TITLE- Check yourself before you wreck yourself
- Basic training- Bayonet training- who’s here for college money? Going to war- who wants out?
- They were concerned that our motives were not to serve and die- but to just get the benefits
- Phil 1:15-18
- God wants us to have pure motives
- What does it say-
- Paul is building on the previous message of 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” Pauls chains have caused men to step up and start to preach the Gospel
- Paul says there are two types of preachers that are being produced from my suffering- Those that preach from envy and a desire to split the church- and Those who do it with a pure heart
- The first ones preach selfishly- Their true motives are to add more pain to Pauls life by preaching the gospel- they want him in chains so they can get recognition
- The second ones preach out of love- standing with Paul, they know he is doing what God called him to do. Paul makes it clear- what can I do? I can only rejoice that Christ is being preached-
The guys in Rome who were preaching did not have the correct hearts for doing ministry and preaching.
- They were not operating from a sincere love for lost people and a desire to see God glorified.
- They were doing it because they were jealous of Paul and his ministry
- They were in competition with Paul- they were actually glad that he was in prision
- Why? They could grow a bigger following that Paul- they could get a bigger name than Paul
- Their hope was that his “affliction” would increase- rub some salt in the wounds
- they preached that Paul was in prison as a means to show that God was not pleased with Paul
- The truth is that these guys were walking in the FLESH not the SPIRIT
- Here’s the main point of this scripture and what I want to talk about today
- God wants you to preach the gospel with pure motives. And if your motives are not pure you need to work on it
- Have some MOTIVATION to share the gospel
The Gospel needs to be preached
- 15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:
- Remember this is right after Paul said that his chains had produced boldness in people to preach the Gospel- But the result is the result- Christ is preached
- Folks- this right here is so central to our Christian Faith- but do you even want this?
- We become so focused on our needs. Our health, our circumstance, our plans
- The marching orders that we Got from Jesus in Matt 28:16 was to GO and make Disciples- GO and preach Christ- But some people have zero motivation to share the gospel
- Pauls existence was for two reasons- Get people saved- Keep the church
- Pauls direction and understanding was always Gospel centered- he never lost that focus
- Whenever he talked it always came back to the Gospel- it always came back to Christs supremacy
- Folks this is the Gospel- 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
- People on this planet, who do not accept Christs forgiveness of sins will be held accountable to them before God on Judgment day and at their death- there will be no second chance
- The Gospel (Good News) is that Christ saves sinners from Hell, He forgives them, he loves them, he welcomes them
- Jesus is the only way to heaven- there is no other way- Being good does not get you to heaven-
- Only the blood of Jesus provides entrance into heaven- no other way- do you believe this?
- If you know this- You need to preach this to everyone you know- its not OUR way it is THE way
- People say “I don’t have a gift of evangelism” I don’t have a gift of brushing my teeth but I do it
- The way of Christ is to be constantly spreading his message of reconciliation before all men
- His LOVE compels US 2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
- If you have fully realized the gift that God has given you by forgiving you your sin, it should compel you to share that truth with other people
- My friend on the 5k- not looking good- 40s- blockage- “felt like an elephant on my chest”
- That’s what sin feels on your chest- elephant- but Christ comes in- removes the sin- aaah
- This gospel must be preached- The forgiveness of sins- Any gospel that doesn’t preach the forgiveness of sins isn’t the gospel- Its not works, changing, earning, nothing- GRACE
- Galatians 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
- 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
- This is the Gospel that we should preach- Jesus Christ and him Crucified for our Sins
- 2. Your Heart Reveals your MOTIVATION- check your heart
- God looks at the heart
- 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;
- Side note- I have a few hot buttons that bother me- one is the “only God can judge”
- Notice the judgment that Paul does here- he’s in Prison, not in relationship with these guys and he throws them under the bus
- He says there are guys that are preaching that have selfish ambition, they are insincere, and are trying to hurt me- He calls them out for what they are and what they are doing
- Sound judgmental? IT IS! Paul is calling out these guys hearts! He telling the Philippian church that there are guys that do not have the right heart condition that are preaching the gospel
- Notice here- Paul isn’t saying they are preaching a WRONG Gospel, he is saying that their HEART is wrong- The Gospel message was correct the heart was WRONG
- Did you know that God knows the heart?
- 1 Samuel 16:7 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees;[a]for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart
- Jeremiah 17:10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings
- God knowing the heart of a person isn’t earth shattering- I just think that people forget about it sometimes
- People know peoples hearts- they are just afraid to admit they do- or at least they don’t say it
- Some people are better than others than discerning this- but we all do it- we try to test peoples hearts- because we want to trust and believe the people around us
- Jesus did it Luke 9:47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart
- When we rolled our van on Highway 18- Sitting there covered in glass and blood- people came up to take our kids- I had about 5 seconds to make a split decision to trust these people
- God isn’t looking for 5 seconds of a good heart- he is watching you your whole life- every thought, every action, every decision- your motives and what they are
- Now- some people would say- wait a min- why is God so concerned with my heart?
- Folks- you are preparing yourself for heaven- You’re not going to get a new spirit there- just a new body- so if you can’t get it right on this side of heaven- its going to be rough in eternity
- God wants Pure motives Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.
- What does it mean to you?
- You got to get your motives right- You have to do an inventory of your life and check yourself
- This is not an exercise that many people do- checking their motives
- Do I even want to share the Gospel? Do I care that people are going to go to hell? Am I saved?
- 1 Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.- Even before communion we’re supposed to be examining ourselves!
- 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified
- Am I in the faith? Why am I doing what I am doing? What is this for?
- It’s a prayer life that is exposed before God- asking him- God- what is there in me that needs to change? What parts of me are not in subjection to you?
- Psalm 26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.
- God is there someone I have hurt, is there someone I need to forgive? Do my actions display your love? Does my mouth match up with your word?
- Are my motives pure? At recruiter– I want to serve my country Orders to Egypt– run me over with truck- If that was my true motives- my actions would follow my heart and my mouth
- This is a constant and pervasive fight against the enemy- This is why if you do not stay connected to God, the church, his word and other believers you will fall away
- The motive train derails really easy- you must constantly be doing a motive inventory
- 3. Have Pure Motivation- root out anything in your heart that is not of God
- The sin of selfish ambition
- 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;
- See to Paul, what innerved him the most was that these guys weren’t preaching Jesus for souls sake, they were doing it for themselves to promote themselves
- This is the complete opposite of the fruits of the spirit- Gal 5: 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God
- God does not want you- or me or anyone operating from selfish ambition, which is akin to jealousy, envy, etc
- Let me give you an example- Started preaching 16 years old- Preaching to adult church 3 svc 500+ people at 19. I cared more about people than God’s word- Not preach again until God tell me
- I had wrong motivation- I wanted the adoration of people- I wanted recognition
- You must fight the flesh to win the motive war- If you do not fight the flesh the motives cannot be pure because they will be infected with the flesh
- Lets not lose our focus here- we are talking about our motives as they pertain to sharing Christ
- God wants you sharing the true Gospel of repentance- with a pure heart and motives!
- Be motivated by a heart of Love
- Paul said this- ; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.
- A heart of love is the complete opposite of selfish ambition- Whats your motive? Let it be LOVE
- Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
- Our motive should always be love- we should always be focusing on having love be our primary motivation- Again- this is why we pray and ask God to work in our hearts- God help me to have your love-
- Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God
- 1 cor 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
- Whats your Passion? What is the central focus of your life? Is it your job? Your kids? Your hobbies? I believe that following God is an all or nothing proposition.
- God wants all of you. Not part of you. He wants you to preach the Gospel- with a PURE HEART
- Don Carson- Paul’s example is impressive and clear: Put the advance of the gospel at the center of your aspirations. Our own comfort, our bruised feelings, our reputations, our misunderstood motives – all of these are insignificant in comparison with the advance and splendor of the gospel. As Christians, we are called upon to put the advance of the gospel at the very center of our aspirations.
- 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
- This was Pauls heart in prison- Christ would be preached- Forgiveness of sins. Out of LOVE
- We should constantly be checking our hearts and motives- Asking the HS to change us
- Be filled with a love for those who are not in the truth- for those who need the GOSPEL
- Folks- Only the gospel can set people free- Only the gospel can change a life.
