Thursday, January 10, 2013

Love


Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing,  so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky  as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. (Philippians 2:12-16)

The church of Philippi was marked by love. Love was a major element in the fellowship of the church. The pastor had a love for the people, the people had a love for their pastor and they both loved Jesus with all their hearts. Philippians 2:1-11 tells us about harmony with God and how we achieve it. Verses 12-16 speak to us about fellowship and joy and how we maintain it.

I have pastored for 30 years and I can say without hesitation the fellowship at North Side is the sweetest of any church I’ve served.  I tell people all the time, “North Side is the real deal”.  You’re loved and accepted for who you are. That kind of fellowship doesn’t just happen. Fellowship is achieved when it’s kept as a priority.

It was fellowship of labor!
Verses 12-13 state we are to Keep Working - ‘work out our salvation with fear and trembling’. A literal translation from the Greek is ‘to work on to the finish’.  They were saved and sanctified; set apart and united in a common task and purpose. That purpose was to know Jesus and to make Him known.  You see, faith and works go together but faith without works is a dead faith. James says the faith that saves us and sustains us produces work in us as we learn to walk with Jesus.

How do we measure that kind of dead faith? Is there apathy in your heart and attitude of ‘I don’t know and I don’t care’? Are you quick to take offense and offer excuses? Is there a lack of fellowship with God’s people and involvement in the work of the Lord? Is there self-centeredness rather than a Christ-centeredness about your life? The faith that saves us produces works in and through us (Philippians 1:6) “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to the completion until the day of Jesus Christ”. Let me illustrate with a humorous poem

He wasn’t much for stirring about, it wasn’t his desire;
No matter what the other did, he was sitting by the fire.
The same old story, day by day, he never seemed to tire.
While others worked to build their church, he was sitting by the fire.
At last he decided as all must do, some say he went much higher,
But if he’s doing what he used to do…he’s still sitting by the fire.

We work it out after God works in it!  We must keep working!

He also says we’re to Keep Watching‘…with fear and trembling” the scriptures say, “work out your salvation”. The literal translation is, “trembling with an anxiety to do right or the right thing.”
One of the things Satan desires to do above all else is disrupt the harmony and joy of our fellowship of believers. We must guard it carefully, cautiously and prayerfully. We must not allow the unity and harmony of our fellowship to be harmed by losing sight of the common goal, task and purpose as a New Testament church. We must not grieve nor quench the Holy Spirit but allow Him to do His work in us and in others.  (Ephesians 4:30 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19). The light of Jesus must not grow dim.
Finally Paul says Keep Worshipping! Keep glorifying the Father and keep lifting up Jesus. When we asked Jesus to come into our hearts, we established a relationship to our Heavenly Father as sons and daughters of God. Beyond that, through worship we maintain a fellowship that is sweet and growing.
Keep on working, keep watching and keep worshipping.  

Scripture to Claim:
from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:16)

Submitted By Donnie O’Fallon

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