How does the thought of studying the Bible strike you?
It's the idea.
I'm going to study the Bible.
Some church members,
and I hope not in this room right now,
but some church members would say,
I think I'll study the Bible,
I think boring, irrelevant to life.
And if a person thinks like that,
they rarely, if ever, read it at home.
And they don't really get too excited about
coming to church and hearing somebody teach it or preach it.
Now, on the other hand, there are church members,
and maybe some in here who think in terms of
studying the Bible in a positive way,
like studying their favorite subject in school, like history.
Some people think of studying the Bible as
learning new facts about God, about people,
about other things that you consider to be interesting in the Bible.
Now, I hope you understand that
these are two extreme and wrong ways to look at the Bible.
The Bible is the Word of God,
and so it is not boring.
And we who preach and teach,
we need to make sure we don't make our teaching and preaching boring.
It's not irrelevant to our lives.
It's very spot on to how we live in this world.
But we also need to understand,
the Bible is not an encyclopedia of religious knowledge.
It's not a book we should read just to acquire more information.
The Bible really is the Word of God
that He has given to us
to make a practical difference in our lives.
The Bible is God's story.
It's a story about creation,
about human beings' rebellion against God.
And then God's gigantic,
from Genesis to Revelation, rescue plan.
His way of calling men and women and boys and girls
to faith in Jesus, salvation.
Now, when we open the Bible with that idea,
we're going to find that God reveals what we should believe,
what is right to believe,
and what we shouldn't believe.
Everything that people talk about of a religious or spiritual nature
is not true.
It's not valid.
It's not going to do anything but lead us astray.
And if we come to the Bible with the right attitude,
we'll find that the Bible not only teaches us what to believe,
but how to live,
how not to live in this world
in order to please God
and make the most, the best of our own lives.
We come to the Bible the right way,
with a teachable attitude.
The Spirit of God, you'll see it on the screen,
will inform our minds,
stir our emotions,
and move us to action.
That's what, maybe not every time,
sometimes we come to the Bible,
even in church, the Bible study,
personally in the mornings, whenever you read,
sometimes we're tired, we're sleepy,
we just don't have it.
But on a regular basis,
we come to the Bible with the right attitude,
a teachable attitude.
The Spirit of God should inform our minds,
stir our emotions,
and move us to do it.
To believe what God says to believe,
and to do what God says to do.
The result will be that
we will do what Paul talks about
in Philippians chapter 1, verse 27.
We'll live a life worthy of the gospel.
We'll actually live like Christians,
is what he's talking about.
Turn with me, if you would,
to Philippians chapter 1,
where we've been now for several weeks.
We're moving on today,
in verses 27 through 30.
He actually tells us,
calls us,
live a life worthy of the gospel.
He's saying,
live like a Christian.
Live like the Christian you are,
who has been changed by God.
Let's read it.
Philippians 1, 27.
Only let your manner of life
be worthy of the gospel of Christ.
So that whether I come and see you
or am absent,
I may hear of you,
that you are standing firm
in one spirit with one mind,
striving side by side
for the faith of the gospel,
and not frightened in anything
by your opponents.
This is a clear sign to them
of their destruction,
but of your salvation,
and that from God.
For it has been granted to you
that for the sake of Christ,
you should not only believe in Him,
but also suffer for His sake.
Engage in the same conflict
that you saw I had.
Read Acts chapter 16,
and you'll read how Paul,
when he first went to the city of Philippi,
some things happened.
A mob turned against him,
beat him,
threw him in jail,
and for all practical purposes,
ran him out of town.
That's what he's taught.
They knew that.
Engage in the same conflict
that you saw I had,
and now hear that I have.
Now he's in prison in Rome,
waiting to be tried before Caesar.
They know that.
I want you to look at these verses
and see what it means
to live a life worthy of the gospel
and how that will affect
our relationships here in the church
and even relationships outside the church
with people who do not believe like we believe
or even oppose us.
So let's think.
We live worthy of the gospel.
Number one,
we will demonstrate how Christ
has made a difference in our lives.
If we really live like Christians,
we will demonstrate
by the way that we live in this world
and interact with people,
we'll demonstrate
that the Lord has made a difference in us
when He saved us,
when He put His Spirit in us.
I want you to look at the first part of verse 27.
He says,
Only let your manner of life
be worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Most commentators talk about
how this is a difficult phrase to translate
and show us just how strongly
Paul is calling us
to live a faithful Christian life.
Here's the problem.
He is writing to people
who live in the city of Philippi.
Philippi had been made years earlier
a Roman colony.
The people who lived in that place
were made Roman citizens
with many privileges
that people around them did not have.
After that,
everyone born into that city
was a Roman citizen.
It was a privileged status.
And the people who lived there,
they knew,
we are something.
And I'm not talking about
just terrible pride,
kind of arrogance,
condescension,
but they just knew,
we are citizens of Philippi.
That does make us special.
And they took pride
in living like a citizen of Philippi.
Well, what Paul is trying to do,
he's got that in his mind.
And so he's telling
these Philippian Christians
who understand
the privilege they have
of being citizens,
he's saying now,
you live like a citizen of heaven.
He even uses that phrase
specifically later on
in chapter 3.
You live like a citizen of heaven.
You go all out
to live up to
who you are
as a Christian.
A New Testament commentator
by the name of Moises Silva
tries to point this out
in his translation
of that phrase
in verse 27.
He says,
What really matters
is that you behave
as citizens of heaven
in a manner worthy
of the gospel of Christ.
Now,
the idea of living
in a manner
worthy of the gospel of Christ
or worthy of our salvation,
Paul's not saying
you make yourself worthy.
Everything about our salvation
is due to God's grace.
It has nothing to do
with what we have done
or with our own good works
or anything like that.
One of the best verses
that describes
how we owe everything
about our salvation to God
is the verse we read earlier
from Ephesians chapter 2.
Look at it.
For by grace
you have been saved
through faith
and this is not
your own doing.
Grace is a gift from God.
Your salvation
is a work of God.
Faith itself
is a gift from God.
This is not your own doing,
none of it.
It is the gift of God
not a result of works
so that no one may boast.
Paul is calling us
to demonstrate
the change
that God has brought about
in our lives
as a result of us
believing the gospel.
And when we put our faith
in Jesus
for our salvation,
the Spirit of God
comes to live within us
and brings about
from that moment on
change
as He makes us
more and more
like Jesus.
And we've talked about this before
in terms of character
especially.
Now,
in this passage
Paul talks about
some of the ways
that God changes us.
So let's look at
some of the ways
that we ought to demonstrate
that we're Christians.
Number one,
we will be united.
Paul says that he wants
to hear,
look at this,
verse 27,
that you are standing firm
in one spirit
with one mind
striving side by side
for the faith of the gospel.
The gospel
has a way of uniting us
when we believe
we're regenerated.
We're united to God
in a special relationship.
But we're also united
to one another
in a very special relationship.
brothers and sisters
in Christ.
What he's telling us
here is
as members of the family
of God
we've got to put forth
effort.
As he says here
we've got to put forth
effort to stand firm
in one spirit.
He's referring to the
power of the Holy Spirit
here
and strive together
to proclaim the gospel.
I want you to think with me
in light of what he's saying here.
churches should be
the most common
and best examples
in this country
of how
different people
diverse people
come together
join together
to live
and work
as one.
But
I guess
at least
most of us
in this room
we know that churches
are not like that.
churches are not
models
of diversity
where people
from all different
kinds of backgrounds
come together
as one.
Throughout this country
as they meet
today
most
not all
but most churches
will be made up
of people
who are very
very similar
of the same
race
of the same
social class
and other
sameness.
That's just about
who most
American churches
are
what they are.
But you know
there is
a very popular
diverse group
found all
over this
country
who
stand firm
and strive
together
for a common
cause.
College football
teams
NFL teams
any sports
team you could
say but
college football
teams I want you
to think
and let's be
more local
as we think
and let's
have a little
bit of diversity
let's think about
both Clemson
and South Carolina.
The Clemson
and South Carolina
football teams
are made up
of young men
from very
diverse
backgrounds
black
and white
high
middle
and low
social
classes
conservative
and liberal
and I'm sure
there are several
other categories
of differences
that we could
use here
to describe this.
These young
men though
despite their
differences
they choose
to focus on
the one
thing
that has
brought them
together
that has
united them
that's playing
football.
They focus
on playing
football
we're one
team
and they
let the
things that
divide them
be secondary.
They're not
primary.
They're not
going to be
the emphasis
of the team.
I want you
to think
a lot of
you keep
up with
year round
your favorite
football team
you know
they choose
to support
each other
to play
for each
other
and in more
recent times
more and more
college football
players are
talking about
how much
they love
one another.
They love
their brothers
on that team
and the
result is
most
let's just
say
successful
college
football
teams
they become
like brothers
in a family.
It's a
football family
but it truly
is
a family
made up
of people
from all
different walks
of life.
Now if
athletes can
come together
like that
Christians
should
absolutely
be able
to come
together
as one
family
the family
of God
because we
have a
unifying
supernatural
power
to help
us
the power
of the
Holy Spirit
who indwells
us
as individual
Christians
who will
help us
come together
and see
what we
have in
common
and focus
on what
we have
in
common
more than
just our
differences.
Now
I'm not
emphasizing this
because of a
problem of
disunity in
our church
that I'm
aware of
but
we do
need to
work on
maintaining
or building
close
relationships
with our
church family
members right
now
in light of
the situation
we find
ourselves in.
The
coronavirus
pandemic
has hurt
the fellowship
of most
churches
because it
has prevented
us from
being together
from doing
things together.
You see how
these seats
are all spread
out.
We're supposed
to try to
stay six
feet away
from people
outside of our
immediate family.
I don't say
it every
week but
we've
encouraged
don't shake
hands.
By all
means don't
hug
anybody.
We went
through a
period of
time where
we didn't
meet at
all.
We're not
meeting in
Sunday school
now in
small groups.
We're
discouraging
that.
There is a
pandemic.
The
coronavirus is
real.
I don't
care who
thinks what
in this
room.
In this
room there
are people
who have
had it
and been
very sick.
There are
members of
our church
whose
parent or
sibling has
died from
the coronavirus.
It is
real.
And we
need to do
some of the
things that
we've done
to try to
avoid
spreading it
if somebody
comes and
they've got
it.
So we
need to
acknowledge
there is a
problem.
There is a
pandemic.
We can't be
together like
we once
were, like
we want to
be for
right now.
But what we
can do is
work on
maintaining
fellowship the
best way
that we
can under
these
circumstances.
You know,
this is one
of the things
we've got to
really work
on when this
whole thing's
over.
When they
declare an
end to the
pandemic,
when it's
okay to
just do
life like
we used
to do
life,
we as a
church,
every church,
not just our
church,
every church,
we've got to
really do
some things
to build
unity,
get back
together,
rekindle
some
relationships,
rediscover
how much
we really
do need
one another.
But in
the meantime,
probably all
of us in
this room,
we need to
make more
phone calls,
send more
cards,
emails,
text messages,
and whatever
else we can
do to
maintain
fellowship.
Not just
to stay in
touch,
but to
have real
meaningful
relationships.
If we
live a
life worthy
of the
gospel,
if we
truly live
out our
Christian
faith,
unity and
fellowship
will be
something that
we enjoy.
Nobody will
have to tell
us we
need that.
We know
that.
We enjoy
that.
And we
need to
work at it.
We need to
work at it
the best
we can
now under
difficult
circumstances,
but in
the days
to come,
we'll have
to make
it a
priority.
As a
united
family of
God,
we will
advance the
gospel.
He says
striving side
by side
for the
faith of
the gospel.
The church
exists to
make disciples,
to do the
great commission.
You know
that.
Part of
that is
doing
evangelism,
proclaiming the
gospel,
sharing the
gospel,
as well as
helping people
understand the
truth of
God's
word and
grow and
mature in
their own
faith.
Evangelism,
witnessing,
sharing the
gospel,
that is every
Christian's
responsibility.
There's nothing
in the Bible
that says it
is for a
select few
in the
church.
You know,
over the
years,
I've put this
on the
screen many
times.
I've had a
handout just
like this
many times
on Sunday
morning.
We've done
things on
Sunday night.
Wednesday
night.
As
Christians,
we need to
understand that
we have
circles of
influence in
which some
of the
people that
we know,
we love,
we work
with,
maybe in
your family,
they're not
Christians.
And God
expects us,
as people who
know the
Lord, as
people who
believe what
the Bible
says,
that the
only way to
be right with
God through
faith in
Jesus,
God expects
us to build
the kind of
relationships with
these people
that we can
talk to them
about things
that matter.
And at the
top of that
list should be
their relationship
with the Lord,
be able to
share the
gospel with
them.
Over the past
couple of years,
Southern Baptists
have had a sort of
what you might call
a denominational
emphasis,
where we as
Christians are
being asked,
just share the
gospel with one
person this
year.
You remember,
who is your
one?
I've preached
on it,
I think Jeff
has,
we've done
things in
Sunday school,
but in the
newsletter,
tried to
emphasize,
as individuals,
we need to
think,
who is one
person in my
life that's
not a
Christian,
that I could
zero in on
to pray for,
to develop my
relationship with
them,
and to look for
an opportunity to
share the gospel
with them.
Who is your
one?
And have you
shared the gospel
with that person?
If you have it,
are you still
working on it?
Trying to
develop your
relationship in
such a way that
it'll just be
natural for you
to talk with
them about
things that are
serious,
like,
their
relationship
with the
Lord.
Now,
I want to go
back to the
idea of the
church being
a diverse
group of
people.
What I do
not mean is
this.
We should
not,
as a church,
target
different
kinds of
people,
and make
it our
goal to
go after
them,
so that
we'll be
a more
diverse
church.
We do
not need
to target
the black
community,
the Hispanic
community,
a rich
community,
a poor
community,
and try to
reach people
from outside
our white
middle class
group,
and just
make our
church more
diverse.
That's not
the way to
do it.
that is
not going
to work.
I had a
black pastor
I heard
one time,
Votie
Bauckham,
really a
nationally
known
pastor,
who has
said,
that's not
what the
church needs
to do
today.
Here's two
ways we
need to
approach the
idea of
diversity,
in terms of
being a
church that
includes
everybody.
Number one,
we must do
our best to
be a church
that welcomes
every single
person that
walks through
our doors,
regardless of
their race,
social class,
or any other
difference.
We need to
be, as
individuals and
collectively as a
church family,
we need to have
the mindset that
anyone who
walks in that
door, if
they're a
Christian, they're
our brother or
sister in
Christ, and we
embrace them.
We need to
have the
mindset, anybody
that walks in
that door, and
if they're not a
Christian, they
are a human
being for whom
Jesus died, and
if they don't
come to know
the Lord, they're
going to spend
eternity in
hell.
And we should
care enough about
them, regardless
of what they
look like, sound
like, that we
want to embrace
them, welcome
them, make
them feel at
home, and share
our lives with
them, and most
important is to
share the gospel
with them so
that they'll be
saved.
We need to be a
church that
welcomes everyone,
and I mean
genuinely.
Whoever walks in
that door, regardless
of how different
they are than me,
I'm glad they're
here.
I smile.
I welcome them,
and I mean it.
Number two, we
must start inviting
our friends and
acquaintances from
work, from school,
or the neighborhood
or wherever to
come to church with
us, regardless of
their race, social
class, or any
difference.
In this room, a lot
of people in here,
you who go to
school with, you
work with, or in
your neighborhood are
people who are very
different than the
majority of members
of this church.
We need to have the
mindset, if we're
going to be
witnesses, if we're
going to take
seriously the people
in our circles of
influence who are not
Christians, we need
to look at them,
build relationships
with them, no
matter how different
they are, invite
them to come with
us to this church,
church.
And all of us
who are here, we're
going to embrace
them.
That's the most
logical way that
our church would
become more
diverse.
We're open, we're
receptive, we're
wanting whoever God
brings, and we'll
welcome them to
open arms.
But also, we're
going to share the
gospel with whoever
God puts in our
life.
Friends that are
very different.
We're going to at
least invite them,
bring them with us.
And some of them
very well may become
a real active part of
our church family.
It might make us
uncomfortable.
So what?
There's a lot of
things in life that
make us uncomfortable.
That doesn't matter.
Now, I want to make
this statement since
we're on this subject.
I do not have any
person in mind.
I have not heard
anything.
I've not heard
anything implied.
Nobody's said
anything to me about
anything like this.
This is just an
appropriate time to do
it.
I've done it in the
past, but I've never
done it lately.
So I think it's very
important.
If there is one
person who I'd have a
problem, I want to say
it this way.
We cannot be a church
of Jesus Christ and not
welcome every human
being who walks in
that door.
And if anybody in this
church has a problem
with welcoming
everyone, you leave.
You're not going to be
a stumbling block.
We are going to be the
family of God called
Pickens First Baptist
Church who welcomes
everybody.
And I know for a
fact 99% of our
church family feels
that way.
But if there's one or
two that do not, you
got the problem.
And you will not make
us have a problem over
that.
I have no target.
But if I hit the
bull's eye somewhere
this morning, I mean
it.
But I want you to
know if you're a
visitor, you're not a
part of our church
family.
We've never had
issues over this.
Our church would not
tolerate something like
this.
But I do think it's
good from time to time
knowing human nature
to bring it up.
And just clarify
things.
And from the past,
when I've said some
things like this,
I've had a lot of
affirmation in saying
things like this.
Because this is who
our church as a whole,
99%, if not 100%,
wants us to be.
Now, another change
the gospel brings
means we will stand
unafraid against our
enemies.
Look at verse 28.
And not frightened in
anything by your
opponents.
People of the world
who do not believe,
who don't care about
God, who hate God
even, they oppose the
gospel for many reasons.
One reason is contrary
to their self-centered
way of living.
And for some of them,
the things that the
Bible teaches,
it declares them to be
immoral.
And they don't like that.
And so, they oppose
the truth of God's word.
And for us, most of us
in this room know,
in this world today,
people do not embrace
the idea that there's
only one way to be
right with God,
that's through faith in
Jesus Christ.
That's what the Bible
says.
Jesus said, I am the
way, the truth, and the
life.
No one comes to the
Father except through
me.
But when we really
believe that and
witness, share the
gospel, and tell people
because, you know, we
love them, that's not
the way they can be
right with God, we're
called intolerant.
And we're out of step
with the way things are
in this world today, to
be so inclusive and to
never say there's just
one way of anything.
In today's world, many
people are quick to
condemn Christianity and
to hatefully attack
Christians.
And it's happening more
and more.
But we are called as
God's people to stand
firm in our faith no
matter what.
Now, as we show the
world the difference
Christ has made, as we
do stand firm, we will
influence others.
Look at this.
Our stand for Christ will
be a sign of judgment
to unbelievers.
He says in verse 28,
this is a clear sign to
them of their destruction.
I want you to think.
When we stand firm in
our faith, I mean
graciously, appropriately.
Not being mean-spirited
jerks, but graciously and
appropriately.
We stand firm.
God will use that to cause
some people to think there
may be something to this.
Why else would that
person be ridiculed?
Why else would that
person be ostracized by
standing for what they
believe?
There must be something
to it.
And they may be convicted
or at least become open to
inquiring about the truth.
So standing firm on
biblical convictions,
on biblical convictions
the right way, is one of
the ways that God warns
unbelievers.
Let's look at this.
Our stand for Christ will
also be a sign of assurance
for Christians.
He says this is a clear
sign of your salvation
and that from God.
Standing firm in our
faith is something that
God will use to give us
assurance.
If you're truly a
Christian, you truly believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ,
when you make those hard
decisions to stand firm
against the crowd,
God's going to affirm you.
He's going to give you
real assurance, not only
that you're His, but you're
doing the right thing.
Our faithfulness also
encourages some of our
Christian brothers and
sisters to stand firm, to
be faithful, and to trust
God.
You know, there could be
somebody in your life right
now, and they need for you
where you work, or at
school, or somewhere out
away from church.
There may be some people
in your life right now,
they really need for you to
stand strong as a
Christian.
Not be afraid, not back
down.
Right now, they're timid,
they're sort of reserved,
they're afraid, but they
would be encouraged by your
strong example.
Be that person.
Now, one thing the Bible
never promises is that
living a faithful Christian
life will be easy.
It is not.
The Bible says this is going
to be hard.
Look at the last point here.
We will suffer as we seek
to live for Christ.
Paul speaks of this as,
think about this, a privilege,
a gift from God.
Verse 29, for it has been
granted to you that for the
sake of Christ, you should not
only believe in Him, but also
suffer for His sake.
Suffering for the Lord is not
something Paul made up because
he did it so much.
Paul learned it from experience
for sure, but that's what
Jesus taught.
Look at this.
Jesus said, if anyone will
come after me, let him deny
himself, take up his cross.
That's an instrument of death.
Let him deny himself.
Die to himself even.
To follow me.
The commitment we've got to
make.
And then after the apostles
experienced their first
beating for preaching the
gospel when they were told not
to, look at what they said.
They left the court rejoicing
because they had been counted
worthy of suffering disgrace
for the name.
The idea of suffering as
Christians, it does sound
strange to us because
thankfully in this country
Christians have not suffered
physically like in some
countries where they're
imprisoned, they're beaten
today, killed for their faith.
We should be thankful that we
have not experienced that in
our country, in our lifetimes,
in the history of our country.
But sometimes we all are, we are
called to suffer for doing the
right thing in difficult
circumstances.
You know, it may be that if you
refuse to lie or be dishonest in
performing your job, it will cost you
something.
It'll cost you advancement.
Or it could cost you a demotion.
It could cost you even your job.
It sometimes costs us to be
faithful in serving the Lord in
our church.
Sometimes it costs us time.
I mean, we sacrifice time.
Money.
We sacrifice our energy when we're
tired.
Sacrifice sleep sometimes maybe even.
These things are not much compared
to the suffering Paul's talking
about, I know.
But what I want us to know in this
room today, suffering for Christ
doesn't always mean life-threatening
danger.
Here's what we've got to understand.
If we live our lives worthy of the
gospel, it will require some degree of
suffering at times.
The Christian life, live faithfully,
cannot be just a cakewalk seven days
a week, 365 days a year, year in and
year out.
It cannot be.
The New Testament says it won't be.
The Christian life, I want us to
understand, it's not about knowing the
right things, just believing the right
truths.
It involves acting on what we know and
what we believe.
Final thought.
The gospel makes a difference in the
lives of everyone who believes it.
As you look at your life, is it obvious
that you believe the gospel?
Let's pray.
Dear God, help us to see the truth about
ourselves.
Help us to understand from what we're
seeing in this passage this morning,
dear God, that it will show if we're
Christians.
It will show in our unity.
It will show in our willing to stand
firm, tough, difficult situations.
Help us to see that we will not shrink
before our enemies, the enemies of
yours.
Help us just to see, Father, some of the
things that we've looked at in this
passage or things you bring to mind
right now to a Christian in this room.
Help them to understand what it means
to be a Christian.
The cost involved, the suffering that
sometimes comes.
Lord, don't let anyone in this room who
is a church member, been baptized, just
professed to be a Christian for many
years.
Don't let anyone leave here deceived
deceived that they're a Christian when
they're not.
Help us to see, dear God, that there
will be evidence in every one of our
lives if we've been born again by the
Spirit of God.
Make it clear that we've just seen a few
of the things that will be true about
real Christians.
Father, if there are people in this room
who've been convicted that they are not
true believers, help them to admit that
totally, humbly to you right now.
Turn from their sin.
Truly repent.
Change their mind.
Hate their sin and turn from it.
Help them to truly understand that when
Jesus died on the cross, He paid the
penalty for their sins.
Help them, dear God, to trust Jesus this
way, to call upon Him to save them now.
Let's just, in an attitude of prayer,
listen to the Lord, respond to Him
personally, individually, as you know
you need to do.
Amen.