Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are

"Preach The Word"

"UNTIL THE DAY"

TEXT: PHILIPPIANS 1:8-11

(vs.6,10) "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ... That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ:"

Philippi was a Roman colony on foreign soil, governed by Roman laws, and completely subject to Roman rule. Philippi was a miniature Rome in the midst of a Greek culture. In like manner the church is a colony of heaven here on earth. (cf. 3:20) "For our conversation (our citizenship) is in heaven."

Note the phrase "day of Jesus Christ...day of Christ..." In the Old Testament you will find the phrase "the day of the Lord..." This spoke of coming judgment and calamity from the Lord delcaring His Lordship and control. The "day of Christ" in the New Testament speaks of the return of Christ at the rapture, the beginning of judgment upon the earth, ultimately ending in His reign.

Paul uses this phrase "til the day of Christ" to assure the believers of the faithfulness of our Lord to keep His promises and to challenge the Philippians to life-long, faithful service to Christ! This promise exhorts us to live in a state of readiness and urgency. Some people just want to remain true to thier committments as long as everything goes well. But christian service is a life-long labour. It is not IF HE COMES but WHEN HE COMES!

Some believers only live in the future while others say they wish it was like it use to be. But Paul uses the coming of the Lord to exhort and stir the Philippians believers to live faithfully for God in the present day. Live for Jesus until He comes!

He prayed for certain christian virtues to be evident in the lives of the church. These same christian qualities should be evident in our lives UNTIL HE THE DAY OF CHRIST!

I. GROWING LOVE (FULLNESS OF LOVE) [FLOWING LOVE]

(vs.9-10a) "...that your love may abound more and more..."

The word for "love" means a God-like love. This love has been given to every believer. (Rom.5:5) "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

There was not a lack of love on the part of the Philippianchurch as Paul's praise for them reveals. Yet he did not want their love to stand still or become stagnant. He prayed their love would abound, grow, increase, overflow, to go beyond a fixed number or measure. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR CHURCHES OR INDIVIDUALS TO HAVE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES AND GRACES, ONLY TO LOOSE THEM THRU UNUSE AND NEGLECT. Unspeakable joy, an unctioned testimony, unmeasurable victory, unexplainable peace, and unfeigned love are virtues which needs to abound in the life of the believer.

The word "abound" means overflowing, superabundant, enough and to spare, above the ordinary. We need christians who are not stagnated, who are not at a stand-still; those who are not just satisfied with just the ordinary course of events. They reach beyond the common standard for more and more! Reach beyond ordinary or the common standard of love, joy, peace, worship, service.

A. The Cultivation of Growing Love: "...that your love may abound more and more in knowledge..." Our love can only grow, abound, and expand as we have a greater knowledge of the truth of God's Word. God's Word tells us who to love, what things to love, when to love, how to love, it tells us of the blessings of love!

The Word of God tells us:

1. The Debt of Love: (Ro.13:8) "Owe no man anything, to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

2. The Duty of Love: (Gal.5:13-14) Love thy neighbor as thyself is demanded as a christian. We cannot just love when its convenient and suitable. We must love all and at all times.

3. The Delight of Love: (I John 5:3) "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grevious."

4. The Distinguishing of Love: (John 13:35) "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

5. The Declaring of Love: (I John 3:14) "We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren."

When there is a lack of christian love in our life it is either caused by a lack of LIFE or a lack of LEARNING. (Cf.I John 3:14-15)

This is not just a mental knowledge but it is also an experiential knowledge of God's Word. Our christian love grows as we put into practise the truths of the Word of God!

B. The Choices of Growing Love: (vs.9b-10a) "...in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent..." Growing love chooses:

1. Right Over Wrong: "discernment" Moral sensitivity.

2. Best Over Better: "excellent" The finer things of christian life, the highest things, the things which transcend.

II. GENUINE LIVING (FAITHFULNESS IN LIVING) [FAITHFUL LIVING]

(vs.10b) "...that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ." Paul prays that the Philippian believers would be authentic, real, and true in their living. Genuine living is described in two ways:

A. No Hypocrisy: "...that ye may be sincere..." It means judged by sunlight, tested to be genuine. The word "sincere" comes from two Latin words meaning without wax.

Ancient dealers of porcelain filled cracks in their wares which had been cracked while being fired. In so doing the wares were not in actuality what they appeared to be! What the believer is in public he also is in private. What the believer is on the outside he also is on the inside. What the believer is in appear- ance he also is in actuality. What the believe is in conduct he also is in character. What the believer is at church he also is with his children and companion. What the believer is at worhsip he also is at work.

The honest dealer of procelain would describe a perfect piece of his wares by the words without wax. If the customer doubted the dealer's honesty, all he had to do was hold the piece of porcelain up to the sunlight. The sunlight would show at once if the porcelain had any cracks filled with wax. So our lifes are to be geniune, without wax! Genuine believers are not skeptical, critical, nor rebellious to the search light of God's Word. They receive the rebuke, the correction, the guidance of God's Word to mold their lifes more perfectly to God's will.

B. No Hinderance: "...without offense..." The phrase means no ocassion for stumbling, not leading into sin. The word "offense" was the name of that part of the trap to which the bait was attached. Thus offense would be the snare which causes one to fall into a trap. Our life should not cause anyone to be hindered, to fall, to stumble into the the snares of Satan.

III. GENERATING LIFE (FRUITFULNESS IN LIFE) [FRUITFUL LIFE]

Sermon From Steve Dagenhart- Pastor Calvary Baptist Church- Taylorsville, NC--USA

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