Philippians 1:27: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
“Whatever happens ….” Paul wrote this from prison. He didn’t know if he was going to be set free or executed. He even debated a bit about which would be better, to go home to the LORD or to stay for the church here. He concluded that whatever happens, his readers should conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
“Whatever happens ….” As a minister of the gospel of Christ, as a pastor of a church, someone whom God calls “servant,” I need to be constantly aware of how I handle the gospel of Christ.
I’ve just spent days in the Gospel accounts of Gethsemane studying the prayer of Jesus to His Father on the night of His betrayal. It was an intense, holy, prayer flowing deep from the heart of our LORD as He contemplated the enormity of what “being about His Father’s work” would encompass. As I seek God for the Resurrection Sunday message, I must make sure that what I speak honors that.
I wrestle with developing a message directed to visitors that won’t offend them but will invite them back … that’s what most of the offers from church resource groups have encouraged me to do. I do want visitors to feel welcomed and loved by us, but I struggle with forming messages for visitors rather than the people who have been faithful to God all year long.
“Whatever happens …” I must conduct myself on Resurrection Sunday (and every Sunday) in a manner worthy of Christ’s Good News (even if that means visitors don’t come back.) We all must be faithful to honor the Gospel of Christ. Everything we do must be as worthy of Jesus’ sacrifice as we are able to make it so.
