Jesus Christ: All We Need. Our Strength

Introduction

As pastor Adam opened up our Christmas series last week talking about our new identity in Christ. We will see a theme open up as we consider that Christ really does provide for us all that we need to make a life that honors and extols the glory of God. As I was thinking on Christmas this year, I remember the thought crossing my mind that there are some people in our lives that are impossible to really purchase anything for.

Sometimes they have everything. Sometimes they have the resources to buy whatever they could possibly want so getting them a thing is a waste of time. Sometimes they just don’t really want anything. They are people who are very happy with what they have. No matter the case, it puts us in a sort of stalemate. One solution I have found, and this is free from me to you all, is to give yourself. Something that you’d enjoy together, some memory in a frame, a token of a special hunt, or a handmade sausage you smoked that represents hours of care. I don’t know what your version of sausage is but I can’t do everything for you. Figure it out and give yourself to people.

Tension

This struck a chord with me this year as I considered a reality that I couldn’t shake. As followers of Christ we really do have everything we need. Its been provided and paid for by the life, blood, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, on our behalf. We are the ones who have everything we need because of Jesus. Adam discussed our identity and I want, today, to make the case for you all that, in Christ, we have been given the strength to carry on, not as weak and timid people ruled by fear, but as Strong and bold followers who can weather any storm because Jesus is in the boat with us.

Truth

Philippians 4:10–13 (ESV)

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Pray.

Now, I had told Adam I was preaching this passage and he rolled his eyes at me like an annoyed teenage girl. Part of the reason why is because this passage has become one of the widest used and abused passages in Christendom today. It adorns logos, t-shirts, and athletic gear throughout our country as a sort of nod to doing one more rep of squats, or hitting our goals in weight loss. Its become a sort of bumper-sticker Christian response to so many situations. Adam’s eyes were followed by “well are you going to at least preach what it actually means then?” To Adam’s credit, yes, yes I am.

You see, we need to really allow this passage to settle back into it’s context and it’s home so that we can really see what it means to “do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Step one in this process is the realize that Philippians is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the budding church in the city of Philippi. As is still the case in our world, hand-written letters came with an occasion. If you got one today you’d be struck by the novelty of it because no one does that anymore. In their time you’d be struck by the expense of it. Not everyone could read or write and even fewer could afford inks, parchments, and the money to hire someone to deliver correspondence. So if you got a letter from someone you knew two things: it was expensive and it was important or they never would have paid to have it sent.

The occasion was to impart to the church that he originally started on his Second Missionary Journey, the importance and impact on living out the Christian life. That message is one that feels very hard and almost impossible to teach on when you consider the circumstances that it came out of. As Paul pens this, he is in prison in Rome. the Philippian believer's had heard about it and sent Epaphroditus, who well may have been their pastor at the time, to minister to Paul in prison. These prisons, we must remember, weren’t 3 square meals and an hour for recreation. They were places where people died of starvation, lack of medical care, and no winter clothing. If you’re family didn’t pay for your care, food, or clothing, you got nothing. In 4:18 Paul states that they sent Him with a gift so that he would be well cared for in his confinement. This trip almost cost Epaphroditus his life as we are told in 2:27 that he almost died from an illness he contracted while in Rome. After he recovered, he delivered the letter of thankfulness to the church on behalf of Paul. That context, that struggle, those issues give us the backdrop for the book of Philippians and the real crux of how you and I can find our real strength in the Lord.

Exposition

We have strength in Unity. vs 1-3

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Euodia (you-dia) and Syntyche (sin-tike) were fighting over something which is ironic considering Euodia means “prosperous journey” and Syntyche means “pleasant acquaintance.” Their fight and the dissension it was bringing to the church body had made itself known, all the way to Paul in Rome. It helps clarify Paul's pleas for unity in

Philippians 2:1–4 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Did you know that part of God’s plan to strengthen you and build you up into the man or woman he has created you to be and thrive as is found in the unity you have with others in the church? Said another way, Part of God’s plan for your strength is that you would live in unity found in community. Jesus didn’t send the disciples out one by one but two by two. He paled around with 12 of them. Paul grabbed people and brought them with him on his missionary journeys and he is constantly beating the drum of being unified in Christ.

Mike and I were discussing the other day that as you get older you realize that real lasting friendships are hard to collect, easy to loose, and real work to maintain. And I want to use that word “work” on purpose. It takes effort, it takes grace, it takes forgiveness, and it takes work.

Friends, we give up on each other way too easy nowadays. “Well, forget him. I don’t have to put up with that. If they want to be that way then fine.” These attitudes of “i’ll take my ball and go home then” disappear when we realize that Jesus meant for us to come together. Not to mention, that about 1/2 of our arguments and disagreements form out of a misunderstanding to begin with. I get a lot of use out of my 4 fingers all the time describing this:

What you said. “What were you thinking for dinner?”

What you think you said. “I was hoping we could get Mexican tonight.”

What they heard you said. “Why isn’t dinner done yet?”

What they think they heard you say. “Why can’t you ever live up to how good my mother was?”

If its that easy to miscommunicate inside of a marriage that is founded on Christ, founded on forgiveness and grace, and founded on love, how much more is it easy to get backwards with our brothers and sisters that don’t live in our houses. We must value and hold tightly the unity we have as brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s for our good and for our strength and In Christ, that unity is possible.

His strength drives out anxiety and gives us peace. vs 4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Anxiety seems to be the great unifier in our day. We are scared about everything today. Kids can’t trust their Halloween candy, teens can’t deal with taking a phone call instead of a text message, 20’s are paralyzed by student loans they signed up for, 30’s are told they shouldn’t have kids for the environment, 40’s are told they waited too long to have kids, 50’s are glued to the news and their candidates, 60’s spend their time worried if they will ever be able to retire, 70’s are afraid the country will explode in the next 5 years, and 80’s are just hoping Jesus will come back before it all comes crashing down.

We are all scared of something. We all have our various masks our individual boogeymen wear but we are all believing lies that we’ve been told because we hear them all day, everyday, on repeat. Social, television, the radio, podcasts, news, its all spinning the same things and we stop seeing opportunities and see only threats. We stop seeing people as our neighbors and more as liabilities. We stop seeing blessings and instead see all the things we still don’t have. We judge our daily lives by someone elses highlight reels and it’s killing our joy and choking our our peace. Brothers and sisters, we need to turn it all off and come back to the truth. Paul details the way back here for us.

Rejoice

Be known for reasonableness.

Give up anxiousness by replacing it with prayer. Instead of fearing what the future will hold come to God with thanksgiving, asking him for wisdom and how to act. Bring all those fears, those anxieties, those insecurities, those struggles, pack them all up and make them known to your God.

Watch what happens when we do this.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If you’re job is going no where, quit feeling sorry for yourself, look for another one. If your marriage is going south, don’t sit around waiting for it to get better, go on a date and stop being a jerk. If you don’t like the office or the leader, quit taking to Facebook to tell the 5 people that still read your content, vote for a change or better yet, run and be the kind of person worth voting for. If we want to be a people that aren’t steamrolled by anxiety and its cousins we can’t just sit around complaining that we are anxious all the the time expecting it to fix anything. We have to start focusing on rejoicing again. We need to come back to reason and what we know to be true, not just what we feel like in the moment. We have to pray again and I mean with white knuckles and fervent hearts. God needs his people to reawaken to prayer again. If we will do this God will open the heavens and rain down peace that we can’t even understand. Anxiety will wash away in the flood of hope and trust that you can actually trust in.

You see, in Christ, our hearts, minds, and spirits are given strength and peace.

He gives us strength to walk in Holiness. vs 8-9

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

There were days, and still will be, when you can’t seem to get out of neutral. When living for the Lord seems all but impossible because right now its taking all you’ve got simply to get up and get going in a direction that isn’t straight up self-sabatage. Would it be helpful to know that walking in a holy and pleasing manner is so hard because its not within your nature? Like, it literally goes against how you are wired.

think about it this way: let’s just take the topics considered in this passage.

Whatever is true: how many stories get clicks completely because of how obsurd they must be. In fact, in recent years news organizations have found out that if they run a completely bogus story for a couple weeks, they can generate enough revenue and traffic off of the story, that on week 3, when they’ve run a retraction, clarifying their facts, the amount of money they have to pay out for labial and slander is less than they made!

Whatever is honorable: As a nation we have platformed some of the most dishonorable things and people availible. We call them celebrities, influencers, idols, and stars. However, most of them got to those stages by doing things that turn over the stomach of the almighty who made them for more.

Justice: please

Purity? I’m not sure we even know the meaning of the word anymore.

Lovely: well that can be as subjective as the person who is veiwing it, at least in the world we live in.

Commendable: well we might just as well change that word to popular. The most amount of people cheering you in any direction.

Excellence: well that could be seen as you lording over others your accomplishments so don’t do that and don’t pursue excellence in anything, just try to fit in a become apart of your peer group.

Worthy of praise? Whose praise?

My point is simple: ALL THE DECK IS STACKED AGAINST YOU. Your world cares only for itself. Your leaders and influencers care only for what is popular. And, most destructively of all, your very nature is aligned with them. However, as Paul alludes too, that was before you were rescued from that nature. You’re eyes have been opened and your heart has been set free.

As Pastor Adam showed us last week, Romans 8:3-5

Romans 8:3–5 (ESV)

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Because Jesus has awakened your Spirit, brought you from spiritual death to life, and given you a new awareness of your sin nature and a desire for holiness, you can now live, walk, and pursue it. You were once a slave that sin anture but the chains have been busted off. You don’t have to stay in that prison any longer. You are freed from it. Now, given insight, given desire, and given the strength of Christ himself, you have been strengthened to walk in holiness ( a power you never had before). You are right when you say to yourself that you can’t do this. You just forgot to finish the sentance. “I can’t do this ALONE.” He guides us to what is true and honorable. He shows us justice by tying them to his nature of grace and mercy. He showed us first hand how to walk in purity and holiness through Christ’s life. Lovely are the feet of those who carry his gospel truth to the world. Commendable are the things that draw us closer to his presence and anything that does not is at best, a waste of time and at worst a cancer to be eradicated with prejudice. We pursue excellence in what we do because ultimately we are working not for a boss or a paycheck but for Him. We honor him with the work of our hands and the sweat of our brow. And we ultimately live our lives knowing that we are performing for the praise of only one. For the glory of only him. For the praise of him that comes as “well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Because of him, we have the strength to walk in holiness.

In light of his strength, our circumstances are nothing. vs 10-13

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

The context of Paul’s famous line is not an acceptance speech, the dull roar of a gym or weight room. It’s a genuine and honest confession to the church that the real strength in his life is found solely in his Christ. He was in jail and instead of lamenting, he remembered where his real strength comes from. Because of that, He and we, can take great comfort in knowing that our circumstance don’t dictate to us who we are. The mob of woke approvals or socially acceptable or popular viewpoints don’t have any real power. I don’t care how out of fashion it becomes to stand on the word of God. What prison sentence comes with it. What the costs are I will pay them because I know that in Christ i am made strong. Through him I can know and pursue holiness. In him and him alone are the word of life held out for my dry and weary soul. The secret of dealing with circumstance of plenty, hunger, abundance, or need are realizing that he, Jesus Christ, is all we really need. He is our identity, our Strength, our Salvation, and our Purpose.

Landing

This year, for Christmas, I want you to take stock of how well you’ve allowed that truth to wash over who you are and how you see yourself. Do you squabble and faint at the slightest inconvenience? Would you hold us as well as Paul if you were imprisoned for your faith? Would you be able to say, with him, that come what may, you know where your hope and your strength lie?

If not, might I ask you again friend, to turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face until the things of Earth grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.