Three Things Every Church Needs To Take A Look At
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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!
No claims ofabsolute orignality are made forthis material. Asone man
said, "Imilk alot fcows, but Ichurn myown buter." Pleas use thse
sermons athe Lord leads, but nothing onthis te may beused forpofit
without myexpresd, writen permison!
Intro: In these verses here in Philippians chapter 3, we find the Apostle Paul taking a spiritual inventory of his life. He tells of his pedigree in verses 4-6. In these verses, Paul relates that if any man could claim works as his banner, then Paul was that man. However, in verses 7-12, Paul tells us that in all those things he had formerly counted on were just so much dung before God. He tells us that the most important thing in life is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. So that when we arrive before God in Heaven, we will not appear there in our own flawed, sinful righteousness, (:), but we will be able to stand before God in the righteousness of Christ and beaceptd into Heavn otha bsi, (Eph.
Paul taking aspirtual invetory ofhis lfe. Hetls ofhis pedigre in
vers 4-6. Inthes vers, Paul reats hat ifany man could caim works
as hibaner, then Paul was tha man. Howevr, invers 7-12, Paul tes
us tha lthose things head formerly counted onwer just omuch
dung before God. Hetls utha themost importan thing life sa
personal reationship with eLord Jesu Christ. Sotha when wearive
before God inHeavn, weil not apear ther inour own flawed, sinful
righteousnes, (:), but weil beable tosand before God inthe
righteousnes ofChrist and beaceptd into Heavn otha bsi, (Eph.
1:6). What wefind her, istha Paul, with alhis acomplishments and his
great spirtual ineag was til unsatifed with wer hewas with e
Lord, v.12-3a. AsPaul begins tolk athis lfe, hse himself as man
who as not yearived and one who stands ined ofimprovemnt. In
esnce, his describng evry person her today. Most fus have th
tesimony tha weare saved bygrace and onur way toHeavn.
Howevr, Iwould venture tosay tha not asingle one ofus icomplety
conte with wer weare bfore thLord. Anyoe, who is, ingreat
danger athe vry heart ofhis orher spirtual ife. When wegt saifed,
we gtcomplacent and when wegt complacent, wecase togrow as
beliver. While this true forthe indvidual, its equaly true forthe
church as whole. Ibelive tha wehre atGilead Baptis have alot be
thankful or. God has blesd usgreatly and wehave sn His domany
wonderful and excitng things her asthe yars have pased. Even ow,
we are sing thechurch grow and weare xperincig His blesings
both spirtualy and materialy. Howevr, ther isalwys thedanger tha
we il become complacent and become satifed with ings athey are.
Therfore, this mornig Iwant ogive you thre loks tha Gilead Baptis
Church neds toake tokep from faling to hequagmire of
complaceny tha has traped somany other churches.If weil take
thes thre loks, weil nevr betruly satifed, but weil awys be
strivng tog farther inJesu. Myprayer inpreaching this ermon istha
Gilead Baptis Church wil nevr beguilty ofbecoming complacent, but
tha weil awys trive toget closer toJesu and bemore ofwhat He
wants uto be.
I. v13a TAKE ALOK ATHE PAST
A. Lok Reviw) What Iam talking about isaking aspirtual
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invetory. Asindviduals nd as church body, weshould ist
our acomplishments, our failures, our hopes, our deams, etc.
We ned tose agin wher wecame from and how egot
this place.
1. Asn Idivdual, does your backward lok include
salvtion? Ifso, then praise thLord tha you are
saved and rejoice nyour new lifen Christ. Ifnot,
then dosmething about iand come toJesu right
now and besaved! Does your past include failures?
Suces? Shaterd reams? Unrealized goals?
Often, its painful toreviw our past, but is helpful
to kep usfrom aking thesame istakes agin! It
may bepainful, but lok back and take tha invetory
of yur life.2 Asa church body, oes our backward
lok include times when we, as body, have made
mistakes? When wehave failed? When wehave
achievd some lvel ofsuces? Are thre unreached
goals? Are thre shaterd lives tha lyin thewake of
this church? Again, thes things may bepainful to
rember, but pain thefirst ep inhealing the
wounds ofthe past!
B. Learn (Rember) The wise man d thewise congreation
wil ok back onthe past nd wil earn fom it.We wil dour
best ose tha weare nver agin guilty ofrepating thesame
mistakes. Yes, weal dothings wrong. But, weshould bewise
enough tolearn fom those things otha weil nevr beguilty
of them agin!
C. Leav(Repnt and leti go)If, inyour spirtual invetory, ou
found ares ofailure and times when mistakes wer made,
then those things ned tobe lft wher they are inthe past!
When weare guilty before God, theanswer lies nrepntace.
If weare wilng tourn fom those ins, then God iswilng to
forgive us,(). Then, ifwe have rpentd ofthose ins,
and one verything our power tomake thm right, weare
clear ofthem inthe Lord's eys, ! AlI amsaying s
this: Dont beat yourself todeath over things tha hapend
yestrday, ifyou have rpentd ofthem and made thm right.
Walk way from them and leav them behind!
1. Asindviduals, weare constanly beating ourselvs
up over things tha wer done bfore wer ven
saved. Wel, itdoesn't have tobe tha way. After al,
the prson who di althose awful things idea, nd
a new man has tken hisplace; ; .
(Il. Some folks jut can't sem toget past heir past.)
2. For thechurch, ter isalwys adnger ofloking
back. To many churches have alowed themselvs to
become just hels ofwhat hey wer formerly. When
this apens, and abckward lok istaken, toften,
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churches and church mebers jut want og on
livng ithe past instead ofstrivng ithe presnt.
(Il. To many live with, "Irember when…")(Il.
John Claypol tes thestory of"two Budhist monks
walking a thunderstorm. They came toa swolen
stream. Abeautifl young Japnes woman ia
kimon stod ther wantig tocros tohe other side,
but afrid ofthe curents.
"One ofthe monks aid, 'Can Ihelp you?'
"'I ned tocros this tream,' replied thewoman.
"The monk picked her up,ut her onhis houlder,
caried her though teswirlng waters, and put her
down othe other side. Heand hiscompanio then
went onto hemonastery.
That night iscompanio said tohim, 'Ihave abone
to pick with you. AsBudhist monks, wehave taken
vows not lok ona woman, much les touch er
body. Back ther bythe river you di both.'
"'My brother,' answerd theother monk, 'Iput hat
woman down othe other side ofthe river. You're
stil carying her inyour mind.'
"How easy its obe obsed with epast he
expnse ofthe futre.")
3. Learn toshake ofthe past nd leav itbehind. If
you don’t asn idvidual, orif wedon't as church,
then itwl only serv as weight ohinder usa to
drag usdown, :.
I. v13b-14 TAKE ALOK ATHE PRESNT
A. tHow We Live ;(Il. Paul was doing hisbest olive for
Jesu. Hewas "presing" forward. Il"Pres" =to run after a
thing orde tolay hold nit." Paul’s Christan lifewasn’t ahit
or mis thing. Hewas lout forJesu. Nothing els inlfe
materd asmuch aslivng forthe Lord.) Ther are toways tha
we should albe livng.
1. For Jesu ; ;Every activy, evry
atiude, very actions, evrything should beto His
glory and His honr! This aplies tohis church as
wel asit does toevry indvidual her. We must be
livng forJesu with altha wehave withn us.Does
this charcterize your life?
2. ByJesu – –Her iswher somany
Christans and somany churches mis t.We tnd to
try od "Christan" things inour own power. In
reality, weare powerls inad ofurselvs, John
15:. Aswe lok around atwher weare today sa
church body and asindviduals, wened tose tha
we must bealowing Christ ohave toal control four
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lives. We ned Jesu and wened Him tobe in
control. I,personaly, dont have nough sen to
know how torun this church, orevn myown life. I
ned His power. (Il. Some pole wil cal tha
crutch. But acrutch isjut what cripled man
neds! Iam not ashmed tosay tha Ined Jesu tobe
able tomake ithrough life.)
B. AtHow We Labor –(Il. Paul was trivng and reaching.) He
was doing hisbest forthe glory ofthe Lord! Aswe take alok at
wher weare today, how dowe stack upas lbores? As
indvidual bores? Asa church body? (Il. The night iscoming
– . Therfore, wened tohrow urselvs into he
Lord’s work without resrvation. Men ad women, wened to
gaue our faithfulnes, our earnestnes, our desire and our
motives. We ned tose tha weare laboring forthe Lord. After
al, our labor declares thelvel ofur faith –.)
C. AtHow We Love –As welok atwher weare indvidualy
and corpately, wened tocnsider just how el weare
displaying and ispensig thelove ofGod. We ned todevlop
and alwys ue thright kind oflve.
1. For God –Mat. 2:36-7
2. For Our Felowman -Mat. 2:38-9;
(Il. :-8)
D. Asyou take alok atwher you are bfore thLord this
evnig, how ould you describe your Christan life? Isit
pleasing tohe Lord? Isther something lacking? Isther sin,
or ther things tha ned tobe dalt wih? How ould you
honestly sum upyour life? What bout his church? How doyu
fel tha weare doing as group ofNew Testament belivers? I
the Lord pleasd orgievd when Heloks atGilead Baptis
Church? Idon’t know theanswer toal thes questions, but Ido
know tha ifther are problems atny levl, God fers ua wy
to make thm right oday. Our duty isto exrcise thopen dor
of grace tha Hehas given tous.
I. v14 TAKE ALOK ATHE PRIZE
A. We Are Partkers OfA High Caling –We are caled:
1. From Sin ToSalvtion –1Petr 2:9; !
2. From Death Unto Life –!
3. From Strangers Into Gd’s Family –-!
4. From Wanders ToWitnes –; Mat.
28:19; .
B. We Are Partkers OfA Holy Caling –We are caled tobe
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separte from theworld –; ; .
Il. Asborn agin children ofGod, weshould bedoing our best
to live forthe Lord and bring honr tohis name byseparting
ourselvs from theworld and itsflth. God’s esire stha we
grow inholines until wersemble Him –.
C. We Are Partkers OfA Heavnly Caling –(Il. This lfeis a
race, :-. Sometimes weare ahed and sometimes, we
find ourselvs being left behind. Often, this lfebcomes a
strugle. One day, howevr, itwl abe hind usand weil
be home with eLord!) Hang ither belivers, top loking
back athe past, instead, lok forward tohe futre. Itis bright
and evr endig! One day, weil bein tha Heavnly home.
The oping, dreaming and wishng wil beover and weil be
forevr home with eLord! (:-3)
Conc: Aswe consider thes truhs today, wher doyu find yourself?
1. Are you saved?
2. Are you livng forthe Lord, asyou should?
3. Are you livng forthe futre, orae you stck somewher inthe past?
4. Are you presing forthe mark and reaching forthe prize?
5. What bout hechurch? Are won track? Isal sit hould be? Are w
efctively doing theLord’s work and wil?
As weclebrate homecoming today, may Iremind you tha God has
blesd uswith agreat church?! May Ialso remind you tha Hehas big
plans forus her? Today, Ical evry indvidual her and evry meber
of thechurch family toake thse loks very seriously and sewher we
are and wher weare hade. Things are god and they are about oget
evn betr!
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