BECOMING SEEKER-FRIENDLY IN OUR DAILY LIVES

          In the evangelical community, you hear a lot about “seeker-friendly” churches. And, when you hear that, what they mean by the phrase, “seeker-friendly,” are churches that are friendly to unbelievers who are searching for God.  Friendly to people who are feeling a call to come to Jesus, but may be nervous about going to a church because of past experiences in other churches or with other believers.  A “seeker-friendly” church strives to be a non-threatening place for people who have been hurt to seek and find the God who heals and saves.  And this is a good thing.

            But “seeker-friendly” and unbelievers reaching out to God and to Jesus for salvation is not what the Bible refers to when it speaks of our need to seek God’s face.  Most of the references in the Bible about seeking God or seeking God’s face are not directed towards unbelievers, but believers.  Throughout the Scriptures, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the Bible constantly urges us, as believers, to seek God’s face to bring about healing and forgiveness and revival and restoration. 

            We see this most famously in the familiar verses, 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 -- “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  Here the command to seek God’s face is not to the unbeliever, but to believers, to those who have put their faith and trust in God.

            What does it mean for a believer to seek God’s face?

            To seek God’s face as we are told here means that we draw our lives into alignment with God and His will and His ways -- it literally means to seek God’s presence.  As John Piper wrote, “to be before the face of God is to be in His presence.”

            To seek God’s face means we set our hearts and our minds on Him constantly

            To seek God’s face means you seek God with your mind:  What you read, the information you take in, your thoughts, your meditations.

            To seek God’s face means you seek God with your heart and soul:  That means prayer, relationship, and time with God.

            To seek God’s face means we seek God with all your strength:  That means obedience to God’s holy commands, living in righteousness, and holiness of life.

             God promises that if we seek Him, we will find Him.  If we worship Him, He will inhabit our praises.  If we come before Him and humble ourselves and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, then He will hear from heaven and will forgive our sins and heal our land.  

             Revival and restoration of our homes, our communities, and our country starts with believers seeking the face of God.

SERMON VIDEO: THE GREAT COMPROMISE (Galatians 5:7-13 )

SERMON: GLIMPSING THE GOAL (Transfiguration Sunday)

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 16:28-17:8

Matthew 16:28-17:8 New International Version (NIV)

16:28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

            -- there's something about glimpsing the goal that makes a person come alive -- it reminds them of what they are there for -- of what they are doing -- of what they are striving for

            -- let me give you an example of what I’m talking about -- we’ve just entered a new season in our squadron at Moody AFB -- as all of you know, the seasons of our lives aren’t just limited to fall, winter, spring, and summer -- no, there are many seasons in our lives that we pass through in this mortal plane

            -- seasons of life like getting married and figuring out how to live with another person and learning what grace and forgiveness look like in the real world

            -- seasons of sickness where you or family members pass through extended times of sickness or pain or suffering

            -- seasons of caretaking, where you spend your time caring for others -- looking after the needs of children or seniors or others who need special care for a season

            -- seasons of mourning after the loss of a loved one

            -- seasons of struggle when the famine or locusts of modern-day life eat up all your money before the end of the week or the struggles at work or school become so great you just don’t know if you’re going to make it through

            -- there are many seasons in life and we are constantly moving from one season to another

            -- this season that we have entered at Moody is a season of retirement -- a season when many people in my office are ending their time in the workforce and are now looking ahead to a new time in their life -- a new season -- a season of rest -- a season of relaxation -- a season when they can enjoy the fruits of their labors

            -- we have a lot of people in our office who are in this season of life right now -- it seems like every week we are either attending a retirement ceremony or we are hearing that so-and-so is retiring in the next few weeks -- and it’s interesting to watch how these people prepare for this change in season

            -- my boss is in this season now -- he’s getting ready for his retirement in the next few months -- he’s circled a date on the calendar, and he’s been getting ready to go -- he’s making repairs to his home and finishing up little projects there like making a new deck on the back and getting the landscaping in order so that when he retires, there’s nothing else for him to do

            -- he’s getting his camper checked out and fixed up -- he’s just bought a vintage car and is spending all his time getting it fixed and ready so that when he retires, he and his wife can take long road trips in this vehicle

            -- his plan is to get everything ready and in perfect shape so that when he enters this season, he has nothing to do but enjoy relaxing with his wife and family and spending time doing what he wants to do

            -- he’s gotten a glimpse of the goal -- he has something that he’s looking forward to -- something he’s striving for -- something he’s hoping for -- and it’s invigorated him -- it’s giving him new purpose and new meaning and he’s got a bounce in his steps -- he’s excited for what the future holds and he’s doing whatever is necessary to get ready for it

            -- he’s a perfect example of what I said when I opened this message -- there's something about glimpsing the goal that makes a person come alive -- there’s something about glimpsing the goal that excites us and propels us into the future -- it reminds us of who we are and what we are living for

            -- we all need goals in our lives -- and that goes for our spiritual lives as well as our secular lives -- but to avoid getting overcome by the cares and worries of this world -- to avoid getting bogged down in doing life to the point that we forget what we are striving for, we need to intentionally remember these goals so that we can keep our goals in focus

            -- we need to see them -- we need to glimpse them -- to be reminded of them, so that we might keep on pressing forward and be excited for what is to come

            -- think about what it was like when you first got saved -- when you first received Jesus as your Lord and Savior

            -- remember how excited you were? -- how ready to tell others about Jesus?

            -- when you get saved and you get your first glimpse of your heavenly goal -- when you realize what Jesus has in store for us at the end, you can't help but get excited -- you're anxious to get there and you want to take everyone with you

            -- you've got a sense of purpose and urgency and you just want to love everyone into heaven because it's such a wonderful place and because you want them to know Jesus just like you do -- your goal is firmly in front of you and you’re pressing towards it and you’re excited about it

            -- but then life happens -- and religion happens -- and clouds and shadows move in and block your vision and you lose sight of your goal and things change

            -- that initial flush of energy and excitement you had about living for Jesus and telling others about Him drains away and your relationship with Christ turns into just another part of your daily routine

            -- you forget what used to excite you -- you forget what used to inspire you -- and you lose the sense of purpose and urgency that you once had -- church just becomes something we do on Sunday and not something that gives our life meaning -- it’s all about the now and not about striving for the prize

            -- and we know it, don't we? -- why do you think churches are always scheduling revivals? -- it's because they know that something's missing -- it's because they know that they have lost the fire -- they've lost the desire -- they've lost their first love -- and they want it back

            -- but we can schedule revivals until the cows come home, and nothing is ever going to change -- there's just one thing that can truly revive our hearts and reignite the passion within -- we have to get another glimpse of the goal

II.  Scripture Lesson (Matthew 16:28-17:9)

            -- that's exactly what's going on here in this passage in Matthew that we call, "The Transfiguration" -- Jesus is giving the leaders of the disciples a glimpse of the goal -- a vision of the future -- to inspire them and revive them and to give them hope and purpose so that they can inspire others and lead the church to greatness

            -- look back at Matthew 16:28

16:28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

            -- the transfiguration occurs some time before Jesus' final entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday -- and it's a time of confusion for His disciples -- even though they've been with Jesus for three years, they really don't understand who He is

            -- Peter has a little bit more understanding than the rest -- at least from time to time -- if you remember, earlier in Chapter 16 Peter offers his great confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God -- but Peter's still thinking of a Christ -- of a Messiah that would be an earthly King -- a Messiah like most of the Jews had envisioned -- he didn’t understand the reason Jesus had come

            -- that’s why when Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to go to Jerusalem to suffer and die at the hands of the chief priests, Peter exclaims, "Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you" -- what Jesus was saying just didn't fit with the image that Peter and the Jews had of who the Messiah was going to be

            -- so Jesus is about to give Peter, James, and John a glimpse of the goal -- a glimpse of the real Messiah -- of the Son of Man coming in his kingdom -- to correct their misunderstandings of who He was and to prepare them to lead His church after His death and resurrection

            -- Chapter 17, verse 1

17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

            -- some people wonder why Jesus didn't carry all of the disciples with Him to the top of the mountain to experience what Peter, James, and John did

            -- we don't know for sure -- the Bible doesn't tell us -- we do know that these three became the leaders of the early church, and Jesus may have chosen them to experience this special moment because they needed to see Him in His glory in order to lead the church through the initial sufferings and persecutions that they would face

            -- I do believe one reason He chose only them is that they were the only ones out of the twelve who were ready to see Him as He was -- these were the three that truly believed that He was the Son of God -- they may not have understood completely, but they believed -- they were seeking the truth -- they were looking for God in their midst -- and their faith was rewarded

            -- the question then for us is, "Are we truly seeking God as He is? -- Do we desire to see His glory and His kingdom? -- Is our focus on Christ and His glory or is our focus on the world around us?"

            -- Chuck Swindoll writes about vertical perception -- in order to see Christ -- in order to envision who He is and to get a glimpse of the goal that He has set before us, we have to look up -- we have to believe -- and we have to act on our beliefs, just like Peter, James and John did

            -- verse 2

2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

            -- Matthew tells us here that Jesus was "transfigured" -- the Greek word that is translated here literally means "metamorphosis" -- a change in form

            -- while we read that Jesus' face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light, there's obviously a lot more going on here than Jesus just changing His clothes

            -- what happened on this mountain was that Jesus was transformed -- He took on another form -- He changed from being just a man in appearance to appearing in His glorified form

            -- Peter, James, and John witnessed this man that they knew becoming something else -- for the first time in their lives, they saw Him as He truly was -- in all His heavenly glory

            -- at that moment, all that they thought they knew about Jesus was stripped bare -- no longer was this just the Galilean carpenter and rabbi and teacher that they knew -- no longer was this just a fellow first century Jew who might be the Messiah who would become their earthly king -- no longer was this just the man who shared their fire

            -- everything about Him was changed -- His clothes -- His features -- His appearance -- His very being -- they no longer looked at Jesus the man -- they looked at Jesus the God

            -- their vision had been cleared and they would never look at Him the same way again -- they had been given a glimpse of Jesus as He truly was -- they had seen Him as He exists in His kingdom -- and they knew that this was the goal -- their reason for living and their purpose in life

            -- verse 3

3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

            -- Matthew tells us that Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the mountain and that Peter, James, and John saw them standing there talking with Him -- the question is, "Why?" -- Isn't the real issue the fact that Jesus was now standing before them in His transfigured, glorified form -- who cares about Moses and Elijah?

            -- they're there for a reason -- Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the prophets

            -- for Peter, James, and John, their former vision of the Messiah and of God was based on these two things -- their idea of who God was and what God was supposed to do and how God was supposed to act was based on the law of Moses and the revelations revealed to God's prophets

            -- over the years, the true image of God revealed in the law and the prophets had gotten blurred as life and experience and religion changed who the people saw

            -- why do you think the Pharisees missed seeing Jesus as Messiah when He was on earth?

            -- because the Jesus they saw was not the Messiah they were looking for -- they had made up in their minds who the Messiah was and how He would look and what He would do, and when Jesus showed up, He didn't fit their image -- He wasn't who the Pharisees were looking for, and so they rejected Him

            -- the significance of Moses and Elijah appearing with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration is to demonstrate to the disciples that who they are seeing now -- this Jesus who is standing before them glorified as King of Kings and Lord of Lords -- is the real Messiah -- the real Jesus -- the real God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

            -- verse 5

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.

            -- as if to punctuate the lesson here for the disciples, God the Father descends upon the mountain -- enveloping it in a cloud just like we see Him doing in the presence of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament -- as the cloud descends, the very voice of God proclaims to the three terrified disciples, "This is My Son"

            -- in other words, the Father was making sure Peter, James, and John got the message -- this Jesus who was standing before them was the real Jesus -- the true Jesus -- the Jesus stripped of all worldly affectations

            -- this was the goal that they were supposed to keep in mind -- this was the goal that was to inspire and invigorate their lives -- this was the goal they were to follow -- this was what they were supposed to preach and proclaim to the world

            -- this was the Jesus that they were supposed to worship -- not the man they thought they knew -- not the image of the Messiah they had been taught to look for

            -- this was the real deal -- and this was who they were to see when they looked on the face of Jesus from now on

            -- verse 7

7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

            -- for us, this morning, the heart of this passage comes at the end of verse 8 -- "they saw no one except Jesus"

            -- all the layers of life and religion and experience that had clouded their vision had been removed -- their eyesight had been restored -- and they saw no one and nothing other than the real Jesus

            -- if you know what you are seeking -- if you know what you are striving for -- then it becomes real to you -- your life has meaning and purpose and direction

            -- that is what has happened to Peter, James and John -- they went up on that mountain confused -- not knowing what was real -- not knowing where they were headed -- not understanding what Jesus was about to do

            -- but they came down that mountain with a vision of heaven and of Jesus glorified in His kingdom -- it was that vision that led them to endure hardship and persecution -- it was that vision that led them to build His church on earth -- it was that vision that gave their lives meaning and purpose

III.  Closing

            -- there's a hymn that you may be familiar with called, "Be Thou My Vision" -- it's an old Irish hymn that we sometimes sing in church

            -- let me share with you a couple of stanzas from that hymn:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

            -- this hymn speaks to what we have been looking at today in this passage of the transfiguration -- when we know whom it is that we serve -- when we have a vision of Christ in our hearts -- a glimpse of the goal before us -- then nothing else matters

            -- He is our all in all -- our inheritance -- our goal -- our reason and purpose and meaning -- our treasure that we seek

            -- as we close today, I want to encourage you to go to the mount of transfiguration this week -- spend some time alone with Christ -- renew your heart -- refresh your vision -- revive your life

            -- spend some time in the Psalms this week, reflecting on the passages that praise God in all of His glory and splendor -- ask Jesus to show you His glory -- to give you a vision of who He is and what He has in store for us -- so that you will persevere and continue on until you reach the goal

            -- let us pray

THE TIME IS SHORT

Deuteronomy 4:39-40
39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. 40 Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.

I believe that the Day of the Lord is rapidly approaching. It may be years and decades off, but I believe the natural disasters, the wars, and the economic struggles of recent years are God's shaking of America and this world to get our attention and to get us to return to Him.

Time is short. Even if the return of Christ occurs a thousand years from now, our time here is limited to our mortal lifespans. Even if the virus was eradicated today, our eternity looms, and we must decide whether to receive God's grace through Christ or to reject His offer of salvation and the forgiveness of sins.

As these verses say, it is time to acknowledge Him, to seek Him, to take to heart today that there is no other God nor any other way to salvation. God calls to us in our pain. He calls to us in the storm. He calls to us in the midst of what is going on in our lives right now, whether good or bad.

Heed His call, acknowledge Him, seek His presence, and come to Him in repentance and belief in Jesus' atoning death on the cross for you today.

SERMON VIDEO: GOD SHOWED UP (EPIPHANY)

WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK...

John 20:1 -- “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.”

As I was taking a quiet moment with God this morning, I was struck by this verse.  It takes place on the Sunday following Jesus’ death and burial on Friday.  Mary Magdalene and the other disciples of Jesus were in a state of more than grief.  They were in a state of shock.  A state of unbelief, of confusion, of hurt, of pain, of fear.  They did not understand what was going on.  

They didn’t understand why Jesus, the man they had come to hope in as their Messiah, had died.  They didn’t understand why the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday had led to their king’s death, and not His exaltation to the throne of David.  They didn’t really understand what Jesus meant when He had told them He would die and be raised on the third day.  And, so, they huddled together in fear and trembling behind closed doors.  All but Mary.

“While it was still dark…”  While she was still in a time of darkness, facing an unknown future and uncertainty, Mary went to the tomb where Jesus laid.  Why would she do so?  Because even though she did not understand the times, even though she did not know what the future held, even though her Messiah had died on the cross of Calvary, she went to the One she knew had all the answers, the only One who still held her hope, even in death.

In this current situation with the coronavirus pandemic, we are in a similar time of darkness.  We do not know what the future holds.  We face uncertain times.  We are filled with fear, with doubt, with grief, with confusion, with despair.  So, what can we do?  We must follow the example of Mary.  We must go to Jesus.  We must seek Him out.  We must be near Him.  And, look what happened.

“[she] saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.  ‘Woman,’ He said. ‘why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ (John 20:14-15a).  Who is it that we are looking for in this time?  Who should we be looking for?

“Thinking He was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni! [Teacher] (John 20:15b-16). 

As Mary sought Jesus in the tomb, she found the risen Savior.  As Mary came to the grave while it was still dark, Jesus brought light and life and love.  As Mary sought answers to her confusion and doubt and fear, Jesus came to her and called her by name.  He will do the same for you. 

Seek Him today.  Go to Him today.  And listen for His voice to call to you today even when it is still dark in your life, even when you are still in the storm.  Remember, it is always darkest before the dawn, and the light is always shining on the other side, and you can’t have rainbows without a storm.

SERMON: THE PRAYERS OF PAUL -- FULFILLING LIVES

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Philippians 1:9-11

Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.

            -- this morning we are finishing our four-week sermon series on the prayers of Paul

            -- in the first message, we looked at Paul's prayer from Ephesians 3:14-21 and talked about praying for power and about praying bold and specific prayers into that power that God has given us

            -- in the second message we looked at Philemon verses 4-7 and talked about our need to pray that we would be active in sharing our faith and how that means more than evangelism -- it means true koinonia -- the sharing of our lives with each other as we live out our faith in true community

            -- last week, we found ourselves in Romans 15:5-7 looking at Paul's plea for unity in the church -- it was his prayer that we would come together with one purpose, one heart, and one mind -- channeling our individuality towards the common goal of bringing glory to God and fulfilling His calling on earth

            -- if you missed these messages, you can find the video on the Koinonia Facebook page and they are posted online at my blog site listed in the bulletin

            -- the prayer of Paul we will be looking at this morning can best be described as his prayer for the culmination of a life well-lived -- it builds on the other prayers and helps us to discern what is the best direction for our life within the will of God -- this is the prayer for us to be all that we can be -- to live the life that God intends for us to live -- and it encompasses and builds on all the other prayers we have looked at

            -- Paul's prayer for meaning is especially relevant for us today -- as Aldous Huxley predicted in his book, "Brave New World," our modern society in America has become intoxicated with entertainment and self-focus -- living lives of superficiality rather than lives of meaning -- we have reached a point in our society where the daily happenings of the Kardashians and Caitlyn Jenner are more important than the events in Washington, Syria, or China

            -- but the good news is that there seems to be an awakening occurring among this younger generation -- after having fed on a diet of junk entertainment and social media for years -- and living lives without true meaning or purpose -- there seems to be a growing awareness among the younger generations that perhaps they have been wasting their lives by focusing solely on themselves and their own pleasure

            -- I did a Google search for the term "Am I Wasting My Life?" and I had over 24 million results -- including best-selling books on Amazon

            -- people are worried that they are wasting their lives, but that is a good thing -- because this awareness has led to a desire to do something more with their lives than just fill their days with entertainment -- they want to live lives that matter -- they want to do things that matter -- they want to make a difference in the time they have here on earth

            -- and that is the heart of Paul's prayer for the church at Philippi -- don't just be satisfied with where you are now, but grow into the life to which God has called you and make a difference in this world -- don't be just another self-focused Christian who carries the name of Christ but does nothing with their life

            -- let me give you an illustration -- some time ago, I read an article about the heart healthy benefits of pomegranate juice -- so I went to the store to see if I could buy some, just to try it out -- I couldn't find straight pomegranate juice, but there was a bottle on the shelf that said, "Blueberry Pomegranate, 100 percent juice, all natural." -- and it had a picture of a ripe pomegranate cut open and mounds of blueberries -- so I went ahead and got it

            -- put it in the refrigerator and the next morning, I poured a glass -- it was so sweet, I couldn't hardly drink it -- and so I looked at the ingredients -- "Filtered water, pear juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, grape juice concentrate." -- Where was the blueberry? -- Where was the pomegranate? -- Finally I found them -- fifth and seventh on a list of nine ingredients -- even the mysteriously unspecified ingredient, "natural flavors,” was higher than them on the ingredient list

            -- the label may have promised pomegranate and blueberry, but the actual product didn't fulfill that promise

            -- that's what Paul's concern is for the church at Philippi -- he knows these men and women there are Christians -- they have been saved through grace by faith in Jesus -- they have put on a label that says, "Christian" -- but his concern is that the life they live truly reflects the label they have put on -- that they're not just "Jesus-flavored," but "Jesus-filled" and live lives of meaning and purpose for Christ¹

            -- so, as we look back again at this passage, ask yourself these questions as we go through this:  What am I doing as a Christian? -- How am I living my life? -- How should I be living my life?

II.  Scripture Lesson (Philippians 1:9-11)

            -- verse 9 [read vs. 9]

Philippians 1:9 (NIV)

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight

            -- when Paul wrote this letter, he was in chains in a Roman prison waiting for an audience with the Emperor -- for all he knew, this would be the last day of his life -- and so he puts pen to paper and writes this heart response to his friends in Philippi

            -- what would you tell someone if you knew it was the last words you would ever say to them? -- what would be important to you? -- what would you want them to know?

            -- Paul's prayer was that the seed he had planted in them would continue to grow -- that they would continue to mature in the grace of God -- that they would come to know God and His love more and more -- that His love would abound in them and that God would complete the good work He began in them on the day they responded to the gospel

            -- what does Paul mean by "abounding love?" -- he means a love that is overflowing -- a love that so completely fills the lives of the Philippians that they can't help but give it out to others -- a love that defines who they are and what they do

            -- Paul prays that their love would abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight -- Paul is praying here for more than just emotional love -- he is praying here for experiential and relational love -- he is praying that the Philippians would know and experience the love of God in their lives in a real way -- that they would wake up in the morning knowing that God loves them and that they would experience God's love in their lives every moment of every day

            -- but knowing and experiencing God's love is not enough -- Paul prays the Philippians have depth of insight, meaning wisdom -- knowing what to do with their knowledge of God's love

            -- the question he is asking them through this prayer is "Okay, you know how much God loves you, now what are going to do with that knowledge? -- what difference is it going to make in your life?"

            -- look back at verse 9 again [read vs. 9-11]

Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.

            -- "so that" -- once again, we see Paul praying with purpose -- I pray that your love may abound more and more -- that it may grow larger and larger in knowledge and experience and depth of insight -- So That you might be able to know what to do with the rest of your life

            -- Paul prays that the Philippians would know God's love and understand God's love and let that love help them make a choice in the direction they were going to go and the things they were going to do

            -- we are constantly faced with choices in our lives -- the world offers us myriad choices every moment of every day -- we are constantly coming to forks in our lives where we have to choose which direction to go -- and instead of following the wisdom of Yogi Berra, who said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it" -- Paul says, "When you come to a fork in the road, discern what is best for you to do based on God's love"

            -- don't just follow the easy path -- don't just go with the flow and follow the crowd -- but stop and ask yourself, "What would God have me do? -- is this the direction I should go?"

            -- there's a point we need to make here in regards to choices -- in order to choose a direction, we kind of need to know where we're going in the first place -- when I pull out of my drive each morning and come to the hard road, I have a choice of direction -- I can go north or I can go south -- those are my only two choices -- but the direction I turn in is based on the place I need to go

            -- in other words, we have to know where we're going in order to choose the path to follow -- our destination as Christians should be determined by God's will for our lives -- there are many forks and many choices in life -- and sometimes it's not a matter of choosing good versus evil, but choosing the best over better -- our decision must be based on our ultimate goal for life in Christ

            -- Paul prays here the Philippians discern and choose the path that leads to pure and blameless lives -- lives that fulfill the call of God for them and produce fruits of righteousness for His glory

            -- by relying on our knowledge and experience of God's love, we can discern the direction He is leading us and choose the right path He has for us -- the path that will grow us in grace and make us into the people He has called us to be

            -- in my office, I have a list of questions that I refer to from time to time when I have a decision to make -- whether it's what to say in response to something or whether it's what to do when confronted with a decision

            -- these questions answered in the light of God's love will help you discern the right path to take:

            1)  Is it helpful -- physically, spiritually, and mentally? -- 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial"

            2)  Does it bring me under its power?  -- the second part of 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, "Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything"

            3)  Does it hurt others? -- 1 Corinthians 8:13 says, "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall"

            4)  Does it glorify God? -- 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"

           

            -- Christian love is purposeful -- it has direction -- it leads us towards our ultimate goal and destination with Christ -- a Christian matures in love as they grow in their knowledge and depth of insight of Jesus and move towards obedience and bearing fruit as an offering for Him

III.  Closing

            -- okay, so let's bring this home -- let me summarize Paul's prayer for us today:

            -- first, he prays that love may abound -- that the love we have will grow more and more expansive and that that love will overflow our hearts and direct our paths in the future

            -- secondly, he prays that we would discern what is best for our lives -- not just what is good or what is better, but what is best -- what God wants for us -- He prays that the love and understanding of God that changes our lives would help us make decisions on the actions we undertake -- on the paths we choose to follow

            -- and, finally, Paul prays that we would live pure and blameless lives -- filled with righteousness and overflowing with the fruit of good works done to bring glory and praise to Jesus

            -- to make progress in life, we have to know where we are going -- we have to choose between the good and the best -- we have to make sacrifices to achieve and to become all that God wants us to be

            -- so, in addition to praying on a daily basis for power and boldness in our lives -- that we would be active in sharing our faith -- and that we would be one as Christ is one in complete unity -- let us also pray that we would become more loving, more discerning, and more righteous as we move forward towards God's heavenly reward

            -- let us pray

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1 Modified from article in publication Kyria, © 2009 Christianity Today International, Kyria.com, based on personal experience