In a dog-eat-dog world, how can we possibly put the needs of others before ourselves? Doesn't that mean we'll become a doormat? Who can afford to be humble? Of what advantage is humility? Paul explains that the gospel changes our mindset. Philippians 2:1-11 shows us how to think (put others first), what to think (Jesus humbled Himself for us) and why to think. It's in humility that we receive salvation and it is how we grow together as Christ's redeemed people.

As Paul listens to the guards shuffling outside his cell, he knows at any moment he could face death. However, he communicates to the Philippians his great joy. To live is fruitful labour in Christ and to die is to be with Christ. Thus, in Paul's last words we are given words to live by.

As we watch our culture becoming less tolerant of Christianity, we wonder how the good news of Jesus can continue to advance in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The same question played on the minds of the Philippians as they watched their beloved church planter, Paul, imprisoned for preaching Christ. However, Paul assures the Philippians - and us - that the gospel is not chained! It continually advances because the gospel is not hindered by circumstance or even the false motives of its preachers. Instead, this passage reminds us that there are always opportunities to share Jesus, no matter what position we find ourselves as God's people.

From the very beginning of Paul's letter, the apostle prompts the church to remember the gospel. They are slaves and saints of Christ through His life, death and resurrection. This gospel of grace that had saved both Paul and the Philippians is the same good news they defended and confirmed in partnership. Paul reminds the church that he is praying that they would continue to abound in their love for one another. This passage gently reminds us that joy in God's church begins with joy in God's Christ. 

Psalm 24 asks the question 'Who is the King of Glory?' The answer is that the LORD is King of Glory. He is the King of creation, the King of holiness and the King of heaven. Incredibly, this great King invites us into fellowship with Him through His Son. The eternal Son of God descended from the holy hill of the LORD. He came down and rescued us from our sin through shedding His blood on the cross. Then, He ascended back up the holy hill with His redeemed people in His train.

Psalm 23 is perhaps the most well-known and well-loved passages of Scripture in the Bible. Yet, it raises an important point that we may miss due to familiarity with the psalm: you need a shepherd. David tells us that it is only when the God of the Bible is our shepherd that our souls can be restored, that comfort in death can be found and that we can have certainty about our future. We're reminded that Jesus is our Good Shepherd and because He laid down His life for us, we are always assured of His presence and have the bright hope of calling God's house our home forever.

The beginning of this psalm is one of the most well-known verses in Scripture. Jesus cries it from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Perhaps this cry is so familiar because it is exactly what we feel when we're suffering. Psalm 22 points us to the suffering of Christ and reminds us that there is always suffering before glory; a cross before the crown. However, because the Man of Sorrows rose as the King of Glory, we are assured that God will also deliver the King's people.

This psalm celebrates God's strength given to and God's blessing poured out on His king. The result of a blessed king is a blessed people. We have experienced this in Jesus' kingship. The blessing of His rule and reign means we can find salvation, comfort and hope in Him. We are also warned that there is a day coming where all of King Jesus' enemies will be defeated. If we haven't closed with Jesus, we will be swallowed up in God's wrath. The only way we can be saved is if Jesus takes the wrath we deserve at the cross. If He is our Saviour and Lord, we too can sing and rejoice in God's power.

This psalm is written for a special occasion: a king set to go to war. The people pray that God would protect the king and the king prays that God would give him success in battle. We're reminded in this psalm that our deliverance is bound up in God's blessing of our King, the Lord Jesus. Thus, this psalm reminds us to rest in Jesus' victory and bring others before the throne of grace in their days of trouble.

The creation proclaims constantly, universally and wordlessly the glory of God, its Creator. We can see in the beautiful canvas of creation a glimpse of what its Artist - the true and living God - is like. What is even more extraordinary is that God has entered into His own painting to speak to us. It's through God's Word that we know even more of who God is; especially that He is a saving God. Jesus, the Word who became flesh, is God's ultimate, special, personal revelation of Himself. God's revelation in creation, His Word and in Jesus calls us to respond by valuing His revelation and listening to it. We also pray that God would reveal our hearts and that we would rest in Him as our Rock and Redeemer.

David reflects on God's hand in throughout the course of his life in this psalm. God has powerfully delivered him, kept his walk blameless and gave him strength over his enemies. This psalm is an account of our history, our life because Jesus is our King. He leads us in singing this psalm as our Deliverer, righteousness and strength.

With a culture that is becoming more and more anti-Christian, it's not hard to feel oppressed and vulnerable just opening the newspaper. Whether it's the culture or a personal circumstance, how do we pray to God when we're being mistreated? David teaches us to pray, 'Hear me! Hide me! Help me!' We take confidence in the fact that God hears us because He is just, He answers prayer and He is the saving God. We look to Him for refuge and protection, confident that He will never let us go. We also pray that God would help us to remember the end of the wicked and our own end: being satisfied when we see God face to face in glory.

If you knew that you may not have the opportunity to see someone again, what would you say to them? Paul finds himself in this position after spending three years with the church at Ephesus. In saying goodbye to the Ephesian elders, he urges them to remember three things: hold fast to the gospel, guard the gospel and live the gospel. (This sermon was delivered on the occasion of an MPC family moving interstate.)

The preacher finishes the book of Hebrews by reminding them of His central message: Jesus' priesthood means we have a complete salvation and a compassionate Saviour. We are called to respond to this message by showing the love of Christ in our relationships, submitting to the leaders the Good Shepherd has placed over His church and bearing the reproach that comes with being a follower of Jesus.

When we come to worship God, we come to a greater reality than our physical location. We come to Mount Zion. We worship in the presence of God through our Saviour Jesus Christ. Thus, knowing that we are in God's presence, we respond by listening to His Word, by being grateful for being part of an unshakeable kingdom and by offering offering acceptable worship.

Discipline is not a concept that we are always comfortable with, nor do we readily associate it as an activity that God does in our lives. Yet, God disciplines those whom He loves; those who belong to Him. Though it is painful, God disciplines us for the purpose of sharing in His holiness. It means that we can look at any affliction in our lives as coming from the hands of the loving Father who uses it to make us more like our older brother in the faith, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The preacher shows us that faith is courageous by pointing to the sacrifices and suffering of God's people in the Old Testament. All of them rested in God's promises regarding the future. This enabled them to persevere and endure in the present. This courageous faith is ultimately displayed in Jesus, the One who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. We are called to fix our eyes on Him, throwing off every sin and weight that would distract us from believing, receiving and resting in God's good promises.

Faith is often understood as a vibe that everything will turn out okay. However, the Bible defines faith as objective. It believes, receives and rests in Jesus. This faith has always been present in God's people - even in the Old Testament! Through their example, faith calls us to recognise that we are sojourners in this world and our home is God's city in heaven.

If the Christian life is marathon (not a sprint), how do we endure? The preacher of Hebrews warns us that to give up on Jesus puts us on the path of apostasy. Instead, we're urged to recall God's faithfulness in the past and draw confidence from the fact that the same God who enabled us to endure previously, can get us through presently. After looking back, we also look forward to Jesus' coming. Living in anticipation of our future eternal inheritance is how we hold fast to Jesus and preserve our souls.

In light of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and His priestly ministry on our behalf, we have been given new life. We draw near to God because we have been cleansed. We hold fast to our hope in Jesus because He is faithful. We consider how to stir one another up to love and good works in anticipation of Jesus' return.