Philippians – The Centre Community Church

Philippians 3:12-21

Admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 18:31:14 +0000

In high school I was a member of the track team for a few years. I didn’t like it. It wasn’t that I couldn’t compete, or didn’t do well, but I hated the solitude. I hated the fact that everything rested upon my shoulders – if I lost it was all on me. Some people enjoy the pressure, but not me. I’m a team player! I enjoy working with others, partnering with others, and allowing their strengths to compliment my weaknesses and vice versa. However, being part of a team didn’t mean that I could slack off and give up practicing and honing my skills. I still had to get better and improve, but I did this for the team, not just for myself. If I improved, the team improved.

In the same way we as Christians must continue to become more like Christ (this is called sanctification). But we do this not for ourselves, but first for Jesus and then for the whole body of Christ because we are all part of the same body (read 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4). And as we do this we look to one another for encouragement and direction and support. We do not do this on our own! If we try to follow Jesus on our own, we go against the body of Christ, and we go against God.

This Sunday we’ll be looking at Philippians 3:12-21. Please read over the passage a few times before Sunday so that you’re familiar with it.

Pastor Mike

The Body of Christ

Admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 19:52:08 +0000

This coming Sunday we will be celebrating our first baptisms at The Centre Community Church! Baptism is a public declaration of the faith a person has in Jesus Christ as their Saviour. It is a symbolic joining with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection. It is a public declaration that we are dying to our old way of life, and rising again as a new creation in Christ. This is not something to be done in secret or in a small group but with the whole body of Christ, so that we all can join in the celebration and praise God together!

As Christians we are all called to be baptized. It is an act of obedience to God, submission to His will, and an act of faith demonstrating that you believe He is who He says He is. If you haven’t been baptized yet and would like to be, please don’t put it off. It is an important step that every Christian is called to take.

We will also be continuing our series in Philippians this Sunday looking at 2:19-30. This passage is a clear demonstration of how the body of Christ is to work — serving each other, being served by others, and making sure that all are cared for. As I said last week, following Jesus is not a solo sport, it’s a team event! Hope you can make it out this week to cheer on and support the body of Christ, and in turn be supported and encouraged. See you at 6 on Sunday.

Pastor Mike

Philippians: Shine Like Stars

Admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 03:24:44 +0000

It’s another grey day. The sun was out briefly this morning, but it seems like forever since we’ve had a full day of sun. Perhaps that’s why it seemed to shine so brightly (that, and the newly fallen snow making everything white!). When things are dark, light appears brighter. If you were in an arena with all the powerful lights turned on, the light from a flashlight would be lost. But turn the lights off and that flashlight would stand out!

As Christians we’re called to shine. Jesus encouraged His disciples and followers to be “the light of the world . . . [and] let their light shine before others” (Matt 5:14-16). In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph 5:8). John encourages the early church by telling them “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Shining means standing out against the darkness. It means offering an alternative to what’s happening in the world, a better way, the only way to new life. It means shining truth on lies, and offering grace instead of condemnation. By shining like stars we will guide people to Christ, the only one who can save.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-15.

If you haven’t read through Philippians this week, do so before Sunday. Our gathering starts at 6pm — hope to see you there.

Pastor Mike

Philippians: The Mindset of Christ

Admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 02:31:19 +0000

“Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” This was the challenge that Paul gave to the Philippian church as he called them to be unified. He then goes on to describe what Christ’s mindset really was all about — sacrificial love. Jesus put others before Himself, and didn’t use His power to force His way into anything. He put God first and humbly served others, not thinking about His own comfort or needs. God first, others second, Himself third.

And He did all of this willingly. He wasn’t forced or coerced. He wasn’t bribed. He did this knowing full well what it would cost Him, even giving up His rights and eventually His life. This is the mindset of Jesus, and it’s what we’re called to strive for, and how we’re to act towards each other each and every day.

It’s not easy. And we will never do it perfectly. But we’re called to try. Each one of us, those who call themselves followers of Jesus, we are all called to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Some days will be better than others, and we will often fall short, but we are called to never give up trying and striving to follow Him.

So as you see other Christians trying to imperfectly follow our perfect Saviour, don’t belittle them or put them down when they mess up, instead you should encourage and support them, and strive alongside them. In this way we will share the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

If you want to prepare for this coming Sunday’s message, read through the whole letter to the Philippians — it won’t take that long, I promise! And make sure you pay close attention to Phil 2:1-11.

Pastor Mike

To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain

Admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 17:55:21 +0000

How would you like to be remembered? If you passed away, or even if you simply moved away, how would your neighbours or co-workers remember you? What would be some ways in which they described you? What stories would they tell? What memories would they share? If you could eavesdrop on a conversation about what people thought of you would you like what heard, or would you be embarrassed or ashamed?

For Paul, I think he would be happy with what people would say. The guards who watched over him probably would say something like, “No matter what we did to him, he was happy! He was even fine with dying!” For those trying to slander him, or get him in trouble they’d likely say, “As long as people were hearing about Jesus, he was happy. Even if it meant that he got into more trouble with the Romans.” Others might say, “We ridiculed him, beat him, almost killed him, and still he kept praising Jesus!” Jesus was the focus of his life — everything revolved around serving God, and bringing glory to Him. That was what mattered the most.

So what would people say about you if you were gone? What is your defining characteristic? What is the subject you talk the most about? Are you joyful, even in the middle of frustration? Are you loving and caring? Do you bring peace and comfort?

This Sunday we will be looking at a passage of Philippians that has one of the more popular verses in Scripture — to live is Christ and to die is gain. Paul had the attitude that no matter what happened to him, Jesus would always be first and foremost in his life. Could this be said of you? On Sunday we will learn how he was able to say that, and see how we can apply that to our lives. Our gathering begins at 6pm – hope to see you there!

This Sunday is also our first year anniversary! It’s incredible to think The Centre Community Church is already one year old! Praise God for how He has provided for us and opened doors for us to serve the South End of Lindsay. Please come out and celebrate with us. There will be cake!

Pastor Mike

Partnering For The Gospel

Admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 19:08:29 +0000

Have you ever tried to do a big project on your own, perhaps a renovation around the house, trying to fix something wrong with a vehicle, or maybe it was teaching someone a new skill? These things take time, energy, and patience, and can quickly overwhelm us if we’re not careful. Depending on what the project is, it is most often in our best interest to get help. A second set of hands, a different skill set, a new way to look at things — each of these can help a project go more smoothly and efficiently.

When it comes to serving God we need to remember that we’re not an only child. We are adopted into God’s family, but so are a whole boat-load of other people! And each person has unique insights and skills that can and should be used for building up God’s kingdom. As we look to God for guidance and direction we should also look for ways that we can partner with other brothers and sisters in Christ. We should not think that we can do everything on our own — to do so would be selfish and prideful. Instead we should look to see how we can be a blessing to others, and allow others to be a blessing to us as they use the gifts God has given them, and together work towards sharing the love and joy that is only found in Jesus Christ.

This Sunday we begin a new series on the letter to the Philippians, starting with 1:1-11. I’d encourage you to read through the letter each week while we’re working through this series. It will only take 20-30 minutes. Allow God’s word to go deeply into your heart.

If you picked up the reading plan this past Sunday for reading through the Bible in a year I’d like to encourage you to keep at it! If you didn’t pick it up, there’s still time to start. Here’s the link to the website: https://thebibleproject.com/reading-plan/ — there’s a great phone app that goes along with the plan that will send you a reminder each day, that keeps track of your progress, and it also has all the videos right there as well.

Pastor Mike