Thankful

March 7, 2023 | Uncategorized

By Pastor Jody Bowser

 

On Sunday, February 12, I wrapped up a seven-week series in the Book of Philippians. I hope you all enjoyed receiving these sermons as much as I did preparing and preaching them! Sure, I’ve spent time reading and studying Philippians through the years. But never before has my soul and spirit been impacted by Philippians the way that it has been these past couple of months.

I have been profoundly reminded that—no matter what happens in my life—I am called to conduct myself in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. (Philippians 1:27) This means that I am to live with the constant knowledge and awareness that my life is in full view of a holy, awesome and righteous God. It means that I truly believe, as it states in 2 Chronicles 16:9, that “the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” The Gospel also reminds me that I am fallen and sinful, and I am in desperate need to the Lord to rescue me. I cannot do this life on my own—I simply lack the strength. But thanks be to God, Jesus has not only saved me…but He has filled me by His Spirit with hope, love, joy and peace. I’m not alone, and never will be. My life is now hidden with Christ—He is my righteousness.

I have also been profoundly reminded by Philippians that I am to live with the same mindset (attitude) that Jesus had when He humbled Himself and lived a life of sacrifice. This means that I “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) It means that I seek unity. It means that I do everything in my power to avoid grumbling and arguing. It means that my gentleness can shine like a star when seen against the backdrop of a selfish and crooked world.

It is impossible to read Philippians and not see the reminder—over and over again—to rejoice in the Lord no matter what. Yes, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. But joy is also a choice. Rejoicing is a choice. I have control over my attitude, and I can “consider it pure joy when encountering trials of many kinds” (as we read in James chapter 1). And along with joy, I can learn what it means to be content in whatever situation I find myself in. This contentment comes from knowing that God will take care of me and get me through. It comes from knowing that God is faithful, and I can trust Him. It comes from fixing my mind on that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. (Philippians 4:8) These are choices that I can make.

And lastly, I have been deeply impacted by the level of gratitude and thanksgiving that Paul has for the church in Philippi. We know a few of their names: Lydia, Epaphroditus, Clement, Syntyche, Euodia. The rest he simply refers to as “my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, and dear friends.” Paul literally cannot say enough how much he cares for these people—and how thankful to God that he is for them (think vertical!).

This makes me think of all of you—my brothers, sisters and dear friends of King Street Church. To everything that Paul says about the church in Philippi…I say “ditto”. I am so thankful for all of you. I am truly amazed by your generosity. You give, and give, and then you give some more. You have a heart for those who are hurting and struggling. You find great joy in sacrificing. Just this past weekend we hosted two major events: Night to Shine and True Girl Pajama Party. Both of these events involved over 400 people. One was focused on bringing JOY to those with special needs. The other was an inspiration for young women and moms. There were, quite literally, hundreds of you stepping up to volunteer. Not dozens…hundreds. And you did it so easily. So readily. I could go on and on and on.

King Street Church—you amaze me. You love to worship. You love to serve. You love the Word of God. You love the lost and the hurting. You long to support others who are doing good work. You give sacrificially. You have a heart for the world. You rise up to meet needs. You fill my heart with joy.

And for all of this I am deeply thankful. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)

 

 

 

 

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