1. The Epistle To The Philippians
Until The Day Of Christ Jesus

2. What Should We Do Until Then?
Jesus is coming back!
What should we do as we wait?

3. Ramona The Pest Miss Binney tells Ramona, “Sit here for the present.”
Ramona thinks, “present”. But Miss Binney meant, “for now”.
We understand the difference. At present we’re waiting for the present: Eternity with God!
So what do we do for now?

4. Paul’s Encouragement To Philippi
Philippians one of most encouraging and loving letters written by Paul.
Sent while he was under house arrest in Rome.
Philippi was a young church – about five years young.
Message: Keep on keeping on!

5. Two Points For Today
Both answer the question: What do we do until Jesus comes?
First: We pray for God to perfect our work
Second: We remain pure and blameless as we wait

6. I. Pray For God To Perfect Our Work
Philippians 1:3-5 – “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.”
Paul offers prayers of thanksgiving for them!
His prayers are joyfully offered
His joy is based on their ready participation in the gospel.
How does our congregation compare?
Is there room for improvement?

7. Paul’s Great Confidence
Verse 6: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Yes, they were doing well
Yes, they could continue to grow, mature, and be perfected.
As they wait for Jesus.

8. Are We Looking To Be Perfected?
Phil. 2:13 – “…for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Do we recognize that God is at work in us?
Do we intend to WILL and to WORK for HIS good pleasure?

9. Worthy Of Our Calling
Colossians 1:10 – “…so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God….”
2 Thes. 1:11 – “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power….”

10. II. Remain Pure And Blameless
Verses “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ….”
Paul prays for their love to abound
Paul prays for their love to abound in real knowledge and discernment

11. Praying For Excellence
Do we pray for God to make us excellent?
We should greatly desire to be filled with the fruit of righteousness!
Galatians 5:22-24 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Notice the crucifying the flesh thing? That’s real!

12. Fruitful and Righteous As We Wait
Hebrews 12:11 – “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
Waiting my be difficult, but it gives us opportunity to be fruitful for the Lord.

13. Be Clearly A Christian
Don’t contribute to the confusion of living as a hypocritical Christian.
Endeavor to live every day to be ready when Christ appears.
Pray, grow, live for Christ while we wait for Him to return.