Encouragement in Christ

Philippians 1:27-2:4

Introduction

Palm Sunday is an interesting day

Usually associated with praise & exalting Jesus Christ - for good reason

It’s filled with Gospel symbolism

It’s about hope & expectation, longing for deliverance

I also think it’s about getting things backwards & being impatient with God’s purpose

Palm Sunday the people praise Jesus and a few days later they kill Him

Even the Pharisees think they’ve been beaten

John 12:19 “19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!””

Yet in the details of this day are illustrations of the right way to see this moment

Zechariah 9:9 “9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Yes, Christ should be exalted but to fill up that exaltation He must first be humiliated

From the humiliation of the cross would rise the full beauty of His glory

It’s this thought that brings us to Philippians 2 this morning

READ Philippians 1:27-2:11

There is important doctrine about the nature of Christ that can be found here

Yet, Paul’s intention in writing this isn’t primarily about what it means for Christ to empty Himself

His intention is to teach how to live like Christ

What encouragement can find from Christ in these verses?

Our Union with Christ

Changes the Focus of Our Life

Phil. 1:27

The Gospel is Your Life

Here is Paul’s main reason for writing Philippians - that we stand together for the Gospel

The joy of life in Christ is a major part of that theme

What is his foundation for all of this? We live a life that is worthy of the Gospel

What is the Gospel?

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 “3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

The Gospel is our great message, it’s core belief of what it means to be Christian

Gospel isn’t just a belief, it isn’t just about deliverance

Gospel is about Jesus’ call to ‘follow me’ (Lk. 9:23)

Gospel is about being a disciple of Jesus (Matt. 28:19)

Gospel is a way of life (Phil. 1:27 - manner of life/ live life in a manner worthy of the Gospel)

Part of what makes this passage so powerful

Paul takes most significant aspect of Christ’s work for us and makes a life application out of it

Gospel is about who you are

The Gospel is Our Mission

Since the Gospel is about who you are, it directs what you do

We stand fast & strive together for the faith of the Gospel

Stand fast, of course, means to stand strong in the faith & stand strong against the Devil

Striving is to fight for truth and against evil

So clearly, the Gospel & truth matter

Contending for the faith isn’t Paul’s main point here

His message is, there’s opposition & adversaries to the Gospel that come against us so stand fast in one spirit, striving together

His message is, because the Gospel is important work together to advance Kingdom

Is the Foundation of Our Life

Philippians 2:1

Life of Unity

What does a life that is worthy of the Gospel look like? Life of unity

If we come to this passage and only leave with a doctrinal treatise on the nature & work of Christ (we may be right) but we will have completely missed Paul’s point

Unity Paul speaks of here isn’t the mystic unity that exists between all of God’s people

He specifically has in mind the unity of a specific body of believers

There is evil & opposition to the Gospel out there & we must strive together not against

Why does it matter? Unity of God is expressed in the unity of His people

Phil. 2:1 is identical in structure to 2 Cor. 13:14 (and many other passages)

2 Corinthians 13:14 “14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”

These are trinitarian expressisons:

Father, son & Spirit all involved in Your salvation

Jesus, Love of God, Spirit

In Christ, we experience the love of God & are brought into the fellowship of the Spirit

Life lived worthy of the Gospel is one lived in unity with God’s people

Life that Reveals the Gospel

When Paul says we need to live in unity it isn’t some abstract idea

It means specific things

What is the foundation of that life?

4 foundations for life of unity marked by ‘if’ statements

Not uncertain ‘if’s’

“If, an you know there is, any...”

Perhaps we might say it like, “if you have gained anything from Christ then you should be passing it on.”

What unites us in Christ?

Encouragement in Christ motivates our unity

Means to come alongside, especially in times of trouble

It is to help, counsel & exhort

Illustrated in parable of Good Samaritan

Shouldn’t the encouraging presence of Christ in you move you to be the same in the lives of Christ’s people

Comforting Love of God motivates our unity

Similar to previous (& both involve love)

Has idea of coming close & gently, quietly speaking good cheer

Fellowship of the Spirit motivates our unity

Presence of the Spirit in our life binds us, seals us, unites us eternally to God

Same Spirit, by uniting us to God, also unites us to one another (1 Cor. 12:13)

Affection & Mercy of Christ motivates our unity

These are words of longing & deep love

God’s fellowship with us isn’t just a legal contract but a deep and abiding relationship

God deeply loves His children

This is what it means to be Christ-like, what a life worthy of the Gospel looks like

Why? These things show what the Gospel is truly about

Our Unity with Each Other

Fills Us With Joy

Philippians 2:2a

Rejoice with One Another

Joy Paul speaks of throughout Philippians can’t be separated from Christian unity

So much of the letter is how Paul finds joy in them

He rejoices with them in the work that God is doing in them & through them

Philippians 4:4 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

Paul’s famous words of joy follow immediate after a call to unity

Be Joy for One Another

Church at Philippi brought Paul great joy (Philippians 1:4; 4:10, etc.)

Fill my life with joy

Don’t be the nitpicker, sin hunter, grouch

Christian unity gives me the desire to rejoice with you, don’t make it hard

Be a source of joy

Requires Our Humility

Philippians 2:2-3

Have the Same Mind

Circular thought here - starts with the mind & ends with the mind

Context clearly shows that Paul assumes thinking the same thing is also the right thing

Agreeing on the truth is important but Christ-likeness is more than that

Life worthy of the Gospel isn’t one that can accurately articulate divine truth but one that learns how to faithfully live divine truth

Note that He doesn’t say love the same thing but have the same love

That is, love like God loves

One accord = like-souled

Seems what Paul is getting at here is that true joy comes as we pursue unity in mind, emotion and will

Have a Mind for Others

Nothing through selfish ambition or conceit

Your motives matter

Paul makes a contrast here in our aims & self-assesment

Selfish ambiton (aims) & conceit/self-glory [kenodoxia] (assesment)

To Lowliness (assesment) & esteem others (aim)

It means I can’t think “If only that person were more holy I could get on with them’

Pursues Harmony

An Individual Pursuit

Notice appearance of word each in Phil. 2:3-4?

Personal responsibility to pursue unity

How can WE stand fast & strive TOGETHER?

Only as each of us pursues true Christian unity

Paul’s words here aren’t written in a general way to apply anywhere

They’re written in the specific context of a church

A church that advances the Gospel is one where each person is looking out for the others

For the Good of Others

Last statement isn’t saying you don’t matter

Rather, you’re not the only one that matters

Seek the good of others

Conclusion

You can argue that the message of Easter isn’t about doing good for others

Of course, ultimately you would be right

Primary importance of Easter isn’t about living a moral life and doing good for others

Yet, if you don’t see the vast array of implications Christ’s work has in the life of believers we haven’t really seen how deep the Gospel is

Paul uses Christ’s work to explicit tell us - think like Christ

Gospel, then, compels us to humble ourselves and seek the good of others for the joy of God and the advancement of the Kingdom

Believer, the Gospel (& Easter) isn’t just something to look back on, it is something to live in

Life worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a life of unity through humbly seeking the good of others

I also want to make clear that the Gospel isn’t only about unity & doing good

Reason we live like this is because we want you to know the heart of the Gospel

Jesus humbled Himself to do for us what we couldn’t

He died on the cross so that by believing in Him you could be saved from sin & death and have abundant life and joy