Messages

Everything is worth losing to gain Christ. This is Paul living out the parable of the hidden treasure. I willingly give up everything to have Jesus.There are some who were teaching that circumcision and the law…plus Jesus is what saved you…Paul unloads on them. And reminds us…the only boasting we have is boasting in Christ. Everything else is dung.

This is Paul commemorating the virtues of kingdom workers like Timothy and Epaphroditus. We all need people around us to help us accomplish what God has called us too. And everyone has a part to play in the kingdom.Could this be a weekend we honor those who work in the Lord through PCC? Share the stories of “unsung” servants among us? Volunteer appreciation? Celebrate missionaries we support?

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. What does that look like? Obedience and not grumbling. This will set us apart from the world like stars against a dark sky.Do we stand out or blend in to the darkness around us?

Encouragement to be like Jesus. To lay down our rights and our lives for the sake of others. One of the greatest texts on the trajectory of Jesus life…from the right hand of the father, to the earth, to the cross, to the grave, and back to the right hand of the father.And Paul uses that picture of Jesus to teach us to humble ourselves to one another in the same way.“If Jesus made himself nothing, why am I consumed with making myself something?”

Paul encourages the church…not just individuals…but the church collective…to content themselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel. How? 3 Things: Standing firm in the Spirit, Striving together for the faith, and doing so without fear.If we do this it will come with suffering. But that is something we are granted…it is a gift to suffer like Jesus. Quote from my bible cover: “we don’t have to suffer for sin, our savior already did that. But we do suffer for our savior.”

Paul updates the church on his imprisonment. Paul sees his suffering as a blessing…and purposeful. "The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel." It allows him to preach the gospel to the guards and emboldens other believers. Paul expresses his desire to be with Christ…but recognizes his value to continue in ministry on earth. And is content to stay or go…whatever God’s will is for him.Do we see our lives through that lens? Good to stay and do ministry and better to die and be with Jesus?

Gratitude and thanks. Paul has great affection for this church. And prays for them. His prayer for them should change the priority of our prayers. He doesn’t pray for the temporary things that we pray about, health or job or circumstances. But his prayer is marked by deeper spiritual understanding and fruit of righteousness.

This week we kick off the new series "To live is Christ". Jason dives in and gives us an introduction of Paul and the start of the Philippi church.