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| THE SECRETS OF A GREAT CHURCH
A Study of Philippians 1:27-30
INTRODUCTION:
Needing to shed a few pounds a husband and wife started on a new diet…they followed the recipes precisely. After a couple weeks they raved about the plan…they never felt hungry. After three weeks though, they realized they weren’t losing weight: they were gaining. They checked their recipes again and discovered the fine print: “serves six!”
God’s Word has a full serving for us giving us the secrets of a great church…As we read Philippians 1:27-30.
• Whatever happens, CONDUCT yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. - Philippians 1:27a
• The Greek Word for CONDUCT is translated “only” or perhaps stronger, “above all else” or even “If you don’t do anything else, do this!”
• Some have a natural reticence to conduct themselves worthy of the gospel.
Illustration:
Paddy the Irishman was driving down a narrow street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn’t find a parking place.
Looking up to heaven he said, “Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place, I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey.”
Miraculously, a parking place appeared before him under a hallowed light from heaven.
Paddy looked up again and said, “Never mind Lord, I found me one.”
*****
I love the old poem quoted by Warren Wiersbe:
You are writing a Gospel,
A chapter each day,
By the deeds that you do
And the words that you say.
Men read what you write,
Whether faithful or true:
Just what is the Gospel
According to you?
THE CONDUCT OF A WORTHY CHURCH:
1. CONSISTENCY
Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit… - Philippians 1:27b
• The Scripture calls us to consistency, to persistence, to perseverance.
• No matter who is watching or even if no one is watching.
• It is said that integrity is what we are in the dark.
• A life worthy of the Gospel of Christ is a life that is the same no matter what.
• It is a life that perseveres for the right and good.
• David Livingstone, the great missionary doctor said, “I will go anywhere as long as it is FORWARD”
• Anything, anywhere, anytime…all for the Gospel of Christ.
• “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve many of the problems of the human race.” - United States President Calvin Coolidge
• Perseverance is not just a personality trait that some exceptional people have – it’s a spiritual grace and virtue that all of God’s children may possess.
2. COOPERATION (1. CONSISTENCY)
…in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel… - Philippians 1:27c
Let’s start with 1 Corinthians 12 to understand what unity is not.
What we are NOT called into…
• UnANIMITY (1 Corinthians 12:4-13).
Unanimity is a condition in which all share one OPINION.
o No where in my Bible is the term unanimity even used.
o If a bunch of people are always unanimous there is an unhealthy “CONTROLLING” atmosphere.
• UnIFORMITY (1 Corinthians 12:14-17).
Uniformity is a condition in which all appear the SAME.
• “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many” (1 Corinthians 12:14).
• If all the parts looked the same – we’d be pretty odd looking creatures.
• Think if every part looked like a hand.
• The bad news is our nose would look like this [put thumb on nose and wiggle fingers).
• The good news is… our clothes would fit like a glove!
• No where in my Bible is the term uniformity even used.
• If a bunch of people always look the same there is an unhealthy “BLANDNESS.”
• UnISON (1 Corinthians 12:18-20).
Unison is a condition in which all SING the same tune.
• No where in my Bible is the term unison even used.
• God has not got us all singing the same notes but rather has arranged for parts…just as he wanted them to be (1 Corinthians. 12:18).
• Now sometimes this makes the church interesting.
• Nothing is lovelier than making music together in harmony!
• UnIONISM (1 Corinthians 12:21).
Unionism is a condition in which ALLIANCES are formed to protect special interests.
• No where in my Bible is the term unionism even used.
• God has not called us to set up factions and unions in the body.
• The Scripture gives us an example of how ridiculous unions in the body are.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” (1 Cor. 12:21).
• The body doesn’t form unions so that one part gets all the perks.
• You don’t hear about the UBN (The United Brotherhood of Noses).
• The nose doesn’t say: “No way eyes, you ain’t resting your glasses on me!
• What do I get out of it?
• Your glasses will cause little red marks on my side…they’ll definitely detract from my good looks!”
• The ears don’t get together and say: “Forget it buddy… those glasses are not hanging around us.”
• Unionism in the church – the forming of factions to get our way – creates an unhealthy “POLITICAL” atmosphere.
• UnILATERALISM (1 Corinthians 12:22-26).
Unilateralism is a condition in which only ONE SIDE is recognized.
• No where in my Bible is the term unilateral even used.
• God has not called us to be mindful of only what the laity wants, or the board wants, or the pastor wants, or the staff, or the wealthy or the poor or the new people or the charter members or the old people or the young people or what whoever wants…
• There should be no division in the body… its parts should have equal concern for each other (1 Cor. 12:25).
• The question is not: “Am I getting my way?”… it should be: “Is my concern for the other members right?”
• Unilateralism in the church creates an “UNFAIR” atmosphere.
What we are called into… UNITY!
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Cor. 12: 27).
Unity is the condition of ACCORD that shares common IDENTITY and PURPOSE.
• According to our text today - Philippians 1:27 – we are to be “contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.”
• The faith of the gospel is our purpose – our identity is in Christ.
Everything depends on unity:
a. Unity releases BLESSING
• How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in UNITY!… For there the Lord bestows his blessing.- Psalm 133:1,3
b. Unity releases CREDIBILITY
• May they be brought to complete UNITY to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them. - John 17:20, 23
• When pollsters asked people why they don’t go to church, the two top answers were:
• “All Christians are hypocrites,” and “Christians are always fighting with each other.”
c. Unity releases WORSHIP
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of UNITY among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify… God. - Romans 15:5-6
d. Unity releases MATURITY
When we reach…UNITY in the faith: We become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. - Ephesians 4:13
e. Unity releases the HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit came with power on that first day of Pentecost when…These all continued with one ACCORD in prayer and supplication - Acts 1:14
• Everything we long for in the church… all that we are to accomplish and receive is only released when there is unity. How do we get unity? Go back to Jesus’ prayer for us: May they also be in US. - John 17:21
3. CONFIDENCE (1. CONSISTENCY, 2. COOPERATION)
When there is consistency and cooperation…a spirit of confidence takes over a church:...without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God. - Philippians 1:28
• First, the forces of the PCP (Political Correctness Police) always have and always will oppose the teaching of God’s Word.
• You can call a skunk a two tone pussy cat with fluid drive…but it is still a skunk.
• You can call sin by whatever fancy word you want to use…but it is still sin and needs to be confessed and forgiven.
• Second, friends, when you read the last book of the bible, you know that no matter how grim things may look right now or in the immediate future…there is going to be a great turn of events and you are going to be on the winning side!
4. CONFESSION (1. CONSISTENCY, 2. COOPERATION, 3. CONFIDENCE)
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ…to believe… - Philippians 1:29
• We are to be a church that believes in Jesus Christ… we believe that Jesus is the Son of God; we believe he died for the forgiveness of our sins; we believe he was literally raised from death to life; we believe that his Spirit and His Word are alive today and can give us a new heart, renew the old mind, make us new creations in Christ Jesus, can change the life and make us holy.
• Some one asked, “Yes, pastor, but ‘can a leopard change its spots’?” No, a leopard can’t change its own spots, but the Spirit of God changed the leprous spots of sin on my soul and made me whole!
5. CONFLICT (1. CONSISTENCY, 2. COOPERATION, 3. CONFIDENCE, 4. CONFESSION)
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. - Philippians 1:29-30
• The Greek word for struggle, literally means AGONIZING CONFLICT.
• If we are conducting ourselves worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ… you can count on the fact that the devil isn’t going to like it and will be attempting to break the consistency, the cooperation, the confidence, the confession of Jesus Christ.
• He will do everything possible to destroy the holiness of the church…count on it.
APPLICATION: (1. CONSISTENCY, 2. COOPERATION, 3. CONFIDENCE, 4. CONFESSION, 5. CONFLICT)
Have people gather around in prayer for the protection of the church and ask the Holy Spirit to exam your heart today in these vital areas of conduct.
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| “DON’T BOAST ABOUT TOMORROW…”
Unexpected
• Today, September 11, 2006 we stop to commemorate the event that changed our world.
• September 11, 2001, will be a mark in history forever.
• Who of us will ever forget that early morning when
two United Air Line jets struck the Twin Towers in New York City?
• Another plane hit the Pentagon, and another – due
to the heroic actions of brave passengers – crashed in a field rather
than the intended target.
• All of this was unexpected.
Dealing with the unexpected in ministry
As a pastor I have had to deal with and respond to those who all of a
sudden face life-changing events unexpectedly. We cannot stand in the
shadows; we must be there for our people. They need us when the
unexpected happens. Please remember -- We need a colleague when it
happens to us who are serving others.
1. A husband who hangs himself.
2. A widows only son is electrocuted on the job as the crane on his truck hit a high voltage wire.
3. A tragic automobile accident takes the lives of 6 from one family.
4. A ministry would be terminated. (Only yesterday
one of our District Officials had to resign due to a moral failure).
5. A family member has been told about a destructive disease that would cause impairment.
6. The list could fill this page and many more.
Everyone must face the unexpected
1. The news is full of information on the untimely
death of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, who died unexpectedly
during a shallow water snorkeling expedition when a stingray drove its
razor-sharp barb into his heart (A young man loved by adults and
children alike).
2. The one thing we can expect in this life is the unexpected.
3. How we deal with the unexpected becomes the issue, because the next day always comes – no matter what.
4. The Psalmist noted that “Each man’s life is but a breath” (Psalm 39:5).
5. His response: “Lord…my hope is in you” (v.7).
How should we respond to the unexpected as we go forward?
1. Every day is a gift, Please do not take that for granted.
2. Do not let the sun set on anger or contention. Keep a short record of offenses.
3. Walk close to your Lord. Don not depend on you own skills or position.
4. Give thanks in all things. God knows what He is doing.
5. Don’t get bitter. Live each day with joy.
6. And remember – no matter what – God loves you as one loves an only child.
“Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come?” (Ecc. 8:17).
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Pro. 27:1)
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| WISDOM’S ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDEINTRODUCTION:
Two men are driving through Texas when they get pulled over by a state
trooper. The trooper walks up and taps on the window with his
nightstick, the driver rolls down the window and “WHACK”, the trooper
smacks him in the head with his stick.
“What was that for?!” The trooper says, “You’re in Texas,
son. When we pull you over, you better have your license ready
when we get to the car or you get “whacked.”
The trooper runs a check on the guy and he’s clean. He gives the
license back and walks around to the passenger side and taps on the
window. The passenger roles down the window and “WHACK”, the
trooper smacks him with the nightstick too.
“What was that for?!” The trooper says, “Just making your wish come true.” “What???”
“I know that two miles down the road you were gonna say, ‘I wish that cop hadda tried that garbage on me!’”
It’s not easy to maintain an Attitude of Gratitude.
The secret is the “Sanctified Life”:
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and
through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is
faithful and he will do it. - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
If God has the power to sanctify us through and through; to keep us
blameless and pure… He has the power to give us an “Attitude of
Gratitude.”
John Wesley was once asked if there was one passage of Scripture that
summarized the life of sanctification. He pointed to 1
Thessalonians 5:16-19:
John Wesley’s Scriptural summary of sanctification:
Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do no put out the
Spirit’s fire. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
God is a God of peace; His sanctifying work results in a life of peace that is characterized by three attributes:
A LIFE OF PEACE – THE SANCTIFIED LIFE - IS…
The first attribute of the life of peace – the sanctified life is…
1. An ATTITUDE of joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16; Proverbs 14:13; 15:15b).
Be JOYFUL always - 1 Thessalonians 5:16
Joy is an attitude that is independent of circumstances. The Proverbs say:
Even in LAUGHTER the heart may ache - Proverbs 14:13
Even Helen Keller – blind and deaf – chose to have a heart of joy through thanksgiving:
1. For three things I thank God every day of my life:
THANKS that he has vouchsafed me knowledge of His Works;
DEEP thanks that He has set in my darkness the lamp of faith;
Deep DEEPEST thanks that I have another life to look
forward to – a life JOYOUS with light and flowers
and heavenly song. - Helen Keller
2. I have always thought it would a blessing if each
person could be blind and deaf for a few days during his early adult
life. Darkness would make him appreciate sight; silence would
teach him the JOYS of sound. - Helen Keller
Dale Carnegie writes in his book “How to Stop Worrying and Start
Living” of a time when he was deeply depressed. All joy had been
sucked out of his life. After struggling in vain to lift himself
out of his depression, he hit on a strange device. He took a
sheet of paper. He assumed he had lost everything. On the
paper, he made a list of all the things he had lost:
1. No health
2. My wife has left me
3. My job is gone
4. Haven’t any money
5. My children are all in jail
He continued on with his list until he noted every terrible thing that
he could think of. When he was finished he said: “There
isn’t a word of truth to it.” He tore it up and realized what he
did have.
The soundtrack from the movie “Holes” has a great song on it with a
terrific, joy-giving line: “If things are really as bad as they
can be, you can be sure there will be a better tomorrow.”
If the God of peace has the power to sanctify you through and through… He has the power to make you “joyful always!”
The second attribute of the life of peace – the sanctified life is…
2. The ACTION of prayer(1 Thessalonians 5:17; Proverbs 2:3, 6).
…PRAY continually. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
In his book “Living on Purpose”, Greg Anderson shares the story of one
man’s journey to joy: his wife had left him and he was completely
depressed. He had lost faith in himself, in other people, in God
– he found no joy in living.
One rainy morning this man went to a small neighborhood restaurant for
breakfast. Although several people were at the diner, no one was
speaking to anyone else. Our miserable friend hunched over the
counter, stirring his coffee with a spoon.
In one of the small booths along the window was a young mother with a
little girl. They had just been served their food when the little
girl broke the sad silence by almost shouting, “Momma, why don’t we say
our prayers here?”
The waitress who had just served their breakfast turned around and
said, “Sure honey, we pray here. Will you say the prayer for
us?” And she turned and looked at the rest of the people in the
restaurant and said, “Bow your heads.”
Surprisingly, one by one, the heads went down. The little girl
then bowed her head, folded her hands, and said, “God is great, God is
good, and we thank him for our food. Amen.”
That prayer changed the entire atmosphere. People began to talk
with one another. The waitress said, “We should do that every
morning.”
“All of a sudden,” said our friend, “my whole frame of mind started to
improve.” From that little girl’s example, Greg Anderson
discovered the importance of prayer.
I can tell you from personal experience that it has been through prayer
he has lifted my spirits; it has been through prayer the Lord has
filled my heart with joy; it has been through prayer He has filled me
with thanksgiving for the past; joy for the present, and faith for the
future.
My friend, if God has the power to sanctify you through and through; to
give you victory over sin; then the God of Peace can empower you to
“pray continually!”
The third attribute of the life of peace – the sanctified life is…
3. An ATMOSHERE of thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians
5:18; Psalm 69:30; 95:2; 100:4; 147:7; Philippians 4:6; 1 Timothy
4:3-4).
Give THANKS in ALL circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
A factory owner said to a store owner, “Thank you, Mr. Smith, for your patronage. I wish I had twenty customers like you.”
“My, it’s nice to hear that, but I’m kinda surprised,” admitted
Smith. “You know that I argue every bill and always pay late.”
The factory owner said, “I’d still like twenty customers like you. The problem is, I have two hundred.”
We are quick to pray but often slow to give thanks in “all circumstances”.
We should be just as definite in returning THANKS as we are in
PRAYER. We come to God with specific petitions, but when
returning thanks to Him our thanksgiving is often VAGUE. - R. A. Torrey
The references in your notes list the passages that contain the words
“with thanksgiving”. It is interesting to note that even though
most of these verses were written in a time of crisis and hardship, the
one thing that is to characterize our approach to God is that we are to
come “with thanksgiving”.
Listen to the instruction from just one of those verses to come before the Lord “with thanksgiving”…
Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and
petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And
the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:6-7
It is probable that in most of us the spiritual life is impoverished
and stunted because we give so little place to gratitude. It is
more important to THANK God for blessings received than to pray for
them beforehand. - William Temple
Last week I read the story of Martin Rinkart who was pastor in the city
of Eisenberg in Saxony during the Thirty Years War [ARTWORK THAT
DESCRIBES THE THIRTY YEARS WAR] from 1618 to 1648. Eisenberg, a
walled city, was the goal of refugees With the influx of people
came starvation. With starvation, pestilence ravaged the
population. Martin Rinkart was performing dozens of funerals
every week. One day, after conducting 50 funerals, he sank down
exhausted, and turned to the Lord “with thanksgiving.” He
was inspired to write the great hymn:
Now thank we all our God, With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices;
Who, from our mothers’ arms, Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God, Thro’ all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts, And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills, In this world and the next. - Martin Rinkart
We see from Martin Rinkart’s life the difference God can make through
one person who comes before him “with thanksgiving” in “ALL
circumstances”: 400 years later, God is still using his thankful
spirit, and we today continue to be inspired, encouraged, uplifted.
APPLICATION:
The final phrase in the verses that John Wesley claimed to describe the sanctified life is this:
Do not put out the Spirit’s FIRE. - 1 Thessalonians 5:19
The surest way to put out the Spirit’s fire is to disregard the call
to… Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
The surest way to ignite a spirit of joy, prayer and thanksgiving is
through inviting the God of peace to sanctify you through and
through. The assurance of his power to do this is in the promise:
He who calls you is faithful and HE will do it. - 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Is there a conviction that your attitudes are putting out the Spirit’s
fire that he would blaze in your life? Is there a sense of the
need for the God of peace to sanctify – to work in you the
Jesus-attitude of joy, of prayer, of thanksgiving? He has the
power to do that in these moments.
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| THE BECAUSE OF EASTERTHE QUESTIONS RESPONSE
• Millions around the world will celebrate Easter and
rejoice in the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death.
• While current tradition on this day is to spend
time with family, take pictures, attend church, and enjoy a wonderful
meal, we should insure we understand that Easter is the foundation of
our faith as Christians and also the answer to all of our why questions
we ask God throughout our lives.
• Each of us have asked why questions ---
• Why should I remain at peace when it seems everything is falling apart?
• Why should I believe God loves me and my sins are forgiven?
• Why do I know death is not an end, but a beginning?
• Why should I believe in Jesus and trust His Word with my life?
• Why should I trust in you?
THE BECAUSE RESPONSE
• The response we are looking for when we ask a “Why?” question is – BECAUSE, followed by a reason.
• When we are searching for an anchor for our faith
and are asking God WHY questions - We need to realize the answer is –
BECAUSE OF EASTER!
• Just as the powerful Gaither song proclaims- “Because He Lives”.
• The reason WHY we can have salvation, eternal life,
peace no matter the current crisis we are facing and a changed life
that seeks to share Christ’s love with others – IS
• BECAUSE - Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross
• BECAUSE - The tomb is Empty
• BECAUSE - Jesus is not dead HE IS ALIVE, rising again as He said He would!
• BECAUSE - Just as the tomb could not hold Jesus,
His promise to us is that we too shall not be held in the grave, but
will spend eternity with Him.
THE RESPONSE OF POWER
• Easter is a reminder of the omnipotent power of
God, the hope we have in Jesus and the eternal existence of God and His
Son, who will never forsake us no matter how dark the moment may seem.
• As Christians we are to reflect the Light of the
World, Jesus Christ by living as Jesus desires, a testimony of the
difference He made in our lives when we believed in Him.
• Jesus said we were not to hide our light under a
basket but let it shine for all to see, that God might be glorified.
• The light of Jesus mercy, love and power continues
to shine into the hearts of men and women today overpowering the
darkness of sin and evil, just as the light of His power blazed forth
that first Easter morning when the tomb and its darkness could not hold
back the brilliant light of God’s love for us.
• As we worship and celebrate the wonderful emptiness
of the tomb, I pray that we will ask God to forgive us of anything in
our lives which has dimmed our reflection of the Lord’s love and mercy
to the world around us.
• If you are struggling with the “WHY?” questions or
the "HOW?" question – How can I get through the challenges I am facing?
- remember the BECAUSE of Easter – BECAUSE the tomb is empty – BECAUSE
Jesus loved you so much He died for you on the cross – BECAUSE He has
overcome the enemy and …
BECAUSE HE IS ALIVE AND IS SITTING
AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER!
Happy Easter – He is Risen – He is Risen indeed!!!!!
2006 © MONDAY MORNING MESSAGE / FRED G. CHILTON
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| OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSETSImmeasurable and Eternal Value
• If I were to ask
you this Monday morning to inventory your most valuable assets what
would your personal list contain?
• Even though there
may seem to be obvious categories to be included on such a list,
material assets we have been entrusted with on this earth are not the
most valuable things we could or should have on our list.
• While there are
many things which could be included on our lists with far greater value
than any material possession we might have, I want to consider one
overall category – Friends.
• This weekend we
had the privilege to be with some of our dearest friends, Ted and
Marietta Terry. We have been friends for almost 35 years and it is
still one of our greatest joys to be with them.
• A truly good
friend is of immeasurable and eternal value, but far too often we take
our friendships for granted.
The Wisdom of the Word
• The Word of God contains much wisdom concerning friends and their value:
• Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
• Ecclesiastes 4:10
“If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who
falls and has no one to help him up!”
Friends Will Be There For You
• We know that a good friend will always be there for us, loving us even when we are unlovable.
• The larger question is how we build these great friendships.
• Someone has said
the way to gain friends is to become interested in others rather than
trying to get others interested in you.
• True friends are great people who know how to make other persons feel great.
Caring about Others (and what they are facing)
• Caring about
others and what they are facing in their lives are the key
characteristics of a good friend.
• Of course as
Christians we learn this from our greatest friend, Jesus Christ, who so
loved and cared for us that He gave His life on the cross that we might
have salvation, eternal life and experience the joy of our salvation
here and hereafter.
• It is awesome to
understand that Jesus Christ the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the
Omega, our Lord and Savior is also our friend.
• John 15:15 “I no
longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's
business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I
learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
• Friends are those
we can believe and trust to do what they say they will do and James
tells us that God is the perfect example of such a friend.
• James 2:23 And
the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it
was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
Don’t Take Your Friendships for Granted
• The funny thing
about friendships though, as important as we know they are to us, we
all too often take them for granted and allow them to grow dormant due
to lack of consistent nurture.
• Distance may
change a friendship’s nature and the frequency of in person visits but
it does not have to weaken a friendship.
• While
friendships, once established, will always exist, without regular
communication and fellowship they can become weakened and we lose the
day to day encouragement, joy and peace they provide.
• Perhaps the
greatest danger to friendships is allowing ourselves to become too busy
with things instead of insuring we always make a place in our lives for
the relationships which are the key to life.
• We can see the
blessings of regular communication between friends in both our
spiritual friendship with God and our earthly friendships as well.
• This week I pray
that we will take the time to give thanks to God for the blessings of
friendships in our lives and ask Him to give us the wisdom and
direction to do all that we should to strengthen our existing
friendships and establish the new ones He desires for us to have.
Our prayer should be: Father, please help me to be the friend to others that I would want to be my friend.
2006 © MONDAY MORNING MESSAGE/ / FRED G. CHILTON
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