Phil 1:27-2:4 - Worthy of the Gospel

Have you ever had “buyers remorse”? Buyers remorse is often connected to feeling as if you paid more than you should, or more than an item is worth. It rarely is connected with a feeling as if I deserve this item.

On the other hand, Have you ever felt like you scored a bargain? Either you believe you found something rare, that is difficult to obtain. Which brings back memories of rationing of toilet paper during Covid or the rush on Cabbage Patch dolls in 1978.

We have three auctioneers in our congregation, two of them call auctions as a career. Both have told me that prices vary from week to week and it is nearly impossible to predict how people will value items on any given week.

The game of auction and resale can be found in real estate as property gets flipped. Vehicles that look like a bucket of rust can be valued by a collector at 6 or 7 figures. A & E produced a TV show soley about bidders of abandoned storage units. And American Pickers got as close as Marion when they did an episode on the collections of the father of one of our members.

What do buyers remorse or bargain hunting have to do with today’s text? They both are connected to arbitrary value (or worth) assigned to items. The worth of the item has NOTHING to do with entitlement or worth of the buyer.

If I were to produce a balance scale that had your behavior on one side and Jesus’ Gospel of Eternal Life in the other, Is there anyone who would dare to think that their behavior is of equal or greater worth than the gift of salvation?

Yet that is the picture that many paint in their mind when they read the first phrase of today’s text. It is similar to the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan, where Ryan asks his family, “Am I a good man?” because a Sergeant had told him decades earlier to “earn it”

TRANSITION: If we can never be good enough to earn, deserve, ore merit salvation, then how can we possible have a manner of life that is worthy of the Gospel”?

Conduct that is Worthy of the Gospel (Philippians 1:27-30)

I believe we make a mistake when we presume that our conduct could ever be worth as much as Salvation, but the worth of salvation needs to impact the manner of life that we live. The point is not what my behavior is worth, the value is placing true worth upon the Gospel.

In other words, I don’t improve A so that I am worthy of B, but because B is so valuable I will change the way I A.

“Let Your” uses the language of a citizen in a free state.[1] There is no forced requirement, but you have a choice to make. These 2 paragraphs are not about what we do to obtain the valuable Gospel, but our response to the worth of the Gospel.

As we enter a week focused upon all our gratitude, I would like each of us to consider if our lifestyle reflects giving thanks for the true value of the Gospel that is available to all of us, and has been received by faith and repentance by the great majority of us.

TRANSITION: Paul starts by saying that the one who truly believes the Gospel is of great worth will…

Standing Firm in one spirit. (Philippians 1:27b)

How important is it to be firm in unity?

David Garland argues in one excellent commentary that “this unit represents the thesis of Philippians—the Philippians should resist their opponents by becoming “one concordant body”[i]

Standing firm is a military picture of a row of soldiers standing side by side with their 4’ shields forming a solid wall. Any gap in that wall and the integrity of the whole collapses.

2. One step forward or one step backward and the wall of defense does not accomplish it’s purpose.

3. Standing Firm is not only about your strength, it is about unity and standing with each other in defense of the gospel against the onslaughts of evil.

Striving Together (Philippians 1:27c-28)

Athletic image (here is undoubtedly implied in the word choice of “striving together”)[ii]

Have you ever watched the sport of rowing? Type “rowing” into Google and the first suggest is a machine for exercise. Read a little further and you find 4 athletes rowing together in 1 vessel, but the most elite of this sport involves 1 cockswain and 8 athletes working in perfect timing and strength of stroke. The unity of the athletes is so essential that in the U.S. the sport is normally called Crew. Excellence is only obtained when one performs his or her task as a contributing part of the team (or crew) as a whole.

Because the Gospel not only saves you, but a Body of believers, the worth of the Gospel to you and to the persons to your left and right is that we stand together defensively, and we move forward in unity offensively advancing the values of the kingdom.

We tend to highlight Bible stories of individual heroes like David facing Goliath, Samson’s phenomenal strength, or Peter slicing the ear off the temple guard. But Moses had Aaron and Hur to hold up his arms in battle with Amalekites, after David knocked out Goliath, the whole army routed the Philistines. Daniel was joined by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in refusing to eat the Kings food and bowing to the statue.

There is likely one person who could have written a $15,000 check to buy all the mattresses for Camp White, but it is more likely that dozens of believers are each going to contribute between $100 and $1000 to accomplish the goal we heard about s few minutes ago.

3. Have you ever noticed that Jesus never sent an Apostle to do ministry alone? He always sent them by 2 or more, and that practice continued throughout the book of Acts. Also many of Paul’s letters address those who are with him in his imprisonment.

Suffering for His Sake (Philippians 1:29b-30)

When we are standing and striving together we can expect opposition. We cannot expect the opponent of our souls to simply let us move forward without effort.

In football I’ve heard that many games are won or lost by whomever controls the line of scrimmage. As basketball begins you will hear “get your hands up” when players are on defense. Apart from take-downs and pins, points in wrestling are granted for a defensive reversal.

2. Suffering is not good in itself. We are told to give thanks in every situation, not forevery situation. Frequently my worst suffering is what I bring on myself for not listening to the Spirit of God. But the suffering that Paul elevates as being connected to the worth of the Gospel is suffering that is FOR the sake of Christ and is a consequence of being engaged in the same conflict that is common to man

3. This is not calling us to introduce suffering by whipping yourself with leather straps or crawling on your knees as is done in some parts of the world, it is saying when genuine obedience encounters opposition, that suffering is worth the choice to obey.

TRANSITION: If direct instruction is not compelling enough, the author goes on to give reasons to make these adjustments. It increases the joy of a good friend and is a reasonable response.

Conduct that Responds to the Gospel (Philippians 2:1-4)

Summaries (Philippians 1:29-2:1)

Believe (v.29a) summarizes Standing and Striving.

Suffering (1:29b) and engaged in conflict (1:30) describes our response to the Gospel that Paul has promoted in chapter 1.

Since (if) restates what is worthy.

Standing firm is because of encouragement.

Striving together is the fellowship of the Spirit.

Suffering for His sake creates a need for consolation or comfort.

Source (Philippians 2:2)

Christ is the source bought all the blessings of the Gospel.

Paul is the one who brought this message to the Philippians.

Paul has already spoken of the progress of his readers in 1:16, he now says “it will greatly please and comfort me if you keep going”

Notice the following exhortations involve Mind, Spirit and Body, or Head, Heart and Hands, or How we think, how we feel, and what we do.

Same Mind (Philippians 2:2b)

In 1:27 the encouragement is to be in same spirit/mind (psyche) this is an identity of who one is. Although we don’t see it in English because translators use mind for 2 different words in the language Paul writes, In 2:2 the word changes from psyche to a word (phrontes) that aligns with opinion or direction of thought. It connects who we are with how we view events around us.

While the body has many parts, we are all part of one body, if your identity is focused upon your unique contribution you will see yourself as distinct from other parts of the body. If you primarily view yourself as part of one body (not I but Christ) then we can have the same mindset moving forward for Christ’ kingdom.

Paul uses “in Christ” 85 times in the New Testament to describe the believer’s identity.

When we return to Philippians after Advent we will find Christ as the perfect example of one who did not assert himself, but committed to the Father’s plan [as evidenced in the Garden on the Mount of Olives].

Over the last 8-12 years we can observe how multiple minds dilute the effectiveness of the whole. The “squad” wanted to take one party in one direction that was opposed by others within the same party. The other party had to go through 15 ballots to select a speaker of the House in Jan 2023, then just 10 months later the “Freedom Caucus” ousted him and it required 4 nominees and 20 days to reach consensus on the current leader. Both political parties illustrate how division stalls, but unity advances.

Same Love (Philippians 2:2c)

We all have many affections and varying degrees of fondness.

What is your favorite season? On a scale of 1 to 10 how much do you prefer that season over the other 3?

Paul is not advancing a similar fondness. He uses a word for love that very rarely is used outside of the New Testament. (one example is a tomb inscription of a General who was held in high esteem). Yet this word appears 116 times in our New Testament and describes God’s love toward us in John 3:16.

This is not a fondness or fandom, it is devotion. All those in Christ (Same mind) should be reasonably expected to have the same love (sacrificial devotion) that motivates thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Same Purpose (Philippians 2:2d-4)

ESV calls this being in full accord; KJV uses of one accord; NASB/CSB translates this as intent on one purpose; NIV has changed since 1984, what used to be “being one in spirit and purpose” is now “being one in spirit and of one mind.”

Since doing is evidence of thinking and feeling, he goes on in vv.3-4 to expound on what proper, worthy, and responsive conduct does.

Conclusion:

Because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so valuable, because it is of inestimable worth. It demands one and all Christ followers to think, feel and act in response to this great transaction.

Several weeks ago, Isaac Huber preached on The Pearl of Great Price. Something that an individual found that was worth selling all that he had in order to inquire it.

Over 300 years ago a hymn was published that says

When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

As your family gathers this week and you express gratitude, Paul says that our Thankfulness for the Gospel will adjust our thoughts, our feelings, and our behaviors.

[1]Keener, Craig S. 1993. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

[i] Brown, Derek R. 2013. Philippians. Edited by Douglas Mangum. Lexham Research Commentaries. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

[ii] Keener, Craig S. 1993. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.