Philippians 1:9-11 – Ridiculous Love IV

“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.”

Why am I spending so much time on this one short passage?  Because of this quote:

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” – Gandhi

That quote should break your heart. Of course, the fact that we are unlike Christ is very true.  Christ is God and totally unlike us – He is “other” than we are.  If the unchurched are going to hold us to the perfect standard of Christ (and some will), then we will never satisfy them.

BUT… through the Holy Spirit, we can grow in His attributes: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.  We are not exactly like Him, but through the process of sanctification we become more like Him. 

I don’t think that Gandhi was talking about the theological distinction between Christian and Christ, but the lack of a resemblance between Christ and His followers. Sadly, he is not alone in that complaint.

Why do people dislike church?  Because of the people in the church. I realize that many people are going to bash the church regardless of what we do simply because we love Jesus. But we must take responsibility for our part in the perception of the church. Another quote for you:

“The biggest failing of the church today is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of love; love for God, love for one another, and love for the world.  The failing of the church is my failing.”

Lack of love is our failing. If we (the church) spent more time loving instead of judging, listening instead of arguing, caring instead of condescending, getting involved instead of retreating, I think those outside the church would take us more seriously.

G.K. Chesterton, the great Christian thinker and writer, was invited to write an essay for a newspaper entitled, “What is wrong with the world?”  Chesterton mailed the following reply:

“Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G.K. Chesterton”

Chesterton understood his responsibility in making the world what it was…and his responsibility in making it better.  We need that same attitude in the church today.

The church is being marginalized because I do not love my neighbor, care for the poor, seek and save the lost, extend the hand of friendship to those who believe differently than I do, or pray for my community like I should.  The church’s problem is my problem – and it is your problem as well. 

The church will not become what we want it to be until you and I do the hard work of disciplining ourselves, being obedient, and loving those around us.  The Spirit will empower us and transform us, but not until we show ourselves faithful.  The world desperately needs a Christ-centered, loving church – and that begins with Christ-centered and loving people. 

Paul prayed that love would abound in the Philippian church, that knowledge and depth of insight would grow, that discernment, purity, and blamelessness would describe that fellowship of believers, and that they would be filled with the fruit of righteousness, all for the Glory of God.  May it be so in our church as well!

“Church isn’t where you meet. Church isn’t a building. Church is what you do. Church is who you are. Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ. Let’s not go to church, let’s be the church.” – Bridget Willard

Philippians 1:9-11; Ridiculous Love III

“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…”

How do you make decisions?  Do you go by what feels right?  Do you write out a “Pro/Con” list?  Do you seek wise counsel?  Do you let others decide for you?  There are lots of options, but in this passage, Paul provides us with the North Star for decision making: love.

Why is love such a good guide?  Because God is love and His decisions are based in love.  When love abounds in us, we can discern clearly because we think like God thinks. Your decisions will be in accordance with His Will because His love courses through you.

How does that work practically? Well, good question.  If I knew, I would make better decisions than I do.  All I know is this: when I am focused on Christ and am intentional about serving and loving others – I tend to make God honoring choices in my life. When I am not focused on Christ or striving to obey Him – I tend to make selfish decisions. Or to be succinct, possibly even pithy, “your heart directs your feet”.

The world desperately needs Christians to make Godly decisions in what we say, how we love, what we watch, what we listen to, how we spend our money, what we approve of, and in every area of life. We are to be pure and blameless in a society full of taint and guilt. Our lives need to be discernibly different from that of unbelievers.  That is called, “being in the world, but not of the world.”

Our culture is turning away from Christ at a dizzying pace – the world needs to see Godly people living Godly lives so they will know there is a God and He is good.  If we are different, they can be different too.  That is why our testimony is so important – it shows a hopeless world that there is hope. Our lives and words need to be exemplified with God’s love and grace.  That is how we, “let our light shine before men”.

How we live our lives matters.  It matters to God, it matters in your life, it matters to the younger believers who are looking up to you, and it matters to the unbelievers around you.  People are longing for the love, joy, peace, and hope that reside within us in Christ Jesus – our actions, conversations, and choices are how they see it.  And it all begins with loving God and allowing His love to abound in you. 

It’s amazing how pretty much everything about the Christian life begins there…

Philippians 1:9-11; Ridiculous Love II

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

If you recall from last time, we explored Paul’s idea of ridiculous love. Love that abounds to those around us; love that gets involved, is proactive, is costly in time and resources, and don’t forget this: is given in joy.  Comparing that description to my life…I do not love ridiculously.

Many of you are gifted with a big heart that welcomes and loves and cares for others.  But maybe there are a few of you like me who find it a little more difficult to love.  I am often frustrated by my lack of “feeling” towards others. I hear people tell how their hearts are broken for orphans or their love for Muslims caused them to sell everything and move to Iraq.  That doesn’t really happen for me; I wish it did.

While I am often concerned about issues and for groups of people, my heart is rarely overwhelmed by what I would call love.  I’m learning that that’s okay; my feelings are a very small part of the equation.  What matters is the action I take based upon the concern/love that I have.  I’m not let off the hook until my feelings warm up – we are called to love, and act on that love, regardless of our “feelings”.

As CS Lewis says:

“Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone you will presently come to love him.”

The action of love is the imperative; the feeling of love is a bonus.  The important thing is that you submit your will to God and love others the best you can in all circumstances. As you love the best you can, the Spirit will empower you to love the best that He can.

With the Spirit’s help, we will begin to love like God loves – unconditionally, sacrificially, and without thought for self – that is ridiculous love!

“Christian love, either towards God or towards man, is an affair of the will.” – CS Lewis

Philippians 1:9-11; Ridiculous Love

“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.”

We will look at this prayer over the course of a few days – there is much to digest here.

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight…” With Paul, everything boils down to love.  Perhaps you remember this teaching from Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 (I know this is a familiar passage, but read it like you’ve never seen it before):

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,^b but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

When Paul speaks of love, those 13 verses define what he is talking about. He prays not only that we would have this type of love, but that it would abound in our lives.  The word “abound” comes from the Greek word perisseuē which means, “to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; also (transitively) to cause to superabound or excel”.

In other words, Paul prays that love will super-saturate the church; that their love would be over the top, excessive, extravagant, and frankly…ridiculous. What does ridiculous love look like?  Here is an example:

A friend of my old roommate decided it was time to tell a girl how he felt about her.  His feelings had been growing and growing till he had to say something or he would burst.  So he drove over to her house, rang the doorbell, and he poured out his heart when she answered the door.  She was surprised, touched, and honored, but alas, she didn’t feel the same way about him.  So he turned around, got back into his car, and drove the 31 HOURS back to his home in Wisconsin from her home in Seattle.  Thirty-one hours…each way…for a 30 minute conversation!

That would be an example of ridiculous love. Ridiculous love is costly, time consuming, and seems crazy to most everyone else. Of course, Jesus is our ultimate example in this (as in everything).  How did he love?  Well, he went out to seek and save the lost, he loved God and loved others, He healed, taught, prayed, challenged, obeyed God, cared for others, and eventually, He died on a cross so that others might live. 

As I consider those things, the challenge for me is that Jesus wasn’t afraid to jump into someone else’s mess. He talked with beggars on the street, He waded into religious debates, and He cared for the diseased and outcast.  He wasn’t afraid to get His hands dirty and get emotionally involved.  In my flesh, those are the last things I want to do.  But my Spirit knows that is where Christ is and it is where I should be as well.

How about you?  As you consider the ridiculous love of Jesus, where is your challenge?  Ask God to reveal where He wants your love to abound to those around you.  There are very few guarantees in the world, but I can guarantee you this: God wants you and me to love more.  Pray that God will give you a ridiculous love for Him and that it will abound to those around you.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa

Philippians 1:7-8 – Community

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

Paul loved this church. They accepted him, believed his message with joy, partnered with him, and supported him whether he was on a missionary journey or languishing in prison. In many ways, the church at Philippi was Paul’s support system, like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus appeared to be for Jesus. 

We all need people like this, our very own Philippian church. People who support us whether we’re on top of the world or the world is on top of us.  Win or lose – we need people who love us simply for who we are.  My parents have always been that for me, a few good friends along the way, and Lynda and the kids are my main support now.  At the end of the day, Wren and Levi don’t care if I saved the world from an alien invasion or caused the downfall of western civilization – they’re just happy I’m home.  What a joy they are to me! 

I realize most of you don’t have kids yet, but do you have friends like that?  Perhaps more importantly, are you a friend like that?  I believe the easiest way to create your own Philippian church is to be a Philippian church to others.  Support your friends and family, encourage them, pray for them, and extend grace to them at every opportunity.  Don’t judge them on their performance or their reputation; love them simply because you love them. Be that kind of friend and I bet some of those people will be that kind of friend for you.

Why is this important?  Because that is the way Christ loves us. You may have a disengaged family, selfish friends, and no one who understands or supports your call in life.  Jesus knows – literally – his family was less than encouraging and his hometown tried to throw him off a cliff.  He knows and He has provided us with a Comforter who will meet our every need in Him. We are called to be like Christ, and I believe unconditional love and support is an important way to do that. 

And a random thought about community: God calls us to live in community.  It is in community where we get to share in the joys and sufferings of others.  We laugh with those who laugh and cry with those who cry, and somehow in the sharing, their joys and sufferings become ours as well.  This is how we bear one another’s burdens.  Proclaiming Christ together through the ups and downs of life on this fallen world – that is how we become the church.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2

Philippians 1:3-5 – Gracias, Toda, Mahalo, Spacibo, Danke, and Merci!

“I thank my God every time I remember you. (4) In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy (5) because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…”

Perhaps more than any other statement, this passage sums up how Lynda and I feel about you as WRR staff (past and present).  And not just us, but I am confident I can speak for the Crosbys, the Board of Directors, Don and Sara, Nick and Emily, Becky, and the guests of WRR.  I realize it’s not Thanksgiving yet, but I’m going to take advantage of this passage to express my thanks to you…and to Christ for you. 

Like Paul, I thank God every time I remember you. Lynda and I are continually amazed at the number of young people who are willing to come out to a ranch in Colorado and spend their summer working really hard for very little or no money.  Year after year more of you show up, like manna from heaven, with just the right skills, just the right personality, just the right giftedness to complete the jigsaw puzzle that is the ranch staff.

We want to thank you for sharing part of your lives with us and allowing us to share our lives with you.  Your willingness to serve is a constant encouragement and challenge to us and an incredible example for our children.  Speaking of which, thank you for putting up with, playing with, and loving our children – it makes us so happy to see them interact with you.  And we are also beyond thankful that you help us keep our music tastes up to date. 

Thank you for being who God created you to be!  We are praying for you and thank God for you at every remembrance. Your assignment is to think of someone you are thankful for and tell them what a blessing they are in your life.  The best time to encourage some is right now.

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” – Hebrews 3:13

Philippians 1:1-2 – One

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

It never ceases to amaze me when New Testament writers call their readers “saints”. I would not consider myself a saint, and I definitely wouldn’t call most of the people I know saints (no offense).  Maybe I would call them, “Pretty nice people,” or “Works in process” or “Church attendees” – but not saints.

The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios, which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious." It is almost always used in the plural, “saints,” to describe the church.  When we accept Christ, we become saints, consecrated to God, holy, sacred, and pious. 

Again, you may say, “I know myself and I ain’t no saint!”  God says, “It’s not about you; it’s all about my son Jesus.  Because you follow Him, His righteousness covers you…You are the righteousness of Me in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:30)…that makes you a saint.”  The God who spoke the heavens into existence declares that you are a saint – so get used to it: you are a saint.

Not only you, but every believer in this great wild world is a saint as well.  If you believe Mr. Google that is 2.18 billion people who professes to being a Christian – nearly one third of the global population.  My question is this: if one out of every three people you meet is a Christ follower, why is this world in such a mess? 

I would think that if 2.18 billion people were seeking justice, serving the poor, loving their neighbor, praying for the nations, and sharing their faith that this would be a much different place.  I’m ashamed that we (and I) make so little difference in the world.  Of course, we cannot dictate how others live out their faith, but we can determine how we will live ours. 

I challenge you to be one of 2.18 billion that lives like a saint: consecrated to God, holy, sacred, and pious.  I challenge you to be one who lives like you are God’s workmanship created to do good works.  I challenge you to be one who will love God and loves others like yourself. I challenge you to be one who lives in the spirit of power that God has given us and not the spirit of timidity that so many of us suffer under. 

Will you be one?  I bet if you will, one or two will follow your lead.  And maybe the faithfulness of a few will lead many others to do the same.  Who knows what God will do? 

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” – John Wesley