The Normal Christian Life

[Music] open your Bibles with me to the book of Philippians at chapter number 3 verses 4 through verse number 11 there were two names that were left off the honor roll Kendall Diaz and Jocelyn Smith and they said if I didn't call their name they were gonna keep my car so I want to make sure that I call their name because they haven't been baptized yet Philippians at chapter 3 verses 4 through verse number 11 in our continuing series through the book of Philippians though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law a Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless but what things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ he a doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the Fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death verse 11 reads if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the Dead thank you you may be seated the grass withers and the flower fades with the word of our God shall stand forever that's a Chinese theologian by the name of watchman Nee who has offered several books and we were to read one of his books when we were at Bishop College the book entitled the normal Christian life it's a good book to have in your library about watchman Nee the normal Christian life I want to borrow that title this morning to talk about the normal Christian life because there seems to be a whole lot that goes on in church that we have come to accept as normal that is really quite abnormal to not be present in worship is not normal to not give God glory for the good things that he has done in our lives is not normal to sit down in church like you are at a spectator event is not normal our children learn from us how to do church how to act in church how to carry on in the worship those of you who are my age and grew up in an era when parents didn't play with their children that was a time and I remember well when they didn't bring coloring books and and and sippy cups and crackers and and stuff to entertain you when you were in church it just made you sit down and go to church sit down and be quiet and my mother was in the choir stand if we were in the back cutting up all she had to do was look at us and we knew what that meant and it was no wait until you got home for them to get on you they embarrassed your right way you acted a fool but but now a whole lot of stuff that we accept as normal is really quite abnormal people who are irregular in their church attendance women who are good mothers good wives good caretakers at home they come to church every now and then but they spend most of their time watching the Lifetime channel Housewives of early some nonsense of that kind that that that's that's that's nominal and peripheral when it comes to the things of God men who work hard and take care of their families they are good providers good husbands good fathers but they watch pornography on on their phone or on their computer or or they are attracted through anything that is not of God they come to church Mother's Day Christmas Easter Thanksgiving but they are not really seriously committed to God and then young adults who have no real concept of what it means to be a normal Christian one Sunday they'll be at this church and the next Sunday they had another church and then if they are not at this church or another church they've become a Muslim or they are Jehovah's Witness or they join the commune or they are listening to some life coach or or they are listening to their own philosophy or wisdom that's not normal and the more you the more you accept what is abnormal you will no longer recognize what is normal as a Christian what we think is normal Christian Christian 'ti is really abnormal Christianity the normal Christian walks in victory the normal Christian is in love with Jesus and doesn't care who knows about it the normal Christian is not a victim but a victor we are more than conquerors through him that loved us we are strong in our faith we don't crack under pressure we don't give up when life turns against us because when life turns against us we who know God know that we've got somebody on our side who is able to help us through any storm any situation we come to church and just stand up under it you would be surprised to know how many people in this church this morning or struggling under a heavy burden but they still come to church and give God the glory that's not abnormal that's normal for them people here have some great trials some difficult circumstances physical ailments taking care of sick parents taking care of a spouse taking care of a loved one having trouble on their job but you never know it because for them is just normal to come on Sunday morning and give God the glory trials dark on every hand and we cannot understand all the ways that God will lead us to this blessed promised land he'll guide us with his eye and we'll follow till we die we'll understand it better by and by but in the meantime we just come here and give God the glory no matter what the day brings no matter what the week brings no matter what the move brings my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name on Christ the Son I wish I had a witness the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking saying everybody here can make an excuse of why you can't be in church on Sunday everybody here got something you ought to be doing something you need to do but nothing comes before God if you are a normal Christian nothing takes the place of worshiping with brothers and sisters in Christ if you really believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God without saying Paul is disputing with these Judaizers who might have some bone of contention and say that Paul does not look what he's talking about because he's not Jewish enough to argue with them about law and grace you remember last week Paul in verse number 3 says beware of dogs beware of evil doers beware of the circumcision beware of these people who try to cook law and grace together to make you stand up under the law brothers and sisters I need to be a witness for myself right here I'm glad God doesn't hold me according to the law because I broke the law a long time ago I thank God for His grace I said I thank God for grace I'm not under the law I'm under grace because I can't keep any of the Ten Commandments I broke one two three four five six seven eight nine and 10 along with you thank God for His grace I mentioned to the people who here and hourly service I came I was coming off a 6-10 and I was making a right turn on the Scott Street to come home and a policeman got behind me and put his lights on I didn't think he was coming after me because I didn't think I had done anything wrong but he we rolled along for a little while and I kept going for a while and then he finally put the siren on and stopped me and I put both hands on top of steering wheel and I turned to the country-and-western station you picked a fine time to leave me and Lucille for hungry children and a crop in the field and he said why didn't you stop when I when I pulled you over I said I didn't think you will stopping me I said but what is the problem here's my license registration he said you didn't you didn't signal when you were making a right turn and so I was wrong I did not signal by making the right turn so I gave him my license and he went in the car and everything and I was nervous sitting down that bite my nails because the Victoria's car is under my name and I'm saying I know that good I'm done something she had no goodness and then people go putting me and her in jail but the man came back and said I'm gonna give you a warning this time take it easy Reverend have a nice evening and I came on home short Emilia my warning that I had but here's my point the law man could have given me a ticket because I broke the law to me it was a minor infraction but it's still the law and he said you can go home I'm just going to give you a warning he showed me grace now I can rejoice over a man not giving me a ticket because I didn't make a right turn signal who woke me up this morning but food on my table made my enemy my footstool open doors that were closed in my face if I can rejoice over all warning I sure enough can rejoice over the grace of God God not charge me according to the law he looked behind my folks and so my needs something is abnormal about a Christian who can rejoice about grace something is wrong with the believer who can shout about the goodness of God because if the truth be told you should have been dead I wish I had one or two more witnesses in I need a real sinner in here this morning when you look back over your life and see what God not only brought you from but kept you from grace mercy and the goodness of God is enough to shout about Paul never gives his testimony without going back to what happened on the Damascus Road and Paul says to these Judaizers now you want to talk about pedigree if you want to talk about credentials if you want to talk about resume Paul said I can get Witcher right here Hebrew of the Hebrews circumcised on the eighth day of the tribe of Benjamin I wish I had one or two Bible reader see if you're talking about zeal I persecuted the church if you want to talk about the law I was a Pharisee and in righteousness I'm blameless he said but I counted all done now what what I thought was gained I killed loss when it comes to my faith in Jesus Christ because when I look at what I was and what I am is by the grace of God that whole thing just balances out let me let me let me say a word to want to you in here who who haven't opened your mouth the entire service you've been sitting in here you haven't clap for the children's music you haven't read the responsive reading you haven't said Amen you haven't saying any of the congregational songs let me see if I can help you right here Paul was a Jew by birth a Roman by citizenship a tent maker by trade and a lawyer by profession a Pharisee by religious training and a Christian because of what happened on the Damascus Road spoke 13 languages was a student of Gamaliel a member of the Sanhedrin a Roman citizen wrote over half of the New Testament now if Paul who wrote over half the Bible that we shout about could give God praise those of us here who are lesser in greatness ought to recognize that it doesn't matter how many degrees you have you could wake up in the morning out of your mind I don't care how much money you have all it takes is a spell of sickness and you could lose every dime that's in your bank account I look at how many friends you have on Facebook one scandal and every one of those people will drop you like yesterday's newspaper but I know somebody we will never leave you I wish I had a witness I don't need I don't need to get caught up in what I have and and what our own and we're live because compared to Christ Paul says is denim manure do do you want me to say something else [Applause] I'm on the way there it's refuse of the human body cow manure nothing garbage rubbish that's what your Gucci is that's what your Mercedes is that's what your gated community is that's what the Christian Louboutins are that's what your goal your Diamonds your throw one case your retirement it's all trash garbage compared to a relationship with Jesus Christ have a got a witness here your fraternity or sorority done garbage trash if you don't know Jesus Christ brothers and sisters hear me yeah my beloved you might not make it in a cave because years ago when I was in school years ago you had to be real light-skinned to be an aka or a lot of us wouldn't know what wouldn't made it you may not be fine enough to be a delta cool enough to be a Kappa smart enough to be an alpha mean enough to be a Q dog but when you pledged Christ you don't have to be light-skinned you don't have to be smart you don't have to be cool you don't have to be mean if you pledge Jesus Christ they might be able to get you out of that other stuff but he said who I hold in the palm of the devil inherit a pluck him out I'd rather have Jesus Paul says when I win I calculate my losses when I evaluate my losses I come to recognize that with Christ there is a persistence a persistence he says what things were gain to me I counted loss for the sake of Christ yay doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and I killed them but dung that I may win Christ that's that's present tense when Christ I keep on sticking with Christ and those of us who have been with the Lord for some time can testify you've lost some things you've been denied some things you've been put out and away from some things but you still got Christ and people who don't understand this think we crazy for doing what we do they think something's wrong with us to keep showing up here week in and week out and here the same man say the same thing every week but nothing's wrong with you something's wrong with them because they are not persistent when it comes to Jesus Christ I was about to say no if you go to a concert and you're seeing the same music all the time you would soon quit going to that concert but y'all go to Mia's concert every time Mays comes to town and they sing the same songs over and over and over and over and over and you sing right along with it so I can't use that example let me use something they'll pretty soon if if if if you're not careful you'll get hooked this stuff that won't last long because when you tied to what you have and you are defined by what your own pretty soon when that stuff is gone you lose your mind but but when you stay with Jesus no matter how dark the night no matter how brutal the situation no matter how difficult the storm no matter how hard the trial if you just persistently walk with Jesus you start to repeat that text blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord come on you can help me say it and in that law does he meditate both day and night and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit in his season his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper the enemy might think you counted out but God will make you prosper he'll prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies and then heard there's a pleasure that comes with following Jesus verse 9 says and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith here's the pleasure here's the pleasure I don't have to live up to your standard I am free enough in Christ that I don't have to let you determine how I give God praise because everything needed from my salvation has to come from God anyway I mentioned this in in Bible study on Tuesday night and let me try to say it again because it works so well Tuesday night I'm gonna use it again and now maybe you'll shout like this shower it on Tuesday night you are now but maybe you shout like this shouter don't use a night every Christmas since my daughter has been able to buy Christmas gifts every Christmas she buys me a Christmas gift and she has to come ask me for the money to buy me a Christmas gift and she comes to get my money to go buy me a gift and then she brings me to give and I act like I'm surprised and I'm so happy I'm so glad that she thought enough of me to come get my money to go buy me a Christmas gift but the point is she wanted to give me something but she didn't have anything so she had to get something from me to give me when I already had someone ought to help me appreciate the grace on me the faith I need to come to Christ he had to give it to me and then once he gives it to me I'd give it back to him and he gets happy because I gave him what he gave me I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in is there anybody here know that the grace of God all those flows cuz we don't give God anything God didn't give us first that's why I don't know why Jesus loves me I wish I had somebody to help me I don't know why he cares I don't know why he sacrificed his life but I'm glad so glad he did what I needed to come to him I had to come to him to get to give it to him so he could give it back to me in thanks that's why my joy my peace does not relate to anything that's happening in my life because whatever happens in life brings with it or without happiness but I don't have to have things happen a certain way for me to have joy because when I'm persistent in my walk with God there's a pleasure that comes in knowing that if I stay with him verse 10 and 11 says there's a payoff it's right here in the text that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the Fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the Dead you go help me close this watch it here is the payoff that in spite of all Paul says I've been through I can handle it because I know him brothers and sisters you can come to church all your life and never know him you can read the Bible and not know him you can sing about him and not even know him preach about him pray about here about him and not know him don't sit in church with him and not know him because when you know him it puts something in your face it put something in your disposition I wish I had a witness here your enemies find out that you can't kill nobody who's already dead I've been crucified with Christ no longer I live but Christ lives in me so whatever you try to do to me can't hurt me cuz I'm already crucified and brothers and sisters the crucified life is a beautiful life because you don't have to live under anybody's expectations but God and when you live under God's expectations even when you fall god is not bad a judge you but God is there to get in your mess with you and get you back on your feet again how many people in here can testify since I've been a Christian I've messed up since I've been a child of God there have been some decisions I wish I hadn't made I wish I had some honest believers in here there's been some wrong roads I wish I had never traveled there's some stuff I've done that I wish I could take back there's some skeletons in my closet that if I open the door all of them would fall out right now and you would see me for who and what I really am but thank God I know him I know it I said I know him and I know the power of his resurrection I know the Fellowship of his suffering I know what it means to follow Jesus when you don't have a lot I wish I had a witness here I know what it means to follow Jesus when you broke I don't just serve God now I've been serving God all my life and there have been some days I didn't even have money to put in the offering but that didn't stop me from going to church have a got a witness here brothers and sisters about some of you here who was raised like I was raised my mom and dad it taught us if you don't have any money don't go yes just stay home and you never know you don't have any money stop trying to pretend that you something that you're not because sooner or later you're gonna be uncovered for the fraud that you are but if you just be true to yourself that's the way I was raised what you see is what you get that there's no nothing freak about me I don't have any card up my sleeve I don't I don't have any ace in my shoe I'm just Terry Anderson trying to make heaven my home mistakes warts faults you name it I've done it I've been there but thank God I know him and because I know him I'm not embarrassed because you know me you missed that because I know him ain't bothered about you knowing me because many of us try to hide behind this fake aid of spirituality and religiosity and we look so holy so pious but there are those of us here who know that if the law took his hand off us I wish I had somebody to be honest this morning if the Lord you don't have to move the hedge if he just lowers the hedge a little bit we would be some of the worst people in the city of Houston but thank God for grace thank God for mercy thank God that I knew him and because I know him I don't have to wait for you to give him glory I don't have to jump up because I see somebody else jumping up I don't have to shout because I see somebody else shouting you don't know my story and I don't know what God is up to in your life but if you save the same God that I said you know that when life turns on you God will make a way out of no way you know when it get hard on your job and they give you a pink slip and you have to find another job if God closes a door he's getting ready to open a window he's getting ready to bless you in ways that you haven't even imagined you want to know how to get God to bless you stop acting like you making it on y'all stop acting like you doing it by yourself just stop giving God praise even though you don't have it in your hand even though it hasn't come to pass yet just come on and praise God like you got it even though it's not in your possession yet just go on and shout victory you don't see it yet it's not there yet that boy is not off drugs yet but praise God and like he is that girl had he come to her senses yet but just praise God like she has you haven't been healed from your sickness yet but just praise God like your hair somebody know you gotta fake it until you make it just keep on giving God the glory shout anyhow praise God anyway because if you praise God like you mean it God sees and he inhabits the praises of his people I need some real praise as this moment that no God's been good to you is there anybody here you got a good job but that's only by the grace of God you live in a nice community but it's only by the grace of God when you look back over your life and see where you came from there's nothing in your background that says you ought to be where you're all right man so why don't you just tell God thank you what I have you gave me where I am you built me what I'm man you taught me if the Lord opened doors for you come on help me magnify if the Lord been good to you the more was up McKibben to pay if you know him and you're not ashamed to testify if you know him and the Fellowship of his suffering why don't you grab somebody shake somebody's head tell them I know him for myself come on use your preaching voice I'm know him I tried him he walks with me he talks with me he tan I am his own and the joy [Music] [Music] knowing him is different from knowing about him I'm not praising God of what somebody told me I'm not giving God glory because of what somebody else said they found that a woman at the well who dropped her waterpot and went in the city and told him everything that Jesus is the Messiah he's told me everything I've ever done they went found that woman and he told her now we believe not because of what you say but because we have heard him for ourselves [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church

Views: 34,209

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Id: 8aZOeCYud50

Length: 37min 52sec (2272 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 17 2019