Paul’s Prayer for Love

Transcript

GR 620
11/7/1982
Paul’s Prayer for Love
Philippians 1:9-11
Gil Rugh

Book of Philippians in your Bibles; Philippians and the First Chapter. I have been looking at the opening verses of this Chapter, section we are looking at with verses 3 through 11; centers in and focuses around the Apostle Paul’s expression of love for the Philippians, which manifest itself in his praying for them. He mentioned in verse 3; that he thanked God in all of his remembrances of them, always offering prayer with joy with his privilege to be praying for them and to be thanking God for them; what God had done and was doing in their lives; particularly in light of the fact that they had shared together with him in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

They had been involved with him and the proclaiming of the truth of the word of God in a variety of ways, a very immediate way had been in the sharing of their material substance. And he will discuss this somewhat when we get to the Fourth Chapter. Paul view them as fellowshippers shares in the Gospel. And that key verse, verse 6; the confidence that Paul has, and this affects how he sees other believers. His excitement about fellow believers, his expectation regarding fellow believers centers in the fact that he is fully confident in God and I think that’s crucial. We begin to look at one another and focus in on one another, look at the shortcomings and the failures that we all have; that creates a negative and critical attitude toward one another.

But the Apostle Paul looked at fellow believers and saw them in light of what God was doing in their lives and that gave him great confidence concerning them, because there was a limitless potential there. He saw a believer as one in whom God was carrying out his perfect plan for an eternal work, and it caused him to view believers as those of overwhelming significance and important. I am confident of this very thing that the one who has begun a good work in you will continue to accomplish it; to bring it to perfection until the day of Christ Jesus; that God had begun the work of salvation in the Philippians lives.

Again back we noted in Acts Chapter 16. Now that process of molding and shaping and maturing continued. And Paul said he is confident that God will continue that work until the day of Christ Jesus; that time when we were brought face to face with Christ will stand in the presence of God the Father and be established as those who have been perfected by the finished work of Christ. God will continue his perfecting work in our lives right up until that time.

Now we need to keep that ever in mind in our dealings with one another. So easy to become frustrated, to become discourage, and to become disappointed in our relationships with one another; because as believers we expect perfection of one another, yet none of us have arrived at that point. But I need to remind myself when I see you God is in the process of doing that. I need to remind myself about that, when I become discourage with myself God is in the process of bringing me to his presence.

Verse 7; Paul noted that they were his partners. He had them in his heart and in the defense conformation as well as his imprisonment. They had been partakers of grace with him. The grace of God both regarding the imprisonment of Paul and the defense and conformation of the Gospel; that grace was shared together. The same grace that Paul was partaking of, the Philippians were partaking of; that didn’t mean that they were having the same experiences.

But they were sharing the same grace in being used of God for the accomplishing of the same purposes, ultimately his exultation and glory. We noted that defense and conformation of the Gospel; that Peter alludes to the fact that we are to be ready to make a defense to anyone who asks us regarding the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. We are to be prepared to share with them from the scriptures why we have based our hope for eternity on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are to be a prepared people for that.

And verse 8; verse that we looked at a couple of studies ago. God is my witness how I long for you with the affection of Christ Jesus. It’s a supernatural intensity of desire that Paul has for these fellow believers. Only Jesus Christ character manifests that, and it’s produced by the spirit in our lives, just not natural for us to over look one another flows and shortcomings, the things that cause irritation rather as the spirit produces the character of Christ in us; then we have that intense desire for one another and that longing. That brings us to the concluding section of this paragraph.

Verse 9 to 11; when you see he picks up and this I pray. So he’s talked about praying for them, but now he comes to what he really praise about. He is told why he is motivated to pray for them, their fellowship in the Gospel, they are being partakers of grace with him. But in what realm now does he pray, how does he pray for them, for what is he praying, what is he want God to accomplish in their lives; he is thankful for them, he appreciates them, but what does he want to see God do in their lives. This I pray and it’s going to focus in on their love, and that love and affection that he had; he also wants to characterize them in the proper realm.

Let’s pray together before we look at the details. Father we praise you this morning, for the greatness of the revelation you have given concerning yourself, for the privilege of looking at the details of this portion of your word today. We will keep ever before us that these are not the words of a man or men, but they are the revelation of the eternal God regarding his person and character. Make us open and receptive to what you would want to say to us from your word today. We ask in Jesus name, amen.

This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. Very simply Paul prays that they might have an overflowing abundant love. This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more; implies the fact that they did have love that they were a loving people. And you note; he does not limit the love, whether its love directed toward God or love directed toward fellow believers, it would be all inclusive. This is developed in other places such as First John; when you do love God and your love for him is growing you will love for fellow believers will be growing as well. So the concept here is inclusive. He is going to zero in on areas that have to do with the earthly realm, as we will see in a moment.

Your love this is the word Agape for love, and sometimes called the highest kind of love because it is a self sacrificing love. It is a love that is not based upon a response, not conditioned upon a response; it is a love that is offered and given regardless of how people react to it. The kind of love that is most pleasurable and satisfying for us is a pleasure response love. It’s enjoyable to love someone who loves you in return. This is a love that’s manifested irrespective and irregardless of the response given.

Details of it are most fully laid out in First Corinthians Chapter 13. Now he wants this love to abound. There they means to be in abundance to overflow; I can never be satisfied that I have enough love for God or for fellow believers; that is to be growing and deepening and increasing. Now we will manifest itself in the willingness to do what is best for you, while we call itself sacrificing love.

John 3:16 for God so loved the world; Agape love, that he gave his only be gotten son. There was a sacrifice in that love. He did what was best for the person who was the object of that love. So as we look at one another as believers, I looked to see what I can do to aid you and your growth to help you be more the person that God want you to be, to be an assistant to you, if you will and aid you in your growth. Rather than looking and saying, now when am I going to get out of this; we think the other way that is to be growing and increasing still more and more.

So overflowing more and more; you get the idea he want to stress the fact that this love just ought to be bubbling over, and it’s like you are pouring water in a pitcher and you just keep running it and it’s just flowing over the top. And you just keep dumping it in and it just keep flowing out more and more and more; that’s the way our love is to be. And if that’s the case then, you know it doesn’t come on and on. Now we can be going along and you know we feel so good and someone does something, someone says something and it just sets us off, our whole attitude toward the congregation.

You drove in this morning, someone whipped in front of you and took your parking place, just ruined your whole day; makes you grind on inside, what kind of Christians are these, I got to know I have been parking there every Sunday or you come in and then top it off somebody took your seat, you know one thing on another, and what I do I begin to think of how people were treating me, rather than coming and looking and thinking how am I going to contribute to their growth and development today, while I go out and evaluate what’s going on this morning, in light of what contributions I have made or what I have received. I come and expecting to receive something, but I also ought to come in love expecting to contribute something of myself to what is God is doing in lives this morning.

Let your love may abound, yet more and more; it’s a great theme today. And I don’t want to play it down in anyway. I think the emphasis on love needs to be over emphasized. However, it must be emphasized in its Biblical context, with its biblical content; much of what is being stressed as love even among believers today is not the love that the scripture talks about. It is a counterfeit. It’s an artificial love. It is the kind of love that the world revels in. It is the love that functions primarily in the emotions. It is primarily a feeling and much emphasis on love today. The Christians ought to have love for one another and that’s true.

But this love is to overflow; note, in real knowledge and all discernment. This love is given confines or guidelines. It is the function in the realm of knowledge and discernment. Some Christians function as though, if you talk about love that means you do away with your mind and the ability to be discerning. And I think as soon as you start to talk about discernment that you set aside love to be careful, I must be loving, but it must be in the realm of knowledge.

This word you have it translated, real knowledge or full knowledge. And it’s the word knowledge with a preposition on the front; that intensifies it full knowledge or real knowledge to balance it with all discernment. Full knowledge all discernment; this is a knowledge that is true and correct always used in the New Testament this compound word; of knowledge in the religious or spiritual realm, knowledge in the context of my relationship to God. I am to be growing in my spiritual understanding.

Now my love is to operate in light of a correct and true knowledge of God as he has revealed himself in the word. So my love is not indiscriminant, but it operates within the confines of the word of God and all discernment. Discernment is the application of the knowledge I have. I have acquired this real truthful knowledge of God, his plan and purposes. And again where you find that knowledge is in the word of God, that’s what God has revealed himself and made himself known.

Then I take the knowledge I have and I apply it in given situations, I am to be discerning. So when a person tells me, but look it doesn’t matter that they have a different view on the person of Christ or the work of Christ we are still to love one another. I said, wait a minute my bible tells me to test the spirits to see if they are from God, tells me that any that they’re not correct regarding the person and work of Christ are from Satan. Then that affects my functioning toward them.

So I do not set aside the truth of the word and my ability to discern in light of the truth, so I can be loving; it goes on at Indian Hills invariably when I speak regarding a heretical situation, a false religion they are those who says why can’t we have more love and that’s exactly we want our love to be over flowing, which you cannot have Biblical love without knowledge and discernment.

Now that’s crucial; it’s crucial for you to understand that. You won’t be so upset with me then, no other reason it’s crucial, no it’s basic; so frustrating, things are right and things are wrong and the truth of God is the final standard. And if they are not according to the word of God they are in err, they are in sin. If they are teaching contrary the word of God they are in heresy; and for us to say yes, but we want to be loving, why do we have to say that; we have to say it because we function with our love in all knowledge and all discernment.

Some Christians find it easier to be loving without discernment and it is, because then you can be indiscriminate, but that has problems, at least the difficult. You call that biblical love that’s a lie and I need to be careful here. You say, oh yes we do need to be loving. You know remember what Paul said in writing to the Ephesians in Chapter 4; we are to be speaking the truth in love. Love functions, but it functions with the truth, the truth functions but it functions with love, and to sacrifice one at the expense of the other. And I realize we have Christians to go the other extreme, their whole life is centered on knowledge. You know when I know something about the word, I just go and tearing the Christians like a lion, that’s repulsive. I am to use the knowledge I have to build up fellow believers. So there is the balance, love with knowledge and discernment.

Alright a number of passages I want to look at with you, and along this general thing. Look back in First Thessalonians and have these in any special order, just too again give us the emphasis of the scripture and these areas. First Thessalonians, someone will more emphasis love, someone will more emphasis knowledge. And see that both are necessary. Someone will say, well I tell you I’d rather be loving than have knowledge. Someone else will say, well I’d rather have knowledge and be loving and that’s not just choice God has given me. It’s just like and would you rather believe in the death or the resurrection of Christ, just not one of the options folks it’s both.

First Thessalonians Chapter 3 verse 12; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. We are going to build to that point again in our study in Philippians section before us; the coming of Christ becomes the focal point. You note, our love that abounding and increasing; we have to be careful, it so that we maybe be blameless. So it means we are going to be functioning according to the word of God as our love is manifested.

Look over in Chapter 4 of First Thessalonians verse 9. Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more and more. That’s great you are a very loving people Paul says, but don’t be satisfied practice your love even more.

Look over in Second Thessalonians Chapter 1 verse 3. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows greater. Their love is growing and it grows greater. Look back in Second Peter Chapter 1. And here you see knowledge and love joined together verse 5, now for this reason; applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and your moral excellence, knowledge. These are the things that are characterized us those who are believers in Jesus Christ.

There the last word in verse 5, knowledge. And your knowledge self-control, and so on down to verse 7, godliness brotherly kindness in your love; all these qualities are to be ours; so that we are not unfruitful in the true knowledge; verse 8, of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that true knowledge is the knowledge word we are talking about. Back in Philippians that word knowledge with the preposition on the front. The real knowledge, the full knowledge; I must have love and knowledge together functioning properly in my relationship with Christ.

Back up to Romans Chapter 5; just as a reminder. This love we are talking about is not manufactured by me; it’s produced by the spirit of God. Now my part in it is if I really I am submitting my life to the spirit. Why would Paul tell them of the importance for their love to be growing and growing; if the spirit of God did it automatically they wouldn’t have to be told to have it growing more and more. This spirit does it, but he does it as I submit myself to his control.

So in Romans Chapter 5 verse 5; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us; if the spirit of God who indwells us, who produces God’s love in us. Same things that said in Galatians Chapter 5 verse 22; where the fruit of the spirit is love. So I wanted you to be reminded that it’s the spirit of God who produces this in us. And if it’s not there it’s indicative of the fact that I am not submitting to the spirit.

Back up to go forward whichever wherever you are to First Corinthians Chapter 8, here is warning about having knowledge without love. Now concerning things sacrifice to idols we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogance, but love edifies. You see if all you have is knowledge that produces arrogance. So a person has more and more knowledge about the word, but they are not submitting to the spirit so that he can produce the character of Christ in their life, they become proud and arrogant. So they use their knowledge in an appropriate way. But I read that and say alright then I need to concentrate on love and forget knowledge, no because Second Peter 3:18 says, we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. So again it’s not an option. I must be growing in knowledge and I must also be growing in love; they go together.

Come back to Philippians. In real knowledge and all discernment; the application of my knowledge in a proper way using my knowledge, discerning and being intelligent if you will; that’s what is lacking in many modern movement the emphasis on love and that is the unifying factor, knowledge is played down, discernment is played down, because we don’t want anything to be divisive and that’s true. If you don’t know anything about a subject, you don’t have anything to divide over.

I agree with everybody about nuclear physics. It doesn’t matter what the different positions are, I agree with them all, you know what, I know the foggiest idea what any of them are talking about. So I agree with everyone, you know what it is; it’s ignorance on my part. I don’t know enough about the subject to speak to the subject that’s why so many Christians have no discernment in their love. They don’t know enough about the word of God to find their way home. So they can understand why you know why you are taking the position here, you take a position here, because my love must function with knowledge and discernment.

So that back in Philippians 1:10. You may approve the things that are excellent. You see we are building here. My love functions in the realm of knowledge and discernment, so that for this purpose I may approve the things that are excellent. Now interesting, yeah this word; approve, means to put something to the test, so that it maybe approved. It’s a word that was used of testing metals, testing coins for genuineness and so on. Something would be put to the test and then as a result of testing it, it would be approved.

So that you may approve the things that are excellent; and that word; excellent, means also that differ. So that you can put to test the things that differ and I believe the King James may translate it that way. The goal being that you might approve what is excellent among those things that are different, that differ what is the best, the excellent. The purpose of testing them is that I might approve among all these things that differ what is the best and excellent.

Excellence is our goal as believers we pot along as those things don’t make any difference. My love is to function in the realm of true knowledge and discernment, so that I might put things to the test and approve the right ones. Now that’s crucial; I am to be a discerning Christian to testing things, testing trying them, discerning. Christians are not to be gullible; to be loving does not mean you accept everything. We are to both test them and approve what is the best. If it doesn’t matter the quality is not an issue and I have these things to choose and I might say, it doesn’t matter; I say which one do you want to pick, I say I really don’t care, but that’s not a choice for me when I am dealing with spiritual things. I must test and improve what is excellent, what is the best.

Look at this word approve, over in Romans Chapter 12. That we learn early usually in our Christian life; Romans Chapter 12, verse 2 to exhorting us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God; what are we to do, I turn this body with its mind over to God, do not be conform to this world, but be transformed by the making new of your mind, in order that; you see what happens as God transforms me that transformation takes place in the realm of my mind. That I may prove, there is our word translated approve in Philippians; that you may prove, test and discern what the will of God is that which is good and perfect and acceptable.

Again you see how God is operating; he is operating through my mind. And as he makes me knew in the realm of my mind and so that I might discern what his will is, that’s what he is talking about. That I might approve what is excellent. That I might discern God’s will. Now you note it functions in the context of my mind and my mind functions with true knowledge that’s the problem.

With so many services for Christians are oriented around emotional things and you can get gear it up and pumped up emotionally, but my mind is to take the facts and use them, the facts is the word of God to discern the will of God, not to sit back and see how I feel, and how I moved to determine the rightness or wrongness; crucial that I may prove what the will of God is and I take I submit to you that the less you know about the scripture the more difficulty you will have in knowing what Gods will is, the more you mature and grow in your knowledge of the word of God, the more discernment you will have in knowing what Gods will is; that which is good and perfect and acceptable before God.

Look over in Ephesians Chapter 5. Ephesians Chapter 5; one of the places where I really don’t like the New American Standard translation; it tells us not to be partakers of those who are disobedient to God, not sharing what they are doing, we are now the children of light. Verse 10 of Ephesians 5, we are to be trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Now that trying to learn I don’t like, because it gives the idea you are struggling along, boy it’s hard I am trying to learn.

It’s the word that we have in Philippians that we read in Romans; proving, putting to the test to learn that’s how I am learning, what is pleasing to the Lord. I am putting it to the test and approving what is good, what is pleasing to the Lord. So you translate approving, what is pleasing to the Lord, putting to the tests for the purpose of approving; what is pleasing to the Lord. You know that’s a responsibility I have. My goals in life now is to be pleasing to him, it means I must put things to the test; the test of the word of God to determine whether they are pleasing to him.

Look over First Thessalonians Chapter 5 verse 21. First Thessalonians 5:21, but examine everything; examine, prove, put to the test everything. You get the flavor of this word, you know it can be translated variety way; prove, approve, examine giving you all the same flavor. Examine, prove everything. Now how discerning I am to be as a believer, so that I hold fast to that which is good. How am I going to stand before Christ and that’s we comes up next in Philippians the Bema Seat of Christ and he demands me in accounting.

I said, well Lord you know I just sat down and try to get the feeling, he said, why did you sift it through the word, no Lord, but you know they all said that it was good; did you sift it through the word, did you prove it; well you know didn’t want to be divisive; what does he say, hold fast to what is good. Then say hold fast to what everybody else is holding to; hold fast what is good. How am I going to know what is good; prove it, examine it. I think Isaiah said centuries before Paul wrote, according to the law and the testimony, according to the scripture. They don’t speak according to scriptures it’s because they have no don, no life so sift it through the scriptures.

Come back to Philippians Chapter 1; so, that you may approve the things that are excellent. Now you note here, we built, my love abounds in the area of real knowledge and all discernment, so that I may approve the things that are excellent, not done; in order further purpose to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; sincere, pure, blameless in the day of Christ; that’s the goal.

I am going to stand before Christ until the day of Christ that with the same goal we looked at up at the end of verse 6, until the day of Christ Jesus. They are just talking about the time when Jesus Christ will come in the air to take us as his church into his very presence, and it’s at that time that as we call the Bema Seat of Christ takes place. Well I shall stand in his presence and give an account for my life here on earth. And the goal is to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; to live my life in light of the fact that he is coming again. That’s the condition everything, you know why I have to be discerning, you know I have to know how to hold fast what is good, because I want to be pure before him, blameless before him until he comes. And that only can be as I put to the test and approve what is excellence until the day of Christ then I will be revealed for what I really am.

Couple of passages on the Bema Seat; go back to Romans 14 just to remind yourself. We as believers ought to live with this before us all the time. Christ is coming; I shall be privileged to see him face to face. My lives work will be evaluated in the purity of his Holy presence. So Romans Chapter 14 says, this effects how we deal with one another; verse 10, why do you judge your brother or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt, for we will all stand before the judgment seat of God, the Bema Seat. He is talking here to believers.

Then the quote from the Old Testament concluding with verse 12, so then each one of us show give an account of himself to God, amazing how tolerant I am of my short comings, but how intolerant I am of yours; that would to be remind you give an account to God for your life, I will give an account to God for my life under live my life in light of that. Over in First Corinthians 3, perhaps the best known passage on this; First Corinthians 3, verse 10; and following, we don’t have time to read the whole section.

Verse 13 says each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, the fire will test the quality of each man's work. The result is reward here, not salvation, because everyone here is saved, but they are rewarded on the basis of the works that have been done for God. Am I going to be rewarded for holding faster those things, which were good and excellent; not in your life; that’s why so important to me. The rewards that God offers me in the very presence of his son conditioned upon my faithfulness to him, my attitude before him in functioning as he’s instructed me in light of the word in the power of the spirit of God.

Turn over to Second Corinthians Chapter 5, verse 9; therefore we also have as our ambition whether at home, living in this physical body or absent, having died leaving this body to be pleasing to him; for we must all appear before the Bema Seat of Christ that each one maybe recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done whether good or bad. Now my ambition is to be pleasing to him. I know that I shall appear before his Bema Seat to be recompensed for what I have done in this body. And he tells me to be discerning to hold fast what is good and excellent and I should plot along and say, O lets just love and forget the knowledge, forget the discernment, not on your life it’s too important, it’s of all things most important.

Come back to Philippians Chapter 1. You could also chart down First John Chapter 3 verse 2 and 3. Well we are told that when we, when he appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is, then he tells us that everyone who has this hope in Christ purifies himself, just as he is pure; same kind of emphasis. Philippians Chapter 1 verse 11; we ought to want to be sincere and blameless until. So I think that ties that what we had up in verse 6, that he will began a good work and you will perfect it until, we want to be sincere and blameless until; and you see the balance there, God is doing it in verse 6, and I am responsible for it verse 10. And it’s going to be a theme that he will come back to in his study of Philippians.

God is doing the work, but it wasn’t none of us would make it, but I am still responsible and accountable to be living a life submissive to him, so that his purposes are fully realized in preparation for seeing him. Verse 11, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ to the praise on to the glory and praise of God; having been filled with the fruit’s of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ. So I am to have love abounding in the area of real knowledge and all discernment. In order that I might put to the test for the purpose of approving the things that are excellent. In order that I might be pure, sincere and blameless until Christ comes as one who has been filled with the fruit of righteousness.

And I take at the fruit of righteousness here is saying that the righteousness is the fruit, the fruit which is righteousness. I am one filled with the fruit, which is righteousness; in other word his character, his righteousness fills me. So naturally that control and directs and guides my path. This comes through Jesus Christ. Again he brings it back to that this is not something I do, it’s through Jesus Christ that righteousness is produced in me and manifested through me in all that I do. And I take it that has to do with my love, with my discernment, with my testing things that I might approve what is correct, comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Why so important say, boy it’s unselfish; I am doing this until the day of Christ in light of the Bema Seat, but you see what it all boils down to the glory and praise of God. Like # well I look I wouldn’t want to work for rewards, I am too spiritual. You know I get more spiritual than God is, he tells me to labor in light of those, you know why, because rewards in this area will be a means of glorifying God and bringing praise to him; you know why the fruit of righteousness might be evident in my life everyday until he comes, because that is a testimony to him, it glorifies him and brings praise to him, O how easily we lose sight of the fact; that we are a people privileged to live every moment of everyday with eternal purposes, that my life is to be glorifying, bringing praise to God everyday and I get absorbed in the mundane worries and concerns and care.

I lose sight of what really matters; that means I have to function properly. This is not just something some mystic concept, you know that if you concentrate indwell and you know get moved in the right way, he’s told us the concrete things that are involved in this. Love, which means doing what is best for the other person; read the details of First Corinthians 13, functioning with true knowledge and discernment; so that we might put to the test differing things and approve the ones that are excellent, so that we might be pure, sincere and blameless until Christ comes; those who have been filled with the fruit of righteousness.

We go to a couple of passages that parallel this. Colossians just after Philippians Colossians Chapter 1; we have to go quickly just on these closing passages. Colossians Chapter 1 verse 3; we give thanks to God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints. Down to verse 6, remember we have to read verse 5, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven of which you previously heard in the word of the Gospel, which has come to you just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit.

So what happens here, our faith in Christ, the hope we have, the treasure in heaven is bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth. Verse 10, verse 9; for where Paul sentences are hard to break up, for this reason also since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you to ask that you maybe filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, you know bearing fruit, increasing in the knowledge; the manifestation of love he goes onto talk about being strengthen with his power, his might.

Look over in Hebrews Chapter 12, verse 11; all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. You see what is God is doing in our lives, is geared that the righteousness of his character might be produced more and more in us. I don’t like the hard times. I don’t like the pressure times, but all I do like the righteousness of Christ being produced in me; that’s one of the means that God uses.

Jain’s Chapter 3 just after Hebrews verse 17, but the wisdom from above is first pure than peaceable, gentle, reasonable full of mercy and good fruits unwavering without hypocrisy and the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Galatians 5, 22, and 23 the fruit of the spirit is the righteous character of Christ being produced in us. One passage Matthew Chapter 5, just to move out of the Epistles back into one of the Gospels, where Christ was speaking directly in Matthew 5; I take it this summarizes in the condensed way, what we have been saying.

Matthew 5:16, let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and what’s the result of that and think you are fine fellow, no; and glorify your father who is in a heaven, what I do with my life is overwhelmingly important, because it is the means that God has chosen to use to glorify himself; that’s why so crucial that the fruit’s of righteousness be manifest in me and all that I do, that comes through Jesus Christ; his sovereign control of my life, the ministry, the spirit in me, so that the glory and praise goes to God.

Let’s stop where are we; personally and as a congregation. Personally, it’s easy to say, oh boy that’s the problem, I am glad you preach that message because Indian Hill sure is in a loving congregation, where they really needed it; who is they, you know sometimes we sit as part of the body of believers as though we were spectators. God says, you’re a part of this body and when we say they are not very loving, that is a reflection of what’s wrong in the body. I am not functioning as a part of the body as I should. I see you as they and instead of us, are we and I stop and say, am I as loving as I should.

What is my attitude toward these believers, whatever I done this past week to enable them to be more effective for Jesus Christ; how have I contributed to the growth and development spiritually of other believers through the days this week; how am I looking for God to use me in more effective and real ways in the spiritual development of the believers in this place; is the love really just bubbling over me, if it’s not you know we won’t be going on in the body, because the body is made up of all these pieces. And if all of us pieces are looking here saying; what are these believers doing, these believers doing, these believers; if each one of us are looking and saying is his love fill overflowing in my life.

Then you know what will be characteristic of this congregation, it will be overflowing in us as a body, because if it’s overflowing in every one of us individually it will be overflowing in every one of us as a body. So don’t come and tell me afterwards please; that I am glad you preached that, because everybody needed it. I know everybody needed it. I needed it and I know you needed. So we are greed on that and I guess to stop and spend sometime today just thinking. Take out a piece of paper and list God; in what ways are you presently using me in a positive way to encourage and build up labors, in what ways could you use me.

Now we need to spend more time thinking about. We are talking about things that are of eternal significant, are we as a body characterizes overflowing in love. Now I ask you personally, are you a discerning Christian, your Christian is really growing in the knowledge of the word, remember this word, all stages of growth. But you know more about the word then you knew last week, last month, and last year. You are becoming more discerning as a believer as you grow in knowledge, and I ask you are you using your knowledge in love, both are going together remember, so that we might be approving the things that are excellent.

I really believe that we haven’t even touched what God can do in and through us as a body of believers. As we allow the spirit of God to minister in and through us more affectively to the accomplishing of the purposes of God. Now one thing we would like all of you to be part of what God is doing. We all have our rough ages, we all have our imperfections, but praise God every person who is a believer in Jesus Christ is one in whom God is working eternal purpose.

And you may sit here week after week attending this service, but are really not part of this body, because unless you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to faith in his death and resurrection then God is not working in your life, you are not part of what’s going on and the glory as message as you can be, because through Jesus Christ righteousness is produced in our life and that begins; that is realized the moment you place your faith in him.

Let’s pray together. Father, how we praise you today for the richness of your word; father for the richness of life in Jesus Christ. Father, forgive us for our foolishness. Father, for the time this week when we belittled one another, when we have criticized one another, when we spent time thinking of those things which were not profitable. Lord, pray that we might be willing to submit our minds to the spirits control. Lord, fill us with thoughts that are characteristic of Jesus Christ.

Father, gives us the desire to be used by you the lives of the members of this body. Lord that we might be overflowing in love in real knowledge in all discernment. Lord that we might be a people functioning and manifesting the true fruit of righteousness in all of our activities. Lord, I pray for those who are here today, who do not have that relationship with you. Father that they might see by the gracious work of the spirit that Jesus Christ is the savior and only by faith in him they can have redemption. We pray in His name, amen.