In Cultivate, we will be turning to Paul's letter to the Philippians to see how God cultivates churches so that churches will produce a "harvest of righteousness."

Sermon Outline

Here is an outline, to help you track along.

I. Thoughts
A. Paul tells us to "think about such things," after listing a series of positive qualities.
B. While Paul's list is good, controlling one's thoughts can be difficult.

II. "Do as you saw me do."
A. Paul offers himself up as an example, so that the Philippians can see the traits he just listed lived out.
B. This is a glimpse into part of Paul's vision for the church.
C. Christians are to model these traits for one another, so that others can be shaped and formed by these traits.

III. This is the type of church Paul tried to build and it's the type of church the world needs to see now.
A. Paul built churches with all sorts of different people.
B. What pulled them together was a belief that Jesus is Lord.
C. In trying to reflect Jesus' character, they helped one another to see the traits Paul listed lived out.
D. This helped them to "think about such things."

IV. The God of Peace will be with you.
A. Where 2 or 3 are gathered, Jesus is there.
B. God's character is supposed to be made known through the church.

Hiedelberg Catechism

The Hiedelberg Catechism is a document that has a series of questions and answers. It has been used to help educate Christians about basics beliefs of Christian faith. Regarding the church, it says this:

54 Q. What do you believe concerning “the holy catholic church”?

A. I believe that the Son of God through his Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, protects, and preserves for himself, a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community I am and always will be a living member.

One of the core beliefs of our faith is that Jesus gathers the church together and calls each of us to it. The church is also a "community" that Jesus creates. Ultimately, the church is Jesus' and we are privileged to be a part of it. This should change how we think about Church. Does this affect how you think about church at all?

Second Helvetic Confession

The Second Helvetic Confession is another confession that is used to guide and educate Christians throughout history. Here is how it defines the church:

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

The Church is an assembly of the faithful called or gathered out of the world; a communion, I say, of all saints, namely, of those who truly know and rightly worship and serve the true God in Christ the Savior, by the Word and Holy Spirit, and who by faith are partakers of all benefits which are freely offered through Christ. CITIZENS OF ONE COMMONWEALTH. They are all citizens of the one city, living under the same Lord, under the same laws, and in the same fellowship of all good things. For the apostle calls them “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19), calling the faithful on earth saints (I Cor. 4:1), who are sanctified by the blood of the Son of God. The article of the Creed, “I believe in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,” is to be understood wholly as concerning these saints.

These older definitions of church can help us understand what we have inherited and help us think critically about what we believe the church is meant to be today.

GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Do you find it difficult to control your thoughts? What is your experience when you try to control your thoughts?

2. While Paul encourages the Philippians to "think about such things," he also reminds them that they have received what they need to know from him. Who is someone in your life that has directly displayed the traits Paul talks about? (Try to think of someone you actually know and not a celebrity.)

3. The church is meant to be a community of people who help one another fulfill Paul's call to "think about such things" by modeling this for one another and reminding one another of the traits Paul talks about. Does this ring true with your understanding about what a church is supposed to be? How would you describe what the church is supposed to be?

4. What do you love about the church?

5. How has a church, StoneBridge or another church, revealed to you Jesus' character?

NEXT STEPS

1. Think about the words Paul uses to describe the things we should be thinking about - true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. Reflect on people who have reflected those traits to you.

2. Think about specific instances in which the people above reached out to you.

3. Reflect on times you've seen those traits exemplified in the church.

4. Let those instances begin to define the church's mission for you. Reflecting the traits Paul talks about helps those who don't know Jesus see him clearly.

We encourage you to use Facebook, Instagram, and other social media to share images, quotes, links, or what you've learned from this week's message and YouVersion message notes. Social media can also be a great way of inviting your friends to worship and special events.