A Lot of Questions
Notes
Transcript
A Lot of Questions
A Lot of Questions
Intro
Let’s get into it. This message is called...
A lot of questions.
And it’s called that because, tonight you are going to be asking yourself a lot of self evaluating questions. Questions that demand an answer, questions that will help you see your life more clearly…questions that will give you clarity on where your walk is with Christ right now.
And these questions, are a response to Paul’s prayer and thanksgiving found at the beginning of Philippians. So let’s turn to that, Philippians chapter 1.
As you’re turning there, let me remind you of a few things we covered last week.
Paul, with Timothy, is writing to a church that he helped plant. He’s writing from some form of imprisonment, and he’s writing to not only encourage and love on the Philippians, but to also give them some peace as they contemplate Paul being in prison.
Last week we covered all this in the context found in verses 1 and 2, and now we are starting in verse 3 of chapter 1. So, let’s read it…I read, you follow along.
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
So, I told you…message is called a lot of questions. And to help you better engage with this…I want to help you categorize in your mind what I’m going to be asking. This will hopefully be extremely helpful for those of you taking notes.
Tonight we are going to have 2 main questions. And under each one of those, we will have some sub-questions that will help answer the big one. Make sense?
So, let’s get to the first main question of the night.
I think, this text demands that we answer the question…as we evaluate our lives...
Am I partnerning in the gospel? (v.3-7)
I get the word “partner” from Paul’s use of it in verse 5. And his use of the word partaker in verse 7. Because these words are actually synonyms, they are super similar…and they essentially mean “one who shares in”. So what I’m asking tonight is…are you truly someone who shares in the gospel.
Are you authentic?
Do you have the real thing?
Or do you just look like it?
And there three types of people who should be concerned with this first question…and the first is.
If you are a person who doesn’t know Christ. Doesn’t call him Lord, hasn’t given their life to him as the one who paid the price for your sin.
If you’re that type of person…then yes, you should be concerned, because you’re not a partner in the gospel. You don’t belong to it…and it doesn’t belong in you…yet.
You don’t get to experience the amazing joys of salvation and freedom, the life that is to be had abundantly with Christ. You don’t get to be called a child of God, you don’t get to have your name written in the book of life...You don’t get to experience the joy of worship, fellowship, sanctification, and so much more. You don’t get to understand your purpose in life, to enjoy God and glorify him.
You don’t.
If you’re that type of person…you should be concerned…because you’re not a partner in the gospel…and because of that, you should be concerned for your very soul lies in the balance. And if that’s you…let’s talk after this message. Here what I have to say tonight…and come talk to me afterwards and let’s change your life. Let’s let Christ change your life.
So that’s the first type of person that should be concerned…but the second person who should be concerned at that question…is the faker. The poser. The one who talks the talk but doesn’t…walk the walk.
The one who wears the title Christian, claims Christ, walks in a church building on a consistent or semi-consistent basis…and yet isn’t truly a partner in the gospel.
Isn’t truly partaking in all that the gospel gives and provides.
Doesn’t participate in all the gospel calls us to do.
Hasn’t let the gospel saturate their lives...
In a room full of people who are all drinking coca-cola…you have diet coke. Yeah sure…the flavor gets close to the real thing…it bears a similar name, comes in a similar can, you hold it just right maybe no one will even notice that it’s not the real deal...
You’re holding it because you want as much of the flavor of the real thing as you can get....without paying the cost of consuming those calories.
You claim the gospel and Christianity because you like what it looks like in your life…what it opens up for you…how it makes you look and even how fuzzy it can make you feel...
Really…you’re just wanting to get as close to the gospel without paying the cost of the gospel.
If that’s you…it’s time to come clean. It’s time to throw the diet coke in the trash and reach for the real thing. It’s time to see what this is all about, who God is…what he did for you. If that’s you…come see me afterwards, let’s talk.
That’s the second type of person in the room…and then there’s the third person…and this is where many of you fall. Because the minute I started questioning if you are truly a partner…you started questioning if you are truly a partner in the gospel. And you’re doing this because you instantly began thinking of the sins that you’ve commited this week…the ways you haven’t loved Christ or shown him glory...
And I get that…and that conviction is good…never lose that. But on the flip-side, for those of you that fall into that category...I want to give you some assurance. And if you’re that fourth and rare person…that’s doing good with all this and just happy to be loving Jesus and happy to be here…then these points are a great test for you to stay committed…but for most of us, here’s the questions we can ask to help give us some guidance and assurance.
Do I inspire joy? (v.3-5)
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
Do you see what Paul is saying? Their partnership in the gospel…has caused Joy in him. And so I think a great question to ask ourselves when evaluating if we are truly partners in the gospel…is do I inspire Joy in others?
First, do I inspire joy in those who have discipled me? Just like the Philippians inspired joy in Paul, who discipled them.
Whether it’s your parents, or a pastor, or an older sibling, or c group leader, or me, or someone else....if you’re looking to evaluate if you are truly partaking in the gospel…feel no shame in asking if your life with Christ inspires joy in those who have discipled you.
But don’t let it just stop there…have a deep conversation with those around you. ESPECIALLY if they are in your C-Group, or someone you’re in deep fellowship with often…ask them…do I bring you joy when we meet. Do I inspire joy for Christ in your life? Does my life reflect Christ enough that it causes you more joy with Christ?
Guys, these are the types of questions we need to be asking ourselves and others. These are the questions that should be prominent in C-Groups and deep conversations. These are the things that build up.
So not only can you ask do I inspire joy as a means of evaluation…you can also ask
Do I persevere? (v.6)
I take this from verse 6.
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
This interpretation is simple. If Christ has began a good work in you, meaning…if the gospel has been implanted in you and you are partnering in it…then that good work will be brought to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
That is guaranteed. All those in Christ will be glorified alongside Christ. It’s so certain, that Paul talks about it in the past tense in Romans 8…listen to this.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
All of us know that we haven’t been glorified with Christ yet…and if you’re with us on Sundays you’ll know that Revelation reveals that that will come someday…but it’s so certain, so sure, that Paul can speak of it like it’s already happened.
It’s so certain, and so sure, that you can use this question as a means for evaluation of your partnership in the gospel…am I persevering?
Meaning, when sin comes my way, when troubles and worries come my way, do I turn away from them and to Christ? Do I see him overcoming the sins in my life, the struggles of this world?
Do I see him overcome my doubts? Have I seen the times in my life that he has allowed me to persevere…giving me confidence that I’m heading towards being glorifed?
We can most certainly ask…Do I persevere? as a means of looking at our life with Christ. And our last one in this main question...
Do I share the workload? (v.7)
7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Not only does Paul say they are partakers of grace, meaning they have received the gospel and are alongside Paul in that…but he also says they are partakers in his imprisonment…and partakers in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
So not only are they partakers because they believe…they are partakers because they share the workload of doing gospel work and they share the burden of gospel laid upon their brother in Christ, Paul.
So, let me ask…do you do that?
The gospel requires work. Preaching the gospel, ministering in the name of Jesus, serving his bride which is the church…it all takes time, energy, and effort.
Do you give time, energy, and effort to share the workload of the gospel? Do you serve in church? or in this ministry?
Do you serve others?
Do you authentically share another’s burdens. Like our missionaries that have been sent out…do you actively share their burdens in praying with and for them? Or do you share their burden financially?
Or the professors that are at your school that are actually believers…do you share the work with them of getting the gospel on campus and reaching students?
Or the same in the workplace? Do you share the burden with other co-workers who are trying to evangelize and reveal Jesus to others?
What about those who are struggling and need counsel? Do you share the workload of making sure they being ministered to through the gospel?
Guys…there are so many facets I could cover in this…this is literally a message in itself...
Whatever may come to mind as an answer…make sure you’re asking the question…do I share the workload of the gospel with other believers in my life? Whether it’s serving, evangelizing, praying…whatever it may be.
So that’s our first major question…am I truly partnering in the gospel.
Let’s see the second major question of application in these verses...
Am I truly growing in the gospel? (v.8-11)
Look at verse 8 and 9 with me.
8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,
So what we see here is Paul talking about yearning for them with the affection of Christ, and then he uses that as a connection to say AND it is my prayer that YOUR love may abound more and more…but he doesn’t just leave a vague definition of love out there…he doesn’t just say love and let the Philippians fill in the blank with what that looks like…no he puts some definitions and guardrails to it.
He says that his prayer is that their love would about more and more, with knowledge…and with discernment. If this is Paul’s desire to sincere believers in Christ, then it is certainly okay for us to desire this as sincere believers in Christ and so our first subquestion needs to be...
Does my love increase as my knowledge increases? (v.9)
So Paul gives two ways that he desires for their love to grow. But pay careful attention to the wording here in teh passage. His prayer is that their love would abound, with knowledge. Meaning, that as knowledge abounds…love would abound. And vice versa.
Knowledge here, means knowledge of who God is, what God desires, and his very nature. It’s not just facts, but it’s understanding of God. And Paul believed and preached, that having just knowledge without love was not a good thing. This is what he says in Corinthians..
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.
Paul has a belief that having just knowledge leads to a big head, arrogance, pride…even if that knowledge is of the things of God. Without love, it just puffs up rather than builds up.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
And what kind of love is this? Well scripture is quite clear of the love that we are called to have.
We are to love the Lord our God…and love others as ourselves. The love we must have is a love for God, and an unconditional love for others.
So what this is saying…is that you can be the greatest theologian you know…you can walk people through the nuances of creationism…you can have deeply studied covenant theology…you could be the best read calvinist…or be the most knowledgable premillennialist in the world…but if that knowledge that you have gained through reading the word and sitting under wise teaching does not lead you to have a greater love for others…it’s useless.
So if you’re wanting to discern if you’ve truly grown in gospel…then you need to discern if all the things you have learned since knowing Christ, all the messages you’ve sat under, all the times you’ve learned more about God…have those things…has that knowledge…led you to love God more? Has it led you to love others more? Or has it just filled your head with knowledge and your heart with pride of knowing more and learning more.
Because having knowledge without love, is like having a kite without wind. It’s like owning a surf board while living in Kansas. There’s no point…it’s useless.
And the same goes not only for knowledge, but for discernment. That’s the next question..
Does my love increase as my discernment increases? (v.9)
This is also from verse 9 and it goes hand in hand. You should be thinking of the exact same principle, except instead of just thinking about knowledge…we are talking about discernment, which is judging things....acting wisely.
What this is saying…is that as your ability to discern good from evil grows, so should your love for God and others grow. As your ability to make the right decision over the wrong decision grows, so should your love for God and others.
To cut to it… having the wisdom to act in Godly ways…without love…is just morality…and it’s useless. It might make you feel good, it might make you look good…but at the end of the day…making a lot of moral and good decisions apart from the love of God gets you nowhere.
And if you want a great example…look no further than politics.
I’m not going to get into parties or anything…honestly, I’m gonna let you fill the blanks...but I do want to say this. Politics is a great place to see this balance play out…because you’ll get some politicians that have a lot of love for people…an amazing love for people…but lack the discernment and wisdom to know what is truly good for those people. They lack the discernment to act according to God’s will and what he values and desires.
They have a lot of love and not much discernment. But on the flip side, there are many politicians that have great discernment on what may be good for our nation, or what may be God-honoring even…but they lack a sincere love for God…and a sincere love for people....and so we just end up with a bunch of politicians trying to pass laws based on morality rather than Godliness.
Guys…we don’t want to be like either one of those types of politicians. And this is is why it’s extremely hard for God-fearing christians to vote...
Am I motivated by Christ’s return? (v.10)
Am I motivated for Christ’s glory? (v.11)