ahead and shout it out.
25:37-25:40
What are the chances, by percentage, that God's going to finish what he starts?
25:41-25:43
A hundred, yeah, that's what I came up with.
25:43-25:50
Do you think God's ever like, well, I think I'm gonna do this thing with Harvest Bible Chapel, Pittsburgh, North, nah, I'm just gonna let that one sit for a while.
25:50-25:52
Maybe get back to it, maybe not.
25:52-25:55
And this church is like, God, are you ever gonna come back and keep working on us?
25:57-26:01
Paul says, I am absolutely convinced when God starts something, he finishes it.
26:01-26:03
And that's what he's going to do in you.
26:03-26:05
Isn't it great that God's still at work?
26:06-26:07
He never lets go.
26:09-26:16
Notice Paul says this, the consistency from the first day until now, and like, how long's this gonna go?
26:16-26:22
Well, he says, he'll bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
26:23-26:29
He uses that same expression, day of Jesus Christ, in verse 10, actually.
26:30-26:31
He's talking about glorification.
26:33-26:36
So God started something here and God's going to finish it.
26:37-26:40
That's good news because it sort of takes the pressure off.
26:41-26:48
You know, Jeff, if this church is going to grow, if these people are going to become more Christ-like, if discipleship is going to happen, it's all up to you, Pastor Jeff.
26:49-26:50
It's not.
26:52-26:56
You know, if people are going to become passionate worshipers, it's all up to you, Sam.
26:56-26:57
It's not.
26:58-26:59
This is God's work.
27:00-27:02
And we pray that God uses us, amen?
27:03-27:04
But this is God's work.
27:06-27:08
Nothing's going to get in the way of God's work.
27:11-27:14
I am convinced that God has started something here, and he's gonna finish it.
27:15-27:16
He's gonna finish it.
27:18-27:25
So let me ask you, what can you point to in your life right now that says, this is how God is using me for his purposes?
27:29-27:30
What happens in the church?
27:33-27:41
And if you consider this to be your church home, or if you are considering this church to be your church home, understand this, we want you to be a part of what God is doing.
27:42-27:43
You understand that?
27:44-27:53
I don't see anywhere in scripture, I've read through the Bible a couple of times, I don't see anywhere in scripture where God calls somebody to be like a sideline sitter.
27:54-28:08
Like, okay, you're called to lead a small group, and you're called to lead worship, and you're called to do this, and you're called to work in children's, and you just sit on the bench, and we'll call you if we need you.
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Is that biblical?
28:11-28:12
Absolutely not.
28:13-28:18
The church is a body of members all working together, doing our part.
28:19-28:21
We want you to be a part of what God's doing here.
28:22-28:23
You ask, well, what can I do?
28:24-28:24
I'm so glad you asked.
28:24-28:27
We got a list of areas where you can be involved.
28:32-28:40
So many times I talk to people that say, "Well, I'm not even sure where to start." Well here's where you start with two questions.
28:41-28:45
The first question is, "How has God equipped you?" How has God equipped you?
28:46-28:49
And the second question ties in with that one.
28:51-28:52
What do you have a passion for?
28:55-28:56
What do you have a passion for?
28:57-29:10
what I found with people, I can't think of any exceptions, what I found with people, their spiritual giftedness and the thing that they have a passion for are the same thing, the same thing.
29:12-29:16
That's how God's cut you, that's how he's equipped you, that's how he's gifted you.
29:17-29:20
So I would ask you, well, what has God given you a passion for?
29:21-29:34
And I would say, well, come and talk to me so we can get you plugged in in this church or doing what God has equipped you for, whether it's working with kids or helping with set up, being part of a small group, which everybody needs to be part in one way, shape, or form.
29:34-29:37
But how has God equipped you?
29:38-29:39
What do you have a passion for?
29:40-29:41
There's work to do.
29:43-29:47
And one of the reasons we love the church is because it's where I am part of God's work.
29:49-29:51
God's like, "Hey, I'm doing something big.
29:51-29:52
"Do you want to come and do it with me?
29:52-29:53
"It's going to last for eternity.
29:54-29:55
"It's going to change lives.
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It's going to bring healing.
29:59-30:00
Sign me up.
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That's why I love the church, because, like man, I can come here and be part of something God's doing.
30:09-30:10
Well, why else do you love the church?
30:10-30:11
Well, here's the second reason.
30:12-30:13
Because it is where I'm comforted.
30:14-30:16
Because it is where I am comforted.
30:16-30:17
Look at verse seven.
30:18-30:25
Paul says, "It is right for me to feel this way about you all because I hold you in my heart.
30:28-30:42
For you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel." I love the church because that is where I'm comforted.
30:42-30:45
Paul says, "It's right that I feel this way." Feel what way?
30:45-30:48
Thankful, joyful, confident.
30:52-30:57
Paul says, "I hold you in my heart." That's a phrase that means, it's just deep affection.
30:59-31:00
Deep affection.
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Holding someone in your heart, you know what that means, right?
31:05-31:08
Holding someone in your heart, that's deep affection.
31:13-31:17
You know, my best friend is somebody I've known for just a little over 37 years.
31:18-31:23
And when I see Darren, my thought isn't, oh, I like him, he's nice.
31:25-31:26
Good looking, true.
31:29-31:30
But a nice fellow.
31:30-31:32
So he's somebody I hold in my heart.
31:35-31:36
That's deep affection.
31:40-31:44
And also, for example, my wife, we just like wrote like a book about that.
31:45-31:45
Deep affection.
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I like you, Aaron, you're nice.
31:51-31:53
I hold in my heart.
31:55-32:02
And honestly, church, over the past year, that's how I've grown to feel about you.
32:04-32:05
I hold you in my heart.
32:06-32:07
I love those people.
32:09-32:09
I do.
32:13-32:17
Now, what causes this type of affection?
32:19-32:20
Well, church, here it is.
32:21-32:23
Where was, by the way, where was Paul when he wrote this?
32:25-32:27
He was in a prison, right?
32:29-32:35
And the Philippians made great efforts to minister to Paul while he was in jail.
32:35-32:37
That's why he held them in his heart.
32:37-32:38
And jot this down.
32:39-32:41
What causes this deep affection?
32:42-32:44
It's being loved when you're down and out.
32:45-32:45
Isn't that true?
32:47-32:47
Isn't that true?
32:48-32:53
When someone loves you when you're down and out, that causes deep affection.
32:55-33:10
You know, circling back to my wife, something that just, you know, a few years ago, we were, not we so much, but me, just in ministry coming under the gun and just getting beat up by a lot of people for a lot of reasons and just a lot of stuff going on.
33:10-33:13
And I'll just never forget the day Erin came up.
33:13-33:19
She goes, "I'm on your side." I'm just like, all right, then bring it, everybody else.
33:19-33:21
But that just meant the world to me.
33:21-33:25
When I was down and out, here comes somebody that says, look, it doesn't matter what happens, I'm on your side.
33:26-33:27
I am with you.
33:30-33:32
And that's what Paul was experiencing here.
33:32-33:35
And listen, church, we're not here to play church.
33:36-33:37
We are the church.
33:41-33:45
And if we're going to be the church, what that means is we need to minister to one another when we're down and outs.
33:48-33:54
In chapter 2, verse 30, again, the church was sending their love to Paul through Epaphroditus.
33:54-34:00
And actually, we're going to see when we get to this section, this guy almost died in the mission.
34:02-34:02
Okay?
34:02-34:11
So it wasn't like he shows up with a fruit basket and drops it off, and the church of Philippi says, "Hi." He almost died getting there.
34:12-34:15
So how do you think that made Paul feel towards the Philippians?
34:16-34:22
You risked like one of your main guys to show me that you love me.
34:22-34:24
That's why I hold you in my heart.
34:25-34:28
This should be a place of encouragement and refuge.
34:29-34:32
This should be a place of uplifting and compassion.
34:34-34:43
Church, when your family has abandoned you, when work is the rat race, and when you're You're worn out and beat down.
34:45-34:47
You should say, I can't wait 'til Sunday.
34:48-34:49
I can't wait 'til Sunday.
34:49-34:50
Why, are you sleeping in?
34:51-34:51
No.
34:51-34:52
(laughs)
34:52-34:54
No, I'm not sleeping in.
34:54-34:55
Do you know what happens Sunday?
34:55-34:59
As I go to those people who pick me up when life knocks me down.
34:59-35:01
That's what happens on Sunday.
35:03-35:05
I can't wait for small group.
35:05-35:06
I can't wait for small group.
35:06-35:08
I can't wait for, why?
35:08-35:11
Because I have a group of brothers I sit down and pray with.
35:15-35:20
That when I'm discouraged and when I'm hurting, I have people that surround me that love me.
35:22-35:23
Can't wait for that.
35:25-35:28
You know, that's the number one complaint people have about the church.
35:29-35:31
I've been around the block a few times.
35:31-35:32
I've heard it.
35:32-35:36
"Well, I went to that church and nobody cares.
35:37-35:38
I felt detached.
35:38-35:39
Couldn't plug in.
35:42-35:48
It's impossible to keep up with ministering to people when you expect one or two to do it.
35:49-35:50
Understand that.
35:52-35:59
Even at our small size now, it's impossible for me to minister to everybody to the degree in which I'd like to do it.
35:59-36:00
I'd love to.
36:00-36:02
I'd love to spend two hours with each of you every week.
36:02-36:03
I would.
36:03-36:05
I absolutely would.
36:05-36:06
But understand, that's impossible.
36:07-36:10
as we grow as becoming more and more impossible.
36:11-36:14
That's why we want you involved in a small group.
36:14-36:16
Understand that it's not a gimmick, it's not a fad.
36:17-36:18
Get involved in a small group.
36:19-36:23
Invest yourself in relationships with people who are going to love you and care for you.
36:24-36:26
Get involved in a small group.
36:27-36:33
Right now we're working with, we have some families that wanna host and lead and start some new small groups.
36:33-36:35
We're working on that right now.
36:35-36:39
This is a great time to jump on board, but you have to be connected.
36:41-36:48
You're not going to experience this kind of a comfort and refuge if you just slip in Sunday, slip out Sunday, see you next Sunday.
36:49-36:50
You gotta get involved with people.
36:50-36:51
You gotta get involved.
36:54-36:56
Small groups is where discipleship happens.
36:56-36:59
It's where relationships are made, but also it's where comfort is given.
37:01-37:03
That's why Paul says, you know, you guys are in my heart.
37:04-37:16
in prison and you, you've ministered, you, he said, you're partakers with me of grace both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
37:19-37:38
How sweet that is. Then finally, why do I love the church? Because it is where I grow in the knowledge of God. So Paul's joyfully praying for the church. What's And we're going to see here in verses eight through 11, he's praying for spiritual maturity for the church.
37:38-37:39
That's what he's praying for.
37:42-37:45
I'm joyfully praying that you get your own church facilities.
37:45-37:49
I'm joyfully praying that you get your own church chariot.
37:49-37:52
No, I'm praying for your spiritual maturity.
37:53-37:54
Look at verses eight through 11.
37:56-37:58
I want you to take a note here.
37:59-38:01
He's going to give sort of a little list.
38:03-38:07
And in this list, each thing that he gives is the foundation for the next one.
38:08-38:15
Okay, so it's sort of like you have to start here and then you get here and then you get here, but each one lays the foundation for the next.
38:15-38:18
So kind of keep that in the back of your mind as you read through this with me.
38:19-38:49
Paul says, "And it is my prayer "that your love may abound more and more, "with knowledge and all discernment, "so that you may approve what is excellent "and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, "filled with the fruit of righteousness "that comes through Jesus Christ "to the glory and praise of God." So I wanna look through this very quickly here.
38:49-38:58
We could spend like a whole sermon on each one of these, but just to understand this path of spiritual maturity, where does it start?
38:58-38:59
It starts with love.
39:00-39:03
Agape, that's the choice of the will love.
39:05-39:10
He says, "I'm praying, first of all, "that your love may abound more and more.
39:10-39:11
"You have it.
39:13-39:20
"Let's throw some gas on that fire." So what does this love look like?
39:20-39:26
Well, he uses a couple words to describe love as you go in the next layer here on the foundation.
39:27-39:28
Knowledge and discernment.
39:30-39:35
Knowledge and discernment. Knowledge means this, it's love according to God's Word.
39:38-40:00
Love according to God's Word. We should love each other, right? All in favor of loving each other? Okay, all right, now we're gonna need a volunteer. Who wants to define what love is? Yeah, bad idea, right, to take volunteers for that? I That's a weird church.
40:03-40:06
No, that's not how we're going to show love for one another.
40:07-40:10
Do you know how I feel loved by people is when they leave me alone?
40:11-40:12
So that's the kind of church.
40:12-40:15
No, let's let God's word define what love is, all right?
40:17-40:18
Love according to God's word.
40:18-40:19
What's God's word?
40:19-40:21
What's the definition of love from there?
40:21-40:23
Sacrificial, right?
40:24-40:25
Your needs ahead of mine.
40:27-40:30
watching each other's backs, that kind of love.
40:31-40:37
And then he says discernment, that's insight on how to apply this knowledge.
40:38-40:39
Like, what do you mean by that?
40:40-40:42
Insight on how to apply this knowledge, okay.
40:44-40:45
What's that mean?
40:45-40:58
Well, let me give you, for example, it is a loving thing to confront a Christian brother or sister when they are involved in sin, true or false?
41:00-41:05
You see your brother in sin and you need to talk to them about that.
41:05-41:06
Is that a loving thing, true or false?
41:07-41:09
True, true.
41:10-41:12
Discernment, okay, well, we know that's the loving thing.
41:12-41:15
Discernment is figuring out how to go about that, right?
41:17-41:21
It's more than just walking up like, "Yeah, Sam, you're sinning, totally knock it off.
41:23-41:26
"Did my job." It's understanding how to do that.
41:27-41:29
That's what he's talking about with discernment.
41:29-41:31
It's insight.
41:34-41:37
You see, some people just wanna knock others back in line.
41:40-41:42
But they don't start with love.
41:44-41:46
You ever known somebody like that?
41:46-41:48
That's their job, they're sort of the church watchdog.
41:51-41:52
Love has to be the foundation.
41:52-41:57
Some people just want to love and be nice and not do anything to stop destructive behaviors.
42:02-42:24
You know, people, you know, people in the small group are like, "I'm just having a really hard time right now. And, you know, I've been running around on my wife and..." "Oh, oh, oh, what do I say? What do I say?" "Well, I guess as long as, you know, don't have more than three affairs, I guess..." "What do I say about that?" Insight.
42:26-42:27
Loving people.
42:30-42:32
Using insight and how to apply that.
42:34-42:35
Next thing on the list.
42:35-42:42
Okay, so you're loving people according to God's word and according to the insight, you know, applying the wisdom and using that.
42:43-42:45
Next thing is approving what is excellence.
42:46-42:48
Anyone can tell the difference between good and bad.
42:49-42:52
few people can tell the difference between good and best.
42:54-42:57
That's why he says, so that you may approve what is excellent.
42:57-43:02
We have limited time and resources and we must grow to approve the best way to use them.
43:02-43:03
Do you understand that?
43:04-43:08
So our leaders sit down and say, we need to decide what we're going to do as a church.
43:11-43:21
And somebody's like, well, I think that we should have like this, you know, big pumpkin carving ministry year round, and that's what we invest our time and energy in.
43:21-43:23
Ah, let's rethink that.
43:23-43:28
Is that the best way that we can reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ?
43:33-43:36
Parents, you have to do this for your family.
43:37-43:39
Teach your children how to make the best choices.
43:40-43:41
Understand that, parents.
43:42-43:45
So many times we teach kids, well, this is good and this is bad.
43:45-43:46
And yeah, you should do that.
43:47-43:52
But parents, you also have to teach your children, okay, this is good, but this is best.
43:55-43:56
Okay, you have to help.
43:56-43:58
That's part of discipling your kids.
44:00-44:05
And then, and so be pure and blameless.
44:06-44:07
What does that mean?
44:07-44:08
That means genuine and with integrity.
44:10-44:12
Genuine and with integrity.
44:13-44:17
That's why at Harvest Bible Chapel, We work so hard to help you apply the word.
44:18-44:19
You know what, my job would be easy.
44:19-44:24
Do you know how long sermon prep would take me if I just got up and explained what the text meant?
44:24-44:27
Sermon prep would probably take me two hours a week.
44:28-44:31
How long do I actually spend on sermon prep, Aaron?
44:34-44:34
What's that?
44:36-44:42
I have no, it's anywhere between 15, 25, sometimes more.
44:43-44:45
Like, why are you spending all that time?
44:46-44:53
Well, part of it is, well, it starts with understanding the text, sure, but the other part of that is helping you apply what it says.
44:55-44:57
You know, if I just said, well, good to see you today.
44:58-45:03
Here's the text and here's what it means, and you leave, go, oh, that was awfully fascinating what he said about the text.
45:04-45:06
What are we going for here?
45:07-45:12
Being pure and blameless, genuine and with integrity, applying the word of God.
45:13-45:15
Applying the Word of God.
45:15-45:16
We want to help you.
45:16-45:21
So if this is what God's Word says, therefore how should I respond to that?
45:21-45:27
What choices should I make that reflect that I believe God says what he means and means what he says?
45:27-45:30
How can I reflect that in my life?
45:33-45:35
It's awfully easy here, but what about at work?
45:36-45:37
What about at school?
45:37-45:39
Do you have areas of hypocrisy?
45:42-45:47
Let me ask you this, at your workplace or at school, how do people judge Christianity based on your life?
45:48-45:49
Well, that's a good question.
45:50-46:00
Think of all the unsaved people that you work with, associate with, that you know, how would they evaluate Christianity just by looking at you?
46:01-46:07
Oh, Christianity is a bitter and harsh thing, or apparently there's no standard.
46:08-46:13
You can talk how you want, act how you want, do whatever you want.
46:16-46:20
How are people evaluating the gospel of Christ when they look at your life?
46:21-46:33
See, that's why Paul says, "When we love one another with knowledge and discernment and grow in approving what is excellent," that gets us to the place where we are growing to be genuine and with integrity.
46:35-46:44
And then he says, "Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ." The fruit of righteousness.
46:45-46:49
That kind of circles back to what we were saying before about God doing a work in the church.
46:53-47:01
God wants to do something through you, but listen, it has to sit on this other foundation.
47:03-47:06
Well, I'm going to do something for God today, and we just set out to do it.
47:06-47:08
It doesn't work that way.
47:11-47:12
You're like, well, how does it work?
47:13-47:17
Well, I brought something today, something that I use every day of my life.
47:18-47:19
You know what this is?
47:20-47:21
A shower head, right.
47:25-47:29
All right, confession time in church.
47:31-47:33
Who did not have a shower yet today?
47:33-47:34
Because here's what I'm gonna do.
47:34-47:39
I'm going to come to your seat, and I'm going to hose you down.
47:40-47:41
Are you ready?
47:42-47:49
Now this thing is, confession time, I got this at Ollie's for a nickel.
47:50-47:51
Have you ever been to Ollie's?
47:53-47:55
No, just me and Aaron?
47:55-47:58
Okay, that's all right, you need to go.
47:58-48:03
This was the only one they had, and seriously, it might not have cost a nickel, but it wasn't much more than that.
48:04-48:05
This thing's amazing.
48:06-48:08
It has all these little pictures on it.
48:08-48:13
And when you turn the dial, it shoots water at you in different ways.
48:14-48:16
Like this one is just like a big drop.
48:16-48:18
I don't know if I've ever used that setting.
48:18-48:20
But this second one is the one that I use.
48:20-48:21
It's sort of the spread out.
48:23-48:26
And this is the massage one.
48:26-48:28
It's like-- Right?
48:29-48:31
And this was like the hard massage one.
48:31-48:37
It's like-- And this is like wide spray with massage in the middle.
48:37-48:42
So it's like, and then this is another like spread one here.
48:43-48:47
This thing is designed amazingly.
48:49-48:50
So who needs a shower?
48:55-48:58
You're like, well, Pastor Jeff, that's not gonna work.
49:00-49:00
Why not?
49:03-49:05
But what are you talking about?
49:05-49:11
I've seen water come out of this thing every day for the last few years that I've had this one.
49:12-49:13
Actually, we've only had this one for a year, right?
49:14-49:16
So we've had this one for about a year.
49:16-49:18
I've seen water come out of this thing every day.
49:19-49:21
Why are you telling me water's not going to come out of it today?
49:23-49:24
Because it's not connected.
49:26-49:27
You understand that?
49:28-49:38
As great as this thing is, And as beautifully as this thing has been constructed to fulfill a purpose, this thing is nothing without what?
49:40-49:41
A water source.
49:42-50:05
And so many Christians act like this to say, "Look, I'm well-designed, I'm shiny, I'm useful." John 15, five, "I am the vine, you are the branches.
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Apart from me, you can do nothing." And that's why the text says, underline this, "Fill with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ." Christians, do you want God to do something through you?
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You gotta be connected to the source, man.
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You've gotta be connected to the source.
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Otherwise, you're useless.
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as useless as trying to get a shower from this thing this morning.
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End game is glory.
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That's the end game.
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To the glory and praise of God.
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God glorified and praised because of his church.
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So as we close, you know what?
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I love the church because God uses it to help me grow in love, using knowledge and discernment, to help me grow in making the best choices so I'm not a hypocrite, which God uses so he can be doing his work through me so he is glorified.
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Some people have learned to hate the church, whether it's through the church's faults.
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You know, maybe the church has disgraced the name of Christ and the church hasn't properly represented what Christ called the church to be.
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Maybe that's why some people have learned to hate the church or maybe some people have learned to hate the church through their own fault, wrong expectations, unrepentant sin.
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Some have learned to hate the church.
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Some have learned to think of the church as an optional activity.
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I might see you next month, I might not, we'll see.
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But can we like Paul say, I love the church?
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Can you say that?
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Go ahead.
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I love the church.
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Say it again.
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I love the church.
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This is where I partner with God for an eternal work.
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This is where I am picked up when the world kicks me down.
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And this is where I grow in the Lord.
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You know, you wanna know one more reason why you should love the church?
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is because Jesus does.
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And in just a moment we're going to be receiving the Lord's Supper.
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You know, in Ephesians chapter 5, the Apostle Paul was giving instructions for husbands and wives, and he said, "Wives submit to your husbands." But then he said, "Husbands, love your wives as what?" Christ loved the church.
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How did Christ love the church?
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How did Christ love the church?
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Christ loved the church by submitting himself to death on a cross.
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And he's called us to do this to remember him.
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Not just so we don't lose the memory of a man named Jesus.
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That's not what that means.
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It's to intentionally focus on who he is and focus on what he's done.
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So in just a moment, our ushers are going to be passing out the elements.
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And I would ask that you would hold on to that.
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And we'll receive the Lord's Supper together.
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And just as a reminder, a lot of times parents say, well, should my children take the Lord's Supper?
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I do not encourage young children to take the Lord's Supper.
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This is for believers, okay?
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So if your child is of age where they have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, parents, this is on you.
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If you're confident that your child is walking with the Lord, this is a decision you make as a family.
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But as a pastor and as a church, my encouragement to you would be don't let young children, and if you're not sure if your children know the Lord, don't let them take communion.
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This is a very serious thing, and we wanna treat it as such.
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So parents, I would encourage you to use this a teaching opportunity. You know, "Dad, why do we have that stuff at church?" Because this is where we remember. Proclaiming the Lord's death, Jesus Christ died. He shed His blood so that my sins could be forgiven. And He arose from the dead so that I may have eternal life.
Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Philippians 1:1-11
Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.