Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
3/1/98 pm
Measuring Our Faithfulness
Reading - Philippians 2.12-16
For the past few Sundays we’ve been attempting to evaluate our faithfulness. Tonight we want to continue the process. You see, everybody measures, gages, takes account from time to time.
- Where are we?
- How far have we come?
- Where are we headed?
There are all kinds of criteria for such evaluations:
- Businessmen want a profit & loss statement.
- Radio and television stations use Arbitron and Nielsen ratings to measure audiences.
- Sales organizations track gross billing figures.
- A rancher looks the adjusted weaning weights of his calves.
- Poultry people figure feed conversion and mortality rates.
You see, we measure everything in this world, from our weight to our bank accounts, but all too often we never measure our progress as God’s people.
If this lesson does nothing else tonight, I hope it raises our consciousness about: Reading the signs… Measuring our progress, as a church, as a family and as Christian individuals. Open your worship bulletin and let’s work our way through this outline.
What are some signs of spiritual maturity... OF CHRISTIAN FAITHFULNESS?
SIGN NUMBER ONE, ARE WE MAKING ANY PROGRESS?
Here’s the truth... We are growing or dying... There is no middle ground. I don’t believe there is such a state as holding our own. Jesus denounces such an attitude in His letter to the church at Laodicea. Lukewarmness is outright rejected by Jesus.
Christianity is progressive... It is an add-on religion. Listen to Peter, Make every effort to (listen now!) to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in (What?) Increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is shortsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Peter is telling us that to secure our salvation, we must continue to:
- Add to our faith,
- And increase in these Christian virtues.
In our text, Paul admonished us to what?... Work out our OWN salvation. He is not saying, devise your own plan or scheme, but work toward perfection, toward maturity. Will we ever reach perfection? No!.. Not within ourselves, but with the righteousness of Christ applied to our lives we can.
The question tonight is not so much where we are in our spiritual maturity as it is are we making any progress?... Are we moving forward? Where we are right now is OK... What is NOT OK is our staying there. We must ADD TO... We must INCREASE. Genuine New Testament conversion is a continual process. Church, listen to what these men had to say about the continual process of conversion:
Jesus told Peter in Luke 22.32, when you are converted strengthen the brethren. Was he a person of God?... Yes. Was he a disciple, a gospel preacher?.. Yes. Was Peter an Apostle... Yes. Did he have the miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit?... Yes. Did Peter need continued conversion?... Yes!
The Hebrew’s writer says, we must progress from milk to meat, from being unskilled in the Word, to being able to discern right from wrong.
Paul tells us we should study to become approved of God, by rightly applying God’s word to life.
Later in Philippians Paul will write, not that I have already obtained all this, or have been made perfect... But I press on.
Can we fall from grace, YES, but not if we are practicing progressive Christianity; not as long as we are working out our salvation. Our Christian life is a journey toward God, and the first sign of faithfulness is making progress.
THE SECOND SIGN OF FAITHFULNESS IS HUMILITY... NOTE VERSE TWELVE.
Work out your own salvation with (What?) FEAR AND TREMBLING. This is not the fear and trembling of
- A slave cringing before an unjust and harsh master,
- Or a dog cowing, whimpering at our feet.
It is the humility that comes from the understanding of:
- Our own unworthiness,
- Our own sin
- And inadequacy.
You see, only humility will allow us to seek God and His help, His salvation.
Pride says,
- I can do it by myself.
- I’ll pull myself up by my own bootstraps.
- I can be morally good enough to get to heaven.
- I can do enough good works to earn my salvation.
Do you know anybody like that? You see, some of us in this church are worn-out; some are ready to quit; others have already quit, because thy are trying to earn their salvation... Merit heaven. They’re trying to be good enough... DO enough good... to get to heaven. STOP IT!... This kind of thinking will only frustrate you Folk, good people are not going to heaven... SAVED PEOPLE ARE. Sinners who have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus.
In Philippians two, Paul says, Jesus humbled Himself and took on the very nature of a servant. Are we willing?
- Are we willing humble ourselves and submit to New Testament baptism?
- Are we willing to humble ourselves and confess our sins?
- Are we willing to humble ourselves and forgive a parent, child, spouse, brother or enemy?
- Are we willing to humble ourselves and wash feet... Take a servant position in the Kingdom
- Are we willing to humble ourselves and give as we’ve been prospered?
- Are we willing to humble ourselves and become evangelistic?
- Are we willing to humble ourselves and serve the orphans, widows, poor and sick of this world?
Solomon concluded that: the whole duty of man, the whole purpose of man, in this life is to FEAR GOD AND SUBMIT TO HIS AUTHORITY. If we want to really measure our faithfulness tonight, we must check our willingness to humbly submit to God’s EVERY COMMAND. I believe Paul sums it up perfectly in Romans eleven and twelve when he wrote;
- Do not think more highly of yourself that you ought to think, but to think soberly... Rationally.
- Be not high minded... But reverence God.
A THIRD SIGN OF FAITHFULNESS IS PEACE AND SERENITY.
Ever meet an individual that regardless of life’s circumstances never, never questioned or complained? But just accepted the current situation. And actually looked for the possible blessings to be had even in a bad situation?
Note verse thirteen and fourteen of our reading. Paul says, the mature child of God is one that will allow God to work His will;
- In him,
- Through him,
- By him without murmuring or complaining... The NIV says, without argument.
The Greek word Paul uses here is the same word the Septuagint uses to describe the complaining Israelites during their wilderness wondering. They murmured, even though God was:
- Feeding them Manna,
- Providing their water.
- Their clothes didn’t wear out.
- Their shoes didn’t rot.
- Their feet didn’t swell.
- He was guiding them with His presence day and night.
Yet they murmured and complained. That sounds like some of us at times... RIGHT?.
Now contrast these Israelites with the Apostle Paul:
- He was imprisoned twice in Rome.
- Beaten with rods,
- Shipwrecked,
- Almost drowned,
- Stoned,
- Flogged... Several times
- Had the cares of the churches on his shoulders.
- Been in all kinds of danger, but he never complained. In fact he writes, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Folk, that is genuine spiritual maturity!... That’s faithfulness.
This kind of PEACE puts a Job like characteristic to our Christianity. This kind of maturity helps us cope. This kind of serenity allows us to say with Job, God gives, God takes away, blessed be the name of God. Regardless of what happens to us, we like Job, can praise God. This kind of PEACE allows us to boldly say with Paul, I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that He will keep that which I have committed unto Him till that day.
Show me a person that has this kind of peace and serenity and I’ll show you an individual that is certain of his or her salvation. Church, ALL... ALL of life takes on a whole new meaning when we are certain where we stand with a holy and gracious God. That’s spiritual maturity.
THEN, FOURTHLY, OUR TEXT TELLS US THAT FAITHFULNESS IS MAINTAINING MORAL PURITY.
Do we understand tonight that we have a duel nature:
- The flesh nature,
- And a spiritual nature.
Paul tells us the battle is on... It is always ragging inside us... He says,
- There are times that I do things that I know I shouldn’t... That I don’t really want to do.
- There are times that I don’t do the things I should... The things I really want to do.
We must know that this battle will continue to rage within as long as we are in the body.
A sign of spiritual maturity is when we:
- One, realize this duel nature.
- Two, conscientiously choose to be spirit-led rather than flesh-led.
Let me read Paul’s conclusion on this matter from Galatians chapter five, So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want... The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful... FLESH nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
You see church, our allegiance is either:
- To God or to Satan.
- To our fleshly desires or to the Spirit... Through the Word.
James says, religion that God accepts... Is to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Jesus maintained that we cannot choose both... We cannot serve two masters.
Look at verse fifteen, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault.
- Harmless in the KJ.
- Blameless in the NIV.
The Greek word is used to describe milk, wine, or water that is pure. It is used to speak of metal that has no alloy content... Undiluted... Unmixed. The sign of Christian faithfulness before God is when we are: Pure, Unspotted by, Unmixed with, this world.
THEN FINALLY, THE FIFTH SIGN OF FAITHFULNESS IS WHEN WE BECOME MISSION MINDED.
We must personally be evangelistic. Read verse fifteen and sixteen with me, So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you (WHAT?) Hold out the word of life. Church, what are we doing to HOLD OUT the word of life to our family, neighbor and those working around us? The treasure of God has been placed in jars of clay... EARTHEN VESSELS... That’s us folks!
I’ll never forget Don Walker’s father jumping off his tractor when we moved to the farm. His first words were:
- Do you have a church home?
- Can we interest your kids in 4-H?
Powerful stuff, folk... POWERFUL STUFF! He may not have been a member of the church of Christ, but I was impressed with his priorities.
- My spiritual welfare,
- And the well being of my children.
God help me to be like this good man.
Let me challenge you tonight by asking you this, where are your priorities? Are they on the spiritual welfare of the lost of this world?
- Do we care enough to confront them with an invitation to come hear the gospel preached?
- Do we care enough about their children to involve ourselves in their lives?
- Do we care enough to let them see Jesus in our daily walk?
- Do we care enough to go to the mission field?
- Do we care enough to support those who can and are willing to go?
- Do we care enough to teach a class?
Sobering questions... SOBERING QUESTIONS!
I believe with all my heart that our faithfulness to God is evidenced by our desire and willingness to be evangelistic... To hold out the word of life.
Well, how do we measure up? Quite frankly, I need to make some adjustments in my life... How about you? Do we need to make some adjustments in our lives?
- Perhaps you need to become a child of God tonight; by faith, repentance and New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins.
- Perhaps we need to be more diligent in our efforts to grow spiritually.
- Perhaps we need the prayers of the church in one of these areas we’ve talked about tonight.
- Perhaps you need to join this spiritual family so you can continue your growth as His child.
Whatever your need, come to Jesus... JUST DO IT!
