1. I will Protect the Unity of My Congregation:
Phil. 1:27 says, “Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Messiah. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith of the gospel,”
The Greek says live your life in a godly manner, appropriate in all you do. And the Greek says for us to behave as citizens of the Kingdom of God.
When it says to stand firm, the Greek translates to be stationary, do not move in the things of the Lord. Else where it tells us to be fixed in our position. To be fixed is to not move in our position in the Lord and the things of the Lord.
But it also says in one spirit, the Greek understanding of our spirit was our mind, or that which is the very core of our being, our core beliefs. Scripture is telling us to think the same way when it comes to the Lord and His ways.
This Scripture also says, to work side by side with one another. The Greek says to wrestle side by side with one another for the faith. It is speaking of having a yoke on us just as we would yoke a team of horses together. We are to pull equally with one another sharing the work we are given to do. Making the work a team effort and our combined strength will help each one of us.
A. There are three ways to do this:
By acting in love toward other members;
1 Peter 1:22 says, “By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, we love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”
Number one, the original language says, we are purified in our hearts through obedience. Purified in the original language speaks to being undefiled, the same word that would be used to those things used in the temple. Nothing could enter the temple that had been defiled, so they had to purify it. The purity of our hearts come as we come into a relationship with Yashua, but our continued purification come as we learn to be obedient to God’s Word, which would be to love the brothers.
Also it says that we are to love the brothers without hypocrisy. Hypocrisy in the original language speaks of an actor, one who appears to be someone they are not. The actors would put a mask on and come out tricking the audience into thinking they were someone they were not. Scripture says love one another from a heart that has no hypocrisy, or a heart that is what it appears to be.
B. Second, By refusing to gossip;
Ephesians 4:29 says, “No rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need, in order to give grace to those who hear.”
The Greek says, do not let anything that is worthless, or corrupt come from your mouth. Gossip is worthless and corrupt. Gossip seeks to destroy the reputation of another person, and in Scripture is associated with murder. When we gossip we murder someone’s reputation.
This passage goes on to tell us to speak only that which would build the other person up. It says to speak that which the other person needs, that which would build the other person up, that which builds structure in their lives, that which confirms their life.
It tells us this is to give grace to them. This word in the Greek means that which is a benefit, acceptable, and brings pleasure to that person. This is talking to someone in a way that helps them in their walk with Messiah Yashua our Lord, and would build intimacy with Him and with others.
C. Third, By Following the leaders:
Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
The original language says, be in agreement with your leaders. Once again this is calling us to unity, or to be in agreement with.
But it also says, to yield or surrender yourselves to them. And the reason is they are to watch over your souls. This word watch is to be sleepless over and is a shepherding term that describes the way a shepherd was over the flock.
The leaders are going to stand before God and give an accounting for the job they have done with those they are responsible for.
And this is to be done in such a way that the leaders can be in calm happiness, or to have pleasure over doing this. The original language says so they will have a clam delight over you and the carrying out of their responsibilities.
But the next sentence lays the responsibility back on those in the congregation. Scripture says to not do these things will be unprofitable for those in that flock. It speaks to the flock getting into messes that will not build them up. This speaks to sheep that wander off and find themselves in trouble with the wolves and lions that seek to destroy the sheep. It also speaks to no getting fed and water to sustain life, in this case spiritual life.
2. I will share the responsibility of my church:
Philippians 1:7 says, “It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel”
Do share in the responsibility in three ways: By praying for its growth, By inviting the unchurched to attend, and By warmly welcoming those who visit.
A. By Praying for the congregation;
1 Thessalonians 1:1-2 says, We always thank God for all of you, remembering you constantly in our prayers. We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Yashua Messiah.”
Thanking God for one another is a common theme through out the New Testament. This speaks to a relationship with Messiah and with one another. We are to be thankful for one another.
We are to recall all of the work that other do in the congregation and thank God for them, praying for them to have all they need to continue in the ministry they are in.
And we are to pray for endurance in the faith and strength to meet the daily challenges of life and ministry.
B. By inviting the unchurched to attend:
Matthew 28:18-20 says, “Then Yashua came near and said to them, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We are to go and invite others to become disciples of our Lord and Savior Yashua Messiah. Some would say this is a passage for missionaries, but the truth is we are all missionaries. We may not be missionaries to foreign countries, but we are missionaries in our neighborhoods.
We have a responsibility not just to the church, but more importantly to Jesus to let others know of the salvation available to them through the finished work of Jesus.
C. Third, by welcoming those who visit:
Romans 15:7 says, “Therefore accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory to God.”
We are to accept one another not based on their merits, but based on the fact that Jesus accepted us. It deals with our own relationship with Him.
This is what glorifies God in the eyes of the world. When we example God in our lives, when the Holy Spirit is allowed to manifest Himself through us, then the world sets up and takes notice.
And God is able to draw people to Him through a church that is letting the world see Him through them.
3. I will serve the ministry of my church:
1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial.”
This passage has a far greater meaning than we sometimes give to it. It is saying that when we came into a relationship with Jesus he gave us a gift, and placed us in the body where He wanted to. The gift that He gave you is to be beneficial to the rest of the body. It is not just for you, it is to build the body up. And the gifts of the other people in the body are there to build you and others up. We are necessary parts of the body.
We are to do this in three different but important ways; By discovering my gifts and talents, By being equipped by my pastor to serve, By developing a servant’s heart.
A. First, by discovering my gifts:
1 Peter 4:10 says, “Based on the gift they have received, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.”
First, the original language says everyone has received an endowment from God. Everyone means everyone, there is no one left out of this passage. So whether you realize it or not you have been given a gift from God.
And the reason you have been given that gift is for using it to build others up. And Scripture calls us to be good managers we are to be responsible for it. The word manager in the original language speaks of the house manger. This was the one that the master would put in charge of the house hold to make sure the house ran correctly while he was gone. We are to make sure we use the gifts Jesus has given us so things run correctly in His absence.
The varied grace of God means that each of these gifts are given to through His grace, and each of the gifts are different, but from God’s grace.
B. Second, By being equipped by my pastor to serve;
Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ.”
The leaders of the church, which are outlined in this passage are for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. This means for the complete furnishing of what is needed for the church to do ministry.
The reason is through the gifts provided to the church through people, the whole church will be built up and operating the way it ought to operate.
And verse 14 tells us, this will cause us to be fixed in the faith and not toss around like the waves by every wind of doctrine that comes along. We will know the truth and be steadfast in it.
C. Third, By developing a servants heart:
Philippians 2:2-4,7 says, “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also the interests of others……Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men.”
What is being said is, don’t do anything out of strife or empty glory. This is saying that we are not to try to out do others and seek to make ourselves better, or look better than others.This speaks to trying to draw attention to ourselves.
But instead we are to seek to make others more important than ourselves. We are to look out for the interests of others. This speaks to the idea that we are to not be so self aware, but instead be aware of the needs of others as well.
This is following the example of Jesus. This is how Jesus treated us when He went to the cross. Jesus didn’t go to the cross for His own needs, but He went to the cross for our needs.
4. I will support the testimony of my congregation:
Philippians 1:27 says, “Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith of the gospel.”
We are to live our lives worthy of the gospel of Yashua Messiah.
We can do this in three different ways: By attending church faithfully, by living a godly life, by giving regularly.
A. First, by attending faithfully:
Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
The Greek says not leaving behind in some place the meetings. And the word meeting in the Greek means to make complete. If we think about the gifts and what they are for, we will come to the understanding that leaving our meetings behind some place makes us not complete as the body. We are missing essential aspects of the body.
The original Language says these individuals have made staying away a custom, something they practice habitually.
For the body to be complete and operating the way it ought to, all of the body needs to be there.
B. Second, by living a godly life:
This goes back to the opening verse. Philippians 1:27, which tells us to live a life worth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our lives proclaim the Gospel of Yashua Messiah to all who come into contact with us.
The Bible tells us that our actions tell others what we really believe about any situation we are in. So our actions need to line up with what the Bible says about things, and we are saying about things.
C. By giving regularly:
Leviticus 27:30 says, “Every tenth of the lands produce, grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord.”
The point of this Scripture is this; all things belong to God, and gives it to us to live life with, but what He wants is a tenth back from us.
We find throughout Biblical history where God calls Israel back to tithing and tithing correctly.
Malachi 3:8-12 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! You ask, How are we robbing you? By not making the payments of 10 percent and the contributions. You are suffering under a curse, yet you-the whole nation-are still robbing Me. Bring the full 10 percent into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way, says the Lord of Hosts. See if I will not open the flood gates of heaven and pour out blessing for you without measure. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your ground, and your vine in your field will not be barren, says the Lord of Hosts. Then all nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of Hosts.”
God says that Israel was living under a curse because they were not paying their tithes, and what they did pay wasn’t what they were supposed to pay.
This is a principal we are to consider carefully. Do we want the blessing that God tells us we can have? Then we must follow God’s principle of tithing. Other wise we will receive the curse that comes from not following God’s Word.