Mount Isa Baptist Church

We need to be diligent in our sharing!

Philippians 2:14 – 18

Before we move on, let's look back and remember what we learnt from vs.15 - vs.16, as it gives us the reason why we should stop complaining and arguing. Complaining denies God's sovereignty. Complaining disrupts unity, especially within the context of the church. It disrupts the unity of the church. Complaining discredits our testimony as believers in the Lord Jesus. Then, on the positive, “Why must we stop doing this?” Well, we learnt from the verse: “So that you may become blameless and pure.” If we are to be responsible in working out our salvation, we need to shine like stars in the universe. We need to be those beacons of light to attract people in a world of darkness. Our responsibility as Christians should be to so shine our lights that people see Jesus in and through us. We are to be faithful with our lives, but we are also to be faithful with our lips as well. There was a saying that we as Christians could be a shining light without saying anything; that is rubbish. Jesus, when He walked on the earth, didn’t say nothing. He didn’t just walk around mixing with people who saw Him and were suddenly drawn to Him. NO!! They were drawn to Him by what He was saying as well. We can’t only just be that shining light; we need to be faithful with our lips as well. We are to be diligent with our witness, and we are to be diligent in the words that we use. You cannot have one without the other; you need both. As we work out our salvation, we need to do those two things: Be diligent in our living - don't complain but we must also be diligent in sharing the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

1. Stand out from the world!

As Christians, we are to stand out from the world. God calls you to be “blameless and pure, children of God without fault.” The idea here is not that you will be perfect or sinless, but that you live your life in such a way that no one can criticise you or question your status as a child of God. We are children of God, or we call ourselves children of God, but too often we act like we are children of the culture around us. We act like everybody else in the world around us. We blend into the world around us. We allow the world around us to conform us to its image rather than let God work within us to conform us to Christ's image. How can you back up your witness with your life if your life is just like those around you? And what is the world around you like? The Bible calls it “a crooked and depraved generation.” The world doesn't care what God says about marriage or purity or worship or the words we speak. The world operates by its own set of rules, disregarding what God has said. God calls you to “shine like stars” You are in the world, but you are not of the world.

2. Hold forth the word of life to others

Look at verse 16: “... as you hold out the word of life - in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour for nothing.” When God tells us to do something, when he calls you to be blameless and pure, this is not personal obedience just for your own sake, but it is part of your gospel witness to those around us who don’t know Christ, to those around us who are watching you. It’s part of your gospel message and witness to them. The verse says: “You are to shine like stars”, “... as you hold out the word of life” to others. Romans 1:16 says, “The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” It is only the good news of Jesus Christ that brings light and life, and salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world ... let your light shine before men.” So, you and I are to shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life for others so that they, too, might come to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Rejoice in the sacrifice

Look at vs.17- vs.18: “But even if l am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So, you too should be glad and rejoice with me.” As a Christian, God calls you to pour yourself out in service to others. The Christian life is not a life of solitude, where we live on our own, but it’s a life of obedience to God. It is a community life of serving each other out of obedience to God.

4. Mutual sacrifice, mutual joy

It is also a life of mutual sacrifice and mutual joy. Look at the end of vs.17- vs.18: “I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.” People, it should be your joy to pour yourself out in sacrificial service for each other. Don't resent the sacrifice. Don't resent the service expended for others. Be glad and rejoice together. We share salvation together as we believe the gospel. We share in evangelism together as we spread the gospel. We share in Christian growth together as we obey the gospel. We share in sacrifice together for the gospel. And we share in joy together on account of the gospel. We are partners in the gospel, partners in sacrifice, partners in joy. Christians are lights because they hold forth the Word of Life. The Christian lights are seen by the world. The character of Christians determines their effectiveness as lights in the world. And in these verses, God gives you three motivations to obey Christ.

1) God is working in you to will and to act according to his good pleasure - that's love for God.

2) The world is watching your life as you share the gospel - that's love for the unsaved.

3) Others have poured themselves out for you in the gospel - that's love for the body of Christ.

Work out your salvation. Back up your witness with your life. Rejoice in the sacrifices you make for others. Shine like stars as you hold out the word of life to a desperate and watching world.

Pastor Erik Sitati – From Kenya – connected through our YouTube channel.

I received an amazingly encouraging email from Kenya, which I shared parts of at the church meeting, and I encourage you to be in prayer for this church and also our YouTube ministry that we have the privilege through it to reach people across the world. We serve an amazing God.

About my church and the ministry

It is called CHRIST FELLOWSHIP CHURCH. We are located in continent of Africa in a country called Kenya. We have a small ministry, but we thank God it is growing and touching lives of others in a mighty way. We are blessed serving God with my family and brethren here. We have a heart for the ministry, our heart's desire, hunger, and thirsty is dedicated in Christ work, and we are glad being Christ's witness and ambassadors. We don't preach about ourselves, but preaching only the message of Jesus Christ as the author and finisher of our faith.

I'm much blessed being in touch with you and your beautiful church family! I just want to encourage you that we are, and we have been praying for you all as Christ coworkers in His vineyard especially in these dreadful days we are living in.

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

I replied to the email that was sent, and below are some prayer requests that he has asked for:

Pastor Erik Sitati - Christ Fellowship Church prayer requests,

(1) Pray for our ongoing door to door evangelism and outreaches.

(2) Pray for ongoing church construction, pray for open doors we need iron sheets.

(3) About my community pray for thousands who are in devastating situation and starving due to lack of food and water

(4) Pray for God to provide bibles so that we may give to new converts. Below photo show our outreach meeting held recently, and the hunger people have God's Word.