SERMON RECAP: HEALTHY ATTITUDES based on Philippians 2:12-18
Our attitude, or perspective, shapes our reality and outcomes. That is why two people can experience the exact same event, but respond differently. Sometimes, we need a paradigm shift or an attitude adjustment to move from what is unhealthy or destructive to what is healthy and life-giving. In our walk with Christ, we should have a certain paradigm as believers, especially if we are going to walk faithfully as an imitation of Christ. What healthy attitudes should we carry? What should our paradigm be?
1. Integrity (Phil 2:12). We should be people of integrity first and foremost, being the same person at all times. Paul highlights the importance of integrity as he addressed the church: they were obedient in his presence, and much more so in his absence. We as believers should not have a church face and then a rest-of-the-week face. We should be exactly the same person in every sphere. Therefore, if we claim to follow Jesus, we should consistently obey God, no matter who is around. Our true self is who we are when we think no one else is looking. We can declare we are Christian until we are blue in the face, but what we do in the dark shows if we truly are a Christian or not.
2. Salvation (Phil 2:12). Sometimes we fall into the modern trap of believing one of two lies: that salvation is a ticket punch to heaven as a result of baptism, confession, or praying a sinner’s prayer, or that salvation is universal, that everyone achieves heaven. However, that is NOT what the Bible teaches! Jesus came to free humanity from sin and reconcile us to God; the byproduct of such activity is eternal life! We access Jesus’ salvific work through repentance, accepting Jesus’ free gift of grace and going and sinning no more. Therefore, salvation is not just an instantaneous act achieved on the cross; it is something we work out daily with true respect toward God. Here, Paul describes it as working out our salvation with fear (respect/honor) and trembling (humility). In Romans, Paul describes this as offering yourself as a living sacrifice, and in 1 Corinthians as dying daily. Jesus asks all followers to deny themselves and take up their cross. A correct paradigm of salvation, then, doesn’t believe the ticket is punched and then one can live however they please; rather, in light of what Jesus has done, it calls for daily sacrifice and repentance.
3. God’s will (Phil 2:13). Sometimes, believers become trapped in the pursuit of God’s specific will for our lives. However, God’s will for humanity is its deliverance and salvation! Therefore, God will work and act to accomplish that purpose. He wants his followers to partner with him in sharing the gospel. God will therefore work within all humanity and within us to accomplish that objective. We can trust He is at work in us, even during life’s difficult seasons.
4. Temperament (Phil 2:14). We as followers of Jesus must respond differently than the world. Paul highlights two matters: do everything without complaining or arguing. It is easy to complain, focusing on what is wrong instead of what is good. It is easy to argue, refusing to listen, take advice, or accept needed correction. But to follow Jesus, we must relinquish control, offense, and our way.
5. Holiness (Phil 2:15). Paul tells us that we are to be blameless and distinct, shining like the stars in the heavens. The stars shine brightly because they stand in stark contrast to the night sky. But with light pollution or clouds, the stars cannot be seen. The same is true with our lives. Just as Jesus is holy, set apart from the ways of the world and sin, we are supposed to be holy as He is holy. We must remove anything from our lives that clouds or pollutes our ability to radiate Christ. We can’t play with the darkness and still shine our light for God.
6. Perseverance (Phil 2:16-18). Even when we face difficulty, desert seasons, or resistance, we should not throw in the towel. Instead, keep the Word as your anchor. Keep sacrificing for Jesus. Keep serving the gospel. Keep rejoicing in what God has done. View resistance not as evidence that we are off track or something is wrong; rather, be encouraged and know that when you give Jesus your all, all the forces of hell will try to derail you and throw you off course. Keep going!
Reflection Questions
1. Are you a person of integrity? Does your life outside of church show clear and distinct evidence of your commitment to follow Christ?
2. Since salvation is a work in progress, what areas do you still need to surrender to God that you are holding on to?
3. Do you chronically complain? How can you turn that toward gratitude?
4. Do you have a teachable spirit, or do you regularly argue? How can you become more teachable?
5. If I didn’t know you at all, and I saw you outside of church, could I tell by your life that you live for Jesus?
6. What sin exists in your life that is clouding your ability to shine for Jesus?
Upcoming Service
This Sunday, Pastor Ryan will continue the series on Philippians with the sermon titled “Commitment,” based on Philippians 2:19-30. Following Jesus sometimes comes with adversity. How can we show commitment to Christ? Come by or tune in on Sunday to find out!
Daily Bible Readings for October 13 – 19
October 13: Psalm 132 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?
October 14: Psalm 133 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?
October 15: Psalm 134 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?
October 16: Psalm 135 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?
October 17: Psalm 136 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?
October 18: Psalm 137 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?
October 19: Psalm 138 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?
This Week’s Events:
October 15 – Leadership Team @ 7 pm
October 18 – Congregational Business Meeting & Chili Cook-Off
October 18 – Evangelism Project after Chili Cook-Off
October 19 – Revelation Bible Study @ 7 pm
Upcoming Events:
October 24 – Fall Festival from 10 am – 1 pm
November 7 – Beaver Creek Cares
VERSE OF THE MONTH!
Every month, we will feature a verse. The goal is for the entire church to learn this verse for the month, so we grow in our memorized Bible knowledge. The verse for October is Philippians 2:13:
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
Announcements:
CHILI COOK OFF & CONGREGATIONAL BUSINESS MEETING
Immediately after church will be the Chili Cook-Off and the Congregational Business Meeting. We will award a prize to the top three point scorers for both the chili/soup category and dessert category. Please type a brief description of your dish and provide a name. If you need the office to type up for you, call the church before Saturday!
STRENGTH IN PEERS
We will have a box for donations toward Strength in Peers throughout the month of October. Please bring your donations in throughout the month. You can refer to the list below.
DIAPER SHOWER
Thank you for all who participated in the diaper shower for Kayla. If you would like to put a note in any of the books, the books will still be available for the next few days in the Pathfinders room.
FALL FESTIVAL CANDY COLLECTION
We are collecting for Fall Festival. Last year, we had a sizeable turnout and we went through nearly 5000 pieces of candy, 250 large candy bars, and 150 Little Debbie lunch cakes. The most popular candy is the non-chocolate mini-mix you can find at Costco. Let’s try to achieve the same amount of candy again this year! UPDATE: This is what we specifically still need: 1 18-ct box of skittles/starburst (found at Walmart), 1 18-ct box of Swedish fish/sour patch kids (found at Walmart), and 1 18-ct box of nerds variety mix (found at Walmart). If you plan to purchase any of these items, please also email Pastor Ryan so that way he can mark it off the list.
FALL FESTIVAL
Fall Festival will be Saturday, October 24 from 10 am – 1 pm. If you helped last year and would like to continue in the same role, please contact Pastor Ryan, Joe Satterwhite, or Katie Cooper. Right now, we still have three games that need volunteers to run, as well as one more in the kitchen and one more to assist with the prize table! Also, please share the flyer with as many people as you can! We have about 100 flyers to still distribute.
SETUP
For those willing to help assist with the setup of the Fellowship Hall, please meet at the church next Thursday evening, October 22, at 7 pm. We will move the items from the upper Sunday School room and stage the Fellowship Hall for Fall Festival. In addition, we will need all pledged tables in the Fellowship Hall no later than Wednesday, October 21.
Social Media
Beaver Creek has updated its social media page. Please follow and share so many people can see what is happening at Beaver Creek! You can find the pages as follows:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beavercreekchurchva/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeaverCreekChurchVA/
Four Ways to Give!
1) Mail your tithe to the church office
2) Drop it by the church office on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday, 9 am – 1 pm
3) Our online giving platform: https://beavercreekchurchva.churchcenter.com/giving
4) Place in the offering plate on Sunday!
Pastor Ryan Cooper
Beaver Creek Church
