Podcast appearances and mentions of christ paul

Hebrews 10:23-25 So many of the New Testament exhortations calling the child of God to humility and love, forbearance and kindness, forgiveness and patience can only be carried out if one is found in fellowship as part of a local assembly. God has designed the Church and placed you as a member to perfect you in sanctification. As the saying goes, iron sharpens iron, and friction, when brought to the cross, begets holiness! 

Before coming to Christ Paul had many strengths and privileges. Educational, achievement, opportunities, people's applause, top-table dinning, and religious status. Compared to Christ, he concludes that things that once elevated him are comparatively rubbish

Colossians 1:24-29 | Mystery of Christ - Paul explains the once hidden mystery of Christ; the hope of glory that comes from Christ in us.Message by David Strong, Wagga Wagga Baptist ChurchAnthony Webb, Pastor Ariah Park Baptist

This Sunday, Gyle taught on what it means to be in Christ!

In this episode of Insurance Town, Mayor sits down with Paul Neuberger, Best Selling Author of the book: Secrets to Cold Call Success and the founder of C-Suite for Christ, an incredible community that brings together executives with a shared Christian faith. Paul discusses a variety of important topics, including the often-overlooked challenges faced by C-suite executives, the struggles of cold calling, and he tells us of the unfortunate, unhealthy habits in the lives many high-level professionals face in their careers.Throughout the conversation, Paul dives into:The Importance of Faith in Leadership: How Christians can maintain integrity and faith in the corporate world, even when facing tough decisions.Cold Calling: The challenges and strategies for effective cold calling, especially in the world of business development.The Health of C-Suite Executives: The often-hidden toll leadership can take on executives, both physically and emotionally, and the importance of maintaining balance.The Mission of C-Suite for Christ: Paul shares the heart behind his organization, its mission, and how it's transforming the way leaders approach faith and business.Common Struggles for Christians in the Corporate World: What it looks like to integrate one's Christian faith with corporate responsibilities and how to stay true to values in an often secular business environment.Whether you're an executive, a Christian business professional, or someone looking to understand how faith intersects with leadership in the modern world, this episode will offer valuable insights into navigating corporate life with integrity and purpose.Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:Smart Choice: Helping independent agencies grow and succeed through access to top carriers and cutting-edge tools.Canopy Connect: Simplifying the insurance quoting process with a smarter, quicker way to gather customer data.Olde School Marketing: Your trusted partner in creative marketing strategies designed to help your agency stand out in a crowded market.Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review! Let us know your thoughts on the episode and how you integrate faith into your leadership journey!

2 Cor 2:16b – 3:6 Letters from Christ, Written by the Holy Spirit Please remain standing for the reading of God's Word. Our sermon text this morning is 2 Corinthians 2:16 to chapter 3:6. You can find that on page 1146 in the pew Bible. We are going to start with the second half of verse 16. You may notice that we read the last 2 verses of chapter 2 last week. I decided to include them again because of the question asked. The question is “who is sufficient for these things?” The apostle Paul is asking, who is sufficient to be the aroma of Christ? More specifically, he's asking about his ministry as an apostle. Who is sufficient to be an apostle and to spread the aroma of Christ? As I read, listen for the answer. Reading of 2 Corinthians 2:16b to 3:6 In 1948, a professor from Carnegie Mellon wrote one the most famous reference letter ever. This professor, Richard Duffin, was asked by 19-year-old John Nash Jr, to recommend him to Princeton. You see, Nash was hoping to pursue a PhD in mathematics.  You may or may not recognize or remember the name John Nash Jr, but the movie Beautiful Mind highlighted his life. In fact, over his lifetime, Nash received many accolades for his work, including a Nobel Prize. Well, on February 11, 1948, Duffin wrote a letter to Princeton in support of the young Nash. The reference simply had 5 words. “He is a mathematical genius.” That's quite the reference. Wouldn't we each want something like that said of us. “She's a brilliant lawyer. He is a renowned chef. She's a musical virtuoso. He's a master mechanic.” And what about the apostle Paul? Couldn't it be said of him, “There's none like him.” or “His ministry skills are unparalleled.” Or “he's the greatest of greats.” And it would be true. Even among the apostles, Paul stands out because of his tremendous ministry. Many things could be said of him. But when it comes to the question, who is sufficient? Or who is qualified? Paul actually rejects the need for a reference letter. Rather, there's something better. There's something more important. To be sure, Paul is not saying that letters of recommendation are bad. No. The whole book of Philemon is a reference letter. Paul wrote it to commend Onesimus. But when it comes to ministry qualifications… When it comes to evaluating Paul's sufficiency as a minister, there is something far greater. The greatest testimony of Paul's ministry is the testimony of the Holy Spirit's work in those to whom he ministers. That is what these verses are about. They testify to God's work through his Spirit in Paul's life and in the life of the Corinthians. These verses really center on God. They center on God's work in us, as his Spirit transforms our hearts. And in doing so, they teach us the means through which God ministers. To boil it down, Paul is making two parallel arguments. First, he is defending his ministry by testifying to the work of the Spirit. And second, while Paul is defending his ministry, he is also revealing the way that God fulfills his promises in us. He changes us through his Spirit and not his law. By the way, I don't know if you saw it, but I was able to get a sermon outline in the bulletin this week. You'll see it on page 4. Those two points are the two things that Paul is emphasizing. ·      #1 - His ministry credentials. I'm calling that first point Living Letters from Christ ·      And #2, God's covenant ministry with us and in us. I'm calling that point, Written by the Spirit of the Living Lord. Those ideas are parallel, because if Paul is a true minister, then the focus of his ministry will be God's ministry. And the results of Paul's ministry will prove that God himself is the one at work through the Holy Spirit. So, that is where we are headed. And let me make one more introductory point. These truths are very important. If we think that God transforms people through his law and not his Spirit, then our ministry to others may actually lead them to death. I don't think I'm overstating that. In verse 6, Paul said,  “the letter kills (meaning the letter of the law) but the Spirit gives life.” 1. Living Letters from Christ (Paul and the apostle's ministry credentials) Ok, let's begin with Paul's credentials. #1 - Living Letters from Christ. We've talked about the situation in Corinth a lot. The reason is, it helps us understand why Paul says what he says. Remember, some people were trying to undermine Paul. That has come out a couple times so far. They questioned the legitimacy of Paul's ministry because of his suffering and because of his changing plans. These people, which Paul later calls “super apostles,” were trying to elevate themselves by critiquing Paul. He alludes to them in chapter 2 verse 17.  Look at how he puts it: “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word.” Do you hear his underlying critique of them? Some people were out there treating God's word like a business to make profit. And back in the first century this idea of peddling had very negative connotations. Peddling involved aggressively pushing a product with often deceitful tactics. And Paul's response is that he and the other ministers of the Gospel are not like these peddlers. No, instead, they speak with “sincerity,” he says. They speak with the truth of Christ. God is the one who “commissioned” them in their ministry. Do you see how Paul is elevating God and not himself in his defense? If you jump down to chapter 3 verse 5, Paul makes a similar point. Their own ministry does not come from themselves. Rather, it comes from God. It's God's work and it's the truth of his Word. Really, all of this relates to the opening question. Who is sufficient for these things (for this ministry)? And the answer is, nobody. Nobody is sufficient in and of themselves. Listen for the word sufficient in verses 5 into 6. “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers.” He's saying, it's about God and not about us, unlike the peddlers. Now, you and I, we are not apostles, capital A. But each one of us here ministers in some way to other people. You may be a witness at work. Maybe you are a light of hope and of God's grace in your neighborhood or your school or your family. Maybe you are teaching God's Word or participating in another form of discipleship. In whatever ways you are ministering, your sufficiency should be in God and not yourself. Why? Well, it is not your work, rather it is God's work through you. You and I are merely instruments in God's hands. Let me ask, if someone said to you, “thank you for ministering God's word to me. It really really help”  How should you respond? Well, you should say something like, “Praise the Lord. God is at work.” In doing so, you would be affirming that it's not you, but God who is at work. Paul is essentially responding in that way. He says up in verses 1 and 2, we are not commending ourselves. We don't need, as some do, letters of recommendation. Apparently, some of these “super apostles” had letters that somehow qualified them. “Here's my letter. Corinthians, you must therefore listen to me.” But Paul's response is totally different. It's like he is saying, “Do you know where to find the highest credentials for our ministry? It's not a piece of paper written with ink. No, instead, look in the mirror. Corinthians, you are our letter of recommendation! God has changed your heart through his Spirit. We were merely agents of God's work in Corinth. Look at the amazing thing that God has done in transforming you, a people for himself. It is not our work. No. It is God's work through us and in you by his Spirit.” Suppose you were applying for a job. And you wanted to work for some kind of discipleship ministry organization. Like maybe our denomination's discipleship agency. Of course, that organization is going to ask you for letters of recommendation. Well, there's someone in your church that you have discipled for years. In fact, let's say, God used you in his life to share the hope and forgiveness of Christ. He responded to that by professing faith in Christ. And since then, you've been walking alongside of him in his journey of faith. And so, you ask him to write a letter of reference for you. Of course, he agrees. He would be honored to do so. But instead of writing a letter, he gets in his car; he drives over to the ministry, and he meets with the director. He explains that his own life is a testimony of God's work through you. He didn't want to write a letter. No, instead, he wanted to be a living letter because God through his Spirit had changed his heart. And with tears, he explains how God used you to bring the message of salvation in Christ to him. And how since then, you have walked with him to further disciple him in Christ. Wouldn't that be a powerful living letter of recommendation? Paul is saying that the Corinthians themselves are living letters of recommendation. And the credentials are not in Paul's work. No, the greatest credentials come through the work of God in Christ, through his Spirit, who has transformed them. Look again at what he says in verse 3. “And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God...” You see, Paul and Titus and Timothy… and the others who were ministering to the Corinthians were the true ministers of God. And it was not because of anything that Paul or Titus or Timothy were doing in and of themselves. They were being faithful to ministry God's Word. The true testimony of their ministry was that the Spirit of God was working in them and through them. The Corinthian's hearts had been transformed. The Corinthians were their letters of recommendation from Christ. These living letters were not written with ink but instead, the Spirit wrote God's truth and grace on their hearts. So, to summarize point 1. God is the one who commissioned Paul and the others. God is therefore the one through whom they find their sufficiency. It is God's work. And the proof is found as God ministers through his Spirit. As we minister to one another, it is not our work. Rather it is the Holy Spirit's work. He transforms us and we then become living letters of recommendation 2. Written by the Spirit of the Living Lord (God's new covenant promise with us) Ok, Number 2 – main point number 2. Written by the Spirit of the Living Lord. Let me put 1 and 2 together. We are living letters written by the Spirit of the living Lord. I've essentially already said that. That's because these two points overlap. You see, the reason that Paul can stake his credentials on God's work through his Spirit is simple. It's how God works. In other words, if the way God works is through his Spirit and not the law, then that reality ought to be reflected in Paul's ministry. Before we get into the details, briefly look at verse 6. Paul states that God made them sufficient “to be ministers of a new covenant.” If they are ministers of a new covenant, then of course, their ministry will reflect that new covenant. There are a couple things to unpack here. But the first thing I want you to notice is that Paul takes his analogy of a letter, and he extends it to speak of the law. He had just used the example of a letter of recommendation, which would be written in ink. But then he applies the analogy to the letter of the law. You can see that at the end of verse 3. The Holy Spirit is writing and it says this: “not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.” What were the tablets of stone? The law. The 10 commandments. God engraved the 10 commandments on two tablets of stone. So, in other words, at the heart of the distinction between letters written with ink and letters written on hearts, is the difference between the law and the Spirit. The law (meaning God's law) does not and cannot change hearts. It can merely reveal someone's heart. In fact, the law often does the opposite. It often hardens hearts. In his own life, before coming to faith in Christ, the apostle Paul exemplified this. You see, before God changed Paul's heart, everything was about the law. Paul was a pharisee. Pharisees even made laws on top of laws to help keep the law. And none of it worked. That is because, the law cannot change hearts. I've used the analogy of a mirror before. But I think it's very helpful, so I want to share it again. God's moral law, in one sense, is like a mirror. Kids, let's say you were outside playing. It had just rained like last night, and so you got pretty dirty. When you came inside, your mom told you to get cleaned up. So, you went in the bathroom. You looked in the mirror. And you noticed that you were pretty dirty. What would happen if you tried to clean your face by rubbing it on the mirror? Well it's not going to work. In fact, it's just going to make a mess. Why? Because the mirror cannot clean you. It can only show you that you are dirty. Rather, what you need is soap and water. In a similar way, God's law cannot cleanse you. Rather, you need the cleansing work of Christ which God applies to you through the Holy Spirit. That is what the end of verse 6 means. Paul mentions they are ministers of a new covenant, and then says, “not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.” The letter kills. He's talking about the letter of the law. If you are trying to justify yourself by keeping the letter of the law, you will fall short. It cannot save you. I want to make something clear. Paul is not saying that the law is evil! He's not saying that the law is bad and the Spirit is good. No. God's law is good. It's perfect. It' right and true. It reveals the very nature of God in his holiness and goodness. It points us to Christ in the sense that is shows us our need for him just like a mirror. And furthermore, once we know Christ and trust in him, God's law directs us how to honor him in our lives. It's not bad versus good. Rather, death is what happens if we are seeking to be justified by the law. The letter of the law kills, but the Spirit brings life. I think Ezekiel's prophecy in chapter 36 is helpful as we consider this. We read it earlier the service. God said through Ezekiel. “I will give you a new heart…. I will take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues.” What a powerful image. Your heart and my heart are like stone. We were all spiritually dead. And the only way we can come alive is if God, through his Spirit, bring us to new life by giving us a new heart. Do you see how this ties to Paul's credentials? Paul's ministry was not to tell people that if they kept the law, they would be saved. No, Paul's ministry was quite the opposite. His ministry was to show them that they could not fulfill the law. Instead, they needed a new heart. They needed faith in the one who could keep the law for them. Faith in Christ. In verse 6, Paul calls this ministry the ministry of the “new covenant.” Implied, of course, is that there is also an old covenant. Let me say, the rest of chapter 3 compares these two covenants. Both are connected and they both are about God's promises to his people… and how he fulfills them. Just to give you a brief summary, central to the old covenant was the ministry of the law. The old covenant revealed sin and it pointed forward to Christ in different ways. The new covenant is the fulfillment of what was promised in the old. Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed the law and fulfilled all the promises in the old. The new covenant is the ministry of the Holy Spirit, because he applies the ministry of Christ to us by faith. There's a lot there and we'll work through it next week. But I wanted to at least give you an introduction since Paul mentionmed the new covenant. Well, let's end by going back to the opening question. Who is sufficient for these things?  Paul's sufficiency as a minister comes from God alone. It is God's work, through his Spirit, in the lives of the Corinthians. That is why they are living letters of recommendation. And why is this important? Because if God's purposes are fulfilled through the work of God's Spirit, then Paul's ministry absolutely needs to reflect God's purposes. In a similar way, our ministry to one another should reflect the work of God's Spirit in Christ. We should not be hammers trying to chisel God's moral law onto each other. Rather, we should be conduits of God's grace. We should be ministering the grace of God in Christ to one another. As we see sin in each other, yes, we should go to our brothers and sisters. That is part of our ministry to one another.  We should direct each other to pursue God and his commands because of what Jesus has done for us. We do that knowing that God transforms our hearts through his Spirit. He is the one who applies the work of God in Christ to each of us. Because the letter kills, but Spirit gives life. May we each be living letters of recommendation for one another… as we see the Spirit of the Living God at work in each of us. Amen

In Episode 430 of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse begin their exploration of Paul's letter to the Colossians, focusing on Colossians 1:1–12. This section introduces the key themes of the epistle, including faith, hope, love, and the transformative power of the Gospel. The hosts emphasize that the Gospel is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, both globally and within the lives of believers, demonstrating the sufficiency of Christ in all things. They also discuss the importance of spiritual wisdom and understanding, which enable believers to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. The episode highlights Paul's unique relationship with the Colossian church, which he had not personally visited, and how his prayer for the church reflects his deep concern for their growth in faith. Tony and Jesse explore the central message of Colossians: Christ is sufficient for salvation, sanctification, and the restoration of all things. They unpack how faith, hope, and love are interconnected in the Christian life, focusing on how hope in the inheritance laid up in heaven empowers believers to love others and grow in faith. Listeners are encouraged to trust in the transformative work of the Gospel, which not only redeems individuals but also restores creation. The hosts remind us of the importance of hearing, understanding, and trusting the Gospel, as well as living it out through a life worthy of the Lord. This episode is a rich dive into the theological truths and practical implications of Paul's opening words to the Colossians. Key Points: The Sufficiency of Christ: Paul's letter emphasizes that Christ is sufficient for salvation, sanctification, and the restoration of all things. There is no need for anything beyond Christ to save or transform believers. Faith, Hope, and Love: These virtues are central to the Christian life. Paul highlights the hope laid up in heaven as the foundation for the Colossians' faith and love, which are outward expressions of their relationship with Christ. The Gospel's Power to Bear Fruit: The Gospel is described as constantly bearing fruit and increasing, both in the world and in individual believers. This demonstrates the active, transformative power of God's Word. Spiritual Wisdom and Understanding: Paul prays for the Colossians to be filled with spiritual wisdom and understanding, which enables them to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and to bear fruit in every good work. Questions for Reflection: How does the hope laid up in heaven impact the way you live your daily life? In what ways have you experienced the Gospel bearing fruit and increasing in your own life? How can you grow in spiritual wisdom and understanding to better walk in a manner worthy of the Lord? What does it mean to you that Christ is sufficient for all aspects of salvation and sanctification? How do faith, hope, and love work together in your relationship with God and with others?

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 4 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 4 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 4 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 4 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 4 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 4 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 3 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 3 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 3 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 3 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 3 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 3 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 2 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 2 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 2 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 2 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 2 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today is Part 2 in our series, "One in Christ: Paul's Letter to the Ephesians"

Summary In this episode of Coffee & Christ, Robert Bolden shares his transformative journey through faith, emphasizing the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. He discusses personal growth, the significance of investing in oneself, and the role of community in evangelism. Highlighting Paul's tent-making ministry, he illustrates how living a Christ-centered life can impact others. The conversation culminates in a reflection on celebrating Jesus and the ongoing journey of faith. Takeaways Fill yourself up first to give from your overflow. Investing in personal growth reflects self-worth. Paul's tent-making was a strategy for evangelism. Modeling Christ's character is impactful in community. Community building is essential for spreading the gospel. Discipleship can happen in everyday interactions. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in transformation. Celebrate Jesus beyond the commercial aspects of Christmas. Reflect on the spirit of Christ's birth. Every day is an opportunity for transformation. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Tone 02:12 The Power of the Holy Spirit 04:40 Investing in Personal Growth 06:21 Paul's Tent-Making Ministry 09:03 Living a Christ-Transformed Life 11:12 Community Building and Discipleship 12:15 Conclusion and Reflection Join the Challenge: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vgrKpW2lT_-wiN2EhNd65w Ready to become part of the community? http://www.lifetransformed.podia.com, message us and we will give you free access. Check out our website:  http://www.life-transformed.com Schedule a serve call https://www.picktime.com/LifeTransformed Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bbolden18?igsh=cnlvdjQ5eGJwZTM%3D&utm_source=qr YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6sszulCUrjodEyThd-rBw Podcasts Join me live from Odd's Cafe here in Asheville…  message me for the exact time.  https://www.oddscafe.com/

Part 4 Whenever the doctrine of the Trinity comes under enemy fire, it is a direct assault upon the persons of the Godhead and thus a direct assault on God Himself.  The Apostle John understood this when in his day he contended earnestly for the verity of the Christian faith against an early form of Gnosticism called Docetism.  John shot it straight and made no bones, saying, “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also” (1 Jn. 2:23).  Meddle with the Son and you meddle with the Father; deny a cardinal tenet of Christ's nature, and you lose the Father in the process!  You cannot have it both ways and yet the irony is, the cults insist you can.  Whether it be Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, or Christadelphians, each attack the deity of the Son of God, stripping Him of His eternal glory while at the same time insisting that they still have the Father!  Concerning the person of Christ, Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is a created spirit not differing in substance to an angel.  They believe and teach that there was a time when the blessed Son of God was not!   In part 4 of this teaching series, we confront this error and present Biblical evidence proving the deity of Christ. Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/4_The_Deity_of_Christ.pdf

Review: • The Commander • The Commanded • The Liberty • The Liar • The Curse • The Christ - Paul keeps Jesus front and center. Jesus is his main focus, but Paul reminds the Corinthians and us about Satan's strategies: • II Corinthians 2:11 • II Corinthians 11:14 • II Corinthians 12:7— THE WEAPON IS THE WORD - Matthew 4:1-11I. Be Compassionate - 10:1II. Be Courageous - 10:2III. Be Competent - 10:3-5IV. Be Confident - 10:6 1. We walk in the flesh 2. We don't war in the flesh 3. The Weapons of our Warfare • They are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses • They destroy speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God • We can take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ • We are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete

Ephesians

Synopsis: The kingdom of God is a Kingdom of rightly ordered loves. Paul and the Philippian's affections are shaped by the Lord Jesus Christ. They affections are positive, mediatorial, grateful, hopeful and unified. The Love of God shapes Paul's affections and flows through Paul outward toward his fellow citizens. This is the Mind of Christ Paul wants to remind the Philippians about. Sermon Text: Philippians 1:3-8

Synopsis: The kingdom of God is a Kingdom of rightly ordered loves. Paul and the Philippian's affections are shaped by the Lord Jesus Christ. They affections are positive, mediatorial, grateful, hopeful and unified. The Love of God shapes Paul's affections and flows through Paul outward toward his fellow citizens. This is the Mind of Christ Paul wants to remind the Philippians about. Sermon Text: Philippians 1:3-8

Proverbs 20:5-14, 2 Chronicles 5:2-7:10, 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1. There is no greater example in human history than the example of Christ Paul writes, ‘Follow *my* example, as *I follow the example of Christ*' (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Proverbs 20:5-9, 2 Chronicles 6:7-21, 7:1-3, 1 Corinthians 11:14-33, 11:1. There is no greater example in human history than the example of Christ Paul writes, ‘Follow *my* example, as *I follow the example of Christ*' (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Proverbs 20:5-9, 2 Chronicles 6:7-21, 7:1-3, 1 Corinthians 10:14-33, 11:1. There is no greater example in human history than the example of Christ Paul writes, ‘Follow *my* example, as *I follow the example of Christ*' (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Paul tells the Roman church why he decided to send them such a long letter:  The Roman church was solid in faith but they needed reminders The book of Romans is one of the most influential books of the Bible Paul is the Gentile preacher, even though he initially didn't want to be Why every Christian is called to be an evangelist, even if you don't have the gift of evangelism Why Christians should never be arrogant or boastful   Hey! Don't leave before looking at other P40 stuff:   YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6493869  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

Jesus is the Supreme Example we all are to follow. His pastors & deacons should be next in line. “Consider their faith” - Hebrews 13:7 The Head of the Church is the greatest example for the Church in every way. Jesus is the Model Shepherd; The Model Servant; The Model Evangelist; The Model Discipler; and The Model Missionary (He set the strategy from day one) I. God's New Testament Pastors: 1. Their Calling, Character, & Content 2. Their Heart, Soul, Mind, & Motive - 3. Their personal, church, home life - 4. Their Watching (oversight), Working (serving), and Worshipping (believing & bowing) • ABLE TO TEACH - The Word of God (II Timothy 2:15: 3:16-17; 4:1-4) • REPUTATION WITH OUTSIDERS - II. God's Pastors: Community Contact 1. Those “outside” of Christ matter 2. There is to be a focus on those outside of Christ (Acts 2:42-47)3. Other Scriptures focus on those outside of Christ - Paul & Peter 4. I Corinthians 5:12-13a 5. Ephesians 5:15-16 6. Philippians 2:14-16 7. Colossians 4:5-6 8.

In Today's episode is my interview with Paul M. Neuberger – the man who never sleeps! He is the founder & CEO of C-Suite For Christ which has chapters across the US and an international following.  Paul is a keynote speaker of many topics like “Everybody's An Entrepreneur”, “Insane Productivity”, “Overcoming Fear” the author of the book “The Secrets To Cold Call Success” and he does Sales Development training.  Stop believing lies of fear, anxiety and doubt. Don't surround yourself with talent but instead with passion. These people will knock down doors. Many leaders are concerned with the impossibility of pleasing everyone. Ultimately, the responsibility rests with you. It's a long podcast but worth it - check it out now! 

Unity, Stability and Maturity in The Body of Christ - God is accomplishing it through the building of the Five-Fold Ministry. Jesus gave us Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers, representing His own ministry. We are shifting from a One-Man Ministry to a Five-Fold Ministry - the divine wisdom of God, and He is restoring it in the Earth today. It is for the equipping of the saints for the work of service for the building up of the body of Christ. We're familiar with Pastors and Shepherds. The body of Christ has been over-pastored and under fathered, which is why we have a culture of being a nursery and not an army. We have tried to build the church in our own wisdom and have built an atmosphere of immaturity in the body. God is waking us up, and changing how we have perceived church, and He's calling us back into His Word. Ephesians 4:7-16 NASB 1995 Visit Paul T. Ministry at https://www.paultjohnson.org/ The Roads Church: https://theroads.church

So I don't travel often, but when I do, I almost always pack my running shoes. And that's because one of my favorite things to do whenever I first arrive somewhere, is throw on some shorts, lace up my running shoes, and then go jogging around for a while to try and get the lay of the land. And as I do, I'm just sorta taking note of things that might be worth checking out more in the days ahead. I'm basically making an itinerary for the trip as I go. And, most of the time, it works well. This last March, we we're visiting my grandma in Florida. And, per usual, just as soon as we'd arrived, unpacked, got the kids settled in, I took off for a run. It wasn't good. See, I'd forgotten, we were in Florida, on a beach, in mid-march — Spring Break was everywhere and in full throttle. And guys, I was just sad about the kinds of things I was seeing as I was making my loop around town. Like nothing, and I mean nothing of what I was seeing, was going down on the itinerary. It just felt like sin, emptiness, depravity everywhere, and ten minutes in, I was more than ready to turn around and escape the moral garbage that I was running through.When, all of a sudden, I heard it: “In Christ alone, my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song...” I'd just come around a corner, and there, sitting on a bench to my right in the middle of this little walkway area, was a man and a woman, sitting together, singing worship songs. They had a, “Free bottles of water” sign and the woman was passing ‘em out to the people who were walking by, starting up conversations with them as she did, while the man just kept on strumming his guitar and signing some of the very same songs we sing here every Sunday. And guys, everything in that moment changed. Like, it was as if someone had suddenly turned on the light. I began to remember: These people were made by my father. That ocean, right over there — massive as it is — my God measured its depths in his hand, and assigned to its waves their boundaries. That delicious food coming out of that restaurant over there. The God who I worship provided that food for the people of this world to eat. More and more these little glimpses of beauty and goodness just kept popping up the more I began to really look around. And look, my eyes weren't closing to the realities around me. I wasn't playing pretend. The darkness was still very much around me in that moment — thick, even palpable. And yet, so was the light. Because I was being reminded: Yes, this world has been subjected to futility (Rom. 8:20) and cursed is the ground due to human sin (Gen. 3:17), but even still, Psalm 19:1-3 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”Yes — ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, people have been born as children of wrath and dead in our sins. As humans, we're now, by nature, sons of disobedience. Even still, God knits us together in our mother's wombs, fearfully and wonderfully made are we. In his image, he has made us.We live in a dark and depraved world — no denying that. Even still, it is our Father's world. In our text for this morning, we're being called not to dissociate from the world, not to bury our heads in the sand, but look out into God's world, and fasten our minds upon the things we see there that are yet still pleasing to him. Why should we think about these things?Let's go to our passage together. Philippians 4:8-9. Look at it with me. You'll note right away that the layout of our text this morning is fairly simple. Really, it can be summed up in two words — Think and Practice. Verse 8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Verse 9,“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”So think and practice. We're going to spend the bulk of our time on think, since the quality of our practice is so reliant upon how we think. Now, here's the question I want us to ask regarding, “Think about these things” in verse 8: Why is it that we should think about these things? Look with me at verse 8. We see the list of virtues (whatever is true, honorable, just, and so on). We see we're told to think about them (“Think about these things”). We don't see why. It just says do it — “think about these things”. And that's okay, because this exhortation comes near the end of this letter. A letter which has already said much about thinking, and why thinking matters. We want the reason for why we should think about these things. All we've got to do is to look back in the letter to find it. Look back with me for a moment at chapter 1, to a verse we preached through back in January — Philippians 1:9,“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment.” See it there? It is my prayer that you Philippians will grow in knowledge (content that accords with truth, I want you to have more of it up here) and all discernment (the ability to evaluate, discern, the things out there) — that's a lot of thinking right? Knowledge and discernment? Verse 10, “So that, you may approve what is excellent.” So that, you might be able look out in the world and assign proper approval — that, that right there, is excellent! All those things over there are not, but that right here, that is excellent. I approve of that thing as excellent.Now, stay here in 1:9, while we consider its overlap with 4:8. 1:9 says, I want you to be able to approve what is excellent. 4:8, I want you to think about, among other things, what is excellent. Approve what is excellent…think about what is excellent.What we've got here are basically bookends to the letter — first few lines, approve what is excellent. Last few lines, think about what is excellent. So, given the overlap, the similarity, let's take our question from 4:8 — Why should we think about these things, such as whatever is excellent? — and see if we can't find our answer here in 1:9-10. “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve what is excellent [take note of what is excellent, set your mind on what is excellent], and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”Do you see it? The practice of approving what is excellent, setting your mind on what is excellent, leads to being pure and blameless. Thinking leads to being. Think this way about this thing, and you'll become more this way. Think about whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, excellent, and so on and you'll become, more and more truthful, honorable, just, pure, excellent and so on. Thinking leads to being. Whatever you set your mind upon, there your character will follow. We live in a world that doesn't think about these thingsAnd, my brothers and sisters, that cuts both ways. We see this over in Romans — the devasting results of setting ones mind not on what is true, honorable and so on, but on what is foolish. Romans 1:21, reads “although they knew God, [speaking of humanity as a whole] they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking (Hear it? they didn't set their mind on God and his goodness, but turned away into futile thinking), and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise they became fools.” Therefore, if setting one's mind on what is true, honorable, just, and so on, leads to being true, honorable, just and so on, what does setting one's mind on what is foolish and futile lead to? Rom. 1:24, “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie.” Thinking leads to being. Whatever you set your mind upon, there your character will follow. Here in Romans 1 we have the exact inverse of Philippians 4:8 — an exchange of the truth of God for a lie, which results in hearts given over to impurity, not purity. Bodies given over to dishonor, not honor. Thinking leads to being. Whatever you set your mind upon, there your character will follow.Now, here's where things get complicated. Because in reality, what the city of Philippi looked like at the time of Paul's exhortation to, “Think about these things”, and what our own city looks like currently at our time of reading the exhortation to “Think about these things” is not a bunch of people walking around saying, “Hey, let's set our minds on what is untrue, dishonorable, unjust. Doesn't that sound good? Let's live for dishonor, dishonor, and injustice!” There may be a few of those people out in the world, but the average person out on the street is not saying that. But what they are saying is things like: “Hey, justice is giving a woman the legal right to choose whether or not to end her pregnancy. That's just. It'd be unjust to force her to keep her pregnancy. You don't want to be unjust, do you?” Or “Hey, living with your girlfriend, living with your boyfriend, so long as you guys are dedicated to one another is honorable. Commendable. You don't want to discredit what's honorable, do you?” Or “Hey, what's true for you is true for you. What's true for me is true for me. We ought to celebrate each person's personal truth. Is that true?”And this is the world you and I live in. That's the air we breathe. That's what's preached in the workplace. That's what's proclaimed in the neighborhood. Everywhere we look, labels of virtue are being stamped upon vices. It is a confusing world to live in as a Christian. Think About These Things In Our WorldSo, wouldn't it be easier just to avoid it? Or ignore it — Close our eyes and pretend it's really not all that bad? Yes, it would be easier. But that's not what God calls us to. Instead, what he calls instead, right here in Phil. 4:8, is to do the prayer-dependent, community-counseled, Holy Spirit led, hard work of looking out into the world with eyes of discernment, and setting our minds upon what we find there that is yet still pleasing to God.So, minds active and aware, let's turn over some of the virtues we see in the list from 4:8, and ask what setting our minds upon them might look like in our world. What are these things that we are to think about?whatever is TrueThe first virtue in the list is truth, “Whatever is true…”The person devoid of God, distant from God exchanges the truth for a lie (Romans 1). Don't go along with that exchange, keep a firm mental grip on what is true. So, your professor's moving along in a lecture and talking about how all of life is a result of evolutionary processes. Whether there's a God or not cannot really be known. Humans, therefore, are the masters of their fate and captains of their souls. And you're over there thinking, “That's not true. In fact, I worship the God who spoke this world into being and who is, in this very moment, upholding the world by the word of his power (Heb. 1:3). So you discard what's being said, and keep moving.Your professor begins to talk about how all humans have innate worth and value. And how we need to respect everyone as having innate worth and value. You think, “I've no idea how you support that claim. But its true. All humans have innate worth and value. What you just said is true!Your neighbor says Christianity is hateful and judgmental. And anyone who believes the Bible is trustworthy is in error. Not true. Discard. Depending on the situation, maybe respond with why it is that you believe in God and the truthfulness of his word.Later on in the day, your neighbor, seeing you out in the yard, reflects, “My, isn't summertime such a gift!” You say, yes, it's true, summertime is a gift. There's more to be said about the Giver of the gift. For now, though, yes, what you said is true — summertime is a gift.Really that's the kind of thing we're aiming for: A mind active and aware, looking out into the world with discernment, and choosing to fasten in upon what's found there that is yet still pleasing to God.Now, I'll admit, these two examples of the professor and the neighbor — they're fairly straightforward. Not all of them are — we can imagine situations that are far less clear — is this good, is it not? Should I set my mind here, should I not? But the reason I chose examples which are more on the “clear” side of things, is because I actually think most of what we see and hear out in the world — is over there on the clear side of things. Like, the vast majority of the time, it's fairly clear — this is honoring to God, and therefore good. This is dishonoring to God, and therefore bad. But where the difficulty comes in is actually being aware of what our mind is doing as we see and hear our world. I mean, isn't it the case that we often fail to notice the subtle shifts going on in our minds day after day after day? Monday: this thing is totally false. Tuesday: this thing is very false. Wednesday: This thing is fairly false. Thursday: I think this thing is false. Friday: they're all saying it's not false. But true. Saturday: The experts out there say its objectively true. Sunday: on your way to church. Is it true? The difficulty is being aware of, and vigilant over, what our minds are doing day in, day out, as we see and hear our world. Take the second virtue in our list as an example:whatever is HonorableWhatever is honorable. I think we can add in commendable, and worthy of praise here as well. All three have this component of receiving outward affirmation. Other people honor things, commend things, praise things. Now, you're in the grocery store checkout aisle. There is a mom in front of you, you can tell she's tired, and she's got kids tugging on her arms, and she's got a cart full of vegetables, fruits, hearty loaves of bread, meat. I mean, this isn't all pop tarts and lunchables — like this woman is going to have to prepare this food. It's going to require her time, energy — selflessness, giving the extra effort to ensure her kids are getting some good, healthy food.To this woman's right is a rack of magazines, one of which features on its cover, another woman. She doesn't look tired, no kids tugging on her arm, she's just standing there, clothed and posed so as to lure eyes and enflame lusts. Now, which woman in this scene is doing the honorable thing? The praiseworthy thing? It's not a difficult question! The difficulty is in recognizing where your eyes and your mind has been all this time you've been sitting in line in the grocery checkout aisle. Has your mind been set on what, right there in front of you, is honorable? Or, on what to your right, is dishonorable? Brothers and sisters, we need to literally be listening to Paul's voice ringing in our ears throughout the day: Set your mind on these things.Whatever is JustThird in our list of virtues is just. Now, I'd like to suggest that this is the virtue we most need God's word to train and direct us in. This is the virtue we least intuitively understand — justice. My evidence is the fact that as Christians, not talking non-Christians here, as Christians, we often question God's sense of justice… Hell for eternity? The flood killed everyone but Noah and his family? God led his people in the conquest of Canaan? I mean, who hasn't been bothered by Jesus' parable of the vineyard workers — he gets paid just as much as me though I worked eight more hours than he did? If any of these virtues requires the most Bible-saturated training, I'd suggest it is this one. Friends, God determines what is just. Whatever is pureFourth, whatever is pure. The idea here is untainted. Clean. You might think: something that, were I to have seen it back in the Garden of Eden, this is the way it would've looked. Pure.Children are a good example of this. Now, don't mishear me: Children sin. They're born with sin. And yet, their childlikeness, at least in terms of the way Jesus referred to their childlikeness, do have a kind of purity to them. They're just fine asking for help, not concerned about their pride. They're just fine not doing their hair or dressing up a certain way — they're not ashamed of their appearance. They're curious about the world. Hopeful about the future. Not ignoring their sin, which is real, but children do have a purity about them we ought to appreciate and give God thanks for. In fact, kids, thank you for being kids — we give God thanks for you. Whatever is lovelyLast, whatever is lovely. We already paired commendable with honorable. And “If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,” more or less join hands around this entire list of virtues in a sort of summary form. So, whatever is lovely. The idea is pleasing, or agreeable. The kind of thing that could even catch you off guard and make you think, “ah, isn't that nice?” A beautiful melody. Smell of fresh-baked bread. A young man helping an old woman cross the street. A sunset. Loveliness. It's there, we just got to see it, and set our minds upon it.So those are the things we're to look for, brothers and sisters. The terms, definitions, Paul's laid them all out for us to consider. But then in verse 9, he changes course a bit. Still on the lookout for these virtues, but he goes from those virtues in abstract form, and brings them down into the concrete examples. “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.” Not just theoretical anymore, but concrete examples. What you've actually seen and experienced in me during our time spent together, put ‘em into practice out there. Here's where I'll suggest: If you're sitting here this morning thinking, “I have no idea how to discern what's really true, honorable, just out there. Like it's really hard for me, at times, to know what, as a Christian to enjoy, what, as a Christian, to avoid.” The terms, definitions of truth, justice, purity, loveliness just aren't landing for you. Get some time with others in this church. Others who've perhaps been Christians for longer. Watch as they put theoretical into concrete examples for you, at work, at home, at the coffee shop. Then, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in them” consider putting it into practice. As you do, like our text says, the God of peace will be with you. Now, this is what's cool. We're going to close here. I've got just one more item for us to consider. Paul says, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things.” Well, what exactly is it that we've learned, received, heard, seen in Paul in this letter? Like, we're nearing the end of the letter, Paul's saying, “Hey, what you've seen in me, put it into practice. What have we seen in him? I've got four things that we can see in Paul in this letter. Four things for us, as a church, to practice.Practice These ThingsFirst, most obvious, Paul is a Jesus worshiper. A Jesus worshiper. Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ” … 1:23 “My desire is to depart and be with Christ” … 3:7-8, “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ”Paul is a Jesus worshiper.Second, Paul is a Joyful Servant. A joyful servant. Philippians 1:1, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.” That's the title he ascribed to himself: Servant of Christ. Phil. 1:3, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,” It's his joy to serve them through prayer. Phil. 2:17, “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” Even if he's got to die in his service to them, he will yet rejoice. Paul is a Joyful Servant.Third, Generous Discipler. Generous discipler.Philippians 1:23-25, “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.” For Paul, more life simply means more giving of his life for the spiritual progress of others. Paul is a Generous Discipler.Fourth and finally, Welcoming Witness. A welcoming witness. Philippians 1:12-13, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” You talk about welcoming witness? How about welcoming the guards who are shackling your hands and feet together, and saying, “Hey, so long as you're here, let me tell you about Jesus.” Paul is a Welcoming Witness.What have we “learned and received and heard and seen” in Paul in this letter that we ought to practice? He is a Jesus worshiper, a joyful servant, a generous discipler, and a welcoming witness.So, how about it? How about as a church family, we go on that journey together, onward, eyes on what is good, and putting into practice, the identities of being Jesus worshipers, joyful servants, welcoming witnesses, and generous disciplers?The TableWell, Jesus, the one whom we worship, is also the perfectly joyful servant. And as we come to this table, we're reminded of his ultimate act of service to us — enduring the cross, in our place, and for the joy set before him. That's what this bread and this cup are here to remind us of. So, if you're here today and you've trusted in Jesus, we invite you to take and eat with us. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the elements pass, but we pray you would, in this moment, receive Jesus, become a worshiper of him.

May 19, 2024  GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCHNeil McClendon, Lead PastorThe Power of ConnectionActs 17:1-91. Connect with people, v. 1Gospel capacity + Gospel responsibility = Gospel experiences2. Connect people to the story of God, v. 2-3Helpful verbs in telling the Story of God…a) reasoning- to mingle thought with thoughtb) explaining- to cause one to open their mind  c) proving- to place evidence before3. Connect people to the intellectual integrity of the Faith, v. 3-4Two things Paul labored to prove...1) that Christ had to suffer a) because sin must be punished b) because God must be understood to as holy2) that Christ had to rise from the dead  a) the resurrection proves the deity of Christ“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord…”                - Romans 1:1-4 b)  the resurrection affirms God's acceptance of Jesus' death in your place and for your sins4. Connect people to the King, v. 5-9Mental worship…How comfortable are you in having a Gospel conversation? When is the last time you had what you would consider a “Gospel experience?”Do you know the Story of God or just some stories from the Bible? How would you summarize the story of God in thirty seconds? How would you explain to someone the difference in being religious or “spiritual” and actually having a relationship with God?

About one hundred years after the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians another man by the name of Polycarp served as Bishop of the church in Smyrna, located about 35 miles north of Ephesus, was arrested and sentenced to death for his refusal to worship the gods of the Roman empire. At eighty-six years old, Polycarp was the last surviving person to have known an apostle, for he was discipled by the apostle John. He was greatly revered as a teacher and church leader; he also had suffered the loss of many friends who had gone before him through the death of martyrdom. Although Polycarp heard that the Roman authorities were looking for him so that they could arrest him, he was at peace with whatever was coming. Three days before his arrest, Polycarp had a vision, while praying, of a pillow under his head that was on fire; he understood his vision to be prophetic concerning the way he would die. Polycarp said to his friends, I will be burned alive. It is said when the authorities finally did find the place Polycarp was staying to arrest him, they came with all of their weapons, and while he could have escaped, Polycarp responded to his friends: Gods will be done. When the Roman authorities stepped into the house where Polycarp was staying, he called for food and drinks for the men and asked if they could give him an hour to pray uninterrupted; to which they agreed. It is said that some of the men who were there to arrest the 86-year-old church leader, regretted it. Polycarp was made to ride a donkey and was ushered into the arena; some witnesses said they heard a voice from heaven say, Be strong, Polycarp and play the man! When the crowd saw Polycarp enter the arena, witnesses say there was an uproar as people shouted: Down with the Atheists! (this is what Christians were called because they did not worship the gods of the Roman Empire). While the crowd demanded death for the old saint, the Proconsul urged him to, reproach Christ, and I will set you free. To which Polycarp declared: 86 years I have served him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me? The Proconsul continued: Swear by the Fortune of Caesar. To which Polycarp again replied: Since you vainly think that I will swear by the Fortune of Caesar, as you say, and pretend not to know who I am, listen carefully: I am a Christian! They sentenced Polycarp to death by burning. They were going to nail him to the stake, but Polycarp insisted, Leave me like this. He who gives me to endure the fire will also give me to remain on the pyre without your security from the nails. So, they did not nail him to the stake, but did tie him to it. As they prepared to light the fire, Polycarps prayer could be heard: O Lord God Almighty, the Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of you, the God of angels, powers and every creature, and of all the righteous who live before you, I give you thanks that you count me worthy to be numbered among your martyrs, sharing the cup of Christ and the resurrection to eternal life, both of soul and body, through the immortality of the Holy Spirit. May I be received this day as an acceptable sacrifice, as you, the true God, have predestined, revealed to me, and now fulfilled. I praise you for all these things, I bless you and glorify you, along with the everlasting Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. To you, with him, through the Holy Ghost, be glory both now and forever. Amen.[1] Because the fire did not seem to touch his body, an executioner was commanded to stab him. Polycarp died about 100 years after the apostle Paul wrote these words that are before us in 2024: To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. (Eph. 3:812) There are three truths in the scripture passage before us related to the mystery of God that I want to highlight for your good, and to your encouragement this morning. Gods Plan is Great (vv. 8-9) Since the Garden of Eden, and even before time, the plan has always been the redemption of mankind through a second and greater Adam, a more permanent and perfect sacrifice, a greater Moses who mediates a New Covenant. The greater Adam, the more permanent and perfect sacrifice, and the One greater than Moses who mediates a New Covenant is Jesus; however, it was not clear in ages past who or what the mystery was until Jesus was born. This is the mystery Paul is talking about in Ephesians, and this is the point of the opening verses of Hebrews: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:13) This is the point of what the resurrected Christ said to the apostle John at the beginning of the book of Revelation: When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 1:17-18). Of this Jesus, Paul wrote: To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things (Eph. 3:89). Paul had become the recipient of the unfathomable riches of Christ for the purpose of sharing the news that the very same grace is available to all who would receive it by faith through Christ. This is the mission of the Church! Jesus said of His followers who make up His Church: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-14). For salt to serve its purpose, it must be applied; the greatest need for the light, is where it is dark. Gods plan has always been for His people to serve as the salt of the earth and the light of the world! Adam and Eve were commanded to fill the earth with people like them who worshiped God. Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests to light up the darkness of the nations and people groups who surrounded them. Regardless of the failure of Adam and Eve or the failures of the Hebrew people, God promised: For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of Armies (Mal. 1:11). Jesus would make Gods plan possible, and He would do it through His Church (Matt. 18:19-20), and Jesus promised, I will build my church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it (Matt. 16:18). The heart of Gods perspective plan for the redemption of the nations is that He will do it through the Church. Polycarp understood this, the apostle Paul was convinced of this, and the Church can stand on this truth! It is for the mission of God that we were made for, and it is for the mission of God that God chose you before the foundation of the world, redeemed you through the blood of the Lamb, and sealed you with the Holy Spirit so that you can live out your purpose with power (see Eph. 2:10)! Now, we who have been redeemed by Christ, can enter into the darkness of a rotten world with the full confidence that we go with the One whom God the Father, put all things in subjection under His feet and made Him head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:20-23). Gods Motive is Central (v. 10) What is the motive of God? Why did he redeem a people through His Son? Is it only because we are, His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph. 2:10)? We are given clues as to why He chose, redeemed, and sealed us throughout Ephesians; Paul tells us three times in the first fourteen verses: To the praise of the glory of His grace (v. 6), to the praise of His glory (v. 12), and to the praise of His glory (v. 14). And now, in Ephesians 3:10, we are told again: so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. So, what is the multifaced wisdom of God that is being made known through the church? It obviously has something to do with the way God redeemed the church: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us (1:7-8a). However, note how Gods wisdom is used in 1 Corinthians regarding the way he saved sinners: For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). But wait, there is more: For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no human may boast before God. But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. (1 Cor. 1:2631) Do you see it? Do you see now what Paul is saying in Ephesians 3:10? The thing that God has done in your life Christian, from choosing you before the foundation of the world (1:4), to the redemption of your soul through the blood of the Son (1:7-8), and the sealing of the Holy Spirit by the same power that raised Jesus from the grave (1:13, 19) is on display through you before the holy angels and the evil demons! The rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places is the realm of both the angelic and demonic. The angels see what God has done, is doing, and will do in you and they are blown away over the rich mercy, great love, and all-sufficient grace God has lavished upon you through Jesus the Son. We get a snapshot of the way the angels and all of heaven responds to what the Christian has received: Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (Rev. 5:12-14). The demons see the same thing the holy angels see, but they tremble as they look upon the power of God at work in you in great and terrifying fear. The cross that made our redemption possible serves as a reminder of Gods redemptive plan while it also serves to remind the demons that all evil has already been defeated at the cross; you Christian remind the demonic world that their final judgment is coming, and you will stand over them as the Bride of Christ in judgment over them (1 Cor. 6:1-3). Their response is certainly terrifying fear, but also violence towards the saints any chance they get. Polycarp experienced their worst, and although his hair was singed with fire, he was received by the Great and Good Shepard of the sheep with these words: Come Polycarp, you are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34). Gods motive is to display His glory through His people, and that is good news! Think about who God is. He is as good as it gets, there is none higher than Himself and the motive to glorify Himself is the motive to give you the greatest reality that has no equal, namely Himself! This is why when it comes to the salvation, redemption, and rescuing of His people, God is clear: For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another (Isa. 48:11). What this means is that when angels see you, they see the power of God on full display as He is committed to do the very thing He determined to do before the foundation of the world in and through you: In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:1112). The demonic see the same power on display in you, knowing that Gods rich mercy, great love, and sufficient grace is something they will never experience as they wait for Gods perfect justice, infinite wrath, and final judgment. So, when Polycarp and the countless others who suffered for the name of Christ, understood that because of their identity in Christ, the world could do its worst and still not a hair on the head of the one covered under the blood of the Lamb would perish (Luke 21:18). Gods Purpose is Eternal (vv. 11-13) As we inch our way closer to the conclusion of Ephesians 3, we come closer to the second half of this magnificent epistle. If there was a transitional statement to mark the shift from Ephesians 1-3 to Ephesians 4-6, it would be this: Now that you know who you are in Christ, let me explain who you are as the Church. In verses 11-12, Paul gives us a peek into what he will unpack in the second half of his epistle: This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. What is the This Paul is referring to in verse 11? It is the unfathomable riches of Christ Paul received and was commissioned to bring to the Gentiles through the foolishness of the Cross preached. It is the unfathomable riches of Christ that Polycarp was sentenced to death for preaching. It is the unfathomable riches of Christ that the Christian has received and also has been commissioned to bring to all peoples as the Church of Jesus Christ. Listen to me carefully: It is because you, Christian, have received the unfathomable riches of Christ that places you into a third category of a people group that transcends any people group you were physically born into, and that people group is the People of God and tethers you to both Old Testament saints and New Testament saints; it also tethers you to every other person who has received the unfathomable riches of Christ. This is also the mystery Paul is talking about, and this mystery includes the Bride of Jesus Christ, who is the Church! What this means is that the Church has been, is, and will continue to be, the eternal purpose which God carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord (v. 11). Christian, you are the Church and because you are the Church, Jesus is your Groom, and you are His Bride! Christian, you are the apple of the Redeemers eye, and this is why Paul could write that in Christ Jesus our Lord we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (v. 12). Oh dear Christian, do not think lightly of the people you are now joined to in faith through the Christ who not only suffered and died in your place, but shed His blood to redeem and purchase a Bride for Himself that now includes you! The Church is the Beloved Bride of Christ, which means the local expression of Her such as Meadowbrooke Church and thousands like Her is the way, that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known. In accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (vv. 10-12). Warren Wiersbes sage advice is a fitting way to conclude this sermon: This great truth concerning the church is not a divine afterthought. It is a part of Gods eternal purpose in Christ (Eph. 3:11). To ignore this truth is to sin against the Father who planned it, the Son whose death made it possible, and the Spirit who today seeks to work in our lives to accomplish what God has planned.[2] Amen. [1] John Foxe and The Voice of the Martyrs, Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs (Orlando, FL: The Voice of the Martyrs; 2007), 51-55. [2] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 30.

About one hundred years after the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians another man by the name of Polycarp served as Bishop of the church in Smyrna, located about 35 miles north of Ephesus, was arrested and sentenced to death for his refusal to worship the gods of the Roman empire. At eighty-six years old, Polycarp was the last surviving person to have known an apostle, for he was discipled by the apostle John. He was greatly revered as a teacher and church leader; he also had suffered the loss of many friends who had gone before him through the death of martyrdom. Although Polycarp heard that the Roman authorities were looking for him so that they could arrest him, he was at peace with whatever was coming. Three days before his arrest, Polycarp had a vision, while praying, of a pillow under his head that was on fire; he understood his vision to be prophetic concerning the way he would die. Polycarp said to his friends, I will be burned alive. It is said when the authorities finally did find the place Polycarp was staying to arrest him, they came with all of their weapons, and while he could have escaped, Polycarp responded to his friends: Gods will be done. When the Roman authorities stepped into the house where Polycarp was staying, he called for food and drinks for the men and asked if they could give him an hour to pray uninterrupted; to which they agreed. It is said that some of the men who were there to arrest the 86-year-old church leader, regretted it. Polycarp was made to ride a donkey and was ushered into the arena; some witnesses said they heard a voice from heaven say, Be strong, Polycarp and play the man! When the crowd saw Polycarp enter the arena, witnesses say there was an uproar as people shouted: Down with the Atheists! (this is what Christians were called because they did not worship the gods of the Roman Empire). While the crowd demanded death for the old saint, the Proconsul urged him to, reproach Christ, and I will set you free. To which Polycarp declared: 86 years I have served him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me? The Proconsul continued: Swear by the Fortune of Caesar. To which Polycarp again replied: Since you vainly think that I will swear by the Fortune of Caesar, as you say, and pretend not to know who I am, listen carefully: I am a Christian! They sentenced Polycarp to death by burning. They were going to nail him to the stake, but Polycarp insisted, Leave me like this. He who gives me to endure the fire will also give me to remain on the pyre without your security from the nails. So, they did not nail him to the stake, but did tie him to it. As they prepared to light the fire, Polycarps prayer could be heard: O Lord God Almighty, the Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of you, the God of angels, powers and every creature, and of all the righteous who live before you, I give you thanks that you count me worthy to be numbered among your martyrs, sharing the cup of Christ and the resurrection to eternal life, both of soul and body, through the immortality of the Holy Spirit. May I be received this day as an acceptable sacrifice, as you, the true God, have predestined, revealed to me, and now fulfilled. I praise you for all these things, I bless you and glorify you, along with the everlasting Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. To you, with him, through the Holy Ghost, be glory both now and forever. Amen.[1] Because the fire did not seem to touch his body, an executioner was commanded to stab him. Polycarp died about 100 years after the apostle Paul wrote these words that are before us in 2024: To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. (Eph. 3:812) There are three truths in the scripture passage before us related to the mystery of God that I want to highlight for your good, and to your encouragement this morning. Gods Plan is Great (vv. 8-9) Since the Garden of Eden, and even before time, the plan has always been the redemption of mankind through a second and greater Adam, a more permanent and perfect sacrifice, a greater Moses who mediates a New Covenant. The greater Adam, the more permanent and perfect sacrifice, and the One greater than Moses who mediates a New Covenant is Jesus; however, it was not clear in ages past who or what the mystery was until Jesus was born. This is the mystery Paul is talking about in Ephesians, and this is the point of the opening verses of Hebrews: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:13) This is the point of what the resurrected Christ said to the apostle John at the beginning of the book of Revelation: When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 1:17-18). Of this Jesus, Paul wrote: To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things (Eph. 3:89). Paul had become the recipient of the unfathomable riches of Christ for the purpose of sharing the news that the very same grace is available to all who would receive it by faith through Christ. This is the mission of the Church! Jesus said of His followers who make up His Church: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-14). For salt to serve its purpose, it must be applied; the greatest need for the light, is where it is dark. Gods plan has always been for His people to serve as the salt of the earth and the light of the world! Adam and Eve were commanded to fill the earth with people like them who worshiped God. Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests to light up the darkness of the nations and people groups who surrounded them. Regardless of the failure of Adam and Eve or the failures of the Hebrew people, God promised: For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of Armies (Mal. 1:11). Jesus would make Gods plan possible, and He would do it through His Church (Matt. 18:19-20), and Jesus promised, I will build my church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it (Matt. 16:18). The heart of Gods perspective plan for the redemption of the nations is that He will do it through the Church. Polycarp understood this, the apostle Paul was convinced of this, and the Church can stand on this truth! It is for the mission of God that we were made for, and it is for the mission of God that God chose you before the foundation of the world, redeemed you through the blood of the Lamb, and sealed you with the Holy Spirit so that you can live out your purpose with power (see Eph. 2:10)! Now, we who have been redeemed by Christ, can enter into the darkness of a rotten world with the full confidence that we go with the One whom God the Father, put all things in subjection under His feet and made Him head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:20-23). Gods Motive is Central (v. 10) What is the motive of God? Why did he redeem a people through His Son? Is it only because we are, His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph. 2:10)? We are given clues as to why He chose, redeemed, and sealed us throughout Ephesians; Paul tells us three times in the first fourteen verses: To the praise of the glory of His grace (v. 6), to the praise of His glory (v. 12), and to the praise of His glory (v. 14). And now, in Ephesians 3:10, we are told again: so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. So, what is the multifaced wisdom of God that is being made known through the church? It obviously has something to do with the way God redeemed the church: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us (1:7-8a). However, note how Gods wisdom is used in 1 Corinthians regarding the way he saved sinners: For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). But wait, there is more: For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no human may boast before God. But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. (1 Cor. 1:2631) Do you see it? Do you see now what Paul is saying in Ephesians 3:10? The thing that God has done in your life Christian, from choosing you before the foundation of the world (1:4), to the redemption of your soul through the blood of the Son (1:7-8), and the sealing of the Holy Spirit by the same power that raised Jesus from the grave (1:13, 19) is on display through you before the holy angels and the evil demons! The rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places is the realm of both the angelic and demonic. The angels see what God has done, is doing, and will do in you and they are blown away over the rich mercy, great love, and all-sufficient grace God has lavished upon you through Jesus the Son. We get a snapshot of the way the angels and all of heaven responds to what the Christian has received: Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (Rev. 5:12-14). The demons see the same thing the holy angels see, but they tremble as they look upon the power of God at work in you in great and terrifying fear. The cross that made our redemption possible serves as a reminder of Gods redemptive plan while it also serves to remind the demons that all evil has already been defeated at the cross; you Christian remind the demonic world that their final judgment is coming, and you will stand over them as the Bride of Christ in judgment over them (1 Cor. 6:1-3). Their response is certainly terrifying fear, but also violence towards the saints any chance they get. Polycarp experienced their worst, and although his hair was singed with fire, he was received by the Great and Good Shepard of the sheep with these words: Come Polycarp, you are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34). Gods motive is to display His glory through His people, and that is good news! Think about who God is. He is as good as it gets, there is none higher than Himself and the motive to glorify Himself is the motive to give you the greatest reality that has no equal, namely Himself! This is why when it comes to the salvation, redemption, and rescuing of His people, God is clear: For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another (Isa. 48:11). What this means is that when angels see you, they see the power of God on full display as He is committed to do the very thing He determined to do before the foundation of the world in and through you: In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:1112). The demonic see the same power on display in you, knowing that Gods rich mercy, great love, and sufficient grace is something they will never experience as they wait for Gods perfect justice, infinite wrath, and final judgment. So, when Polycarp and the countless others who suffered for the name of Christ, understood that because of their identity in Christ, the world could do its worst and still not a hair on the head of the one covered under the blood of the Lamb would perish (Luke 21:18). Gods Purpose is Eternal (vv. 11-13) As we inch our way closer to the conclusion of Ephesians 3, we come closer to the second half of this magnificent epistle. If there was a transitional statement to mark the shift from Ephesians 1-3 to Ephesians 4-6, it would be this: Now that you know who you are in Christ, let me explain who you are as the Church. In verses 11-12, Paul gives us a peek into what he will unpack in the second half of his epistle: This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. What is the This Paul is referring to in verse 11? It is the unfathomable riches of Christ Paul received and was commissioned to bring to the Gentiles through the foolishness of the Cross preached. It is the unfathomable riches of Christ that Polycarp was sentenced to death for preaching. It is the unfathomable riches of Christ that the Christian has received and also has been commissioned to bring to all peoples as the Church of Jesus Christ. Listen to me carefully: It is because you, Christian, have received the unfathomable riches of Christ that places you into a third category of a people group that transcends any people group you were physically born into, and that people group is the People of God and tethers you to both Old Testament saints and New Testament saints; it also tethers you to every other person who has received the unfathomable riches of Christ. This is also the mystery Paul is talking about, and this mystery includes the Bride of Jesus Christ, who is the Church! What this means is that the Church has been, is, and will continue to be, the eternal purpose which God carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord (v. 11). Christian, you are the Church and because you are the Church, Jesus is your Groom, and you are His Bride! Christian, you are the apple of the Redeemers eye, and this is why Paul could write that in Christ Jesus our Lord we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (v. 12). Oh dear Christian, do not think lightly of the people you are now joined to in faith through the Christ who not only suffered and died in your place, but shed His blood to redeem and purchase a Bride for Himself that now includes you! The Church is the Beloved Bride of Christ, which means the local expression of Her such as Meadowbrooke Church and thousands like Her is the way, that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known. In accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (vv. 10-12). Warren Wiersbes sage advice is a fitting way to conclude this sermon: This great truth concerning the church is not a divine afterthought. It is a part of Gods eternal purpose in Christ (Eph. 3:11). To ignore this truth is to sin against the Father who planned it, the Son whose death made it possible, and the Spirit who today seeks to work in our lives to accomplish what God has planned.[2] Amen. [1] John Foxe and The Voice of the Martyrs, Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs (Orlando, FL: The Voice of the Martyrs; 2007), 51-55. [2] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 30.

Or, crucified with Christ Paul had no problem confronting people who distorted the truth of the gospel. Our society's current emphasis on “tolerance” contributes to…

Let's start this morning with three questions, and I want to tell you this right away — I'm not over-speaking here and I'm not kidding — these are the most important questions you could ever ask yourself.What is your heaven?Who is your savior?Where are you now?Over the next 35 minutes I'm asking that each of you think about these questions as we dig into Philippians Chapter 3, and I don't know what each of you are bringing in here today, but I do know that God works by his Spirit through his word and I invite you to humble your heart to that fact. Let's pray:Father in heaven, our great God, you are King from of old and you are working your salvation right now in the midst of the earth. We ask this morning that you work in here, by your Spirit, through your word, for your glory, in Jesus's name, amen. 1) What Is Your Heaven? (verse 3)Look at verse 3. Now Pastor David Mathis talked a lot about this verse last week and it was so good, so we need to start here again this week, especially with that phrase “For we are the circumcision.” What does that mean again? What does Paul mean by calling this church and himself (that's who he has in mind when he says “we”) — what does he mean by “we are the circumcision”?The False TeachingNotice first that the phrase is meant to be a contrast to verse 2. In verse 2, Paul warns about false teachers and calls them dogs, evildoers, and mutilators of the flesh. And last week we learned two things about this: not all of us are dog people. … (there are some good cat people out there); we learned that these false teachers are Jewish false teachers who had been misleading Gentile Christians by telling them that the men had to be physically circumcised in order to really become part of the people of God.The false teachers said that if you wanted to be set apart by God, recognized by God as his people, then you have to obey Jewish laws, and the most central, life-adjusting law was for the men to be circumcised — that wasn't something you just did on a whim; it was a distinctive lifelong marker.And in the minds of the false teachers, circumcision was the marker that meant you were part of the people of God. They conflated the two: To be God's people was to be circumcised. To be circumcised was to be God's people. So, if someone were to say, “we are the circumcision” that's like saying “We are God's people.”Well, in verse 3, that's what Paul is doing. He says: “For we are the circumcision.” He's saying we are the real people of God — not these false teachers and those like them who think you have to be Jewish in order to be the people of God, but it's us, we — Paul who is ethnically Jewish and these Gentile believers — we are the real people of God, not by keeping Jewish laws like circumcision, but by faith in Christ.What They WantedAnd Paul is going to elaborate on that in the following verses and that's where we're gonna focus, but before we do that, I want to step back and ask a broader question … it's the question: What do they want? What did these false teachers want? That's another way of asking: What is their heaven? That's the way to think about “your heaven.” Your heaven is what you most want. I think for these false teachers, the answer is that they wanted to be God's people. That's the irony in what Paul says in verse 3 — These false teachers wanted to be the people of God (and they were trying to tell others how to be the people of God), but Paul says, No, you're actually dogs. You're evildoers and mutilators. We are the real people of God.The false teachers were wrong, but we should know they were probably sincere in what they were doing. And that's true for most false teachers: False teachers tend to really believe the lies they spread. Which is why it takes discernment on our part. The false teachers were spreading lies, but if what they wanted, if what they were after was to be the people of God, that's not a terrible thing. That's a pretty good thing to want. If your heaven is to be God's people, that's a good start to our first question. I mean, there are a lot of worse things to most want in life … Some people most want to be rich and famous. That's their heaven. Some people most want to be comfortable and cared for. That's their heaven. Some people most want to advance their cause at all costs. That's their heaven.So you have the worldly ambitious … and the comfort-loving don't-mind-me's … and the scorch-the-earth zealots — A lot of people fall into those three categories. Everybody has their heaven. What's yours?What do you most want? Pretend that this afternoon you meet a genie who gives you one wish, what are you asking? It can't be for more wishes; every genie shoots that down. What's the one thing you're asking? “What is your heaven?” — hold that question. Now here's the second question:2) Who Is Your Savior? (verses 4–7)Now, our first two questions are closely related. We're not done with the first one, but we need to see something here.We're going to focus on verses 4–7, but notice again in verse 3: After Paul says, “For we are the circumcision” (we're the real people of God) — he explains what that means in three things that we do. Pastor Mathis called these “three marks of what it means to really be a Christian” (verse 3) — We worship by the Spirit of God, we glory (or boast) in Christ Jesus, and we put no confidence in the flesh. And that last one is especially important because that's precisely the opposite of what these false teachers were doing and teaching. These false teachers were saying that in order to be part of God's people, the flesh does matter and you need to make it something you can put confidence in.So Paul directly shuts that down. To be a real Christian is to put NO confidence in your flesh — no confidence in your own efforts and energies as a way to earn God's favor. Christians are done with the flesh.But wait a minute …Confidence in the Flesh?The false teachers (or someone influenced by the false teachers) might hear Paul say that and think, “Well, he's just saying that because he feels sorry for these Gentiles who don't have anything good in their flesh!” “Paul is just stacking the deck in their favor!” It's like this: imagine I'm playing basketball with my four boys, and imagine, hypothetically, that a couple of the boys can't dribble well. They prefer to tuck the basketball like it's a football and run to the goal, hypothetically.Now what if we're about to play a game and I gather the four boys together and said, “Hey, boys, for this game, we put no confidence in dribbling. You don't have to dribble according to the rules of this game.”If I were to say that, the other two boys would say, “The only reason you're saying dribbling doesn't matter is because they can't dribble. This is rigged.”In verse 4 Paul anticipates that being said to him. He anticipates someone saying: The only reason you say flesh-boasting doesn't matter is because they've got nothing to flesh-boast about.And Paul goes like sanctified ballistic here. Notice he changes from the third person “we” in verse 3, and he starts talking about himself. He says: “[we, the real people of God] put no confidence in the flesh — THOUGH I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more.”This is what Paul is saying. He's saying: “You don't have to dribble in this game, but I can dribble. In fact, if anybody thinks he can dribble, I'm actually better.” Then in verse 5 Paul's like, Give me the ball. Let me show you. And he tells us seven things about himself that make him remarkably Jewish. He is so Jewish, and was once so committed to Judaism, that he beats these false teachers in their own game. He outscores them on their own scorecard. Paul was everything (and more) of what these false teachers could only hope to be. And it's fascinating what he says in verse 6 when he says that he was “a persecutor of the church.” This means that Paul has actually been where these false teachers were, except that he was so extreme in his zeal that he didn't just try to make Christianity more Jewish, he tried to end Christianity. Paul was better at doing what these false teachers are trying to do. This is a stunning passage. Paul says I could play your game. I once did — and did better than you. But verse 7. Counted As LossPaul says: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (More literally, he says here: “But whatever was gain to me, this I counted, because of Christ, as loss.”)He uses an accounting metaphor. And notice that the verb “counted” in verse 7 is in the perfect tense — it's something done in the past. That same verb is used two other times in verse 8 and they're both in the present tense. But first, in verse 7, there was a past action, a past “counting.” There was a time when Paul reconfigured his P&L sheet.He had been running hard in his Jewishness, excelling, accruing, building an impressive resume — lots of religious gains and profit. More than anyone. But then, he took that entire column, all those things he counted as gains, and he said “LOSS.” Why? Why the change? Because of Christ.Paul met Jesus Christ — against all odds. We can read the story in Acts Chapter 9. Paul retells the story himself in Acts 22 and 26. The risen Lord Jesus intervened in Paul's life. Jesus knocked him off his horse and saved him. Paul had been zealous for God, but Jesus told him he had been going about it all the wrong way. Which means, although Paul wanted God, he was trying to get God by trusting in himself. He put his confidence in his own gifts and achievements, which means he looked to these things to be his savior. Questions ConnectionAnd here's where I want you to see how the first two questions are connected: What is your heaven? And Who is your Savior?Your heaven is what you most want. Your savior is who you are trusting in to get you what you most want. We have to get both of these right, but you can imagine how easily this could go wrong. The gate of wrongness is wide here. There more than one way to mess thing up.Like, you could get it wrong both ways: false heaven and false savior. And that's probably none of you in here. All those people are working hard somewhere right now. They're running hard down dead-end roads.But what about true heaven, false savior?That's like Paul. You want God, but your savior is your own flesh. You're trusting in your own gifts and your own achievements to be why God accepts you. I know what that's like. My Own StoryMy heaven for the longest time was to always play baseball at the next level, which meant in high school I wanted to play in college. So I was pursuing that. And one weekend I was at this showcase event — and a showcase event is when you go to this place and try to showcase your skills in front of a bunch of college or pro scouts. Well, at this thing, one of the coaches there who had been recruiting me, about halfway through the showcase, he pulled me aside, and he said, “Parnell, hustle is what makes you good.”It was not a compliment. What he was saying was: “You're not very good, so you have to play really hard.” I was 17 and I remember it to this day (and there are some deep reasons why) but one reason is because I knew he was right. It cemented something for me: if baseball was my heaven, hustle was my savior. I better bust it. I better get after it. But then, I got into this car wreck, and God, in his mercy, started to do a new work in my life, and after about a year, baseball was not my heaven anymore. God became my heaven. I wanted to know him. I wanted to be used by him, so I left baseball and started to pursue theological training to be a pastor.But here's the thing: I was still hustling. I thought: If I want to know God, if I want God to accept me and use me, I have to really play hard. So I did. I had intense spiritual disciplines. I hit the books like I never had before, and I became religiously competitive. Until one early morning in prayer, when everybody else was sleeping and I was really playing hard, I told God that the reason he loved me more than he loved my roommates was because of my hustle. I told God that. And in that moment … I can remember exactly where I was — it was almost like Jesus stepped into the room and he said You've got this all wrong. It's called grace. Grace changed my life.“I Boast No More”See, Jesus is God's grace to us and all of him for us is grace. Which means, you can't be proud about discovering grace because it's only by grace that you know it's by grace. And then it's only by grace that you know it's by grace that you know it's by grace. It's just grace, grace, grace, grace until you get to God who “before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen [a people] in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as the condition or cause moving him thereunto” (1689, 3.5).Go back before time! Go as far back as you can! Turn every angle you want! It's all grace. And when we understand that, our own righteousness just looks stupid. All those gifts and achievements you once boasted in, if you are a Christian there was a time when you counted as loss. We have exposed them as false saviors. And we say:No more my God, I boast no moreOf all the duties I have doneI quit the hopes I held beforeTo trust the merits of Thy SonThe best obedience of my handsDares not appear before Thy throneBut faith can answer Thy demandsBy pleading what my Lord has doneJesus Christ is the only true Savior. He's the only one who gets you God … if God is who you want. Prosperity Gospel?What about those who look to Jesus to be their Savior, but they want Jesus to get them something other than God? What if Jesus is your Savior but your heaven is comfort and ease? So true Savior, false heaven.Well that's what's called the “prosperity gospel” — people who use Jesus to get themselves temporal pleasures. They use Jesus to get something other than God. And of course we think “that's not us!” — right? We would never do that, but this is where we need to stop and think. It's why the third question matters.First, What is your heaven? Second, Who is your savior?3) Where Are You Now? (verses 8–9)In verse 8, Paul is no longer talking about the past, but he's doubling down on his accounting. In verse 7 he said, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”Verse 8: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”So Paul didn't just get the math right one time, but this is a present counting. A current counting. And then Paul explains more of what this means, verse 8: For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him [Paul wants Jesus. He wants to be found in Jesus] not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith …Those things that Paul once trusted in — his own righteousness — that's all garbage to him now.“Savior” once he called his flesh. “Sewage” now he counts his best.His “own righteousness” does not get him God. The best obedience of his hands does not earn God's favor, but he needs the righteousness of God through faith in Christ — Paul says it twice in verse 9 — he's talking about “the righteousness of God that depends on faith.” That's what he needs.Paul needs GOD to call him righteous which God only does through his faith in Jesus. That goes for you too, for us. Listen: the only way God accepts you is by looking at you and seeing something not of you. I hope that doesn't hurt your feelings. It just means that Jesus, not yourself, Jesus must be your Savior. Jesus is who gets you God.The Ultimate GoalAnd more than that. Look at the first thing Paul says in verse 8. He presently counts everything as loss because of “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” [He's going to pick this back up in verse 10, which we're gonna talk about next week (but to preach the same things to you is no trouble to us and is safe for you). So we'll talk about it now and next week.]What we see in this knowing Jesus is that Paul doesn't just want to be right with God — that's penultimate — but the final goal, the ultimate goal, the real heaven, is a relationship with God through Christ. That is what makes heaven heaven. It's to know Christ. And what's interesting here is that Jesus is not just the means to get you what you want, but Jesus also becomes what you want. Jesus is means and end. To know Jesus is of surpassing worth. That is what is most valuable — to know “Christ Jesus my Lord.” And this is the only time in the New Testament when Paul says it exactly like that. “Christ Jesus my Lord.” There are several times when he says “Christ Jesus our Lord” but here he says “my Lord.”What we see here is both “intimacy and devotion.” Devotion in that Paul has surrendered to Jesus as Lord. Jesus is King and in charge. So we do what Jesus says to do and go where Jesus says to go. Devotion. But it's also intimacy, closeness, in that Paul says Jesus is my Lord — he knows Jesus as my Lord. This is a deep, personal knowing. It's real experience in real relationship. Intimacy. The late commentator Gordon Fee says, “There is something unfortunate about a cerebral Christianity that “knows” but does not know in this way…”We Are Heart-PeopleAnd church, I don't want that to be true of us. Y'all know that we really value doctrine around here — what you think about God and his world matters. The head is important. But Cities Church, we are heart people, and we want heart-knowledge.And what that means at the end of the day, when our thinking is in order, when our doctrine is in line, we just want to know Jesus. Not in an abstract, distant, check-the-box kind of way, but we want to remember his realness in all of life. We want to be alive to the ever-present fact that he is alive. Jesus is near to us. His Spirit dwells within us. He never leaves us. He never forsakes us. I know this is crazy, but it's true — Jesus loves us. Jesus loves me. I want to know him like that. I want us to know him like that. And so, where are you now?Here's a little catechism for you:What is your heaven? My heaven is to be closer to JesusWho is your savior? My only savior is Jesus.Where are you now? I'm pressing on to know Jesus my Lord.That's what brings us to the Table.The TableWe come to this Table glad and grateful — not to work, but to rest; not to do, but to receive. For those of us who trust in Jesus, that's what's going on in this moment.But if you're here and you've not yet trusted in Jesus, it means you're still looking to your own efforts to be your savior. But listen: you can be done with that today. You can count all those things as loss right now and you can put your faith in Jesus. I invite you to do that.For those who don't trust Jesus yet, trust him now. For those of us who do trust Jesus, let's receive his Table and give him thanks.

In today's episode:  Paul is stuck in prison for 2 years before his case is heard again What happened to governor Felix? A short history on governor Porcius Festus The Jews refuse to leave Paul alone and try to kill him again Festus wants to do the Jews a favor Paul appeals to Ceaser to save his own life   After you're done with that, check out these websites:  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

Paul makes his way to Governor Felix:  The Roman official guards Paul's life with 200 armed men and horses How God shows us that He is near  What happens to the 40 assassins that tried to kill Paul? Felix receives a letter about who Paul is A short history of governor Felix Felix throws Paul in prison to wait for an unspecified amount of time   I know you need more: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

Paul is now making a statement in front of a group of violent priests:  The High Priest commands someone to punch Paul in the mouth Paul insults the High Priest, then apologizes A history of corrupt High Priest Sadducee, Ananias Paul splits the courtroom, then a fist fight breaks out Paul is nearly ripped to shreds; the Romans throw him in prison for his protection Jesus visits Paul in prison, where he comforts him How Jesus comforts you   Click all the links for more cool stuff: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

In today's episode, we discuss Paul's Roman citizenship:  Paul is nearly stoned by a mob of Jews The Roman official orders Paul to be brutally beaten Paul reveals his Roman citizenship The Roman official becomes afraid of Paul's citizenship Paul stays in the barracks until he meets in front of the Pharisees   Click all the links for more cool stuff: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

What does it mean to be -in Christ--- Paul addressed this question in his letter to the church in Colossae, reminding them of Jesus' transformative work while urging them to cultivate a heart of thankfulness. In this Thanksgiving message, Alistair Begg underscores the direct correlation between a transformed heart and a life that is lived out under the Lord Jesus. For the believer, such a life is characterized by an identity grounded in Christ, a unity marked by His love, and activity done in His name.