Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 2:12-20

Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 2:12-20,
Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on August 24th, 2008

Intro:
We have been looking at the humility that was in Christ Jesus, and how His humility sent Him to us and killed Him on a cross. In a rights-filled culture, Philippians 2:1-11 can be daunting and even ridiculous to many. It is; however, our motivation to go ahead and “Work” that salvation out on an every day basis. This is what our passage reminds us to do today: “Work out our salvation.” What does this mean? Is it a horrid contradiction to much of the other teaching we find in Paul’s writings, or is it something different?

We have just finished a fantastic passage on the humility of Jesus, which relates to the issue of disharmony that the Philippian church is having, and which Paul started to address in Philippians 1:27-28. Paul began speaking about salvation, but took a brief hiatus to demonstrate the foundation of our salvation (Philippians 2:1-11) so that he could pick up and talk about fleshing out this salvation in life together (Biblical Community).

From the Head…
We take a further look at how the gospel works its way out into mission, and how it gives Paul great joy when it does. It would help to review some theological truths in order to understand this passage before us.

Justification is solely an act of God, where He justly places our sins/guilt on Christ, and He in turn places Christ’s righteousness on us (See 2 Corinthians 5:21). This is done completely by God’s grace, through faith (See Ephesians 2:8, 9; Romans 4:5; 5:1).

Sanctification, on the other hand, is an act of God in our lives that enables us to grow in the “Grace and knowledge” of our Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives (See 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2 cf. Philippians 1:19).

Salvation is something that is spoken of in the past tense (Romans 8:24; Ephesians 2:5, 8; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5), as well as in the future tense (1 Corinthians 5:5 cf. 3:15; Romans 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). We see this distinction between justification (which is a past tense legal move accomplished by the cross of Christ) and salvation (which is accomplished on the final day - see Philippians 1:6) in Romans 5:9, which says, “Since we have been justified by Jesus blood…how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!” Salvation is a process, whereas justification is a past tense event. We have been saved (Justification), we are being saved (Sanctification) and we will be saved (Glorification). This is a process that is complete in Christ, and gives us hope that what God began, He will finish (Philippians 1:6).

Confusing these theological realities can be dangerous when we interpret our sanctification as our justification, since the latter is something that God does for us in Christ, while the former is something that is being done to us, as we live according to the Spirit. We can’t in any way work “For” our salvation (Justification), but we can and need to work “Out” our salvation in mission. Christ’s life and subsequent humility as demonstrated on the cross (See Philippians 2: is our power and our example. Salvation here is not about people getting “Saved,” but about how “Saved” people live out the gospel in community. This shows the reality of the future kingdom in real time!

Our Salvation “Worked” Out (Philippians 2:12-13)
Here we are picking up from 1:28, which reminds us that our salvation is “from God,” which is important in the context of a fairly difficult set of verses. We need to connect this set of verses to the reality that there is a problem with strife and disunity in the church, and that Christ died to secure the church’s unity. It is important here to realize that we are not told to work “For” our salvation, but we are told clearly to “Work it out!” We are to work this out as an act of obedience to the gospel.

The next verse (v.13) is interesting, and explanatory. We work out our salvation in “fear and trembling.” What could this mean? First the word to “work out” is the Greek word “Katergazomai,” which is in the middle voice and Imperative mode. The Imperative reminds us that it is commanded of us to obey. The middle voice has the idea that the subject is involved in the action of the sentence. It seems that the context would verify that, but verse thirteen reminds us that it is God who works in us, nullifying the idea that this “Working Out” is entirely the work of the individual (See 1 Corinthians 6:11). It is also interesting to note the “why” here. God is working to “His good pleasure.” (See Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). Paul is arguing that they have obeyed (Philippians 1:5 cf. 2:12) and that they need to continue in obedience by not just proclaiming the gospel, but living it out in community!

Now why “fear and trembling?” This is an expansion of Philippians 1:27, “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” When we are living out the gospel, with the proper respect for God, we will live that out in community in respect and honor for one another. This leads us to our second point, which reminds us how to “work out” our salvation.

Our Salvation Worked Out In Community (Philippians 2:14-1
The only way we can truly work “Out” (Outward) our salvation, is to do so in community. We cannot love without the other! We cannot forgive and ask forgiveness without the other. We cannot work through disputes and grumbling without the other. We have our families, church communities, work-space, etc. to work this mess out. Our faith is never about us and God alone. It is connected to our life! This does two things:

1. It lifts up the glory of the Lord in front of a crooked generation. It creates purity in us that only God can create; making us blameless before the world. We can only do that as we “Hold fast to the word of life” (v. 16). This is clinging to Christ and to His word (as seen in 2:1-11) and to His love that can allow us to forgive and reconcile and show ourselves blameless in a world that is in competition with one another. All other worldviews and religions are enslaved to earning salvation/enlightenment. We can show ourselves blameless because of Jesus’ work in us.

2. It brings gladness and joy, reminding us that it is God working in us to create a love that only He can give. We can know that our labor (proclaiming the gospel and serving the culture) here on earth is not without vain because God is at work in the lives of His people. This is made visible to Paul when he sees God doing that in the midst of a church he has helped plant. Paul’s joy comes in the fruit of his labor; a labor that has a very purposeful, meaningful direction, because it is eternal.

…to the Heart
Paul ends in verse 20 reminding the Philippian church that Timothy is coming to them, and that he is “genuinely concerned for your welfare.” Can you say that? Are you personally concerned about the welfare of others? Is the heart of Christ in you? Do you love people as Christ loves you? We will never perfectly display the love of Christ, but we are being transformed with the resurrection power of God, and His love is being perfected in us on a daily basis. It is our response to exercise these new found spiritual muscles in our everyday lives.

Our faith in Christ has practical applications for our life. We are called to live out the reality of our faith in the midst of our relationships in community. Division in the church is a reality and it affects the proclamation of the gospel in a “crooked and perverse generation.” In America, division is often between the so-called liberals and conservatives; those who are really preaching the gospel and those who aren’t. We must stay true to the gospel story: God entered humanity to take on our sins so that creation could be redeemed to His glory. However, we must stop shooting at one another in regards to how that story plays out in any given context. Christian love and maturity must allow us to boldly proclaim Christ and boldly love and serve the communities we live in, which means that some of us may be in bars and some of us may be in the choir.

This passage also has a lot to say about our relationship with those who aren’t like us. Can we truly reconcile with those we don’t like, with those that don’t look like us, and with those who, in our minds, are in sin? I pray that as a church, we can let love cover a “multitude of sins,” so that we can serve our communities with an overflow of gratitude and love that only the cross of Jesus can create!!

Fellowship of Joy – Unity in the Gospel - Philippians 2:1-11

Philippians 2:1-11
by Michael Ly
August 17th, 2008
Harambee Church

Fellowship of Joy – Unity in the Gospel - Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon Text

Philippians 2:1 - 11 (English Standard Version):

2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Introduction

“…Paul. He, when among you, accurately and stedfastly taught the word of truth in the presence of those who were then alive. And when absent from you, he wrote you a letter which, if you carefully study, you will find to be the means of building you up in that faith which has been given you” (Polycarp to the Philippians)

For the past several weeks now we have been listening to Paul’s letter to the Philippians and learning about this great fellowship in the gospel that we all have the opportunity to participate in. The advancement of the gospel is happening all across the world, but not without the price of suffering for those who are in the battle. As suffering comes, members of the Philippian church were tempted to become selfish and focus on their own safety and needs. Paul exhorts them to unity by looking at the example of Jesus, who went straight to the cross for victory.

Body

1. Why is Paul concerned about unity?

• He is speaking against those who preach out of envy and rivalry:
o “The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment” (Phil 1:17)
• Suffering is endured in unity:
o “I may hear 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”
o “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one” (Hebrews 10:32-34)
• Chapter 4 reveals a significant conflict that Paul is aiming to reconcile through this letter

2. Gospel blessings (vs 1):

• “Encouragement in Christ”
• “Comfort from love”
• “Participation in the Spirit”
• “Affection and sympathy”

3. Gospel unity (vs 2):
• Same mind, love, full accord & one mind
• Why is this unity SO important:
o “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 15:5-6

4. Humility as the means for unity (vs 3-4):

Humility is the means through which unity is found in Christ. Paul describes humility in three ways:

• “Do nothing in rivalry or conceit”
o Don’t be like those brothers who “preach Christ from envy and rivalry…the former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment” (1:15, 17)
o There are those who preach Christ for fame and to be known
• “…but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
o “Having a realistic view of who you really are, take the lead in going out of your way to raise others up and push them forward ahead of you”
• “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

5. Humility requires:
• A community of believers to know and love
• A realistic view of who you really are
o “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” Galatians 6:3
• Looking to and pointing others to Jesus

6. Jesus leads us into humility (vss. 6-8):
• “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped”
• “made himself nothing”
o Jesus counted himself amongst the poor and the outcast
• “taking the form of a servant”
o Jesus came to serve
o The Son of Man had no place to rest his head
• “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”
o He chose to love a traitor for three years
o He chose to die with enemies spitting in his face
o He chose to die even with ability to stop it

7. Jesus leads us into unity and ultimately God’s glory (vss. 9-11):
• One day Jesus will unite all creation under his name
o “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”
• Jesus accomplished what Satan and Adam could not
• Jesus first came as a humble servant, but He will return as a mighty King
o Revelation 19:11-21

Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:21-26

Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:21-26, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 27th, 2008
“The glorious company of apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.”
Te Deum Laudamus, St. Ambrose AD387

“Never does a soul know what solid joy and substantial pleasure is, till once, beaing weary of itself, it renounces all propriety, give itself up unto the author of its being, and feel itself become a hallowed and devoted thing, and can say, from an inward sense and feeling: ‘My Beloved is mine!’”
Henry Scougal

“As the deer pants for water, so my soul pants for you O’ God”
Psalm 42:1

Intro:
We spend most of our time in our lives searching for meaning and purpose, and often, by the time we find it, they are pronouncing us dead. In a huge universe with many crazy things going on around us, we sometimes struggle to believe there is a real purpose for us in the first place. But what if there is a real God, who created everything in the universe, and is in control of everything that happens (Even when we can’t understand why), and has called out a people to glorify Him while living here on earth, as well as in eternity?

This is the story of the gospel from Genesis to revelation. God created everything that exists, and has orchestrated directly and indirectly everything that happens to culminate with His creation bowing down in unison with praise and worship! In today’s passage we see the ramification of a life that is centered on the gospel, and the person of Jesus Christ, and how this continually ends in joyous applause in spite of its author’s pain. My prayer today is that you’d find this Jesus, and believe the truth that we have been made free to worship that which we are created to worship!

From the Head…
Dying is Our Gain When Christ is Our Life (Philippians 1:21)
This verse is not only key to understanding this letter (Philippians), it is the key to understanding our purpose here on earth! This point is foreign to anyone who ever lived! This was not something that ancient Israel understood, and welcomed. As a matter of fact, Israel was looking for the restoration of their physical kingdom, much like the church is looking forward to the “Rapture” and their subsequent newly perfected kingdom. As humans, we will always default toward comfort and pleasure. Our myths expose our greatest desires to find our legendary Shangri-La; a place of comfort and perfection. Martyrdom, death and suffering are never part of these stories. This passage places Christ as the center of Paul’s universe, which is Christ’s rightful place, and the key to truly understanding joy and contentment. I believe that our myths expose the deep desires of our hearts (Comfort, peace, fulfillment, worth, etc.), and that they will never be fully realized unless Christ completes our stories. God’s story offers us rest and comfort, but they are not found in anything on this earth. Even Paul’s life “Is Christ!” Dying is our gain, when Christ is our life!! Having more of Christ is never going to be a gain to any of us, if our life is not consumed with Christ here on earth. Paul knows that being absent from the body is being present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). The opening quote from the Te Deum reminds us that dead people are praising God, which gives us great hope for the afterlife, and the reason why we should not mourn like those that don’t know Christ mourn (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Paul’s Dilemma is the Dilemma For Anyone in Christ (Philippians 1:22-24)
There ought to be a real dilemma in everyone who is in Christ! I believe Paul’s tension is a real tension for anyone who desires to have more of Jesus in their life. There is nothing inherently wrong with having desires for the good things of this earth, and I think that they help us understand Paul’s dilemma, yet his desires have been shaped around the gospel of Jesus, and not around the things that bring pleasure here on earth. He finds himself in tension between God’s mission and God’s presence in his life. This tension ought to be real, because we are all called to mission here on earth, and to proclaim and live the gospel of Jesus Christ to a broken and dying world. You can’t lose with this perspective on life. If you are living, you are compelled to live your life for Christ’s glory, which gives you purpose and meaning, and if you die, you are ushered into the presence of the Lord; therefore whether by life or death Christ is exalted (See v. 20).

God’s Mission Is the World’s Gain (Philippians 1:24-26)
What’s important here is that Paul sees the worth and the need for physical presence here on earth, in spite of his “Desire” (Epithumian v. 23) to be with the Lord. He places his main desire (Being with the Lord) in subordination to the mission God had given Him. Our motivation and our being should “Desire” God in this way. The word here (Epithumian) literally means “Over-Desire,” which if placed in anything or anyone else will enslave us, and come up empty (Like Buddhism). We are created to praise God, and to place the object of our affections solely on Him. There is nothing wrong with having desires in this world, and we can enjoy the things that God gives us (Unlike Buddhism), but those desires must always take a back seat to knowing and worshipping God through Christ Jesus.

Paul appears to be saying that he is control of his “Choices” here like he is contemplating suicide or life. This is not the issue here, nor is his issue in verse 25 that he is predicting anything. As a matter of fact context shows us that he wasn’t sure what God was going to do (See 1:20, 27; 2:17), but what he is saying is that he has settled in his own mind to subordinate his ultimate desire to be with Christ for the sake of God’s mission in this world; which should alert all of us to God’s desire to redeem His creation, and not just take His people away from suffering. There are far too many people that use verses like 1 Thessalonians 5:9 to mean He wouldn’t allow His people to suffer or go through horrible times. Instead, we must trust that God will use us and our horrible circumstances for His glory; and we can be ok with that since our ultimate desire (Epi-Desire) is Christ, and to be in His presence! We are most useful here on earth when we connect to God’s desire to redeem His creation through the gospel proclaimed by His church!

…to the Heart
Pastor and theologian John Piper on commenting on the Te Deum in relationship to Philippians 1:21 writes this:

The noble army of martyrs are praising God with us this morning because they all said, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” They all said, Christ is worth more than life. Christ is worth more than falling in love. Christ is worth more than marrying and having children. Christ is worth more than seeing my children grow up and become independent. Christ is worth more than making a name for myself. Christ is worth more than finishing my career. Christ is worth more than the dream spouse and the dream house and the dream cruise and the dream retirement. Christ is worth more than all my unfinished plans and dreams. All the martyrs said, “It is better to be cut off in the midst of my dreams, if I might gain Christ.”
The gospel cannot be loved because of the blessings it brings us here in life; the gospel must be loved because it brings us closer to the one who blesses us! Our soul will never be made full from the blessings we have here on earth, they will only be filled when we search for God, like the deer who pants for water on a scorching hot day!! It is there that we will find an endless stream of water for the weary soul (Psalm 1:3; John 7:37-39).

Te Deum Laudamus
We praise thee, O God
we acknowledge thee to be the Lord
All the earth doth worship thee
the Father everlasting.
To thee all the angels cry aloud
the heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee cherubim and seraphim do continually cry
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God of Sabbath; heaven and earth
are full of the majesty of thy glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.

The Holy Church
throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee;
the father of an infinite majesty;
thine honourable true and only Son;
also the Holy Ghost the comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.

Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:12-20

Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:12-20, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 20th, 2008

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”
Matthew 16:17-18

Intro:
Last week we saw Paul’s love for the Philippian Church, and how he tempered his prayers around them, and his desire to see God to continue to work in them. The gospel and eternity shape everything Paul is about, and his prayer life reflects that. Instead of praying for himself and his own circumstances, he prays with the gospel at the center. He has an eternal perspective that energizes his prayer life. Today we will take a look at how God can and does use evil in Paul’s life, for His own redemptive purposes.

From the Head…
The gospel story is God’s story from front cover to back. The bible is God’s redemptive history with His people, and His plan. It is easy to fear that certain circumstances, laws, philosophies; governments will thwart the gospel message. Even this faithful Philippians church was wavering in the midst of persecution, but Paul reminds them and us that there is nothing that will stop the advancement of the gospel, through God’s people. Persecution either physically or psychologically has plagued the church throughout the years, and nothing has neutered the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it (The gospel).” In today’s passage we see how both persecution, and personal attack did not stop the advancement of the gospel, nor crush Paul’s spirits as he sat in prison.

Gospel and Bad Circumstances (Philippians 1:12-14).
Paul’s circumstances have become bleak. He is in prison strapped to a guard 24/7. It couldn’t really be that much worse for Paul. No one is sure which imprisonment this one is, but we know for sure Paul had gone through some tough times since becoming a follower of Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:23-28; 4:7-11). In spite of his circumstances, he rejoices because of 2 things:
1. “The gospel has become known throughout the whole imperial guard” (v. 13)
2. “Most of the brothers…are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (v. 14)
Once again we see Paul’s heart and perspective in regards to the gospel and his identity in Christ allows him to rejoice because the gospel is being proclaimed! His imprisonment is not thwarting the advance of the gospel, it is perpetuating it!

The Gospel and Bad Relationships (Philippians 1:15-17)
Secondly we see Paul’s potential discouragement has to do with people that are obviously trying to use this opportunity to hurt him. These are unscrupulous people that only care about their own selves, and not the gospel. They give lip service to the gospel, but are about themselves. Apparently there were some people who were preachers, but they were preaching not out of love for God and Paul, but out of envy and rivalry! First we must understand these people preaching out of envy are NOT Judaizers or false teachers. Paul wouldn’t and didn’t rejoice over false teaching, but he confronted them (Galatians 1: 8-9). These people are in the church, preaching the words of the gospel with a heart of envy and strife! They are cancer! These words are listed among the sinful in many of Paul’s writings (Romans 1:29; Galatians 5:20ff). These people were jealous of Paul’s success. These people were as Greek historian Xenophon said, “The envious are those annoyed only at their friend’s successes.” St John of the cross explained it’s ugliness in the church, “As far as envy is concerned, many experience displeasure when they see others in possession of spiritual goods. They feel sensibly hurt because others surpass them on this road, and they resent it when others are praised!” In spite of the constant sin and jealousies of the church, the gospel advances, and God uses their own message for its advance, and that allows Paul to rejoice and not despair. This cannot be used to say that God doesn’t care about the motives of the people, just that God can use any preaching that is gospel centered in spite of the motives and heart of the preacher.

The Gospel and Our Hope (Philippians 1:18-20)
Verse eighteen is key to Paul’s joy and contentment. His identity is in Jesus, and he is a missionary for the gospel of God, so he can rejoice when the gospel advances, and Christ is proclaimed! Verses 19-20 help explain why Paul can rejoice.

This is interesting in that he says “This will turn out for my deliverance” (Salvation). The Greek construct of this statement is exactly the same construct that we see in the Septuagint (Greek version of the Old Testament) for Job 13:16. He quotes this in the context of Job saying, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” Our Hope, and Paul’s hope is not in the things that we can get here on earth, our hope is in God’s redemptive plan. He is reminding the Philippians that “This” (His present circumstances) will bring forth his “deliverance” (Salvation, sotarian). This is why we, as believers in Jesus can deal with both the physical and psychological persecution that we face. This is why we can serve this earth, without pretense. We simply don’t need anything that God can’t give us. This is in stark contrast to those who are preaching out of envy and strife, and who are trying to find their reward amongst humanity instead of God.

What salvation is Paul referring to? In the context of the Job quote we see that this salvation is a “Vindication” (See Job 13:1 of Job before his friends. This is most likely true of Paul, who will be vindicated through both prayers and the “Supply” (see Galatians 3:5) of the Spirit of Jesus, that Christ will be magnified and Paul will not be ashamed. There is a close grammatical relationship between their prayers and the promise of the Spirit supplied to Paul to live the Christian life without shame, and gives him the boldness to stand firm in the faith under persecution. Here the Spirit is not so much our “helper” as some texts read, but the one that God supplies to us as a gift to, with prayer, live the life He has called us to live. This is how Paul remains confident, and it is what gives him eschatological hope!

…to the Heart
We need to understand clearly that human circumstances are in the hands of a capable, loving God, and that God uses ALL circumstances for the advancement of the gospel, and His glory in this world. With this in mind, there are at least three implications for us as believers. First, there is great value in finding believers who have grappled well with the world’s suffering, and still proclaimed the gospel boldly. Second, God works through adverse conditions to redeem the broken, and lastly, our ultimate joy is connected to the advancement of the gospel, and not our physical circumstances or the responses of those around us. It all goes back to our identity as believers in Christ, and His atoning work on the cross for our sins. The only way we can truly rejoice with Paul in Christ, is to be firmly planted at the foot of the cross, and know that He was broken for our sake!

Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:3-11

Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:3-11, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 13th, 2008

Intro:
Last week we began our journey through the book of Philippians and saw Paul’s and Timothy’s identity is found in Christ, and their mission is God’s mission (“Missio Dei”). Paul is writing to commend the Philippians for their faithfulness to the gospel, and exhort the church to remain faithful and unified for the sake of the gospel, so that they will live “In a manner worthy of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). It’s amazing how sin can derail our faith so easily! It doesn’t take much, and bitterness and disharmony is a sure faith wrecker!

In our section today, Paul is letting us in on his prayer time with the Lord. As usual, Paul spends his time in praying for others, staying centered on Christ and the gospel. In our passage we see the why and what of Paul’s prayer.

From the Head…
As Paul most often does, he begins his prayer in thanksgiving (see Philippians 4:6). Thanksgiving is the linchpin of joy and contentment. This is where it begins. When you live your life in despair and desire, you will never be either joyous or content! Paul is in prison, yet he can find joy, because of his desire to think eternally. What is it that gives Paul joy? Today we will look at the Why of Paul’s joy, and the What of the content he prayed for the Philippians church, and then see how it affects us in the 21st century.

Why Is Paul Thankful? (Philippians 1:3-7)
There are basically 2 things Paul is thankful for in our text:

1. Partnership in the Gospel (vv. 4, 7)
The word partnership here is the Greek word “Koinonia” which means fellowship, participation or communion. Paul isn’t thankful that they get together a lot, and host many programs for people to get to know one another. He is thankful specifically for their fellowship (Participation) “In the Gospel” (see Romans 15:26; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 9:13 for some of the 19 usages in the NT). Most people judge churches based on how many friends they have after a few months (Statistically if visitors do not have at least 3 new friends after a few months they will look elsewhere for “Fellowship”). Many people want to come to a church, meet people and “Hang” with the pastors, without even caring about the mission of the church. The church is NOT a social hall; it is a mission post in a dying world! True Biblical fellowship comes from working side by side in the trenches for the sake of the gospel. This is the center of Paul’s joy. He is excited and joyous because the gospel is being furthered, and his circumstances are secondary. Happiness/Contentment begins near to God and His mission, no matter where that mission may take you! Paul feels this way because he has these people “In my heart” (v. 7). Their desire to be part of the gospel did not end when Paul was in prison. They continued to minister to Paul, and that ministered to Paul’s heart.

2. He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion (v. 6)
This is an important piece to this section. Any joy, and mission cannot begin with us, but what God has done, and is doing in us. Paul is excited because he sees in the Philippian believers the reality that God is working in their midst. They were eager to do what it took to further the gospel, and they were very giving people (See 2 Corinthians 8:1-4). Their hearts were reflective of someone transformed by the power of the gospel. Without the gospel of Jesus Christ, biblical fellowship would be impossible. We’d have a tribal religion that loves only those that are like us, and wouldn’t be willing to love those that hate us.

Key Note: Both of these points are related to one another theologically in a very important way. The first point is evidence of the second point. God’s work in us gives us assurance of the reality of His Spirit dwelling in us. There is a profound relationship between faith and works (See Ephesians 2:8-10; James 2:18, 22, 24; Philippians 2:12-13). Works, according to Paul’s clear theology does not save us, but it acts as an indicator that there is new life in you. Note the “Works” here are not religious works of do this and don’t do that; things which we can do without God. The works in these contexts are works of the heart that demonstrate that we have been freed from our enslavement to ourselves, and that we are connected to God and His mission in the world.

What Is Paul Praying for the Philippians? (Philippians 1:8-11)
Again we see Paul’s real “Affection” for these people, and his prayer is pointed. Paul is in prison praying for others, because his perspective is eternal. His prayer is that: Their love may abound still more and more in Real knowledge and discernment. This is Paul’s prayer! It seems that the context helps us understand that the love he is talking about is a love for one another, but that love comes from a “Real knowledge” of the TRUTH about God. We can’t love unlovable people apart from the heart of Christ. Love is not sentimental! We are motivated to love by knowing Christ, and His sufferings and His love for us, so that we can turn and love others as He has loved us. This is where theology and practice meet. We desire love, without a theology that drives it. That kind of love is a human love that we can do without knowing Christ. God calls us to a love that only can be fully seen and understood at the cross of Jesus!

Paul tells us that he prays this “So that you may approve the things that are excellent,” which leads us to living “pure” (Literally unmixed, and open) and “Blameless” (Without stumbling). When your love grows based on the knowledge of the love of God in your life, then you will be able to discern better to prioritize your life around what God is calling you to do.

How is this possible? We are “Filled with the fruit of righteousness that come through Jesus Christ.” Anything that we are able to do comes as “Fruit” from the righteousness that we have “Through” Jesus. Without Christ, there is no righteousness of our own. Repentance begins with repenting of our own righteousness; our own self-saving mechanisms that we trust instead of God for our salvation. Our righteousness is Christ’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:1-4). Note that this fruit leads to 2 things: The Glory and Praise of God.

…to the Heart
Our prayers are often soaked with ourselves, and our own needs, but when we begin to know the love of God in our lives and we connect to His mission in this world, our prayer life will begin to change, and our joy will be made complete as we see God working in the lives of others.

Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:1-2

Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:1-2, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 6th, 2008

“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints, and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us”
2 Corinthians 8:1-5

Intro:
I am excited to begin this short letter of Paul to the Philippian (Macedonian) church. This church is exemplary of the reality of the church of Jesus Christ. It is a “Beautiful Mess!” This is a church that Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 as an incredibly giving church, who desired to always “Participate in the gospel” (Philippians 1:5), yet they struggled with unity and humility (see Philippians 2:1-4; 4:1-3). There is no “Perfect” church. We are all sinners saved by the incredible grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, and yet we are called to be on mission with Him, in spite of our warts. In this sense we are like a family, who stays together and loves one another in spite of our faults, as we learn to love one another and the calling by which we are all called! Please join me in this 13 week adventure in the book of Philippians.

In spite of its many themes, I believe that this book’s main theme is a theme of Joy that comes from participation (Fellowship) reflecting the true biblical idea of community. I almost named this study the “Joy of Selflessness,” since this theme is apparent in every page of this text, but I came to believe that the main theme is not about the joy of selflessness (Which places the joy in us and our work), but it is about the selflessness that comes from our joy in Christ!! That’s our theme, and I pray it unfolds into our hearts as we unfold the words of this letter!

From the Head…

Who?
As we see in verses 1-2 Paul and Timothy are the senders of this letter, and “Saints” in Philippi are the recipients of the letter (See booklet). A couple of interesting points need to be stated. First, Paul and Timothy refer to themselves as “Bondservants” (Doulos), which means that they have connected themselves to Christ as their master. This type of servant is one whose debt had been paid, but they decided to stay and serve their master because of his benevolence toward them. They are volunteer servants. They are “Set Free,” but decide to stay and serve him. What a picture of our lives in Christ. A second point is that this is written to the “Saints in Christ Jesus.” Nothing is possible outside of Jesus Christ! We are forgiven because of Christ. Salvation has nothing to do with us, but totally dependent on the work of Christ on the cross, and His subsequent resurrection. You are IN Christ, or not. We are called “Saints” because we are “In Christ.” Saints are made “Holy” (Set Apart) for God’s purposes. Thirdly, Paul includes the “Overseers” (Elders) and “Deacons” which made up the leadership structure of the early church, and has been adopted by the leadership of Harambee Church. We believe that the bible teaches that the pastors are responsible for the teaching and spiritual direction of the church (Primarily prayer, bible study, teaching/preaching and guarding against false teaching), and that the deacons (Literally servants) are those that minister in their respective areas (See Acts 6:1-4). There are those that want to denigrate leadership in a culture that hates any authority in their lives. While we are all ministers, God calls and gifts certain men and women to take responsibility for the body of Christ, and we, as leaders are called to lead in humility, not “Lording it over” those we are asked to lead. As leaders we are called to be “Humble Servants,” yet we are called to lead sacrificially.

So who are these Philippians? In Acts 16 we see Paul and Barnabus leaving the Jerusalem Council, where they are commissioned to go and preach the gospel to the gentiles (Acts 15:7ff). In Acts 15:36-41, we see Paul and Barnabus have an argument over the usefulness of John Mark, and they separated their ways for a time while Paul planned to retrace their first missionary journey (Acts 15:36) with Silas. However God had a different plan for Paul and his new comrades, Silas and Timothy who met them in Lystra (Acts 16:1-5). In Acts 15:9 we see that Paul had a dream about a man asking Paul to “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Paul immediately went to Macedonia and landed in Philippi (Which was originally named by Alexander the Great’s father, Phillip of Macedonia), “Which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia” (Acts 16:12). This city was a key bridge for the Roman Empire in the area that is now southern Greece. Although the city was fairly small (Aprox. 10,000) it was situated strategically on a citadel that helped guard the “Via Egnatia” a famous highway that connected Rome to its eastern empire. It was strategic in that much business traveled to and from Rome, and it was a key area for the early spread of the gospel. When Paul and his guys entered into Philippi on the Sabbath, they most likely found the place without enough Jewish men to form a Quorum (A quorum was the necessary 10 Jewish men needed to form a Synagogue, which was where Paul normally went Acts 17:1-2), so they took their mission to the streets, and found some praying women down by the river. It is there that they met Lydia (“A seller of purple”) who the “Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul” (Acts 16:14). Once again God begins a movement with a woman, who would have been looked down upon in that culture. Even so, the church began in Lydia’s home (Acts 16:15), and soon the Philippian jailer was added due to Paul and Silas’ imprisonment (Acts 16:22-34). It’s amazing to see what God can do when we faithfully are open to His will, and preach the gospel to those that God puts around us.

What?
In verse two we see Paul extending both “Grace” and “Peace” from God. This is the heart of the gospel. The question of any book should be “Why is this letter/book being written?” What was the occasion for Paul to write such a letter?

It is clear that Paul loves this church and the people in it (see Philippians 1:4-11). There is no doubt that part of Paul’s occasion for writing is his desire to commend the Philippian church for their graciousness and participation in the gospel (Philippians 1:5). However, in spite of Paul’s love for these people, there appears to be a few important concerns that Paul wanted to nip in the bud so they don’t fester and destroy the witness of the gospel apparent in this community of faith.

One concern seems to be that the church (as gospel oriented as it was) appeared to be getting weary of persecution, especially that which had fallen on Paul. The first chapter tackles this issue and attempts to encourage them that his imprisonment was for the betterment of the gospel; that even the persecution of death is a good thing and not a bad thing (Philippians 1:21). It is quite possible that they were missing the prize (Jesus Christ) in order to do the ministry (see Philippians 1:21; 3:7-14). This is common for many of us who are battling for the sake of the gospel. We get caught up in individual skirmishes, only to lose sight of the goal.

Another obvious concern was that some members were not living in harmony, and were exemplifying a potential gospel-less attitude toward one another. Paul calls out Euodia and Syntyche in chapter 4; and chapter 2 is one of the best chapters anywhere with regard to the gospel attitude of selflessness, with Christ being the prime example on the cross. These verses weren’t placed here in random fashion. There must have been some form of disharmony in order for Paul to write these words and include this charge to the Philippian people. The centerpiece of this letter is the gospel, and timidity and disharmony can and does destroy the truth and witness of the gospel.

Why?
Although the word “Joy” or any of its derivatives (Rejoice) are used some 16 times in this short 4 chapter book, and many see this book’s main theme as joy, I think its main theme is connected more to Philippians 1:21, and the joy that comes from “Knowing” Christ (Philippians 3: than it has to do with joy in of itself. Christ, like usual, is central to this book, and the motivation for Paul’s writing. Another theme that jumps out at you is the theme of unity, and “Selflessness,” but once again, that obvious theme comes as a result of knowing Christ, and the gospel work in our lives. A third reason for this writing is the joy that comes from “Participation in the gospel” (See Philippians 1:5). Our joy is enhanced as we join God in His purposes in this world. Another key aim for this letter is the theme of suffering. This church was a great church, but they were dismayed over the suffering of Paul and others, and Paul clearly addresses this issue, and reminds them that it is their privilege to suffer for the gospel, as it often helps the spread of the gospel (See Philippians 1:12; 29). Paul wants his people to live in harmony and contentment, and to look toward Christ for their source of joy!

…to the Heart
Philippians is a book about joy that comes from “Knowing” Christ, and being acquainted with His sufferings as we “Participate” in the gospel. I believe this is going to be a rich study, but one that is going to challenge our comfortable western mindset in regards to joy, and our role here on earth. I pray you come along with us on the journey, and drink in the riches of this great book!

Reading Cultural Text

The Glory of God in the Gospel of God, Reading the Cultural Texts Around Us, Selected Text, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on June 22nd, 2008

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”
Matthew 16:1-3

Intro:
Last week we took a look at how the culture can shape the gospel. While it is inevitable that through language and perspective the gospel will be shaped to some extent, and therefore “Impure,” it is not impotent and indefinable, as many scholars want us to believe. The reality of God’s redemptive story is clear, and the only path to redemption, and a relationship with the creator of the universe. Because culture has a shaping power, many Christians are fearful of it, and decide to refrain from participation in it, which ends up in a hybrid Christian ghetto that remains impotent in spite of Christendom’s belief that they are reaching millions. Christianity’s influence is waning in the wake of a dying western church, which disengaged from the American culture during the rise of rationalism in the west. The churches abandoned the universities (Creating their own), then the rising pop cultural pulpits (Multi-media), and were then relegated to a marginalized corner of the cultural voice. Finding itself powerless the evangelical church has been spending more lobbying dollars to regain its perceived power base thinking that it can change the world through the power mechanisms of the world, instead of the power of the gospel contextualized to a changing world.

Today I want us to take a look at that! How does the gospel best move into a culture? Is it through power and influence, or is it through an informed band of believers living out their life on every level of human culture? How can we be involved with culture and engage it intelligently, without falling into the mechanisms and world systems that ultimately destroy it? How does the Gospel story intersect the human one? Only by being able to read the culture, can we answer that question. Paul does an admirable job doing this in Acts 17, which we are going to take a look at, and then finish, with some key reasons to read our pop culture, and engage it in love, humility and boldness!

From the Head…

1. Why Read Pop Culture?

Defend
“I think with movies we can begin to strengthen people’s immune systems, because people go into the movies with their defenses down. It’s not real, therefore not threatening. When they least expect it, that might be the best time for the guerillas of art to get in there and move the head and the heart” Oliver Stone

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Learn
“Whenever we meet heathen writers, let us learn from the light of truth which is admirably displayed in their works, that the human mind, fallen as it is, and corrupted from its integrity, is yet invested and adorned by God with excellent talents. If we believe that the Spirit of God is the only fountain of truth itself, we shall not reject or despise the truth itself, wherever it shall appear, unless we wish to insult the Spirit of God.” John Calvin

“Tillich speaks of the “Latent” Church in secular culture and acknowledges its prophetic voice in challenging and even correcting distorted beliefs and practices in the church.” Kevin Vanhoozer

Challenge and Change
“Philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.” Karl Marx

It is congruent with the mission of the church? How are you participating in God’s building project?

“The church’s mission is to communicate, be oriented to, reproduce, and cultivate the reality of what God is doing in Christ through the Spirit for the sake of the world.”

Newbigin’s Gauntlet?
The Church’s Relationship to the Culture

4 Doctrines of the Theology of Contact+ the Holy Spirit
“Reading culture theologically requires us to move beyond the assumption that the church is ‘the only’ location in which the Holy Spirit is Operative.” Stanley Grenz

1. Incarnation (John 1; the “Logos”) “Subversive Text”→ Using the cultural text to subvert its meaning
2. Common Grace (Matthew 4, Acts 10, 16)
3. General Revelation (Psalm 19; Romans 1)
4. Imago Dei (Genesis 1:26-27)

How we view culture, will ultimately determine how well we affect culture!
• Battlefield
• Class Room
• Sanctuary
• Place to serve

2. How Can We Best Understand Culture?
“The best way to understand a particular culture or even an epoch is to discover it’s greatest anxiety (The focus of a negative concern) and its greatest hope (The focus of its ultimate concern).” Paul Tillich

“The first way in which a new generation takes control of society is through the culture; the arts, films, books, music, through all entertainment. People who feel safe and secure in existing society are frightened by ideas that threaten their power. People who hold the power in society want nice complacent forms of entertainment, films that comfort people and support the status quo.” Chuck Palahniuk

3. How Can We Read the Culture?
1. Approach the culture with humility
2. Determine the “Worldview” or “Root Metaphor” behind the text
3. Learn your own culture well
4. Do not judge the text before you read it
5. Refrain from a “Reductionist” approach to the text
6. Discern the faith commitments the text portrays
7. Determine the hopes and anxieties the text portrays
8. Find the text’s “Redemptive” plan
9. Ask how the gospel intersects this text?

…to the Heart
When are “Transformed by the renewing of our mind” (Romans 12:2), we are transformed in every area of our thinking. Unfortunately many of us have become lazy believers. We make excuses of why we are too busy to first know what we believe and why we believe it, and then we lose touch with our surroundings because we “Don’t have the time.” We have been looking at the GLORY of God in the Gospel of God, which should have jogged our hearts to remember how much we have been forgiven, and how great our God is. It is because of this that we are ”Sent” like Christ, into this world to proclaim this glory, and be missionaries and worshippers in this “Alien” land. In order to be missionaries, we need to be aware, so that we can understand it, and challenge it with the hope of the gospel, and the glory of Christ to ALL nations! It’s heart check time. Who loves you, and whom to you love?

How the Culture Shapes Our Gospel

The Glory of God in the Gospel of God, How Has the Culture Shaped the Gospel? Selected Text, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on June 15th, 2008

“The conservative evangelicals, were often unaware of the cultural conditioning of their religion and therefore guilty, as many of them now recognize of confusing the gospel with the values of the American way of life without realizing what they were doing.”
Leslie Newbigin

“But when I saw that they were straightforward about the truth of the gospel….”
Galatians 2:14a

Intro:
We have been taking a look at the gospel and its result in our lives for the past 3 weeks. We have defined the gospel as the, “’Good News’ of His in-breaking into human culture in order to justify and save His people (Through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ), and establish His kingdom/Lordship (Through the establishment of His Church) to the glory of His name.”

For the past two weeks we have seen how the gospel “shapes” us (Create our new identity), and then “leads” us toward living in a way that is “Worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27 see too Ephesians 4:1). Today we are furthering our study of the glory of God in the gospel of God by looking at how the culture shapes our gospel. Next week we are going to take a look at how the gospel goes into a culture and takes a positive shape of that culture, but today we are going to see how the culture negatively affects the gospel of Jesus Christ without us knowing it.

From the Head…
It would be easy to do a sermon on how the culture shapes us by pointing to the “Sinful” things we do. But that would be too simplistic, and assumes that the gospel was a moral restructuring instead of something far more profound and hope filled. The worldviews and philosophies within a culture often shape us without us knowing it. The reason we do sinful things is because our mind has been restructured to believe a different gospel. This starts in the garden. God gives Adam and Eve a clear story, yet they chose to believe in another “Has God said…?” (Genesis 3:1). It is this restructuring toward our own desire to be god that shapes the gospel we preach.
It is imperative that we do not fear culture, but we also need to be aware of culture and it’s influence on our thinking. Producer/Director Oliver Stone reminds us of this need when he says, “I think with movies we can begin to strengthen people’s immune systems, because people go into the movies with their defenses down. It’s not real, therefore not threatening. When they least expect it, that might be the best time for the guerillas of art to get in there and move the head and the heart” It is not just the media/artist that shape our culture, and subsequently our thinking, but our art culture are often influenced by a much more subtle and deeper conditioner. Our language and the way we perceive things affect the way we do life.
We are often conditioned in our thinking by our culture more than we often care to admit. We are deeply shaped by the language and “Plausibility Structures” of the culture’s worldview. In the west, the way we know (Epistemology) is formed solely through our own human reason. We live and breathe here, and do not even think of questioning this in spite of the fact that the biblical “Epistemology” begins in God (Revelation), not our own reason! To this missiologist Leslie Newbigin writes “There can be no knowing without personal commitment. We must believe in order to know.” We can know God because He has revealed Himself (Through nature Psalms 19:1; conscience Romans 2:15; His prophets Hebrews 1:1; His word 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19,20; the Holy Spirit John 16:13-15; and finally in His Son Jesus Christ Hebrews 1:1-3). Next we know Him by faith (Romans 1:17; Hebrews 11:6).

Some Clear Ways We and Our Gospel Are Shaped By Our Culture
1. Pluralism
2. Rationalism
3. Individualism
4. Consumerism
5. Negative Capitalism
6. Nationalism/Racism
7. Comfort vs. Suffering

We Cannot Be Shaped By the World… (Colossians 2:6-10)
The gospel, as we will see next week, connects with the ultimate hopes and stories of the culture, but it also challenges those same stories. Sinful culture exchanges the hope of the gospel, with half truths, and temporal hope. The gospel needs to challenge the very foundations of cultural systems. Romans 12:2 reminds us not to be “Conformed to this world,” and 1 John 2:15 tells us “Not to love the world, nor the things of the world.” These aren’t separatist passages, but like Colossians 2:8, we are reminded not to be “Taken Captive” by the world systems that destroy us in spite of its constant promise to bring life more abundantly.

…But Need to Be Shaped By the “Straightforward” Nature of the Gospel (Galatians 2:14)
When Paul confronted Peter, he does not confront them immediately in regards to his “racism,” but he states that he is not “Straightforward” about the gospel truths, which means he is not living in line with it (See living “Worthy” above). This says something about us. Peter is a pillar of NT leadership. He is a founding father, and certainly a man of faith, yet his culture (Jewish) has shaped him, and ultimately his demonstration of the gospel. Paul has to remind Peter and reform his understanding of the gospel.

… to the Heart
What is your confidence in? We are taught from birth that we need to rely on ourselves, and our own ability. The gospel challenges this foundational truth of human nature. Even religious human nature desires to justify self by doing works that merit a righteousness of our own. Either way, we desire to trust our self for our own justification. Even those that profess Christ as savior often default to our human inclination to please God by doing works that will please Him, instead of remembering that He is pleased in His Son only! Let’s not look at our culture as something to fear, but one that we can serve and proclaim the truth of the gospel to a broken world.

How Does the Gospel Lead Us?

The Glory of God in the Gospel of God, “How Does the Gospel Lead Us?” Selected Text, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Jeff Vanderstelt on June 8th, 2008

A Way of Life
The life of the gospel community does not consist of a few scattered events throughout a week or month, but rather an ongoing flow of movement within the everyday rhythms of a culture. The Gospel effects all of life – everything we do – because God is at work redeeming all things to Himself. Our new Gospel Identity leads us to enter in to the everyday Gospel rhythms of life.

To be a healthy Family requires that we live life together, not just attend events where we see each other once in a while.

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8

Effective Missionaries don’t just move into a new culture and stay distant or disconnected from the culture. The most effective ones are those who join in the flow of life with everyone else, engaging in the activities of the culture they are sent into with gospel integrity, not falling to the left of syncretism or to the right of separatism.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your souls. Live such good lives among he pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
1 Peter 2:11-12

Gospel Servants are actively involved in regularly meeting the needs of the people they live life with and the communities they live within. And Ongoing Learners don’t get developed and equipped through a class or sermon alone but through life on life – iron sharpening iron.

When Jesus came he immersed himself into the rhythms of the community he lived in, but in a radically different way (John 1:14). If we are going to effectively engage in life together and life on mission we must identify everyday rhythms of life and the unique ways in which to both live within them and preach the gospel through them.

Although, there are many unique rhythms that could be identified within every culture, Soma has discovered some that seem to exist in every culture since before the Fall and were commanded by God to be done in a particular manner by his chosen people. Certainly, they take on many different forms, but the underlying rhythms seem to be the same. As we look at these rhythms, they can provide for us a framework through which we can engage more effectively in the active work of gospel mission.

Everyday Rhythms

Story-Formed…We understand, experience and intersect with God’s Story and Other’s.
God has been unfolding his Story since before time began. We believe we are participants in the Story and need to understand it and see how our lives intersect with it. Therefore, we regularly reacquaint ourselves with the Story by interacting with God’s Word. We look for ways and times to tell the Story often. We also take time to listen to others stories and help them find their lives within God’s Story. (Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:1; Psalm 1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Everyone is living within the context of some story. The story they believe shapes the kind of lives they live. Although we live in a time when many would prefer denying that they live within the context of a meta-narrative, because the meta-narratives of the western world have seemingly shown themselves to be fairy tales not rendering the happy ending they promised. It is still true that everyone finds their meaning within a context larger than their own life – it is what gives any sense of context to our lives
The Biblical/Gospel story reminds us that we all move toward seeking meaning outside of God’s Story (We see this in our first parents – Adam and Eve), yet Jesus Christ who is the Author and Hero of the Story moves to Redeem and Restore His Creation from our rebellion. As we become familiar with His Story we realize that we are part of God’s rescue plan as well. If we are to be an effective Family of Missionary Servants in our culture we will have to engage the Story-formed rhythm in a variety of ways:

THE STORY…
We are a story-formed people who are living our lives based upon and within a story. We must know God’s Story because all of our beliefs, identity and actions are all connected to the dominant story. This is why we are to talk about it when we sit, stand, walk along the way, eat, lie down, etc…. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

OUR STORY…
We all need to continue to grow in the gospel of grace and truth. Therefore we need to be self-aware and let the Spirit show us where our lives, past and present, are not in line with the gospel (Galatians 2:14; 1 Timothy 4:16)

EACH OTHER’S STORY…
Not only should we regularly reacquaint ourselves with the Gospel Story, but we must also know each other’s stories if we are going to be a Family who is equipping each other effectively. We need to hear one another’s stories and bring the gospel story to bear on each other (Consider Paul to Peter in Galatians 2:11-14).

THE CULTURE OR COMMUNITY’S STORY…
In order to be effective missionaries, we need to know the story of our culture – what has shaped it, what is the dominant story line, what are the idols, where are the open doors for the gospel – both demonstrated and declared – and learn how to enter into the gospel crossroad (Consider Paul in Acts 17)

Listen… We set aside regular times to listen to God both backward and forward.
Jesus listened to God in prayer to know his Father’s will. We are also called to listen to God. We listen ‘backward’ by regularly interacting with God’s Word-the Story and the Son. We also believe he speaks today through his Spirit in us and through creation. We spend time actively listening ‘forward’ to hear what God is saying to us today. (Mark 1:35-37; John 16:7-15; Hebrews 1:1-3; Romans 1:20)

There are thousands of voices and messages competing for our attention and we are listening. We ebb and flow all day long from one voice to the other. The question is which voice informs how to listen to all the others?

In The Story, we see in the very beginning what happened when God’s voice was no longer the dominant voice – Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and to themselves – and God’s original mission for humanity moved into rebellion.

In order to faithfully walk in the gospel, we must walk dependently on God through the ongoing rhythm of listening…

…TO GOD
The gospel informs us that we are fully dependent upon God’s Spirit to teach us the truth, convict of sin, show us the way to go and empower us to do everything God wants. So, we learn to walk in submission to the Spirit if we are going to live as God intends. Listening itself is an act of submission and dependency on God – it is clearly one of the most obvious and profound ways that we live out our gospel need.

…TO OURSELVES
We need to pay attention to what we say to ourselves. C.J. Mahaney states in his book, Living the Cross Centered Life, that we should not just listen to ourself, but begin speaking the gospel to ourselves. In order to regularly realign ourselves to the truth of the gospel, we need to listen closely to what we say to ourselves and compare that to the gospel and our gospel identity. Where what we are hearing doesn’t match up to the gospel, we should preach the gospel again to ourselves.

…TO EACH OTHER
If we are going to gospel each other, we not only need to know each others stories, but we must listen carefully to hear where others are not yet gripped by the gospel. Pay close attention to when the story is about them or dependent on them. Also, listen to the heart – our emotions and a words are an overflow of the heart (Matthew 12:34) and they reveal who or what is the god we are submitting to (Galatians 5:16-25). If the outward demonstration is not the fruit of the Spirit we are just seeing/hearing the fruit of another god. God is gracious to let the false gods be seen as ineffective (Romans 1:24-32)

…TO THE CULTURE OR COMMUNITY
The culture and people around us are telling us what they believe and why. We need to learn to ask questions and listen. If we are to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have, we must spend less time just preparing answers and as much time listening for the questions. Listening to others first is prerequisite for gospel engagement. We should be listening constantly to determine what story they believe in and where that story has proven weak and ineffective to save.

Celebrate… We gather together to celebrate God’s extravagant blessings.
God calls people to regularly celebrate his goodness and grace. We gather weekly in missional communities and regularly as a larger family, to share stories and celebrate all that God is doing in and amongst us. We invite everyone to these celebrations as a way of displaying God’s glory. (Leviticus 23; Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25)

Everybody loves a good party. In fact, most people are regularly on the lookout for the party. Why? Because God made us to be worshippers – to be rejoicing and satisfied in someone other than ourselves – namely Him. This hunger to celebrate – to worship – is in every person.

If we are to engage the missionary activity of God must regularly enter into celebrating…

…GOD’S GRACE
If we truly understand and believe the gospel, we should be the most celebratory people on the planet. God regularly called his people to celebrate through feasts and parties because he did not want them to forget His grace and abundant provision. The very celebration wasn’t just a response – it was also a demonstration of what God is like and has done. We must engage in a regular rhythm of celebrating God’s extravagant blessings in ways others can access and understand.

…IN THEIR LIFE
Part of our ability to live out the gospel is dependent upon our regular reflection on the gospel. We need to regularly set our affections on things above – the work of God in Jesus Christ and what is now true of us because of Him. Celebration should be a regular rhythm in all each of our personally lives.

…WITH EACH OTHER
We also not give up meeting together so that we might spur each other on to love and good deeds (Hebrew 10:24-25). Jesus himself demonstrates this through his first recorded miracle – at a wedding feast where he affirms the celebration of life together because celebrating life together demonstrates the working out of the purposes for the gospel – a people being restored to abundant life together.

…WITH THE CULTURE OR COMMUNITY
The people God has sent us to are also celebrating – they happen to be celebrating a different god and a different story. We need to learn to enter into their celebrations and do it unto God and fully aware that even this celebration is within His Story. Then, within the celebration look for ways to serve, redeem, bring gospel light, etc…
Bless… We intentionally bless others through words, gifts or actions.
God desires that all nations—all people—would be blessed through Jesus. And now, as his Body (soma), we believe we live out this mission as we bless others. We intentionally seek God’s direction for who he would have us tangibly bless each week. (Genesis 12:1-3; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 2:12)

Everyone has received blessings and chooses to do something with what they have received. Some people give in order to gain acceptance; to appease their guilty conscience or because they simply like the feeling. Others hoard what they have or use it only for themselves. Followers of Jesus believe they have been blessed by God to be a blessing. They are not motivated to gain something through giving, but they bless because have been given something they don’t deserve in order to share with others in need.

…BLESSED BY GOD
Just like Abraham (Genesis 12:2) we have been blessed – we have received unmerited favor and provision. This is not because of anything we have done, but because of all that God has done for us in Jesus Christ. We must remember that we are co-heirs with Christ and blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Romans 8:16-17; Ephesians 1:3).

…TO BE A BLESSING
We are not blessed just for our own good. We have been given what we have so that others might also receive. We must regularly take account of what has been given to us and realize that it is not ours, but God’s to steward. Then, in light of the gospel that reminds us that He become poor so that in his poverty we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9), we are freed up to pour out our lives and things so that others might be blessed and taste and see that the Lord is good.

…EACH OTHER
We must see that when we believe the gospel and know that what we have we did not earn and since we have been bought with a price nothing is our own anymore, then we also realize that our Father in heaven provides for his children through sharing what we have with each other. When I come to see this I realize that I don’t really own anything and yet at the same time I have more than I ever dreamed (brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, houses, cars, clothes, food, etc… Luke 18:29-30). All that we have is His and that is His is ours.

…OUR CULTURE OR COMMUNITY
God’s intent in blessing His people has always been so that those who don’t know Him and his grace might see Him at work in and through us, taste of His grace and come to Him. We must direct our eyes outward and begin to believe the gospel has given us everything for life and godliness. All that He has resourced us with is for the purpose of doing the gospel work of blessing others who don’t know Him yet.

Eat… We regularly eat meals with others to invite them into the community of God.
Meals are a daily reminder of our common need for God and his faithfulness to provide both physically and spiritually. Jesus called us to remember him and his sacrifice for us through a meal. When we eat together, we commune around this truth. We regularly eat meals with those not in our immediate family or circle of close friends, discipling them toward a life of dependence on God. (Leviticus 23; Matthew 6:11; 26:17-30; Acts 2:46-47; Romans 12:13)

No one would deny that everyone eats regularly – some of us too much and some too little. It is interesting that the means God gave to Adam and Eve to show their faith in him was eating. They choose to eat unto themselves instead of in faith to God. This became a prime means for expressing faith and thanksgiving to God throughout The Story and it is still true for us today.

…UNTO GOD
Whatever we do, whether we eat or drink, we do it unto God. Every meal really is a demonstration of the gospel. We come hungry (a real need) and our need is graciously met (Whatever we have is from God). Since we eat three times a day, we get a gospel reminder over and over again IF we eat unto God. It’s interesting that throughout the Story, food continues to be the prime example of God’s provision meeting their need. And in every case, they ate unto God or unto themselves.

…WITH EACH OTHER
When we eat together we commune over our common need and God’s provision. In doing this we proclaim the gospel to each other over and over again. That is why it is so important to eat together regularly – a loving community of believers communing around the work of Christ is the best apologetic of the gospel AND eating together is one of the ways we are commanded to do this.

…WITH UNBELIEVERS
The table for the Jews, as also in our day, is very symbolic AND communicative – who we eat with makes a statement. This is why Jesus was called a friend of sinners – he ate with people who were “dirty”, unreligious, and visibly or sociably unacceptable. The table becomes one of the most powerful displays of God’s love and acceptance of sinners. We need to see the table as a place to exercise radical inclusivity.

Recreate… We take time to rest, play, create and restore beauty in ways that reflect God to others.
After powerfully and joyfully creating the universe, God rested. We were created in his image and therefore were made to joyfully create and rest as well. We regularly take time to rest, play, create and restore beauty in ways that reflect what God is like to our community. (Genesis 1-2:3; Deuteronomy 5:12; Mark 2:23-28; Hebrews 4)

Recreation is not a new thing in our culture, but we often forget that God is the one who put it in place. After his work of creating was finished he was satisfied with it and he rested. He then set up a rhythm of life that starts with us resting in his creative work followed by us working creatively. Some have a hard time really resting in God’s finished work and therefore find it hard to work, create, play and take it easy and rest in all or any of those.

…WE REST IN GOD’S WORK
Because God has accomplished everything necessary for our justification and is the one who will finish the work He started in us, we can rest. Whether working, playing, sleeping or creating – we rest in His work and His abilities and His power. Our rest then is not only a result of the Gospel, but a demonstration to the world NOT at rest in the gospel. We need to know and live this rest.

…WE WORK , REST, CREATE AND PLAY
We should realize that we can approach work, school, sports, social events and creative works not because we need validation or security – we can truly do all we do unto the Lord and be free to do it as worship (not worshipping the pay scale, position, grade, award, or the status that we obtain). We need to walk in faith that we can truly rest because the world is held together and run by Him and it will be restored by His work through us, not our work apart from Him. We should also trust that we can create freely, not dependent on the quality of the creation or the validation of others to say it is good, but rather because we are already called good in Jesus Christ. Finally, we should be the most playful and joy-filled people because we know the Father is in control of the world and He loves us deeply.

…WITH EACH OTHER
We should recreate together as a way of preaching the gospel to one another. By doing this we become a display together of the truth of the gospel to a watching world. Our resting, creating, working and playing all proclaim that God is Creator, Sustainer, Provider and Redeemer.

How Does the Gospel Shape Us?

The Glory of God in the Gospel of God, How Does the Gospel Shape Us?
Selected Text, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Jeff Vanderstelt on June 1st, 2008

Our behavior is directly connected to our belief in the Gospel and in our New Gospel Identity in Christ
Every time Paul addressed a people that we’re getting off track he began by reminding them WHAT GOD HAD DONE (The Gospel) and WHO THEY WERE BECAUSE OF GOD’S WORK (Their Gospel Identity). Then, he went on to call them to different behavior. He knew that it is God’s work that both precedes and produces our ability to do good works. And it is only because of what God has done and who we are in Christ Jesus that God is also going to do work through us that resembles Him.
Paul knew that our Gospel Living comes out of our Gospel Identity and our Gospel Identity comes out of God’s Gospel Work
Our motivation is not based upon trying to accomplish something (performance), become something (significance), obtain something (security) or cover up something (create a false impression). Our motivation is based upon what God has accomplished for us in Jesus Christ (our justification); who He has made us to be and is making us to be (a new creation – new identity); and what He is doing in us and through us by the power of His Spirit (Sanctification and Restoration).
Our New Gospel Identity
Consider Paul’s words to the Corinthian Church in 2 Corinthians 5:16-18
We have a new identity because of what He has accomplished and it is in light of what He has done for us and who we are in Christ that we do anything rightly. Our Sanctification comes out of our Justification. We live differently because of what he has done and who we are in Christ. Our doing comes out of our being.

As Soma Communities we have decided to describe our new Gospel Identity in four different ways:
FAMILY…MISSIONARIES…SERVANTS…LEARNERS

We are a family on mission sent by God to serve our world and continually learn how to walk in his ways.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

THE CHURCH IS A CHOSEN RACE – the called-out ones (FAMILY)

Soma’s Family Identity Statement:
Family – We are all children of God who care for each other as a family.
God has always desired a people–an earthly family–who would live in such a way that the world would know what he is like. Jesus said that those who live in his ways and obey his Father are truly his family. Through Jesus we believe we are Children of God and brothers and sisters with each other. As family we see it as our obligation to personally care for the needs of one another – both physically and spiritually. We disciple, nurture and hold each other accountable to this Covenant life together. We do this through regular celebration gatherings and consistent involvement in a DNA group. (John 1:12; Romans 8:16; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1)

WHO WE ARE: WE ARE SONS
In Christ Jesus we are all sons of God (Galatians 3:26-29). In Christ, we all, male and female, are heirs to the promises – we all have the rights of Sons…
» In that culture, the firstborn male received the inheritance
» Also, the Jews were given the promises from God
» Now, Paul is trying to help us understand that Jesus is the firstborn male (firstborn among many brothers) and he is the rightful heir to the promises and the inheritance
» And, whoever is united in Christ, is treated like the firstborn son – regardless of your race, your gender or you standing in society
» All that is Christ Jesus’ is ours – It is rightfully his and he gives it to us based upon his merit not our own

HOW WE LIVE: BEAR GOD’S IMAGE
We have been made Sons of God in order to display God to the World (Ephesians 5:1-2)
The Visible Family: We should love each other as family and in doing so become the gospel hermeneutic Jesus said we were to become (John 13:34-35)
The Not-Yet Visible Family: We are also to love those around us like family so that they might experience the love of the Father and come to believe the gospel

THE CHURCH IS A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD – the sent ones (MISSIONARIES)
We are a royal priesthood that extends the message of reconciliation to the world. We are ministers of reconciliation with the message of reconciliation (John 20:21; 2 Cor. 5:17-20)

Soma’s Missionary Identity Statement:
Missionaries – We are sent by God to restore all things to Him through Jesus Christ.
God sent his son, Jesus, to Earth to take on human form and live within the culture. He worked, ate and interacted among the people; living in such a way that those around him could see and experience what God was truly like. Jesus came so that all people, places and things could be restored to a right relationship with God. In the same way, we believe we are missionaries sent into our culture to restore all things to God through Jesus. We live this out through involvement in a missional community. (John 1:14; 20:21; Colossians 1:19; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

WHO WE ARE: WE ARE SENT ONES
Just as the Father sent the Son, the Son has sent us to be his Witnesses – his Ambassadors
» Every Son of God is also Sent by God to declare and demonstrate the Gospel
» Every one of us needs to know and believe that we have been sent by God to where they live, work and go to school

HOW WE LIVE: ALWAYS ON MISSION
God is at work through Christ’s Body, the Church, to bring about restoration
» We should approach every situation as an opportunity to display and declare the gospel.
» We must be equipped to exegete the culture and bring the gospel to bear on the barriers and the open doors (Contextualization of the Gospel)
» We need to create a sense of expectancy and freedom for the beginning of new missionary ventures within our community

THE CHURCH IS A HOLY NATION – A Kingdom of Servants (SERVANTS)
A holy nation that is an alternative city within a city to give a foretaste of what the eternal city will be like under the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. We belong to God and exist to bring Him glory.
The currency in this Kingdom is Love. Love expressed in Servanthood and Sacrifice.

Soma’s Servant Identity Statement:
Servants – We are servants who serve Him as we serve others around us.
Fully God–fully human, Jesus took on the posture of a servant. He gave his life, even unto death, so that others could experience salvation, peace and restoration. Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves…” All those who follow Jesus are called to serve in the same humility. For us this means joyful submitting to God, leadership and to each other, as we serve whoever God brings into our lives. We do Whatever He leads us to do, Whenever He tells us and Wherever He wants us to do it. (Matthew 20:25-28; 25:31-46; John 13:1-17; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 2:16)

WHO WE ARE: WE ARE SERVANTS OF THE KING OF KINGS
Jesus came as a servant, laying down his life for us so that we, who as his slaves now belong to him, could lay down our lives for others.
» Jesus came to set us free and the only way we walk in freedom is by living out our identity as servants of Christ
» When we live as servants of Jesus Christ, we no longer need to approval of men and we no longer get stuck in cycles of selfishness and self-protection

HOW WE LIVE: EMBODYING THE GOSPEL THROUGH GOOD WORKS
One of the ways Jesus displays the grace and truth of the gospel is through the good works of His people
» We must learn to do good works with gospel motivation and for gospel demonstration
» We do goods works BECAUSE we have been saved (redeemed, justified, adopted, etc…), not so that we might be – it comes out of our heart of gratitude and thanksgiving, not in order to earn anything
» We must learn to do good works in such a way that the gospel is on display – this requires knowing the gospel well and contextualizing it in actions

THE CHURCH IS A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS – called to equip and be equipped
(Ephesians 4:11-16)
God has called and gifted people in the church to not only use their gifts for works of service and ministry, but to equip others for works of service. The Body of Christ (SOMA) will be built up as each person serves and equips others to serve.
The Church doesn’t need more programs to do the work that people are called to do – the Church needs people to be faithful to their calling to develop and equip others. This responsibility needs to be placed back into the hands of the people who ARE the Church. We don’t go to Church. We are the Church

Soma’s Learner Identity Statement:
Learners – We are Students of Jesus who take responsibility for our own development and the development of others.
As a young man Jesus grew in both height and wisdom. He learned from local religious teachers, by living in community, and through regular times of listening to God. Jesus called others to follow his ways, to be his disciples and live in obedience to all that God commands. He then sent these followers out to make new disciples. We believe we are also called to be followers of Jesus who take responsibility for our own development and the development of others. This includes both our personal time with God as well as involvement together in training provided by spiritual leadership. (Luke 2:52; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 4:11-13; 2 Timothy 2:2)

WHO WE ARE: WE ARE DISCIPLES OF THE RABBI JESUS
Jesus came as one who learned and he called us to humbly learn from Him through His Word, His Spirit and His Body, the Church
» As God’s people, we look to Jesus as the one who teaches us about God, ourselves, the world and our purpose
» We now take responsibility to be equipped through the resources Jesus has given us
» We also take responsibility to lead others in learning and being equipped for ministry

HOW WE LIVE: BEING EQUIPPED AND EQUIPPING OTHERS
The Body of Christ is built up into maturity and therefore effectively displaying the Gospel only when each part is growing up, doing its part and equipping others.
» We belong to a learning community that we engage in for the purpose of being equipped and equipping others
» We must continue to work out of our calling to equip for works of ministry and make sure that our teaching and training leads out into mission not toward greater dependency on us
» We are all being trained to be sent to be a display and declaration of the gospel

Welcome people (& guests), remind us of:
1. Who we are: (Harambee exists to know and worship God by enjoying Him and joining Him in His mission to take His whole story, to the whole person, in the whole world, equipping those that respond to do God’s will and enjoy Him forever.)

2. Why we’re gathering (corporately worship & be equipped for ministry/mission then scatter as worshipping missionaries)

3. What’s going on (men, women, youth, Harambee groups)

4. Where to go for more info (kiosk, spring flyer, website: harambeechurch.com, e-mail announcements)

5. Anything major coming up given by service coordinator (Body Life meeting Next Monday!.).