Bridge Point Sermon Podcast

Jesus models for his followers what it means to live a life marked by serving rather than by seeking to be served. As his church, we receive the service of Christ and then extend that service to others.

In Ephesians 2, Paul tells us that being a part of Christ's church means that we are 1. Citizens belonging to the same Kingdom, 2. Family members belonging to the same household, and 3. Stones being built together into a Temple for the Holy Spirit. These identities and callings require us to rethink what it means to truly be involved in the church.

The Lord's Supper is one of the two sacraments—or ordinances—given to the church by Jesus. And recapturing a vision for the centrality and beauty of the Lord's Supper in our worship is essential for the shaping and sustaining of the church.

The Bible is essential for Christian faith and practice. Yet, many of us take our access to it for granted. If we are going to be a people that grow in our love and maturity, it will mean we are serious about regular and meaningful time in the Scriptures.

When Jesus instituted his church, he became King over it. But he became King in a way that no other King had ever been enthroned: through suffering. The Cross is the means through which Jesus reigns over his people, and it informs every aspect of our lives as citizens of his Kingdom.

The Ascension of Jesus is often overlooked, but it is very much an integral part of Jesus' work and ministry. Often seen as a removal of Jesus' presence *from* the world, the Ascension is actually an unleashing of his presence *into* the world! As his resurrection inaugurated God's Kingdom, Jesus' ascension enthrones him over that Kingdom—and it commissions the citizens of that Kingdom, the church.

The resurrection of Jesus is both a past historical event and a present reality to be experienced. If just the former, it doesn't bear any weight onto our lives currently. If just the latter, it's not an objective reality that we can trust everything to. But when we believe in the resurrection and understand what it means for us today, it brings new life in more ways than one.

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul unpacks what it looks like to "boast in our weakness." He is committed to doing so because, in his weakness, the sufficiency and glory of Jesus are magnified as all the more beautiful and powerful. The power, then, that we have in this life is not found within, but from the Gospel.

Paul tells the church that he has learned "the secret" to facing all circumstances in life. Whether in abundance or in need, in plenty in or hunger, having much or having little, he leans on Christ as his source of strength and joy.

Paul gives us some of the necessary disciplines required to experience the peace of God, something we all want in our lives. But even these disciplines, apart from union with Christ, cannot give us lasting peace. They are only made possible and effective through the Gospel.

Rooted in the assurance of his union with Christ, Paul presses on and strives toward knowing Christ and loving him more and more fully. He likens the Christian life to a fight—a battle against the things that would keep us from experiencing Jesus more deeply and fully.

Paul lists many reasons why he, more than any of his readers, should have confidence in his own accolades and achievements, and yet he says that he considers all of that as "loss" compared to the value of knowing Jesus. He trusted in one thing and one thing alone: the finished work of Jesus on our behalf.

Paul gives the church at Philippi a "ministry update" of sorts, telling them of Timothy and Epaphroditus, his co-laborers and partners in the Gospel. We see from their example that being a part of God's church means a life of service and a life of sacrificial friendship—both of which are ultimately made possible by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the greatest Servant and dearest Friend to ever live.

Paul instructs the church to "work out your own salvation." There's a huge difference between working out your salvation and working for your salvation. Rather than trying to earn our standing before God, we are to receive our salvation as a gift and then live it out in our lives as we become more and more like Jesus.

Paul encourages the church at Philippi to remain unified and to do so with a Christ-like humility—a humility that considers others more significant than oneself. And that kind of humility is only made possible if we get our eyes off of ourselves and onto Jesus.

Paul's encouragement to the church at Philippi is to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel. This kind of life is one that will undoubtedly be met with opposition, it's one that must be done together in unity, and it's one that must be fueled by the beautiful truth of the Gospel itself.

Paul, writing this letter from prison, has a remarkable outlook on life. Everything that he does is aimed at magnifying Christ and seeing the Gospel go forth. And this brings him an unshakable joy in the midst of all circumstances.

When Paul writes his letter to the church at Philippi, he has in mind the faces and stories of the people that he ministered to there. Their stories are beautifully diverse, and yet the central hope of the Gospel is for each of them.

We had the privilege of hosting Jen Wilkin for a one-night speaking event. Jen talks about the issue of identity and how it begins not with understanding who we are but with who God is.

Because of the great work that the Gospel does in us, we are compelled to then let the Gospel work through us. As God reveals his grace to us, he wants to use us to reveal that grace to others, as well. And this is done through the Holy Spirit's empowering work in our lives.