Cross Church Winnipeg

Do you remember the vicious Saul? He seems to have the upper hand. Persecuting. Spewing hatred. Imprisoning believers. But then Jesus appears to him. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”* The murderous Saul is converted and becomes Paul the mighty Apostle. God reveals Himself as Sovereign, merciful and full of grace. Paul's story gives us all hope.

Mysterious and thrilling things happen in the days of the early Church. Philip, one of the men appointed along with Stephen to care for the needy widows in Jerusalem, is forced out of the city. As so often happens, after the appointment, God has other plans. Philip is called to preach the Gospel to an Ethiopian Eunuch, servant of his Queen, who is returning home after worshipping God in Jerusalem. He just happens to be reading Isaiah 53 out loud on his journey when Philip asks if he knows what he is reading. Philip has the privilege of leading the man to Christ and baptizes him right on the spot. Philip goes down in history as Philip the Evangelist. And this Ethiopian takes the Gospel with him back to Ethiopia. Ethiopia becomes the first country to adopt Christianity as its national religion.

After Stephen was stoned to death, Luke records the following: Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. It looks like Saul may have the final word about the future of the Church. Luke says, *A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.* However, the Church is not stopped, rather, the spread of the Gospel is accelerated all over Samaria! Philip, one of the men appointed along with Stephen to care for the needy widows in Jerusalem, is used by God to preach throughout Samaria. Also, Peter and John stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.

The blind beggar could not be shaken. He had encountered God in Jesus Christ. John records what happened next: ***24** So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” **25** “I don't know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” **26** “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” **27** “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn't you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”*

Pastor Andrew Sapozhnykov My Story - Part 3: Ignore the Doubters How easy it is to be overcome by doubt and especially by doubters. Who hasn't faced this? 17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What's your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” 18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” 20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we don't know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”

What do you do when Jesus saves you? You boldly share your testimony. Listen to what John records about the man born blind: "His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.' So I went and washed, and now I can see!” The boldness of this blind beggar is inspires us all to tell what Jesus has done for us, for he kept saying, “Yes, I am the one!”

*As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. **2** “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?” **3** “It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God (WORKS OF GOD) could be seen in him. **6** Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. **7** He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.” So the man went and washed and came back seeing!* For this man, his blindness led to his salvation. He would say, “Thank God I was born blind!”

But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.  4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” 7 So God's message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too. All of this was made possible because of the appointment of the first Elders and deacons. Deacon means servant. When you serve at Church, you help advance the Kingdom of God.

Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!” When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”

This is one of the most frightening passages in scripture. We read in Acts 5, *But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife's consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. How could you do a thing like this? You weren't lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Sadly, his wife Sapphira went along with her husband's deception, Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.

The leaders in Jerusalem freed Peter and John after their arrest, 23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

Whenever we preach the Gospel, we will face severe and angry opposition. While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000. The leadership tried to stop the disciples, but the Holy Spirit emboldened Peter and John said, *“Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn't know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.

A crippled beggar cried out to Peter for help. But Peter had neither silver nor gold. What he was far greater. He offered the man Jesus. Instantly the man was healed. 11 A crowd rushed out in amazement to Solomon's Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. 12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 13 For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants[f] all the families on earth will be blessed.' 26 When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”

The Firstfruits of the Gospel were 3,000 converted men and women on the Day of Pentecost. The first thing they did was form a community of Believers. We call this community, “The Church.” Over the years, Cross Church has tried to imitate the first Church. Here is what they did: ***42** And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. **44** And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. **46** And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, **47** praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.*

The transforming power of Jesus Christ is truly on display in the lives of those who have traded self-ishness for self-lessness. In 1 Peter chapter 4 (10-11) we read "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." Peter is telling all followers of Christ to recognize that we are speaking and serving others on behalf of God, we are Christ's ambassadors. What a privilege! And it is God Himself thru the power of the Holy Spirit that gives the ability and strength for us to do so. What a blessing! When we direct any glory towards God instead of accepting it for ourselves, we move in the complete opposite direction from those who's M.O. is simply "what's in it for me?". That difference in our lives causes people to examine the life-changing nature of a relationship with Jesus Christ. It validates our faith to those around us. In Romans 12:1 Paul says, “Dear brothers and sisters,[[a](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2012%3A1&version=CEV,ESV,TLB,NLT#fen-NLT-28208a)] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." Paul is so passionate in his expression to those who have been saved by the blood of Jesus. He knows it only makes sense to honor Him by serving others because of what He has done for us! It's only reasonable that we would obediently serve others with gratitude to the One, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has provided the greatest service of all: salvation from our sin, a life of partnership with Christ and and the blessed gift of Eternal Life with Him!

There is no doubt that poverty is both widespread and devastating, especially when we understand the level of poverty around the world compared to what we are blessed with here in Canada. As Christians, we cannot be indifferent toward those in need, because God's expectations for us in regard to taking care of the poor are seen throughout the Bible. Listen to God's words about the goodness of King Josiah in Jeremiah 22:16: “He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me, declares the LORD?” Moses also instructed the Israelites to treat the poor and needy well: “Give generously to [them] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this, the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to” (Deuteronomy 15:10). The heart of God is perfectly captured in Proverbs 14:31: Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy, he truly honors The Lord God.

The Day of Pentecost reflects the Jewish celebration of Shavuot, meaning "weeks". Fifty days after Passover, the Jewish population would come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, which was the season of the wheat harvest, and a time of giving thanks for the harvest of God's provision. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost also marked the first harvest of souls. After Peter preached his first Gospel sermon, Luke records the following in Acts 2:41: Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. And so today marks a good day to give thanks for the Holy Spirit and for the harvest of souls.

Peter tells us of the coming of the Holy Spirit, quoting Joel 2:28-32. Peter says in Acts 2:17-21 reads, ‘In the last days,' God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy. 19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below—blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. 21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' This is what happened on the day of Pentecost!

Acts 1:14-15 reads*, “They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. **15** During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place.”* These first Believers were known for their prayer. But it must be noted that this prayer was not just private prayer. We notice several things about these praying disciples of Christ. This prayer was constant. This prayer was *with* the other Believers. This prayer was offered in *unity* among the Believers. And finally, this prayer was in response to Jesus's instructions to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit that was to be poured out on all Believers. Prayer is critical to the life and advancement of the Church.

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the disciples thought that Jesus was about to free Israel and establish His Kingdom in Israel. But Christ had other plans. Before Christ ascended into Heaven—which is God's Holy Presence—He gave what is known as the Great Commission, a variation of Matthew 28:16-20. Acts 1:7-8 reads, He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We have work to do until Christ returns.

The birth of the Church is known as the Day of Pentecost. It is 50 days after the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Jesus anticipated this important date and gave clear instructions to His disciples about what they must do. Acts 2:4-5 reads, “Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'” The disciples do not know what is about to happen, but they will discover that followers of Christ must be empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to do the work that Christ commands us to do.

The last characteristic listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as a fruit of the Spirit is self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is the change in our character that happens because of the Holy Spirit's work in us. We do not become a Christian on our own, and we cannot grow on our own. Paul tells us in Philippians that "it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Every good thing we do is the fruit of the Spirit's work in our lives. Self-control or “temperance” in the KJV, is, of course, the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no” to our evil desires and carnal lusts. One of the proofs of God's working in our lives is the ability to control our thoughts, words, and actions. It's not that we are just naturally weak-willed, but rather our fallen nature is under the influence of sin.

The Holy Spirit works in us to be more like Christ, and part of the Fruit of the Spirit, or results, of that work, is gentleness. Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” does not mean weakness. Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward others. The opposites of gentleness are anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement. It takes a strong person to be truly gentle. Jesus gave us the perfect picture of gentleness: “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,” and now He offers us His gentleness as a gift. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with the fruit of gentleness.

The Fruit of the Spirit - Part 7: Faithfulness The Faithfulness in the fruit list can be described as steadfastness, constancy, or allegiance; it is carefulness in keeping what we are entrusted with; it is the conviction that the Scriptures accurately reflect reality. Biblical faithfulness requires belief in what the Bible says about God: His existence, His works, and His character. Faithfulness is the result of the Spirit working in us. But the Spirit is also our seal of faithfulness. He is our witness to God's promise that if we accept the truth about God, He will save us. Faithfulness is believing that God is Who He says He is and continuing in that belief despite the vagaries of life. Functionally, that means we trust what God says in the Bible, and do what he says! This means that we do not necessarily believe what the world, or our own eyes, tell us.

The Fruit of the Spirit - Part 5: Kindness The fifth fruit in Paul's list is kindness. In the King James Version, kindness is called “gentleness.” The best way to understand this is by looking at the One who is perfect kindness, namely, Our Father in Heaven. Kindness is the characteristic that led God to provide salvation for us. Kindness leads God to give us green pastures, quiet waters, and the restoration of our souls when we're weary. God's tender care makes Him want to gather us under His wings, to protect us and keep us close to Him. And when the Spirit works in us, the resulting character is of one allowing the Holy Spirit to develop maturity in their life. The Greek word for “kindness” means “benignity, tender concern, uprightness.” It is the kindness of heart and kindness in action.

The Patience in Galatians 5:22 literally means “long temper,” in the sense of “the ability to hold one's temper for a long time.” The King James Version translates it as “long-suffering.” A patient person is able to endure much pain and suffering without complaining. A patient person is slow to anger as he waits for God to provide comfort and punish wrongdoing. Since it is a Fruit of the Spirit, we can only possess patience through the power and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. James urges believers to be patient and not to complain as we wait for Jesus to return. James holds up the prophets as models of patience. The opposite of patience is agitation, discouragement, and a desire for revenge. God does not want His children to live in agitation but in peace.

We are born at war. At birth, our sinful nature has already declared war on God and His truth. Our heart's desire is to be separated from Him, and if we persist in this desire until death, He will give us what we want. In Romans 12:8, Paul exhorts, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." This Spirit produces the fruit of peace in us as we yield our will to His leading and our actions to His Word. Only God can create peace in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. *And* the peace mentioned in Galatians 5 is the peace of a harmonious relationship with God.

The "Fruit of the Spirit" is what happens when the Holy Spirit indwells a believer. The "fruit" is the product of the Holy Spirit's cultivation of character in a heart. The second characteristic listed is joy. Joy expresses God's kingdom—His influence on earth. The Spirit's production of joy can manifest in several different ways: the joy of deliverance, the joy of salvation, the joy of spiritual maturity, and the joy of God's presence. The Greek word for joy is *chara* and is closely related to *[charis], which means “grace” or “a gift.” Chara is the normal response to *charis*—we have joy because of God's grace. The next step in the progression is to allow our joy to become an action as we express it.

Being a good son or daughter does not come easy to children. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction. Therefore, we are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells children, And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Children are prepared for Christian adulthood through learning to respectfully submit to their parents.

Being a good father does not come easy to men. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction, because by nature we can be impatient, angry, and even vengeful. We are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells us 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. It's interesting to note that Paul does not give the same instruction to mothers. As fathers exercise their authority and give leadership in their homes, they are to be mindful that their authority is to be used lovingly and gently, but firmly, just as God is loving and firm with each of us.

Being a good wife does not come easy to women any more than being a good husband comes easy to men. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction. We are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells us, 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. **33** So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Paul is assuming that the man in this marriage is the chief servant in his home, faithfully laying down his life for his wife and children, just as Christ did for the church.

Being a good husband does not come easy to men. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction. We are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells us, "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." It is always easy to respect anyone who is utterly unselfish and totally devoted to serving others.

Let's be blunt, the Apostle Paul could not have done his great work without the generosity of Christians. He closes this letter with these words: Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Gospel and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I don't say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.  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. 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. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.

Paul shares his secret of contentment, regardless of circumstances. He says, "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. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 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. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. A life lived in union with Christ produces contentment and confidence that Christ is all we need!"

Practical Christianity is not complicated. It just means that we must be united with Christ in our attitude and in the way we think. Paul says, Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Paul addresses a feud between two women in the Philippian Church. He calls on the whole church to assist in bringing peace so that the advancement of the Gospel is unhindered. He says, 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. 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Gospel. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

When life is easy and good, it's easy to forget that this world is not our home. Paul reminds the church for the second time in this letter, that our citizenship is not in this world. He says, Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 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.  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. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 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.

Paul wants us to understand that this world has nothing to offer us; that what must occupy our desires and pursuits is the Kingdom of God. But it means that we must forget the past and keep our eyes on Jesus. He says, I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

Paul reminds us that all that matters in this life is that we know Christ and the mighty power of the resurrection at work in us. He says, I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 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 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. 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, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Paul teaches us what matters most, and it's not our achievements or privilege. Paul says, 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. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 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, 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! 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. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

Paul holds up Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples of dependable servants of God. Timothy is an example for us of what it means to be a Christian of great worth. Paul says, I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy's proven worth…And of Epaphroditus, Paul says, I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier…that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So, receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Paul teaches us how to be bright shining lights for the glory of Christ. He says, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.  Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Paul teaches us what it means to have the mind of Christ, *So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Two times in this letter to the Philippians, Paul reminds them that this world is not our home. He says, Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Gospel. Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Paul teaches us how to live a Spirit-controlled life. He says, *Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard-pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

The Apostle Paul is single-minded in his ambition: he wants the Gospel proclaimed to everyone, everywhere. He sees that everything in his life serves this great purpose. He says, 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 Gospel. 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…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. 

Paul gives us insights into what is most important for the believer. In fact, he shares with us his prayer for all believers: *I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. This is what the Pastors pray for the members of Cross Church, and this is what you should pray for yourself and your friends and family!

The work of God is tough. Really tough! Evangelizing, preaching and teaching the Gospel is a direct assault on Satan and his kingdom of darkness. It is spiritual warfare, and again, it's really tough work. No wonder Paul says, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. If you are busy doing the work of God and feeling the tension, don't despair, rejoice that you are partners with Christ and with the saints who are obediently carrying out the Great Commission. We pray that you are a partner in the Gospel.

In 61 AD, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi, wishing them grace and peace from God. These Christians brought Paul great joy. He says, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy.” These believers are called his, “joy and crown.” For the next four months we are going through the book of Philippians, verse by verse. You will learn to live the Christian life with great courage and faith and joy. This book includes many verses that have given us all courage to face the struggles of life, such as, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength,” and “my God shall supply all my needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Prepare to be revived.