What Do We Do With Insincere Christians?

Philippians 1:15-18

GBCCR 3/10/24

Introduction

Comments-

Great time at ShepCon this week

One highlight was sighting down talking to someone about the church & this person reaches over saying… where did you say you were and he is an elder at the Gayton’s previous church up in Truckee

A second is hearing the great preaching not just of big names… but one one many who brought to new light the story of Moses hitting the rock for us

John Piper saying if the lord wills we will do this or that waving his hand

This next week is my wife’s birthday and we had a trip planned to Fort Bragg for a few months so Chris Cordonai will be preaching next week

So please pray the Bogstad family is encouraged by our time together

But let’s Prayer

Lord, we pray for our service as we return that it would honor you and build us up

Catch- There is something devastating about a preacher’s life not matching up to their message

One of the most encouraging sermons I heard on this subject was from a man who eloquently preached John the baptists’ words “May he increase but I decrease.”

I was encouraged and convicted to say that if I prayed for people to be saved and they did, but at the church down to street

Will I rejoice, will be excited about good biblical teaching?

He convinced and encouraged me to rejoice as long as Jesus was proclaimed

Then it came out that this man was abusing a woman who was part of the seminary he taught at

He claimed to repent, but then as more information came out, I was clear he was lying

He stepped down from ministry and I pray he is repenting

But what do we do with that, when the message is so impactful but the person is a failure?

It can be tempting to throw it at as hypocritical

We can doubt the message because of the messenger

Or we can do what the bible says… test what they said against the bible, and rejoice over what they got right even while we condemn any sin

Review

Paul has turned to report on his life to his beloved friends, the Philippians.

But instead of getting into the details about his condition in prision, he speaks about the progress of the Gospel

(Because His life was the gospel)

He was persecuted and imprisoned because he upset people by his preaching

But last time we learned that Paul rejoiced in his suffering because it lead to gospel going forth

The people in Rome were encouraged by his ability to still preach

but not all who preached were happy with Paul

Paul had the same attitude though, he was joyful that the gospel went forth

So let’s see

3 ministry examples to encourage your service motivation

The Insincere Orthodox

Explanation

They’re family members

Look back at verse 14.. what are they called?

These are factions within the church, family members righting with one another

Their message is correct

Paul states they are preaching Christ

Paul speaks about his preaching using the same word:

Colossians 1:27–28- …. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

Thus they were orthodoxPreaching Christ means to preach the gospel, to say what Christ has done

Preaching Christ means to preach the gospel, to say what Christ has done for sinners like us and his call to teach everyone His commands

Paul had no problem condemning someone who was preaching heresy, preaching a different gospel that could not save.

preaching a different gospel that could not save.

Galatians 1:8–9 “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8–9)

They were not the Judahizers who taught legalism or the need for circumcision to be right with God

Flip to ch 3- he warns the Philippians

Using such harsh words in v2 -dogs, evildoers, those who mutilate the flesh

V18- Enemies of Christ, v19- Their end is destruction, their God is their belly

Anyone who tried to say following the Old Covenant law could make some right with God was not preaching the gospel..

They were getting Christ wrong, so they were false teachers

Yet, Paul makes no correction against what they are teachingwhich is scary

which is scary for us

You can be a bad servant and still have the right message…

Like an actor explaining technical information (Sci-fi, crime show, super hero movies)

*they can recite the lines, but have no understanding of what you’re saying

*so you can give all the right answer but have sinful heart motivating you

Trans: Paul focuses not on what they taught, but on why they said it.

Their mixed motives (15a)

Paul explains they are preaching because of envy and strife

Envy- pain felt at the sight of happiness

They want something Paul has and now is there chance to take it

We are not told here what they wanted,

But we do have Jesus’ negative example of the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:5–7- They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

perhaps they wanted Paul’s position of authority or his following… they wanted to be seen by others

In Scripture, envy is always considered a sin. Envy is tied to coveting, lusting after something that does not belong to you, resenting someone for hav-ing something you do not have or for being someone you are not

Strife= heated often violent fights

They just because they want to be superior.

Paul warned about this kind of strive that occurs when the focus is only me being right rather than building up others

Titus 3:9- But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

Verse 17 says they want to cause trouble in paul’s bonds

Perhaps the same way the teachers in Corinthians did

2 Corinthians 10:10- For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”

Gordon Fee writes in his commentary “perhaps with a kind of unsavory delight that enjoys kicking an opponent who is down, they now view Paul's imprisonment (evidence of God's judgment?) as their chance to preach Christ ‘correctly.’"

When these people serve, even as they do a good job, is it to do better than someone else..

Ie- Parents…. We all know the families that have their kids in sports to actually beat out other parents…

They help their kids, they push their kids… but its all for their own egos… and you see

In the church…why do we serve?

To compete and be noticed, to say you’re better than another?

No, we should not serve to be better

Trans: Let’s jump to verse 17 so we We see clearly who their animosity was aimed against because Paul tells us their goals:

Their selfish goal (17)

They proclaim out of selfish ambition

proclaim is a synonym for preaching (so same thing as v 15)

Self ambition comes from the from the greek word eritheúō meaning to work for hire

This is someone with a merecenary attitude as they have no real loyalty, but whoever is willing to pay

They have a personal battle with Paul and wish to take advantage of his imprisonment to win.

They do not have pure motives

They had mixed motives. They wanted to proclaim Christ, but they also wanted to attack Paul.

And lets recognize that this is a sinful way of thinking

The word sins means to miss a goal or be blameworthy

It was used when someone as aiming for a target and they miss the center goal by various degrees.

This does not minimize it, but recognizes that anything less than the perfect bull’s eye of God’s will is sin

But sin is so much more than knowing where the word came from.

Grudem defines sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. Sin is here defined in relation to God and his moral law. Sin includes not only individual acts such as stealing or lying or committing murder, but also attitudes that are contrary to the attitudes God requires of us.[i]

But “The fundamental sin, according to Paul, is not the failure to keep God’s law – as serious as such infractions are. The root sin is the failure to praise and worship and thank God, to glorify him as God (rom 1.21).[ii]

And this is sin

Philippians 2:3–6- Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

This selfish ambition may appear wise because it gets things done, it motivates people

James 3:15–16- This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

But as the wisdom that comes from below, it is against Christ

Often people who are serving and leading with wrong attitudes do not go around saying that’s what they’re doing

As if walking in a dark cave, they assume their eyes can well on all their own until danger strikes

Paul David Tripp, the counselor and speaker says;

“Sin plays havoc with our spiritual vision. Although we are able to see the sin of others with specificity and clarity, we tend to be blind to our own. And the most dangerous aspect of this already dangerous condition is that spiritually blind people tend to be blind to their blindness.”

Friends, you too can hide those very motives…

You know how they are often revealed?

-When you don’t get something you want.’

The trials of not being praised for our hard work… or the praise going to someone else

My own sinful heart responds so negatively when I don’t get the response I think I deserve… which shows I need a heart check.

Illustration point- We must learn you can be a Insincere Orthodox

We know there is danger in a lack of purity

For example, if you drink water from a river, you may get Giardia and other water-borne disease organism

AND those will make you horribly sick

But you can add iodine tablets to make sure the water is clean, but that can lead to a different problem

The water tastes horrible and so, here I was on a hike down to half dome in Yosemite and while I sipped the water, I did not drink enough

The water was great, but I didn’t drink deeply from it because of the impurities

You can hurt orthodoxy with insincereity

Application

they were proclaiming Christ, the gospel was going forward and people were being saved.

Remember, People with bad motives can be used by God in spite of themselves.

-God used the prophet Jonah to save Ninevah who wanted nothing to do with them

-God can money grabbing televanelgist to save someoneor Close to home

or Close to home God can use a person you don’t like to grow you

God can use a person you don’t like to grow you

Some of us need to relax when someone is explaining the truth but in a way that is not exactly our way

Are they using different words? Is there dress not the way I think it should be?

Perhaps in my day a believer never got a tattoo, but this person has them and we need to rejoice over the truth they’re proclaims

But, brothers and sisters… we must compare our motives with this example.

If you see yourself in their impure picture then the solution must be to repent! Ask God’s forgiveness for these attitudes

Ask God’s forgiveness for these attitudesA focus on Christ will bless you far more!

A focus on Christ will bless you far more!

The Antidotes to selfishness is God’s word

Psalm 119:36- Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain.

WE must focus on saying hat this bible says

But that is the bad example that God can use... how about the good example?

The Invested Observers

Their message

If you look in your bibleNotice the “some” is in grammatical parallel with “

Notice the “some” is in grammatical parallel with “others”…what are they doing? Preaching Christ

In verse 16 if you have the NASB you will see a italic “Do it”. Italics mean its not there in the original. The verb is made clear in verse 15

This is the same message, the same Jesus proclaimed

But what is different is

Their motives (15b)

Good will

It means seeking benevolence, or a gift.

They knew their brother Paul was in prison and thus not able to reach the places they could.

-he could not be in the street

-in their homes

-at their schools

-with their neighbors

-even in their churches

So they took up the slack

This was a great joy and hope to see them continuing*there is nothing quite so discouraging as a pastor as his departure means all he started dies.

*there is nothing quite so discouraging as a pastor as his departure means all he started dies.*our goal is to see you depend on Christ, not

*our goal is to see you depend on Christ, not us

So who are you focused on when you do ministry?

A servant of good will seeks to see others blessed and doesn’t seek anything in return.

Like Paul, your pastors and elders are limited.

-We are not in chains, but we can’t be everywhere.

-Do you take up the charge for gospel preaching and take it to your street, neighbors, homes, schools?

Trans: What caused these well-minded servants to act?

Their goals (16) were two fold

Love

Agape love. Unconditional love that cares only for another.

They cared not only for his welfare, probably supplying money for his careThey also wanted his ministry to succeed.

They also wanted his ministry to succeed. So they stepped up

Knowing the truth

They knew that Paul was in prison not because he ignored the gospel message, but instead because he was faithful to it.-not weakness, but his strength to hold to it no matter what.

-not weakness, but his strength to hold to it no matter what.

Appointed is a passive word meaning to be issued orders.

As we have talked about and will again…suffering does not mean God is punishing you.

God actually assigned Paul this task in his providence

Illustration point- Invested observers support those doing the work of the minsitry

I recently watched a show that gave Story of Miep Gies, Who Hid Anne Frank From the Nazis in Amesterdam

Soon after the SS arrested Anne Frank on August 4, 1944, Miep Gies—one of the helpers who'd hidden the young girl from the Nazis for the past two years—snuck back into her room to see what had been left behind

Retrieving Anne’s checkered diary, notebooks and loose handwritten papers, Gies tucked the trove in the bottom drawer of her desk, pledging to “keep everything safely for Anne until she came back,”.

Most of you have no idea who she is, but she didn’t care saying

“I don’t like being called a hero because no one should ever think you have to be special to help others. Even an ordinary secretary or a housewife or a teenager can turn on a small light in a dark room.”

Invested observers don’t just sit back,t hey want to join in

Application

Right ministry should include having the right motives, so do you serve because you love?

Want to compete over something?Rom 12:10- “Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Rom 12:10- “Outdo one another in showing honor.” “God commands a holy competition in showing honor to others.” –CJ Mahaney, Biblical productivity

“God commands a holy competition in showing honor to others.” –CJ Mahaney, Biblical productivity

Part of that love is taking care of something when you see others can’t get it done.

So we should ask

Are you even aware of others trying to serve around you?

Will your ministry be an encouragement to other who need your help?

The last example we see is that of Paul.

The Imprisoned Optimist (18)

Explanation

His message

Imagine being Paul

Locked away for 2 years because of your belief in the only way to heaven being through Jesus Christ

Cannot be with your beloved friends

Some people in your local church are attacking you.

They don’t like you and your message.

I would feel depressed, I would question whether I had made the right choice to go to Jerusalem

His goals:

But Paul’s response is “so what” or “what does it matter?”

1 Corinthians 4:2–5- In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. *It didn’t matter what others thought of it, whether they were for him or against*What mattered was Lord would disclose the true judgment.

*What mattered was Lord would disclose the true judgment.

Yes, some people loved him, some people hated himBoth were Christians…both went to this church

Both were Christians…both went to this churchBut that didn’t matter to Paul.

But that didn’t matter to Paul.

Christ is proclaimed

The only thing that mattered was that Christ was proclaimed.

Notice that it is the real Christ

Pretense= a ploy, a mask…truth is pure

Again, Paul doesn’t create joy. He sees Christ is proclaimed, which causes him to rejoice.

Illustration point- We are to rejoice over Christ being truly proclaimed

Those of you who watched the supper bowl may have heard about the tale of two ads

This is. A multimillion dollar Super Bowl ad put together by the He Gets Us campaign, and a response video released on YouTube

Both ads use the same basic structure—a series of images, a background song about a collision of persons, concluding with a clear message (“Jesus Didn’t Teach Hate. He Washed Feet. He Gets Us. All of Us.”

The tag line indicated “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet.”

Vs “Jesus Doesn’t Just Get Us. He Saves Us. He Transforms/Cleanses/Restores/Forgives/Heals/Delivers/Redeems/Loves Us. Such Were Some of You.”).

These two commercials while both talking about Jesus given a different Jesus

The “He Saves Us” ad accents the need to leave your sinful way of life, from paganism to racial hatred, from terrorism to pornography, from drug addict to drag queen.

The “He Gets Us” ad instead validates certain types of left-coded sinners, while casting aspersions on conservative Christians (such as pro-life sidewalk counselors)

We should get excited when the jesus proclaimed is real

Application

First we must get Jesus right

To your kids, to your neighbors, to yourself

Jesus is not our creation, but our creator

But secondly

We must never be jealous of whoever the front runner is, Instead rejoice that ministry is being done… *Paul did not care who was getting the credit, as long as Christ was proclaimed

*Paul did not care who was getting the credit, as long as Christ was proclaimed

Paul took a back seat ministry at this point…are you willing to be out of the spotlight when maybe even someone else who shouldn’t have it does?Even within your family? Do you care more about the job getting done than the recognition?

Even within your family? Do you care more about the job getting done than the recognition?

How do I do this?

The only way is having a goal that is bigger than yourself. If your life is about God being praised that you will see all help in ministry to your church, your family, your city as a success.

Even other churches being used by God

Put the gospel growth of believers and the gospel knowledge of unbelievers as your highest priority.

Therefore

Since we have seen (Cohesion)-

We hold up these 3 examples and ask, which do I look like?

Am I the insincere Orthodox… right theology but wrong motives?

Or am I like the Invested observers who seek to support other’s works in the gospel where they cannot be

And am I like the imprisoned optimist Paul, who had the gospel had his first and foremost?

We know we must (Resolution)-

That truth from an insincere preacher was so important, even if he was speaking from hypocrisy

Someone can tell you how beautiful Lake Tahoe is, even if they’re lying that they’ve never been there yourself… but the truth is Lake Tahoe is beautiful, so if you go there, you will see it yourself

be like John the Baptist saying, He must increase… I must decrease. no matter what people say of you, your work, or our church… may we have the cry, If Jesus is glorified… Then I am content.

no matter what people say of you, your work, or our church… may we have the cry, If Jesus is glorified… Then I am content.

Closing prayer

Oh Lord, may we have clear and sonstient motivfes