Here are the sermon notes from July 13, 2014. Our series, “No Matter What” is coming straight from the book of Philippians.  This week’s message is from chapter 2.  You can listen to the podcast of this message here.

Philippians 2:1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?

These are great questions.  They need to be answered honestly.  When it comes to the Gospel of Jesus Christ the answer is YES. If you honestly answer these question NO, then don’t go further.  There is more of Jesus that you can receive. There is more of his Spirit that you can be baptized with. SEEK HIM.

For those who answered YES to verse one, then we continue:

Verses 2-4 basically say:

Live in Community with Other Believers!

2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Be an active member of a healthy church (body of believers).

• Agree wholeheartedly with each other
• Love one another
• Work together with one mind and purpose
• Don’t be selfish
• Don’t try to impress others
• Be humble – think of others as better than yourself
• Don’t look out only for your own interests. Take an interest in others.

How can we accomplish that list: JESUS CHRIST

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;  he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God (obeyed God’s Word) and died a criminal’s death on a cross. (sacrificed his self-center, killed the desire to satisfy himself)  9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

How we live in Community at PSM:

• We worship together (Sunday Celebration)
• We live life together (Weekday Community) – Friends/companionship, helping, listening, carrying burdens.

o   Informally –friendships develop

o   Small Groups –(PSMU right now) In September, we are launching new groups – we are looking to launch 50 groups this fall.  In order to do that, we need 50 people or couples that

• People that are currently not doing it
• People that might have never done it before
• People that feel like they don’t have enough time
• People that feel like they know enough about the Bible

When I started pastoring this church, I was 26 years old. I had never been to seminary.  I was scared that people would reject or mock me.  All that was true, BUT GOD. God worked through me. He wants to work through you.

IT’S GAME TIME!  The church leadership are here to help you get a group of some sort started.

o   Classical Group – discussing the sermon from Sunday

o   Book Groups – reading and discussing a Christian book

o   Interest Groups – softball team, volleyball, shopping, golf, fishing, riverfloat, nursing home, moms/kids playgroup, homeschooling, scrapbooking, working out, decorating, gardening, hunting, geocaching, video-gaming, cardplaying,

If you love Jesus and he has impacted your life, then use your natural skills and ‘likes’ to gather others in community.

Participate in that activity and we can help you figure out how deep you go with the Biblical/Spiritual application.

If you want to launch a new small group, click here.

Work Out Your Faith

Philippians 2:12  (Amplified Version) Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).

13 [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Paul circles around and ends the chapter with the same concept at the opening verses.

 Live in Community with Other Believers!

Get Risky (not frisky) – Be Venerable – Be Open –

19 If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare.

When Paul checks Facebook, he doesn’t get jealous or thrive on other people’s failure. He doesn’t feel depressed or heavy when comparing himself to others! HE IS ENCOURAGED BY THEIR WINS.

21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 23 I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 24 And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.

25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. 26 I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill.

27 And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.  28 So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you.  29 Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. 30For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.