Christ Community Church of Pembroke Pines

 The Christian’s Joy

                                    “Our Life and Death in Christ”         

                                                    Phil. 1:19-24

To Glorify Christ (vv. 19-21)

To be With Christ (vv. 21-23)

8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. Ro. 14:8

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 2 Tim. 2:2

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 2 Cor. 5:6-9

2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel.  Ro. 9:2-4a

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Tim. 4:6-8

The Christian’s Joy

                                                   Phil. 1:12-18

Joy Despite Persecution (vv. 12-14)

Acts 28:30-31 30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense,[a] and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

2 Tim.1:7-9a,12 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling.. 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

Gen. 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

The nation of Israel was born out of his suffering. We could talk about Daniel in his persecution. Peter and John after Pentecost are preaching the gospel in Jerusalem, Christ resurrected, crowds are gathering, people getting saved, the Sanhedrin’s upset..

Acts 4:3-4 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Joy Despite Opposition (vv. 15-18)

1 Cor. 3:4-10 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[b] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 

The Christian’s Joy

                                    “Joy in the Gospel Ministry”         

                                                   Phil. 1:12-18

Joy Despite Persecution (vv. 12-14)

Acts 28:30-31 30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense,[a] and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

2 Tim.1:7-9a,12 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling.. 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

Gen. 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

The nation of Israel was born out of his suffering. We could talk about Daniel in his persecution. Peter and John after Pentecost are preaching the gospel in Jerusalem, Christ resurrected, crowds are gathering, people getting saved, the Sanhedrin’s upset..

Acts 4:3-4 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Joy Despite Opposition (vv. 15-18)

1 Cor. 3:4-10 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[b] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 

The Christian’s Joy

                                            “Saints Under Construction”         

                                                        Phil. 1:6-7

Promised (v.6)

Psa. 138:8. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

He won’t.

1 Pet. 1:6-9 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

. That’s an amazing text. What influence Paul seems to have had on Peter in the spirit. Can you tell? It’s all there, the discipline and training and strengthening of our faith through trials and tribulations which confirms our faith for us and should be a wellspring of that Christian joy for us.

Ja. 1:2-4 2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Thess. 5:23-24  23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Eze. 36:26-27 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

1 Jo. 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

At this point in the text, Paul goes back to his prayer of thanksgiving with joy for his relationship with the Philippian church..

Proclaimed (v.7)

1 Pet. 3:15, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect..

The Christian’s Joy

“Fellowship of the Saints”

Phil. 1:1-5

Beatitude Attitude (vv. 1-2)

Gratitude Attitude (vv.3-5)

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Reasons for Joy:

Fond memories of grace (vv. 3,5; Joel 2:21).

Salvation by grace (Psa. 32:10-11)

Relationship by grace (Psa. 16:11)

Growth in grace (3 Jo. 3-4)

Service of grace (Acts 20:35, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”)

The Servant of God

“The Fight of Faith, Pt.2”

Ma. 14:66-72

Cowardly Denial (vv.66-71)

Godly Sorrow (v.72)

12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Cor. 10:12-13).

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, …. 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. (2 Tim. 1:8,12).

Divine Restoration (Jo. 21:15-19)

Counterfeit Faith may be based on:

Regenerate, Biblical Faith:

Sanctity of Life Sunday (50th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade)

“The Root of the Revolution”

Ro.1:21-25

Ingratitude (v. 21)

Idolatry (vv. 22-25)

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Gen. 3:4-6).

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute (Psa. 82:3)

1.  Reject abortion

2.  Experience God's forgiveness (hope of the gospel)

3.  Rescue the innocent, one mother and one baby at a time

The Servant of God

“A Conspiracy of Injustice”

Ma. 14:53-65

The Accusations (vv.53-59)

18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow … (Deut. 16:18-20a).

Israel’s legal system from the law of God:

Governing principle of capital cases: “The Sanhedrin is to save, not destroy life.”

The Interrogation (vv. 60-61)

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isa. 53:7)

22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Pet. 2:22-23).

The Condemnation (vv. 62-65)

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.  (Jo. 5:17-18).

CLOSE   14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it…. 20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you,  those who frame injustice by statute?

The Servant of God

“Apostasy and Arrest”

Ma. 14:43-52

The Capture (vv.43-46)

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matt. 7:21-23).

4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus[b] said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”  (Jo. 18:4-8).

The Complaint (vv. 47-49)

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (Jo. 18:10-11).

He was despised and rejected by men, By oppression and judgment he was taken away;  and was numbered with the transgressors; (Isa.53:3a, 8a, 12c).

The Cowardice (vv. 50-52)

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matt.26:52-53).

3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus[a] was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. (Matt. 27:3-5).

if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. (2 Tim. 2:13)

NEW YEAR’S 2023 - “New Year-Ordinary Church”

1 Thess. 5:14

Exhortation

   1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ…  

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Gal. 6:1-2, 6, 9-10).

Encouragement

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb. 10:24-25).

… we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. And finally, all of these exhortations are wrapped up in the final one.. Ro. 15:1

Endurance

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 1 Cor.13:4