Strength & Courage in Community

Have you ever been underwhelmed or disappointed because you expected something to be great and it failed to live up to it’s expectation? Like when a friend tells you about a movie that you have not seen and they really hype it up. They say stuff like “you are going to love this movie” or “this movie was so funny, it was the funniest movie I have ever seen.” Well with comments like that who could resist not seeing the movie right? So you go to see the movie with very high expectations. Scene after scene you wait for the big funnies, but they never really come. You leave the movies completely underwhelmed, because the previews didn’t match the product. Paul at the end of chapter one in his letter to the church at Philippi almost makes the same point about Christian living!

The idea behind the phrase “walk worthy of the gospel” simply means be sure that your life matches the reality of the transforming power of the gospel that we preach. After people hear the Gospel do not underwhelm them when they see the Gospel in action through your life. The two should match!

Paul goes on to talk about some of the ingredients that should be in place in a life that matches the Gospel. However, these ingredients are not the most appealing. He includes things like persecution and suffering, along with unity and faithfulness. I often wish we could have the last two without the first two.

I pray that this passage will help us appreciate how these ingredients work together to help our lives match the Gospel. May we live in a manner worthy of the Gospel not leaving the world underwhelmed but overwhelmed by how we as a church family reflect His Glory with Gospel Living!

To His glory,

Albert Tate
Pastor of Intergenerational Ministries