Paul
The Spirit And The Bride (For all the thirsty in need of a river)
Mighty To Save (Everyone needs compassion)
Everlasting God (Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord)
On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand (My hope is built on nothing less)
Take Heart (Here is a light)
Mighty To Save coda
Jon
Jeremy (not me) is going in for hip surgery tomorrow
15 years in pain hopefully ended
Philippians 1:12-14
Phroneo Christou – the mind and attitude of Jesus
Later on he’ll talk about contentment while being in chains
Paul’s imprisonment helps to spread the gospel
Learning to be content in all situations and circumstances
Excerpt from Jon’s emails to a friend who’s dealing with pain
Ecclesiastes – the Old Testament book of wisdom by Solomon
Peace is not the absence of conflict, but sitting in the questions and the pain and still smiling
Even in my despair and my confusion, I will still praise You my Lord and my God
Paul is writing from a perspective of joy in sorrow
You develop phroneo christou in sorrow and pain
When we said yes to the open tomb and yes to the cross and yes to Jesus, we said yes to the Christ pattern
The life I used to live I no longer live
I live according to Him, I am in Christ Jesus
Wisdom is sitting in all this stuff that happens because we’re sitting in it with Christ
Paul doesn’t use phronein in this verse, but he’s referencing it
Question for us: what kinds of things are shaping your personal phroneo? What kinds of people? How is your phroneo being shaped?
Your life is a testimony
That means everyone is watching how you handle adversity
When I watch you handle difficult situations, it has a profound effect on me
Our connection to one another is so important
Paul has a group of people who could be crushed with him in prison
It’s been almost two years since we lost Jeff
Many of us here had the pleasure of knowing Jeff and Julie and their girls
I watched Jeff through this two year period of time where he knew his time was coming to an end
Jeff could have turned inward in grief, anger, despair
Remember how he turned it outward and gathered guys together and told us how to love our wives
Jeff told me what he wanted me to say at his funeral
Tell them it’s all about Christ
My suffering, my struggle, my pain, it’s all about Jesus
Allowed his mind to be developed by the pattern of Jesus
It had such a profound effect on my life
When you shape your life on the Christ pattern,
Sometimes there just are no answers and no way to fix it
You just need to be there with us and sit with us in the stuff
I don’t get it, but I’m here with you
Jesus is on the cross
One of the last things He says is why have you forsaken me
He’s been talking all this time about the deep connection He has with the Father
My mentor from years ago uses a great analogy
On your way into the furnace, already in the furnace, or just pulled out of the furnace and on your way back in
You come out very different
Different perspective
How can I expect any different?
This is a suffering king we’re serving
Most of the brothers and sisters, most of them not all
The gospel is advancing
If we observe that
The gospel advances when it’s pushed down, when there’s suffering
He’s not only renewing us, but the whole world
The more you push it down, the more it advances
I swear he sounded like a black preacher for just a moment. Wanted to give him a hallelujah
When I am in Christ, I may end up in chains
The Caesars viewed themselves as gods
Insisted that they were born of virgins
They were to bring victory and peace throughout the world
The imperial guards went throughout the kingdom declaring that Caesar was lord
If you accepted that, life was good
You could buy and sell goods, etc
This imperial propaganda was being sold from village to village
Then you’ve got Paul going from village to village saying Jesus is Lord
So keep pushing us, it’s going to advance
I want to shape your phroneo so that you have the phroneo christou
Even the imperial guards here know why I’m in chains
In fact because I’m in here, more people are increasing in their understanding of the Gospel and preaching it with more boldness
Your life shapes other lives
Your mouth, your words
Let me leave you with this question: how am I helping others to shape their phroneo?
Do I see my life as a living and breathing testimony?
Because that’s how I see you
Am I submitting to that?