Finding Joy and Confidence in Christ Through Community
Summary
In today's gathering, we focused on the essence of community and the importance of serving both within our church body and the broader community. We have several upcoming events, such as the Easter Extravaganza on April 19th, which is a wonderful opportunity for outreach and fellowship. We encourage everyone to participate, whether by volunteering or contributing resources. Additionally, we are reminded of our responsibility to care for one another, as exemplified by our support for the Woodman family during their time of need.
Our time together also included a reflection on the PRAY acronym, specifically focusing on repentance. We acknowledged our ongoing need for God's forgiveness and the importance of confessing our sins, as highlighted in 1 John 1:9. This practice is not just a ritual but a vital part of our spiritual growth and relationship with God.
As we delved into Philippians 3:1-6, we were reminded that our righteousness and standing before God are not based on our works or adherence to the law but through faith in Christ. Paul warns against the influence of Judaizers, who insisted on the necessity of following the law for salvation. Instead, he emphasizes that true believers are those who serve God by His Spirit, boast in Christ, and place no confidence in the flesh. This passage challenges us to examine where we place our trust and to ensure that it is firmly rooted in Christ alone.
The message encourages us to rejoice in the Lord, recognizing and delighting in His grace. This joy is not dependent on our circumstances but on the unchanging truth of God's favor extended to us through Jesus. As we navigate the voices and influences around us, we are called to remain steadfast in our faith, finding our identity and confidence in Christ.
Key Takeaways:
1. Community and Service: Our church is called to serve both within and outside our congregation. Events like the Easter Extravaganza provide opportunities to engage with our community and demonstrate Christ's love in action. Serving others is a tangible expression of our faith and commitment to living out the gospel. [00:00]
2. Repentance and Forgiveness: Repentance is a crucial aspect of our spiritual journey. By confessing our sins, we acknowledge our need for God's grace and forgiveness, which He freely offers through Jesus. This practice helps us maintain a close relationship with God and grow in our faith. [23:04]
3. Righteousness Through Faith: Our right standing with God is not based on our works or adherence to the law but through faith in Christ. Paul warns against relying on external actions for salvation, emphasizing that true righteousness comes from a transformed heart. [41:05]
4. Joy and Rejoicing: Joy is recognizing God's grace, while rejoicing is delighting in it. We are encouraged to find joy in God's favor, regardless of our circumstances, and to actively delight in His presence and work in our lives. [47:49]
5. Confidence in Christ: Our confidence should not be in our heritage, actions, or achievements but in Christ alone. Paul reminds us that all our accomplishments are nothing compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus. This perspective shifts our focus from self-reliance to dependence on God. [55:50]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Community Outreach and Events
- [03:45] - Caring for Our Church Family
- [06:15] - Upcoming Business Meeting
- [09:00] - Soup Fellowship Details
- [12:00] - Opening Prayer and Worship
- [15:30] - Congregational Prayer and Repentance
- [23:04] - The Importance of Repentance
- [36:11] - Kids Church Dismissal
- [36:30] - Introduction to Philippians 3
- [41:05] - Righteousness Through Faith
- [47:49] - Joy and Rejoicing in the Lord
- [51:14] - Warning Against Judaizers
- [55:50] - Confidence in Christ Alone
- [01:10:01] - Closing Prayer and Invitation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- 1 John 1:9
- Philippians 3:1-6
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Observation Questions:
1. What upcoming event was highlighted as an opportunity for community outreach and service? How is the church encouraged to participate? [00:30]
2. According to the sermon, what does the PRAY acronym stand for, and which aspect was the focus during the gathering? [23:04]
3. In Philippians 3:1-6, what warning does Paul give to the church in Philippi regarding their faith and righteousness? [41:05]
4. How does the sermon describe the difference between joy and rejoicing in the context of God's grace? [47:49]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the practice of repentance, as discussed in the sermon, contribute to a believer's spiritual growth and relationship with God? [23:04]
2. What does it mean to have "confidence in Christ" rather than in one's own heritage or achievements, as explained in the sermon? [55:50]
3. How does the sermon explain the concept of righteousness through faith, and why is it important for believers to understand this distinction? [41:05]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that external influences can affect a believer's understanding of their faith and righteousness? [51:14]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current involvement in community service. How can you actively participate in upcoming church events like the Easter Extravaganza to demonstrate Christ's love in action? [00:30]
2. Consider your personal practice of repentance. How can you incorporate regular confession into your spiritual routine to maintain a close relationship with God? [23:04]
3. Examine where you currently place your confidence. Are there areas in your life where you rely more on your own achievements than on your faith in Christ? How can you shift your focus to depend more on God? [55:50]
4. Joy and rejoicing are distinct yet related concepts. How can you intentionally delight in God's grace this week, regardless of your circumstances? [47:49]
5. Identify any external voices or influences that may be affecting your faith. How can you safeguard your beliefs and ensure your trust remains rooted in Christ alone? [51:14]
6. Reflect on the support you offer to fellow church members, like the Woodman family. How can you be more proactive in caring for the needs within your church community? [03:45]
7. How can you remind yourself daily of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, as Paul describes in Philippians 3:1-6? What practical steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Him? [41:05]
Devotional
Day 1: Serving as an Expression of Faith
Our church community is called to actively serve both within our congregation and in the broader community. This service is not just an obligation but a tangible expression of our faith and commitment to living out the gospel. Events like the Easter Extravaganza provide opportunities to engage with our community and demonstrate Christ's love in action. By volunteering or contributing resources, we embody the teachings of Jesus and show our dedication to His mission. Serving others is a way to reflect God's love and grace, making a meaningful impact on those around us. [00:00]
Galatians 5:13-14 (ESV): "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Reflection: Who in your community can you serve this week, and how can you make it a priority to show them Christ's love through your actions?
Day 2: The Transformative Power of Repentance
Repentance is a crucial aspect of our spiritual journey, allowing us to acknowledge our need for God's grace and forgiveness. By confessing our sins, we maintain a close relationship with God and grow in our faith. This practice is not merely a ritual but a vital part of our spiritual growth and relationship with God. As we reflect on 1 John 1:9, we are reminded that God's forgiveness is freely offered through Jesus, and our repentance is a step towards spiritual renewal and transformation. [23:04]
Psalm 51:10-12 (ESV): "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."
Reflection: What specific sin or struggle do you need to confess to God today, and how can you seek His forgiveness and strength to overcome it?
Day 3: Faith Over Works for Righteousness
Our right standing with God is not based on our works or adherence to the law but through faith in Christ. Paul warns against relying on external actions for salvation, emphasizing that true righteousness comes from a transformed heart. This challenges us to examine where we place our trust and to ensure that it is firmly rooted in Christ alone. By understanding that our righteousness is a gift from God, we can let go of the pressure to earn His favor and instead embrace the grace offered through Jesus. [41:05]
Titus 3:5-7 (ESV): "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Reflection: In what areas of your life are you tempted to rely on your own efforts for righteousness, and how can you shift your focus to faith in Christ?
Day 4: Joy Rooted in God's Grace
Joy is recognizing God's grace, while rejoicing is delighting in it. We are encouraged to find joy in God's favor, regardless of our circumstances, and to actively delight in His presence and work in our lives. This joy is not dependent on external situations but on the unchanging truth of God's favor extended to us through Jesus. By focusing on His grace, we can experience a deep and abiding joy that transcends life's challenges and uncertainties. [47:49]
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (ESV): "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation."
Reflection: How can you cultivate a heart of joy and gratitude today, even in the midst of difficult circumstances?
Day 5: Confidence in Christ Alone
Our confidence should not be in our heritage, actions, or achievements but in Christ alone. Paul reminds us that all our accomplishments are nothing compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus. This perspective shifts our focus from self-reliance to dependence on God, allowing us to find our identity and confidence in Christ. By placing our trust in Him, we can experience true peace and assurance, knowing that our worth is secure in His love and grace. [55:50]
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'"
Reflection: What personal achievements or attributes are you tempted to place your confidence in, and how can you shift your trust to Christ alone today?
Quotes
"Mountain Vista Baptist Church Where we believe the church is called to gather together To grow together and go together In service both to the body and to the community And as we talk about serving the community As we talk about serving the body We have a couple different areas where that's available Coming up on April 19th April 19th we've got our Easter Extravaganza community outreach event We're going to have egg hunts and bounce houses And crafts and popcorn and cotton candy And all kinds of things that are going on We've been collecting eggs and candy for that Back in the barrels in the foyer for a few weeks now And so we're going to continue collecting those If you'd like to volunteer, you'd like to help We have a lot of people who've signed up already But we've got to sign up out there On the bulletin board in the foyer If you'd like to volunteer and help with that event As we look to minister to our community" [00:09:44] (48 seconds)
"As we come to our time of congregation Congregational prayer Thinking about that song The love of God that we just sang The love of God is very dominantly Expressed to us in His forgiveness of sin He sent Christ to die on the cross For our sins so we could be reconciled to Him As we come to this time of congregational prayer We're working our way through the PRAY acronym And as we work our way through the PRAY acronym I like this acronym particularly Because it follows the Lord's Prayer This is the structure that's used in the Lord's Prayer Now, it doesn't mean this is the only way you can pray But I personally like this one And this morning we are on the R for repent And we repent of our sins We confess our sins to God We're told in 1 John chapter 1 verse number 9 If we confess our sins He's faithful and just to forgive us our sin And cleanse us from all unrighteousness" [00:21:44] (63 seconds)
"Lord, we are thankful for the forgiveness of sin that comes through the person of Jesus Christ. Thank you that you made a way for us to be reconciled to you, to know you. Lord, thank you that when we come to you in repentance, that you forgive. Lord, we recognize that it's so easy for us to choose ourselves, to choose our own ways, to follow after us instead of you. Lord, we need you. We need your spirit at work in us. Lord, we need you to show us where we sin, where we rebel, where we turn away, where we're thankful that you call us back, that you draw us back. Thank you for your love that's poured out on us. Thank you for the salvation we have through Jesus." [00:24:46] (85 seconds)
"But as we look at chapter number three today, he's going to address an issue of what we rely on for a right relationship with God, for a right standing before Christ. He's encouraging the church in Philippi to know what's true and to know where their trust really belongs. Now, he's not writing this to them because they are necessarily having a problem with this. He's writing this to them because of outside influences that are seeking to affect the church in Philippi. And so I want you to read with me Philippians chapter 3, verses 1 through 11. Now, today we are only going to cover verses 1 through 6. Next week we will cover verses 7 through 11, but the section in this passage is all one piece. So we're going to read it together, and then we'll talk about those first six verses today." [00:37:04] (57 seconds)
"Our big idea, as we begin this section, we begin chapter number three, is works don't save us. Now, we know this, right? We're sitting here in church today, and we know this. We know works don't save us. We know that our works don't bring us in a better standing before God. It doesn't make us more favorable in God's sight. We know this, but so often we can act like we don't know this. We can act contrary to this. just think about it for a minute. Have you ever had a situation in life, a circumstance come into life, a hard time, a difficult time, a bad thing happen, and you wonder, what did I do that God brought this on me?" [00:40:03] (51 seconds)
"Sometimes we can get these ideas, we can get these thoughts that God's favor or actions towards us are based on whether or not I have been righteous enough. Sometimes we can get that because we hear voices outside of us that are speaking. Have you ever known something to be true and because people around you believe something else, you begin to question yourself? Like, I know this is right, I know this is true, I know this is what I should be doing, but people around you are saying something else. Like, man, do I really have that right? Are we really doing what I'm supposed to be doing here?" [00:41:25] (47 seconds)
"There's a difference in joy and rejoicing. Joy is recognizing. Rejoicing is delighting. I can recognize I have children. Right? I can recognize that. And that does affect my life, even in recognizing that. I have kids. It affects my life. But there's a difference in recognizing I have kids and delighting in my kids. There's a difference in recognizing I have children and delighting in the opportunity I have to spend with them and do things with them. And this is where it gets real. Right? Because we can be like, yeah, God's favor. He extended himself. Joy. Yeah, recognizing what God has done. But delighting takes intentionality." [00:47:56] (53 seconds)
"The Judaizers believed that you needed both Jesus and the law in order to be fully and truly saved. The Judaizers were an issue in the early church, the writing in the New Testament. The book of Galatians is dedicated to issues with the Judaizers in the region of Galatia. Paul is writing to the churches there saying, this is a problem. Here's what you need to know. Here's what you need to watch out for. Here's what you need to believe. Here's how you need to act. And so apparently this same group is having an effect, a talking to outside the church of Philippi to influence them. And so Paul is saying, watch out for them." [00:48:53] (44 seconds)
"Paul makes it very clear that physical circumcision has no value for the Christian. And he uses two contrasting words here. So he says at the end of verse number two, those mutilators of the flesh, and he begins verse number three, for it is we who are the circumcision. Now, the Judaizers were following the Mosaic laws of circumcision, but Paul says they're simply mutilators of the flesh. The word he chooses to use here at the end of verse number two means to make gashes in the flesh. Now, they were looking to and trusting in adherence to the law as part of their salvation. The Judaizers were." [00:52:45] (40 seconds)
"Paul says circumcision is worth nothing unless it's circumcision of the heart. And he says, we, talking to the church in Philippi, we are what they're claiming to be. That's what he's saying. The Judaizers, those who are saying, you've got to do this, you've got to follow this, you've got to act this way, you've got to follow these aspects of the law, says what they're saying, they're not part of this. We are. We are the circumcision. We are those who have that purified, that cleansed heart. And Paul gives three marks of what a follower of Christ looks like, what those who are the circumcision, what they look like. He says, we who serve God by His Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh." [00:57:16] (47 seconds)
"Many Christians claim to have known Jesus their whole life. They were raised in church. I was baptized when I was little. I accepted Jesus when I was seven, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. We can boast in a whole lot of things as the church today. We can boast in a whole lot of things as followers of Christ today, but nothing saves us outside of Jesus. Now, I'm going to say this might make some of you upset and that's okay. It doesn't matter if you were raised in a Christian home. It doesn't matter if you were raised in church. It doesn't matter if you made a profession of faith when you were five, six, seven. It doesn't matter if you were baptized when you were 12. If your hope and your faith and your confidence is in those things, none of it matters." [01:06:44] (41 seconds)
"Help us to be reminded regularly to rejoice in You. To rejoice in Jesus. To delight in what You are doing, what You have done. And to be reminded that You are the one we look to. Lord, thank You for Jesus who died for us, that we can know You. We can experience Your grace, Your favor. Help us as we go out from here to show that to others. Lord, that they would see it in our lives and hear it in our words. Thank You that we can delight in You. Thank You that Your favor has been extended to us, poured out on us. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You that You are our confidence." [01:11:05] (59 seconds)
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