When I Said I Do - To Love and To Cherish

I understand that not everybody reading this is married.  

Some are engaged.  

Some are single and loving it. 

Some are yearning for a relationship.  

Some have lost a spouse to death.

Some are divorced. 

I hope that as we go through this five-week series, God will show up and encourage and strengthen you. Over the next five weeks, we will examine the traditional Wedding Vows exchanged during many wedding ceremonies.  And, on the last week of our series, you and your spouse are invited to stand and RENEW your WEDDING vows…

Do you remember when you said, I Do?

On December 11, 1999, Kristy Lumpkins and I stood at the wedding altar at Grace Baptist Church in Nashville, TN, in front of a crowd of roughly 300 people and made a covenant to remain married to one another, no matter what. We exchanged vows, lit a unity candle, and were pronounced legally and spiritually husband and wife. Then we kissed one another…and let me tell you…that kiss was awesome.

Kristy grabbed me by the back of my neck and laid one on me.  Do you think I’m teasing you? 

Here is a photo:

After we were pronounced husband and wife, we walked down the center aisle.  Friends from church, college, and high school cheered us on. Her family cheered us on. My family cheered us on…They celebrated and cheered for us. After we left the worship center, we were briefly alone, and as we hugged and embraced…I broke down and sobbed. I could not believe Kristy Lou followed through on her YES to marry me.  I felt honored and humbled and had difficulty believing she had married me. 

I was fearful that Kristy would break up and end our engagement…

But Kristy showed up on our wedding day, walked the aisle, and said, I DO.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of our wedding day.  Chances are excellent that your wedding was probably similar. When you exchanged vows with your spouse, the officiant turned and asked you to repeat after him something like this:

I, Joe

take you, Kristy

to be my wedded wife,

to have and to hold from this day forward,

for better, for worse,

for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

to love and to cherish,

forsaking all others,

till death we do part,

I pledge to my life in Holy Matrimony…

The exchange of your vows was more than just a promise. It was more than just a piece of paper. It was more than just a legal formality. In front of your family, friends, community, and God, you made a covenant with one another that no matter what – the two of you will stick together through the highs and lows of life. Whether you go broke, get rich, stay healthy, or get cancer. You vowed that no matter what…you will continue to love and cherish one another, forsaking everybody else until you die.

That is HUGE.

It was a vow, and you exchanged rings for each of you to wear.  

Those rings declare to everyone who will see or interact with you: “I am married – so back off, Bubba!”

Now – nearly 25 years later…30 lbs later…2 ½ years of battling depression…Nine houses…Six states…Six years of infertility…Four children and three with T1D…

We still say, “I do.”

It hasn’t always been easy – but despite the difficulties we have experienced, we have always known that we are entirely devoted to one another.

What about you? Do you still say, “I Do?”

Today, we are going to focus on the line in the vow… “To Love and to Cherish.”

Paul described LOVE in 1 Corinthians 13.  He writes: 

1 Corinthians 13:1-11 (NLT2) 

1  If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2  If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3  If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 4  Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5  or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8  Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9  Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10  But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless. 11  When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 

This passage is by far the most definitive in defining and describing LOVE. Several years ago, I asked my daughters, “Girls, what is a way to show love to people who are mean to us?”

My five-year-old Violet said, “Punching them.”

Sofia said, “That’s not loving them.”

Violet said, “It is for me!”

I think sometimes, in marriage, we need clarity around the meaning of love. Like Violet, we can have a wrong understanding of love. The first point I want to make is…

WITHOUT LOVE, MARRIAGE IS NOISY

In the First Century, most PAGAN TEMPLES had a big GONG or a Cymbal hanging at the entrance. When people came to worship, they would hit the GONG or the Cymbal to awaken their PAGAN GODS so they would listen to their prayers.  

Paul is saying that even if he could articulate eloquently in every language but didn't have love, his life was as useless as this ridiculous pounding on a gong to awaken nonexistent gods. It is important to remember that, inside of marriage, we can go through all the motions and not demonstrate love to one another.  

You can go to work, do the dishes,

Do the laundry, fill the cars up with gas, clean the house, pay the bills, and you can complain about it the whole time.

Have you ever been around a clanging cymbal?

It is a little irritating and obnoxious. And when you are doing things in your marriage without love– it gets noisy and irritating, too. And, this is true for...

ALL RELATIONSHIPS.

We can DO all the right things in marriage and all relationships – but it is obnoxious if we serve without love. If we do the laundry without love – it is irritating. If we pack lunches without love – it is noisy. If we work in customer service without love – it is irritating. It is noisy if we serve in any ministry area without love.

So, are you showing love to your spouse daily, or are you growing more irritated with one another? Sometimes, we do things without love – and sometimes, we love our spouse WRONG. Sometimes, people THINK they are showing love to their spouse, but they are not. Male or female, we each have a Love Language.  When your spouse speaks your love language, it fills your love bucket up, and you feel loved.

FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES

1. Words of Affirmation

2. Quality Time

3. Receiving Gifts

4. Acts of Service

5. Physical Touch

I love it when my wife compliments and encourages me…and…I love it when we touch.  (that’s why we have four kids…) If your Love Language is Quality Time and your spouse intentionally spends quality time with you, you feel loved. But, if your Love Language is Physical Touch, and your spouse intentionally gives you gifts, your love bucket never feels full. If you are out of sync with your spouse, if you haven’t yet learned to speak their love language, you can buy them gifts, do acts of service, and speak words of affirmation, but if their love language is physical touch – they still will not feel loved and valued by you! 

You may have thought or said, “She says she doesn’t feel loved, but I am always doing things for her. I am always encouraging her. I am always buying gifts for her. How can she not feel loved?” 

Great! Because if you want to experience becoming ONE with your spouse, you have to learn to speak your spouse's love language. I will give you two options to get better at loving your spouse:

www.5LoveLanguages.com

www.betterlove.com

5LoveLanguages.com is a free test.  It is excellent, simple, and a good place to begin.

BetterLove.com is $35 for a couple, but it is a more comprehensive approach. It will offer an assessment and a Better Love Action Plan.  

If we are not willing to learn to speak the love language of our spouse, we are being selfish. 

Paul said: 

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 : (Love) does not demand its own way. 

When we do demand our own way, we are being selfish, so remember: 

SELFISHNESS DESTROYS RELATIONSHIPS

Selfishness destroys the oneness that your marriage could experience. During creation, we discover the goal of marriage. Afterward, we see a description of how God formed Adam from dirt and how Eve was created from Adam’s rib.  Adam exclaimed when he saw her, “Woah, Man – bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”   

The author of Genesis went on to explain God’s purpose in marriage:

Genesis 2:24 (NLT2) 

24  This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. 

God’s goal for every marriage is that TWO separate people would grow together as ONE. Oneness.  TWO people seeking to GROW together in ONENESS. Oneness means that you are leaning in the same direction. Oneness means working together to advance God’s Kingdom in your marriage.

Oneness means you are quick to forgive. Quick to seek forgiveness. It means you accept apologies and show mercy to one another. Oneness means when your spouse does upset you – you show them the same mercy God shows you. And DEMANDING your way in marriage ruins God’s plan for you.  You will never know the joy of ONENESS if you always insist on having things your way. And, if you are always demanding to have your way, gently, it is time you…

GROW UP AND LOVE SACRIFICIALLY

The Apostle Paul said in verse 11:

1 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT2) 

11  When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

In the context of this passage, Paul says he became a MAN when he began to practice LOVE!  Children think only about themselves, so grow up! A child cannot see from another person's perspective or understand from another point of view, so grow up. Children demand their way, stomp their feet, and hold their breath when they do not get their way. And – if you find that you are always insistent that your spouse does things your way – it is Time that you grew up.  Tell the boy in you to sit down. It is time for the man to stand up. Tell the little girl in you to sit down.  It is time for the woman to stand up.

Stop being selfish. Stop throwing temper tantrums when you do not get your way. It is time to put childish ways behind you. God loves you. He wants to help you and your spouse put childish ways behind you. If you allow God to help you put childish ways behind you, you will open the door to the most amazing years in your marriage… it is never too late to start.

Philippians - God Provides

We are concluding the sermon series from Philippians.  We will look at his closing thoughts, and I hope you will see Paul’s mutual love for the Philippian believers. Now, remember. Paul wrote this letter to thank the Philippians for a financial gift they sent him while he was under house arrest.  And they sent a man named Epaphroditus with the offering to give it to Paul. While Epaphroditus was there, he cared for Paul, got sick, almost died, got better, and now Paul is about to send this letter back with Epaphroditus to read this letter to the church.

Let’s read:

Philippians 4:15-23 (NLT2) 

15  As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16  Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17  I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. 18  At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 19  And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 20  Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. 21  Give my greetings to each of God’s holy people—all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings. 22  And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household. 23  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 

If you are a skeptic, I know what you are thinking. Paul was not buttering the church to get them to send more money. He is actually being warm and sincere and grateful for the way they blessed him. I encourage you to read through Acts 16 and 17 and discover how Paul met the Philippians and how the church was launched. In short, Paul and the Philippian church had a very warm and special friendship.  From the very first, their hearts were joined together through generosity.

They generously bandaged his wounds when he had been beaten and thrown into prison. They generously gave him a place to stay, food, and encouragement. Even after he left town, they kept sending him help to partner with him in telling others about Jesus. 

That’s why Paul said…

Philippians 4:15-16 (NLT2) 

15  As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16  Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 

The Philippian believers were generous from the moment they surrendered their lives to Jesus. And now Paul wanted them to know that…

LIVING GENEROUSLY GENERATES REWARD

Philippians 4:17 (NLT2) 

17  I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. 

Paul was reminding them of this very simple principle.  In life, the more generous you and I are to others, the more others will be generous to us. Before you tighten your grip on your wallet, I don’t think Paul is only referring to financial generosity. The Philippians believers had seen the generosity of time, love, and encouragement Paul gave them.  

Paul was generous with his worship after he had been beaten in the prison. After being locked up in the inner dungeon, Paul was generous with his love. Paul was generous in sharing the good news of Jesus with the prisoners. Paul modeled the generosity of God’s love for others. And the Philippian believers were pouring out the same generosity they had received from Paul.

When Kristy goes out of her way to be generous toward me with her love and tenderness, I want to go out of my way for her. When others are generous and kind to us, we want to show kindness to them. Paul spoke about this simple principle in his letter to the Galatians.  He writes:

Galatians 6:7-9 (NLT2) 

7  Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8  Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9  So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

So, if you sow “doing what is good” to others, you will reap a “harvest of blessing” if you keep it up. I love sharing this example of people who practice generosity in our church. Twice a month, around 40 people show up and distribute food.  Over 1700 people in our community receive food from our partnership with a local food bank each month. It's hot. It's humid.  The lines are long. But the people serving smile, love, and the sow generosity to bless other people.

If you are a follower of Jesus, by that I mean you believe that God created the world, but the world chose to sin. You believe you lived in disobedience to God, and the punishment for disobedience was eternal separation from God. And, you believe Jesus was God in the Flesh who paid the price for our disobedience on the cross. You believe that Jesus generously suffered, died, was buried, rose from the dead, went to heaven, and will one day return. And because you believe these things, you surrendered your life to God, trusted and received Jesus as your Savior. If you had a moment like that, you are a follower of Jesus.

And now that you are a follower of Jesus, there is a promise that you can claim, as found in Philippians 4:19.

GOD WILL MEET EVERY NEED, SO PERSEVERE WHILE WAITING

Philippians 4:19 (NLT2) 

19  And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 

Every single person in this room has needs in their lives.  We make some of our needs known to everybody, but we keep other needs private. You may make it known that you need more coffee on Sunday morning, but you may not make it known that you are overwhelmed with credit card debt. You may make it known that you are hangry, but you may not share that you are lonely. You may make it known that you and your spouse argued this morning, but you may keep it hidden that you have been quietly thinking about divorce. But God wants to meet your needs.  God wants to work miracles in your life.  God wants to restore your marriage, restore your relationships, and restore your life. 

You may be walking through a difficult season in your life right now, but I invite you to persevere. For the next few minutes, I will highlight the perseverance many people showed during a difficult season at Beach Church.

In 2019, Beach Church was recognized as the 83rd fastest-growing church in America.  The parking lot was filling up. By the spring of 2020, the church was averaging over 1,500 in worship, and because of the growth, the staff was preparing to launch a third worship service. But by 2022, because of internal strife and division, worship attendance had dipped into the three-and-four hundreds, leadership left, and people wondered if God was finished working in Beach Church. Morale among staff and members was at an all-time low. The 1,900-seat worship center felt emptier each week, and visitors stopped attending. Many feared that Beach Church would soon close its doors for good. 

It wasn’t easy. It was hard.  For many, that season felt heavy, confusing, and uncertain. Yet you continued to serve at Guest Central when there weren’t many guests. You continued to serve in the parking lot when there weren’t any cars to help park. You continued to serve on our First Impressions team and maybe over-greeted the few guests who visited. Your friends tried to convince you to go to church with them. People said to “give up” and “sometimes churches die.”

But you continued to give, you continued to serve, and you continued to keep moving forward when church life got hard. And today, people are walking through the doors at Beach Church like never before. Our lobby is filled with joy, laughter, tears, and prayers each week. Entire families are surrendering their lives to Jesus, getting baptized, and experiencing hope! Since the beginning of 2024, we have welcomed 1400 guests in worship, gave away over 500 bibles, baptized over 174 people, and have had over 65 professions of faith. To keep up with the movement of God, we have added a Family Pastor, a Student Pastor, and today, a Director of Children’s Ministry.  

And…

Two weeks ago, Outreach Magazine contacted me to inform me that in 2024, Beach Church was ranked as the 58th fastest-growing church in America. Thank you for trusting God when things weren’t clear. Thank you for trusting God when you were discouraged. Thank you for wedging your foot into the door and keeping it propped open for people to come and experience the life-changing love of Jesus.   

We are a church where the broken overcome. We are a church where marriages can be restored. We are a church where those who have been at the end of their rope can offer a ladder to those who are now at the end of theirs. And friends, because a group persevered in the waiting…

YOU HAVE A PLACE AT BEACH CHURCH

Philippians 4:20-23 (NLT2) 

20  Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. 21  Give my greetings to each of God’s holy people—all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings. 22  And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household. 23  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 

As Paul closes his letter, we see the incredible sense of love he has for this church. If you haven’t yet felt that sense of belonging here at Beach Church, it may be because you have not yet begun to live transparently. I remember the initial weeks after I surrendered my life to Jesus. From the time I surrendered my life to Jesus at 18, I stepped up to serve in any area that would take me.

I got involved in leading the student ministry. I got involved in teaching Sunday School. I got involved with ministries that met on my college campus. I took the first step and initiated relationships. I believed that I would be loved and accepted, and I was.

For the first three years after I gave my life to Jesus, I was a dirty, hard-working construction worker.  I had a beat-up car, worn-out clothes, a mullet, and didn’t quite fit in with the little Baptist church I attended. Still, I believed everybody loved and cared for me because they were part of God’s family, so I kept initiating relationships and getting involved.  Not everybody understood me, but I loved them anyway.

And you get to be you here at Beach Church. You can have a mullet and be stuck in the 1980’s, and it’s okay. You can have a flattop and be stuck in the 1950s and it’s okay. You can listen to emo and be stuck in the 2000s, and it's okay. You can have a lifted four-wheel-drive truck or drive a Tesla; it's okay. You belong here at Beach Church. You have a place, whether you are a young married couple, single, divorced, or parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. If you continue to persevere and trust that God will meet your needs, you will find a place to belong.  But you must be willing to take the first steps. 

Jesus didn't do life alone. He invited the disciples to join him. Don't sit back and wait and just randomly bump into people. Be intentional. Begin to experience that sense of belonging by downloading the Beach Church app. If you can play an instrument or like to sing songs of worship in the shower, you may be a good fit for our worship team.  Take the initiative, complete the app's digital connect card, and let us know.

Philippians - Contentment Through Trouble

I post on Social Media quite often.  

You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  If you follow me, you know that I post pictures of my family, travel highlights, and of course, food and restaurants.

I want to confess something to you: If you follow me on social media, you will not see the REAL Donahue family. You will not see my arguments with my wife, frustrations with people, posts about messing up with my kids…or when the kids are driving me crazy.

I may provide a tiny glimpse occasionally, but mostly I stay away from that side of me…and…people like me are the problem with social media!  

Week after week, I see people “taking a break from Social Media” because they look at our posts, compare themselves to the image we portray, and think, “I give up. I’m never going to have it all together.”

We will feel dissatisfied with life, never feel like we measure up to the world's expectations of us, and ultimately, we will never be content.

As Paul wrote this letter, he was chained up, under house arrest, with Roman Guards standing over him.  He was poorly clothed, rarely bathed, and had meager food rations to sustain him.  But we would never guess Paul lived in those conditions for two years because he seemed so happy and content when he wrote this letter.

Today, we learn the secret of Paul’s strength. We learn how the apostle Paul was able to strengthen, instruct, and encourage the church in Philippi even while he was imprisoned, confined, and lived in meager conditions.

At this point in Philippians 4, Paul begins to express his gratitude for a financial gift that the church had sent to help provide for him. He knew they were concerned about him, and they showed a willingness to help him by collecting an offering from the church and sending it to Paul.

Let’s read.

Philippians 4:10-13 (NLT2) 

10  How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11  Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13  For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 

As Paul began to thank the Philippians for the gift they sent (we can assume it was a financial gift, clothes, or even food). First, he acknowledged that they had always been concerned about him, but they had not yet had an opportunity to show their concern…until he was placed under house arrest. If you are a part of a Lifegroup, maybe you have experienced something similar.  Maybe somebody in your life group had a baby.  You may throw a baby shower for them…or sign up to help with a meal train.

You were always concerned about them, but you only showed concern when they had a need. But Paul wrote from a slightly different perspective. Paul worked with his hands for a living. As he traveled and shared Jesus's Life-Changing message, he worked wherever he went to earn a living.

Acts 18:3 (NLT2) 

3  Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. 

Paul never charged churches for his services.  He supported himself.  He never wanted to be accused of preaching about Jesus for profit.  So he worked with his hands wherever he went.  But now that Paul was under house arrest, he could not work to earn a living. He had no source of income…and to add insult to injury, Rome forced him to stay under house arrest—in an apartment that Paul had to pay for. Any money he had went toward paying rent to keep him in prison.

Paul was BROKE. 

Paul wrote this thank you from the perspective that even though he was in need (the word means poverty), he was still ok…because he learned the SECRET of being content in any and every situation: 

HAVE I LEARNED TO BE CONTENT?

Are you okay with having nothing? 

Would you be okay without food, clothing, or shelter? 

Paul said he has learned to be content with nothing or with everything. Whether his table was filled with delicious food or he went without, Paul was content. I love my wife, Kristy.  She is a teacher, and she is amazing.  But if she doesn’t stop to get a bite to eat on her way home, she comes home HANGRY.

Irritable. Frowny. She is not content – at all. I get like that, too.  When I haven’t eaten in a while, I get HANGRY, too.

And when the two of us are Hangry simultaneously – look out, Donahue children! Unless they are all hangry – and then it's pandemonium!

Yet – God desires that you and I learn to be content with little or a lot. We must understand some biblical principles to learn the secret of being content. The first thing necessary to understand is that…

GOD IS SOVEREIGN

The Bible calls Solomon the wisest person that ever lived. Since the Bible describes Solomon that way – I will not argue with it. Listen to how the wisest man on the earth described the work of God:

Ecclesiastes 3:14 (NKJV) 

14  I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. 

Whatever God desires to do, he will do. I can never add anything to what God does. What He does is so good that I could never make it better. God has the power, wisdom, and authority to do anything He chooses within His creation. God is concerned about your character. The difficult things he has allowed to come into your life are to sharpen you and develop your character.

Paul understood the sovereignty of God. 

He understood that God loved him and that even though he was under house arrest for telling others about Jesus, God allowed his arrest to happen for Paul’s benefit. If you want to learn to be content, you have to trust that God is Sovereign. Also, along those same lines, if you want to become content, you have to understand that…

GOD IS UNSTOPPABLE

There was a man named Job in the Old Testament.  Job was a man blessed beyond measure. He had children who loved him, livestock, fields, and land.  His posts on social media would embarrass all of us. He was blessed beyond measure. He worshipped God, and God blessed him. 

So, one day, Satan boasted to God that people on the earth were faithless. God asked him, “Have you considered my servant Job?”  Satan said, “He is only faithful because you protect and bless Him. Remove your protection, and I will show you he will turn on you, too.”

So, God removed his protection from Job, and Satan destroyed everything. His children, his cattle, his crop.  He had painful and infectious sores pop up all over his body…

Everything Job loved was taken from him.  Now that I think about it…the Devil attacked Job, wiped out everything, but left his wife. That sounds intentional.

And, if you wanted to “Amen” that comment…We are kicking off a Marriage Series in two weeks.  “When I said I Do.”  We will examine the covenant we made with our spouses and end the series by giving you an opportunity to get all gussied up, stand at the end of the service, and renew your Marriage Vows.

God removed his blessing of protection on Job, and Job’s blessings and health disappeared. Rather than blaming God. Rather than becoming like the rest of the faithless people.  Rather than cursing God. 

This is what Job said about God:

Job 9:12 (NKJV) 

12  If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, 'What are You doing?' 

In other words, If God will allow something I love and hold dear to be taken away from my life, I cannot stop him.  

Whining does not help.

Crying about it does not help.

A pity party about my troubles does not help. 

If you want to learn to be content, you must accept that God is UNSTOPPABLE, and to learn to be content…

ACCEPT THAT LIFE IS HARD

The third passage that has helped me to learn to be content is from the Apostle Paul.  As we looked at last week, Paul described some of the hardships he faced as a follower of Jesus.

He wrote this:

2 Corinthians 11:24-27 (NLT2) 

24  Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25  Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26  I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27  I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Regardless of the challenges I have faced in life – nothing compares to what Paul experienced.

An alcoholic, abusive father raised me. He did unspeakable things to me. One night, he was drunk, grabbed my mom by her hair, and swung her around the house.I went to a shelter for battered and abused families. I was placed in an adolescent psychiatric hospital…

But nothing compares to the hardship Paul experienced. And Paul had all that stuff happen to him AFTER HE BECAME a follower of Jesus!

If your life has grown more complicated since you became a follower of Jesus, it may be because the devil is trying to destroy your faith like he tried to do to Job. If you want to learn to be content, you must accept that life is hard. But the hard will be good for you.

Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Rome:

Romans 8:28 (NLT2) 

28  … God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Even if something evil happens to you, if you love God and lead people to a relationship with God, He will redeem the bad for good. God will take the terrible and make it terrific. 

BECAUSE…

THE SECRET TO STRENGTH IS CONTENTMENT IN CHRIST

Philippians 4:12-13 (NLT2) 

12  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13  For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

If you can begin to TRUST the CHARACTER and the HEART of GOD.  

If you can begin to trust in his Sovereign Love for you.

If you want to be able to withstand anything that comes against you…

If you want to walk through fire and not be burned…

You must trust that real strength is found through CONTENTMENT in CHRIST.

It's okay not to be OK.  

You and I are never going to be perfect.  

Your spouse will never be perfect. 

Your children will never be perfect.

Your life will be filled with complex challenges.

But don’t throw in the towel on your trust in God. Don’t give up on your relationship with Jesus.  

When life gets hard, consider the hardship Paul experienced BECAUSE he was a follower of Jesus.  

Paul remained content because JESUS was living inside him, giving him strength.

God is SOVEREIGN.

God is UNSTOPPABLE.

Life is HARD –

But GOD will never allow anything to happen to you that could separate you from his LOVING PRESENCE – and even the bad stuff that happens can turn out for GOOD. Maybe you have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus. Perhaps you have not yet turned your life over to God and asked Him to forgive your sin. You can right now.

Philippians - Faith Alone

In today’s passage, Paul turns his attention toward people who were sharing the good news about Jesus, but insisted that if a person wanted to become a follower of Jesus, placing their faith in Jesus was NOT enough.

They were teaching that:

• if a person wanted to receive forgiveness for their sins 

• if a person wanted to be born again and get a second chance at life through the forgiveness of sins

• If a person wanted to experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus – 

faith was NOT enough.

As you follow along in your Bible, I will be reading from the New Living Translation.  

Let’s read together:

Philippians 3:1-11 (NLT2) 

1  Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. 2  Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3  For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4  though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5  I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6  I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 7  I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8  Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9  and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11  so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! 

You might notice that Paul used some rather harsh words here. Paul called these people who were telling other people about Jesus “Dogs and mutilators” because they were leading people to Jesus – then they were instructing them to get circumcised. 

In the Old Testament, circumcision was proof that a man was an Israelite – God’s chosen people. Why God decided that circumcision was going to be the identifying mark for Israelite men – I have no idea.  Can you imagine what went through the Israelite’s mind? 

“You want me to cut what with that knife?”

The first thing I want to point out is that Paul reminds the Philippian believers that…

LIFE CHANGE DOES NOT HAPPEN BY BEING GOOD

Yet – that is what was happening now for some people:

• after they trusted by faith that Jesus had died on the cross to pay the penalty for their sin. 

• After by faith, they believed that Jesus rose from the dead. 

• After by faith, they surrendered their lives to Jesus – 

Now, essentially, these men were telling these New Believers that if they were really committed followers of Jesus, they needed to prove it through circumcision. Since the earliest days of Christianity, people have been trying to corrupt the gift of salvation that comes through trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins…and teaching that FAITH in God’s Grace is not enough.

But, maybe you grew up in a church that taught forgiveness of sins needed to be earned.  

• Maybe you were taught to attend church because you will go to hell if you don’t.

• Maybe you were taught to give 10% of your income because you will go to hell if you don’t.

• Maybe you were told to read your bible every day to make God happy.

• Maybe you were told to pray to God every day to keep God happy…

Maybe you were taught that you were made right with GOD by doing GOOD things.

Paul wrote that he was the best at “being good,” and it was worthless. He writes:

Philippians 3:4-6 (NLT2) 

4  though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5  I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6  I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 

Paul told the Philippians that nobody was more passionate about OBEYING the OT LAW and doing good works than him—and now it was all meaningless and pointless because he had surrendered his life to Jesus. When it comes to being born-again and made new – it is by FAITH alone in Jesus. If it is “Jesus and anything else…” that is not pure faith.  

It is not Jesus and church attendance.

It is not Jesus and tithing.

It is not Jesus and reading your bible.

It is not Jesus and praying the right things.

We are not saved by Jesus AND anything else.  Not baptism. Not serving. Nothing.

That’s why Paul sounds so angry in that passage. 

He calls these people DOGS. These men angered Paul because they were actually preventing people from experiencing a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Can you imagine an evangelist showing up at your door, telling you about Jesus, then handing you a knife and saying, “Get ‘er done?”  

NO THANK YOU!

Then, after Paul lists his accomplishments that amounted to nothing but garbage, he says in verse 8

Philippians 3:8 (NLT2) 

8  Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

If you can, I want you to underline or circle two words in verse 8: KNOWING and at the very end, GAIN. Paul GAINED Christ. Paul considered all the good stuff garbage because he had already received the ultimate prize: gaining a relationship with God through Jesus. 

When I surrendered my life to Jesus in 1991, I gained Christ. Because I have gained Christ, I do not fear that I must do more good than bad in order to get into heaven. Paul GAINED Jesus after the Road to Damascus. I GAINED Jesus in 1991.

Let me ask you a question:

WHEN DID YOU GAIN CHRIST?

Maybe you were a child, and you gained Jesus.

Maybe you walked an aisle and surrendered your life to Jesus and gained Christ.

Maybe you were watching a televangelist on TV and gained Christ.

Maybe you were listening to a podcast and gained Christ.

Maybe you were driving down the road listening to a radio DJ and gained Christ.

Maybe you were at a conference, you raised your hand, and you gained Christ.

Maybe you were sitting in worship service last weekend, and you gained Christ.

Answer the question: When did I GAIN Christ? Not my spouse, not my kids, not my parents. And if your answer is, “I haven’t, but I want to,” I have some great news for you! You can today! 

Then, you will experience the same sentiment that Paul had when he said, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” It had been years since Jesus ascended into Heaven, but Paul described his relationship with Jesus as PRESENT TENSE.  

Paul, in the PRESENT TENSE, knew Jesus.  While he was in house arrest – he talked to the Roman Guards, and he talked to Jesus.  

Jesus was his friend in the present.

Jesus was his Savior in the present.

Jesus was his helper in the present.

Jesus was his strength in the present.

Jesus was his GUIDE in the present.

When it comes to Knowing Jesus, we need to remember that…

KNOWING IS GROWING

When Paul used the word KNOWING and to KNOW in verses 8-10, the word he used came from the root word, which meant to KNOW intimately as a husband and wife know one another. When you exchange vows with your spouse and become husband and wife, that is just the beginning of getting to know one another.  

You GAINED a SPOUSE…but did you really KNOW your spouse? Kristy and I will be married for 25 years this December. If you had asked me then if “I knew Kristy,” I would have said yes. Yet, we still learn something about one another almost every single day.  Imagine if, 25 years ago, I made a commitment to my wife – and then stopped trying to grow in my relationship with her.  

Imagine if I stopped praying for her. If I stopped being kind and courteous. If I stopped listening and conversing with her…We may still be married, but our relationship would be distant and lonely.

The commitment you made when you surrendered your life to Jesus is a life-long commitment that requires you to grow in your relationship with Him. The commitment you made yesterday is not enough to follow Jesus today. We must continue to grow, to learn, to trust, to follow Jesus.

Let me encourage you to sign up for Grow class on September 15.  We want to help you have the tools to GROW in your friendship with Jesus so that you can say like the Apostle Paul said – NOTHING else matters but knowing Christ. Finally, as we grow in our friendship with Jesus, God brings us to a point where we get comfortable with the fact that…

WE WILL DIE AND RISE!

Philippians 3:10-11 (NLT2) 

10  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11  so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! 

Paul must have been thinking that the end of his life could be near as he sat under house arrest, in chains, day after day, with Roman Guards watching over him. But Paul held out hope in Jesus that even if he should die, he would rise and be with Jesus.

If you are like me, talking and thinking about our own DEATH or the DEATH of somebody we love is uncomfortable.  But one of the changes that happen to us as we GROW in our relationship with Jesus, is that we become more comfortable talking about death. The Bible teaches us repeatedly – that followers of Jesus who have been forgiven for their sin – will one day RISE and live forever with God in Heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:52 (NLT2) 

52  It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. 

I am grateful that all those who have placed their faith in Jesus to forgive them for their sins – will experience Eternal Life in Heaven with the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. I do not know what Heaven will be like – but I do know that there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, and no more tears.

What a wonderful place that will be!

Philippians - Character and Resilience

This past week, I traveled to McKee, Kentucky, to visit my mom and deliver a wheelchair to her to help her get around and make caring for her a little easier for my two sisters. My Mom’s health is failing; she is unable to stand on her own, and she has dementia.  This was the first time I looked into her eyes, and she had no idea who I was. Each time I walked into a room, I had to reintroduce myself and her grandkids to her.

When people we love are hurting or in need, we want to do all we can to help bring relief. When we care for people who are going through the hard times that life brings, we want them to know that we love them, that they are not alone, and that we want to help in any way we can. When the church in Phillipi heard that Paul was under house arrest in Rome, they cared for him and wanted to help him.

Two thousand years ago, if you were placed under house arrest, you were responsible for paying for your housing, clothing, and food. You couldn’t work outside the house to earn money, so you had to be financially secure enough to cover your expenses during your confinement. Without financial support, Paul could have been transferred to a harsher form of imprisonment. 

To help, the Philippian church took up an offering and sent Epaphroditus to bring it to Paul and support him while he was there. Then, the messenger Epaphroditus became sick and almost died, but he eventually recovered. After his recovery, Paul sent him back to Philippi with a letter, thanking the church for their support and praising Epaphroditus for his dedication.

Let’s read from our text:

Philippians 2:19-29 (NLT2) 

19  If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then, he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20  I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21  All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22  But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 23  I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 24  And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon. 25  Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. 26  I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. 27  And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. 28  So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. 29  Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. 

The first thing we can understand from this passage of scripture is this:

YOUR CHARACTER IS YOUR STORY OF LIFE CHANGE

In this section of his letter, Paul brags about the character of two men – Timothy and Epaphroditus. Timothy's character was described as a man who could cheer others up. He genuinely cared about other people. He cared about what matters most to Jesus. He had proven himself and served alongside Paul in telling others about Jesus. The character of Epaphroditus was described as a true brother. Co-Worker. Fellow Soldier. He was trusted enough to be a messenger carrying a great deal of money to Paul. He cared for the Philippian church – and longed to return to them. When he returned, Paul asked that they give him a hero’s welcome because of his courage and character – he said, “Give him the honor that people like Him deserve.”

Paul knew these two men inside and out.  He knew their character.

And the people around you know your character, too.  This month, we are receiving nominees for Elders from our church family.  If you have a person you would like to nominate to serve as an elder, pick up a nomination form from Guest Central.  They can’t be family, and they can’t be aware you are nominating them.  The Elders will be servants who support the mission and ministries of Beach Church and will have people assigned to their care.  More instructions can be found inside the Elder Nominee forms.

Your character is a significant part of your testimony. 

The way you live, the decisions you make, and how you treat others, reflect the impact that Jesus has had on your life.

When people see consistent integrity, kindness, humility, and selflessness in your actions, they see evidence of your faith in Christ. Your character speaks loudly about what you believe and who you follow. Your character is how others will see Christ in you. 

Are you honest in difficult situations? 

Are you patient with your family in times of stress?

Do you have compassion for a family member or neighbor when they are overwhelmed?

Your character shows the world what it means to be transformed by Jesus.  Your character is your story of life change…

So,

LOVE OTHERS, ALWAYS!

Timothy and Eppy's character was rooted in their love for God and people. They genuinely cared for others, demonstrating this through their selfless service and sacrifice for those around them. They did not love others merely with words.  They showed it by their actions.  

1 John 3:18 (NLT2) 

18  Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Your character is your story of the life-changing power of Jesus, so failing or falling into sin can be deeply discouraging. Let’s face it—even people with impeccable character fail. So how does a person respond when they realize they have sinned and have not been living up to their calling as a child of God?  

Here’s how you can respond.

WHEN YOU FALL, KEEP GETTING BACK UP

Proverbs 24:16 (NLT2) 

16  The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. 

If falling into sin and failing others is enough to keep you down, it may be that the power of the Living God is not living inside you.  A godly person may trip, stumble, and fall – but they will continue to rise again because they have the living God inside them. So today, if you are a follower of Jesus and you realize that your life has not been in accordance with what you say you believe and that you have let other people down…

Get. Back. Up.

The godly may trip seven times – but they will get up again. So.

Get. Back. Up.

Do not let your failure define your walk with God.

5 STEPS TO GET UP

1. Get Honest

2. Extend Apologies

3. Think Through the Lesson

4. Use this as Fuel

5. Press On!

First Step: Get Honest. Admit your mistake and own it. Be honest with yourself, God, and others about your failure.  Acknowledging your failure shows humility and a willingness to take responsibility for your actions.

1 John 1:9 (NLT2) 

9  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Second Step: Extend Apologies

Seek forgiveness and reconcile. Once you’ve acknowledged your sin, the next step is to seek forgiveness—from God first and then from anyone you’ve wronged. Approach God, trusting in His grace and the forgiveness available through Jesus Christ.

If you’ve let others down, it’s also important to ask for their forgiveness. This might involve a difficult conversation, but it’s a necessary step in restoring relationships.

Third Step: Think through the Lesson

Reflect on what you’ve learned. Godly character learns from mistakes. Reflect on what led to the failure. Set new boundaries, seek accountability, or deepen your spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible study. 

Fourth Step: Use this as Fuel

Shift your focus toward what’s next.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT2) 

9  Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. 

Remember that God’s grace is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in our weakness. Don’t let guilt or shame keep you from moving forward. Handle failure with integrity and reliance on God; you will continue to grow and strengthen your character.

Fifth Step: Press On!

If you have fallen, cling to the promises found in Romans 8

Romans 8:32-35, 37-39 (NLT2) 

If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 33  Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35  Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Press on in your calling as a follower of Jesus.

Press on in your calling as a child of God.

Press on in your belief that not one thing can ever separate you for the Love of God.

Get Honest!

Extend Apologies.

Think through the Lesson

Use this as Fuel

And Press On!

Philippians - Positive Impact

Life change is a pursuit that resonates deeply with many of us. We desire better relationships with our spouses, children, siblings, and colleagues. We long to make a positive impact and leave a legacy that extends beyond our time on this earth. This desire often intensifies as we reach significant milestones in our lives. For instance, I'm about to reach a milestone myself in a few days. Now, while I won’t disclose my exact age, I can assure you it’s a point that makes one reflect deeply on the impact of their life.

In our quest for life change, we turn to various sources for guidance. Today, let’s explore what the Apostle Paul, writing from house arrest in Rome, had to say about living impactful lives. His letter to the Philippians offers profound insights into how we can live in a way that makes a lasting difference.

Philippians 2:14-18

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Paul's words in Philippians 2:14-18 challenge us to live without complaining and arguing so that we might shine as lights in a world filled with negativity. He urges us to hold firmly to the word of life, promising that such dedication will result in joy and fulfillment.

"Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people."

Paul emphasizes that our actions and attitudes reflect our faith. Complaining and arguing dim the light of Christ within us, making it harder for others to see the transformative power of God's love. On the contrary, living without grumbling allows our light to shine brightly, guiding others towards Jesus.

The Problem with Grumbling

Grumbling is more than just a bad habit; it signifies a lack of faith. When we complain, we implicitly express doubt in God's sovereignty and goodness. Grumbling suggests that we don’t trust God to navigate us through life’s challenges. It contradicts the belief that all things work together for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28).

Consider how often we fall into the trap of grumbling. From minor inconveniences like traffic and slow service to more significant issues, our tendency to complain can overshadow our faith. I’ve noticed this in my own life, especially during my morning walks with my dogs. What should be a joyous activity often turns into a session of frustration and impatience. This behavior not only dims my light but also reveals a lack of trust in God's plan.

Living as Light in the Darkness

To counteract our natural inclination to complain, Paul provides clear instructions. First and foremost, we must live clean and innocent lives, shining like bright lights. This means embodying the principles of our faith in every aspect of our lives.

"Shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people."

Paul's message to the Philippians is timeless. Our world today, much like theirs, is filled with negativity and moral challenges. Yet, it is in this darkness that our light is meant to shine the brightest. Just as stars are more visible away from city lights, our faith stands out in a world clouded by sin.

Practical Steps to Shine Brightly

So, how do we ensure that our light shines brightly? Here are four practical steps based on Paul’s teachings:

1. Live Clean and Innocent Lives: This involves making conscious choices that reflect the values of our faith. We should strive for honesty, kindness, and integrity in all our interactions.

2. Hold Firmly to the Word of Life: Regular engagement with scripture is crucial. By hearing, reading, studying, and memorizing God's word, we strengthen our faith and align our lives with His will.

3. Serve Others Selflessly: Acts of kindness and service demonstrate the love of Christ. When we prioritize others' needs above our own, we embody the selfless nature of Jesus.

4. Cultivate Joy and Gratitude: A grateful heart is less prone to complain. By focusing on our blessings and expressing thanks, we shift our perspective from what’s wrong to what’s right.

Reflecting Christ through Our Actions

Living out these principles transforms our lives and impacts those around us. When people see us responding to life's challenges with faith and positivity, they are drawn to the source of our strength. Our actions can spark curiosity and conversations about faith, leading others to explore a relationship with Jesus.

A Personal Challenge

As I reflect on Paul's message, I realize the importance of examining my own life. Do my actions reflect the light of Christ? Am I known for my faith and positivity, or for my complaints and frustrations? This self-examination is crucial for all of us. We must strive to be the kind of people whose lives point others to Jesus.

In conclusion, life change is a journey that begins with faith and is sustained by our daily actions. By living without complaining, holding firmly to God's word, and letting our light shine, we can make a lasting impact on our world. Let us commit to being beacons of hope and love, reflecting the transformative power of Christ in everything we do.

Philippians - Obedience and Service

Last weekend, we had another double red flag warning, Beach Baptism. About 15 minutes after we began baptisms, a lifeguard blew her whistle and told us to get out of the water.  

So, we waited.

It was not a form of persecution.  She did not chase us out of the water with malice in her heart.  All people had to leave the water up and down the beach because of the rip tide. They were doing their job and trying to keep us safe.

So, we waited.

Because going to a beach for baptism places us under the authority of the lifeguards there.

So, we waited.  Longer than we want to.  And waited.

Finally, the Lifeguard Supervisor agreed that we could continue if two people baptized one person at a time. So, we continued with their blessing. When we were leaving, I thanked the supervisor for allowing us to finish baptizing. Have you noticed that we are often asked to do things we may not want to do? We have to obey four-way stop signs while driving. We are asked to take off our shoes to go through airport scanners. We are asked to show our Sams of Costco card when we enter. Every single day, we are asked to follow others' instructions.

In 1971, the rock group “Five Man Electrical Band” wrote a song complaining about instructions called “Signs.”  Tesla covered it in 1990.  I was reminded of the song as I prepared this sermon today.

Signs, Signs, everywhere there's signs.

Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the signs?

And the sign says, you got to have a membership card to get inside.

In today's passage, the apostle Paul emphasizes that following instructions is extremely important. Let’s read together:

Philippians 2:12-13 (NLT2) 

12  Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. 

The first thing that we discover from this passage is that…

FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CONVEYS TRUST AND HUMILITY

At the birth of Christianity, the people who surrendered their lives to Jesus did not have Bibles to read, so instead, they clung to what the Apostles taught them. They didn’t know how to follow Jesus – so they listened to the instructions given to them. Paul also made it clear that he had not created the instructions. God chose to use Paul and the Apostles to give us clear instructions on how a follower of Jesus should live. God gave Paul instructions, which he passed on to believers verbally when he was with them and by letter when he was away.

Today, as a follower of Jesus, it still requires great FAITH to believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. At the birth of Christianity, believers had to have faith that God was speaking to them through the Apostles, through those who had seen Jesus face to face.  Today, faith is still required to believe that the Bible is the everlasting perfect Word of God.

Faith is believing without seeing.

Faith is trusting without knowing for certain.

Following Jesus requires faith.  You and I have never seen Jesus.  You and I were not alive 2,000 years ago to see him change people's lives, pay the price for our sins on the cross, die, and rise from the dead. But, by faith, we believe in the eyewitness testimony of those who saw him. So, when it comes to following Paul's instructions, we must have FAITH that God chose to use him to pass on God’s message to us. Throughout his letters, Paul states over and over again that the instructions he gives to the believers are directly from God:

1 Corinthians 2:13 (NLT2) 

13  When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.

1 Corinthians 14:37 (NLT2) 

37  If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself.

2 Corinthians 13:3 (NLT2) 

3  I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT2) 

13  Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. 

Paul recognized that God had chosen to use him and the other apostles to pass on God’s instructions to others. And he also acknowledged that if people did not listen to his instructions, they were rejecting God.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 (NLT) 

8  Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 

I think you will agree; it requires FAITH to follow the instructions found in the Bible. 

Dr. Calovini was my academic adviser throughout my college years. She made it clear on the first day of every class she taught that she was an atheist and did not believe in God. She was an English Literature expert, excited and passionate about what she taught.

Toward the end of my college career, I met with Dr. Calovini to discuss which classes I had to take before graduating. In that conversation, I shared with her that I was a youth pastor at a church in Nashville. She scoffed and said, “I can’t believe you would teach the Bible as truth. It's just a collection of myths and fairy tales.”  

I said, “Well, I understand you have an opinion about it.  What parts of the Bible do you take issue with?”

She said, “All of it.”

I said, “But what parts specifically?”

She said, “I have never read it.”

I said, “Wow.  I can’t believe as well-versed as you are regarding world literature that, you have never read the Bible.  It’s the number one selling book of all time – surely you could find value even in that?”

Following instructions from the Bible and others always conveys trust and humility.  

So, Paul says, “You always followed my instructions while I was with you, and now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation.”

In other words, Paul told them to:

SHOW OTHERS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BY SERVING

If you follow Jesus, you prove to the world that you have been forgiven for your sin through serving others. You prove you have a relationship with God through “good works.”  

Paul emphasizes to these believers that they needed to work hard to show the results of their salvation because doing good works and serving others is closely connected to our salvation.

In 1992, I had a 1979 Ford Fairmont.  I asked a girl to go on a date Friday night, and she said yes, but there was one problem: My car was “up on blocks” in my neighbor’s garage, waiting for me to put on new brakes.  I was paid on Friday, bought the parts, put the brakes on, hit the shower, and went out on the date. 

One week later, I was driving in the city when somebody’s tire rolled past my car!  I hit my brother in the arm and said, “Somebody’s tire!”  At about that time, the front of my car slammed onto the road. It was my tire! 

In my haste to put the brakes on the car, I had failed to tighten the lug nuts. Realizing that all my work and labor had been wasted was sickening. The reason Paul insisted that these believers followed his instructions and work hard to show God had changed them is because you and I will be rewarded for our good works:

Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 3:13-14 (NLT2) 

13  But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14  If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 

On Judgement Day, all of our “work” will go through a fire…and you and I will only receive a reward if the work has any value. Since you became a follower of Jesus, you have been building a pile of work for which God will judge and reward. The only work that survives is your good work because of your relationship with Jesus. I will not be rewarded based on the good works of anybody else. You will not be rewarded for the good works of your spouse.

That’s why we try to provide many opportunities for people to serve.  We partner with Habitat for Humanity and build homes for families in need.  We serve homeless shelters.  We go on mission trips. And church life can be fun when we work together on teams.

We may have a place for you if you want to serve on the Worship team. We may have a place for you if you want to serve on the First Impressions team. If you want to serve as a Life Group leader, we may have a place for you. Children’s, Students, Safety Team.

We create opportunities for you to volunteer and serve the body of Christ every weekend because we want you to be significantly rewarded on the day of Judgement. Finally, we see another truth in verse 13…

GOD NEVER GUILTS PEOPLE; HE CHANGES DESIRES

“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”

Raise your hand if you have ever felt like a church was trying to guilt you into serving. I was on staff at a church where the Pastor stopped in the middle of the sermon and announced that we had an overflow of babies that morning and that help was needed in the nursery. He had people raise their hands if they brought a baby that morning and asked them for help. He didn’t move on in the message until some parents finally got up to help out.

God never guilts people into serving, instead, he gives us the power and the desire to do what pleases him. And, when we do what pleases him, you and I will be rewarded. It may be that today, you learned for the first time that our works will be judged on the day of Judgement, and we will be rewarded for them.  

I want each and every one of you to be blessed for all eternity because of the excellent work you have done on this earth.  So, stop by Guest Central or fill out the connect card and drop it in the offering box.  Please take the next step and let us know where you want to serve.

Philippians - Attitude of Jesus

Last week, we talked about the importance of unifying around the mission, and this week, we get to talk about: 

Your Attitude.

Your attitude is one of the most powerful tools you have. It shapes your present experiences and influences your future. When we approach failure with a negative attitude, we’re more likely to see failure rather than success.

When faced with failure, the person with a negative attitude says to themselves:

I'm not good enough

I can't do this

I'll never succeed.

Things never go my way

I'm stuck like this forever.

On the other hand, when we approach failure with a positive attitude, we’re more likely to see opportunities rather than obstacles.  

When faced with failure, the person with a positive attitude says to themselves:

I got this. Things will work out. I'll bounce back. I won’t give up. I’ll keep trying.

Sometimes, our attitude can change.  We can bounce between positive and negative – but today – the most important thing you will walk away with is learning to have the attitude of Jesus.

Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT2) 

5  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8  he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

One of the reasons the religious leaders had a difficult time believing that God sent Jesus to save people from their sins is because of the irony of his life. In the days before and after Jesus, leaders were recognized and defined by their power, title, and authority. 

Herod the Great was known for building cities, temples, and fortresses. He executed family members and murdered thousands of male Jewish babies. The Pharaohs of Egypt were considered gods on earth and had absolute power over their subjects.

Leaders like Caiaphas, Tiberius Caesar, and Pontius Pilate were known for their power and authority. They often ruled harshly to maintain political or religious control. Jesus was like no leader the world had ever seen.  He made a radical departure from cultural norms.  He gave up his power, title, and authority to live as a servant to his creation.

And you and I are supposed to live with his attitude.  

Never forget, as difficult as life feels sometimes:

YOU WERE CREATED TO BECOME LIKE JESUS

Philippians 2:5 (NLT2) 

5  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 

Now, Jesus's attitude on earth cannot be categorized simply as positive or winning. His attitude was much more complex.

He wanted people around him to succeed by surrendering their lives to God. He wanted people around him to be blessed by following God obediently. He wanted people around him to experience peace, joy, and hope that could only come through experiencing the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus knew the only way to achieve this was to give up His right to rule and dominate as God and become a servant to show us the way to Heaven. Jesus always knew He was the most important person in the room, but He always treated others like they were most important. Jesus always knew He was the most important, most powerful, and most dominant force on the planet, but He gave up His life for us as though we mattered more.

And you and I were created to become like Jesus.

That means our attitude toward others and about ourselves must be shaped by His attitude toward us. If Jesus was willing to lay His life down for sinners like you and me, shouldn’t we be willing to sacrifice our wants, desires, and preferences for other people?

I love watching my daughter Naomi play Volleyball.  She plays in the position that is called the “setter.”  She plays on the front of the line, and her job is to “set” the ball to the “hitters” on the left, right, and middle.  Their job is to get it across the net in a way that can’t be returned.

The hitter gets the recognition, but the setter gives them success. Naomi’s job is to help the people of her team shine.

You and I are called to become like Jesus in our attitude and help all those around us win and succeed. So, let’s continue to become more like Jesus every day and, in our attitude, give up our rights to help others win. And with that thought comes another perplexing and ironic truth:

THE UNCHANGING GOD CALLS US TO CHANGE

One of the greatest ironies for followers of Jesus to accept is that our God, who never changes, calls us to change. The Bible teaches us that God’s character can always be counted on because He NEVER changes.

Malachi 3:6 (NLT2):

“I am the LORD, and I do not change…”

Numbers 23:19 (NLT2): 

“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

Since before creation, God is, was, and always will be. His character has never changed, and his heart for you has never changed. He has always longed for you to know Him as your Heavenly Father. You might ask, since Jesus gave up His rights as God and became a human servant, doesn’t that mean God can change?Did Jesus change if He stepped away from power and authority and took on the nature of a servant?

That would be the case if God had never demonstrated His servant heart toward us before the days of Jesus. But we see God's servant heart at work in creation. God, the Creator, served mankind by creating us and giving us life. He designed our bodies to draw in oxygen, our hearts to pump blood, and our brains to think thoughts higher than ourselves.

We see the servant heart of God when He held back the hand of Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac. We see the servant heart of God when He parted the waters of the Red Sea and rescued the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. We see the servant heart of God as He raises up kings, appoints judges, and protects His people.

Jesus stepped away from God's power and authority and embraced God's servant heart, which God had always demonstrated. That is why we can say with confidence that our God is unchanging. And that:

Hebrews 13:8 (NLT2):

 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

And – if you are a follower of Jesus: By that, I mean if you understand that God created you. You sinned and rebelled, choosing to live your life your way. If you know that because of your sin, God says the punishment for rebellion is separation from God and death. And if you know that Jesus paid the price for your sin, died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead. If you believe He ascended into Heaven and will one day return. If you think all that – and you surrendered your life to Jesus: Then, at that moment, you became a NEW CREATION.

Since that moment of surrender, God has been calling you to change and live more and more like Jesus every single day. The unchanging God has called you and me to change. Personally. If a follower of Jesus is constantly changing individually, then as a church filled with changing people, our church must embrace change, too.

Songs will change. Ministries will change. The way we do things will change. However, we will always have the same mission because God is unchanging in His purpose for the church. So, saying, “We have never done things like that before, is okay, as long as we pair it with, “So let’s try it that way to see how it goes.”

That is the attitude and mindset that we are called to have. And finally, we see in this passage that:

ALL PEOPLE WILL CONFESS, BUT NOT ALL WILL BE SAVED

Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT2) 

9  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

If you have ever wondered what life after death will be like, Paul explains clearly what happens after you take your last breath on this earth. At some point, everyone in this room will die and afterward will stand before God's full majesty, power, and marvelous glory.  You will stand before the one who created the Galaxies. The One who exists outside of time. The One who holds the keys to life and death in his hand. The one who rescued Egypt. The who walked on water. For a moment, all will recognize that Jesus paid the price for their sin because God Loved the world. They will realize Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  They will recognize that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

All people will drop to their knees and confess that Jesus is the LORD, God, and Savior.

All people.

All religions.

All beliefs.

All who have ever lived will behold the glory of the Living God and will not have any other choice but to fall to their knees and cry out, “Jesus is Lord.”

And the final irony?  All will confess, but not all will be saved.

Some people will confess that Jesus is Lord, too late.

Some people are so stubborn and have such a negative attitude toward Jesus that they will wait to surrender their lives to Jesus only after they pass from this earth.  And, for them, Jesus will say: “Depart from me. I never knew you.”

But you.

You, do not have to be one of those sent away from entering into Heaven.  Today, you can begin a new life in Jesus by surrendering to Him.

Romans 10:9 (NLT2) 

9  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

If you are ready to surrender your life to Jesus, read through the words of this prayer: 

PRAYER OF SURRENDER

God,

I believe that Jesus suffered for my sin on the cross and died.

I believe he rose from the dead; he is now with you in Heaven

and will return to earth one day.

I surrender my life to you and receive Jesus as my Savior.

Thank you for forgiving my sin and changing my life.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Make that prayer, your own prayer, and turn your life over to Jesus.

How is God calling you to Change?

How will you live today more like Jesus?

Philippians - Citizen of Heaven

What does it mean to be a “Citizen of Heaven?”  Paul uses that phrase twice in his letter.

This Thursday ( July 4th) – we are celebrating our Freedom!  We celebrate our freedom as a nation and we celebrate our freedom in Christ. In school, at the start of every day, a bell would ring, and the entire class would rise, turn to the American Flag, and say the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all.”

I remember as a child, waving the American Flag during July 4th Parades, applauding veterans, police officers and first responders…but the most Patriotic Season that I remember experiencing came immediately after terrorists attacked the Nation by hijacking passenger planes and flying them into the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon.  

After our Nation watched the towers collapse. After we saw smoke rising from the Pentagon.

After we heard the heroic story of Flight 93 – and how the passengers fought back and lost their lives when they crashed in the field in Pennsylvania….

America responded.

Neighbors spoke to neighbors they had not spoken to. Families called one another to check on them. People lined up across the nation to donate blood. Spontaneous applause broke out for First Responders and Police as they responded to car accidents and fender benders.

And for weeks, as First Responders searched for survivors among the rubble of the World Trade Center, a Massive American Flag Flew in the background. Even with smoke still rising from the rubble, Americans began packing sporting events and arenas as soon as they could. It was as though we were one. Our Nation stood together and said, “You cannot break the American spirit.”

That SEASON was the most PATRIOTIC season of my lifetime.  

Today almost twenty-three years later, the United States of America does not feel as united as we were then.  

It feels like people are trying to divide us by hate.  

It feels like people are trying to divide us by political party.

It feels like people are trying to divide our country by race.

Honestly, our Nation is more divided than I have ever seen it.  

So.

I am an American. I love the freedom we have been given by God. I love that our Declaration of Independence begins with the words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I do love my country.

But as followers of Jesus, how do we balance our responsibility as Citizens of the USA and as followers of Jesus living in the USA?

As we look at Philippians, I hope we are each challenged by the Word of God – because I believe he has a particular message crucial for us all to hear and understand.

Let’s read together:

Philippians 1:27 (NLT2) 

27  Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. 

Philippians 3:17-4:1 (NLT2) 

17  Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18  For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19  They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20  But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21  He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. 1  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

At this time, Paul was being persecuted by his own Country. It was not just the religious leaders – he was actually being persecuted by the government of Rome.  He was upsetting the Roman culture by insisting that Jesus was the one true God and that when a person surrenders his life to Jesus, they are forgiven for their sins and made a new person. The Jewish leaders and the Roman government did not like it.

In fact, a few years later, a Roman Emperor named Nero, would falsely accuse Paul of setting the city of Rome on fire, and he would, as Christian Scholars tell us, have Paul arrested and beheaded. Paul made it clear that if we have indeed surrendered our lives to Jesus, our citizenship is in Heaven. That is where we belong. That is where we are going. Even though I am a Citizen of Heaven – I was born a Citizen of the United States of America, and I am to be a good steward of the Nation that God has entrusted to me.

I think it is important to remember that for followers of Jesus:

WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN FIRST, AND OUR NATION SECOND

Paul stated clearly that we are citizens of Heaven…but he did not teach that followers were not citizens of the countries they belonged to or that followers of Jesus should give up their rights and claims as citizens of their Native Countries.  

In Philippians 3:17, Paul writes, “Pattern your lives after mine.” So, let’s examine how Paul balanced his citizenship of Rome and Heaven. 

In Acts 16, Paul was in Philippi leading people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus – Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten with rods, and locked up in the inner dungeon.  While in Prison, Paul led the jailer and his family to Jesus and baptized them.  

The following day, the City Officials ordered the release of Paul and Silas… You would think that Paul would high tail it out of there…but listen to what he said: 

Acts 16:37-38 (NLT2) 

37  But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!” 38  When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39  So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.

Can you hear the defiance in Paul’s voice?  

Paul knew he was a citizen of heaven – but he also understood his rights as a Roman Citizen. He knew that He and Silas were arrested and beaten because they were citizens of Heaven – but he also knew it was ILLEGAL for them to be beaten and arrested without a trial, because he was a citizen of Rome. Paul waited until after he was arrested, beaten, and spent the night in jail before he said anything.  

Why did he do that?

I think it is because Paul understood that:

OUR FREEDOM SHOULD ADVANCE THE GOSPEL, NOT HINDER IT.

Paul knew his pain could lead others to find freedom in Jesus. Paul believed God had allowed his suffering so he could share HIS HOPE IN JESUS with those he encountered. As citizens of the United States, we believe that we have been granted unalienable rights directly from God.

Right to Worship, Right to free speech.

We are FREE to align with a political party, and support the candidate that we want. But we can learn from Paul’s example that we are not free to be jerks. We should never allow our freedom to hinder the Good News of Jesus. Rather, we should use our freedom to advance the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We see this is Paul’s life again in Acts 21. 

Some Jewish men caused a riot and made loud accusations against Paul.  The whole city was in an uproar. A mob gathered and they tried to kill Paul. A Roman commander arrested Paul.  

As the commander was trying to lead Paul away the crowd followed close by, yelling to KILL HIM.  As Paul was about to be taken inside, Paul asked the commander if he could speak to the crowd that had gathered.  A deep silence fell over the crowd, and Paul spoke to all of them and shared the story of Jesus and how Jesus had changed his life. After Paul shared the gospel of Jesus with the crowd, the commander took Paul inside and ordered him to be beaten and whipped. They tied Paul down to lash him, and Paul said, 

“Is it legal for you to whip a Roman Citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” (Acts 21-22)

This frightened the Roman soldiers. They kept Paul under arrest…but they did not beat him. Paul understood that HIS RIGHTS as a Roman Citizen should advance the Gospel NOT hinder it.

When we elevate our RIGHTS higher than our RESPONSIBILITIES to Love God and Love our Neighbor as follower of Jesus – we will hinder the good news of Jesus.  People will not want to hear from us. In fact, when we “set our minds on earthly things” we actually become more like those that Paul described in Philippians 3:19.

Philippians 3:18-19 (ESV) 

18  For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Did you catch the significance of those last few words?  Paul was describing people who lived their lives as enemies of the cross of Christ.  In the last few words, he said that enemies of the Cross of Christ “Set their minds on earthly things.”

“Setting our minds” on earthly things and “thinking about” earthly things are not the same thing.  

It might surprise you, but 

I think about eating. I think about brewing coffee. I think about my wife.(Not in that order…I should have listed my wife first.) I think about my children. I think about my future. I think about earthly things every single day.  

I think about the government. I think about our local school board and the decisions they are making. I think about Public education. I think about America and the Political divide.

And I think to myself, wouldn’t it be amazing to have born again followers of Jesus, running for office at the local, state and federal levels? Wouldn’t it be amazing if people understood that God has blessed them as Citizens of the United States to point more people to Jesus? Wouldn’t it be amazing to have followers of Jesus defend our freedoms, establish justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with God?  

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are called to advance the Kingdom of God first. 

But - when we set our mind on earthly things – we live as enemies of the Cross of Christ…

When we set our mind on earthly things – it means we are obsessed and devoted to Earthly things. Our mind is non-flexible.  Like concrete when it sets up – our minds become so focused on earthly things Jesus will for our lives does not matter.

The question I ask myself is this…

IS MY MIND RIGHT?

Is my mind right? Does the BORDER of our Nation matter more than expanding the Border of God’s Kingdom? Am I living more like a Citizen of Heaven than a Citizen of the USA? Do I place my political kingdom above God’s Kingdom?

Our Patriotism is best demonstrated by being good stewards of the Nation that God has entrusted to us.  Let’s live with gratitude to live in the best Nation on the planet – and use our freedom to tell other’s about Jesus.

God can heal divided families.

God can restore broken marriages.

God can unify divided churches.

And I believe, if we seek God’s Kingdom first, God can unify our divided Nation.

May God truly Bless America, and may America be a Nation that blesses God.

Philippians - Purpose Keeps Us Going

When we apply God's Word to our lives, we draw closer to Him and begin to trust Him more. Trusting God helps us understand our purpose, which keeps us going even through difficult times. Knowing your purpose can motivate you, keep you focused, and sustain you through challenges and distractions.

Understanding Purpose: Philippians 1:20-26

In today's passage, the Apostle Paul exemplifies a life driven by purpose. Let's read Philippians 1:20-26:

20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. 25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

Paul's life purpose was to serve Christ and His people, magnifying Christ through both his life and his death. His mindset was that whether he lived or died, it was for the glory of Christ.

God's Direction in Our Lives

God directs our lives for a purpose, as seen throughout the Bible:

• Ruth: Though she may not have recognized it, God guided her steps, leading her to Boaz's field and eventually into a pivotal role in the lineage of Jesus.

• The Woman at the Well, Noah, Moses, Joseph: Each experienced God's purposeful direction, often through circumstances that seemed coincidental or challenging.

God is constantly working in our lives, often in ways we may not immediately see. He places us where we are for a reason, and there are no accidents or coincidences with God.

Personal Testimony: Finding Purpose in Pain

I struggled with understanding my purpose during a challenging period in ministry. My life was full of despair and hopelessness, and I wanted God to change my circumstances. However, when I began praying for God to change my heart about my circumstances, I found that He had placed me exactly where I needed to be for a purpose.

For instance, I experienced a heart attack, which wasn't a stroke of bad luck but part of God's plan for me. This taught me that suffering cannot destroy the real purpose of life. Life is not just for happiness and personal fulfillment but for serving and honoring God.

Living Out Our Purpose

As Christians, our calling is to become like Christ, a process that continues throughout our lives until we see Him face to face. Purpose keeps us going, as illustrated in Philippians 1:20-26. Even in the midst of pain, chaos, and life's challenges, we can hold firm to the belief that God is directing us.

Reflection and Prayer

Consider these questions:

• Does your purpose keep you going?

• Have you questioned where God has placed you?

• Are you fearful of where God is guiding you?

Don't let the pain and suffering of this world keep you down. Embrace the purpose God has for your life, which is far better than anything we could ever want or imagine.

Philippians - Things That Have Happened

If any early follower of Jesus was considered a “superstar” it was the Apostle Paul. He had the origin story of being a former persecutor of Christians. He hunted them down. He chased them out of towns. He was a Pharisee following in the footsteps of those Pharisees who worked with the Roman government and murdered Jesus. But then – he had a life-changing encounter with Jesus.

He met the resurrected Jesus on the Road to Damascus. A few days later he received the Holy Spirit.  He became a missionary, traveling from town to town, telling people that hope for their broken lives can be found in Jesus. 

Hope for the forgiveness of sins. 

Hope for a relationship with the true God. 

He planted churches. He raised up leaders. Wherever Paul went, people became followers of Jesus. People surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus and their lives changed. They stopped placing their hope in false idols, in sorcery, in witchcraft, in Caesar and began to live lives of worship to God.

It was a radical change.

And many Roman citizens and the government of Rome did not like it. Paul’s message was that there was only one GOD…but Rome believed there were many gods. So, Paul was arrested.  He was placed under house arrest and chained to a wall…for two years.

I have never been arrested.  I do not know what that feels like.  I love the fact that we have many men and women who are part of Beach Church who know what it is like to sit in a jail cell and experience the GRACE of GOD that has changed their lives.

 I do not know what it is like to be confined to a certain amount of space, sleep in a certain spot, have somebody tell me when it is time to wake up, go to sleep, what to wear, and what to eat…

Wait a second – that sounds like Parenting.

And when Paul was arrested – some people were ecstatic…but they thought, “His arrest isn’t enough. We need to make it harder on him…”

So, they devised a plan. Just outside the quarters, Paul was confined; day after day, they preached to anybody who would listen. They told others that Jesus was the Son of God, and nobody could be saved except through Him…

Paul was able to hear them from within his place of confinement…mocking his ministry.  So as he wrote this letter to the Philippian church, Paul addressed the fact the fact that other people were trying to make life more difficult for him. Let’s begin reading in Philippians 1:12-18.

Philippians 1:12-19 (NLT2) 

12  And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13  For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14  And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. 15  It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16  They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17  Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18  But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19  For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. 

Scholars tell us that this was one of the first times that Paul had been arrested for his faith – if not the very first time.  No doubt, some early followers of Jesus were discouraged when they heard that Paul – the “superstar” preacher, had been arrested.

This imprisonment caused pain for Paul and Pain for the early followers of Jesus. May I ask, is there something in your life that has recently caused pain for you?

As much as we would like to think that some people never experience pain…we all do.  Painful seasons of life happen to us all.  

Some may experience a miscarriage. 

Some have recently experienced the death of a family member.  

Some have experienced the pain of a diagnosis or disease. 

Some people have to deal with childhood trauma. 

Other people have to deal with a marriage that seems to be on the brink of disaster. 

Some people have to deal with being rejected and not accepted by others. 

So how should followers of Jesus manage pain in our lives? What type of Pain Management should we be involved with?

How do we walk through painful seasons in life?

First, we have to understand that even for followers of Jesus…

PAIN WILL MAKE ME BITTER OR BETTER

Pain will make me BITTER or BETTER.

What do I mean by that?  

I have met people with the chronic symptoms of bitterness. I love them.  God loves them…but they sure make it hard to be around them. They are almost always a victim.  They are always blaming other people when something bad happens to them. 

The moon is too bright. The sun is not bright enough. They complain about their work, their family, their church. They always seem to speak negatively about other people.

They simply are not pleasant to be around…have you ever met somebody like that?

Look—if you struggle with bitterness, I want you to know that you can change. God can change you, and God can help you become a better person.  If you struggle with any hurt, habit or hangup, Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday night at 6 PM in Adventure Beach, and can help you overcome bitterness and negativity.

Paul was arrested for telling other people about Jesus, but the arrest did not make him bitter. In fact, it made him better.  His confidence in the Lord grew.  It actually grew! He could have complained and said, 

“God – why did you let this happen to me?  I have been busy telling people about the good news of Jesus and now you let me get arrested.”

“Thanks a lot.”

But instead, his pain made him better.

Philippians 1:12-13 (NLT2) 

12  And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13  For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 

When he said, “helped spread the Good News,” he was making it clear to the early church that this setback, this discouragement, this two-year imprisonment would not cause him to take a step backward in his faith. He said the pain actually helped him carry out his mission to spread the good news of Jesus…Now the whole palace guard had heard the good news about Jesus.

I love it.

He is chained to the wall of the house.  And smiling.  

He is confined and chained up for two years. And joyful.

He tells every one of the guards…you know why I am here?  Jesus.  Jesus sent me here to tell you about Jesus. He acknowledged that even though the people outside his window had wrong motives, the gospel was still being preached.  When people experience church hurt and see a church leader's selfish motives, they can begin to question whether or not God has been working through this pastor or church leader.  

If this person is so bad, how could God have been working in my life? If these things are true, was God ever really working in my life?  

If you have recently asked yourself questions like that, I understand.  These men outside Paul’s windows had selfish motives to make Paul’s imprisonment worse, so they preached hard and loud.  Paul said, as long as Jesus was being preached, that’s all that matters. Let me add this.  God can use the teachings of a selfish, self-centered, corrupt pastor to help you grow in your faith.

In Numbers 22:21-39. God spoke through a Donkey to get Balaam’s attention.  If God can speak through a donkey, God can speak through anybody. So, it’s understandable if you leave a church when you discover the truth about the church leader; just don’t doubt the work that God has been doing in your life.  

Paul’s arrest. His pain made him BETTER.  

What about you? Does your PAIN make you better?  

If you are not intentional about becoming better when you experience pain, by default, you will become bitter.  You have to be determined when you walk through hardship that you will not let this devastating event that has occurred to you make you a bitter person.

Rest assured, your…

ATTITUDE DETERMINES OUTCOME

Now, your ATTITUDE can not take away your diagnosis. Your ATTITUDE can not cure disease, but your attitude when facing pain and discouragement in your life can determine whether or not you become a better person.  

Those people outside Paul’s house wanted to make life miserable for Paul. In the streets, they were “mocking” the Good News of Jesus. Up and down the streets, they yelled that people needed to trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. They thought that by doing so, they would make life more difficult for Paul. So, how did Paul say that their motives in preaching the Gospel did not matter in verse 18? We see HOW later in his letter in Chapter 4:8.

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) 

8  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 

Paul’s attitude was determined by focusing on the things that were excellent and worthy of praise. Anyone without Jesus can focus on the negative…but followers of Jesus have hope, and when we walk through pain, we must focus on the things that are just, pure, lovely, and full of virtue. As you focus on these things, it will become clear that…

YOUR PAIN CAN BE A DOORWAY TO LIFE-CHANGE FOR OTHERS

Paul said his pain actually was helping him in telling other people about Jesus.  The pain of his arrest gave him an opportunity to demonstrate LOVE and FORGIVENESS to the people guarding him. But Paul’s attitude was simple: He chose to use his PAIN to bring the life-changing good news of Jesus to other people.  If he had not been arrested, he may have never shared the good news with the prison guard. God has used the pain I experienced as a child as a doorway to life change for others.

Before I turned thirteen:

My dad sexually abused me.  He was an alcoholic with an Irish temper.

Night after night, he would holler, scream, and play loud country music.

My mom finally had enough; she left him, and we moved into a domestic violence shelter in Nashville, TN.

I ran away from there and went back to my dad.

My dad sent me back to the shelter and the shelter had me placed at a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital for three months.

Then, my mom couldn’t afford me, so I moved in with my nana for my High School years.

And, after I graduated from High School, I surrendered my life to Jesus.

For over 26 years, I have been transparent about my childhood and the pain I experienced, because I understand my pain can be a doorway of life change for other people. It’s uncomfortable, and sometimes, it makes others uncomfortable. But my pain is a doorway to sharing the life-changing good news of Jesus.  And so is yours.

I firmly believe in the power and the promise of Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 (NLT2) 

28  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Everything means everything.

Your cancer diagnosis is a doorway to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus with your medical team. Your Church-Hurt is a doorway to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus with others. Your child’s crazy behavior in school is a doorway to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus with his teachers. Every bit of pain God allows in your life can be redeemed to impact others if you are willing to allow the pain to make you better and amplify the message of Jesus.

So live Romans 8:28 like you really believe it.