One Thing

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Philippians 3:13,14
“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

There is a lot in this chapter. What I'm doing in this study is looking at these 2 verses. One Thing.

Don't rest on what you have done in the past. Don't think you have arrived. Life happens each day. If you are not growing and learning you are not living.

Just as a tree needs to grow to live. So we need to be growing to be living in the Spirit of God. Why? It is the relationship that produces growth. A relationship with Christ. And in this relationship we hear from Christ and learn. If we stop hearing and learning and doing what we learn we become stagnate. This stagnancy brings death.

It is this doing and not just learning that got me into ministry to the homeless, street witnessing, people at a nursing home and teaching in a church. All of these were growth areas that brought me closer to Christ. I had to pray and search the Bible for answers. This seeking of the Lord brought growth.

It is the same in our physical life as well. When we stop exercising and working our body starts to decay. Muscles lose their tone and become weaker. Our heart is a muscle and it needs to be exercised to stay healthy.

Why would we work when we don't have to? Our spiritual and physical life tends to decay without use. And if we stay active we maintain our strength and increase in strength. Moses was able to climb a mountain at 120. He was always active. Caleb asked Joshua for Hebron. He was 85 when he asked for this and was still able to fight in war at that age.

To reach forward to what lies ahead comes from anticipation of what God is leading us in. We need to keep an attitude of looking to God for His strength and help. And as we are looking to Him we gain insight from His word to our spirits which strengthens us for the work ahead. Without this urgency of seeking God we fall back. In a sense it is back sliding. Because we are not doing what we used to be doing.

I press on toward the goal. What is our goal? Have a goal and if you don't have one seek God for His direction.

I will use the armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18 to fight off distractions from the one thing I am called to. I will use the threshing sledge Isaiah 41:15 break down the mountains of opposition.

One thing desired Ps 27:4 To be in God's presence all day long. Seek Him more and more.

One thing happens to all. All will die. Eccl 3:19 Make your life count for God.

One thing lacking. Mark 10:21 Sell all you have and give to the poor. Get rid of what keeps you from living the life God gives.

One thing needed. Luke 10:42 And that is to sit at Jesus feet and learn from Him.

One thing is known. John 9:25 The blind man knew that he was once blind but now he sees. Like the blind man, I will give testimony of God giving me spiritual sight.

One thing to do. Phil 3:13 Press on to know the Lord.

One fact. 2 Peter 3:8 Don't forget that with the Lord time is not a factor. V9 God is holding back, so more will be brought into the kingdom.

1 Corinthians 9:23-27
Forget the ground you have covered in the race and press on.
Use all your energy to win. Don't waste it on non essentials.
Run with the end result in mind. And what is that? To give glory to God in all you do.

November 25th House Church

Today we read and discussed Philippians 1:21-29

We can serve Jesus with expectant hope of His return.
This hope in service is a purifying influence in our walk. 1 John 3:1-3

Jesus attitude in service is shown in Phil 2:5-8 We deny our desires and look to Jesus for guidance.

Standing firm with:
One spirit
One mind
Striving together

Remember Paul is writing this from prison. But we are to remember those in prison as if in prison with them.

Many teachers talk of the blessings that we get from being Christians but few talk of the cost. Some even deny the cost of following Christ. The Bible talks of those who deny the cross and contrast that with their fleshly appetites. But we are to seek to serve Christ. It makes sense that if you want to play tennis you must give up golf if you are playing that at the same time. In the same way if we are going to follow Christ other things must be given up.

Jude 3 also talks of this striving.

v28 is interesting passage. Our confidence in God in the midst of persecution is a sign to the lost of our salvation and their destruction. The peace Jesus gives is not as the world gives. It is a different kind of peace that is founded on the rock. It is a peace in the midst of trouble, not the lack of it.

Prayed for Uzbekistan in the Operation World book.

Also prayed for our personal needs.

November 18th House Church

Philippians 1:7-21 Areas we discussed.

v7 "... both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me."
Confirmation of the gospel is doing the work of the gospel. It is the response to the gospel.

v8 For God is my witness how I long for you. To minister effectively one needs to long to reach out to those who he ministers to.
with the affection of Christ Jesus. Our ability to love comes from Christ. We don't have the ability to love and care for others apart from Christ.

v9 "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,"
Love is active and the knowledge allows us to encourage. One job of the preacher is to explain the Bible and its promises for us. Another part of the preacher is to encourage others to hope in the promises that God has spoken to us.

v11 "having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
The fruit of righteousness is talked about in James 3:13-18
It does not come from bitter jealousy, selfish ambition.
Wisdom from above is: pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering and without hypocrisy. The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

We need to be at peace with ourselves and God and others. Turmoil within hinders the bearing of fruit.

We then went to Acts 16 and read the account of how the Philippine church started. Paul was thrown in jail for casting out an evil spirit. He found people that were interested by going to the place of prayer and sharing the gospel there. While in jail there was an earthquake, and the peace Paul and Silas showed during their imprisonment and not running when there was an earthquake brought the jailer to the Lord.

v14-21 People were preaching the gospel. Some from pure motives and others from impure motives. Paul decided that he would praise the Lord that the gospel was being preached no mater what.

Paul knew that weather he lived or died that Christ would be exalted. That was his purpose to serve Christ. Our ability to serve in trying circumstances depends on our trust in Christ and not relying on our own ability or protecting ourselves.

November 11th House Church

Today's gathering discussed Philippians 1:1-7

Paul and Timothy were bond-servants of Christ. A bond-servant serves voluntarily. Christ's bond-servants will believe in Him. John 14:12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father."

We will do the works of Jesus as we believe in Jesus. Part of believing in Jesus is keeping His commands John 14:15 ^"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." Jesus commanded us to love one another in John 13:34,35

In Jesus Name signifies being under Jesus' authority. 2 Cor 5:20 We represent Christ as ambassadors. Teaching others, (Christians especially because the book of 2 Corinthians was written to the church), to be reconciled to God. Christians are already reconciled to God but many times we don't live like it or think of ourselves that way.

We then talked about praying for each other in verses 3,4
It is important to keep alert in prayer with thanksgiving. There is a prayer of complaint and a prayer of thanksgiving. Faith grows with thanksgiving but usually doesn't with complaint. God answers prayers of faith so we want to stay alert by being thankful.

v5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
my NAS Bible has a note with participation = or sharing in the preaching of the gospel.
As we work together for the gospel prayer builds us up even more.
Amplified = fellowship, sympathetic co-operation and contributions and partnership - in advancing the good news . . .

v6 God will continue to build us up. Eph 2:10 talks of our purpose that we were made for.

v7 Paul not only prays but has the Philippians in his heart. This gets back to obeying the commands of Jesus to love one another. We can't help others if we don't love them. Paul served with love. Paul prayed with love. Paul lived with love.