"An Attitude that Saves!" Philippians 2:5-8

“An Attitude that Saves!"

Captivated by Christ: An expository sermon series on Paul's Letter to the Church in Philippi (message #14)

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

July 25, 2010

The word of God from Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV), “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” [prayer]

For the Apostle Paul, theology and action are always bound together. His orthodoxy (beliefs) mandated his orthopraxis (lifestyle). And the same should be true for us, but that is not always the case! The chasm between our heads and hearts is much greater than the physical 18” separation.

Philippians 2:5 is a critical passage in understanding Paul’s intent of the Christ hymn in Philippians 2:6-11. Verse 5 proclaims, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” and then verses 6-11 lay out the theological framework of the mind of Jesus Christ. But it is verse 5 that gives verses 6-11 a pastoral emphasis.

Paul’s emphasis is not on repeating a theological treatise for our head knowledge, but rather to persuade and compel the Philippians (and to us today) to live a life in which disunity, discord, and personal ambition were dead. Paul’s continued emphasis is to teach the Philippians how to live life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:27); a life of unity where the predominant attitude is the attitude of humility as most visibly demonstrated in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit has given us a sacred privilege in these passages we are going to be studying the next 2 weeks. We have the privilege to enter into the mind of Christ as we view the Cross from the eyes of our crucified Lord. This is holy ground and we stand upon it not to satisfy intellectual curiosity, but to be transformed into the very character of Jesus Christ; the One by whom we each have been saved. And we too should have attitudes that save!

Let's examine this attitude: First, AN ATTITUDE THAT SAVES LEADS TO A LIFE OF SECURITY! (not safety; security!)

Philippians 2:6 begins, “Who, being [hyparchon] in very nature [morphe] God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped [harpagmos]”

Let’s dive into this verse. When Paul describes Jesus Christ as “being in very nature God”, Paul did not simply choose the verb “to be” rather he picked the Greek word hyparchon which means ‘to be really and truly’, ‘to be characteristically’, ‘to be by nature.’ This word is then coupled with the Greek word morphe which means the essential form of something, which will never alter. Paul’s choice of words means, “Jesus was essentially, unalterably, and unchangeably God!” This is an essential starting pointing to know the attitude of Jesus Christ!

Hebrews 1:3a states, “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Jesus Christ is fully God and He knew this reality about His being; Jesus was not deceived to think He was anything less than the Son of God, one with the Father!

Listen to these powerful words of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John 10:28-30, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”

Paul continues in verse 6 stating, “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”. This used to be a very confusing passage for me because I would define the word “grasp” as an intellectual grasping, like to grasp at a concept. Did Jesus really not understand that he was one with God? That doesn't fit what Scripture teaches! So I dug deeper and I learned that the Greek word is the verb harpagmos meaning ‘to grasp at’ or ‘to snatch’ meaning “something to be held onto at all costs”. Here it is: Jesus Christ did not have to clutch to His full divinity as something he could lose; it has always been His and will always be His. He did not have to white knuckle His rights as if they could be taken away from Him!

Jesus Christ is fully God and He has security in knowing this because regardless of what you or I think or what you or I do, He is still God and nothing can change that. This verse essentially means: Jesus Christ is God and he did not have to tightly hang onto this reality as if someone could take it from Him because this is who He is and nothing was going to change the fact that Jesus Christ is God!

Jesus Christ was secure so he did not need to prove to everyone or himself that what was true was true! He could be mission-focused and others-focused because He had security in who He is! And here is the good news for us: 1 John 3:1a declares, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

In the same way, that Jesus’ morphe (His essential ontological nature) is God, so are we fundamentally changed in our ontological nature when we receive eternal life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

When you ask accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive forgiveness of sins, you are placed in the hand of God as a child of God. You go from being dead to your sin, to being born again, alive in the Spirit, secure in the hand of God. As Jesus Christ promises each of us in the Gospel of John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

We should have the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus. We can live a life of security because we know who we are—we are forever Children of God who cannot be snatched from the Father’s hand.

Therefore, we too can be mission-focused and others-focused! It is amazing how we can be humble when we have security in who we are in relationship with God. It is amazing how we can work toward unity together when we know we are secure in the hand of God. Friends, we need to wrap our minds around the reality that so much of our sin, rebellion, and disunity comes from a place of insecurity inside of our own hearts. We hold on to anything that makes us feel better about ourselves, rather than have full security in the greatest reality that can never be taken from us—we are children of God forever in the Father’s hand and no person or thing can snatch us from His hand! Amen!

And this lifestyle of security then leads to a second lifestyle reality of Jesus Christ: AN ATTITUDE THAT SAVES LEADS TO A LIFE OF SERVICE!

And the very famous and often misunderstood Philippians 2:7 continues, “But made himself nothing [kenoo], taking the very nature [morphe] of a servant [doulos], being made [ginomai] in human likeness.”

The entire Christ hymn and especially this verse, are summarized in Paul’s declaration in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

The Greek word kenoo comes from the verb kenosis which means to empty. Jesus Christ did not divest Himself of being fully God. The focus is not on what did He empty himself of, but rather Paul’s focus is on, “into what did He empty Himself?” The Scripture says, “taking the very nature [morphe] of a servant [doulos], being made [ginomai] in human likeness.”

Jesus Christ condescended to our level and took on flesh! He gave up the serenity, peace, and glory voluntarily and willingly to be a human! This is the mystery of the Incarnation! Because of grace, Jesus Christ was morphe God and morphe servant (the word doulos is more accurately translated slave). We learned this in the last teaching point, morphe is the essential form, not play acting, not a façade; this was a reality! Jesus Christ was secure enough in His Divinity to let go of it and become fully human—a servant!

The verse concludes with a clarifying statement that unites these 2 realities that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. Paul uses the Greek verb ginomai which means that Jesus’ humanity was completely real, but not a permanent state. This word has the idea of a changing phase that passes and moves on. Jesus Christ took on the reality of humanity for only a time. But what we saw in the very beginning of verse 6 was that Jesus Christ is essentially, unalterably, and unchangeably God.

There is a reason why for a period of time God took on the form of slave as a human being. You are the reason! Jesus Christ speaks to this reality in Matthew 20:26-29 that speaks to the heart of why He came as a servant: “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." The reason God came to us was to serve all of humanity by giving his life as a ransom for many. Jesus Christ (His very coming and triumphantly His teachings, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension) is the final and unanswerable appeal for unity. He is our exemplar of attitude and conduct! Jesus Christ emptied Himself of the privileges of divinity in order to become humanity for this one purpose--to save us by serving us!

How does your attitude save? What do you need to let go of in order to have an attitude that saves? Are you clutching too tightly onto something which does not allow you to serve others?

Jesus Christ desired only to serve humanity; not dominate us! Jesus Christ desired to humble Himself; not exalt Himself! Jesus Christ renounced all He had so that we can have all of who He is! This is love and this is the attitude of Jesus Christ who saves! And this leads us to our last teaching point: AN ATTITUDE THAT SAVES POINTS TO THE ONE WHO SAVES!

Philippians 2:8 climaxes, “And being found in appearance [schema] as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

We have established from verses 6 & 7 that Jesus Christ was fully God and fully human, and now we find Paul highlighting that Jesus was found in appearance as a man. The Greek word schema is a word that directly holds a comparison to morphe. Whereas morphe is what something essentially is, schema is what something appears to be. This is the external appearance. From the vantage point of those who saw Jesus of Nazareth, they saw the carpenter from Nazareth, a family member or home grown celebrity, who was creating quite the fuss by performing miracles, teaching with great authority, and taking on the religious establishment. He appears to be just like other men, but He is not! And the fact that He is not just like other men is key to everything we believe and the essential ingredient of the Cross!

Paul uses shock and horror to make his point: "he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

As Christ-followers, we see the Cross as the greatest event of all history. This is the symbol we wear on our bodies, place on our churches, have over our beds and doorways. The Cross is a reminder of all that God did for us so that we can be saved! We are reminded of the great truth of 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree [the cross], so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

We are healed by the blood of Jesus Christ; by His sacrifice upon the Cross! The Cross is the promise of deliverance; the assurance that we are accepted by God Almighty. The Cross is Life, but at the same time it represents the most brutal form of execution the Romans utilized in dealing with rebels, murders, and the worst of criminals. The Cross was a sign of death, pain, humiliation, shame, and scorn! "Even death on a cross!" is the exclamation point to the depth of love, humility, and obedience our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated so that we can be saved!

Our deliverance from sin, our salvation from death; our unity with God the Father is NOT dependent on our intensity of faith, our consistency of Christian life, our purity of heart. No, our salvation is dependent upon the One who went to the Cross and took all of our sins upon Himself so that we who are unrighteous can be righteous. 1 Peter 3:18 teaches about the Cross, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

Jesus Christ is like no other human being who ever walked. While he was fully human in His time on earth He never once sinned! He was the perfect man, the God-man, who was willing and able to satisfy the wrath of God for all of humanity's sin. He was worthy because of His right standing with God to stand in your place and mine and receive your and my punishment for sin. "The righteous for the unrighteous"!

Why did Jesus Christ do this? We enter into holy ground of the mind of Christ--"to bring you to God"; this is how much God loves you!

When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are no longer like other people! Your sin (past, present, and future) has been taken away and by His wounds you are healed! Though we continue to struggle in this life; we now have right standing with God because of the Cross! And Paul is highlighting this for the purpose of teaching us why and how we should live our lives as Christ-followers.

An attitude that saves must be the attitude of Jesus Christ! When we follow the way of the Cross (love, humility, and obedience) then we point people to the One who saves! We point to the Cross when we carry our cross! And this means we must be willing to go to places that will be painful; say things that won't always be popular; love people who are not lovable; forgive people who have hurt us. Jesus Christ commands of us this lifestyle in the Gospel of Mark 8:34b-35, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

Our lives are for the purpose of pointing to Jesus Christ! When we focus on our lives, then we will lose focus. What sustains us is the reality that we are not like other people; we have been "bought at a price"; we have been "born again"; we are representative of Jesus Christ.

We may look like everyday people, but never forget that is not who you are! You may be found in the appearance of a banker, a contractor, a mom or dad, an insurance salesman or chef, unemployed or retired, volunteer or student, but remember that is not who you are. That is just the outward appearance! Who you are is an ambassador of Jesus Christ!

Paul reminds you who you really are in 2 Corinthians 5:17 & 20 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

Have you asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior?

Do you forget who you are and why you exist when you are at work, at school, on the road, with your friends, when you see that one person? Now is the time to rededicate yourself to who you are really are!

Prayer & Response Time

Blessings,
Jerry

"Jesus Christ must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30

"The Cure for Disunity!" Philippians 2:3-4

“The Cure for Disunity!"

Captivated by Christ: An expositional sermon series on Paul's Letter to the Church in Philippi (message #13)

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

July 18, 2010

The purpose of FBC is to build the Kingdom of God! From the Great Commission we derive our mission statement, to intentionally follow Jesus Christ by making disciples! This is why we exist! To obediently follow the commands of our master! Do you know what I think the hardest part of discipleship is? I think it is learning how to love people who are unlovable; people who do and say stupid things that jeopardize the unity of the Church! It is learning how to forgive people who intentionally say and do things that are not Christ-like. The most challenging call we have as Christ-followers is to reconcile with those who have hurt us or others.

This is why I declare to you this morning that I have a dream and that dream is the vision of God for His Church--to be a house of reconciliation! What does that mean? I dream of FBC being a safe place for all people to experience the love, forgiveness, and reconciliation of God through Jesus Christ! And not only experience it for themselves, but to then become the ministers of reconciliation by carrying this great love into the world, one relationship at a time, through word and deed! Friends, this is our call; this is our mandate; this is the hardest work we will ever do! And we must be intentional because this is the pathway to build unity in the Church; not just at FBC, but beyond!

I have been teaching you by walking verse by verse through Paul's letter to the Philippians, and it is not by accident that the weeks prior to our Centennial Celebration and now the weeks afterwards I find God's word directly and without hesitation teaching us that the way you live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ is by living in unity! We will never be a house of reconciliation if it does not start with our unity within our relationships and as the body of Christ, the Church! God's word makes no exception for disunity in His Church; we are the one body of Christ!

Let's dive into God's word; please open your Bible to Philippians 2:3-5 (NIV), "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" [prayer]

In previous weeks, I have taught extensively on the life of unity. Today, let us continue with the Apostle Paul as he turns our eyes to the cure for disunity!

THE CURE FOR DISUNITY IS HUMILITY!

Proverbs 11:2 teaches us this age old truth, "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Pride will destroy our fellowship and diminish the light of our witness to Henry County and to the nations; my pride or your pride! There is nothing attractive about spiritual pride, intellectual pride, classism, elitism, or any other 'ism.' They are each a cancer from the Devil that causes disunity! God has given us the antidote to this cancer of disunity and it is humility modeled for us in and through His Son Jesus Christ! Let's look again to our Scripture lesson, Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition [eritheia] or vain conceit [kenodoxia], but in humility [tapeinophrosyne] consider others better than yourselves.”

Paul says we are to do nothing (no word should be spoken and no deed done!) out of selfish ambition or vain conceit!

What does he mean by selfish ambition? Paul pens the Greek word eritheia translated "selfish ambition." We have seen this word earlier in Philippians 1:17, “The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.”

This word has in its sight a person who worked for pay; a careerist. This is a person who wants influence and leadership in order to build himself/herself up. The word conjures images of a politician canvassing for office; an image with negative connotations from thousands of years ago. This word points to self-seeking and selfish ambition where as the motive was to advance oneself to an extent that what they perceive as well-intentioned ends justified their means. Paul is highlighting this ungodly motive for the 2nd time in a short letter. We need to hear this; it is that important!

Paul continues with the Greek word kenodoxia which literally means 'empty glory' or 'empty pride'. This word has connotations of someone who gives themselves glory; in other words someone who has delusions of greatness. The problem with delusional people is that they rarely know that about themselves depending on the depth of their self-deception. The devil is the great deceiver and his deception knows no bounds...one of his greatest tools is when he can deceive us about ourselves! That is why it is necessary for us to love one another and hold one another accountable when we feel someone is thinking, speaking, or acting in a conceited manner! It is the most loving thing you can do to confront their empty pride, because this is a battle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities!

Unity is found when we hold one another accountable to the motives of our own hearts. Paul commanded in Galatians 5:26, “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Do you find yourself provoking other people in how you communicate or behave? Do you desire something that someone else has? Do you build others up or yourself up?

If we are to have unity within the body of Christ, then we cannot be torn between the unity of the Church, and our own selfishness or pride. Our message is tainted when there is any other motive than love, forgiveness, and reconciliation to the body of Christ!

UNITY IS HARD WORK FROM THE INSIDE OUT! And we must be aware of our own feelings and motives. You may think that you are building unity with what you are saying and doing, but you must look at the fruit of your actions! Who is your focus?

Paul continues by saying, "in humility [tapeinophrosyne] consider others better than yourselves." Paul speaks to the heart of unity--let your mindset toward others be humble and that means a total lifestyle of humility! Paul is building up to the triumphant Christ hymn of verses 6-11 where he describes the lifestyle of humility of Jesus Christ visibly displayed in his ravaged body on the Cross of Calvary so that you and I, and all the world, can be reconciled to God. The Cross is the center of history and the focus of our faith and fellowship!

Paul directs in Ephesians 4:2, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

What is humility? Humility is a word we hear a lot, especially in Christian circles. But what does it mean? The Greco-Roman world that Paul was writing in generally did not see humility as a virtue, but as a shortcoming. Biblically, humility is shown in a person's ability to rest their situation with God rather than trusting their own strength and schemes. We are not talking false modesty where we attempt to appear humble because in looking humble we think we look good. No! A humble person does not direct his/her attention on him/herself at all; rather a humble person knows who he is in relationship to God; God is God and I am not; therefore I am completely dependent on God. It is God that I trust, not myself! Humility requires that we have a sober estimate of ourselves, knowing both our weaknesses and our strengths, but not making either too much or too little out of either.

Humility is not self-focused, but looks to the interests of others! The Apostle Peter commands in 1 Peter 5:5b “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

Humility is directional! Pride directs its attention at itself whereas humility directs its attention at others!

This is not just a command from the Apostles, this is the very attitude of Jesus Christ. This is how Jesus Christ was able to carry our burden upon the Cross so that we can have eternal life. He bore our punishment because he looked to our interests! Jesus Christ has an attitude that saves! Our attitude should reflect His attitude!

Humility is not only seen in the quality of Jesus' life, but he clearly teaches about what humility looks like and the results of a humble life. From Luke 14:10-11, “But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus is teaching us that in looking after the interest of others before our own that we will be exalted. But, if we take the seat of honor thinking we deserve it, then we will be humbled by God! How does this apply to you and me today? How does this apply to how we conduct ourselves as God's Church?

If God's house is the house of reconciliation, then we must be open to fellowship with every person who sincerely calls upon the name of Jesus Christ; regardless of what they look like, how they dress, what they smell like, how many tats and piercings they have, regardless! We must be humble and not see ourselves as better than anyone else because of our temporary status on this earth. We must love one another and not see ourselves as more important because of some man-made cultural division. As Paul taught the Romans who judged other people severely for not being Roman citizens, who classified people according to their worldly status, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited" (Romans 12:16).

The church should not be disunited by the things that bring disunity to the rest of the world. The cure for disunity is humility! How do you see yourself? How do you see other people?

But it is not enough to have the antidote to disunity. We must then build the unity of the Church and that has 2 requirements: First, UNITY REQUIRES LOVE!

Colossians 3:14 states, "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." It is only in love that we can be united in the obedient life as intentional followers of Jesus Christ. Without love we have nothing! We must know what is most important in this life! It is not my or your degrees, my or your accomplishments, nor even my or your head knowledge that is important!

What we should deeply care about the most is our love for one another! This is how the world will know that we are followers of Jesus Christ!

In Philippians 2:4, Paul defines what a humble life looks like, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

The humble life is a life of love! Paul teaches us about love in 1 Corinthians 13:5, “[Love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Unity requires this depth of love that captures the heart of humility, the attitude of Jesus Christ. This is the depth of love that causes us to do as Jesus Christ did--we have to put our interests aside so that people can be saved through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That means we may not get to do or say everything we want or even think we are rightly justified to say or do.

Paul teaches this sacrificial lesson in 1 Corinthians 10:32-33, “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved."

Brothers and sisters in Christ, if we are to be a house of reconciliation then we must act in love toward others. Asking: Am I showing this person the love and grace of God? Am I forgiving them as Christ forgave me? Am I willing to put aside what I want, to help this person know and experience the love of God?

And that leads us to the second requirement! UNITY REQUIRES AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT!

Paul unapologetically declares, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

Unity requires you to be born again because if you continue to think the same as you once did, hold the same values as you once did; prefer the life that you once had, then we will never experience unity! This is especially difficult for people who grew up in the church and cannot make a distinction between their culture and the gospel of Jesus Christ!

The fruit of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is life transformation! When we ask Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior we are given the Holy Spirit and we are forever changed in our core being. We become children of God and that requires us to be different from those who have not yet been saved by grace. We cannot be conformed to the image of culture and the image of Christ at the same time!

Listen to the words of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Matthew 20:25-29, "Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’"

Unity requires an attitude adjustment because Jesus Christ has commanded us, "Not so with you!" We are not to lord over the world the gift of our faith; the grace and love that forever secured us in the hands of God that we may be His children. We are God's chosen children because of the humility of Jesus Christ to unite us to the Father through the Cross!

If your life has been transformed by the gospel of reconciliation, then you must be united to the body of Christ. You cannot let your secular-sensibilities and cultural-characteristics determine your attitude toward other Christ-followers.

You must take on the attitude of Jesus Christ who as the Christ hymn proclaims, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 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" (Philippians 2:6-11).

Who do you say Jesus Christ is? The eternal word of God states that every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Today is the day for salvation! You may never get another chance to receive eternal life. Pray with me to receive this gift.

Altar Call and Response Time

"Jesus Christ must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30

The 2020 Vision Initiative!

First Baptist Church of New Castle, Indiana is prayerfully stepping into the future, knowing that God has a mission and vision for our congregation.

Our Purpose is to build the Kingdom of God. We draw our action from the direction Jesus Christ gave His disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). From this our mission is clear: To intentionally follow Jesus Christ by making disciples.

Who do we dream of being? That is what a vision statement is and this is the vision I have cast to the church leadership and now to you: Our Vision is to be a house of the Lord (a safe place), where people experience reconciliation with God through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then carry that reconciliation out into the world, one relationship at a time, through word and deed (this is the embodiment of 2 Corinthians 5:17-20).

What is the purpose behind the 2020 Vision Initiative: The 2020 Vision Initiative is to prepare us for our full availability and intended usage as ministers of reconciliation in the hands of God Almighty. Put simply, it is the foundation of the plan that will keep us focused on our vision so that we can fulfill our vision!

The inspiration of the 2020 Vision Initiative is found in 1 Chronicles 22:5 which reads, “David said, ‘My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.’ So David made extensive preparations before his death.”

From this verse and its surrounding context, I want to highlight 3 teaching points to cast the vision for who we are becoming as the First Baptist Church of New Castle, Indiana and how we are going to get there.

First, The 2020 Vision Initiative is God-focused!

The vision is powered by the Holy Spirit! We cannot endeavor to accomplish anything by our own spirit or power; therefore, this vision begins and ends with prayer. Without God we have no vision! Without the Holy Spirit we have no power! We must remain connected to God and constantly inquire of Him every step of the way!

The vision is to exalt Jesus Christ and proclaim the gospel of reconciliation! Our primary purpose is to worship God and to lead others to know the God who is worthy of all our worship; therefore, our vision is solely focused on increasing the Name above all names; the only Name by which anyone can be saved; the Name of Jesus Christ.

The vision is to advance the Kingdom of God! We are not in the business of church building! We, God’s children, are the Church and we are the tip of the spear in God’s mission to advance His Kingdom of Light against the kingdom of darkness. We will endeavor and persevere for the glory of God!

The vision is not about us! This vision is about making God famous as we embark to build a house of the LORD that will be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. If the vision ever becomes about us, our comfort, our personal preferences, our reputation, our success or impact, then we have lost sight of the vision.

The second teaching point, The 2020 Vision Initiative is multigenerational-dependent!

Simply stated: The vision unifies the generations! King David and his son Solomon (multiple generations) committed themselves to a vision that would take many years and much hard labor to complete. We must do the same!

A significant part of the 2020 Vision Initiative can be learned from this Bible story. How did the call of God unify the generations?

The vision was bigger than any one generation! The vision is God-sized! The vision requires preparation! King David was not allowed to build the house of God, so he had to do 2 primary things to prepare the next generation:

First, David (the older generations) had to Invest in the vision! He had to invest physical and financial resources into building the house of God! David invested his time, treasures, and talents into this one vision—to build a house for the LORD to be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations.

What does that mean for us at FBC?

Zero debt by 2020! No generation wants to leave the next generation with a debt! That goes against everything we believe as Christians and Americans!

This requires us to invest by ensuring the next generation can grow in the vision without carrying the burden of our debt.

For us, it also means Improvement every year! This requires us to invest in the people, programs, and facilities we have to give the next generation a launching point for expanding ministry and mission.

There was one more thing David had to do and that must become the focus for FBC to fulfill its mission and vision not just over the next 10 years, but into the next 100 years!

Train the next generation! David had to raise a “young and inexperienced” generation to fulfill the vision of God! David’s emphasis was not solely on gathering abundant material and financial resources, King David raised his son Solomon to assume leadership of God’s people ready and able to administer the kingdom, build the house of the LORD, and obey God’s commandments and teachings.

What does that mean for us at FBC? We need to teach today and send tomorrow!

Teach Today! The next generation needs to know what you know! This requires relational discipleship, modeling, and mentorship. We must develop all of our programs to intentionally cultivate a generation of Christ-followers who are being trained and equipped for the ministry of reconciliation to the nations. This is a whole body emphasis where everyone has a part to play!

Send Tomorrow! We dream of being a sending place into the Kingdom. We must create a structure and system that allows for the vision to grow and expand as each generation is trained and mobilized. We are growing mission-minded, Spirit-filled Christ-followers who see it as their call to train the next generation after them and in doing so answer the world-wide call of mission locally, regionally, and internationally.

The Third teaching point is: The 2020 Vision Initiative is future-focused!

The vision unites our purposes to a common time line! We will walk in unity because God has called us to a greater vision that requires all of us to come together.

The vision focuses our resources (time, treasures, and talents)! We will carry the burden together knowing that God’s vision is bigger than any one of us can aspire to on our own; this is only possible together.

The vision prevents us from being distracted! The vision requires that we must remain focused on the ministry of reconciliation in all things. Everything else is secondary and cannot distract us from God’s vision.

The vision provides hope for the future! We will not give into the despair or depression of our culture as God has given us a vision to shine brightly in a darkening world.

In conclusion, the 2020 Vision Initiative is not the end goal in itself, but it prepares us for further direction! Only God’s knows what He will do through us as His Church.

The purpose of the 2020 Vision Initiative is to get us there; to keep us focused on what must be done for FBC to accomplish its mission and vision!

We must remain focused on this imperative, trusting and knowing that more will be revealed along the way of these next 10 years. I anticipate a glorious celebration of what God has done by July 2020! I can only imagine what He will do in our midst and through our commitment to the ministry of reconciliation starting here in New Castle and moving out to the ends of the earth.

Are you ready to invest in the future? Can you see what God is doing in our midst?

Blessings,
Jerry

"Jesus Christ must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30

"God is Faithful to all Generations!" Psalm 100 on the occasion of FBC's Centennial Celebration

“God is Faithful to all Generations!"

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

July 11, 2010 – FBC-NC Centennial Celebration!

The theme for our Centennial Year which started on July 7, 2010 and finds its conclusion on July 6, 2011 is “God is faithful to all generations!” God is faithful past, present, and future! God is faithful whether we can feel it, taste it, hear it, smell it, see it, or believe it. This is the reality of our God and we have committed ourselves to this one theme to guide us throughout our big events of this weekend as we draw a line in the sand and say, “As for me and my household we are celebrating the goodness of my God and His character—He is faithful to all generations! This is the God we serve!” We gathered last night with a big party to commemorate our past 100 years of ministry! We come together this morning to celebrate the reality of God’s faithfulness in the sacred moment of the present. And we will gather again tonight for a very special service to cast a vision for the future that has this one reality in mind—God is faithful to all generations!

Friends, this is not just a theme that I grabbed out of thin air. This is a biblical theme for life! So, let’s turn now to the Scripture which has inspired our theme.

God word from Psalm 100 (NIV) declares to all who have ears to hear, “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

It is my hope this morning, to highlight from this text and from our faith as followers of Jesus Christ why we celebrate God today. As long as today is called today, we will celebrate God's faithfulness!

Remember, today is a gift that is why we call it a present. And that leads us into our first teaching point: WE CELEBRATE GOD TODAY BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL TO SAVE!

In Psalm 100:3, the Psalmist declares, "Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture" (Psalm 100:3).

Our Psalm declares that God made us and we are His people; we are the sheep of His pasture. And we see the love of the Father expressed so clearly in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God is the great Gift-giver! He is the giver of life; the Creator! And we celebrate God today because He has given you the very life you experience, the breath you breathe, and for those who call upon the Name of Jesus Christ, He has given you the gift of salvation.

The Bible declares of God’s love in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

How do we see the faithfulness of God to save through His Son Jesus Christ?

The Bible teaches us in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The reality of our situation is that apart from God's love and faithfulness we are destined for death! But, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to take that which leads to death (sin!) and that which separates us from the love of God (unrighteousness!) upon Himself so that we can be acceptable to God and live in Him for eternity. How do we attain this gift?

We are taught in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

We celebrate God because He is faithful to save you and me through the indescribable gift of Jesus Christ; through the forgiveness of sins that is available to you today if you admit that you are sinner and need the forgiveness of God only possible through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Then, you must not only admit that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, you now must move this confession from your mind into your heart and confess your sins asking God for forgiveness and He is faithful! Jesus Christ has forgiven you of the sin that leads to death and taken upon Himself all of your unrighteousness so that you may be pure and holy in the eyes of God through the Holy Spirit. God has given you His Spirit and in the moment of the Holy Spirit coming into your life you experience the gift of salvation--you are alive!

And this reality of God’s faithfulness to save brings us into our second teaching point: WE CELEBRATE GOD TODAY BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL!

Not because He is faithful to save or heal or teach or do anything else, but because His very character and nature is faithfulness! We celebrate God; the great I AM!

Our Centennial theme Scripture verse, Psalm 100:5, proclaims, "For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

God’s character (the LORD is good!) and God’s love endure forever! God’s faithfulness is for you, just as it was for you parents and their parents; just as it is for your children and their children!

God is faithful past, present, and future! God is faithful whether we can feel it, taste it, hear it, smell it, see it, or believe it. This is the reality of our God and we must commit ourselves to this reality of God regardless of how we experience Him in our circumstances. How we walk through life must be based on the reality of God, not on the sensation of our senses.

Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 1:20, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."

We celebrate God today because we know that all the promises of God have found their completion in Jesus Christ! We celebrate because of what He has done for us and this allows us, one day at a time, to persevere until the end. Because as long as today is called today we are called to celebrate God and live a life of praise and worship!

And before we move into our last teaching point, I want to remind you that this too is the work of God through the Holy Spirit—His presence in your life.

Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”

God is faithful to all the generations and the same Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus Christ at His baptism is the same Holy Spirit who will sustain and empower you to receive the gift of faith the leads to eternal life as well as empowers you to a lifestyle of faithfulness! God ushers us into the Kingdom of God so that we will worship Him with every breath we breathe. God is calling us to live a praise habit!

That leads us to our last teaching point: WE CELEBRATE GOD TODAY WITH A LIFESTYLE OF FAITHFUL SERVICE!

There is a lot of action in our Scripture lesson. Psalm 100:1, 2, & 4 "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

Listen to this action-oriented praise and worship! So there also should be action in our lives as Christ-followers! We have learned good reasons why we celebrate God today and now we learn the best way to live out this celebration of God's faithfulness...through our faithful service to the Kingdom of God!

God never intended you to only praise Him once a week! God intended you to live a life of praise! God did not save you so that you can keep what you have to yourself with a private religion! God saved you so that you would give away all that you have so that others would experience the same love and forgiveness that you yourself received!

God is calling us to a life of action—a life of love, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation, joy, and praise!

Paul teaches Christ-followers in Romans 12:11-13, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

When we are confronted by the love of God, then everything changes at the deepest core level of who we are and why we do what we do. Our lives become a celebration of God’s faithfulness; His covenant-love in Jesus Christ! We are given the security of the faithfulness of God and that means we can take our eyes off of ourselves and toward the God who made us, saved us, and now empowers us to share the love of Christ with the world through our words and deeds!

The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 10:23-24, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

And what is the reward for living a life of faithful service to the One who saved you and called you to be one of His precious children?

The reward is both in this life and the next, every day that is called today you can rest knowing that you are loved with an everlasting love; you are secure in the hand of the Father!

And after a life of faithful service to the God who made you, saved you, and loves you, we each hope to hear these words from Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"

God is faithful to all generations! This is His promise; this is the good news of Jesus Christ; and as long as we gather together on the Lord’s Day, this is the message of hope and promise you will hear! And as long as you have breath in your lungs, this is the mission of your life! To live out the good news you have been saved by!

Response Time

Blessings,
Jerry

"Jesus Christ must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30