Friends, as we were singing that last song, it's one of those moments where you'd like to just sort of frame in history and pause there.
I thought it was a wonderful testimony to unity in the gospel.
This sermon will not be translated.
It will, for those in Chinese who cannot understand a word I'm saying right now, it will actually be projected on the screen.
So it will be full text on the screen, except for the changes that I made this morning.
So please bear with me on that one.
Let's pray.
Father God, I pray that your word will come alive to us this morning.
We ask, Father, that your spirit will come in a fresh way and that you will revive our souls so that we might say with the Apostle Paul,
to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Father, unite us in partnership around the gospel of grace, we pray.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Late in the evening of the 24th of June, 1982, British Airways Flight 9, a Boeing 747-200 was flying high, very high, over Indonesia.
What the pilots couldn't see on the radar was a cloud of volcanic ash up ahead in their flight path.
Earlier, Mount Gowlingung had erupted 150 kilometres north of their flight path.
And all of a sudden, smoke started to fill the cabin.
And those with a window seat noticed that the engines were, and I quote, unusually bright.
Then, without warning, number four engines stopped.
One minute later, number two engines stopped, followed quickly by engines one and three.
The 747 was now what you call technically a glider.
For 16 minutes, this plane fell out of the sky.
In the eerie silence, people knew that they were going to die.
Can you imagine the sort of things that were going through their minds for 16 minutes
as they gradually fell to the ground?
People started writing notes to loved ones on napkins.
They started to, in fact, talk to the people that they had ignored for the rest of the flight.
They prayed.
And a strange feeling came across the plane.
They accepted that life was over.
Because of the lack of oxygen in the cabin, the pilots took the unusual step of making it quicker for everyone
and put the plane in a nosedive to get to a lower level so that people could breathe again.
That manoeuvre had the added benefit of unclogging the engines of volcanic ash,
and the engines were able to be restarted.
Can you imagine the excitement as the engines kicked back in,
the plane climbed and eventually landed at a nearby airport?
The passengers thought they were dead, but they were alive.
They had a new lease on life.
They ended up actually forming a survivor's club.
It is known as the Mount Galangang Gliding Club.
They get together annually on the date of that flight,
and they celebrate life together.
One 81-year-old passenger said that on that night,
she learnt to count every day as a blessing.
She'd never before had a second chance on life.
And that's what you've got if you've met Jesus.
If you're a Christian, you've got a second chance on life,
a new lease on life, a reason to really live,
and it's a life that is enjoyed with other Christians.
The Apostle Paul, the one who wrote this letter to the church in Philippi,
he got a second chance when he met Jesus.
He was a blasphemer, a persecutor of Christians,
an opponent of the advancement of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,
even to the point of giving his assent to the murder of Christians.
But make no mistake, he was religious.
He was zealous.
He was pious.
He was devout.
And he was faultless in legalistic righteousness,
as we will discover in a few weeks.
Then he met Jesus.
And his life was radically changed.
A complete turnaround.
He who was persecutor has become the persecuted.
He who trusted in himself, his religious activity,
and his heritage,
now trusts in Jesus
and pursues God's glory no matter what.
And he calls the Philippians
to have the same perspective on life as him.
And he calls us to have the same perspective of life.
And it's right there in verse 27.
Whatever happens,
conduct yourselves in a matter worthy of the gospel of Christ.
And this is what this commitment series is all about.
We are called to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.
This commitment series is about reminding us who we are in Christ
and what we are called to be.
We are called to live in such a way
as to show the worth of the value of the gospel.
We are called to reveal to this world
that we prize the Lord Jesus
more than anything else in this world.
We are called to show that our treasure is not in this world.
Our hope is not in money and earthly security.
Our satisfaction is not in power and prestige.
Our contentment is not in the approval of others.
And our happiness is not in avoiding criticism and slander.
Instead, our treasure and hope and satisfaction
and contentment and happiness
are in Christ and his promises.
Broadly speaking, I believe that what Philippians calls us to be
is what he stated in our mission statement.
We exist to know Jesus,
to treasure Jesus,
and represent Jesus for God's glory
and the joy of all people.
As we go through Philippians in the coming weeks,
Paul will spell out for us
what it means to live a life worthy of the gospel.
And two broad themes keep popping up
and are introduced here in chapter 1.
Firstly, unity.
And secondly, courageous sacrifice and service.
In one sense, these two things
will always be a challenge for us and for God's people.
They will always need to be spoken of
and they will always need to be pursued.
But having said that,
I don't want us to lose the urgency
of them for us right now as a church here.
I have spent the best part of my 18 months here
working towards getting us heading in the same direction.
And it's been painful for me and for some of you.
There has been pain with the turnover in staff,
adjustment to structures,
the changing of ministry operations.
Ironically, the divisions and difficulties
have the goal of unity.
One of the main confronting issues
has been the siloing of ministry.
Many good things happening,
but not necessarily heading in the same direction
with the same purpose
or even in reference to anyone else or anything else.
Vision 2020 was launched almost a year ago
to give us a common direction and purpose as a church.
The second thing that is so pertinent to us right now
is the biblical teaching of radical,
God-centered, wartime, risk-taking lifestyle
for this is what God has called us to be as his people.
It has been nearly 12 months since Vision 2020 was launched
and we've had time to get used to it
and now it is time to start stirring each other up
to take some risks in more venturesome acts of love
and evangelism and discipleship.
We need to break out of deeply ingrained habits
of timidity and silence and fear.
We need to be set free from long-established anxieties
of ruffling feathers and being slandered
because too much is at stake for people in Chatswood.
My prayer is that as we go through Philippians
in this commitment series,
we will see our partnership in the gospel
and we will courageously sacrifice and serve
in order to see the gospel advance among us and beyond us.
So firstly, let's look at the issue of unity.
I find it astounding that Paul would write these words
at the beginning of Philippians, verse 3.
I thank my God every time I remember you
in all of my prayers for all of you.
I always pray with joy because of your partnership
in the gospel from the first day until now.
Let us not forget that the one who writes these words
is the same one who was chosen by God
to take the gospel to the nations.
He planted church after church.
He wrote about one third of the New Testament
and suffered more for the gospel than I could ever imagine.
Do you feel the impact of what Paul has written there
in those verses?
The word he chooses to describe his relationship
with this church is partnership.
Partners.
It's a business word that refers to a shared endeavour
that holds two parties together.
Even separated by prison,
Paul uses this word to describe
the shared identity and purpose that they have.
I find it astounding that he would use this word
because if anyone has the right to talk about rights,
it would be Paul.
If anyone has the credibility to elevate himself
over other Christians and demand more,
it would have to be Paul.
If anyone could say that he is more equal
than anyone else, it would have to be Paul.
Instead, he calls this church at Philippi
a church that he founded his partners
from the very first day.
Not after you've learned a thing or two.
Not after you've been a Christian for a number of years.
Not once the church has got its governance
and ministry structures firmly established.
Not once, Church of Philippi,
you send out a few missionaries.
From the very first day,
you are my partners in the gospel.
How can the great apostle Paul say that
about this church at Philippi?
Verse 7 gives us the answer.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you
since I have you in my heart.
For whether I'm in chains or defending
and confirming the gospel,
all of you share in God's grace with me.
Their partnership with Paul began
from the very first day
because it says in verse 7,
all of you share in God's grace with me.
Paul doesn't demand more rights
because of his longevity in the faith,
because of his commitment to the church,
his commitment to the gospel,
or because of his effectiveness
as a gospel worker.
Grace means it's a level playing field.
One of the clearest pictures of this
in the New Testament
is the parable of the workers of the vineyard
in Matthew 20.
In the parable,
a farmer hires men
at different times during the day.
We are told that he hires them
early in the morning,
the third hour,
the sixth hour,
the ninth hour,
right at the end of the day
in the eleventh hour.
And those who began early in the morning
agreed to do a day's work
for denarius.
That was a good wage
for a worker
and was considered
to be what was needed
to provide well
for their family.
So don't let this point
slip you past.
They all,
including those who started work
at the beginning of the day,
they all received
not what they had earned,
but what they needed.
They were all paid
according to grace,
not according to debt.
And the twist comes
at the end of the day
when they all line up
to get paid
and they all get the same.
They all get a denarius.
Everyone gets the same pay.
No matter how long
they had been out there
in the paddock,
they all get a denarius.
Every worker got what they needed,
not what they had earned.
And, of course,
those who'd been working
the longest
started to grumble.
Hang on a bit,
we've been out there all day.
Shouldn't we get two?
And in a sense,
the workers are right,
it's not fair
what the boss is doing.
But I think that's the point.
Since when is grace
ever about being fair?
It's about me getting
what I don't deserve
and being rescued
from what I do deserve.
The truth about God's grace
is not just a truth
that applies
when you first become a Christian.
It's not just a truth
that is something to say
about salvation.
It is an amazing truth
and reality
that is the very foundation
of how Jesus deals
with us day by day
and how we are to deal
with each other
day by day.
None of us needs
anything less
than God's grace
and none of us needs
anything more
than God's grace.
We all need a denarius,
so to speak.
We are all beggars
at the foot of the cross.
We were when we started
as a Christian
and we are to still be there
50, 60, 70, 80,
however many years
God allows you
in this world.
Nothing ever changes.
The thing that unites us
is not our culture,
not our tradition,
not our history,
not our preferences,
not our language.
It is our desperate,
desperate need
for the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ
from the very first day
until the last.
It is this grace
that unites Paul,
the great apostle,
with the Philippian church
that he founded.
It would seem
that in the church
at Philippi
there were a few people
struggling
to get on
with each other.
There was a bit
of wrong teaching
kicking around.
There were some difficulties
with persecution
and it was getting them down.
The joy of Christian discipleship
wasn't so evident
in this church,
although Paul
significantly rejoices
with this church.
And so it's not surprising,
therefore,
that Philippians
is a book
that talks about
the gospel
more than any other
New Testament book.
Paul wants us
to discover
how much
of a difference
a relationship
with Jesus
makes to our lives.
Paul wants
to encourage them
by putting them
back to Jesus
to help them
to keep on going,
to stand firm
and to put all
the issues
and difficulties
in the light
of the really
important news
of the gospel
of the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ.
The differences
that cause
divisions
are always,
always,
always
less
than which unites
us,
the grace
of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
The grace
of the Lord
Jesus
has completely
transformed Paul.
It changes
the way
Paul sees
other Christians.
It wasn't
long ago
that Paul
was persecuting
Christians,
putting them
into jail,
but now,
verse 4,
because of your
partnership
in the gospel
from the first
day until now,
they are my
partners,
Paul says.
They are not
my competitors.
they are not
my subjects.
They are my
partners.
Is this how
you see
your relationship
with your
brothers and
sisters here
at St.
Paul's?
Just have a
look around.
Is this how
you view
your relationship
with your
brothers and
sisters here
at St.
Paul's?
Do you
see them
as your
partners
at the foot
of the cross
in the gospel
of the Lord
Jesus Christ,
dependent upon
his grace
as much as
they,
as much as
you?
Note, too,
that when Paul
talks about
partnership,
he's not
merely tolerating
the Christian
church here
at Philippi.
He is also
not giving
a mere
intellectual
assent
to the
theological
correctness
of
partnership.
Verse 4,
in all my
prayers for
all of you,
I always
pray with
joy.
Verse 7,
it is right
for me to
feel this
way about
all of you
since I
have you
in my
heart.
Verse 8,
God can
testify how
I long
for you
with the
affection of
Jesus
Christ.
God for
all the
church,
he prays
for them
all with
joy,
he has
them in
his heart
and he
longs for
them in
affection.
I suspect
the answer
to the
question
would want
to use
those verses
as a test
case as to
whether or not
you view
them as
your partners,
your brothers
and sisters
here.
I suspect
those verses
are a true
test case as
to whether we
see each
other as
partners.
So what is
it that
threatens our
unity and
partnership?
Broadly
speaking,
it is always
the three
enemies of
the Christian,
the world,
the flesh and
the devil.
More
specifically,
there are a
few things,
but in one
way or another,
I believe
they're sort
of attached
to a common
underlying
issue.
Longevity
and
effectiveness
equals
rights.
In other
words,
those who
have a
history are
more equal
than others.
It can
express itself
in many
ways.
Those born
in this
country have
more rights
than those
who moved
here two
years ago.
The oldest
members have
more rights
than the
younger.
The oldest
congregation
more rights
than the
newest
congregation.
The
bigger
congregation
more rights
than the
smaller
congregation.
Those
more
effective
in
ministry
more
rights
than
those
just
starting
out.
Those
attending
here the
longest
more rights
than those
who have
just joined.
Those
being
Christian
for 70
years
more equal
than those
who have
just come
to Christ.
It is so
easy to
start
in the
vineyard
acknowledging
that I'm
a one
hour
worker at
the end
of the
day in
the
vineyard
and
then
eventually
over
time
start
operating
as if
I've
done a
full
day's
work
and
deserve
a full
day's
pay.
It is
subtle
and it
happens
slowly
but we
can stop
relating to
each other
on the
basis
of grace.
It is
therefore
crucial
that we
never lose
sight of
the gospel
of grace
as a
church.
Grace
reminds me
that I
am a
beggar
at the
foot of
the cross
and I
am
therefore
consistently
dependent
upon God
and I
am no
different
than you.
Grace
reminds me
that I
have no
more rights
than you,
no more
privileges,
I am
not more
equal.
Grace
reminds me
that I
need to
consistently
go downward
in humility
as I
interact
with you
day by
day.
Grace
ought to
lead me
to rejoice
as more
people come
into the
fellowship
believers
and get
involved
and open
up new
opportunities
for us
in ministry.
I ought to
rejoice
because that
is partnership
and it is
the one
thing that
God uses
to advance
the gospel
amongst us
and beyond
us.
And so
friends,
Hope Anglican
Church no
longer exists.
At the
beginning of
January this
year,
we were
all St.
Paul's
Chatswood.
St.
Paul's
Chatswood
changed on
that day,
the 1st
of January
2010,
it changed
as we
entered into
a new
partnership
with new
brothers and
sisters who
were not
less than
us.
Things were
different from
that moment
and what
family does
not work
like that?
when Phoebe
entered our
family just
over a year
ago,
Isabel was
not more
equal than
Phoebe
just because
she was
there first.
To treat
her,
Phoebe that
is,
as number
two and
not equally
loved and
adored would
create enormous
tensions and
difficulties as
our family
grew.
and a
lot of
expensive
counsellors in
years to
come.
And so
the danger
in the
amalgamation
is to
strongly
affirm that
hope no
longer exists
but then to
expect nothing
to change in
the St.
Paul's
family.
That is to
expect those
who have
come to
partner with
us to
just fit
into our
ongoing
ministry and
agenda and
program.
Woohoo!
You've
bolstered our
numbers and
given us a
few more
dollars but
just stay
over there
and you'll
learn the
ropes soon
enough.
Because the
name and
the facilities
of St.
Paul's was
retained in
the merger
doesn't mean
that everything
else was.
And so on
another note
our Chinese
ministries are
no longer the
little brothers
amongst us.
There is
some very
significant
ministry
happening
amongst our
Chinese
congregations.
And in
case you are
unaware our
country is
becoming more
and more
ethnic.
By 2050
only 35%
of our
country will
come from
an Anglo
background.
And I
suspect the
ratio in
chats would
be significantly
higher than
say Narrabri.
And
therefore
brothers and
sisters if
that is the
direction of
our country
we need to
be repositioned
and aligning
and resourcing
our ministries
accordingly.
In
preparation what
God might do
amongst us in
40 years.
And so
today as
Brian has
said we
launch a
new logo
for St
Paul's.
At the
centre of
this logo
is the
cross and
it is the
cross that
is drawing
us together
in fellowship.
Lots of
people,
different people
from different
backgrounds and
different places
coming together
in partnership
and unity
because of
the gospel
of grace
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
The closer
we get to
the gospel
of grace,
the closer
we get to
the cross
the greater
the intensity
of partnership.
To live
that life,
a life worthy
of the gospel
in partnership
takes fearless
courage and
sacrifice.
It means
that I
consistently
lay aside
myself as
an individual
for the
sake of the
advancement of
the gospel
and the
glory of
God.
God
and so
let us
allow the
apostle Paul
to realign
us again
and challenge
us.
Verse 14
Because of
my chains
most of the
brothers in
the Lord
have been
encouraged to
speak the
word of
God more
courageously
and fearlessly.
It is true
that some
preach Christ
out of envy
and rivalry
but others
out of good
will.
And again
in verse 17
talking about
those with
wrong motives
he says
they preach
Christ out of
selfish ambition
not sincerely
supposing they
can stir up
trouble for
me while I
am in
chains.
So here's
Paul in
prison and
some say we
can make life
even worse for
Paul if we
preach this
message.
We can get
him even into
more trouble if
we preach the
gospel.
How do you
think you'd
feel?
You're knocked
down,
circumstances are
against you
and someone
thinks he's
here's a
great opportunity
to stick
the boot
in.
In fact
we may
even end
up with
his head
on a
platter.
Don't you
think you'd
want revenge?
Don't you
think you'd
be calling
on God?
Fix this
problem God.
Don't you
think you'd
want God
to judge
these people
with their
motives?
Don't you?
Not Paul
verse 18
God
but what
does it
matter?
The
important
thing that
is in
every way
whether from
false
motives or
true,
Christ is
preached
and therefore
I rejoice.
He doesn't
complain,
he's not
angry with
God about
it,
he doesn't
curse those
who are
against him,
he doesn't
even tolerate
it,
he in fact
rejoices that
Christ is
preached as
he is
rotting in
a prison
cell.
What is
wrong with
this guy?
He isn't
worried about
his pride,
he isn't
worried about
his reputation,
he isn't
worried about
his position
as an
apostle,
he isn't
concerned for
his comfort,
he isn't
concerned for
his own
advancement,
he doesn't
logically think
God,
I'm an
apostle to
take the
gospel to
the nations,
surely this
is not
part of
your plan.
He is
concerned only
for Jesus,
he is
concerned with
the reputation
of the Lord
Jesus,
he is
concerned that
other people
hear about
Jesus,
he is
concerned that
the gospel
of Christ
is advanced.
Paul has
been so
gripped by
God's grace
to him
through Jesus,
so impacted
by this
new lease
on life
through
Jesus,
that he
is prepared
to sacrifice
his own
desires,
his will,
his pride,
his reputation,
even his
own life,
he lays it
all on the
line for
the glory
of the
Lord Jesus.
Everything
in life
now revolves
around Jesus,
not Paul.
It is all
about Jesus
and not
Paul.
His life
has been
reorientated
to be
thoroughly
gospel-centered.
His primary
concern is
the advancement
of the
gospel.
The advancement
of the
gospel means
laying aside
my personal
glory,
my comfort,
so that
God might
become
great.
But that's
not all.
There's
more.
Verse 20,
Paul says
that whatever
happens,
may the
Lord Jesus
Christ be
exalted,
whether that
be in my
life or
whether it
be in my
death.
You see
what he's
saying there?
If it
means I
live or
it means
I die,
whatever it
takes,
that the
gospel might
be advanced
and glory
might be
made to
Jesus.
What Paul
is saying
here is
that it's
all about
life and
death.
This is
not a
trivial
matter,
friends.
Verse 22
gives us a
glimpse of
how Paul
is thinking.
If I'm
to go on
living in
the body,
this will
mean fruitful
labour for
me, yet
what shall
I choose?
I do not
know.
I am
torn between
the two.
I desire
to depart
to be
with Christ,
which is
better by
far, but
it is more
necessary for
you that I
remain in
the body.
Convinced of
this, I
know that I
will remain
and I
will continue
with all
of you for
your progress
and joy
in the
faith.
And so
what Paul
is doing
is he sits
there and
rots in
this prison,
he looks
at his
life and
he thinks,
if I
live,
then it
means more
opportunities
to do
what I
can for
the gospel
to advance,
more
opportunities to
make God
look great,
but if I
die, I
will be in
heaven.
No more
prison, no
more chains,
no more
ridiculed, no
more persecution.
I will be
with Jesus and
that is clearly
better by far.
God.
He knows in
the end that
it's all in
God's hands,
but he
says, if I'm
going to
choose, what
will I
choose?
He says, I
would choose
more of the
same.
Paul says,
it is more
important for
you that I
remain.
Even as he
rots in
prison and
he faces
death, he's
not concerned
with himself.
He sees
that for him
to go on
living is
all about
partnership in
the advancement
of the
gospel.
And if it
means that he
rots in
prison so the
gospel would be
advanced, then
so be it.
if I have
the choice
right now, he
says, in
that moment
between eternal
glory and
more suffering
and partnership
for the
advancement of
the gospel,
then right
now, for
your sakes,
church at
Philippi, you
need me to
suffer more.
And so
therefore I
will.
Because it's
not about
him.
verse 21
is Paul's
grace-driven
outlook on
life in a
nutshell.
For to me,
to live is
Christ and
to die is
gain.
When I
first became
a Christian,
I bought
this Bible.
And I'm
not sure what
you, I
think you
just go and
get a big
Bible.
I think when
you first
become a
Christian,
show your
keenness.
And I
wrote at
the beginning
my very
first memory
verse.
For to me,
to live is
Christ and
to die is
gain.
I wanted a
verse that
was going to
summarise my
life.
Something that
I would
proudly put on
a tombstone
or someone
else would
put on a
tombstone
for me.
That would
be a
miracle.
To live
is Christ,
to die is
gain,
and under
that I
have written
these words,
engage the
pain,
don't run.
Communicate
the gospel,
protect the
gospel,
adorn the
gospel,
suffer for
the gospel.
The
gospel of
grace has
so turned
around Paul's
life that
he is now
partnering with
those he
persecuted.
It has
so turned
his life
around that
his whole
perspective
on life
and death
is all
about
Jesus.
For to
me,
to live
life is
all about
Jesus,
and to
die is
just to
get more
of Jesus.
Is it
any wonder
that he
calls this
church at
Philippi,
and he
calls us
and every
generation
since then
to live
in such
a way
that Jesus
looks
spectacular?
Could you
say that?
Could you
read those
words and
for them to
ring true for
the way that
you view your
life and
your death?
Maybe your
wording is
more like
to me to
live and
to die would
be really
inconvenient
right now.
Maybe you've
got plans,
you've got
things you
want to do
with your
life,
lots of
things to
achieve,
things to
achieve and
to advance
for your
own gain.
Maybe Jesus
doesn't fit in
with some of
those plans and
maybe you want
to do some
things first and
then maybe
hand over to
Jesus a little
bit later once
you've advanced
yourself.
and if that
is you,
then death
is the
ultimate thing
for you to
avoid because
this is the
thing that gets
in the way of
you getting
what you want
in your life.
And therefore
courage and
fearlessness is
not high on the
agenda in
advancement of
the gospel.
This isn't how
Paul viewed his
life, all
because of the
gospel of grace.
It isn't how
any Christian
should view
their life.
We are meant
to have a
commitment to
Jesus that
is sort of
until death
do us part,
if you know
what I mean.
Paul calls
us to stop
dating Jesus
and get
committed.
To live is
to live for
Jesus, to
die is to
get even
more of
Jesus.
Such a
call to the
commitment of
the advancement
of the gospel
and the glory
of Christ has
led many people
to do
extraordinary
things over
the centuries,
to live
lives worthy
of the gospel.
There is a
great cloud of
witnesses before
us, friends,
and at this
point in history
we stand on the
shoulders of
significant people
who have gone
before us in so
many ways, and
they are a
motivation and an
encouragement and a
challenge to us.
For instance, in
1800, a young
19-year-old man
named Henry
Martin became a
Christian while
studying at
Cambridge University
University in
England.
He was
brilliant in
a variety of
areas including
mathematics,
philosophy, and
theology.
By just five
years later, after
becoming a
Christian, in
1805, and at
the age of
24, he left
everything, including
the love of his
life, Lydia
Grenfell.
He went
firstly to
India as a
missionary and
then on to
other countries.
The boat took
ten months to
get to India
and in the
process, he
became extremely
ill and almost
died.
He went on to
take the good
news about Jesus
to three other
countries and
translated the
Bible into
Arabic.
When he arrived
in India after
the ten-month
trip and nearly
dying, he said
this,
He did die
on the 16th
of October
1812, 12
years after
becoming a
Christian, at
the age of
31, sharing
Jesus with
Muslims in
Iran.
He had a
vision for
life and for
death.
If I die, I
die to be
happy, but if
I live, I
shall live to
the glory of
God alone.
It sounds
very familiar
to the
Apostle Paul's
words, whatever
happens, conduct
yourselves in a
manner worthy of
the gospel of
Christ for me to
live is Christ
and to die
is gain.
The conviction
that has gripped
me over recent
years is that
courage is at
the centre of
what it means
to live a
life worthy
of the gospel
of Christ.
Boldness in
the fear of
opposition is
at the heart
of being a
Christian.
It is not
an upper
level spirituality
for super
saints.
It is the
everyday requirement
of Christian
living.
And so
friends, it
is almost
one year since
I stood here
and launched
Vision 2020.
And at its
heart, it's a
vision that
desires to see
members of
St. Paul's
individually and
together living
lives worthy of
the gospel of
Christ.
It is a vision to
see Jesus made
great in this
area.
It's a vision that
is intended to
unite us for a
common purpose,
heading in a
common direction
with a common
goal, and that
is to make
Jesus look
great, for
him to be our
greatest treasure,
and for all
the world to
know it.
I believe it
says very
clearly who we
are meant to
be and what we
are on about.
And so I want
to ask you, how
has Vision 2020
shaped you in the
last 12 months?
How has life
changed for you?
What have you
sacrificed?
The great danger
for us as a
church is to hear
the language of
Vision 2020, even
use the language of
Vision 2020, and
just keep on as
individuals doing
what we've always
done and nothing
changes.
and we put it
all in the
veneer of a
Vision 2020
language.
That's not what's
been happening for
me in the last 12
months.
I asked the
senior staff a
couple of weeks
ago to give me
a commitment, as
far as they were
able to, under
God, to commit
their lives to
Vision 2020
until Vision,
until 2020.
I want their
partnership in the
gospel.
I need their
partnership in the
gospel.
But in asking for
that, I also, in
the process, said
that I need their
sacrifice in order
that the gospel
would be advanced,
that this vision
would be advanced
and realised under
God.
Whatever it takes,
I said, whatever it
takes for the next
10 years, will you
do it?
Whatever new role
you have to take
on or to give up,
an old one, we
will do it together
in order to not
stand in the way
of God growing his
church and the
gospel advancing in
this place.
I said to them at
some point, you may
come to me and say,
Steve, it's time to
go.
Steve, it's time to
change your role.
It's time to step
down and someone
else step up.
Because right now,
you're not the
person to take us
from 1,000 to 2,000.
And for the sake of
the advancement of
the gospel, you need
to lay yourself
aside.
Or maybe to say to
some that you can
no longer preach,
even though it is
your gifting.
But right now, as a
church, we need you
over there.
Will you sacrifice?
Will you give up?
Or to move another
person from their
passion in one area
of ministry to another
area of ministry,
because that is what
is beneficial for the
advancement of the
gospel in that
moment.
And the call is
this.
Will you give up?
Will you serve?
Will you sacrifice?
Will you surrender
your comfort,
sacrifice,
prestige and
position and
significance and
recognition and
preferences for the
sake of partnership
and the advancement of
the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ?
Christ?
We need the perspective of
Paul that if it is best
for me to be in chains
and rot, then I will do
so if that means it's the
advancement of the gospel.
gospel.
That is for all of us, that if
it is best for me to be in
chains and rot for the gospel
to advance, then so be it,
because this is the vision that
God has called us to.
We need a gospel-driven
perspective on life and death if
we are to see Vision 2020
realized amongst us under God.
There are many confronting
issues and there are many
things that we will be
dealing with in the coming
years.
I hope you realize that,
that for Vision 2020 to be
realized, this place will be
vastly different in the future.
Praise God, so that more
people might come under the
Lordship of Christ means that
we need to sacrifice.
There are already means that
parish council has been
stepping out of operations to
focus explicitly on governance
and resourcing the vision,
because no other group in this
church is going to work on a
10-year plan on how to resource
and develop this place in order
for Vision 2020 to be realized.
That is part of the painful
experience of sacrificing so that
the gospel might advance a group
of people who have got their
hands in and are actively
involved in day-by-day operations
are actually deliberately
stepping back to look at the
longer-term vision of the place.
That is sacrifice.
It may mean for us redeploying
financial or personal resources
so that one dearly loved area of
ministry and transferring it to
another area of ministry which may
be virtually unknown to us, but an
area where we believe God is
leading us to. It may mean
investigating other church sites.
It may mean a turnover of staff to
get the right people in the right
roles. It may mean even the
removal of pews for more
functional seating so that this
resource that we sit in can in
fact be used more effectively and
efficiently. It may mean a large
redevelopment of this site. It may
mean a radical shake-up of our
congregational meeting times and
places. Whatever it may mean, it
will definitely need to be graced,
drenched partnership in the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ and
fearless courage in sacrifice and
service for the advancement of the
gospel because people's lives are at
stake.
The leadership needs the freedom and
the encouragement and the
partnership and the prayers to leave
no stone unturned as we seek to
utilize our resources for maximum
impact to the advancement of the
gospel and the glory of God in this
place.
And so friends, are you prepared to say
with Paul, what does it matter?
So long as Christ is preached, is your
vision bigger than your own preferences
and your own contentment and your own
comfort? In fact, I want to ask you, is
your vision even bigger than Vision 2020?
Is your vision to live a life worthy of
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ?
So now, now is the time to start stirring
each other up in partnership, to take
some risks in more venturesome acts of
love and evangelism and discipleship, to
pray earnestly for the Spirit of God to
move through us so that whatever happens in
the future here at St Paul's, we will
conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of
the gospel of Christ. Amen.