The Redemption Blog

The Fight for Joy...in Humility

Series:  The Fight for Joy - Philippians

Title:  In Humility

Text:  Philippians 2:1-11 (ESV)

Big Idea:  "Joy is found when we forfeit what we deserve and fight to be people who serve."

Yesterday at The Crossing we looked at...

5 Hallmarks of Humility

1.  Humility...is Found In Christ (Phil 2:1a,5)

2.  Humility...Forgets Self-Interest (Phil 2:2-4)

3.  Humility...Forfeits what is Deserved (Phil 2:5-7)

4.  Humility...Forces Obedience (Phil 2:8)

5.  Humility...is For God's Glory (Phil 2:9-11)

As promised I wanted to provide more practical ways to cultivate humility in our lives and also combat pride.  Many of these are from C.J. Mahaney's great book called, "Humility".  You can and should buy it here...

Practical Opportunities to Cultivate Humility and Combat Pride
1.  Reflect on the wonders of the cross
2.  Study the doctrines of Sin and Grace
3.  Begin each day acknowledging your dependence upon and need for God
4.  Bless someone anonymously
5.  Do something to serve your neighbor
6.  Serve at The Crossing with your kids
7.  Identify evidences of grace in others
8.  Husbands, do something your wife has been asking you to do
9. Husbands, if you have kids give your wife a night off, if you don't have kids take her out where she wants and to a movie of her choice
10.  Bring your Bible and notebook on Sundays and commit to leaving with own practical application each week
11.  Do something God has been asking you to do that you have as of yet refused to do
12.  Study the attributes of God
13.  At the end of each day, transfer the glory to God
14.  At the outset of each day express specific gratefulness to God
15. Practice the Spiritual Disciplines
16. Seize your daily commute as an opportunity to meditate on and memorize Scripture
17. Throughout your day cast your cares upon God
18. Before falling asleep acknowledge the purpose of sleep

The challenge for us would be to pick one or two of these things and try and put them into daily action, praying that by God's grace, He would cultivate a heart and life of humility in each of us.

If you missed the message yesterday, you can find the podcast here...

The Problem of Pride...

It is estimated that 5 million Americans suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or NPD.  On top of that it's estimated that 10 million Americans suffer from the less serious Destructive Narcissistic Pattern.  Amazon.com carries more 28,000 books that have to do with self-absorption and a quick Google search reveals that the word most often used in advertising is, "You". 

We live in a culture that is supremely self-focused to say the least.  At the root of this self-interest is really pride (def. "An excessively high opinion of oneself") and pride in the life of a Christian is problem.  In Isaiah 66:2 God says, "...But this in the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word."  If God is looking for a humble person to use, and pride is the antithesis of humility, then pride is a major problem in the life of a Christian. 

Jonathan Edwards said, "Pride is the first sin that ever entered into the universe, and the last sin that is rooted out."  Pride is one of those things that seems easy to spot in others, but proves difficult to see in your own life.  As I was studying today I observed three truths about pride:

1.  Pride was the First Sin (Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4, Isaiah 14:12-15)
We tend to think that the sin of Adam and Eve was the first sin, but in fact there was a sin prior to this.  Prior to the fall in Genesis 3, Satan and his demonic angels rebelled and were cast from heaven.  We see in Jude 6 that the reason that Satan and the demons were cast out was that they "did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling."  In Isaiah 14 we see Isaiah describing the judgment of God on the king of Babylon, but then He seems to switch and reference the fall of Satan in verses 12-15. Here we see Satan's rebellious heart when he is recorded as saying, "I will make myself like the Most High."   Pride was in fact the very first sin.

2.  Pride is the Root of All Sin
Charles Bridges said, "Pride is self contending with God for preeminence".  Each time we sin we tell God that our way is right to us and His way is wrong.  To tell an all knowing God that our way is better than His is by definition, PRIDE.  In Colossians 1:18 Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, speaks of Jesus saying, "And he is the head of the body the church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent."  Jesus is preeminent.  He must be first.  He is always right and we must reject pride and submit our lives to His will and ways.

3.  God opposes Pride
James 4:6 says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  To live in pride is to live in opposition to God.  Think of the implications of having God opposed to you and all you do.  When we get in the octagon to go a few rounds with God, God always wins! 

We should want to be used by God, but we must remember that God uses those who have a humble heart and posture so this must be our pursuit.  Pride is a problem in the life of a Christian.  If we are to be used God we must put off pride and put on humility. 

 

The Fight for Joy...in Death

Here's the "Monday Morning Recap" in case you were unable to attend The Crossing yesterday!

Series: The Fight for Joy - Philippians

Title:  In Death

Text: Philippians 1:18b-30

Big Idea:  "The foundation for joy in death is a fervor for and a focus on God’s glory and the good of God’s people.”

Paul writes to his friends at Philippi from prison and he is facing the possibility of his own execution.  What's amazing is that in spite of this he writes with an amazing attitude of joy. 

The question we wrestled with yesterday was this:

"If death is inevitable and unavoidable and will eventually touch each of our lives, how are we to experience joy in the face of death and how are we to live our lives in light of death?

It looks to me like Paul divides his thoughts into two parts, so here's how we broke down the text: 

I.  Paul's Interpretation of Joy in Death (Phil 1:18b-26)
    A.  Paul's Focus is on God's Glory
    B.  Paul's Freedom is in God's Glory
    C.  Paul's Fervor is for God's People

II.  Paul's Application of Joy in Death  (Phil 1:27-30)
    A.  Living Life Worthy of the Gospel means Standing Together
    B.  Living Life Worthy of the Gospel means Striving Together
    C.  Living Life Worthy of the Gospel means Suffering Together

The podcast should be posted here later today...

If you want to see my complete preaching outline you can find it below:
Download in_death_blog.doc

Next week we will be looking at the fight for joy in humility, so hopefully we will see you Sunday!

The Fight for Joy...

In Suffering...

“How could a loving God allow people to experience such extreme amounts of pain and suffering?” 

Have you ever had someone ask you that question?  Maybe you have found yourself asking that question in the midst of what St. John of the Cross called, “the dark night of the soul”.  We have all experienced, or are experiencing one of those seasons when no matter how hard we try we can not seem to find the good, we can not seem to find the silver lining. 

What do we do when the bottom falls out? 

    When the doctor says, “It’s cancer”? 

        When your spouse says, “I’ve been unfaithful”? 

            When your boss says, “You are fired”?

Join us this weekend as we search Philippians 1:12-18 and find hope and encouragement as we fight for joy in suffering together. 

The Fight for Joy in Loneliness

Yesterday we continued our journey through the book Philippians and focused in on the theme of loneliness. We live in a culture that in many ways has become overwhelmed by the epidemic of loneliness. We are isolated, disconnected and many of us feel completely alone.

Paul experienced something very similar in writing this letter to his friends at Philippi. He was in prison and chained to a guard, completely isolated from his friends and the people he loved. Yet, somehow in the midst of this he writes to his friends with joy! The question is how?

Paul's answer to fighting for joy in loneliness was not keeping busy, or pretending he wasn't lonely. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us that the answer to fighting for joy in loneliness is "Gospel Partnership" or "Gospel Fellowship". D.A. Carson defines gospel fellowship saying, "The heart of true fellowship is self-sacrificing conformity to a shared vision...Christian fellowship, then, is self-sacrificing conformity to the gospel."

If the gospel is not the center of our relationships, we will never experience the community that we have been created for and we will not be able to experiencing joy in the midst loneliness. In case you were not with us yesterday or you didn't get a chance to take notes, here are "8 Traits of Gospel Fellowship" we discussed...

1. Gospel Fellowship...Requires Grace (Phil 1:2)

2. Gospel Fellowship...Results in Peace (Phil 1:2)

3. Gospel Fellowship...Responds with Gratitude (Phil 1:3-5)

4. Gospel Fellowship...Pursues Sanctification (Phil 1:6-8)

5. Gospel Fellowship...Proliferates in Love (Phil 1:9)

6. Gospel Fellowship...Practices Discernment (Phil 1:9)

7. Gospel Fellowship...Puts 1st Things 1st (Phil 1:10)

8. Gospel Fellowship...Persists in Purity (Phil 1:10)

Join us next week as we look at The Fight for Joy in Suffering!

Invite a friend here...
Download fight_for_joy_ecard.pdf

The Fight for Joy...

This weekend at The Crossing we start our new series "The Fight for Joy: Philippians".   As I've been studying I continue to be amazed at the grace of God in Paul's life as he writes this letter.  Upon writing, Paul once again finds himself in jail (a regular occurrence in his life), yet one of the most prominent themes in the book is JOY.  The question we will be trying to unpack is,

"How can we model the heart of Jesus by having a joyful disposition in all seasons of life?" 

We live in a culture where everyone is trying to sell us joy and happiness, yet despite the hype and our best attempts at a change in

position,

    possessions,

        place,

            people and

                religion

we find ourselves still overwhelmed by the inability to attain true joy in our lives.  This weekend we'll be looking at some of the solutions both culture and religion have to offer as we look at Philippians 1:1 together and discover that..

the only "secret" to true joy is slavery to Jesus.