Sermons About Participation
Sacred Joy: Philippians 1.3-11
As Paul begins his letter to the church at Philippi he reveals his gratitude to God for the church's commitment to the gospel and to Paul's ministry. Their partnership in the gospel gives Paul much joy as he prays for them. He has such joy and affection for the church because they are walking in the truth. What gives you the greatest joy? For Paul it is the work that God is continuing to do in his brothers and sisters in Philippi. No doubt Paul would have much reason to be down and lonely while in prison, but his circumstances do not affect his joy and prayers for these in Philippi. The gospel has such power as it reconciles sinful people not only to God, but to each other. The gospel is what holds Paul and the Philippians together even though they are apart. The gospel must take first place in both our relationships and prayers.
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The Church's Stimulus Plan
Far more important than any economic stimulus plan is the need for us to create a stimulus plan for the church. Fortunately the Bible gives us the perfect recipe for such an endeavor. Pastor Hugo walks us through the simple plan that will spur us on to revival and transformation laid out for us in the book of Hebrews.
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Declaring the Glory of God
Isaiah wrote that all of the blessings of God are designed to lead to the declaration of God’s glory (Isaiah 60:21). . . . as a witness let us live in such a way that our lives declare the glory of God!
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Gather
As a church we desire to be REAL people making a REAL difference in a REAL world through the power of Christ, but most of the time we don’t think that we have what it takes to make a real difference. There is an order to the process. It all begins with the power of Christ being unleashed in our lives. The power of Christ is unleashed as we become G4 followers of Christ who: GATHER corporately for celebration and teaching, GROW spiritually through community, GIVE sacrificially in service to the church, and GO unashamedly with the gospel into the world. Desiring that we would see the power of Christ unleashed at Harvest Pointe, our 2008-2009 Church Goal is that…Each One of Us Would Take Our Next Steps in Becoming G4 Followers of Christ. Throughout this series we will explore the four elements of being a G4 follower of Christ and how we can take our next steps in each one of them.
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Philippians 1:3-6 - Joyous Thanksgiving
In American Society we are tempted to domesticate the Gospel through secularization, self-indulgence, and pluralism. We don't want to abandon Christianity but we marginalize and privatize it. We are more concerned about being comfortable and secure than with the truth of the Gospel. Paul's thanksgiving was joyful in the fact that the Philippians did not marginalize the Gospel of Christ but in fact participated in it. Gospel Fellowship always exceeds all earthly fellowship because it is rooted in God in an eternal quest. We see Paul’s thanksgiving grounded in 3 things: 1) A Thankful Remembrance, 2) A Thankful Fellowship, and 3) A Thankful Confidence or Assurance. It is not your grip on God that has made the difference or will make the difference in your life, but God's grip on you. In these 3 verses you learn not to be confident in your goodness, character, history, perseverance, but in God. Paul's joy and thanksgiving comes not because he attended a hotdog fellowship with the Philippians but because they suffered for something Greater - the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is God's work in us that is a cause for great thanksgiving. Is God Working in you so that you? If he is you will be participating in the Gospel.
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