Tuesday

Week 6 – Tuesday - Standing firm and Contending

Go read Philippians 1:27.
<> What does Paul command?
<> What does Paul expect?

The Result of Proper Conduct
Paul describes a beautiful if-then relationship between conduct and unity. “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. . . THEN . . . I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.”

If you conduct yourselves in light of the gospel . . . then you will stand firm in one spirit.
If you remember who you are . . . then contend as one man for the faith of the gospel.
If you are in love with Jesus . . . then you will be unified.

That’s an awesome causal relationship. You want to be unified? Easy. Just live as if the gospel has changed your life. On the other hand, if you’re alive and have eyes or ears, unity within the Christian church doesn’t seem to be that easy. Easier said than done.

<> How does the gospel unify us?

That is not a question with only one quick easy answer. In fact, when you really break it down it’s a very complete answer.

Stand Firm in One Spirit
<> What is the attitude of our spirit in light of the gospel?
(Go check out Week 4 – Friday from April for a refresher)

When you really consider the gospel – the good news of Jesus – that you were separated from God, a run-away traitor with no hope of restoring the relationship – that you were covered and bound by your own sin, by your selfishness – AND that Jesus chose to love you anyway (Romans 5:8) and came to earth to die for you – offering His righteousness in place of your own that all you can do is trust in Him by faith – the attitude of our spirit has to be humility, gratefulness and immense joy.

Proper reaction . . . really just honest reaction to the gospel is a very unifying force. Humility destroys pride that separates and divides based on “I’m smarter than you”. Gratefulness destroys a sense of entitlement that separates and divides based on “I deserve something better than this. I shouldn’t have to put up with other people.” Joy destroys despair that divides and separates based on “This will never change.” Joy unifies us in celebrating what Jesus has done in us individually, and brings us together dreaming about what He will do in our city.

<> Where has the attitude of your spirit caused disunity with other believers?
<> How are you allowing the gospel to humble you?
<> Are you learning to walk in daily gratefulness for what Christ has done?
(1 Thess. 5:18)

Contending for the Faith
Last night in my LifeGroup we were talking about Matt’s sermon from Sunday night and we talked about the idea of “remembering who you are.” We asked the question, “who are you in light of the gospel?” There were a lot of good answers but one of my favorites by far was “we are carriers of the message.”

Along with uniting us in Spirit, the gospel unites us in purpose. We are a group of people bound together by one single mission: to contend for the faith of the gospel.

<> How are you contending for the faith of the gospel?
<> Do you have healthy relationships with non-believers where you are pushing, prodding and pleading with them toward Jesus?
<> Does the way you live your life around people who don’t know Jesus cause them to ask you questions about Him? (Matt. 5:16)

Having a single mission is an incredibly unifying idea. When we are on mission together, we lock arms and encourage each other. We share battle stories and we pray passionately for each other because we know personally the struggle others are facing. One of the most amazingly encouraging things in the world is to have someone else who is on mission in this city tell me that they are praying for the people I’m trying to love toward Jesus. I don’t even have to tell them what to pray. They already know.

On the other hand missional laziness is divisive. When we fail to accept Christ’s mission for our lives and devote our lives to the personal way he wants that to play out in our lives, we frustrate and discourage those who are on mission. We don’t know how to pray well for each other because we haven’t experienced what they’re experiencing. We start to think that all manner of things (carpet color, musical style, etc.) are primary matters of utmost importance and we forget that there are thousands and thousands of people in our city who would go to hell if they died right now.

The great questions that will mark Midtown’s success and health as a family will be:
1.) Can we humbly unite in one overjoyed spirit that has been radically changed internally by the gospel?

- and –

2.) Will we accept Christ’s mission for our lives and lock arms together to contend for the faith of the gospel in our city?

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