Fellowship of Joy: God’s Provision Philippians 4:10-23
Preached by Caleb Mayberry September 28th, 2008
Verse 19 is one of the favorite verses of prosperity gospel teachers. They hear “riches and glory” and thinks Rolexes and Benz’s. Paul knew nothing of this prosperity gospel. He writes from jail to a church that is likely facing sharp persecution and he is confident that God will provide all their needs according to God’s riches and glory. So clearly need is not defined here as comfortable circumstances and plenty of money. Given the context of contentment that Paul spoke of earlier, the primary focus is on God giving us the resources (spiritual and physical) necessary to rest and rejoice in Christ.
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Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 4:2-9
Preached by Pastor Michael Gunn on September 21st, 2008
We all, myself included, live our lives in a practical defiance of the commands of the Lord, and then wonder why our lives are such a mess. We go to many counselors, none of which open the word and give us counsel from the “Mighty Counselor,” and we still struggle with every day issues. We fail to accept God’s love and forgiveness, and His grace in our lives, and subsequently we fail to live as thankful, grace giving people.
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Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 3:12-4:1
Preached by Pastor Michael Gunn on September 14th, 2008
Here we have the interesting paradox that is Christianity. I believe the gospel teaches that there is nothing you can do to earn your salvation, or gain favor with God, yet we see Paul “Pressing” and “Straining” toward the goal. The enigma is relieved in part in verse 12, when Paul tells the Philippians that he has not already obtained the goal of “Knowing Christ” intimately, and being aligned perfectly with His will.
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Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 3:1-11
Preached by Pastor Michael Gunn on September 7th, 2008
In our passage today, Paul begins to show that the suffering can, and will come in the form of false teaching. False teaching is a joy robber, especially if it is weighed down with legalistic “Self-saving” mechanisms. Paul, like Jesus, seems to leave his harshest criticism for the religious people. I think the reason they do is that religion offers the subtlest, and therefore, the most delusional and dangerous forms of rebellion against God. When we substitute religion, ritual and personal piety for faith, and the grace of God, we delude ourselves into believing that we are good with God, we become self-righteous, and ultimately frustrated with the fact that our formulas haven’t worked.
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Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 2:19-30
Preached by Pastor Michael Gunn on August 31st, 2008
How does the world see Christ? Through relationships, the way we live in our families, community and Missional Community groups at church. The church is a family, that is called to live out the reality of Christ within, and the fact is, it will be messy, and we will be inconvenienced, but as the gospel is working in us, it is tearing out the stones left in our hearts, and turning us upward instead of inward. We must measure the cross as an opportunity for God’s glory, and not an opportunity to make much of ourselves. This should drive us to be servants to one another as Christ both taught us, and demonstrated through His cross for our sakes.
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Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 2:12-20
Preached by Pastor Michael Gunn on August 24th, 2008
We need to continue in obedience to God by not just proclaiming the gospel, but living it out in community! When we are living out the gospel, with the proper respect for God, we will live that out in community in respect and honor for one another. The only way we can truly work “Out” (Outward) our salvation, is to do so in community. We cannot love without the other! We cannot forgive and ask forgiveness without the other. We cannot work through disputes and grumbling without the other. We have our families, church communities, work-space, etc. to work this mess out. Our faith is never about us and God alone. It is connected to our life!
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Fellowship of Joy – Unity in the Gospel
Preached by Michael Ly on August 17th, 2008
The advancement of the gospel is happening all across the world, but not without the price of suffering for those who are in the battle. As suffering comes, members of the Philippian church were tempted to become selfish and focus on their own safety and needs. Paul exhorts them to unity by looking at the example of Jesus, who went straight to the cross for victory.
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Living Life Worthy of the Gospel
Preached by Pastor Caleb Mayberry on August 10th, 2008
We were given completely new natures out of which God expects to flow behavior that is worthy of the gospel. This passage will tell us what it means to live worthy of the gospel and it gives us three ways that God would have us live worthy of the gospel: Striving together, being of one spirit and one mind while standing firm in His gospel. We are called to more than just belief in Christ but we are also called to a mission that involves suffering.
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Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:21-26
Preached by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 27th, 2008
We spend most of our time in our lives searching for meaning and purpose, and often, by the time we find it, they are pronouncing us dead. In a huge universe with many crazy things going on around us, we sometimes struggle to believe there is a real purpose for us in the first place. Our soul will never be made full from the blessings we have here on earth, they will only be filled when we search for God, like the deer who pants for water on a scorching hot day!! It is there that we will find an endless stream of water for the weary soul.
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Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians, 1:12-20
Preached by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 20th, 2008
Last week we saw Paul’s love for the Philippian Church, and how he tempered his prayers around them, and his desire to see God to continue to work in them. The gospel and eternity shape everything Paul is about, and his prayer life reflects that. Instead of praying for himself and his own circumstances, he prays with the gospel at the center. He has an eternal perspective that energizes his prayer life. Today we will take a look at how God can and does use evil in Paul’s life, for His own redemptive purposes.
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Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians 1:3-11
Preached by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 13th, 2008
Our prayers are often soaked with ourselves, and our own needs, but when we begin to know the love of God in our lives and we connect to His mission in this world, our prayer life will begin to change, and our joy will be made complete as we see God working in the lives of others.
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Fellowship of Joy: A Study in Philippians
Preached by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 6th, 2008
I am excited to begin this short letter of Paul to the Philippian (Macedonian) church. This church is exemplary of the reality of the church of Jesus Christ. It is a “Beautiful Mess!” This is a church that Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 as an incredibly giving church, who desired to always “Participate in the gospel” (Philippians 1:5), yet they struggled with unity and humility (see Philippians 2:1-4; 4:1-3). There is no “Perfect” church.
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