PHILLIPINES 1: 12-18
V.12 BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW, BRETHREN, THAT THE THINGS WHICH HAPPENED TO ME HAVE
ACTUALLY TURNED OUT FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE GOSPEL,
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE TEXT, THE APOSTLE PAUL TALKS ABOUT THE UNCHANGING
MISSION OF STAYING ON TRACK EVEN WHILE IN PRISON. THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES HAD WORKED
OUT TO HIS ADVANTAGE BY ADVANCING THE GOSPEL. THROUGH HIS TESTIMONY TO THE PRISON
GUARD AND HIS FAMILY {V.13), THROUGH HIS COURAGE GIVEN TO OTHERS TO PROCLAIM THE
GOSPEL (14),THE GOSPEL WAS STILL ADVANCING DESPITE THE FALSE TEACHINGS OF SOME(V.V.
15-16),BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL THIS IS THAT CHRIST IS PREACHED(V.18).
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHEN YOU HAVE A PURPOSE GIVEN BY GOD, YOU WILL NOT FAIL OR
BE MOVED FROM YOUR OBJECTIVE DESPITE OPPOSITION BY SATAN. BECAUSE GOD WILL NOT LET
SATAN WIN THE BATTLE.
WHAT WILL SUCH A PURPOSE GIVE YOU, IT WILL MOTIVATE YOU, IT WILL KEEP YOUR PRIORITIES
STRAIGHT, IT WILL DEVELOP YOUR POTENTIAL, IT WILL GIVE YOU POWER TO LIVE IN THE PRESENT
AND IT WILL HELP YOU EVALUATE YOUR PROGRESS.
HOW DID THE APOSTLE PAUL’S SENSE OF PURPOSE KEEP HIM IN THE BATTLE AS HE SAT IN
PRISON? WHAT DID HE LEARN BEHIND BARS? LET US CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING AS WE GO TO
THE TEXT.
WHILE HE SAT IN PRISON IN ROME HE NEVER LOST HIS PASSION, HIS SENSE OF MISSION, HIS SENSE
OF DIRECTION, OR HIS SENSE OF COMMAND IN THE SITUATION.
INSTEAD WHILE HE SAT IN PRISON WITH A GUARD CHAINED TO HIM, WAITING FOR WHAT HE
THOUGHT TO BE THE END OF LIFE, HE NEVER ABANDONED HIS ROLE OF LEADERSHIP OR OF
TELLING THE STORY OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS GRACE MERCY AND LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND...
HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN HAD HE CHOSEN TO TAKE A SABBATICAL LEAVE, AS HE WAITED
TRIAL, AND YET HE USED EVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HE WAS A LEADER WHO NEVER DRIFTED FROM HIS MISSION, HE WAS
DETERMINED TO LEAVE HIS MARK WHEREVER HE WENT. WHAT ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU
DETERMINED TO MAKE A MARK OR LEAVE A MARK?
I’M REMINDED OF GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER WHO WROTE, ”NO INDIVIDUAL HAS ANY RIGHT TO
COME INTO THE WORLD AND GO OUT OF IT WITHOUT LEAVING BEHIND A DISTINCT AND LEGITIMATE
REASON FOR HAVING PASSED THROUGH IT”.
SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHAT WILL A PURPOSE GIVE TO YOU? A PERSONAL SENSE OF
PURPOSE WILL WORK IN TWO WAYS, WE WORK ON IT, AND THEN IT WORKS ON US.
WHEN WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND OUR LIFE MISSION THAT PURPOSE IMPROVES OUR ATTITUDE.
NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION, KEEP ON SMILING. DON'T SURRENDER TO YOUR
CIRCUMSTANCES, GIVE THEM OVER TO JESUS.
WHEN WE DO WE HAVE PEACE, JOY CONTENTMENT AND SALVATION. EACH TIME YOU GIVE UP
SOMETHING, YOU MOVE FORWARD AND HONOR GOD. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SACRIFICES TO STICK
TO GOD’S GIVEN PLAN AND YOUR MISSION.
LIKE THE APOSTLE PAUL, YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP SOMETHING TO GO UP. I ASK AGAIN WHAT YOU
WILL GIVE UP, TO GO UP.
BUT CHURCH WHAT ABOUT THE VESSEL NAMED JESUS CHRIST HIS PURPOSE FOR LIFE AND FOR US
HIS CHOSEN CHILDREN? WHAT DID HE GIVE UP FOR US? MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HE WOULD
NOT BE MOVED FROM HIS PURPOSE NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.
HE GAVE UP HIS DIVINE FORM FOR US. DIDN'T HE!
HE EMPTIED HIMSELF OF ANY RIGHTS. DIDN'T HE!
HE BECAME A HUMAN KIND FOR US. DIDN'T HE!
HE BECAME A SERVANT FOR US! DIDN'T HE!
HE WAS OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH. DIDN'T HE!
HE DIED A TERRIBLE KIND OF DEATH FOR US. DIDN'T HE!
BUT LET ME REMIND YOU MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT EARLY ONE MORNING HE ROSE. DIDN'T
HE RISE? SAY YES!!
YES EARLY ON A SUNDAY MORNING HE ROSE WITH ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IN HIS
HANDS. GLORY TO THE LAMB OF GOD! GLORY TO THE SON OF GOD! GLORY TO THE GOD OF
OUR CREATION JESUS!
YES JESUS IS THAT VESSEL THAT WILL NOT BE MOVED!
V.12 BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW, BRETHREN, THAT THE THINGS WHICH HAPPENED TO ME HAVE
ACTUALLY TURNED OUT FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE GOSPEL,
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE TEXT, THE APOSTLE PAUL TALKS ABOUT THE UNCHANGING
MISSION OF STAYING ON TRACK EVEN WHILE IN PRISON. THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES HAD WORKED
OUT TO HIS ADVANTAGE BY ADVANCING THE GOSPEL. THROUGH HIS TESTIMONY TO THE PRISON
GUARD AND HIS FAMILY {V.13), THROUGH HIS COURAGE GIVEN TO OTHERS TO PROCLAIM THE
GOSPEL (14),THE GOSPEL WAS STILL ADVANCING DESPITE THE FALSE TEACHINGS OF SOME(V.V.
15-16),BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL THIS IS THAT CHRIST IS PREACHED(V.18).
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHEN YOU HAVE A PURPOSE GIVEN BY GOD, YOU WILL NOT FAIL OR
BE MOVED FROM YOUR OBJECTIVE DESPITE OPPOSITION BY SATAN. BECAUSE GOD WILL NOT LET
SATAN WIN THE BATTLE.
WHAT WILL SUCH A PURPOSE GIVE YOU, IT WILL MOTIVATE YOU, IT WILL KEEP YOUR PRIORITIES
STRAIGHT, IT WILL DEVELOP YOUR POTENTIAL, IT WILL GIVE YOU POWER TO LIVE IN THE PRESENT
AND IT WILL HELP YOU EVALUATE YOUR PROGRESS.
HOW DID THE APOSTLE PAUL’S SENSE OF PURPOSE KEEP HIM IN THE BATTLE AS HE SAT IN
PRISON? WHAT DID HE LEARN BEHIND BARS? LET US CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING AS WE GO TO
THE TEXT.
WHILE HE SAT IN PRISON IN ROME HE NEVER LOST HIS PASSION, HIS SENSE OF MISSION, HIS SENSE
OF DIRECTION, OR HIS SENSE OF COMMAND IN THE SITUATION.
INSTEAD WHILE HE SAT IN PRISON WITH A GUARD CHAINED TO HIM, WAITING FOR WHAT HE
THOUGHT TO BE THE END OF LIFE, HE NEVER ABANDONED HIS ROLE OF LEADERSHIP OR OF
TELLING THE STORY OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS GRACE MERCY AND LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND...
HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN HAD HE CHOSEN TO TAKE A SABBATICAL LEAVE, AS HE WAITED
TRIAL, AND YET HE USED EVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HE WAS A LEADER WHO NEVER DRIFTED FROM HIS MISSION, HE WAS
DETERMINED TO LEAVE HIS MARK WHEREVER HE WENT. WHAT ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU
DETERMINED TO MAKE A MARK OR LEAVE A MARK?
I’M REMINDED OF GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER WHO WROTE, ”NO INDIVIDUAL HAS ANY RIGHT TO
COME INTO THE WORLD AND GO OUT OF IT WITHOUT LEAVING BEHIND A DISTINCT AND LEGITIMATE
REASON FOR HAVING PASSED THROUGH IT”.
SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHAT WILL A PURPOSE GIVE TO YOU? A PERSONAL SENSE OF
PURPOSE WILL WORK IN TWO WAYS, WE WORK ON IT, AND THEN IT WORKS ON US.
WHEN WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND OUR LIFE MISSION THAT PURPOSE IMPROVES OUR ATTITUDE.
NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION, KEEP ON SMILING. DON'T SURRENDER TO YOUR
CIRCUMSTANCES, GIVE THEM OVER TO JESUS.
WHEN WE DO WE HAVE PEACE, JOY CONTENTMENT AND SALVATION. EACH TIME YOU GIVE UP
SOMETHING, YOU MOVE FORWARD AND HONOR GOD. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SACRIFICES TO STICK
TO GOD’S GIVEN PLAN AND YOUR MISSION.
LIKE THE APOSTLE PAUL, YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP SOMETHING TO GO UP. I ASK AGAIN WHAT YOU
WILL GIVE UP, TO GO UP.
BUT CHURCH WHAT ABOUT THE VESSEL NAMED JESUS CHRIST HIS PURPOSE FOR LIFE AND FOR US
HIS CHOSEN CHILDREN? WHAT DID HE GIVE UP FOR US? MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HE WOULD
NOT BE MOVED FROM HIS PURPOSE NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.
HE GAVE UP HIS DIVINE FORM FOR US. DIDN'T HE!
HE EMPTIED HIMSELF OF ANY RIGHTS. DIDN'T HE!
HE BECAME A HUMAN KIND FOR US. DIDN'T HE!
HE BECAME A SERVANT FOR US! DIDN'T HE!
HE WAS OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH. DIDN'T HE!
HE DIED A TERRIBLE KIND OF DEATH FOR US. DIDN'T HE!
BUT LET ME REMIND YOU MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT EARLY ONE MORNING HE ROSE. DIDN'T
HE RISE? SAY YES!!
YES EARLY ON A SUNDAY MORNING HE ROSE WITH ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IN HIS
HANDS. GLORY TO THE LAMB OF GOD! GLORY TO THE SON OF GOD! GLORY TO THE GOD OF
OUR CREATION JESUS!
YES JESUS IS THAT VESSEL THAT WILL NOT BE MOVED!
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The Word
Sermon of the Month
THE VESSEL THAT WILL NOT BE MOVED
Sermon of the Month
THE VESSEL THAT WILL NOT BE MOVED
| John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. KJV |