Philippians 2:1-4
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. As we celebrated Veterans Day yesterday and many are off work today in honor of the men and woman that serve this country, let me first say thank you to all those who have served and who currently serve. I would like to say thank you to the families that make sacrifices for the freedoms that make this United States a wonderful place to live. There are many lessons that can be learned from the sacrifice and service of these families. Paul pleads with us in the second chapter of Philippians to be like-minded. We must be of one mind if we are going to serve God the way He wants us to. He describes to us how we are to serve in verse 3. Paul says we must not do anything through selfish ambition or conceit. Basically Paul is telling us to serve others to better them and not ourselves. Serve others with no regard to ourselves. Sometimes service is actually self promoting, almost like free advertising. Paul says let your service be in the lowliness of mind. In other words, your service should be out of the genuine love of Jesus Christ that flows through you and to the individuals you are helping. I really think this is the key. I need to serve others first and foremost out of my love for Jesus Christ. When this happens we can truly look after the interests of those we are serving. It will not be possible for you to truly lose yourself for the good of others if you are not in tune with Jesus. So today spend time with Jesus, love Him by talking with Him, listening to Him. Seek Him today. In the little things that go on in your life to the major things that are wide open in your life look for Jesus' hand. Look for His love. There is assurance that if you seek Him today, you will find Him. Reaching for Him, Brother Big Daddy Matthew 10:39
39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Have you ever heard the phrase, careful what you ask for? Well I want to share a different twist of this phrase, be careful what you look for. The Word of God tells us here be careful what you look for. If you find your life you will lose it. If you lose your life for Jesus Christ you will find it. You have heard the story over and over people work all there lives to store up treasures for retirement only to lose everything or never even live to retirement age. Am I telling you not to put something up for the future; certainly not, this discussion really will not be a financial discussion. However, I will tell you this if it is your financial security that drives your every decision and limits what you say yes to God about, then you are certainly not finding Him you are finding yourself. The real question here is what life are you seeking? Are you trying to find Jesus Christ? Are you trying to find the life He has called you to? This life is a life that is a great deal more about Him and His Kingdom than it is about you and your kingdom. It is a life that He is greatly involved with? He knows that this life is not easily found? Matthew 7:14 tells us plainly,"Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." For this reason in so many ways He leads guides and directs your path to Him. He places before you so many opportunities to choose Him. Listen, I am not telling you that you have to be in a church house 24-7. I don't think you would reach many people that way. I am simply telling you that you must be about His business 24-7 and then you will reach the multitudes. Here is a simple example, my brother in law and his boys race lawn mowers (yeah I know that is a whole story within itself) but any way they do. Last Sunday there was a big race and He and His boys and several others, yes even some of His fellow church members went to this race. They camped out the night before and and fellowshipped with many people. Sunday morning they had a church service at a dirt track to race lawn mowers. Now there are many people that would say those boys should be in church Sunday morning not on no lawnmower. Well let me tell you something those boys love Jesus. They are followers of Christ. Were they about their father's business? Sure they were! And Yes on a dirt track! Now don't get all happy about that statement because you have to be real careful when you play games with God! He does not play games and He is not at all fooled by false intentions. Please be real careful as you run out and miss church, make sure you are about His life and His Kingdom before you do it. Am I telling you that He expects you to go to church...Well absolutely i am telling you that. Your church family depends on you, they need you and whether you realize it or not yet you need them.Make absolute certain that if Jesus looks down from above that He would say there are my children hard at work! I say this because He is and He is not looking at the tracks in your hand, He is looking at the TRACKS in your heart. Get busy about His business! Get in His Church so He can fill you up and teach you and mold you, find a Bible study group that you can grow and be a part of (I lead two...information is below), go to church on Wednesday night (that is what I said Wednesday night), study Gods Word daily, seek Him as we have discussed all week in an intimate way. Live for Him today and allow Him to show you the greatest life you can live. Reaching for Him, Brother Big Daddy The WAY Church BIBLE STUDIES Tuesday Nights at 6:30pm Thursday Mornings at 6:00am (early Bird Special at Central High School) Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting (7:00pm) Sunday Morning Services 9:45am, 11:00am 1 Peter 2:13
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. I want us to take hard look at these scriptures and then move on to serving God and this country not for four more years, but until the return of Jesus Christ. I am amazed at how quickly we, and I say we so that I am sure to include me, get caught up into the worldly aspects of our elections and the appointing of our authority. I want you to know that it is an easy thing to do. We want what is best for our country, we want what is best for our state and our city. However, we must understand Jesus Christ wants what is best for this world! Not just today but eternity. We discussed last night many scriptures during our prayer meeting that showed us that God appoints the authority not just in America but around the world. We must understand we are headed to victory and not defeat. Now there will be many who will tell you how we cant survive this and that etc. etc; I know I was one of those guys. Here is the reality of the situation, we can and will survive anything Jesus Christ desires us to survive. He will return when God says go. We must have confidence in His Word, His Power and His love. The real question is what are you going to do on this walk! The scripture says submit yourself to authority. Verse 15 of 2 Peter 2 says,"15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— ." How do we silence the ignorance...by doing good. Doing good how? Doing good by having the right heart attitude. By doing good by loving our fellow man and praying for them daily. Doing good by praying that Jesus will show them to know the way the truth and the light and thus change them to change the world. It will never happen, you say? Well probably not if we continue to do bad, you know casting insults, promoting dissension, fostering ill, the list goes on and on. But we are are called to do good. Let your doing good begin with a prayer for a changed heart and one that will simply seek Jesus and do what He says for our leadership. So today I pray that God will touch the leadership of this country and that there will be a revival on capital hill that they may know Him that it will be Jesus Christ that worketh to will and to do for His good pleasure! Reaching for Him, Brother Big Daddy Ephesians 4:15-16
15 Rather,speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. We have been examining how to become more intimate with God. I want us to right in the middle of these teachings to reflect back on why we want to be intimate with God. We want to be intimate with God so we will thus fulfill the law of Christ. You see He will empower us to bear one another's burdens, something you and I cannot truly do without the love of Jesus Christ. Let us examine these scriptures in Ephesians chapter 4 and understand how becoming Christlike, how fulfilling the law of Christ is a process. It is a growth process that must be driven by the love of Jesus Christ. Just look at verse 15, we are to speak the truth in love. Love that can only be found in our Savior. We are to grow up in every way into Him, who is head, into Christ. You see Jesus expects us to grow each and everyday. We all start somewhere and from that start we are to grow each and everyday towards Him. He must be the head. Do you see Jesus must be what drives our mind. He must be what directs our thoughts. He must be upon which you meditate. He makes the parts all work together by taking over your mind and thoughts. This only happens when you surrender to Him and allow Him to take over. This only happens when you are so intimate with Him that He controls your thoughts, your movements, your sacrifices, your stances, your commitments, your everything. Get alone with God today and allow Him to take over. 2 John 1:6 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. Reaching for Him, Brother Big Daddy |