Kay Arthur Video

Philippians – March 17, 2004

Precept Bible Study (BBC)

Kay Arthur Video 10: How to be Blameless on the Day of Christ

what is it going to be like when you stand face-to-face with Jesus Christ and God on the day of Christ?

– will you on that day be blameless?

how can I live in such a way as to be blameless?

 it’s all wrapped up in the mind of Christ

he mind of Christ is serving others – the crux of the whole Christian life is the crucifixion

Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

the mind of Christ –

§ serving others

§ obeying God

Philippians 2:5-7 - 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Mark 10:45 - "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

the cross was the ultimate place where He served others

 He literally laid down His life for others, He literally considered others above Himself

in that cross He was obeying God –

Luke 22:41-42 - 41And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."

Philippians 2:8-10 - 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

 this is the mind of Christ

the mind of Christ as seen in Paul –

Philippians 2:17-18 - 17Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

the Philippians were lacking joy because Paul was in prison

 Paul was having the honor, the privilege, of being as Christ was

– he was being poured out on the sacrifice and service of their faith

– he was there for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ

§ he is serving others

§ he is obeying God

the mind of Christ was seen in Timothy –

Philippians 2:19-21 - 19But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 20For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.

Timothy with the mind of Christ

– his mind was to serve others; his mind was not to seek his own welfare, but the welfare of others

Philippians 2:22a - But you know his proven character, …

has your worth to Jesus Christ, as an ambassador for Jesus Christ, as a martyr (witness) for the faith, been proven?

has is been put to the test? are you faithful?

are you walking worthy of the calling to which God has called you to work?

Philippians 2:22b-24 - 22… that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. 23Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. 24But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

 he was serving others, he was obeying God (and he was trusting in Paul, as a father, to lead him)

Paul has run the race that was set before him –

II Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

he has passed the baton to Timothy – Timothy’s worth has been proven

II Timothy 2:1-2 - 1You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

the mind of Christ is seen in Epaphroditus –

Philippians 2:25-30 - 25Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; 26since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 27For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. 29Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; 30because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.

Epaphroditus came as the Philippians minister / representative to serve Paul on their behalf

– he served Paul to such a degree that it almost cost him his life

 the mind of Christ

The Mind of Christ –

§ serving others

Galatians 2:20a - "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; …"

§ obeying God

Galatians 2:20b - "… and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

is this your mind? are you living at the cross of Jesus Christ?

– because it’s Christ living in you, you have the mind of Christ and you are serving others and you are obeying God

Epaphroditus – a brother, a fellow worker, a fellow soldier

· brother – you are simply born again

– you have a common Father (God), a common family (every other believer)

a lot of people are content to know Jesus Christ, to know that they are going to heaven

– enjoying the benefits, the fact that they are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ

there are more brothers than there are fellow workers

– because of the cost it takes to be a fellow worker

 you must be a man or woman of The Book!

· fellow worker

– what it means to be a fellow worker with God

the woman at the well –

John 4:28-29 - 28The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29"Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"

John 4:30-34 - 30Then they went out of the city and came to Him. 31In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." 33Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" 34Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."

what is your food?

 He is interested in doing the will of the Father

– is that your meat? is that your craving? is it to do the will of the Father?

every born again believer, wherever he is, is on his mission field

– holding forth the word of life, lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation

John 4:35 - "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!"

when wheat is ready to be harvested it is golden

– when it is over ripe and past the time of harvest it is white

 if you are going to be a fellow worker the time is NOW

– what is it going to be like for you on the Day of Jesus Christ when you have known and learned so much and have done with it absolutely nothing?

Luke 10:1-2 - 1After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

the Lord lays it upon people’s hearts, but they have to bow the knee

– they have to say “Lord, here am I”  they have to have the mind of Christ

the power of the Christian life is found at the cross of Jesus Christ

 everything that you need is found at the cross of Christ

you are a brother – are you a fellow worker?

The Day of Christ (only mentioned in Corinthians and Philippians … NASB)

I Corinthians 3:1-3a - 1And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3for you are still carnal. …

it’s time to get on to solid food!

carnality is not living in overt sin

 carnality is not carrying out your own salvation with fear and trembling

I Corinthians 3:3b - … For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you,…

Philippians 2:12b-14 - 12… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. 14Do all things without complaining and disputing,

I Corinthians 3:3c-4 - 3… are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?

they were followers of teachers, of men – they couldn’t feed themselves

carnality – you not being able to take strong meat because you haven’t grown up, and you, not having grown up, are full of strife and jealousy

I Corinthians 3:5-8 - 5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

are you laboring?

– are you either laboring in establishing the gospel or are you laboring in establishing the saints that are once established in the gospel?

I Corinthians 3:9 - For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.

are you just a brother or are you a fellow worker?

– if you are saved are you going to stay a brother or are you going to be a fellow worker?

faithful men Precept is not for those who want to be just brothers

– it’s for those that want to go on and be equipped to be fellow workers

Philippians 2:16 - holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

· fellow soldier

what is a fellow soldier?

II Timothy 2:3 - You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

– soldiers know the life of discipline

– soldiers know what it is to bring their bodies into subjection

– soldiers know what it is to be under orders

II Timothy 2:4 - No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

 if you are going to be a soldier for Jesus Christ, you can not take a Christ-like life and get it interwoven with the things of this world – you are in fulltime duty, you are on active duty

there is a race to be run, there is a battle to be won

– a battle raging for the very souls of men against the church

 the mind of Christ worked out fully can’t be anything else but a fellow soldier

(but it doesn’t mean you neglect your family, your children)

 if you are going to be a soldier for Jesus Christ, you are going to have to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling

– if you have Jesus Christ, you have what it takes

Ø Philippians 2:12b-13 - 12… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

He did not call you to be just a brother – He called you to be a fellow worker

 He called you to be a fellow soldier for Jesus Christ

work out - present tense – keep on carrying out

it is not saying work for your salvation – you can not work for your salvation

Ephesians 2:8-9 - 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast.

work out – to carry out to completion what God is working in you

to will – to give you the desire

to do – to enable you to do

– not only does He give you the desire, but He gives you the enablement

the Christian life is at the cross –

God’s life pouring through yourself – dead to you and alive to God