Tag Archive for 'Philippians'

Your Spiritual Profile!

by Jonas Harley | July 14, 2010

Social networking is becoming, if not already, a requirement to relate to other people. Having an online profile is commonplace in society today. One neat thing about social networking is that you get to choose who you want to follow (i.e. twitter) and be friends with (i.e. facebook). At the same time, other people are able to follow you and be friends with you! Scary huh?! Did you know that in Philippians 3:17-21 the Bible gives you guidelines on how to manage your “spiritual profile?”

Follow those who Pursue Christ (v.17) – Paul encouraged his church to imitate him as he followed Christ. Church leadership (Pastors & Deacons) ought to be primary examples on how to pursue Christ and live the Christian life. Paul also recognized that there were other real life examples (patterns) that served as very powerful object lessons on how to live the Christian life. The Bible commands you to take note of, observe, and keep your eye (“…mark them which walk…”) on believers who passionately follow Christ. You must develop a “spiritual profile” of those who passionately pursue Christ because they encourage your spiritual growth. You must (1) identify and then (2) follow them.

For example, my youth pastor, Mike Washer (Director of National Hoops Ministries), is a great example of living by faith. I have personally seen God use him in great and mighty ways through his evangelistic ministry. My faith has grown as a result of “following” him when it comes to living by faith.

Who are you “following” that is an excellent example of living the Christian life? Are you a real life example of passionately pursing Christ? Would someone “mark” you as an example?

Avoid those who Oppose Christ (v.18-19) – On the other hand, there are MANY people in the world today who “profess Christ” or reject Christ and are seeking to distract and deceive you which will result in ruining your Christian testimony. These people are actually enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ and must be avoided. In other words, stop following them. The Bible lays out four descriptions of those who oppose Christ:

Their Destiny - “Whose end is destruction,“ – Their eternal destination is destruction in hell.
Their Desires - “…whose God is their belly,” – They are occupied with selfish living. Self-esteem is their appetite!
Their Boastings - “…and whose glory is in their shame,” – They boast in the most extreme forms of wickedness. They take pride in perversions (immorality, violence, rebellion).
Their Focus - “…who mind earthly things.)” – They have a temporal focus. They think and live for the here and now.

You must identify and avoid following the enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ because they hinder your spiritual growth. Who are you “following” that is an enemy of Jesus?

Remember your Identity in Christ (v.20-21) – One of the primary reasons people participate in social networking is to create an identity. In these verses Paul reminds you of your identity as a Christian, that your true citizenship is in heaven and that you must be eagerly waiting for the return of Christ!

“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”Paul encourages you to keep resting in the promise of glorification where you will be free from the presence of sin and receive your transformed (perfect) body. The core motivation for spiritual growth is the hope of the return of Jesus Christ, because that marks the end of your pursuit for the prize of Christlikeness!

A gardener for a large estate in northern Italy was conducting a visitor through the castle and the beautiful, well-groomed grounds. As the visitor had lunch with the gardener and his wife, he commended them for the beautiful way they were keeping the gardens. He asked, “By the way, when was the last time the owner was here? “About ten years ago.” The gardener replied. The visitor asked, “Then why do you keep the gardens in such an immaculate, lovely manner?” The gardener replied, “Because I’m expecting him to return.” “Is he coming next week?” The gardener replied, “I don’t know when he is coming, but I am expecting him today.” Are you excited about the day when your redeemed spirit and glorified body will be able to perfectly manifest the glory of God?

In summary, you must diligently manage your spiritual profile by looking to godly examples, looking out for enemies, and focusing on the glorious return of Jesus Christ!

Stop Complaining!

by Jonas Harley | April 28, 2010

Have you ever stopped to think that Christians are complaining? Complaining creates disunity (division) and hinders the local church from accomplishing its mission. Here is a very brief list of things that Christians complain about:

Home: Parental oversight, List of chores, Siblings.
Church: Long preaching, Room temperature, Buildings, Activities/games.
School: Assignments, Homework over break, Teaching styles, Rules or standards.
Technology: Slow internet, Weak cell phone signal or battery life, loud printers.
Sports: Referee calls or no calls, teammates, coaching decisions, substitutions.
Miscellaneous: Weather, Politics, Finances, Roads, Long lines, etc.

Complaining is getting worse with each passing generation. Did you know complaining is very contagious and disobeys God’s Word?

In Philippians 2:14-16 the Bible clearly gives Christians the command and reasons to stop complaining.

1) The Command to Stop Complaining (v.14) - Notice the Bibles says, “…all things…” not some, most, or many, but ALL! That means every circumstance, trial, inconvenience, disappointment, frustration, or burden you encounter you must STOP complaining.

“…without murmurings…” – Means to grumble. Reveals a bad attitude expressed through complaining and by being critical. Simply put, it is a negative reaction to something unpleasant or inconvenient.
“…and disputings.” – Carries the meaning of inner reasoning, but more specifically refers to questioning, doubting, or debating (arguing) the truth of a matter.

So, we have clearly been commanded to stop complaining, but God gives us reasons why we must stop complaining.

2) The Reasons to Stop Complaining (v.15-16) - Christians must stop complaining for the following three important reasons:

For your Spiritual Growth (v.15a) - Genuine Christians must pursue holiness and live above reproach. In other words, living in such a way where others cannot point a finger at you. If you desire to grow spiritually you must stop the complaining. Complaining indicates that you are discontent with your current circumstances and that God is not fair. Are you accurately reflecting your heavenly Father?
For your Witness (v.15a-16a) - You live “…in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation…” that has deviated from the standard of Scripture (Isa. 53:6). Therefore, you have been commanded to “…shine as lights in the world.” The way you live your life as a child of God has a huge impact of the unbelieving world. When you live a Christian life that is free of complaining you gain leverage in your witnessing among unbelievers. Do people see a difference in you? Are you glowing with God’s truth in this dark world?
For your Pastor (v.16a) - Paul desired the Philippians to stop complaining so at the day of Christ he would have reason to rejoice knowing that he did not serve to the point of exhaustion for nothing. Many Pastors pour their life into their flock and many times the sheep bite, criticize, and complain about their under-shepherd (Pastor) and disobey God’s clear command to stop complaining! Will you encourage your Pastor’s heart throughout all eternity by applying what he is biblically teaching you today?

Joyful Christians who are truly “working out” spiritually (Phil. 2:12-13) will stop complaining and arguing. Complain-free Christianity honors God!

Peace Between Believers!

by Jonas Harley | April 20, 2010

According to a recent (April, 2010) study by the Barna Group, nearly four (4) out of every ten (10) non-churchgoing American adults (37%) said they avoid churches because of negative past experiences in churches or with church people. Simply put, there is a lot of unresolved conflict existing among Christians today that is causing many to quit church or “warm a pew”.

Please read Philippians 4:1-3. This passage presents how you can practically maintain peace between other believers.

1) Your Biblical Command to Pursue Peace (v.1). Paul makes a wonderful transition that builds on what he had just written about in Philippians 3:12-21 about spiritual growth. He expresses his loving, loyal, and pastoral heart to the believers at Philippi and then presents an imperative (very important) command to the local church believers to “stand fast”, which means to stand firm in the faith of Jesus Christ! However, in order for your local church to stand firm its members (including you!) must be united, “striving together” (Phil. 1:27)!

Disunity is always the result of unresolved conflict that hinders the entire local church from standing firm in an unstable world. When you refuse to pursue interpersonal peace you actually hinder your local church from biblically and effectively fulfilling the great commission (Matt. 28:19-20)! Think about it, the unresolved conflict that you have in your home or with another church member could end in a fractured family life or church split! Conflict in your interpersonal relationships is like termites to a house, cancer to the body, and cavities to the teeth, it will destroy churches, marriages, families, friendships, and other relationships. You are directly commanded by God to “stand fast” and in order to do that you must be united with others!

2) You must Pursue Peace with Others (v.2). There was an unknown heated dispute between two faithfully serving women in the church at Philippi over some personal preference which was creating disunity and hindering the church’s command to “stand fast in the Lord”.

Paul urges Euodia and Syntyche to biblically and immediately settle their conflict and restore harmony in the Philippian church. Paul understood that disunity posed a crippling threat to the church just as much as doctrinal error would. It’s very tragic that many fundamental, Bible believing and teaching churches are known for disunity rather than unity! The root of all interpersonal conflict is the sin of pride. Proverbs 13:10 states, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”

Remember, conflict is unacceptable in the body of Christ and it is always YOUR responsibility to resolve the conflict. Consider the following 2 biblical mandates:

1. If someone has sinned against, offended, wronged, insulted, snubbed, hurt, slighted, or mistreated you = Read Luke 17:3 – You must humbly go to them and seek reconciliation (peace).

2. If you have sinned against, offended, wronged, insulted, snubbed, hurt, slighted, or mistreated someone else= Read Mathew 5:23-24 – If you receive word or perceive that you have sinned against someone you must quickly go and ask forgiveness in order to restore unity.

Obeying these 2 clear command is honoring to God and He will greatly bless you! Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

3) You must Help Others Pursue Peace, when Necessary (v.3). Because of the seriousness of their disagreement, Pastor Paul publicly addressed the entire local church to help these two women resolve their conflict and restore unity if they did not reconcile privately. Again, Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” If there are people in your family, church, or other relationships that are in conflict with one another you are commanded to biblically help them reconcile till unity/peace is restored.

Being at odds with other believers is unacceptable in the body of Christ. A local church that is standing firm (Phil. 4:1) will and must have unity. All conflict evaporates when all parties involved have the mind of Christ (see Phil. 2:3-5).

Fundamentals of Spiritual Growth!

by Jonas Harley | April 7, 2010

When you begin learning how to do something new – playing a sport, taking up a musical instrument, driving a car, new job, etc. – there are always basics that must be properly learned and applied in order to be successful at the task before moving on to more complex things (i.e. hitting a curve ball, driving down the highway at 70 mph, etc). We call this…the fundamentals! In other words, in order for you to perform a task well you must be a fundamentalist!

The same thing is true after salvation; you must properly learn and apply the fundamentals of spiritual growth in order to become more like Christ in your daily living. You need to be a fundamentalist!

Yes, I said it! A fundamentalist! – Someone who biblically learns and applies the truths of Scripture to their life! That’s it!

Take a moment and turn to Philippians 3:12-16. Here the Bible clearly presents 6 Fundamentals of spiritual growth that you must properly learn and effectively apply in order to be a God-centered, Scripture obedient Christian.

1. You must admit your spiritual need (v.12a, 13a) –Paul never became satisfied with his present spiritual condition. He always wanted to be more like Christ! At this point in Paul’s life he had been saved for at least 30 years! He had completed 3 missionary journeys, planted many churches, preached many sermons, discipled new believers, received persecution, and is now in jail writing the “prison epistles”. If anyone had a passion for God it was Paul. If anyone was becoming more like Christ each day it was Paul. Yet, after all this, he clearly admits that he had more spiritual developing to do! He had not arrived to the point he was pressing towards. He was not done growing. You will never begin growing spiritually till you admit there is a need. A growing Christian never permits himself to be satisfied with his current spiritual state. What is your next spiritual step towards Christlikeness?

2. You must diligently pursue Christlikeness (v.12b) – Paul had an aggressive energetic pursuit to be like Jesus Christ just as a linebacker does for a running back or a police officer does for a criminal. Why? “…that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” Paul was after a specific prize. Paul was hotly pursing the same thing God pursued Him for! Did you catch that?? Turn to Romans 8:28-29. God saved you in order to make you like His Son and that purpose for which He saved you now becomes the purpose for which you live. In other words, God’s goal for you (Christlikeness) now becomes your goal to live (Christlikeness). In order to take your next spiritual step you must be thirsty to be like Christ! You press for Christlikeness!

3. You must establish a high level of concentration (v.13b) - Paul created a very high level of concentration (“…but this one thing I do…”) when it came to growing spiritually. A single focus with no distractions!

Chick-fil-a is a very successful, high quality, well-staffed, and impressive fast food business. Several times per day (except Sunday!) the parking lot is full, the line is long, and the dining area is to capacity because they focus on serving one thing! That one thing is chicken…chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, chicken wraps, and chicken biscuits, etc. You get the picture! Because their founder, S. Truett Cathy, decided a long time ago to focus on serving one thing and it has resulted in financial success and excellent food!

As a believer in Christ you must make the decision to narrow everything down in life to one thing and that is to pursue Christlikeness! Paul gives two ways on how he established this “one thing” concentration.

Forget the Past - “…forgetting those things which are behind…” He eliminated all the past victories because he wasn’t content coasting to the finish line. He also removed all the past failures because there was nothing he could do to change it. He stopped allowing the past to influence him. The past will paralyze you! Is there something that happened in the past that is stopping you from growing spiritually?
Focus on the Future - “…and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Paul focused on moving forward! He realized that his life is short and that he must keep striving towards Christlikeness!

What is currently distracting you from zeroing in on pursuing Christlikeness? Eliminate those distractions and start growing!

4. You must be motivated by the prize (v.14) – The reason every athlete in America makes sacrifices, rearranges his or her schedule, and spends countless hours practicing is because of the grand prize (i.e. super bowl, high school championship, Olympic gold medal, etc).

In the recent 2010 Vancouver winter Olympic Games American skier Lindsay Vonn won the gold medal in the women’s downhill and during a TV interview she stated, “This is the best day of my life.” In another interview she stated, “It’s hard to describe… I have been working my entire life essentially to get here.”

Do you have this type of determination to be like Christ? Are you motivated by the prize? Are you pressing towards the mark (goal of Christlikeness) for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus?

5. You must maintain the right attitude (v.15) – If you are spiritually maturing and growing you will agree that you must keep growing because of the truth that is stated in v.12-14. You must keep the right mindset when it comes to spiritual growth. In other words, develop what I call “spiritual mental toughness”. There will be times in the Christian life when trials, hardships, temptations, exhaustion hits and you just want to give up or at least selfishly backslide for a little while. When that happens, remember this verse and principle and keep the right attitude.

If you fail to maintain the right attitude or see the need to keep growing God will uncover your need to pursue Christlikeness through His Word, Spirit, or chastening. Know that your spiritual progress is not in vain and without reward. Stay tough spiritually. Renew your mind. Read Romans 12:1-2.

6. You must keep the pace (v.16) – I love this last fundamental of spiritual growth! Keep the pace! To the degree that you have already grown spiritually since your salvation, keep moving along! Keep the pace! Keep the “ball” moving! Take a quiet moment and reflect on the areas that you have grown in since your salvation (i.e. faith, speech, love) and realize that you are making progress and that you must keep pressing on to the finish line!

Let’s biblically understand and apply these fundamentals to our life so we can bring honor, glory, and praise to our God in heaven! Constantly ask yourself, “What am I doing today to grow in Christlikeness?”