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Agape Christian Fellowship Church, Santa Barbara, CA (2026)

05/31/2026

Sunday's Sermon
Love Is A Verb
Scripture: John 15: 9-17

In Modern America People Talk About Love As If It Arrives Like Weather: A Hot Front That Rolls In, Lifts The Spirit, And Makes Everything Feel Possible. Feelings Do Matter!!! They Can Be The Spark That Starts A Relationship, The Tenderness That Softens A Hard Day, The Longing That Reminds Us Of What We Value. But Feelings Are Also Notoriously Changeable. They Rise And Fall With Sleep, Stress, Hormones, Disappointment, And The Tiny Frictions Of Everyday Life. If Love Depends Only On What We Feel, It Will Always Be At The Mercy Of Circumstances Or Situations.
As A Verb Love Has Shaped The World In Tremendous Ways According To The Word Of God. It Shows Up As Choices, Habits, And Responses, Often Ordinary Ones, Made Again And Again. Love Is Not Only The Moment Of Saying “I Love You,” But The Follow-Through That Makes Those Words Credible. It Is Attention That Listens Without Multitasking. It Is The Discipline Of Honesty When A Half-Truth Would Be Easier. It Is Patience Practiced In Traffic, In Long Stories, In Children’s Questions, In A Partner’s Anxiety. Love, In This Sense, Is Less Like A Lightning Strike And More Like Building A Fire: You Gather Fuel, Protect The Flame, And Tend It So It Can Keep Giving Warmth.

Most Of Love’s Verbs Are Small. They Look Like Remembering What Matters To Someone And Acting On It, Bringing The Snack They Like, Saving The Seat They Prefer, Picking Up The Medication On The Way Home. They Look Like Noticing, The Quiet Shift In Someone’s Tone, The Tiredness Behind A Short Answer, The Way Joy Breaks Through When They Talk About A New Idea. They Look Like Showing Up, Not Only For Celebrations, But For The Boring Errands And The Rough Mornings And The Long Waits. Life Made Of These Small Acts Can Feel Unglamorous From The Outside, Yet, It Is Exactly What Creates Safety. It Tells Another Person, Repeatedly, “You Are Real To Me!!! You Count And I Will Not Leave You Alone In This.”

Love Is Also The Verb Of Seeing. It Refuses To Reduce A Person To Their Usefulness, Their Worst Moment, Or The Role They Play In Our Story. Seeing Someone In Love Means Staying Curious About Them, Asking Questions You Do Not Already Know The Answers To, Letting Them Change, Making Room For The Parts Of Them You Do Not Share. It Means Offering Respect That Is Not Conditional On Being Pleased. Real Love Or Complete Love Does Not Demand Constant Agreement; It Practices Dignity. It Learns The Difference Between “I Disagree With You” And “I Dismiss You.” The First Can Be Honest; The Second Is Corrosive.

If Love Is A Verb, Then Conflict Is Where The Grammar Gets Tested. Every Relationship Eventually Runs Into Misunderstanding, Resentment, Or Hurt. In Those Moments, Love Is Not Proven By How Quickly We Feel Affectionate Again; It Is Proven By The Work Of Repair. I Believe, Repair Sounds Like An Undefended Apology: “I Was Wrong. I’m Sorry. I Can See How That Landed.” It Sounds Like Accountability Without Theatrics: “Here Is What I Will Do Differently.” It Sounds Like Restraint: Choosing Not To Weaponize Private Information, Not To Keep Score, Not To Punish With Silence. It Also Includes The Courage To Name What Happened Plainly. Love Does Not Pretend That Harm Is Harmless; It Seeks Healing, Which Requires Truth.
Love Is A Verb, Because We Must Feel Deep Affection, Cherish Or Take Great Pleasure In Someone Or Something. It Is Primarily Used As A Transitive Verb, Requiring A Direct Object And Signifies An Active, Conscious Choice Rather That Just A Passive Emotion.

First Of All, Verses 9-11, The Link Between Love And Obedience Is A Relationship With God The Father Through Jesus Christ.

Verses 9-11 New King James Version
“As The Father Loved Me, I Also Have Loved You; Abide In My Love. If You Keep My Commandments, You Will Abide In My Love, Just As I Have Kept My Father’s Commandments And Abide In His Love. These Things I Have Spoken To You, That My Joy May Remain In You, And That Your Joy May Be Full.”

In The Text, As The Father Loved Me, I Also Have Loved You: Jesus Christ Deliberately Loved His Disciples According To The Way God The Father Loved Him. We Know That Jesus Christ Loved His Disciples By Teaching Them, Protecting Them, Guiding Them, Sacrificially Serving Them, And Using His Power And Authority To Do These Things. In Some Way, The Father Also Did All Those Things For Jesus Christ And Jesus Christ Did Them For The Disciples After That Pattern.
The Love Of Jesus Christ For His People Is So Remarkable, That This Is The Analogy Or Illustration That He Must Make. He Didn’t Say, “I Love You As A Mother Loves Her Baby” Or “I Love You The Way A Husband Loves His Wife” Or “I Love You The Way The Soldier Loves His Buddy” Or Even “I Love You The Way An Addict Loves His Dope.” The Only Way He Could Paint The Picture Was To Use The Love Of The Father For The Son.

In The Text, As The Father Loved Me, I Also Have Loved You: This Surely Is Jesus Christ’s Superlative Word Concerning His Love For His Own. It Leaves Nothing More To Be Said. What The Love Of the Father Is For The Son, Who Can Tell? The Very Suggestion Fills The Soul With The Sense Of Profound Depths Which Cannot Be Fathomed.
The Father Loved The Son With A Love:
· That Has No Beginning.
· That Has No Ending.
· That Is Close And Personal.
· That Is Without Measure.
· That Is Unchanging.

In The Text, Abide In My Love: There Is No Single Way To Describe The Nature And Character Of Jesus Christ. He Is Filled With Power, Wisdom, Truth, Holiness, Devotion, Submission, Sacrifice, And Dozens Of Other Qualities. Of All These To Emphasize, Jesus Christ Said Abide In My Love. When The Disciple Stays Connected To The Love Of Jesus Christ The Relationship Stays Strong.

Furthermore, You Will Abide In My Love: “Notice That This Is Done As An Explanation Of The Means Of Abiding In His Love. This Is Not Some Mystical Experience. It Is Simple Obedience. It Is When A Man Keeps Jesus Christ’s Commandments That He Abides In Jesus Christ’s Love.”

In The Text, If You Keep My Commandments, You Will Abide In My Love: Again, Jesus Christ Connected True Discipleship With Obedience To His Command And Honoring His Word. Jesus Christ Fulfilled This In Regard To His Father; The Disciple Must Fulfill It In Regard To Jesus Christ.

As Noted Previously In John 14:15 What Jesus Christ Did And Taught That Evening In The Upper Room Emphasized The Commandments Of Jesus Christ Mainly In Love For Fellow Disciples, Sacrificial Service For Fellow Disciples, And Trusting Love For God The Father And Jesus Christ The Son.
In The Text, These Things I Have Spoken To You, That My Joy May Remain In You, And That Your Joy May Be Full: When The Disciple Fails To Abide In The Love Of Jesus Christ And Thereby Fails To Keep His Commandments, That Disciple Will Not Experience The Fullness Of Joy Jesus Christ Promised To Those Who Do Abide In His Love And Obedience.

In The Text, That My Joy May Remain In You: The Joy Of Jesus Christ Isn’t The Same As What Is Commonly Understood As Happiness Or Excitement. The Joy Of Jesus Christ Is Not The Pleasure Of A Life Of Ease; It Is The Exhilaration Of Being Right With God And Consciously Walking In His Love And Care. We Can Have That Joy, We Can Have His Joy And Have It As An Abiding Presence Of Joy.
Henry Alford Said, My Joy: “Not Joy Concerning Me,” Nor “Joy Derived From Me,” Nor “My Joy Over You,” But My Joy, Properly Speaking, His Own Holy Exultation, The Joy Of The Son In The Consciousness Of The Love Of God.”

When Jesus Christ Spoke Of His Joy, “Nobody Ever Asked Him What He Meant. They Did Not Look At Each Other In Perplexity. To Them It Seemed Entirely Natural That The Master Should Refer To His Gladness. From This We Gather That The Joy Of Christ Was Something They Were Perfectly Familiar With.”
In The Text, That Your Joy May Be Full: This Is The Result Of Abiding In Jesus Christ’s Love, And Obedience Flowing From That Abiding Relationship.
That Your Joy May Be Full: “Or, Complete-Joy, Filled Up: A Metaphor Taken From A Vessel, Into Which Water Or Any Other Thing Is Poured, Until It Is Full To The Brim. The Religion Of Jesus Christ Expels All Misery From The Hearts Of Those Who Receive It In Its Fulness. It Was To Drive Evilness Out Of The World That Jesus Christ Came Into It.”

Second Of All, Verses 12-15, Relating To Each Other When Jesus Christ Departs And Jesus Christ Speaks Of The Extent Of His Love That They Are To Imitate.

Verses 12-15 New King James Version
“This Is My Commandment, That You Love One Another As I Have Loved You. Greater Love Has No One Than This, Than To Lay Down One’s Life For His Friends. You Are My Friends If You Do Whatever I Command You. No Longer Do I Call You Servants, For A Servant Does Not Know What His Master Is Doing; But I Have Called You Friends, For All Things That I Heard From My Father I Have Made Known To You.”

In The Text, That You Love One Another As I Have Loved You: As Jesus Christ Spoke These Words To The Disciples As They Stood In The Upper Room, Having Risen From The Table, We Sense The Emphasis Created By Repetition. Jesus Christ Really Cared That His Disciples Love One Another, And That They Do So According To The Measure And Quality Of His Love For Them.
Moreover, “We Are Sent Out Into The World To Love One Another. Sometimes We Live As If We Were Sent Into The World To Compete With One Another, Or To Dispute With One Another, Or Even To Argue With One Another.”

In The Text, As I Have Loved You: “His Love Was At Once The Source And The Measure Of Theirs.” For Example, “Unity Instead Of Rivalry, Trust Instead Of Suspicion, Obedience Instead Of Self-Assertion Must Rule The Disciples” Common Labors.”
In The Text, Greater Love Has No One Than This, Than To Lay Down One’s Life For His Friends: Jesus Christ Described The Measure And Quality Of His Love For Them, To Use As A Pattern For The Way, They Should Love Each Other. Jesus Christ’s Love Is Complete And Of Surpassing Greatness, Laying Down His Life.

Furthermore, “No Man Can Carry His Love For His Friend Farther Than This: For, When He Gives Up His Life, He Gives Up All That He Has. This Proof Of My Love For You I Shall Give In A Few Hours; And The Doctrine Which I Recommend To You I Am Just Going To Exemplify Myself.”

In The Text, I Have Called You Friends: Jesus Christ Described The Measure And Quality Of His Love For Them As A Love That Treats Servants As Friends. In The Relationship Between A Disciple And His Rabbi Of That Time, It Wasn’t Expected To Be A Friendship. Yet, Jesus Christ The Rabbi Called His Disciples, His Servant’s Friends And We Must Do The Same.
In The Thinking Of The Ancient World, A Slave Could Be A Useful And Trusted Tool But Could Never Be Thought Of As A Partner. It Was Possible That A Slave And A Friend Might Be Of Similar Help, But A Friend Could Be A Partner In Work In A Way A Slave Never Could.
“John Wesley Said, Looking Back On His Conversion In Later Years, Described It As A Time When He Exchanged The Faith Of A Servant For The Faith Of A Son.”

In The Text, You Are My Friends If You Do Whatever I Command You: They Were Friends Because They Were Obedient, Though Not Perfectly So!!!. Friendship With Jesus Christ Can’t Be Disconnected From Obedience To His Commands.
“It Must Be Active Obedience, Notice That. “You Are My Friends, If You Do Whatsoever, I Command You.” Some Think It Is Quite Sufficient If They Avoid What Jesus Christ Forbids. Abstinence From Evil Is A Great Part Of Righteousness, But It Is Not Enough For Friendship.”

In The Text, I Have Called You Friends, For All Things That I Heard From My Father I Have Made Known To You: They Were Friends Because Jesus Christ Didn’t Keep Secrets From Them, But Openly Revealed What He Had Received From God The Father.
“The Friend Is A Confidant Who Shares The Knowledge Of His Superior’s Purpose And Voluntarily Adopts It As His Own.”

Third Of All, Verses 16-17, We Are Chosen To Bear Fruit And To Love One Another. Complete Love Has No Conditions, No Limitations, No Faults, No Substitutions And No Fear.

Verses 16-17 New King James Version
“You Did Not Choose Me, But I Chose You And Appointed You That You Should Go And Bear Fruit, And That Your Fruit Should Remain, That Whatever You Ask The Father In My Name He May Give You. These Things I Command You, That You Love One Another.”

In The Text, You Did Not Choose Me, But I Chose You: Jesus Christ Just Spoke Of Great Privilege For The Disciples, Friendship With The Master, Answered Prayer, Bearing Much Fruit, Knowing Things From The Father. The Disciples Should Rightly Treasure These Without Becoming Proud As If They Had Earned Them. They Were All Rooted In The Fact That Jesus Christ Chose Them, Not That They Chose Him.
I Believe, “We Are In Jesus Christ, Not Because We Hold Him, But Because He Holds Us.”
“It Was Not They Who Chose Him, As Was Normally The Case When Disciples Attached Themselves To A Particular Rabbi. Students The World Over Delight To Seek Out The Teacher Of Their Choice And Attach Themselves To Him. But Jesus Christ’s Disciples Did Not Hold The Initiative. On The Contrary It Was Jesus Christ Who Chose Them.”

That You Should Go And Bear Fruit: “The Word Go Probably Merely Expresses The Activity Of Living And Developing Principle; Not The Missionary Journeys Of The Apostles, As Some Have Explained It.”
In The Text, Appointed You That You Should Go And Bear Fruit, And That Your Fruit Should Remain: Jesus Christ Chooses Disciples Not Simply So They Would Have The Thrill Of Knowing They Are Chosen, But So That They Would Bear Fruit That Remains, To The Glory Of God The Father.

I’ve Discovered, “Much Of Their Fruit Will Be Necessarily The Winning Of Others To Jesus Christ: But That Is Not The Prominent Idea Here.”
That Whatever You Ask: Again, Jesus Christ Connected Fruit Bearing With Answered Prayer. When He Departed From Them Their Experience Of Asking And Receiving Would Not End But Would Change, And Jesus Christ Prepared His Disciples For This Process.
Finally, That You Love One Another: Again, Jesus Christ Commanded Love Among The Disciples. When Jesus Christ Departed From Them, They Must Not Disband Or Turn Against Each Other, And Jesus Christ Prepared Them To Stay Together And Love One Another.

Love Is A Verb, Because God Is Forgiving To Those Who Are Called To His Purpose.
Love Is A Verb, Because Weeping Will Last For A Night But Joy, Joy, Joy Comes In The Morning.
Love Is A Verb, Because Jesus Christ Came Through Forty-Two Generations To Save Us.
Love Is A Verb, Because Jesus Christ Brought Freedom To All Those Who Accepted His Salvation.
Love Is A Verb, Because Jesus Christ Was Whipped All Night Long In Pain And In Agony.
Love Is A Verb, Because Jesus Christ Died On The Cross For Our Sins.
Love Is A Verb, Because Jesus Christ Was Buried In Joseph’s Borrowed Tomb For Three Long Days.
Love Is A Verb, Because Jesus Christ Rose From The Grave Early, Early, Early On Sunday Morning With All Power In His Hand.

05/30/2026

It's Sunday Morning in America and it's graduation season for all levels of education. I want to congratulate all graduates and their families for a successful school year. Even though we are living in corrupt and racist times success can still be achieved. Our corrupt, our criminal and our racist President who believes in White Supremacy wants to add more white people from South Africa. But when it comes to People Of Color from other countries, he is doing everything he can to put them in Federal Detention Centers. He is trying to stop mail in voting for People Of Color and The Corrupt Supreme Court will let him do it. Our Democracy is in serious decline, in trouble and we Must fight back legally. Inflation, The National Debt And Many More Expenses are on the rise under this Corrupt Administration. Furthermore, every VOTE counts to please VOTE wherever you live because people have suffered in America to Cast A Single VOTE. The Republican Party Will cheat and steal your VOTE in every State. By The Way One VOTE Will Count!!!

Agape Christian Fellowship Church Santa Barbara Is A Organized Group Of People Who Believe In The Love Of Jesus Christ. We Believe That We Can Make A Difference In Interfaith Work And We Are Committed To Opening Communication Among Different Denominations. There Is One God, One Faith And One Baptism. We Believe In The Holy Trinity, We Believe In God The Creator, We Believe In Jesus Christ The Son And We Believe In The Holy Spirit The Comforter. We Know The We Are Living In The Last Days But We Must Press Forward And Never Give Up Hope. We Are On Cash App. At AGAPECFCSB And We Are Trying To Make A Difference Despite The Odds. If You Are In Darkness Don't Give Up Because There Will Be Light Which Is Just A Touch Away. Because As The Joy Pastor, Weeping Will Last For A Night But Joy, Joy, Joy Comes In The Morning. I Always Say To Give A "Leg Kick Of Joy" Even In Times Of Tribulation Because God Will Bring Us Through It. Remember, Oh Yeah!!!God Is Good!!!

05/24/2026

Sunday's Sermon
Subject: It All Works Out
Scripture: Philippians 2: 12-17

We Are Living In Dark Times, We Are Living In Desolate Times And We Are Living In Disturbing Times That Finds Modern-Day Christians Searching For Answers To Life’s Problems. Finding Hope And Resolution Amid Life's Challenges Can Be Difficult Because There Are Forces Going Against Us In All Phases Of Our Lives. There Are Many Situations In Life That Force Us To Reevaluate Where We Are Going And Where We Want To Go. Especially When It Comes To Becoming A Better Christian And Living Righteously For Jesus Christ In The Present Time.

There Is A Famous Saying In American Literature That States It All Works Out Despite How Things Look Even In Times Of Hardship. Even In Turmoil, Even In Distress, Even In Turbulence, Even In Disorder, Even In Confusion And Even Commotion It All Works Out.
Life Is A Journey Filled With Ups And Downs, Triumphs And Setbacks. At Times, Challenges May Seem Insurmountable, And The Path Ahead Uncertain. But, A Simple Yet, Profound Truth Often Carries Us Through, It All Works Out. This Phrase Captures An Enduring Optimism That, Despite Adversity, Solutions Emerge And Peace Returns. In This Sermon, We Explore Why And How Things Eventually Resolve, Drawing Upon The Resilience Of The Human Spirit And The Wisdom Gained From Overcoming Difficulties.
Uncertainty Is An Inevitable Part Of Life. Whether It’s A Career Crossroads, A Personal Loss, Or An Unexpected Setback, Everyone Faces Moments When The Future Feels Unclear. These Times Can Bring Anxiety And Doubt, Making It Difficult To See Beyond Present Struggles. However, It Is Often In The Face Of Uncertainty That Growth Occurs. Challenges Push Us To Adapt, Learn, And Ultimately Become Stronger Individuals. Over Time, As We Reflect On Past Hardships, A Common Realization Emerges. Solutions Were Found, Lessons Were Learned, And Life Moved Forward.

One Reason Things Tend To Work Out Is The Remarkable Resilience And Adaptability Inherent In People. Human Beings Are Equipped With The Ability To Persevere, Innovate, And Transform Adversity Into Opportunity. History Is Replete With Examples Of Individuals And Communities Overcoming Seemingly Impossible Obstacles. From Rebuilding After Natural Disasters To Thriving Following Personal Tragedies, Resilience Enables Us To Navigate Life’s Storms And Emerge More Capable Than Before Through Jesus Christ.
Time Is A Powerful Healer. While Immediate Solutions May Not Always Be Apparent, The Passage Of Time Often Brings Perspective And Clarity. With Distance, Problems That Once Felt Overwhelming Can Shrink In Significance Or Reveal Hidden Opportunities. Patience Allows Circumstances To Change, Emotions To Settle, And New Paths To Open. Many People Find That, With Time, Worries Resolve Themselves In Ways Unanticipated, Reaffirming The Belief That It All Works Out With The Power Of The Holy Spirit.
There Should Be Lessons Learned Because Adversity, While Uncomfortable, Is A Powerful Teacher. The Struggles We Endure Often Reveal Strengths We Did Not Know We Possessed And Help Us Develop New Skills. Each Challenge Leaves Behind A Lesson, Whether It’s Greater Patience, Improved Problem-Solving Abilities, Or An Appreciation For Life’s Simpler Joys. As We Accumulate These Lessons, We Become Better Prepared For Future Obstacles, And Our Confidence In The Belief That Things Will Work Out Grows Stronger.
Finally, Though Life’s Journey Is Unpredictable And Sometimes Daunting, The Phrase, It All Works Out Endures As A Beacon Of Hope And Joy. Through Resilience, The Passage Of Time, Supportive Relationships, And Hard-Won Lessons, Challenges Are Overcome And Peace Returns.

First Of All, Verses 12-13, Paul’s Exhortation To The Philippians Is Also The Same For Us. Working Out Your Own Salvation Is Your Responsibility And God’s Work In You Essential For Your Growth.

Verses 12-13 New King James Version
Therefore, My Beloved, As You Have Always Obeyed, Not As In My Presence Only, But Now Much More In My Absence, Work Out Your Own Salvation With Fear And Trembling;
For It Is God Who Works In You Both To Will And To Do For His Good Pleasure.

In The Text, Therefore, As You Have Always Obeyed: We Should Not Miss The Connection Between The Obedience Jesus Christ Showed In Philippians 2:8 And The Obedience Paul Expected Of Christians As Followers Of Jesus Christ In Philippians 2:12.

Work Out Your Own Salvation: We Know That Paul Did Not Mean “Work So As To Earn Your Own Salvation.” Such A Statement Would Contradict The Whole Of Paul’s Gospel. What Paul Did Mean Is To Call The Philippians To Put Forth Real Effort Into Their Christian Lives. This Is Not To Work Their Salvation In The Sense Of Accomplishing It, But To Work Out Their Salvation, To See It Evident In Every Area Of Their Lives, To Activate This Salvation God Freely Gave Them.

Charles Spurgeon Said, Therefore, “These Words, As They Stand In The New Testament, Contain No Exhortation To All Men, But Are Directed To The People Of God. They Are Not Intended As An Exhortation To The Unconverted; They Are, As We Find Them In The Epistle, Beyond All Question Addressed To Those Who Are Already Saved Through A living Faith In The Lord Jesus Christ.”
In The Text, Work Out Your Own Salvation: There Is A Sense In Which Our Salvation Is Complete, In The Sense That Jesus Christ Has Done A Complete Work For Us. Still There Is Also A Sense In Which Our Salvation Is Incomplete, In That It Is Not Yet, A Complete Work In Us.

Furthermore, “The Believer Must Finish, Must Carry To Conclusion, Must Apply To Its Fullest Consequences What Is Already Given By God In Principle. He Must Work Out What God In His Grace Has Worked In.”

In The Text, Your Own Salvation: This Tells Us To Give Attention To Our Own Salvation. Sometimes We Show Great Concern For The Work Of God In Others, And Not Enough For His Work In Us. We Should Care About The Souls Of Others, But This Care Must Begin With Our Own Soul.
With Fear And Trembling: Paul’s Idea Was Not That We Should Live Our Christian Lives With A Constant Sense Of Fear And Terror, But That We Should Live With A Fear Of Failing To Work Out Your Own Salvation.

We Work Out Our Salvation With Fear And Trembling; But It Doesn’t Have To Be The Fear Of Hell Or Damnation. It May Instead Be The Righteous And Awe-Filled Reverence Of God Every Believer Should Have. It Doesn’t Have To Be The Trembling Of A Guilty Sinner; It Should Instead Be The Joyful Trembling Of An Encounter With The Glory Of God.
Now Much More In My Absence: In Context, Paul Asked For This Christian Work Ethic, Not A Works Ethic To Be Promoted All The More Because Of His Absence.

In The Text, For It Is God Who Works In You: Paul Here Gave The Reason Why Christians Must Work Out Their Salvation With Fear And Trembling Because God Is Working In Them.

I Believe That, We Take Comfort In It: God Who Works In You. “Grace All-Sufficient Dwells In You As Believers. There Is A Living Well Within You Springing Up; Use The Bucket, Then; Keep On Drawing; You Will Never Exhaust It; There Is A Living Source Within Us Lead By The Holy Spirit.”

In The Text, God Works In You: The Idea Is That Since God Has Done And Is Doing A Work In The Christian, The Christian Therefore, Has A Greater Responsibility To Work Diligently With Fear And Trembling Regarding His Own Salvation And Walk With The Lord. God’s Work In Us Increases Our Responsibility; It Doesn’t Lessen It In Any Way.

For Example, Those That Take God’s Sovereignty And Working And Use Them As An Excuse For Inaction And Lethargy Are Like The Wicked And Lazy Servant Of Matthew 25:24-30.
Those That Are Really God’s Servants Use Their Understanding Of His Sovereignty And Omnipotence As A Motivation For Greater, More Dedicated Service To Him.

In The Text, Both To Will And To Do: God’s Work In Us Extends To The Transformation Of Our Will, As Well As Changing Our Actions, To Do. Yet, Considering The Original Exhortation To Work Out Your Own Salvation, This Is Not A Passive Transaction.
For His Good Pleasure: This Is The Motive Behind God’s Work In Our Life. He Does So Because It Gives Him Pleasure To Do It.

Second Of All, Verses 14-16, There Are Practical Ways To Obey Paul’s Exhortation.

Verses 14-16 New King James Version
Do All Things Without Complaining And Disputing, That You May Become Blameless And Harmless, Children Of God Without Fault In The Midst Of A Crooked And Perverse Generation Whom You Shine As Lights In The World, Holding Fast The Word Of Life, So That I May Rejoice In The Day Of Jesus Christ that I Have Not Run In Vain Or Labored In Vain.

In The Text, Do All Things Without Complaining And Disputing: There Is A Good Deal Of Dispute Among Commentators As To If This Complaining And Disputing Refers To Problems Among The Philippians Such As Mentioned In Philippians 2:1-4 Or If This Refers To Their Attitude Towards God. Perhaps They Resented God Because Of Their Present Conflict In Philippians 1:27-30.
Because Paul Specifically Used Terms That Were Used To Describe Israel’s Complaining Towards God During The Exodus, It Is Probably Best To See The Complaining And Disputing As Including Their Attitude Towards God.

Charles Spurgeon Gives Three Examples Of Things We Must Not Complain Against:
· The Providence Of God.
· One Another.
· The Ungodly World.

In This Command, The Emphasis Falls On The Words All Things, Which Is Actually The First Word Of The Verse In The Ancient Greek Text.

In The Text, That You May Become Blameless And Harmless, Children Of God Without Fault: Through The Display Of A Non-Complaining Spirit, We Show Ourselves To Be True Followers Of God.
Harmless Can Have The Thought Of “Pure” Or “Unalloyed.” But The Translation As Harmless Is Also Justified, It Is The Same Word Used In Matthew 10:16.

For Example, “Be Ye Blameless And Harmless,” Says The Apostle. The Greek Word Might Be Translated “Hornless,” As If Ye Were To Be Creatures Not Only That Do No Harm But Could Not Do Any; Like Sheep That Not Only Will Not Devour, But Cannot Devour, For It Were Contrary To Their Nature.

In The Text, In The Midst Of A Crooked And Perverse Generation: This Seems To Refer Back To Deuteronomy 32:5: They Have Corrupted Themselves; They Are Not His Children, Because Of Their Blemish: A Perverse And Crooked Generation. Paul Meant That Modern Christians Should Not Be Like Rebellious Israel, Who Were Constantly Complaining And Disputing With God During The Wilderness Sojourn.
Among Whom You Shine As Lights In The World: This Is Not An Encouragement To Do Something; It Is A Simple Statement Of Fact. Christians Are Lights In The World; The Only Question Is, “How Brightly Do They Shine?”

Furthermore, “Not Lights Merely, But Luminaries, Heavenly Bodies. But This Can Hardly Be Satisfactorily Given In An English Version.”
We Are To Fulfill Our Place As Lights In The World:
· Lights Are Used To Make Things Evident.
· Lights Are Used To Guide.
· Lights Are Used As A Warning.
· Lights Are Used To Bring Cheer.
· Lights Are Used To Make Things Safe.

Paul Knew That The Lights Were In A Bad Place. Instead Of Excusing The Lights For Not Shining, Paul Knew That Their Position Made It All The More Important That They Shine. Being In A Dark Place Is A Greater Incentive To Shine.
In The Text, Holding Fast The Word Of Life: The Phrase Holding Fast Could Also Be Translated Holding Forth. Both Meanings Are True And Paul Could Have Meant It In This Dual Sense. We Hold Fast In The Sense Of Holding Strong The Word Of Life, And We Also Hold Forth The Word Of Life.
So, That I May Rejoice In The Day Of Jesus Christ That I Have Not Run In Vain Or Labored In Vain: The Idea That Paul’s Work Might Somehow End Up To Be In Vain Was A Troublesome Thought To Him. He Knew That His Work Really Abided In People So, That If Those People Did Not Continue On Strong With The Lord, There Was A Sense In Which His Own Ministry Was In Vain.

In The Text, In The Day Of Jesus Christ: Paul Looked Forward To The Day Of Jesus Christ, And On That Day He Wanted To See And To Know That His Work Was Fruitful. This Was Something He Could Only Be Assured Of If The Philippians Continued To Walk With The Lord.
This Is The True Heart Of A Shepherd: To Have Few Burdens For One’s Self, But Many For Others; To Not Be Content With One’s Own Relationship With God, But Also Longing To See Others Walking With The Lord.

Third Of All, Verses 17-18, Paul As An Example Of His Own Exhortation Urges Us To Do The Same. The Definition Of Exhortation Means, To Address Or Communication Emphatically Urging Someone To Do Something.

Verses 17-18 New King James Version
Yes, 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. For The Same Reason You Also Be Glad And Rejoice With Me.

In The Text, Poured Out As A Drink Offering: Paul Here Alluded To A Practice Among Both Jews And Pagans In Their Sacrifices. They Often Poured Out Wine Or Sometimes Perfume, Either Beside, As In The Jewish Practice Or Upon As In The Pagan Practice, An Animal That Was Sacrificed To God Or Pagan gods.
This Is The Drink Offering, Which Accompanied Another Sacrifice, That Is Mentioned In Numbers 15:4-5 And In Numbers 28:7.
The Grammar Of I Am Being Poured Out Is In The Present Tense. With This Paul Indicated The Possibility That His Ex*****on May Be Imminent.
In The Text, On The Sacrifice And Service Of Your Faith: The Ancient Greek Word Translated Service Is “Leutrogia”. It Meant, “Service To God Or His Cause Any Priestly Action Or Sacred Performance.” Therefore, In This Verse We Have A Sacrifice, A Priest, And An Accompanying Libation That Makes The Sacrifice Even More Precious.
Since The Sacrifice And Service Were Connected With The Faith Of The Philippians, It Is Best To See Paul’s Picture Describing Them As The “Priests” And Their Faith As The “Sacrifice,” To Which Paul Added And Thereby Enriched His Martyrdom As A Drink Offering.

In The Text, I Am Glad And Rejoice You Also Be Glad And Rejoice With Me: Paul Looked Forward To What Might Be His Imminent Martyrdom And Expected The Philippians To Be Glad And Rejoice With Him Because It All Works Out. Paul Wasn’t Being Morbid Here, Asking The Philippians To Take Joy In Something As Depressing As His Death. Yet, He Did Ask The Philippians To See His Death As Something That Would Bring Glory To God. This Is A Theme Repeated From Philippians 1:20.
Paul’s Life Was Going To Be A Sacrifice For Jesus Christ, Either In Life Or In Death. This Was A Source Of Gladness And Joy For Paul, And He Wants The Philippians To Adopt The Same Attitude.

Finally, Again, We Come To The Consistent Theme Of Philippians: Joy, Joy, Joy. But This Is Joy Based Not On Circumstances, Quite The Opposite, Really, But Based In The Fact Of A Life Totally Committed To Jesus Christ.

It All Works Out, Because God Can Do Anything!!!Yes God Can!!!.
It All Works Out, Because God Is Great, God Is Good And God Is Giving.
It All Works Out, Because God’s Grace Is Sufficient, God’s Grace Is Systematic And God’s Grace Is Supreme.
It All Works Out, Because The Holy Spirit Is Our Comfort In Times Of Troubles.
It All Works Out, Because Weeping Will Last For A Night But Joy, Joy, Joy Comes In The Morning.
It All Works Out, Because Jesus Christ Is The Answer To All Of Our Problems And Situations.
It All Works Out, Because Jesus Christ Came Through 42 Generations.
It All Works Out, Because Jesus Christ Was Whipped All Night Long For Our Sins.
It All Works Out, Because Jesus Christ Never Said A Mumbling Word.
It All Works Out, Because Jesus Christ Had A Crown Of Thorns Placed On His Head.
It All Works Out, Because Jesus Christ Was Pierced In The Side And His Blood Came Streaming Down.
It All Works Out, Because Jesus Christ Died On The Cross, Oh Yes, He Died!!! For Our Sins.
It All Works Out, Because Jesus Christ Was Buried In Joseph’s Borrowed Tomb For Three Long Days.
It All Works Out, Because Jesus Christ Rose From The Grave Early, Early, Early On Sunday Morning With All Power In His Hand.

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