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Waverly, IA
Philippians 1:9. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10. that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11. being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
What is the evidence of membership in the body of Christ? Is it the membership record? Is the dates of Baptism and Confirmation? Is it the rituals performed?
Traditionalists are very fond of ritualism and solemn movements like the Pharisees and the Priests that Jesus encountered.
But Jesus called them hypocrite believers because Jesus could not find in them the true mark of the member of the Body of Christ: Love.
True members of the body of Christ are those who have love, those who love God and their fellow man, those who exemplify love in action, those who are abounding more and more in love.
A well-prepared church is a church abounding in love.
2. Those who are abounding in the love of God are those who are faithful, available and teachable. They are willing to know God. They are hungering to learn about God. They are like David who meditates on the law of God day and night. (Psalms 1)
I love to teach the Bible, I love to see young people very eager to learn the word of God and would ask me questions about God. I would love to see young people train to become a Gospel Praise Band and I would be willing to teach them to play guitar, drums, piano and voice lessons for free. But is there anyone hungering and thirsting to learn? What’s the good of a teacher for if there’s no willing students? Jesus always sought listeners, “those who have ears, let them hear.” (matthew 11:15)
A well-prepared church is a church full of activities of learning and teaching.
3. A well prepared church discerns what is excellent. Paul said that all works will be tested with fire. Is the foundation of your work work made of gold or wood? (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)
God will be the judge of our work, but you know the difference between good enough and excellent offering to God. You know the value of what you offer to God in terms of your time, energy and resources. God gave his best to us. So God expects the best from us. Don’t give him your spare.
4. Paul talks of sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. Paul and Jesus were looking for sincerity from the Pharisees and the Priests. They were hypocrites, they were like philanthropists who do their service just for show, when they make donations they have the press and the camera men to have their pictures all over the newspaper. When you serve, when you feed people, are you waiting for praises and approval of man? The world praises the good works that they see. But God can see the purity and sincerity of the heart of them that serves Him. Its not good enough to be favorable before men. It is more important to be favorable before God.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:21. "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22. "Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
23. "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
5. Paul says “being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ”.
A church can only have good fruits if it has become a good tree first of all, and we are a good tree if we abide in Jesus constantly.
Without Christ as the source of goodness, what goodness will an unholy person make? There are various humane works, moral works and ethically good works. Any human who does it by his own might can be proud of his/her accomplishment. Such pride is but an arrogance before God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Without the help of Jesus there is no holiness even in the the most moral thing that we can do. The “holy” pertains to the presence of God. Humane works shall be appreciated by humanity but it requires attachment to the holy vine which is Jesus before the good works can be counted as good in the eyes of God.
6. And finally Paul states the end-goal, the paramount purpose of all existence: to the glory and praise of God. (3x).
The worst end goal of a believer is to receive the approval and praise of men.
The bad end-goal is the focus to the self. If your paramount purpose in following Jesus is “my salvation” you have to reset your priorities. If your goal is “my happiness” or “my rewards in heaven”, you have to reset your priorities.
In the first place we must confess that we don’t deserve anything from God. We don’t deserve mercy. We don’t deserve rewards. We don’t deserve salvation. We don’t deserve eternal life.
We must confess that we by ourselves are not holy. What we deserve is the place for all that is not holy: death, away from God forever.
Salvation is by grace. Rewards are by Grace. Eternal life will be given to us by grace. Grace is a gift to us even as we do not deserve to receive a gift.
Therefor the ultimate goal of a church is to give glory to God without expecting anything in return.
A well prepared Christian is the one who serves God with all his might, with all his mind, with all his strength, with all his soul.
And when we have lovingly done our most excellent, sincere and pure service to the glory of God, we shall say, "I am but a worthless servant. I am a worthless useless servant. Let God do to me whatever he pleases."
Are you saying it right now? Then you are well ready for the coming of the Lord.
Amen.
Fax: 319-352-1776 Email: vetter@humcwaverly.org Site Support: stummek@humcwaverly.org