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“ Summary, Part 4 (final) ” But we know that the Lord will not let us fall back into the world, and so we learn to trust Him in very dark times. 2. IN REPENTANCE. How did sin go from being a joy to being sour in our bellies after being sweet in our mouths? How did it go from being a character flaw to a horrifying death sentence? Because God is at work in us, making us hate something so native to us. 3. IN GOSPEL OBEDIENCE. We don’t work for our salvation, but we work out our salvation. How did our disobedience become something so shameful and troubling to our conscience? Because God is at work in us; this is what it means to walk in the Spirit. If you know these things about yourself, you have assurance that God is working in you. HOW DO WE PROGRESS MORE? 1. READ HIS WORD. We can’t learn His will if we don’t take instruction on it. 2. SEEK TO KNOW THE LORD, WHOSE WILL WAS TO DO HIS FATHER’S WILL. His deft use of the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, protected Him from the devil himself. The word was so in His heart that He is the living word. 3. SEEK GOD’S FACE CONTINUALLY IN THE SPIRIT OF GRATEFUL PRAYER. Paul couldn't have been so confident in the Philippian church without faithful, persevering, passionate prayer (PHILIPPIANS 1:3-4). Jacob would not let the angel go without a blessing (GENESIS 32:26).
Ian Migala (2/10/2014)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 3 ” PHILIPPIANS 2:12-13: obedience had worked itself into the fabric of those members; they were not just in allegiance with Paul, but with God. Verse 13 is the confirmation of God’s promise to finish His work in His people. No church is perfect, and the Philippian church was no exception. It had its trials, yet Paul believed that God would work in them to work out (not ‘for’) their salvation in fear and trembling, that He would work them out into the image of His Son. Spiritual progress is never easy; we’re fallen as long as we’re not glorified. But can we gauge where we are versus where we were when we were saved? We come to understand that satisfaction is the door to spiritual rot. As long as we’re alive on earth, we will be a work in progress. The sin in our heart looked much smaller when we were saved than it does now. By itself, that seems like regress. But from the eternal perspective, we’re seeing the largeness of our sin because we’re seeing the largeness of the holy God Who hates it. THREE WAYS THAT GOD PROGRESSES US: 1. IN FAITH. What did God see in us that He would save us? The ability to magnify His own glory, to turn a lump of coal into a diamond. We see things darkly now; we walk by faith because we don’t see things in their clarity, especially when we feel forsaken.
Ian Migala (2/10/2014)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 2 ” Many times, He has provided when the bills came due. We are also a church of regular tithers. A recent statistic indicated that only three percent of professing Christians tithe their income. If our church were representative of that, it would not survive. Yet our few are regular, generous givers. This kind of giving reflects Christ’s own sacrifice, and it glorifies God to the world. C: WE’VE WITNESSED GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IN PROGRESSING US IN THE WAY THAT LEADS TO LIFE. He has preserved us individually and as a body. We don’t want to just be preserved and provided for; without progress, we can still become stagnant. That would lead to a survivalist mode that forsakes any sort of vision for the future. REVELATION 3:1c is the last thing we want to hear about our church. We don’t just want to live in Christ, but to grow in Him as well. The body is only as strong as the individual parts. PHILIPPIANS 1:6: Paul was there for the beginning of the Philippian church (ACTS 16). It was small and insignificant at its beginning, and here Paul is telling them that God would finish the work He started. The church itself may not exist anymore, but the living stones that made up that church saw that promise come to pass.
Ian Migala (2/10/2014)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 1 ” Last week, we discussed that I. OUR CONTINUED EXISTENCE AS A CHURCH BEARS ELOQUENT WITNESS TO GOD’S FAITHFULNESS, and covered A: WE’VE WITNESSED GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IN PRESERVING US AMIDST NUMEROUS DIFFICULT PROVIDENCES. This week, we continue with B: WE’VE WITNESSED GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IN PROVIDING OUR MATERIAL AND TEMPORAL NEEDS. LUKE 18:29-30: the disciples were considering the possibility that they were on a fool’s errand. They had left everything behind to follow Jesus. But Jesus declared to them that even in this life, He will replace manifold what we have left behind for our faith. He replaces our unbelieving friends and family with the brethren. He replaces unbelieving guidance with holy guidance. HOW HAS GOD PROVIDED FOR OUR CHURCH? 1. WITH OUR MEETING PLACE. The congregation had to rent and move around a lot until 2000, when He gave us the chance to buy our building at a very affordable price. That was with the help of the previous congregation, and friends who helped provide the funds. 2. WITH OUR ABILITY TO PAY THE BILLS. We’re small, and so it is difficult for us to stay afloat at times. Even when the red line was near, we have kept it at bay. God has raised up a sister church and friendly brethren who have been generous to us.
