The Joy of our Citizenship

Well, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 3.

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

We finished the last part of this chapter, the last paragraph.

And I think everyone has a worship guide.

If you don't, raise your hand, and we'll make sure we you do.

But I think every good.

We've been working on that to make sure everybody has a worship guide because on the back is the outline.

And I know what you're thinking looking at that outline after I looked at it.

I said, Good grief, that's a lot of blanks.

So I may not, I may not fill in, but about half of them, but that's okay.

No, I'm joking.

You're gonna be surprised today.

But anyway, with that said, I didn't realize that many blanks was on there, honey.

I'm following Elmer Towns example.

I had a teacher that everything he had a blank.

We had to fill it in, fill it in, fill it.

But you know what?

You learn.

I would retain it that way.

I really would.

I really would.

But anyway, so that brings you up today to where we are.

We're excited about our new associate, youth pastor, and Cassie.

Uh they are a blessing.

They really are.

And uh starting this Wednesday night, what are you speaking on?

Starting a series on heroes of the faith, and they're gonna be looking at Shedrak, Meshach, and Abednego, and Daniel and David.

Uh it will be a fantastic series.

I love to preach on characters myself.

It's just awesome.

So, amen, Stephen.

All right.

So, today, last paragraph.

Ephesians.

I was waiting.

One got it.

Philippians chapter three.

The last paragraph.

I love when we go through the word, we go through paragraphs.

That's really the way it was written in the original language.

And so we're in the last paragraph in chapter three.

Every a lot of you have been telling me how much you've enjoyed this study.

I have too.

The word of God is awesome, it's always enjoyable.

And the next series we start, which will probably start at the end of September and take us to Christmas.

And then we'll be in the month of December and Christmas messages.

But the next series is God's Not Dead.

Amen.

And we're just gonna jump on the movie.

We love the movie.

If you haven't seen the movie, you gotta see the movie.

In fact, we're gonna end the series with a night out here, what we call TNT, terrific nights together, and showing the movie and popcorn and hot dogs.

So that'll be exciting as we end the series of My God's Not Dead.

Philippians chapter 3, verses 17 through 21.

Philippians 3:17–21

I think are probably, out of all the paragraphs in this chapter, are probably some of the most important principles in the whole book of Philippians.

Because notice what Paul says in verse 17.

Brethren, be followers together with me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.

Unbelievable truth.

And by the way, many of you have asked me about Sylvester.

I'm looking here at Kelly.

Where has Sylvester been?

Our surpro teams, about eight of them, have been in Detroit for all the flooding, and now they're headed to Chicago for their disaster.

But I think Sylvester's on his way back tonight.

Hopefully he'll be back home.

So we're really excited about that.

And Carrie's gone now.

So uh our men in green are taking care of the whole eastern United States.

Let's just give those guys a hand.

Amen.

They do an awesome job.

As if it never even happened.

It's kind of like Jesus when He, hey, hey, when He saves your soul and hey, turns you inside out.

He changes your life and makes you new, like as if that old sinfulness never even happened.

He cleanses us with the blood.

Amen.

Amen.

So, verse 17, he says, I have marked those that are saved.

I want you to follow those that are saved, the Epaphroditus, the Timothy's, all those in the church of Philippi.

He says, the Elydias and the jailer that was saved, and all these examples that we know that are living testimonies of what Christianity really is that are there in the church.

He says, Markham, mark them.

John Newton, the great hymn writer, said this.

I have ever to confess my with sorrow that I am far from being what I ought to be, and far from what I wish to be.

But by God's blessed name, I'm not the man I used to be.

Amen.

What a powerful statement John Newton said.

Paul, right here, every man Paul is saying is an example that someone else will follow.

Listen to me.

Each and every one of us here this morning are influencers.

We are influencers to our wife as dads.

We are influencer.

Hey, we are an influencer to our children.

We are an influencer to those that we work with.

We are an influencer to our family, to our friends, to our relatives.

You say, well, I'm not really an influencer.

Yes, you are.

Whether you like it or not, you are an influencer.

The question is, are you influencing for good?

Or are you influencing for evil?

Bad.

But one of the you say, well, I don't do anything.

Well, let me tell you, that's bad.

I'll help you.

That means you're a bad influence.

Well, I don't influence either way.

Yes, you do.

If you're not influencing either for good or bad, you're influencing for bad.

Hello.

Jesus said, either you're what?

For me or against me.

You can't be neutral as a Christian.

Can I get an amen?

No neutrality with Christianity.

You can't be.

In fact, 1 Corinthians 4.16, listen to what Paul said.

Wherefore I beseech you, be followers of me.

Listen to what he said in 1 Corinthians 11.1.

He says, ye follow me even as I follow Christ.

Now he he's now listen, we're not saying put your faith in a man.

Absolutely not.

We all have feet of clay.

What he's saying is, follow my Christ-likeness, my example, the characteristics of Christ.

You see my life as a living testimony before you.

In other words, I live what I preach.

Can I get an amen?

Paul says, Do as I do, not as I say.

Hello.

How many of us have been raised up, me included, in my family, in my relatives, and they would say, now don't do as I do, do as I say.

That is as hypocritical as it gets.

Hello.

Paul didn't say, do.

Hey.

He didn't say that.

He says, don't, he said, do as I do, not as I say.

Amen.

That's so powerful.

Now notice what the words here mean.

Look at follow together.

Follow together is a Greek word suminase.

Sumimateis, really, is the way you pronounce it.

Sumimate.

And it literally means, now watch this.

This is such an unbelievable word.

It means to uh the word mimitase means imitators, and the word sum means to come out.

In other words, he's saying that we, as Christians of the body of Christ, are to come out and be an imitator of all that Christ is.

Can I get an amen?

Boy, that's good.

That's what the word followers there really means.

And then in verse 17, he also uses the other word you see at the end, examples.

And the word example there means is in fact it comes from a Latin word, and then I get the Greek word is tupas, but the the Latin word when I was doing this word study, I said, oh, that's it, that's it.

You'll see why.

The Latin word is, listen to it, exmir, which means to take out.

Okay?

Exmir, to take out.

And then the uh the word ex means out, and then a mirror means to take or buy.

So it literally means to take out.

It's kind of like this.

When you're looking, ladies, how many of you love pretty earrings, pretty diamonds, all that stuff?

I'm looking at you, so you better raise your hand.

A lot of you like to wear them.

Hello, amen.

So when you go and you're looking at that counter, you you find the one you really want.

What do you tell the guy behind the counter and the lady behind the counter?

Can I look at that?

So what do they do?

They take it out and put it on the counter so you can examine it.

So you can really look at, whoo, you can put it on and say, oh, honey, honey, doesn't that look good?

Huh?

You know, what do you think, honey?

When when your wife says, What do you think, honey?

Guys, let me help you.

That means buy the sucker.

Amen.

Hello.

All right?

That's what it means.

I'm helping you.

Paul, I saw that pat.

That's what it means.

But it means to pull out and take and examine it.

Examine it.

Now, what's this?

So when you take the two words, two pots, and you take the other Greek word and you put them together, the Greek word for followers, it literally means that Jesus Christ, when he saved you, woo! When he saved you, washed your sins in the blood of the Lamb, He pulled you out of that den of iniquity and that all that muck that you were in.

He put your feet on the rock.

And then he cleansed you and He said, Now you are mine.

I have pulled you out.

You are now one of my children, and you are now to be examined and hey, to be looked at as an imitator of me.

Wow.

That's what that means.

You've been chosen.

You're a child of the king.

And God wants you to be visible.

He wants you to be a radiant light of all that he is.

So that's what Paul meant when he says, mark them.

Folks, say this with me.

I've been marked.

I've been marked.

If you're a Christian, you've been saved, you've been marked.

You're his.

And now he wants to set you on a hill so that you won't put the cover over the light, and so that people can examine you.

So they can see the Christ-likeness in you.

Somebody say, Amen.

So the question is: if we were to pull us out, put us on the top of the counter, what would people in jealousy and westover see in our lives?

Wow.

So that's what it means.

The word mark, it means intently observe.

People want to see, I call it, my granddaddy used to say, people want to see shoe leather Christianity.

They're not interested in you saying you're a Christian.

They're interested.

Hey, they're interested in seeing that you're a Christian.

Can I get an amen?

What's this?

I found this poem.

Unknown author.

Don't know who wrote it, but it was good.

What is the gospel according to you?

Listen to what it says.

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day.

I'd rather one would talk with me than merely tell me the way.

The eyes, a better pupil and more willing than the ear.

Find counsel is confusing, but examples are always clear.

The best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds.

For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done.

I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.

The lectures you deliver may be wise and may be true, but I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do.

I may not understand the high advice you give, but there's no misunderstanding on how you act and how you live.

Wow.

What is the gospel, according to you?

Look at what he says in 2 Corinthians 3 2.

You are our epistle.

That means letter.

You are our epistle, our letter, written in the hearts, known and read by all men.

You're writing a gospel, a chapter each day by the deeds that you do and the words that you say.

Men read what you write distorted or true.

What is the gospel according to you?

Paul is very clear with this.

Listen to what he says in Philippians 4 9.

He says, Those things which ye have both learned, now watch, and received, and heard, now watch.

It's one great thing to hear it, to learn it.

Hey, to receive it, you hear it, you receive it, you learn it.

And then he says, But and seeing in me, you do.

In other words, not only did he preach it, not only did he teach it, he lived it.

Amen.

It doesn't matter what we say to our children as we are rearing them.

It doesn't matter what we say to our co-workers as we are working with them about Christ.

What matters is how much of that Christ they see lived out in our lives that matters.

That'll make the difference.

Every time.

Every time.

People don't know much.

Hey, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Can I get an amen?

Every time.

Every time.

So we see that.

We see that right here.

1 Timothy 4 12.

Listen to what Peter, I meant Paul told Timothy, his young mentoree.

Let no man despise thy youth, but be thine example of the believers in word, in conversation, in love.

And now the word in spirit there is not the pneuma, the Holy Spirit.

He's talking about an attitude there.

He's talking about a not just an attitude, but but an excitement.

In other words, my spirit's excited.

Kind of like some of y'all have been looking.

I've watched your spirit lately with the football, college football season.

I've already heard it.

Well, war eagles, roll tie.

I'm seeing the spirit begin to rise.

Hello?

You okay out there?

Okay?

You with me?

All right.

That's what we're talking about.

That's what he means in the spirit here.

He's not talking about in the Holy Spirit.

He's talking about you're excited, you're eagerly, you're ready to go.

You're ready to live that faith.

Does that make sense?

You with me?

And that's what he's talking about in spirit.

So it should say in charity and in the spirit of faith.

That's the way it really should read.

In purity, and then in purity.

Now, let me give you, real quick.

You ready?

Get your pen ready.

We're going.

Watch my wife.

You're going to be proud of me.

I'm going to fill those blanks, honey.

You ready?

What?

Where?

Where are we to be examples?

Just one more.

You've got to memorize this first.

This is a verse you got to memorize.

He's saying, by the way, the word youth there is neotes.

It means 40 and under.

So how many youth do we have if you're 40 years of age and under?

Raise your hand.

Waiting to leave them up.

Carolyn.

Carolyn.

We wish.

I understand I'm 42.

Hey, we're 40 in attitude, darling.

Amen.

We're 40 in attitude.

All right.

All right.

All these people are youth.

You thought you were mature.

You're not mature.

You're still in your youth age.

Now you're maturing.

Now that answers some of the things why we do, we do today.

Amen.

But that's what it means.

But then he says, but hey, just because you're young, it doesn't matter.

What people are really looking at is your maturity.

Ladies and gentlemen, you can be 20 years old and be a pretty mature Christian.

You can be 80 years old and be a baby Christian.

Can I get an amen?

You with me?

So he says, don't let them despise your age, but I want you to be an example.

And here's the way we'd be an example.

Look, number one, in word.

Look at your outline.

In word.

Now.

And then you say, well, what are those other two?

In word, and what it means is, if you wanted to use a C, our conversation, but the word conversation is used three different times in three different ways.

So the book says in word, in other words, our speech.

Put speech in that second.

And then put in the third blank scripture.

Or actually in the second blank, you can put not just speech, you can put salt.

Salt, speech, and scripture.

What do you mean?

Here's what I'm talking about.

First of all, he says, let your what?

Speech, your word, be full of grace.

And what?

Seasoned with salt.

Colossians 4, 6.

What does that mean?

That means the words that I say are wholesome.

It means the words that I say are beneficial in teaching you the right things.

Can I get an Amen?

Teaching you what's right compared to what's wrong.

So our mouth is to be filled with salt.

Amen?

And listen, listen to what he says in James 3.10.

Out of the same mouth proceeds, now I hate this, cursing and blessings.

My brethren, these things ought not to be.

People that can come to church on Sunday and say, Amen, hallelujah, raise your hands and then go and cuss like a sailor during the week.

God, hey, have mercy on your soul.

That is out of the pits of hell.

Hello?

Hello.

Oh, wait, wait, wait.

Now listen to me.

Psalm 71, 8, let my mouth be filled with the praise and with thy honor all thy day.

Proverbs 15, 28, the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.

The man that's lost, Paul said, his tongue's full of deceitfulness and cunningness.

Romans 3.

Wow.

Listen to what else he says.

Proverbs 51, a soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.

I pray this first.

Every time I think about it.

It's not what I say, but it's how I say it.

Hello, you okay out here?

You with me?

Anybody else get any of that?

Oh, I know I'm right.

But I sure don't say it graciously.

Or I don't approach it in a way that it won't be offensive.

My wife was to every once, well, not every once in a while, but she'd say, You're throwing darts at me.

And I said, No.

And that's not what you say.

What's the other word?

Um I can't remember.

But anyway, you can't win, so that's good.

We're both, let me go on.

Let me go on.

I'm smarter than every.

Okay.

But anyway, wait, those things that the way we say it, look at what he says.

If grievous words are those that are cutting words, grievous words are those that are throwing darts, those that are trying to belittle whoever you're talking to.

They are inflamed.

That's a good word.

Okay?

And notice what it says is stir up anger.

And you wonder why your wife slapped you.

Take that.

My grandmother, I'll never forget.

She used to grab a bar of soap and say, I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap, boy.

Anyone else grew up like that?

Hello.

Hello.

And then every once in a while, she said, You're going to say that again.

I'm going to grab that tongue.

He says, You don't say anything unless it's sweet and building up and loving.

By the way, that happens to be the word of God, doesn't it?

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto its ears.

Ephesians 4 29.

If it's not good, not building up, not spoken graciously, not edifying, don't say it.

Can I get an Amen, church?

And then the other thing, not with just the salt, but then with the scripture.

What does he say?

We should also be an example in our attitude, our knowledge of the Word of God.

Look at what he says in 1 Peter 3 15.

Whoo! But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you of the hope, the joy, the excitement that's in you with mercy.

Meekness and fear.

So how do I do that?

1 Peter 4 11 says, if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.

As the word of God.

Amen?

That's it.

That's what ought to be coming out of our mouth.

Psalms 34, 13, keep thy tongue, listen, from evil and thy lips from speaking God.

And you know this one.

If you don't, you need to memorize it.

Psalms 19, 14, let the words of my mouth, the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my God and my redeemer.

Amen?

You with me?

So we see that.

And then notice what else he says there.

In word.

The word, Paul said, study the show thyself to prove unto God a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We need to study hard the word of God so that we can speak correctly.

Can I get an amen?

And live.

And live.

And by the way, when you're thinking right, you're speaking right.

When you're thinking right, you're living right.

And that's why it says, casting down imaginations and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Blank number two.

We're to be an example in our conversation or conduct.

The words used there's conversation, but it means not our talk, but our lifestyle.

What we believe is what we live.

Amen?

Our beliefs always determine our behavior.

Let me repeat that.

Our beliefs always re determines our behavior.

What you think, what you believe, is what you do.

Amen?

Amen.

If you really believe in seat belts, when you get in the car, you buckle them.

Hello.

I know I'm terrible at that.

I'll get halfway down and my little thing goes, beep, beep, beep.

Or you see the police.

Whoop.

Yeah, I know.

Guilty.

But here's we see what the word says.

Listen, Titus 2.7 says, in all things, watch, showing thyself a pattern.

Remember that following?

I didn't tell you, but the word following also means two other words.

A pattern.

It means a pattern to follow.

It means, hey, a hey, an example.

It means a mark that you can see.

In fact, the word there, tupas, literally means an indention by a blow, whether it be with a sword, whether it be with a hammer, whether it be with a fist.

In other words, you you've taken your fists and those those little I was thinking, what'd be a great example?

Remember when they came out with those little um toys little toys that you could put your hand in and turn it over and it would what do you call those things?

The what?

The weebles wobble.

The weebles wobble.

Yeah, the spikes that leave the indentation.

Y'all know what I'm talking about.

That just really can't.

You know, you put your hand there and then you turn it over, and all the spikes come around it, and then you have a beautiful print of your hand.

That's exactly what the tupas really means.

It means that we are to be that visible of a Christian before unbeliever, brother.

They ought to be able to look at us and see the mark of Jesus Christ on our lives.

Wow, that's good.

Amen.

How do they see the mark?

Through our speech, through our conversation, through our way we live.

That's our mark.

That's what he's talking about.

Right there.

Let me give you an example.

World War II.

I read this and I cried when I was reading this example, when I was doing my research.

World War II produced many, many heroes.

One was Butch O'Hare.

Have you ever heard of Butch O'Hare?

A few of one or two of you.

He was a fighter pilot assigned to an aircraft carrier in the South Pacific.

His planes, he was a commander of his squadron, was challenged, well not challenged, but commanded to go and do a mission.

So they all took off, which left the aircraft carrier and the fleet, because there was only one aircraft carrier, and there was a fleet with them, but all the protection of the planes, they all left.

So Butch took off with them.

And after he had gone for about an hour, he looked down and he realized that they had not topped off his gas tank.

So he knew he could not fulfill this mission and make it back.

So what he did, he turned around and came back.

He said, Well, I gotta go back.

And as he was coming back, he saw this squadron of zeros, Japanese zeros, headed to the fleet.

So what he did, he just said, I must do something.

So he just took a dive and went right into the middle of the squadron of zeros, the Japanese planes, and just started shooting and turning and firing, shooting several planes down.

They were hitting him.

And it was such a fierce battle that the squadron of about 25 planes of zeros turned around.

One man.

And as he limped back onto the aircraft carrier, he was rewarded with the highest honor you could ever be awarded with.

Have you ever flown into the Chicago airport?

What is it called?

Oh hair.

Wow.

Now, hold on, wait, wait, it gets better.

Some years earlier in the early 30s, mid-30s, there was a man named Easy Eddy.

Easy Eddy was Al Campon's lawyer.

Everybody, I I hate to admit this, but I love researching all that stuff.

In fact, they got specials right now on the History Channel about the Valentine massacre.

But it but I study all that.

I've read all the books on that about Al Campon and just how bad it was.

Hey, folks, listen, we think it's bad right now, and I know the news in Missouri and all that.

But hey, they literally would just go down with machine guns and just shoot people down in the main part of Chicago.

So it's not that bad yet.

So Easy Eddie was job was to keep Al Campone out of jail.

You ready for this?

He did.

And you know what?

He lived a luxurious life.

He had an estate that was a city block.

But he had one weakness.

His weakness was he had a son.

And he, even though he was wealthy, you know, his goal was to keep his son in good cars, good clothes, the best, the best, the best.

But he had a soft spot and he realized the way he was living was wrong.

And that he wanted, hey, he was not able to give him what he really wanted to give him.

And here's what he really wanted to give him: he wanted to give him a good name and a good example, which he couldn't do.

The Bible says in Proverbs 22, verse 1, a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.

Proverbs 22:1

Blessed is a man who walks in his integrity, his children shall be blessed after him.

Amen.

A living example.

It's not about money and things, it's about godliness.

It's about living your faith in front of your kids.

That's what makes a difference.

That's what makes a real difference.

Well, he made up his mind.

He said, I can't do this anymore.

So he went to the FBI and said, I'll testify.

It took over a year.

It took over a year.

But he finally convicted Alcompone.

But it cost him the greatest thing he could ever give.

In a bloody battle on the streets of Chicago, we say that Eddie, easy Eddie, was gun down.

He gave his life.

Now how does that relate?

He gave his son the greatest gift he could ever offer.

He gave him an example and he gave his life for that example.

What do these stories have to do with one another?

But O'Hare was easy, 80s.

Is that not awesome?

Is that not awesome, Church?

Examples matter.

It matters.

He was willing to pay the price to correct his mistakes and to be to his son the right kind of example in conduct and character.

It paid off.

It paid off.

Number three, charity and compassion in love.

Look at the other word in 1 Timothy 4.

Love.

Love.

John 13, 35, Jesus said, By this shall all men know that you're my disciples by your love.

Loving God and loving people.

We got to love God with all our hearts.

When we love God with all our hearts, we love people with all our hearts.

Ladies and gentlemen, the joy I have of every Sunday morning is standing out there as you come in and hugging you and loving on you and thanking God that you are here.

Amen.

Because we're going to grow together.

We're going to become more like Jesus together.

Can I get an amen?

So that we can go out and be examined by Westover and Chelsea, and they'll see that true testimony.

They'll see the joy of the Lord.

And they'll say, I don't know what you got, but I want it.

And you say, Well, come on, you can go to CCW, you can catch it there.

It's running rampant at CCW.

Amen?

Amen, folks.

You with me?

Amen.

Man.

That's what we're talking about.

Love.

Loving God and loving people.

By love, serve one another.

Thank you.

I want us right now, all the people, and I'm not going to call names because they'll get mad at me, but you already know them, so I don't have to call the names.

All the people that are here.

We had people here yesterday at 6 o'clock fixing breakfast, getting ready for the Covenants class and for our monthly breakfast.

We have people here this morning.

We have people during the week running errands, doing errands, getting everything ready to feed 170, 180 of us every week.

Can we just give them a hand?

You know why they're doing it?

Because they love God and they love you.

And it's part of their service.

Number four, we're to be an example in confidence, in faith, in courage.

Oh, Dr.

George W.

Truett was a fantastic evangelist, Southern Baptist evangelist.

He was preaching in a struggling congregation.

They were trying to raise$6,500 to do a building project.

They had raised$3,000.

And finally, it gotten pretty, you know, slack.

Nobody was pledging, nobody was giving.

And so finally, Truett just kind of stood up, and this was in the third or fourth night.

He's because their goal was to raise it by the end of the week in the revival.

And he finally said, folks, what is wrong?

He says, You're$3,500 short.

And it's Thursday night, the last night of the revival.

I got a question.

Do you think I'm the vesting evangelist?

Do you think I'm supposed to give it?

He said, I've already plagued, so a good, you know, he had done that.

And about that time, this little lady in the back with a shaking voice raised her hand.

And she said, Honey, the Lord's laid on my heart if you don't mind.

And her husband, Eddie, not Eddie, but John, was doing the pledges up on the platform.

She said, Honey, you know we were offered$3,500 yesterday for our little house.

Would you mind if we gave that house to the Lord?

Since Jesus gave his life for me and you, can we give that house?

He said, Absolutely, honey.

I was thinking the same thing.

And he turned to Dr.

Truett and he said, Do I need to increase my pledge?

However, I need to do it, we do it.

And about that time there was a total, total silence.

You could start hearing people sobbing and crying.

People that had made no commitment, people that had made a little commitment.

Next thing you know, one lady was runs up.

She says, Dr.

Truett, I've not pledged anything.

I pledged$500 tonight.

And in along the next 10, 15 minutes, they had raised to$6,500.

And the chairman of the deacons got up and said to the Joneses, you are not going to give your house.

God used that to wake us up.

Amen.

Amen.

Faith.

Living by faith.

Without faith, Hebrews 11, 6.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

For he that comes to God must believe that he is, that he is a rewarder that diligently seek him.

We prayed on a Thursday night when God was calling us here.

We prayed that our house would sell and have it sail in a week.

We prayed with David and Christy on a Thursday night on Saturday morning.

My neighbor walks in and buys my house.

Hello.

You trust God, you believe God.

Amen.

He'll do it.

He'll do it.

But you got to do your part.

You can't be half-hearted obedient to him and think he's going to, hey, be totally obedient to you.

Goes both ways.

You got to be all in.

All in.

There's a good chance right now.

Cassian.

Stevens.

They had a house in Kalera.

Long story short, somebody's already looked at a house and text them back, and they're in the process of getting everything, loans and stuff.

Looks like they have already sold their house and never even put it on the market.

Woo! Hello.

Amen.

Deedra sold put it on Tuesday, sold hers on Wednesday.

David put his up and took a year.

I don't understand that.

I just said what he says.

He said, I don't know what that means.

He said, but it didn't hurt me.

Let's go.

Benji put his up on Tuesday and sold on Friday.

Why?

He said, What's the connection?

Owl knew that they were supposed to be a part of this church all in.

All in.

Either in or it ain't.

Amen.

Get in the game.

The righteous are bold as a lion.

We have, hey, go, Darren.

The righteous are bold as a lion.

They are.

We have confidence and courage by faith in Christ Jesus.

And by the way, that's the next one.

They can be against us.

And then number five, we're to be examples in consecration, in purity.

Our attitude about sin.

Actions concerning temptation heavily influence others.

The crowd can influence someone to do that which is wrong.

We can go through scripture and I can show you.

Remember the crowd?

Remember the crowd of the Israelis, the Israelites?

How they got Abraham to build a golden calf.

I mean, not Abraham, but Aaron to build a golden calf.

The preacher.

Lest God don't come to me and ask me to build a golden calf.

I'm not going to do it.

I'm going to run.

Amen?

A group can influence you.

You know what I tell our young people, Stephen, all our teenagers?

You need to be an influencer, not a follower.

Amen?

You need to be a leader, not a follower.

Hey, a thermostat.

Hey, you can either turn the temperature up or you can turn it down.

Which will you be?

Bless God, we're going to turn it up for Jesus.

Can I get an amen?

Can I get an amen?

Amen.

Well, number two.

Did I miss any blanks?

Okay, well, if I did, I'm sorry.

Number two, the enemies of the cross.

I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time here.

But there were several kinds of enemies here.

There was the Gnostics.

They tried to intellectually dissect Christianity, and here was their philosophy.

That the body is evil no matter what you do.

But it really doesn't matter because you got a soul, so the body doesn't matter.

So if you're a homosexual, if you're an adulterous, if you're a druggie, if you're a drunkard, if you're all it doesn't really matter because the body doesn't matter.

I thought to myself, that sounds like America today.

Hello?

Amen.

Huh?

Huh?

And then we had the, then he had the Epicureans.

Now here was the Epicureans.

Here's what they thought.

That man could not be complete until he had tried everything good and bad.

Remember Solomon when we went through the book of Ecclesiastes?

He went through that.

He dealt with this philosophy for a while.

But he came to the conclusion that was wrong.

And that the whole conclusion of the matter is fear God and keep his commandments.

And then there was the Judaizers.

Work, work.

You know, oh yeah, if you're a Gentile, you can be saved, but you still got to be circumcised, and you still got to hold to our ceremonial laws, and you still have to do this and do that.

Work salvation.

So all this is what Paul is facing in the church of Philippi.

And here's what he says about them.

Are you ready?

He pulls them right between the eyes.

He says, whose end, look at it, whose end is destruction.

Whose end is destruction.

Wow.

Oh, verse 19, whose end is destruction.

It means utter destruction and eternity.

Hey, misery in hell.

The other word, the other Greek word that it's used synonymous with this, is destruction, is perdition.

If you remember, the uh disciple, Judas, that sold Christ out for 30 pieces of silver, what did he say he was in the scriptures?

He was the son of perdition.

His ultimate destiny was destruction.

And then he said, Whose God is their belly?

Wow.

Whose end is their destruction.

Whose God is their belly.

What does belly mean?

The Greek word there is koilia.

It means, are you ready?

Unrestrained sensuality.

Um, sound like America?

Sex, sex, sex, sex, all kinds of sex.

Doesn't matter.

And you see those other philosophies that I just said come right in.

It's unbridled sensuality.

Lord help us.

God help us.

Matthew 13, 22, he says, because of these lusts of the flesh and the cravings of the world and the love or money and sensuality, the word of God is choked and we become unprofitable.

And then, whose glory is their shame?

The enemies of the cross are proud of their sinfulness and their lifestyles.

Homosexuality today, you cannot watch a show on TV without some couple that's a whole either lesbians or homosexuals.

They're not ashamed of their sin, they're flaunting it in our face.

Lord help us.

Listen to me.

You better listen to me.

If we don't see revival in America, God help us.

Because if He doesn't bring destruction to America, if we don't repent and turn back to God, He would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.

I know that's tough.

I know that's pretty hard preaching, but I love you.

And I didn't do that out of malice, I did out of that concern for the truth.

We've got to make a difference.

We've got to be, hey, we got to be that, that, that, that two pas that example that people can see the right way.

Amen.

Hey, do I hate homosexuals?

Absolutely not.

Do I hate the the druggies and everybody?

No, no, no, no.

I love them.

I love them, but they're wrong.

Amen.

We love them, but we hate to sin.

And that's what all of us, not just homosexuals, adulters, all of it.

Can I get an amen?

I tell you what, it's so amazing that how such a small percentage can have such a loud voice.

Talking about tupas, they are really understanding the word tupas.

We need to, hey, be as eager and as passionate about who we are.

Can I get an amen?

And then the last thing, who mind earthly things.

Look at what it says in James 4, 4.

You adulters, adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of this world is enmity with God?

Ooh, hostility.

That word enmity means hostility with God.

Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world, listen what it says, is an enemy of God.

Lord help us.

Colossians 3, 1 and 2.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth.

Wow.

Whew! Man.

Told you this was an important section in the book of Philippians.

Paul just peels the apple.

He peels it, baby.

He peels it.

Last thing.

Not only.

Number one, the example of Paul and the example of the saints.

Not only, number two, there's the enemies of the cross that we just looked at.

But number three, there's the expectation of the Christian.

And what is that expectation?

Woo! Luke 10, 20.

Notwithstanding in this, rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

Woo! Verse 20 says, our citizenship's in heaven.

Amen.

We're, folks, you're not.

Listen, this is not your home.

We're just passing through.

This is not your home.

We're just passing through.

Amen.

Isn't that good?

Our citizenship's in heaven.

So guess what?

We ought to be living out where our citizenship is.

Let me give you the example.

Philippi, the church.

Even though they were 200 miles from Rome, they were a colony of Rome.

Which meant they lived by the Roman customs, the Romans' laws, the Romans' dress, the Romans' government, everything.

They were proud to be Romans.

Well, I got news for you.

I'm proud to be a Christian.

And I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

Amen.

Jesus is awesome.

Some ladies have been hugging my neck.

Hey, look right there.

Jesus is awesome.

I don't care.

Y'all see all my suits.

I got it on both of them when I'm hugging.

But hey, listen.

Hey, I'm glad to be a Christian.

Jesus is awesome.

That's why we wear those bands.

We're not ashamed.

Let me tell you, it only takes a few that stand up.

There's a lot of people out there that are ready to be influenced.

Yes.

So let's stand up and influence them in the right direction.

Take a stand.

Don't compromise.

Be bold.

Be that example.

I love the song.

I like this song.

Granny, you'll remember this one.

This world is not my home.

Anybody remember that one?

Oh, I grew up on it.

My grandmother was singing all the time.

And it goes like this.

This world is not my home.

I'm just passing through.

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.

The angels beckon me from heaven's golden shores.

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Woo!

Man, that's good.

I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

I was sitting there the last night and Susan and watching the news, and I said, Oh God help us.

We need revival.

America's in trouble, folks.

We're in trouble.

But we have the answer.

Jesus.

He's still the answer.

He's still waiting.

I saw in the Old Testament two or three times he's going to destroy Israel.

But because some Christians said no, we'll take the stand, we'll be an example, we'll lead.

God changed his mind.

And I know that's a debate.

Can God change his mind?

Well, just read the Old Testament.

He says, I'm fixing to kill him, Moses.

Please don't.

Please don't.

Don't kill him, God.

Kill me.

Will you give me another chance with him?

He said, okay, Moses.

Because of your example.

I hold my hand.

Because of you.

Moses.

I hold my hand.

You can intercede for your family, and Satan doesn't have to destroy them.

If you'll live for Christ, and you stand in the gap for your kids and you pray your kids, you beg for your kids, and you say, I'm not giving up.

Satan, you're not gonna get my kids.

You're not gonna get my kids.

And you tell me if I live for Christ and I'm that example.

Whatsoever I ask you to do, you're gonna save my kids.

You're gonna get up every morning like the like the God did, like the father did, waiting for the prodigal son to come home.

Today he's coming home.

Not today, tomorrow.

But I'm not giving up.

Influence.

You can influence God by your prayers and by your life.

The more you like him, the more he wants to answer you.

That's good.

Somebody say that's good, preacher.

So, where's that script?

I'm glad you asked.

John 15, 7, you abide in me, my words abide in you, ask what it will and shall be done.

You with me?

Alright, now I've got to finish.

I'm hungry.

Thinking about those sausage.

Real quick, and I'm through.

Why is the rapture important to us?

Three minutes.

Can you write fast?

It challenges us to be prepared.

You believe Jesus is coming back?

Do you know the hour, the time?

No.

I had a guy ask me, preacher, when do you think the Lord's coming back?

This year, next year, ten years?

When do you think he's coming back?

Really?

I said, He may.

I said, He could come today.

I'm ready.

He said, Oh, you don't understand.

I said, No, you don't understand.

He said, and then I quoted all these scriptures that I gave another.

The power nominal numbers, but be ready because I come in the twinkling of an eye.

You know how fast that is?

You just missed it.

You just missed it.

He's coming on.

That's fast.

Woo! Amen.

That's what the twinkling of an eye is.

We're out of here.

Woo! Man.

I wonder if Darren will be shouting as we're going up.

I imagine we will.

But it's gonna be so fast we might not be able to say anything.

Oh boy there.

Hey.

Jesus said, Hey, fanatics.

Come on in.

Come on in.

Are you prepared?

Are you ready?

Now, little children, abide in him that when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

1 John 2.28.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you're laxadaisical, if you're lazy, if you're not living for him, you'll be ashamed.

I don't want to be ashamed.

I don't want to be ashamed.

Number two, challenges us to be perceptive.

Titus 2.13, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Be ye therefore also ready for the Son of Man cometh in the hour that you thinketh not.

Luke 12, 40.

Number four, challenges us to pass on the gospel, the good news.

Luke 19, 13.

Put it up there.

Jeremy.

Oh, that's a good one.

Oh.

And he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

Folks, you got gifts, you got talents.

Be using them now.

Be working now.

So he's coming and he could come today.

He could come this afternoon.

What if Lord did be good while I'm preaching?

You just take us up.

Pew! Here we go.

Wouldn't that be exciting?

Amen.

You know what I'm gonna be saying when we got, I told you.

And you they're still sitting here looking up, you're gonna say, He did.

You won't have to worry about lunch.

We're going to the feast of the lamb.

You think we got good food?

You ain't seen anything yet, folks.

Chocolate cream-filled donuts and not one pound gained.

I'm gonna eat them till I can't eat anymore.

You can't move around.

I'm gonna eat granny's chocolate pie till I I'm just gonna intervene.

Number five.

It challenges us to participate in our church and be faithful.

Upon this rock I'll build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against.

Oh, not forsaking the assemblings of ourselves together.

Hebrews 10, 25, Matthew 16, 18.

I was glad when they said, let us go into the house of the Lord.

Psalms 122, verse 1.

Psalms 122:1

1 Peter 2, 5.

We are a lively hope, a living example of who he is.

I'm excited every Sunday you show up.

Oh, it blesses my heart.

Number 6, it challenges us to be patient.

Oh, I hate that.

Oh, I was doing good till we got that one.

Be also patient.

Establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, James 5.

Just be patient.

Keep working.

Keep working.

And then he challenges us to have proper priorities.

You know whether or not your priorities are ordered right this morning.

You know if he's first or not this morning.

And then the last thing.

Challenges us to have passion and love for people.

Can I get an amen?

Passion and love for people.

I love you.

I love you with all my heart.

More than you'll ever know.

Pray for you all the time.

Think about you all the time.

Oh.

Are you looking forward to his return?

Are you really?

I close with this example.

During 1960, presidential campaign, John F.

Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.

Now watch this.

Don't miss this.

One day in 1789, the sky of Hartford darkened greatly.

And some of the representatives glancing out the windows feared the end was at hand.

Upset and quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment.

They said, They said, Mr.

Davenport, Mr.

Speaker, we've got to we gotta leave.

Davenport rose.

And here's what he said.

The day of judgment is either approaching or it's not.

If it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment.

If it is, I choose.

Now what?

I choose to be doing my duty.

In other words, if he's coming, I want to be caught doing my duty.

Huh?

Uh-uh.

When he comes on Sunday, I want to be caught in church.

When he comes on Monday, I want to be caught working and sharing for him.

When he comes on Tuesday, I want to be living testimony.

On Wednesday, I want to be in my small groups.

On Thursday, I want to be sharing and helping that neighbor that needs help.

That neighbor that needs help.

On Friday, I want to be in jump vibe with the young people.

On Saturday, yeah, I want to be a living testimony at the football games.

Hello.

Also, I want to be a good example when I'm hunting and fishing.

Long as my priorities are in order.

And folks, if you really believe he's coming back, and he is, this word that Paul has taught us this morning ought to make a difference in our lives.