a final word

If there was a list of the best one-liners in the New Testament, much of Paul’s letter to his friends in Philippi would be in it. And a large number of those would come from the final part in chapter four.

As a closing thought to this great little book, I want to highlight just one verse, though admittedly, not one of the more well known ones.

Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. (v. 9)

In our world of 24/7 digital news media, social networking, and smart phones with cameras, it is hard to imagine anyone making such a statement.

Think about it: How often does breaking news coverage reveal a public leader, fallen and disgraced? Caught in a lie? Discovered to be corrupt? Ensnared in hypocrisy? It’s an everyday headline on Drudge.

Some would say that such leaders fall victim to the compromises inherent in a highly visible, high profile life. That getting turned sideways is an occupational hazard. That no one can withstand the onslaught of such invasive scrutiny. That a pedestal allows for no variance of character.

So, at first glance, for Paul to make such a statement would seem to be the height of arrogance. Or ignorance. Or insanity.

But there’s more here than a rash, thick headed lunatic.

Paul was a man undeniably gripped by the reality of his relationship to Christ. His life was not lived recklessly, but freely. His was no haphazard expression of faith, but a faith abandoned to all but the One who had saved him. His trust was not measured and evaluated, but childlike and simple.

Paul was a called man: called by name by the risen Lord he was intent to despise. Called to be a different man, given a different mission. A call he answered without hesitation and without reserve. His life was not his own. He had been pursued and overcome and overtaken by the Lord.

The church in Philippi had benefitted directly from the call of the Pursuer and the goal of the pursued by:

what they had learned... understood, formally taught, educated...

what they had received... taken in, things had been done for them...

what they had heard... listened to, overheard, but not yet learned...

what they had seen... been aware of, but not yet received...

Paul was a unified message in his person and in his words and deeds. No mixed signals. No hint of hypocrisy. No guile. No shading of truth. Follow him relentlessly with a camera, post everything you film on YouTube, and nothing he said would be at odds with what he did.

This was the man Paul.

Giving thanks for his friends.

Encouraging his church.

Praying for their love to grow.

Reminding them to live worthily.

Singing the hymn of Jesus’ humility.

Celebrating the work of God in them.

Rejoicing in the Lord.

Gaining the immeasurable worth of Christ.

Reaching toward the goal.

Living up to the truth he had attained.

Rejoicing. Again.

Continuously dwelling on all good, worthy, honorable, pure, lovely things.

Content in all circumstances.

Able to do what is needed because of the strength he has in Jesus.

Supplied by the riches and glory of Christ.

To the glory of God our Father, forever and ever.

Amen.

R

Set List for Feb. 20/21

Say, Say - Kristian Stanfill
All Because of Jesus - Steve Fee
Jesus Paid It All - Matt Redman
No one Greater/Stand - Hillsongs/Fee

Offering Song:
Let Your Glory Shine - Lincoln Brewster

a forgetful God

Among the many stand-out verses in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church is this one found in Chapter 3.

But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (13, 14)

Memory is a funny thing. Almost randomly, it seems, the mind can recall events from years ago - even the meaningless and trivial - but have difficulty with remembering yesterday. Or an hour ago. Carol’s 95 year old grandpa could tell with brilliant clarity about a tragic flood that happened in 1912, but he couldn’t remember to turn off the oven.

Admittedly, there are some memories we’d like to keep forever. Sweet ones, warm ones. Memories that bring joy and peace.

Others... well, some of those we could do without. Events that caused us pain. Humiliation. Despair. These we’d just as soon never remember again... ever. The ones that gnaw at us. The ones that bubble to the surface at the mention of a word, a verse from a song, a smell, a place, blind siding us. The ones that speak into our ears: You’re nothing. You’re a fool. You’re incompetent, untalented, unacceptable. Small.

Memories, by definition, are what lie behind us. They “were”. They “happened”.

They are not “now” nor “will be”.

But often we are dominated by their presence and influence in our lives.

(Warning: A sports analogy from a non athlete!)

When the star player fumbles, strikes out, blows a lay up, or otherwise makes a miscue in a game, the automatic response from the coach and team is...

“Shake it off.”

You do not want that player haunted by the memory of an error and become defeated and ineffective. You need him to be in the game. You need him to pursue the goal of finishing with a win. You need him to forget it and keep going.

Paul had a lot that he needed to forget.

When you get a minute, read Acts 7:54 - 8:3. It’s the account of the stoning of Stephen and the introduction of a young man named (at that time) Saul, who agreed with his death. Thereafter, Saul began a personal campaign of house to house searches, dragging believers of Jesus off to jail. He “breathed threats and murder” (9:1). He expanded his searches to other cities, with approval from the Jewish council in Jerusalem.

He was very good at what he did. Dark things. Things that you remember long afterward.

Then he met Jesus And because of that, Paul was able to forget. Because God forgets.

Not like we do when we forget where we parked the car, or missed a birthday, or forgot to leave the trash on the curb. Not careless forgetfulness, like some doddering uncle who we all love, but realize “he’s not all there”.

God forgets because He loves us and chooses to forget. Our sins? Gone. As if they never existed. He does this for His sake: He is holy. He can’t look on unholiness. When we turn to Jesus for forgiveness, repent of our wrongdoing and rise to follow His leadership, God can receive us because our sin is forgotten.

Here’s what I mean.

Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am the One who wipes out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Jeremiah 31:34 I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.

Ezekiel 18:20, 21 But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten....

God forgives. God forgets. Count on it: it’s erased.

And, like Paul, we are free to “forget what lies behind, reaching forward to what lies ahead.”

So, the next time “what lies behind” wants to rear its ugly head to remind you of something dark, accusing you, dredging up old memories to take you out of the game, remember....

God forgives. God forgets.

R

Set List for Feb. 13/14

Rise and Sing - Fee
God is Alive - Fee
Grace - Steve Gompers

Offering:
How He Loves Us - David Crowder Band version

on your behalf

Philippians 2 is a deep well from which a person can drink long and often. Among its many treasures is a hymn of the early Christian church (vs 6 - 11) celebrating Jesus’ decision to leave His rightful place in heaven to come to earth in the form of a man to suffer the horrible death on a cross as the act of reconciling sinful man to a holy God. It is beautiful verse and stunning in its theology.

Paul uses this (most likely) familiar hymn as a way of encouraging this band of believers to be mindful of the interests and welfare of others. Then. as now, the bent of people is not selflessness. Jesus’ act of humility stands in dramatic contrast to a society that tirelessly promotes “self”.

All our relationships have the capacity to be distorted by self-interest. Because of our sinful nature, we hedge our answers, shade the truth, pose our actions - all to bring us some advantage, some superiority. Even if only for a moment.

It is an endless and empty pursuit, never satisfying the ache it hopes to soothe. We want to matter. We want to be important. We want our hands to make it work. Our words to make it happen. Our lives to be essential.

For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to will and to act for His good pleasure. (v 13) (... I find it extremely comforting - and sometimes a little disconcerting - to know that God Himself is actively, willfully working in me!)

We get out of alignment when we will and act for our good pleasure; we were not created for that.

Our will cannot make us better. Our actions don’t make us good. Without God, our will is impotent. Without God, our actions are, at best, reckless.

But God is there, working, working, working. Never ceasing. Never giving up. Never accepting “almost”. Never settling for “OK”.

Wonder if you’re important? Wonder if you matter? Wonder if you’re essential? Look at Who is working - right now, and always - on your behalf. Look at what He’s already done - on your behalf. Look at His determination - on your behalf. Look at His faithfulness - on your behalf.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet.... sorrow and love flow mingled down....

On your behalf.

R

Set List for Feb. 6/7

Beautiful Jesus - Kristian Stanfill
Lead Me To The Cross - Hillsongs
My Glorious - Passion
Your Name High - Hillsongs

Offering Song:
Life Light Up - Christy Nockels

a life worthy

When Kristina asked me to write a blog for the month of February, I thought that the book of Philippians might be a great way to spend our time. It is a short, very personal letter from the apostle Paul to the believers in a little city on the main Roman military road running east and west across Greece.

The four chapters of Philippians are rather difficult for people who underline or highlight in their bibles: nearly every verse is memorable and important. Lots of ink needed. (...Not that all scripture isn’t important! It just appears that some books, some verses appeal to us in everyday life on an emotional level more so than others. This is true with Philippians.)

It’s a good read.

So, this week, here’s our key verse (among many key verses): Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. (v 27)

If “they will know we are Christians by our love,” then a great way to kill the message is to be unloving.

If our good news, that Christ died for all our sins, is spoken with mixed signals (for instance, which sins we choose to condemn and which ones we’ll overlook) then our news is nothing good.

The implications for our team are clear and many. It’s not who you are on stage that is the measure of who you are. The stage - whether an actual performing arts stage or the implied platform upon which we are viewed by others - masks who we are. It is by nature and of necessity, false. No matter how compelling his character, the actor knows that it is not real: only clever lines, make up and wardrobe.

Or, as it applies to most of us: good lyrics, a great hook and the talent to pull off nearly anything in modern music. But, let’s be honest, it’s not who we are.

I sin. You sin. How are we supposed to live lives worthy of the gospel of Christ?

Paul prayed for this church’s love to grow in knowledge and discernment so that the people would be able to determine what really matters and be pure and blameless. (v 9 - 10)

Growing love defines what is important. It helps us see what is truly valuable.

Ask any young parent: What is important, now that you have the responsibility for a baby? Your perspective changes, because love has changed you. You now know what really matters, and what can wait, and what needs to be dropped altogether.

As our love for each other - and the people we lead and serve - grows, what becomes clear is that who we are is more important than what we do. I care about you as a person, a brother or sister in Christ; not because you can sing well, or play, or have technical expertise.

As a team members we have been given both great gifts and great responsibilities. We are called to serve with excellence, but remember that Jesus could ask the rocks to cry out in praise. Usually He doesn’t. He appears to prefer His children over rocks.

But our excellence ought not stop with our craft.

Excellence in life is what God is after: a heart tender toward God, eager to please Him.

Live a life worthy of the gospel. Worthy of the name “Christ follower”.

For we bear His name.

R

Set list for February 1W

No one Greater/Stand- Fee/hillsongs
Your Name High - Hillsongs
Blessed Be Your Name - Matt Redman
You Never Let Go - Matt Redman
Grace - Steve Gompers

Set List for Jan. 30/31

No one Greater/Stand - Steve Fee arrangement (Stand by Hillsongs)
Salvation is Here - Kristian Stanfill
Jesus Paid it All - Kristian Stanfill/Passion Version
tag Stand - HIllsongs

Offering: All Around Me by Flyleaf