Hope Alliance Bethlehem

To many people, religion seems harmless. And yet both Jesus and Paul are very careful to warn about the traps of religion. Paul, who met Jesus in the midst of an impressive religious life, is determined to remind his readers that the only thing that matters is knowing Jesus. The rest amounts to nothing. In the gospel, we discover that hard as we try we can never rise high enough to meet God, but more importantly we find a God who loves us so much that he comes down to meet us.

Obedience is birthed from love. When Paul calls the church to obedience, he is reminding them of God's great rescue and our rightful response of a life of submission and gratitude. This life of worship is one of God's great means of demonstrating his renewal of all things to the world which labors in darkness. When we gain a posture and perspective of gratitude, we make space for obedience. And when we live in obedience to God, we demonstrate the hope of the gospel to an onlooking world.

The Apostle Paul calls the church in Philippi to "next level humility" in light of the opposition that was surrounding them as well as a disagreement in their midst. But in classic Pauline theology it is based on understanding, and being motivated by, Jesus and the Gospel. And what we see is that humility is an act of faith that depends not so much on what we think of others, but what we think of God. Ultimately, we find that we are called to join Jesus in suffering and carrying our cross, but discover the mystery that God brings dead things back to life.

In Philippians 1:12-26 the apostle Paul encourages his Philippian friends and readers that, though the journey for him (and them) is difficult, the Gospel is advancing and that is cause to celebrate. And in one of the loftiest verses in the New Testament, Paul claims that "to live is Christ and to die is gain." Digging deeper it is clear that Paul can make this claim due to his purpose aligning with God's, his power coming from the Spirit, and his perspective that he has gained over the years.

The Philippian church has a special place in Paul's heart because of their clear partnership in the gospel. This is evident from their radical hospitality, sincere faith and financial generosity. And Paul's prayer for them is that this love for and commitment to the gospel will increase even more and result in love that abounds.

As followers of Jesus, we are sent as ambassadors. People who are entrusted with the good news of true life found in Jesus. At Hope, we are committed to living into this reality by living with intentionality in our spheres of influence and by launching a network of churches that will be able to represent Christ in communities across the Lehigh Valley.

The main role of the leadership of the church is to equip the people so the church can be built up. We are called to be equipped to maturity in the gospel so that we can withstand the winds of this world. And we are called to be equipped for ministry so each one can do his or her part to see the church grow.

The Bible reminds us that we are powerless to live the life that we were created for. Yet through the work of Jesus for us, we are now empowered to live that very life. Two of the most significant ways to tap into that power are through a devotion to prayer and a desire to be full of the Spirit.

We are a church formed by a provident God through a gracious gospel. And therefore we desire to be a gospel outpost and a gospel family. A place and people who are defined by God's love and undeniably joined together for his glory.

Who would you expect to be present at the grand arrival of God to earth? Certainly not the people who make up the nativity story. And yet, in this upside story we find a God who has come for those who need him and calls people personally to himself. And we find those who have responded to his calls with faith.