Being Lights to this World

August 10th  2012

Philippians 2:12-18

Living as Heavenly Citizens 

by 

Being Lights to this World

     I have this app on my iPhone.  It is the flashlight app and it is one of the most used apps on my phone.  Now when I use the app in a lighted room it is hard to tell that it is on.  Unless you are looking right at it you cannot see that the app is on.  But in a dark room the phone could be on the other side of the room facing away from you and you can still tells that it is on.  This is because when the lights are on, the flashlight is no different then the light around it and blends in with the rest of the light, but when the lights are off it is very different and it shines bright in the darkness.  Go ahead and try it, see what happens.

     The same is true in our Christian life, if it is the same as the world around us we will shine no brighter then the rest of the world, we will blend right in.  But if we are different, if we truly live as Heavenly Citizens our light will be very different and will shine bright in this world.  In Philippians 2:12-18 Paul is calling us to be lights to this 

world, by living according to our salvation and not according to this world.

Philippians 2:12-18 ESV

[12] Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

[14] Do all things without grumbling or disputing, [15] that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, [16] holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. [17] Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. [18] Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

     Paul starts off this passage by building on what he has already said, continuing the idea of encouraging the church to keep growing and obeying, and to keep them looking at what he has already laid out and to keep looking to the example of Jesus Christ in Phil. 2:9-11.  Paul calls us to obey by “Working out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”   Paul is not saying that we are saved through our works, nor that any works can save us other then Jesus’ work on the cross.  No, Paul is saying to work OUT your salvation. How does the fact that I am a Christian work itself out in my life? How does the gospel come out in my everyday activities?  Dose the fact that I’m saved come out in how I study or do homework?  Or in how I treat my family?  Does the gospel which is in my life come out in the movies I watch or the music I listen too?  How does my salvation affect my workplace?  We are to be making an effort to make sure that every area of our life is affected by our salvation.  This is not something that just happens or is easy, it is something the we participate in and have to work at.  Are you taking time everyday to work on this?  To actively work out your salvation? 

The the second part of this command is just as interesting as the first. “with fear and trembling.”   Paul here is giving us the conduct with which we are to work out our salvation, and it is no joking manner.  Paul wants us to be vary serious about how we work our our salvation.  In a interview last week Olympian Micheal Phelps was asked why he came back this past year to train for and participate in the 2012 London Olympics.  He responded, “I didn’t want to have any ‘What if’s.’”  That fear of having what if’s motivated Phelps to train like crazy.  That is what Paul is talking about here, we do not want to have any what if’s. “What if I would have acted different at work would more people of come to Christ?”  The fear of not using our salvation to its fullest should motivate us to action.  This is a call to steward our salvation, and always asking if we are using this gift God has given us for his purpose.  

     Verse 13 says “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”  In the end it is God’s work IN us that allows us to do anything and is nothing of ourselves.  Paul uses a play on words here to give us a picture.  We are to work OUT our salvation, because of how God works IN us.  God gives us what we need and then allows us to participate by allowing us to work out the things he has put in us.  This is all for his will and good pleasure.  

     Paul then goes in to verse 14 giving us an area that we need to be working out our salvation. He says “Do all things without grumbling or disputing,”   Thats crazy, all things?  Paul brings this up because it is poison in our personal lives and in the church.  It causes people to be divided, not allowing them to work together or be unified.  It starts inward, slowly moving through the heart and then outward into the mouth, then from your mouth into someone else’s heart to start all over again.  It looks a little like this.  Inward ...It starts inward, in our heart, we hear something we don’t like, a leader or parent tells us some we do not want to hear. Another student/coworker does something we think is annoying, or immature and we let those things dwell or fester in our hearts.  OR someone says something that is hurtful and we dwell on it growing bitter, “I thought they were my friend, I can’t believe they would say something like that.”  This is how it starts in our own soul.  Outward ...After it infects our heart and soul it starts to spew out of our mouths, into the hearts and souls of the people around us.  “I can’t believe Jesse told me to do this! Can you?”  Did you hear what she did?”  “I don’t like this person I think I am going to go somewhere else/do something else.”  We are one body that is suppose to be unified and this is the exact opposite of being unified.  This is how the world lives and acts every day.  The world thrives on grumbling about someone else, or complaining about what is going on at work.  This is why the sports teams that have the most grumblers and disputers get talked about the most on ESPN, because that is what sells and what people want to see.  If we truly are to be different so that our lights shine brighter we need to do EVERYTHING WITH OUT GRUMBLING AND DISPUTING.  

     Going on into verse 15 Paul says that if live this way (with out grumbling) we will be blameless and innocent, Children of God, without blemish.  He goes on to say that IF we live this way our light will shine bright and we will be lights to this world.  The more we are different then this world the brighter our lights will shine.  I am not saying that we need to become Amish and be different to the point of being separatists, but being different in how we treat people.  Being different by having a community that operates on different principles.  By having hearts that are filled with the gospel and live true, joy filled lives.  

     In the last few verses of this passage Paul talks about the sacrifice he is willing to make for the church of Philippi.  He says he is willing to be poured out like a drink offering for the people.  And then he says that he is “glad and rejoice with you all.”   He is offering up his life for this church and he is glad and joy filled.  This is the attitude we need to have if we really are going to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  If we really are going to do all things with out grumbling and questioning, and if we are going to truly shine like stars!

     In closing, God calls us to obey him because of what he has done for us, we do this by working out our salvation in our lives which God put there for his purposes.  If we are working out our salvation we will start to do all things with out grumbling or questioning, allowing us to be what God wants and then that lets us shine like stars or lights in this world.  We do this because we view our lives as an offering to Christ and because we are joy filled by it.

Jesse 

Philippians 2:1-11 Having Unity through Humility

August 2nd 2012

Philippians 2:1-11 

Living as Heavenly Citizens 

by

Having Unity through Humility 

     About 7 years ago right around this time I was working third shift in a factory.  This was a college summer job.  Along with me was my two younger brothers, Jeremy and Casey, and my cousin Josh.  All four us were working from 10:30pm to 7:30am.  Josh and I in one factory and Jeremy and Casey in another just down the street.  We all road together to work.  On the way to work was normally somber and sad, and then on the way home it was a time of celebration (really)!  Well on one particular morning Casey and I got into an argument.  I do not really remember what we were arguing about but it got pretty serious.  On that ride home we were going to stop at Wal-Mart.  By the time we got to Wal-Mart Casey and I’s argument was in full swing.  When we got out of the car Casey and I were ready to “throw it down” or punch each other out.  By God’s blessing Jeremy (the peacemaker of the family) was there to brake up the fight.  

     This story is an example of the exact opposite of what Paul is calling the church in Philippi to do.  Now I do not remember exactly what we were arguing about, but I know the reason it escalated.  It escalated because we were not living as heavenly citizens, and were not being unified through humility.  I was trying to get my point a crossed and make Casey see my point of view and Casey was trying to do the same.  If we just could have lived out Philippians 2:1-11 this whole ordeal could have and would have been avoided.*

     In Philippians 2:1-11 Paul puts together a very Paul like argument.  It goes something like  this.  “If you have this (blessings from being a Christian), then do this (be unified), by being this, (humble), in the power of and example of this (Jesus Christ).”  Paul puts together very liner way for us to see that if we are to “Live as Citizens of Heaven” we need to “Have Unity by Humility”.

     In Verse one Paul makes the statement, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,”**.  Paul here starts this passage out with the word “if”, “if there is any...” Paul wants the church of Philippi to look back over their lives and see if they have any of the blessings of a Christian.  Have you ever been encouraged by the fact that Jesus is in your life, or that you do not have to fear what is happing in the world around you because your hope is in Christ?  Have you ever had comfort from the love of Christ?  At times in your life when you have been in the dumps has another Christian come along and loved on you?  Helped you get back to your identity in Christ?  Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit working in your soul?  Being convicted of sin as you pray?  While singing songs of worship the Holy Spirit is doing something in your heart?  These are the things that Paul is talking about.  Blessings that we have because we are followers of Jesus Christ.  Paul is showing us that we have had blessings already here on this earth.  Paul then goes on to say “complete my joy” finish what you have started in Christ.  Takes these blessings and make them all the more.  And what is that “more”? 

     Paul says in verse two “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”  Paul is calling the Philippine church to be of the same mind, on the same mission with the same outlook.  Having the same love, the love of Jesus Christ that binds us together.  Being of one accord, feeling the same way moves us in the same direction.  Being of one mind, having one goal.  A great example of this is a football team.  Right now they are reporting to training camp.  They all have the same love, the love of football and competition.  They are all of one accord, playing on the same team.  And they are all of one mind winning, the Super Bowl.  If at anytime these change you get drama.  One player wants the ball more to get his stats up, another player wants more money, the team is no longer unified and more then likely going to start losing.  Paul is calling on the church to be unified.  If they/we have the blessings of a believer then we need to take the next step and be of the same mind, moving in one direction, toward Jesus. 

     So if have the blessings of being a Christian, then we need to be of the same mind or live in unity as a church.  We do this by living humble lives.  Verses three and four say “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” That’s crazy!  Do NOTHING from selfish ambition.  Our first action and reaction is always about self.  Just think about the decisions you make every day.  What should I eat?  What should I wear? What should I do for pleasure?  What time should I go to bed?  Most of what we do subconsciously is all about self.  But Paul is calling us to do nothing out of selfish ambition.  He then says “in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”  This is how we counter our selfish ambition, by living in humility and counting others more significant then yourself.  This is how we train ourselves to over come our selfish ambition.  This is also so counter cultural  there is no way this will go unnoticed.  If an entire group of people (a church) start living this way people’s minds would be blown.  If people would really listen to each other and not just wait  till they can express their opinions again.  Or if people were always looking to serve each other before they served themselves, that would be and can be an awesome picture.  The last part of these verses Paul is talking about interests.  He says to “not only look after”  your own interests “but also the interests of others.”  Here Paul is not condemning people for looking out for his/her own interest, but to also look out for the interests in the people around him/her.  A great example of this idea of putting others ahead of your self is Samwise Gamgee from “Lord of the Rings”.  Sam goes throughout the movie serving and taking care of Frodo, always putting Frodo ahead of himself.  He still takes care of himself but is always looking out for Frodo.  

     Just take a minute and think about what a church would look like if everyone treated each other this way.  First off there would be a lot more unity and moving in one direction, but then there would also be a lot more support for one another.  This would be an amazing community to be apart of (might look a little like the church in Acts 2).  We as believers would benefit from this.  But something else would happen too, people from outside the church would see what was going on and would want that.  God has created us for community and the world is not doing a great job at providing meaningful community, making this one of the church’s greatest weapons to reach the world.  

     In closing and application Paul leaves us with how we get the power to do this and our example of this, JESUS CHRIST!  Paul says “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself,.”  Jesus was in the very form of God (because he is God, God the Son) put himself under God.  Are we putting others higher then ourselves just as Jesus did?  In our conversations are we really listening to the other person or are we just waiting till we can bring the conversation back to our favorite topic, self?  Can we give up our right to be right?  How many arguments could be ended if someone just gave up their “right” to be right.  Jesus emptied himself, gave up his right, his godness to become a man.  We need empty ourselves for the sake of others.  Paul goes on “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  Jesus took on the form of a servant, are we doing that?  When we walk into the church is it to serve and be a servant or are we looking to be served?  When we hang out with our friends are we looking to serve them or just have fun (serving ourselves)?  Are we actively looking for people who need the love and help of Jesus Christ and his church? Jesus gave up his godness to become a human servant and then humbled himself to the point of death for our sake!  Thats nuts, and thats our example!       

     “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Paul ends this passage by showing how God exalted Jesus after he humbled himself.  This gives us hope in a few ways.  This is our hope for the future, we know what is going to happen, Jesus will be glorified and worshiped as God, He has won already.  We know this, which is why we live as heavenly citizens.  It also takes our hope off this life and this world and puts it on the next.  When we do that it is easier to give up the “pleasers” of this world and become a servant.  We also know just as Jesus was resurrected and given a new glorified body, and we will be resurrected and given a glorified body too (Phil. 2:20-21). 

     God has blessed his people and out of those blessings  he has called his church to be unified and on one mission, we do that buy living humbly, through the power of Jesus Christ, by the example of Jesus Christ.  I wish that day 7 years ago Casey and I would have had this in mind, it would have kept us from sining and made it a lot easier on our brother Jeremy.      

*Casey and I are no longer mad at one another (most likely we were fine 2 hours later) and Casey is one of my best friends and a great brother in Christ (and blood brother).  I love him like only true brothers in Christ can. This goes for both of my brothers, Jeremy (the peacemaker in the story) and Casey (my rival at the time).  

**All italics are passages in the bible from the ESV translation.   

Philippines- Citizens of a Heavenly Colony

     I am starting a series on Philippines for The Harvest Student Gathering.  This series will run the rest of the summer.  The purpose of this blog (and the next few throughout the summer) is two fold. One is so that parents of students can follow along with the teaching and have conversations with their students about what they are learning.  Second is so that students who are away doing things for summer vacation can have an opportunity to keep up on whats being taught at The Gathering on Wednesday nights.  So please enjoy and use for both growth as a family and personal growth in your relationship with Jesus Christ, understanding more fully the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  


     The book of Philippians was written by Paul while he was in prison.  It was written to the church of... Yes you guessed it Philippi.  It was the first church Paul planted in Europe, and was one of the healthiest churches Paul planted.  In the letter (as it actually was written as a letter) Paul uses imagery that the people of Philippi would understand well, displaced citizenship. Philippi belong to Rome after 42 B.C. when they won the Battle of Philippi.  After the battle the Roman empire forced some Roman soldiers and some people living Rome to move to Philippi and populate it.  Because the people were forced to leave, Rome gave them citizenship of Rome, giving them privileges that most people either had to work very hard for or pay a lot of money for.  This made the people of Philippi citizens of one empire living in a different place.  Paul uses this when he talks about the Christians in Philippi.  In Philippians 3:20-21 Paul uses this exact idea of the church being citizens of heaven even though we live here on earth. Paul says in verse 19 that the end of the "enemies of the cross" is destruction.  He says "their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things."  Thats when Paul reminds the Christians of Philippi that their citizenship is of heaven and that they are waiting for Jesus to come and transform their lowly earthly bodies into glorious heavenly bodies. 


     This idea of living with the mind set of being a heavenly colony here on earth is a must if we are truly going to "let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Phil. 1:27)"  Just think about it, if your life was more focus on heaven, and the hope that it brings (through the gospel of Jesus Christ), we would be less worried about and drawn to the pleasures of this world.  The pain that comes from this world would hold less over us.  We would be completely different people, moving in one direction, toward Jesus and eternity in heaven. 
     
     This is the lens that we will be looking through as we read, study, and teach the book of Philippians.  Paul is showing the church of Philippi (and us) how to live as Citizens of a Heavenly Colony.  Paul is writing to a healthy church and still reminding them of them importance of knowing where they are from and where they are going... And telling them to live in that understanding!   


Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. -Philippians 1:2 ESV 


Jesse 




     
  

Stewardship Forgotten? Maybe a little...

A pretty good portion of my life has been spent in the church. When I is 5-7ish my dad was a youth pastor. 10-14 we lived in Texas where my dad was going to seminary. While we were there we were super involved in a church, so much so that we still keep in touch with a lot of people from there. When I was 14 we moved to Montello, WI where my dad became a pastor at a church plant. At that church I was a student leader in the youth ministry. When I graduated I was a youth leader there. At age 19 I started at Moody Bible Institute, where I was trained to work in the church. When I moved to Chicago to go to Moody I started working in the youth ministry at Winnetka Bible Church, and 7 years later I am still here, working full time in the church. All this to say I have been around church a lot. In my life I have heard a lot of different topics talked about in church and I have seen some topics talked about more then others, mostly for the good. Things like loving others as Christ loved us, pray to God, be a sexually moral man, be humble, Christ is the only way, read your bible, trust in Jesus, have faith in God's plan, so on, and so on. These are all good things that need to be talked about, but one thing that gets talked about some but not enough is STEWARDSHIP. This is actually one of the first things talked about in the bible. In Genesis 1 God creates man and then in a few words tells him to fill the earth and subdue it. God says have dominion over it, and puts him in charge of every thing. In short God is telling Adam to steward the earth, and to teach his offspring to do it too. Later on we see God give the Israelites tons of things to steward over so that they may point other nations to God. In the New Testament we see God tell several parables on stewardship Matt. 25:14-30, Luke 16:1-12, Luke 19:11-27.
In these we see Jesus tell us that he is going to leave and we are going to have to take on some of his responsibilities, using the things that God has given us. So often I think we forget these passages. We forget that everything we are, everything we own is really God's, and we are to use it to further his kingdom. We feel good because we tithe and give God our money, but in reality we are just giving God back what is really his. Or we think that our home is our home, and is used for us, but its not. Our home belongs to God and I need to use it that way. My family is my family, but its not. My family belongs to God, and I need to treat them that way. Everything we have is on lone from God, to use it to show people God! Are you being responsible with your money so you have more of it to use for God? Are you working hard at your job so people around you see God? And so you make more money to do more good for God. Are you using your home to show people God?Are you opening up your home to people? Is your family a safe place for your kids to bring their  friends too?  How are you using your time? Will you be able to give account to God how you used your time for him?  I don't know what God has blessed you with, but I do know God has blessed you. Are you stewarding it well? Do you live your life as belonging to God? This needs to become a hot topic in our lives and churches. We HAVE to understand this idea of stewardship. The more we understand that we are stewards, the more our lives become Christs', which in the end is what are lives were created for. Crazy how that works out...

Creating a Thankful Life

This is by far my favorite 2 months of the year. Fall, football, cold, snow, snowboarding, winter, Thanksgiving, spending time with family, celebrating the birth of our Lord and savior. I always look forward to this time. As we are getting into this season one of the first things we start getting ready for is Thanksgiving. This year I have a lot to be thankful for. Most of all (well second to the love of our Creator) is my wife and our new born daughter, Jayden. Thanksgiving is about taking time and reflecting on our life, seeing how we are blessed and being thankful for where we are blessed. But how do we do this best? How can we be most thankful for everything God has blessed us with? By living a life of prayer. If you truly want live a life of thankfulness, you need live a life of prayer. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he told them to pray, "Give us each day our daily bread" (Luke 11:3). This verse gives us the idea of praying for our everyday needs on a daily bases. We are to be praying for things everyday that a lot of times we take for granted. Things like food in the frig, computers to work on, flat screen TV's, family (including mother-in-laws who come to help out with a new born, and make you breakfast and keep your house clean while your wife is recovering), being able to do things like play basketball, a pay check that we think we get because we earned it, cars, toilets, anything that we use and "need" on a daily bases. Jesus tells them to pray for these things for a reason. So often we think that we worked for these things or that they are owed to us, or we deserve them, and therefore are not thankful for them. In James it says every good blessing comes from God, even the things that we take for granted everyday. Jesus tells us to pray for these things so that we do not forget where they came from. If we are to live a thankful life we are to be thankful for everything that God gives/puts in our life, and the best way to do that is to be praying daily for or daily needs. Then when they come in we remember that they are a blessing from God and not something that is owed to us. As we are coming up on Thanksgiving make sure you are praying, daily, so then you can see God work even in the everyday, and be truly thankful for all your blessings.

My first blog

This whole blogging thing is new to me. But it is a great way to communicate, which is something that I live to do. The mane purpose of this blog is to communicate in another the way lessons I am going to be teaching at Thrive Sr. High Ministries. So lets jump right in.
We are currently doing a series based of the fact that we are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). If you have ever wondered what you were created for, this is your answer. We are created to be image bearers of God. Most important people or other "gods" use things like pictures or statues (idols) to show their likeness, but God created a race to show his image. People who are living, breathing, can think, can love. This is our purpose is to bare the image of God. But because of sin that image has been distorted and we, on our own cannot know the image of God. So God has sent his son to fix our sin problem that keeps us from knowing God, Jesus, Gods son, gave up his life so we can get right with God and start learning who God  is so we can again live as image bearers of God (Col. 3:9-10).
Have you ever allowed Jesus Christ to fix your sin problem? If not I would give it a try. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ already? If so are you becoming more and more like are creator? Are you learning about God so you can bare his image? Are you reflecting God, like a mirror, onto this world? I pray that we do!