Gospel Centered Strength
Philippians • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greeting
Fortune Cookie Sayings
Today it’s up to you to create the peacefulness you long for
Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now
People are naturally attracted to you
You learn from your mistakes....you will learn a lot today
Whatever your goal is in life, embrace it, visualize it, and it will be yours.
Interesting moral platitudes to be sure - but notice something else
They’re all about the individual
It makes everything about the person to whom the saying is given
Sometimes we can treat Scripture the same way
Fortune Cookie Verses
Sometimes called life verses
Not necessarily a bad thing
Pastor Mike Madigan would always ask if you had a verse to confirm any life decision
But we must be careful not to completely rip verses out of context
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
This verse is not about us today - but instead was a promise given to
a specific people - the Jews
at a specific time - during the exile to Babylon
for a specific purpose - to remind them that their exile was temporary and that God wasn’t finished with them yet
When I was courting Bekah Mike asked me if I had a verse that confirmed our relationship
Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
As much of a treasure as my wife is - she is not the treasure Paul had in mind when he wrote this verse so many years ago
I Can Do
I Can Do
Philippians 4:13; Philippians 4:11; Romans 5:17-19; Genesis 4:3-4; Genesis 28:13;
The triumph of the human spirit has always been one of the highest ideals of the human race
We love stories about the little guy who makes it big against all odds
Rudy
Rocky
Roy - The Natural
One of the most successful ad campaigns in business history is based on the triumphant capabilities of the average athlete
JUST DO IT
In Philippians 4:11 Paul borrows from the Stoic philosophy current during his day
The highest ideal for the human is to achieve self-sufficiency
As humans we revel in the ability to accomplish life on our own
Up until the modern era the entire goal of a child’s life was to get out on their own
Pat Michael - married at 13 and having a baby by the age of 14 (in the 1950’s)
There are several pictures in the Bible of men who tried to do it on their own
Adam
Given charge by God to watch over the Garden and his wife
Was nearby when Eve was deceived by the Serpent - but stood by and didn’t intervene
Ate the fruit
Instead of following God’s ways - he decided to do it on his own with devastating results
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Cain
Cain grew up and cultivated the ground
He offered a sacrifice to God not out of his best - he was trying to practice his own way giving not his best but from whatever he had
So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering;
He became angry because his offering wasn’t accepted - his attempt at religion
He murdered his brother and then lied to God about it
Jacob
Jacob is the younger twin brother of Esau
Bought his brother’s birthright for a bowl of stew
Stole his brother’s blessing by deceiving his father
Fled when Esau threatened to kill him
Yet God blessed him -
And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants.
And made His covenant with him
King Saul
Chosen by God as the first King of Israel
Commanded to kill Agag all the people of Amalek and slaughter all their animals
He kept the best of the animals and spared the king
As a result God ripped the kingdom from him and gave it to David
He turned to a medium to try and get an answer when God refused to answer him
Samson
Placed his trust for strength in his own hair rather than trust God
Many other examples
Not just the Old Testament
Ananias
Sold some property and brought an offering to the church
He kept some of his profits back but told Peter that he’d given everything to the Lord
Judas Iscariot
Any time we try to operate in our own strength we will always come up short
We are incapable of being self-sufficient
Yet Paul writes that he can do all things - what are these things?
All Things?
All Things?
Philippians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Ephesians 2:10
I would agree with the Word Biblical Commentary which translates “all things” as “all such situations”
Another way to say what Paul is meaning here is to say “all these things”
Paul could not actually do “all thing”
He was in prison in Rome - he couldn’t get up and leave a free man
What were the things that Paul could do?
He could persevere with joy regardless of his circumstances
I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
He could continue to preach Christ
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
He could continue to edify his churches through his letters
He could continue to do the good works which God had set out before him
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
The “all” which Paul refers to here has nothing to do with temporal success
It has to do with physically persevering through the circumstances in which he finds himself
The secret of Paul’s independence was his dependence upon Christ
Through Christ Who Strengthens Me
Through Christ Who Strengthens Me
Philippians 4:13; Galatians 2:20; Isaiah 40:29-31; 1 Corinthians 10:31
Paul recognizes where his strength comes from
There is another failure in the Bible who tried to do things on his own
His name was Saul
He was a persecutor of Christians on his way to Damascus
He was a practicer of religion but didn’t realize he’d missed the point
Yet on the road to Damascus he met Christ - and it changed his whole world
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Paul recognized that the life he now lived was not lived under his own power but under the guidance and direction of Christ through the Holy Spirit
He knew that the source of his power was only to be found in the cross.
One commentary says that when he reached the limit of his resources and strength, even to the point of death, he was infuse with the strength of Christ
I disagree - Paul knew that it wasn’t I’ll do my best and Christ will do the rest
Or when my strength fails Christ’s shows up
He knew that his renewed body and spirit was first and foremost operating in Christ’s strength
Charles Spurgeon says it like this:
2159We know not how much capacity for usefulness there may be in us. That ass’s jawbone lying on the earth, what can it do? Nobody knows. It gets into Samson’s hands. No one knows what it cannot do now that a Samson wields it. And you have often thought yourself to be as contemptible as that bone. You have said, “What can I do?” But when Christ by his Spirit grips you, what can you not do? Truly you may adopt Paul’s language and say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
The question is will we wait on the Lord - too often we try to run ahead of His plans and purposes
We try to run in our own strength
He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
The secret of our strength is that we wait upon the Lord
That we move in His time
That we move in His strength
Time and time again the Israelites moved in their own strength
Numbers 14:39-45; Joshua 7:1-5
We must learn to wait on the Lord - regardless of the circumstances around us and recognize that He is in control and that He will provide the strength to endure
Temptations
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
Nothing that comes against us can succeed when we realize that our strength comes from the Lord
Conclusion
Conclusion