What Does Spiritual Service Look Like Part One from Charles E. Whisnant on Vimeo.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO TEACH THESE PRINICPLES / TRUTHS TO YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AND MAKE APPLICATION TO YOUR DAILY LIVING. LET'S NOT BE NOTES RICH, APPLICATION POOR.
WHAT DOES A SPIRITUAL SERVANT LOOK LIKE
PART ONE
Philippians 2:17-18
THE SACRIFICIAL SIDE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
Charles E. Whisnant
April 25 2010
"Nevertheless (you must not think that I regret my toil and pain); if matters should worsen so that I will crown the sacrificial service brought about by your faith (or my sacrificial service for your faith) by being poured out as a libation, I still rejoice and share my joy with all of you. In the same way you should rejoice and share your joy with me." Silva: Philippians 17:18)
Paul's appeal for the church to consider their spiritual condition, as having weighty implication for his work. And we are given an example of what it means to have a sacrificial Christian life, or the model of a Spiritual Servant
INTRODUCTION:
- F.B. MYERS: "I have only one ambition: to be God's errand boy."
- John MacArthur Jr. to me is a model of a Spiritual Servant.
- PAUL THE APOSTLE: He is the biblical pattern for spiritual life.
PAUL would be on the Wheaties Box of Champions
Paul's point in 2:1-16 "We are called to humbly work out our salvation knowing it's the power of God working in us to do so in every situation of life without complaint and arguing. And that is the pattern of our spiritual service.
PAUL GIVES DUTY AND PRINCIPLES:
- Humility of mind
- A Non-complaining spirit. Watch your attitude.
- A Working out your sanctification in the power of God.
HOW CAN WE LIVE OUT SUCH A LIFE:
- How can we get on the outside, what God has put on the inside? Paul's driving force was that in his spiritual race, the race would be won and that the race would not be in vain. Thus Paul was consumed with Christ and not himself and was driven by love and the fear of failure.
AN EFFECTIVE SERVANT FOR JESUS CHRIST
Before any of our service for God will have any lasting result, it must be saturated with our heart's blood. Much of our service is nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Without a pouring forth of soul of sacrifice there is little in the way of spiritual lasting gain. The amount of spiritual worth is gauged by the expending of our spiritual force.
THE SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE ILLUSTRATED IN THE LIFE OF PAUL:
Paul was a model for us to follow as a spiritual servant. He was used by God as a personal illustration of what God saw as a Spiritual Servant.
- Paul's life backed up his words. Much of our words are not in reality what reflects in our real life. Is it?
- The decision of John Piper to take a leave from the pulpit for eight months: May 2010 to December 2010 in order to reflect on this service to the Lord.
- We should be willing to sacrifice our self to be a spiritual model for others? Are YOU?
- But when godliness is present and a person is truly spiritual and godly, deep, and walking in closeness with Christ, there is an utter lack of self consciousness.
THE IMAGERY IN PAUL'S MIND:
Vs. 17 Poured
out as a drink offering
(4689) (spendo) means to pour out an offering as an act of worship or ritual observance or as a libation. Paul is alluding to his possible martyrdom (which by tradition did become a reality).
THERE IS A GREATER SACRIFICE: THAT OF THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH
They were suffering greatly for their faith. Philippians 1:28-29
