Our Sunday Morning Message for March 5, 2023

                     

                                                "Lest We Forget"

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                                           Text: Philippians 3:1-14

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This message is taken from one of the Apostle Paul's prison epistle, the Epistle of Philippians. There are four prison epistles written by the Apostle Paul while he was in prison. They are Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. This epistle written to the believers at the church of Philippi is about the joy in living the Christian life. Matter of fact, he starts with this word "joy" in the very beginning of his epistle. Paul writes these words, "Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy." (Philippians 1:4)

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This epistle can be sum up with these words, "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say rejoice." (Philippians 4:4) You see joy in the heart is part of the nine fold fruit of the Holy Spirit. It can be only found among those who are saved. However, it is not a guaranteed that if you are saved that you will experience this joy. It comes as a result of remembering the great blessings we have in Christ as our Savior. This is the reason for the title of our message to be "Lest We Forget."

 

Notice what Paul says in our text, "Finally, my brethern, rejoice in the Lord." (Philippians 3:1)  Paul's emphasis is not to just rejoice but rejoice in the Lord.

Now we do not rejoice in our church buildings or any church program but in the Lord. It is interesting to note that the word "joy" appears nineteen times in this epistle. However, there is a word that appears more than joy in this epistle, and that is the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus appears over forty times. He is the center of Paul's writings for Jesus Christ is the one who is the very source of our joy.

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Everything about living the Christian life is about what kind of a relationship we have in the person Jesus Christ. He is the philosophy of our living. He is the one we pattern our life after. Also, there is a a price we have to pay to live a Christian life. Now there is no cost to be saved for it is paid for by the blood of our Savior, but there is a cost to serve Him. We may lose our friends, our jobs, our social standing in this world because of our love for the Savior. 

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This joy is all tied up in knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior. It is a gladness of the heart that never dies as you seek to know more of Him and His word. Paul tells these believers that he had no problem for him to keep repeating these truths to them, lest they forget the joy they can have in Jesus Christ. 

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So, my friend, are you experiencing that joy in knowing Christ as your Savior? If not, I encourage you to come to know Him today.

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                                                      Pastor Michael R. Martin

 

 

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The Good News for the Week:

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     "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God

                                      in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14