HE IS FIRST (SHINE): YOU ALWAYS...what?

¹² Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. ¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Phil. 2:11-13



Believe it or not, we are all builders. Whether it's putting together bikes, cabinets, repairing busted pipes, tree houses, or just building something cool with a box of legos...we are all builders to some degree.    We are builders of relationships.  The questions though is whether you are following the blueprints, the instructions on how they should be done?  I mean think about it.....as kids we are taught what it means to share.  We learn from our parent, parents, teachers, and others how to relate to other people, and depending upon whether we follow those instructions will show in the finished product our relationships.

Paul is writing this letter to some dear friends in Philippi from a prison and he opens up saying " you always followed my instructions when I was with you...." So what is it that you always do?   As a builder the hope is that you would always follow the instructions, the blueprints because the minute we think we got this and deviate from the instructions, is the moment Satan has us.  Following the blueprints/instructions is work, because we have to read, we have to study, we have to make sure things are in their proper order so we can then execute.  Paul instructs us to work out our salvation...and like building we have to clear things out in order to have an environment conducive to building.  

Now the foundation has been laid for those that have chosen Jesus...next is working to build upon that very foundation with the WORD.   Getting the WORD inside of you is not solely for the purpose of being able to spit off scriptures to impress folks....it's to get those words to excavate your heart so that the WORD would bring the change necessary so that you'd become the CHURCH that Christ is returning to rescue.   

The blessing is that you're NEVER left alone in this building process.   Christ, His Spirit partners with you, in you to bring this process to completion but it doesn't happen without your partnership, your buy in.   This means you HAVE TO BE AT CHURCH.  This means YOU HAVE TO BE READING/STUDYING SCRIPTURE.   This means you HAVE TO BE WORSHIPPING HIM outside "WORSHIP SERVICES".   This means you HAVE TO BE PURPOSEFUL IN SURRENDERING YOUR WILL and PURSUING HIS.  Because one day you'll be done building on this side of eternity, and GOD will look to see if you were a CHURCH or a WRECKING BALL!  LGLP247