The Gospel Centered Church – Part 1

FULL SERVICE: *See SERMON ONLY below

SERMON ONLY:

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Questions: Message 2 The Gospel Centered Church, PT 1 (Philippians 1:3-5)

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your 3participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

1. The Gospel-Centered Church is built upon “the mercies of God” (Romans 1-11), and is continually transformed by the renewing of our minds,” by the same mercies (Romans 12:1-2). That would mean that the same way by which we are saved, is also the same way we are to live. What does that mean for us day by day together?

2. The gospel that creates the church of servants (slaves), and transforms our life together (saints), includes godly leaders (elders and deacons). Those three elements enable us to be a Real Church. A church of the grace and peace of God (Philippians 1:1-2). Spend some time thinking afresh about these things. What difference would that vision give birth to?

3. Paul is going to say that the gospel of God will produce three main ingredients: (1) thankfulness, (2) prayerfulness, and (3) mission. We will just look at the first, thankfulness. In its simplest form, thankful is an attitude of gratitude. It is an emotion and an expression based on what a person accepts as well as evokes a response of relational closeness. If thankfulness was a chemical, it would bubble! It has both a quality of depth impressed on the mind, as well as depth expressed through our emotions and actions. Thankfulness is not small. Paul seems to credit everything of beauty and noteworthy, to God. So, everything that is good in the Philippian Christians Paul believes God did, and he thanks Him for those things. How would that transform us?

4. Look up John 13:34-35. We are to love one another, says Jesus. But what is the standard of that love? It is “as I have loved you!” what would that mean in practice?

5. The second thing in that passage has to do with our mission (which we will talk about next week) to the world. What is the supreme witness? How will the world see that?

6. A genuine authentic thankfulness to God and for others can only come a heart transformed by the love of Christ. But why specifically thankfulness?

7. One of the dominant realities of an unbelieving heart is recorded in Romans 1:21. What is that? But why is it that specifically?

8. Romans 1:8 begins, First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all…” Again, it is important to really come to terms with the words here. Paul is not just thanking God. He is thanking God through Jesus Christ. What is so significant about that? Why does that mean so much to Paul, and should do so for us also?

9. Galatians 5:15, seems to say that a thanklessness makes us cannibals! What does Paul mean?

10. What does genuine thankfulness do, then? I give 8 features of thankfulness. Thankfulness (1) realigns the heart (2) changes the perception of personal circumstances (3) enables us to see people differently (4) dissolves favoritism (5) decentralizes the self (6) honors, builds up, encourages, and instills value (7) increases our growth in grace. And lastly: (8) it pleases God. To each of the 8 features, just ask yourself “why” would a thankful heart produce these qualities of beauty?

11. How did you get on with the 24 hour mission of not complaining?