As we journey through the book of Philippians together, I pray
and hope that we can all be encouraged by this letter. Regardless
of who you are, what you do for a living, or where you are from,
we rest on the truth that God has brought us all together to be ONE in Christ.

As I have been reading the book of Acts in my alone time with God, one thing
He continues to show me is the churches that are established are made up of
people who, if not for Christ, probably would not be hanging out with one
another.

Take the book of Philippians, for example. As I mentioned a few weeks ago,
Paul arrives in Philippi after receiving a vision of a man pleading for help.
Remember, God had closed the door to a few other places before this. I wanted
to hit every verse of Acts 16, but I did not have time. I suppose this is what you
would have received if I could preach two hours every Sunday.

The first person Paul encounters is a woman by the name of Lydia, a dealer in
purple cloth. Scholars paint Lydia as a wealthy woman, and I can see where they
are coming from. Purple fabric was a status symbol almost exclusively worn by
royalty and the elite. Lydia was a supplier. More than likely, she was the head of
her household, probably a large house because she invites Paul and his
companions to stay with her. I do not think I am stretching the text by saying
Lydia was wealthy. If you think I am, blame the scholars. I do not claim to be
one.

Next is a female slave who is making her owners a whole bunch of money
because she had a spirit that could predict the future. Paul said to the spirit, “In
the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment
the spirit left her. Sadly, this is the last we ever hear of the female slave.
Finally, the Philippian jailer and I am running out of space, so I will not go into
detail about his account. Check out the sermon from September 20th. For sure,
we know that he and his household became followers of Christ.

Before this there was no church at Philippi. This is what Paul did. He went
around and planted churches. I believe that Luke is intentional in his writing. He
wants to show us that more than likely, some of the first people we know of who
became part of the church at Philippi were a wealthy woman who sold purple
cloth, a slave woman who was set free, and a prison guard.

Question: In what other context would this group of people be together? For the
body of Christ at Boones Creek Christian Church, in what other context would
we all be together?

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you.”
Philippians 1:3-4

The book of Philippians was written roughly ten years after Acts 16.
Who was Paul remembering? Lydia? The slave woman? The jailer?

It is so important for us to grab hold of the truth that God has brought us all
together. We all have one thing in common, sinners in need of the Savior, Jesus
Christ. Regardless of our background, our status, or our position, we are ONE in
Him! May we remember one another in our prayers.

Author of this article: Ben Cole is the lead minister at Boones Creek Christian Church in Johnson City, Tennessee.

That was the opening question in our small group discussion this week.
Responses included share my testimony, proclaim the gospel to others, invite my
neighbor to church, lead a small group. Next, we read these words from Paul,
"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound
mind." (2 Timothy 1:7) This Scripture reminds us that the Holy Spirit does not
produce fear. Instead, He brings power, love, and a sound mind. Whenever fear
controls us, we are no longer functioning from the power of the Spirit, but from
the weakness of our own strength.

However, what if the problem is not our response to fear, but instead the
question in general? "What is one thing you would do for God?" The focus is on
what I would do for Him. Here is the truth we need to receive. God does not
need us to do anything for Him. Some of you may be thinking, "Hold up, I
thought we are supposed to serve God?" Absolutely. But Acts 17:25 says, "God
is not served by human hands, as though He needed anything."

Jesus said it this way in John 15:5, "Apart from me you can do nothing." God
does not need me to accomplish something for Him. God simply wants me to be
with Him. As I abide in Him and walk with Him, He begins to work through me.
What I do for Him becomes the overflow of being with Him. So maybe the
better question is, "What is one thing God would do through me if I would
completely submit to His will?" The answers are endless.

Someone asked me the other day, "Ben, do you still get nervous when you
preach?" Absolutely! I get nervous when I put pressure on myself to deliver the
message as though the sermon is dependent on me. But it helps when I
remember it is not my message, it is His. When I have spent the week abiding in
Him and staying connected to Him, He reminds me that He is the One
speaking through me. Most of us struggle with the fear of inadequacy,
discomfort, or rejection. But if God is working through you, you have already
admitted you are inadequate. That is why you need Him. If people reject the
message, they are ultimately rejecting Him, not you.

When Jesus sent out the disciples in Luke 10 he said, "Whoever listens to you
listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me." Then, when they returned, they
said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your Name." Did you catch that? In
Your Name. Jesus reminded them that their greatest joy was not what they had
accomplished for Him, but that they belonged to Him. What if we lived every
day that way? Not trying to do great things for Jesus but trusting Jesus do great
things through us. Then everything we do would truly be done in the Name of
Jesus.

Author of this article: Ben Cole is the lead minister at Boones Creek Christian Church in Johnson City, Tennessee.

We'd love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments what God is speaking to you as you read these devotionals. If you haven't already subscribed to receive our devotional emails right to your inbox, hit the subscribe button below and invite your family and friends to subscribe as well! God Bless!