Expressing the Truth - Colossians 1:21–2:7

In the recent previous lesions we have revisited the empty tomb and studied about the complete plan of salvation in its three simple steps, knowing the truth, believing the truth and accepting or acting upon the truth. Now think about this. If you will be satisfied in remaining a babe in Christ, ‘being saved only as by fire,’ you may stop here; but if you want to please Christ, live for Him, and obey Him you must complete your journey by serving Him daily. Obedience to Jesus comes through a Christian’s growth and service. It is difficult to understand any Christian that can enjoy the assurance of salvation and be unwilling, or neglect, to share it with others. The last command given to the church was for all members to go into the entire world and “Express the Truth; we were instructed to go, witness, teach, preach and baptize new believers. This is known to be the great commission and applies to all believers.

Salvation is the greatest gift of all times but Jesus never intended that anyone selfishly keep and enjoy the benefits of salvation and not be willing to share it with others in order that they too may me saved. New Christians are expected to grow in grace; and one of the greatest ways to grow is to share the truth with others and plant the seed that will grow the Kingdom of God. I try to practice what I teach, so please allow me to insert two paragraphs to this lesson parenthetically, [insert a brief change in the subject.]

I realize that Easter 4/24/11, has already come and gone; however in order for me to share one more important message about the resurrection, I would like to add other thoughts for you to ponder. Why did Jesus wait three days to visit a distressed family when their brother Lazarus died? Here is what I believe. Jesus was only about on day’s journey away from the ill man, and He loved the family and could have gone there immediately, but He chose to wait until the man’s body had the look and smell of death. There could be no doubt; the Romans in control of government and the Jewish opposition would both know that He resurrected Lazarus after everyone realized that he was definitely dead. He wanted to infuriate the Jewish leaders; and give them a final and vital reason to condemn Him—and it worked. The hostility that grew during the remaining days, of His life before the cross, drove the Jewish Sanhedrin opposition into a maddening furry and they chose to do everything possible and necessary to bring about His destruction. Roman leaders desperately tried to convince them that Jesus had done nothing legally wrong, but the Jews refused to listen. They did not realize that He would be dead and in the tomb for three days and then arise—and I believe the story of Lazarus was to be a picture of Christ’s successful resurrection after the third day. Raising Lazarus was the final straw that guaranteed his death, burial and resurrection—and it was not ‘just another miracle’ along His life’s way as a human being. Thank you, and now the rest of the lesson.

In verse 15, we read that Jesus Christ is the visible image of our Spiritual God, whom we cannot see. While on earth Christ could be seen, walking and talking, eating and sleeping as any other man; but he was also God. The word image has two possible meanings. 1. It can mean a ‘representation’ of something such as the Indian’s head on a nickel; or your reflection that you see in the mirror. 2. It also can mean the ‘manifestation’ of anything or anyone you see with your eyes and mind and know it to have a vital connection with a subject, thing, or person. In this letter, Paul probably has the second meaning in mind; he tells us that Christ, in human flesh, manifested God to us so that we could see him with our physical eyes and accept him with our human, spiritual understanding. Therefore God became visible to all who have spiritual faith. As I have told you before; I see him every day, all the time in and through His total and wonderful creation. The expressed truth is; we see God through Christ. They are one and the same. Christ said, “I and my father are one.”

In verse 21, Paul says that man is alienated from Jesus and hostile toward Him in his mind because of evil. That was the condition of the Colossian church [any church or any person] before they believed. However, hope looms brightly in verse 22, when he tells us that Christ reconciled us by his physical body through His death on the cross. Christians are reconciled, which means that they are now fully pleasing and accepted by God as being holy, faultless, and blameless. The bible does not say sinless, because we still sin, but our sins are now covered by the physical blood shed by Christ on the cross; covered only when we earnestly repent and try not to sin. We will sin; but if we intentionally sin it is as if we are crucifying Christ anew. If you can sin and enjoy it, thinking that you only have to ask for forgiveness, then you should re-examine your conversion.

In verse 23, Paul gets to the point that introduces our subject for this lesson today. If you are saved and are grounded in the gospel—it is the same gospel that has been proclaimed to all creation. He does not say that every creature has heard it yet…but it is meant for all—which means that every Christian is obligated to tell anyone who has not already heard. [Remember the parting words of Jesus, “Go into the entire world—and tell.” Then you will be “Expressing the Truth,” as you obey the ‘great commission.’ Paul says that he is a servant of the gospel, which means that he is ‘expressing the truth,’ and I hope that I can be just a bit like Paul.

After reading verse 24, I can not believe that Paul indicates in any way that the death of Jesus did not fully pay for our sins; the plan of salvation was made complete on the cross—and He told us that the plan was complete when he said “It” [the plan of salvation] “is finished.” The thing that was lacking was the witnessing that would be necessary for all posterity. Christ paid the price; however his witnesses would now be responsible for telling all who did not know Him. Paul did not rejoice because Christ had to suffer; Paul rejoiced because Christ chose to suffer. No other man has ever suffered more for the cause of Christ than did Paul. Paul was not happy that he had suffered because of his stand for Christ, but he was happy that he chose to suffer if necessary to be able to preach to others. In the term, “For the sake of his body”—“his body” is the church.

In verse 25, Paul said “I have become its servant by the commission God gave me. The word “its” refers to the church; and the word “commission” refers to the great commission given by Christ just prior to His ascension. Jesus suffered in securing our salvation, and Christians suffer at times in order to proclaim the gospel. We can be assured that when we are made to suffer because of our stand for Christ—He knows about it and is with us in our suffering. He will never will forsake us or leave us; neither will He place more on us than we are able to endure.

Jesus did not desire to suffer and die; in his prayer in the Garden just before He was arrested, He prayed that the Father would “take the cup from him” [meaning that He would prefer some other way]. After the ordeal was over [God’s will was accomplished] He was and will forever be happy that He was able to fulfill his mission. Christ rejoices daily that he was able to complete all that He had predicted which includes his death, resurrection, and ascension.

Paul calls the ‘good news’ a mystery that had been hidden from all until Christ came on the scene. However, now through Christ, all can know, understand and be saved. However, they must first hear the truth and the bible says that someone must be sent to witness. Who has this responsibility? The body of Christ. The Church. Are you a member of His church? If so, your responsibility is to “Express the Truth.” And that is the title of your lesson for today.

Believing the Truth - John 20:1-9,14-18

The most of us are sports fans, and have played or had loved ones that played in games. Many games have ‘one particular play’ that either won or lost the game. Think about it! Was it a home-run in the last of the 9^th; or a strike-out? Maybe it was A 3-pointer, when 2 down in the last seconds; or a steal when ahead by only one point with a few seconds to go. Or it may have been a kick-off return all the way when the game was tied with only seconds left. Were you excited? We should be excited about the greatest and least expected play ever made. The game was LIFE, and man had definitely lost—until Jesus arose as winner over death, hell and the grave. DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT JESUS AROSE FROM THE DEAD?

Last Sunday our lesson was entitled ‘Knowing the Truth’ and I did not think to tell you that although that was a very important recommendation, it only contained one third of the necessary ingredients to make life everlasting and glorious. Today we will examine the second step in the process of performing a miracle; which is ‘Believing the Truth.’ To complete this process, I would entitle the final step by saying that you must also; ‘Act on the Truth’ or ‘Personally Accept the Truth.” What is the subject? Salvation. How is one saved? It is so simple that many will overlook the importance of; 1. Know the truth. 2. Believe the truth. And three is to receive or act on the truth. You see; it is as simple as one, two, three. Please do not be one of those that miss the way. I often wonder why more people will go to hell than heaven; you see, the bible says that wide is the way that leads to hell and many will enter; but narrow is the way to heaven and few there be who will enter therein.

You may never have thought about it, but I really believe that it is very difficult for some people to believe the bible to be total truth. Here are some of the stumpers that cause people to doubt.

1. God always has been. 2. God created everything that is from nothing. 3. He made man from dust. 4. He made woman from a rib. 5. The flood. 6. Sin entered the world and all have sinned. 7. God loves unconditionally. 8. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin. 9. The many miracles such as water turning to blood, Noah’s three days in the seminary—‘what a lesson he learned,’ and many others like the resurrection. 11. The ascension. 12. A hell that burns with fire and brimstone forever and that people will be there. I would list thirteen, but still wonder if it is an unlucky number.

I have close friends [and relatives] that I love very much that have expressed doubts that cause them problems. I think that we would really be surprised if we knew how many of our neighbors have some serious doubts about things that true believers take for granted. Some just don’t believe that Balaam’s donkey talked to him; or that a pile of wood soaked in water can create spontaneous combustion as it did when Elijah challenged Baal. The bible says that Elijah called fire down from heaven…well, that’s much like spontaneous combustion, isn’t it? You would think that people exposed to extensive bible teachings would have no problems, but this is not so. Should you be disturbed or bothered by this? Yes, but don’t despair because, if you will remember, the disciples that had walked and talked with Jesus for three and one half years, and seen Him perform miracles were all skeptical when they heard of His resurrection, and one, Thomas, just did not believe it had happened. Believing the truth is not always easy—even for an eye-witness.

Do you realize that not a single one of the disciples stuck with Jesus all the way to the Cross? Ever wonder why? I think it was because they sincerely believed very strongly that he was truly the promised and real Messiah. They were all Jews, and they thought the Messiah would be the ‘Super Human’ ‘New King of Israel” and that no man or nation would be able to destroy him. When He died, they were dumfounded; disappointed, gave up and went fishing. Even though they had observed all of his miracles, they were not able to comprehend his having the ability to die and, being physically dead, still have the spiritual life and power to restore his own life. The truth is that he did.

The author of our commentary on this date tells us that “The good news for any who doubt the resurrection or who are looking for effective ways to share the story of Jesus’ resurrection, is that Scripture provides sound answers and guidance. First-person accounts of Jesus’ resurrection appearances provide a firm and trustworthy foundation for believing this central truth of our faith.” Unfortunately, some just do not believe; and true belief can only come through your simple faith. I believe the reporters [writers of scripture] told the truth. However personally, I can and do, just view the wondrous universe and all of the handy work of God and see enough to believe that God is real and completely in charge. How can you watch the changes that take place as the four seasons come and go; as you watch plants borne anew each spring; grow, mature and furnish food during the summer; wither and die in the fall and winter; only to arise and repeat the cycle the following year—and not believe in a Higher Power? God and His handy-work are so obvious that even the most infantile mind has no problem seeing Him at work every day of our lives.

John is not the only reporter that wrote about the resurrection, all four gospels tell the same story and with no contradictions; Paul and many others confirmed the fact. If you believe God’s Word—and you must—it happened as it is written. Oh, dear friends, please believe! Your faith does not have to be great. If it is only the size of a mustard seed, it is big. You can use it and move mountains; you can move anything that stands in your way as you seek to live and die in Christ.

Verses one through 8 tell us that He arose on the first day of the week, Sunday to us because the Sabbath ended at sundown on Saturday. Mary Magdalene visited the tomb early while it was dark but she was able to see that the grave was open and that Christ was missing. Devastated at her finding, she immediately reported to others who hurriedly went to see for themselves and they verified this great truth. John and all of the other writers told the same story and about how hundreds of others saw Him, talked to Him, ate with him, even felt of his scars left from the nails in his hands and spear that pierced his body. For forty days they listened to his final message to mankind and then stood in amazement and watched Him disappear from physical sight into the heavens.

There is no doubt that his death on the Old Rugged Cross is the one and only sacrifices that substituted for our sins—by his stripes we are healed—but neither death, hell nor the grave could defeat Him. His resurrection is the one and only event that separates him from others that have claimed to be God. They died and are still in their graves. He arose! He lives! Christians trust in a risen Savior who is alive, sitting at the right hand of God, on the throne in heaven today, and is now interceding for each one of us. What does this mean? It means that He is the one that will be present at our death and tell God to either accept us into heaven or reject us forever—depending on whether or not we believed in Him. Surely by now you can understand that your belief in Christ and acceptance of Him is the most important thing in your life. I hope you can understand why I have discussed the importance of your faith; why I have listed things that may cause you to doubt; and assured you that the bible is true. Here again are the three essentials to gain heaven and shun hell. 1. Know the truth. 2. Believe the truth. 3. ACCEPT THE TRUTH. HALLELUJAH, CHRIST AROSE FROM THE DEAD!

Knowing the Truth - Colossians 1:3-20

We have just completed a series of lessons based on the Philippians Letter that emphasized different ways to “Advance the Gospel” throughout the world. I enjoyed the study and thank you for studying along with me. You can not advance something that you do not have or know just as you can not drink when your cup is empty. For this reason, it is imperative that we KNOW THE TRUTH and remain willing and ready to advance the Gospel to as many as will hear, then pray that God will help them to head the message.

Ladies are sometimes resentful when they are asked their age; and I know that; but now I ask you and the men too, just how old are you? Don’t tell me, just think about it. Do not think about when you were born, or when you became a Christian; my challenge is for you to decide what stage of Christian maturity have you accomplished? Think of the biological maturing process as infant, child, adolescence, young adult, middle or older adulthood. Now use these stages as a spiritual measuring stick to determine where you are in Christian maturity. How well do you know the biblical truth and to what extent do you live by it?

We have a birthday once each year automatically but Christian maturity does not depend upon the passing of time. It depends on your personal faith expressed by your obedience to God and the observable work of the Holly Spirit in your life. Age comes with passing of time, steadily year after year, but spiritual growth comes at any time; as you learn the bible and practice its teachings. Far too often our spiritual growth is guided by what we believe society expects of us and not what the bible teaches. If you are drawing social security, you are an older adult, but you can be a Christian sixty-five years and still be infantile. The bible says that pastors [and teachers] must feed ‘these babes in Christ’ because of their spiritual infancy. If you are not a Christian, you must first be born into the Kingdom of God; then you can gain maturity at any rate, depending on your commitment. If you are still an infant or even a child spiritually speaking, you should be ashamed and you will start now to grow in KNOWING THE TRUTH, and practicing it. Paul is a wonderful teacher.

The letter to the Colossians was written by Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. Please note that the city of Colossae was not listed as one of Paul’s missionary stops. While he was at Ephesus he ministered to a man named Epaphras pronounced as [EP-uh-fras] and it is believed that he took the gospel news back to his fellow citizens there. This was not one of the major cities and we know less about it; but we do know that it had a mixed population composed of native Phrygians, Greek settlers, Jewish migrants, and since it was Roman territory there were some Roman citizens; and Roman officials controlling the city. It was a city of commerce and some citizens were there because of their interest in commercial trading. Theologians believe that the membership of the church was made up of a composite of these people. Archeologists have discovered artifacts [especially coins] that indicate that the earlier settlers there worshiped numerous pagan gods. That means that they had not been exposed to the Old Testament, knew little or nothing about the Jewish religion and had never heard of Christianity. Many of the old coins tell us about the gods; wonder how long our money will be engraved with “In God we Trust?”

Notice in verse one that Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus. There must have been a large Greek influence connected with the church at Colossi because the word ‘Christ” is the Greek name for Jesus, The Son of God. These people may have heard of some of the other apostles [those called-out by Jesus] and this is the reason Paul emphasizes the fact the he too is an apostle. He wants them to know that this is a message from God, and that he has been called to deliver it to them. He introduces Timothy as a brother because of his participation in Paul’s ministry. He was with Paul in Ephesus [Acts 19:22] and Paul assigned him responsibilities in that area which may have included Colossi [1 Tim. 1:3]. Being a brother indicates a warm relationship but he was also a brother in service [1 Cor.4:17; Phil. 2:19; and 1 Thess. 3:2].

There must have been some problems with the worship of other Gods, but Paul chooses to address believers first, so he writes to the saints and faithful. The word ‘saints’ is used as one of his favorite ways of describing fellow believers, see [Rom.1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1: 1 and Phil. 1: 1]. Paul makes it clear that anyone “set apart” or “redeemed” is a saint. The word ‘faithful’ as he uses it, can mean ‘believing’ {in the sense of having received Christ} or it may indicate dependability and reliability. Paul uses the term “in Christ’ to remind you and me that we always have two addresses; mine is Heber Springs and Christ. Insert your addresses here and try to live wisely and productively in both homes each day.

Notice in verse 3 Paul returns to the use of the name Lord Jesus Christ, [I like this] because He is the Lord over my life; He is Jesus; He is also Christ, meaning over other nationalities and always the Son of God. God is his Father; however, He is God…because He tells us that He and his Father are one. When he ascended He sent himself back to earth as the Holly Spirit to be our counselor daily. So God is three: Father, Son, and Holly Spirit. The Triune! The God head! We are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holly Spirit; descended in water to ascend into a new life of love and service.

Verse 4 indicates that Paul had never visited Colossi, because he says that he has only ‘heard’ of their faith and their love for each other. All faith has an object; you have faith in your boat, so you step in and shove off-shore. Many of these people must have had faith in the “false gods” or their coins would not have indicated so. But Paul is careful to say that he had heard of “their faith in Christ” which is the Greek word for the trinity, the God Head, and not Mohammed, Confucius, a graven image, or the moon or stars. The word agape is also a Greek word for our word love which describes the deeper feelings that Christ had when he gave his life for us because of His agape. Paul uses this way to express his knowledge of their true devotion to each other.

What is your greatest hope? If you could be granted one wish, what would it be? Does it have anything to do with Heaven? The word ‘reserved’ as used in verse five indicates that their hope is ‘stored’ ‘already there’ established in heaven. Do you KNOW THE TRUTH that your future is secured? Paul speaks to the Gospel [good news] because he thinks they have experienced the life-changing power of the Gospel or Word of God. Then in verse six he assures them that it is bearing fruit and growing all over the world.

Verse seven explains why we believe that Epaphras was the messenger to this church. Brother Dana Whitfield, was my first messenger at Heber, he was followed by C. Ray Cruse and Jerry Kirkpatrick, all different but very sincere. We had three interim messengers in Gordon, Swihart and Jerome that blessed my family and witnessed just before our present stalwart, Bro. J. R. DeBusk came on the scene. Since his early school days, he has loved this church and has a special reason for giving his all to help it prosper in the Lord. His KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH and ability to teach us is a blessing straight from the hand of God. Let him know personally that you appreciate him and his dedication to God and us. Where ever you worship, let your leaders know. Look at verse eight. I have just re-written this verse to say: “And [they have] told us about [God’s agape love] in the Spirit. [Thank all of them by mail, phone or in person.]

The remainder of this chapter is devoted to the omnipotent power and presence of Jesus Christ, reminding us that He created heaven and earth and all that is therein. We are reminded that he is the head of our church and demands first place in our work and play. We must know that redemption comes by way of the cross; and that true belief in and acceptance of Jesus, and the cross, is the only way to heaven. All of this tells us that unless we KNOW THE TRUTH we can not live by it; and that we are held responsible to STUDY THE TRUTH and practice it or suffer the consequence.

This lesson is also a personal message to individuals. It tells you that you have a leader and should be proud and supportive of him. It tells you that you must know right and do it. It admonishes you to love your leaders and helpers and let it be know that you are doing all in your power to assist and promote the spread of the gospel. You must know the truth, [it alone and nothing else] will set you free.

Never Let Up - Philippians 4:1-19

There is a saying that “If you don’t use it you will lose it” and I can attest to this being a fact when it comes to the need to exercise the human body; and I truly believe that it will stand true in regard to spiritual activities such as prayer, worship, and praise; and especially true regarding witnessing and services rendered for others. There is no way for a Christian to retire from his work for God; in fact, his last days of effective work will probably take place on his death bed. So long as God gives us a sound mind, we are TO NEVER LET UP. In the past few years there have been several members of our church who have suffered many long days of physical illness, but they have continued to grow in spiritual strength and personal witness. Their legacy is great, beautiful and will be remembered by great numbers who have been blessed because they never let up.

It is not an easy matter to live like Christ, and that is what the word Christian means. New Christians face the struggle of breaking old habits that they have developed, and sometimes this is hard to do. All of us must continue to live in this world that is sinful by nature, but we are admonished not to still have a part in it. This requires us to be different, and sometimes it is very difficult not to go along with the crowd. Let us face it, Christian living is a struggle for all of us, but we must remember that the stakes are high.

A faltering Christian is a stumbling block and never a stepping stone, and the bible tells us that it would be better for us to have a rock about our neck and be cast in the sea rather than mislead others and cause them to fall. We must never let up because our daily lives are continually witnessing for either good or bad. It seems unfair, but it is inevitable that one slip [in just a moment of time] we can create distrust in others that they can and will use as an excuse not to believe in Christ and his church.

This lesson will survey at least four areas of our life that we can use to help us maintain a positive witness. The first assumption is that we are talking to dedicated people that are committed to keeping the “do right” rule. Then the first seven verses deal with the fact that we must be able to get along with other people. Verses eight and nine tell us to live a virtues life. Then verses ten to fourteen tells us that we must learn to be contented at all times and in all ways, and Paul says that he has learned how it is done; so we should follow his lead. Finally, and most important of all, we must continually trust in Jesus Christ to give us the knowledge and strength to do what we must do.

In the last two lessons we have studied, Paul has warned us that we should be aware that false teachers are at work continually and that we must never allow them to mislead us. Last Sunday we learned that we live here in the USA, but we are already citizens of heaven and our treasurers are being stored there each day as we earn them. Now, today, in the first verse his exhortation is embedded in a series of terms expressing his affection for his friends and he urges them and us to stand firm…and never let up.

In the second verse two ladies are mentioned that evidently are having some problems getting along and we are not sure what the problem was. Both were workers in the church and indications are that their problem was not one of disbelief or false teaching, but something personal and causing some problems. Other members were admonished to help them to be reconciled. It can happen, it did here, two Christians can and do disagree, but the indication is that they should not continue to disagree openly because of the way others will react. Paul says that they must become reconciled. Do you have a problem worshipping along side of one of your Christian friends? Have you thought about the importance of working out your problem?

Paul commends these women by saying they have worked by his side in the cause of the gospel along with Clement and the other workers whose names are written in the book of life. Here he is referring back to the fact that they are all citizens of heaven—one in Christ. There is to be no animosity toward disagreeing Christians, or anxiety, but they should always act with patience and gentleness, remembering that God is always near and that He will guard our hearts and minds.

There is an element of people today that believe that there is always a shady area between right and wrong in which one can live and be right. They do not believe that anything is totally right or wrong, or true or false, but the scripture does not support this belief. Paul plainly teaches in verse eight that truth does exist. Things can be right. Some things are pure. And the way he states this admonition leaves no doubt that somethings are false, wrong, or impure. He also indicates that Christians are supposed to be able to know the difference. When truth is present, right is being done, and things are noble, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy Christians are to take note and think on these things. We are what we think. Our minds control our actions and our actions produce our work either for or against the will of the Lord.

In verses ten to fourteen Paul reminds us that he has been on top and also trodden down, he has been rich and poor, he has been loved and admired and stoned and thrown in prison—he has the experience to know what he is talking about. Then he tells us that our action and reaction should never be based on our circumstances. We must learn to be content in the Lord, to love, praise, and trust him regardless of our condition or position. He concludes this admonition by telling us that he not only has learned to be content but that he has found that he can do everything using the strength he receives from Jesus Christ.

Paul closes this chapter by showing his gratitude for all the Philippians have done for him and leaves no doubt that he is not asking for more. He has no hidden motives hidden in this letter to them, but considers their help as their sacrifice, which is acceptable to him and God who will bless them.

If we have listened to Paul we have learned that he has instructed all Christians to learn to get along with each other and help others when they have problems. He has told us that there are some true virtues in life and that we are to think about them and live accordingly. We know that living in misery and or discontent will lead us into undesirable actions; therefore we must learn to be content whatever our circumstance. And finally, we must learn to trust God and give him all the glory. Amen and Amen.

Look Up to Heaven - Philippians 3:1-21

If you would ask the next ten people you meet to explain their greatest desire, the chances are you would get ten different answers. I ask you now; what is your greatest desire? Mine is—I desire heaven over hell; want to be in God’s will; want to do right and want to treat others as I want to be treated. Nothing else really matters if we are not prepared to meet Jesus. If heaven is really that important, then why do we not think more about it; and more often than we do?

Kids like to play and have fun and they think about it every well day of their life. Heaven should be more important to adults than play is to children. Someone has said that “We should not be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good,” and that is a truism. However, we do well when we prepare for heaven; and we do ‘good’ when we continually remind our neighbors and ourselves that Heaven is a real place and that we only have a few days, full of trouble, to prepare to make the trip. Think of heaven as your destination and make sure to use good driving habits while you are traveling.

I have enjoyed living in Heber Springs for the past thirty six years, and my drive to church almost every Sunday morning is one of the highlights. Many times I have mentioned my observations to the men in our class. Sights range from the river’s reflecting shadows and the running, riffling water; from the blooming of the Bradford Pear and Tulip trees, the majesty of Sugar Loaf Mountain, the color combinations on Round Mountain, herds of deer crossing the highway, to the beauty of new life in spring and the glorious colors of fall. My faith has always soared with the clouds as I always associate this beauty with a loving, caring God who created everything that is; and then I think of heaven that will surpass all that I have seen. As we study this lesson will you please—Look Up To Heaven!

Another good title for this lesson would be “Serve Him Here and Now” because that is the evidence needed to prove that we are looking forward to heaven. In fact, the title of the lesson, Look Up To Heaven is found in the last two verses where we read that our citizenship is in heaven. The first part of the chapter tells us that we are just sojourners here and that every day should be lived in preparation to occupy heaven when our day arrives.

Verse one starts with the word ‘finally’ which does not mean that Paul is concluding and ready to leave or close his letter, but in Greek, it means ‘something remaining’ and like Paul Harvey on TV, Paul is prepared to “Tell you the rest of the story.” His first admonishment was a warning that along our way we are to watch out for the dogs [men who do evil], and he was referring to the Judaizers that argued that one must keep the law first, in order to become a Christian. This also refers to the false teachers of today who teach that there are other things more important than accepting Christ—being born again. The reference to people being as ‘dogs’ is heavy, and indicates Paul’s disgust for false teachers. In his day dogs ran in packs, killing and eating as scavengers therefore this is a vivid, but true, picture of anyone that adheres to a life and teaching that will ultimately lead their piers to spiritual death. Who are the Judaizers today? They are those who say that people must add something else to simple faith. No person should add anything to Christ’s offer of salvation by grace through faith.

Paul continued by telling the church that he had ‘been there and done that.’ He told them that he was an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, and was circumcised eight days after his birth. He was a zealous Pharisee that persecuted the church and legalistically he was “Faultless.” He said, “If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more.” At another time he told us that he was ‘the greatest of sinners.’ This should get the attention of everyone in the Philippians church because the tribe of Benjamin was a heritage greatly esteemed among the Jews. The first king of Israel, King Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin, and Judah and Israel were the only two tribes that returned to Israel after the exile as recorded in [Ezra 4:1]. The Pharisees were overly devout; keeping their own strenuous rules as well as the Mosaic Law. Paul fully understood what Jews believed.

In verse seven Paul spoke of his profits and was referring to his Jewish credentials, credits and successes before his conversion; and now as a Christian he counts those profits as a loss because they were against Christ. Paul is in no way bragging about what he had done but is simply showing them that he had more to brag about than they as Judaizers—but that it was the wrong game. Today, we must be very careful not to rely on the great things we have done in the past and not let our works stand in the way of a true relationship with Christ. All that Paul had done was considered as loss when compared with the greatness of knowing Christ personally. A personal relationship with Christ is the most valuable asset anyone can have.

Read again verses 3 through 9 and you will find that no amount of “keeping the law, self improvement, self discipline, or any other religious effort,” can make us right with Christ. If one is righteous he must be in the ‘right standing’ with the will of God’ because righteousness comes only from God. If you want to know how one becomes righteous read 2 Corinthians 5: 21.

Paul gave up everything precious to him—his heritage, family, friends and freedom and is now in prison; he sacrificed all just to know the resurrection power of Christ. We too have this knowledge, but we should remember that it is never free and may cost us in a sacrificial way. How willing are you to sacrifice where there is a need? Will you give up a few hours of work or play time each week to study, pray and attend worship services? From your limited budget, are you willing to share in the cost of spreading the gospel? Here is the hard question—if we loose our freedom of worship in America, will you sacrifice your life and refuse to deny Jesus Christ?

Do you have a desire to know Christ and the power of His resurrection? To be a Christian means to be like Christ. Now ask yourself do I really want to fellowship with him and share in his suffering on the cross? Are you willing to die for your belief, for your goal—to be like him in his death? Paul did. See verse ten and you will find that this is the only way to attain to the resurrection from the dead. This was Paul’s goal.

In verse twelve you will find that your goal can be a costly one, and you may not have fully reached the optimum level at this time but you should be able to identify it and be willing to press on and forward. Paul admitted that even he had not fully attained but that he was trying each day. He said, “But one thing I do; Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal—to win the prize.” That prize was to be in heaven with Jesus Christ. The NCAA tournament was two weeks ago, I watched several games. Very few players hit more than 70% of their free throws. I was a referee for over fifteen years, and have studied the game and can tell you with confidence that there are two main reasons why a player misses free throws. They fail to practice a known and proven routine but the number one reason is that they take their eye off of the goal. You can not watch the other players and see your goal, in either the ball game or the game of life. Please remember that if you are allowing some hypocrite to stand between you and Christ—the hypocrite is closer to Him than you.

Paul had a reason for forgetting the things he had done. Remember he was present and viewed Stephen as he fell in martyrdom; he actually participated by holding the coats of those that threw the stones, he was Saul at the time [see Acts 7: 57 and 58]. All of us have some bad memories, but we gain strength by knowing that God forgave Paul—and few if any have a past so blighted as his. Never dwell on your past but realize that you are forgiven and then move on to live a life of faith and obedience. Yes, both faith and obedience. Faith is an act of the spirit; obedience is an act of the flesh—it is works. James says that spiritual faith is of no avail without physical works, and that means that you must work for God to prove that you believe in Him.

I am now closing with a sad statement and a wonderful promise. “For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction…” [Verse 18]. You are physically a citizen of your state and your town at address USA. But if you are a born again believer you are a spiritual citizen of Heaven beyond. Your name has already been written on the Lambs Book of Life and your taxes [good works] are being recorded to your account. Verse 20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven.” And we can eagerly await his return to transform our bodies into a glorious body like His. His word is Truth.

Light Up the World - Philippians 2:12-30

We are not saved by our works; however, others are sometimes encouraged to be saved because of our works. Our instruction is to “Let our lights so shine before others so that they can see our good works” and the implication is that by so doing they will improve their ways. Just be honest, how often do you see a person that claims to be a Christian acting or talking in a way that you know is a hindrance to the cause of Christ? If you have made this observance, then you should always remember that someone is watching you. Your friends are happy to see you serving God in your daily walk; those that don’t particularly care for you are happy when they see you falter—it gives them a needed excuse not to go to church or even profess Christianity. In fact, they will tell you that they are just as good as you; and the truth is—they may be. They simply judge a tree by its fruit.

James tells us that faith without works is dead. That simply tells us that if we say that we have faith unto salvation, and continue to work in the devil’s vineyard, our observers will judge us by our fruit and not by the fact that we are church members or claim to be Christian: therefore our faith will no longer have convicting power. The work of a Christian can assuredly be to ‘LIGHT UP THE WORLD.’ Just in case you did not immediately understand why this is the title of our lesson today, let me make it very clear, Paul is giving us instructions regarding what CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR should be. We are to positive examples for Christ and not detractors or inhibitors; catalyst and not dilutors. Positive discipline of a Christian is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.

This will not be a popular study because most people do not like for anyone to tell them how they should conduct their lives. My life is not my own! It was bought at Calvary and I belong to Jesus Christ who died that I might live. The least I can do is work for Him—and by all means, not against Him, and if I am not doing that someone should remind me. Paul, in Philippians 2; 12-30, gives us three positive examples of believers whose behavior demonstrates commitment to Christ. I hope this study will help those who study it to determine how they will better demonstrate their own commitment to the Lord. I will learn with you as we study His Word.

This morning I heard Charles Stanley [a great bible teacher] say that when you see the word ‘therefore’ at the beginning of a verse, you should ask yourself what the word is ‘there for.” So, since verse twelve starts with the word ‘therefore’ let us examine why he used it. In this case it ties this verse to the previous section of study which told us to “Work out your salvation” and pertains to his exhortation to unity, and it probably means that the entire church should work together to rid themselves of some divisions and discord that he had observed. The Philippians needed to obey Christ even when he was not there with them to remind them and instruct them in things that were right. Christians today need to be careful about what we believe and how we live, especially how we conduct ourselves in the workplace or on the playground when the pastor, a teacher or parent is not present to observe and instruct us. We often forget that Jesus is present and watching every move we make, every thought we think.

Do you live a double life? Are you the same person when you are in the world of work and play, or at home or in church? Verse thirteen tells us that we are never alone and that Christ is always with us to guide us and help us to will and work according to his good purpose. There is really no secret to living a changed life at any time and in any place—when anyone wants to. It simply means that we must get our “wantto” fixed. Do you deliberately want to disobey God at all times? Most Christians do not. Therefore, make it easy to do right by submitting to His control and let him work his will through you. Your prayer should be, “Lord, help me to want to do your will” and mean it. We do only the things that we really want to do.

In order to be like Christ, requires us to train ourselves to think as he thinks—and you can learn how he thinks by reading his Word. The power of sin causes people to want to live as the world lives and to change your desire to be more like Christ requires the power of the Holly Spirit, the influence of faithful Christians, and obedience to God’s Word. I have found that ‘doing his will’ builds a desire to do more. As an example, why do you think I continue to prepare this lesson week after week, since I no longer teach a class each Sunday or get paid? It is not easy and requires self discipline. Very simply, I do it because I believe that it is God’s will. I have faith to believe that someone will read it, maybe enjoy it, and more important, a reader might let it change his/her life. I challenge you to do what He wants and trust him to change your desires in a positive way.

I really enjoyed reading verses 14 through 16 because it reinforces what I have just told you. I hope that I can “…Shine like a star in the universe because I have held out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing” [read these verses]. Paul started by telling the Philippians and us that complaining and arguing is harmful to His cause. When people observe Christians argue, complain and gossip it gives them a false impression about Christ and the gospel [Good News]. A sincere belief in Christ, trusting Him should unite those that believe and trust, and it will surely have a positive effect on those that observe. A Christian’s life is characterized by moral purity, patience and peace and when it is so we can “Shine like stars” in a dark world. You are reminded again that Christians are commanded to “Let their light shine” so others can observe and take note that you are different.

In seventeen Paul is referring either to the sacrificial system of the Jews [see Numbers 28:7] or the wine used to worship pagan deities prior to important public events in the Roman world during those days. Anyway, Paul had a perfect right to consider his life as a sacrifice for Christ, after all that he had gone through. He was content and acclaimed that even if he died, it would be his gain. One thing is assured, when any Christian is committed to serving Christ, any sacrifice that builds the faith of others is rewarding and brings joy to the believer. If you want to have a good day, just work for Christ and others. Selfishness breeds boredom.

Beginning in verse nineteen, Paul pays a beautiful tribute to Timothy who was still young in the ministry. Paul was in prison at Rome awaiting trial, and would send Timothy to them with news of the verdict. He talked about most believers being preoccupied with their own needs and not being willing to spend time doing the work of Christ. This is a challenge to Christians today to never let their schedule get so heavy that there is no time left to serve others. Just as a new beginner works under a master plumber, or another under a licensed electrician, Timothy was an apprentice under Paul. This is written that we may ask ourselves who we are apprenticing for God’s work. Or, are we failing in this work? Teaching the young to love the Lord and to work for him is a worthy calling; try it and learn to enjoy life.

Epaphroditus was a member of the church at Philippi and was sent as a messenger to deliver a gift to Paul in Rome and then delivered this letter back to the church. He became ill while in Rome and must have been detained for some time, because his church had heard of his illness before he returned. He and Timothy are certainly two of the great examples of men who helped to “Light up the world.” In conclusion, it must be said that of the three examples given of men who gave much for the cause of Christ, Paul must be considered the greatest of the three. If you will study the life of the Apostle Paul, you will find him to be one of, if not, the greatest men that ever went on any mission for the cause of Christ. Oh, what a blessing it would be to walk in the shoes of any of these three men. God; help us to try.

Live Up to the Gospel - Philippians 1:27–2:11

Last Sunday the title of our lesson was “Lift up the Gospel” and if I had chosen the titles, we would have studied the lesson for today first, because I believe that one must practice what they preach; and the practice should come before the preaching. I once heard it said that “A person can not teach that which they do not know any more than they can return from a place where they have never been.” Think about that fact for a moment. Since our actions speak louder than our words, it behooves each one of us to live our lives so that others see Christ through what we do and how we act. It may seem like a paradox at times because none of us are perfect as Christ is, and for that reason the bible plainly tells us that we should judge not, lest we be judged in the same way, or by the same judgment. However, the same book tells us that we shall know a tree by the fruit that it bears.

The Gospel is the Good News that Christ has made a way for sinners to be reconciled to God, by our faith in his Omnipotent Grace. The first step of a Christian is to study His word for approval and then to live the Gospel daily. Christ’s last command was for Christians to go and teach his truth and teaching requires both action and words. We should never be ashamed of the gospel, because Paul tells us that it is the power of God that leads to the salvation of others who hear our words and watch our lives.

The conversations that I hear among neighbors and friends amaze me at times. We greet each other with hello or good morning; then we express our interest in their health; how are you today? We must be vitally interested in their activity because we invariably inquire about what they have been doing, how the fish are biting or the number of ducks they bagged in yesterday’s hunt; even ask the sometimes embarrassing question—what score did you shoot in golf Saturday? Even at church on Sunday morning, if you appear a bit gloomy, or are not smiling, someone may suggest that your wife must have burned the biscuits this morning. Does the opportunity never appear for us to ask our friends why they were not in church last Sunday, or Wednesday evening? Or, what special blessing they received this week? Maybe, even ask a stranger if they have accepted Christ as their Savior? Neither of these examples should dominate our conversation; however neither should be totally neglected. What we do and say tells others who we really are.

Last Tuesday a stranger stopped me in the isle at the grocery store and asked if I was the Dr. Vandiver that writes a bible lesson that is published in the Sun Times. I thanked her for asking and enjoyed our brief conversation. When I asked her if she reads the lesson, her reply was: “Sometimes, if it is not too long.” My reply was, “I guess I am a little windy” and she agreed in a pleasant way. To you and to her, I simply say that I much prefer to talk often and long about God and his goodness than to neglect my opportunity and responsibility to tell others of his love and grace. Live the Gospel, and tell others of its merits. Please pray for me; pray that I will always explore every opportunity to witness about and for Jesus Christ.

Paul is my hero, and I would be overjoyed to know that I emulate his actions and conversations. In the early chapters of Philippines he was unwilling to simply review his life; he was more interested in guiding the church to specifically live and teach the gospel. In the last part of the first chapter Paul is emphasizing exhortation and giving instructions; He was also attempting to encourage his fellow Christians. He did not feel that he was out of place and he was never reluctant to tell Christians what they were expected to do in order to be more effective witnesses. Paul was happy with this church and had many good things to say to them and about them; however, just as it is with many of our churches today, there were some underlying problems that dealt with unity, or lack of it, and doctrinal purity that could be corrected if the members would commit themselves to the mind of Christ.

The first exhortation he gave in verse 27 was for all Christians to live their life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Can one always be worthy of what Christ did for us on the Cross? The answer is no, because we are not perfect; but we can be continually repentant and we can always try. We can always stand together in one spirit, and one mind, and work together for the faith that we have learned from the gospel’s teaching. This does not mean that everyone will totally agree with every word, action or reaction of all other members. But it does mean that there are certain basic truths in the bible that are absolute and cannot be compromised.

The 27^th verse tells us to never be afraid of those who oppose our true witness. Any time a Christian or the church takes seriously its God-given assignment, there will be some opposition but we should feel no terror. Paul had experienced problems with the Gentile authorities on his first trip to Philippi [Acts 16: 22] and may have been referring to this incident, or he may have been referring to the Judaizers that continually wanted to keep some of the law as a requirement.

In the 29^th verse he says “it” has been given to you. The “it” refers to opposition or persecution and he says that God gave it to them. Paul is saying that “it” is just a part of the Christian life and that God lets it happen. In fact “it” is to be considered a blessing. Look at Matthew 5: 10-12, it is red letters in my bible and plainly states that we are blessed when men insult us and say all manners of evil things about us. It does not say that we must enjoy these things but we are not to be afraid, or allow it to be a hindrance to our witness. It simply denotes that the suffering was due to commitment to Jesus and identification with Him.

As you read on through verse 30 you will hear him say that their struggle at Philippi is something like his struggles have been. He is encouraging them by reminding them that he had been there and suffered that: and is suggesting that they should follow his example. He had lived and was living what he preached. We are fortunate in Arkansas, in Heber Springs that we do not physically suffer because of our belief and teaching; but even here there are things sometimes said or implied that hurt mentally and spiritually.

In chapter two Paul continues his emphasis on unity by pointing to the basis of church harmony. In verse two he says that harmony will result from Christian “Thinking the same way.” We define ‘thinking’ as an intellectual effort, or what we personally think; but here it also indicates a mental inclination or tendency toward a right direction. We Christians should have the same mental orientation and this does not prevent us from having varying opinions which will always exist. Because of varying opinions we have a great number of different churches and I believe that there are save people in most of them. However there are some basic absolutes taught in the bible that all Christians must be “like minded about” or they are simply lost church members.

In verse three Paul admonishes Christians not to practice their beliefs in rivalry which means in competition with others. We should not compete but cooperate and we should never practice conceit [which means to have a high opinion of oneself] or deceit [which simply means deception or misleading]. Our labor for Christ should never be for pay or personal gain of any kind, but for the good of all concerned; this requires that we consider others as equally as important as ourselves. Then he says that we will be as concerned about the interest of others as we are about our own interest.

Paul gives us a great passage in 2: 6-11, referring to Christ attitude regarding his leaving His glory in heaven and coming to earth as a human to ultimately die on the cross. These verses present the ultimate model for the kind of humility and selfless service that should characterize each one of us individually and the church body as a whole. Verse five “Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus.” The word ‘attitude; indicates our mind-set or our way of thinking—and if we are genuine it will result in more than just a fuzzy feeling—it will bring about overt actions that are Christ-like. Paul was writing to the church and is explaining what it takes to bring about unity in the body of Christ.

Christ emptied himself—he willingly gave up the glories in Heaven and assumed the form of a slave; He was humble and obedient even unto death on the cross. In my opinion, and according to God’ word, I believe His death on the cross is the most important event recorded in the bible. You absolutely must believe that he died on the cross for you and you must accept him as your savior, otherwise you are lost and cannot be saved. Of course, you can change your mind-set, and believe and be saved at any time. This is one of, and probably the most important truths recorded in word.

Christ was humble and God exalted Him. When we become humble and submit our lives to Him, He will exalt us. Some may not believe, will not humble themselves here and now, but everyone will [verse 10]. The day of the Lord will come and regardless of your location, whether you are alive on earth, already in heaven, or living under the earth which refers to hell, you will know assuredly that he is the Living, Saving, Son of God and will bow to Him. My last plea is that you confess Him now. Admit you are lost, ask Jesus Christ to save you, submit your life to his keeping, and live for him, obey him and you will be saved that moment.