The Gospel Changes How We Live Together

As citizens of earth we are encouraged to live for our own purposes and our own rights. But just like last week in Philippians 1 we looked at how the Gospel changes everything.

Today we are going to narrow in our focus just a bit and examine how the Gospel changes how we live together.

Last week, we saw that the gospel changes everything. Today, we’ll see how it changes the way we live together as citizens of heaven. Remember, Philippi was a Roman colony where military veterans had settled. That background helps us understand Paul's language about standing firm and contending together for the gospel.

Philippians 1:27–29 CSB

27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God. 29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,

Notice the connection between citizenship and struggle. Paul is making the case that Just as a citizen of Rome there is an understanding that the citizenship that they enjoyed is worth the struggle. It was worth fighting for. So then how much more is being a citizen of heaven worth contending for.

Contending - Means to actively defend and proclaim the truth.

In this context it is not just the proclamation of the Gospel to the Lost world but also proclamation of the truth to each other.

Colossians 3:16 CSB

16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

In the same way Paul is stating that as a citizen of heaven there should be a similar appreciation for the value of it’s citizenship that is reflected in the way that we live.

Paul describes this citizenship in verse 29

Philippians 1:29 CSB

29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,

So there is an expectation of not just believing in him but also suffering for him, but this is not a lone fight.

I. Our Citizenship in Heaven Call us to stand firm together for the Gospel.

Paul commands us to contend for the faith together

Paul instructs to contend or to fight for the faith together like a military unit.

A Battle is not won by a single soldier but by the efforts of the entire unit.

There a few principles here that I think we need to see.

We contend for the faith personally but fight for its advancement corporately.

That being said two statements come to mind about this idea.

Faith will not always come easy

I think that in the church there is a misunderstanding about faith. In fact, I think it’s seldom talked about in a practical way.

Faith doesn't always come easily. We sometimes act as though struggling to trust God means something is wrong with us.

But Scripture repeatedly shows us that faith is something that is tested. An unexpected loss, a frightening diagnosis, or a season of uncertainty can shake us.

Sometimes we must cry out, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ The good news is that we don't have to stand firm alone. Paul calls us to contend for the faith together.

You must fight for the gospel mission in your own life, faith. But also the evangelistic mission of defending the faith and proclaiming its truth. But this is not easy.

This leads us to principle no. 2 about contending for the faith.

2. We are to Fight for and alongside your Brothers and sisters in Christ for the faith.

When I was a teenager in Flint, my older brother woke me one night around 3am because people were outside our house and one guy was standing in the shadows in the backyard.

We found out later that is was an organized gang that would go out in a large group to steal carparts. In fact, someone caught them in the act yelled and they all came running to a central spot, cars came from multiple directions to pick them up.

But Why did he wake me? The danger hadn't changed, but facing it together made a difference. Yet when Christians struggle in their faith, we often withdraw instead of reaching out. Paul calls us to do the opposite: stand alongside one another in the struggle.

The tendency with in our Christian faith seems to be the direct opposite. Instead of running to others and saying I need faith support. We tend to withdraw.

When our faith is weak we are to run to our unit for support.

The tendency in the church is often to withdraw when our faith is weak. But Paul reminds us that we are engaged in the same struggle. We need to build relationships strong enough that we can both support others and ask for support ourselves.

But we all struggle for the same goal.

Philippians 1:30 CSB

30 since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

Church look around for a moment. I mean really look around. This is your unit. These are the people that we are to contend together with.

Why?

verse 28

Philippians 1:28 CSB

28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God.

When we stand together, we encourage one another and face our fears with greater confidence.

But unity requires more than standing side by side; it requires putting others before ourselves. That's Paul's emphasis in Philippians 2:1–4.

Philippians 2:1–4 CSB

1 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.

Do you see the military theme in this passage. Paul is framing these ideas in a way that those who are in this church would understand.

A church is not to fight with each other but for each other.

A military unit that fights with each other in the heat of battle doesn’t survive or at least will have much greater casualties. The same is true of a church.

So then Paul gives us instruction on how to form this type of unity.

II. Unity Around the Gospel Requires Us to Put Others Before Ourselves

Military Vets inherently know this. So Paul is applying this principle to the church.

If you see you someone in this church that seems to be penned down by the enemy go fight for them, not against them.

Pray for them, Pray with them. Encourage them, come alongside them in the trenches of spiritual battle. Use the gifts that God has given you to strengthen and fight alongside them.

1 Peter 4:10 CSB

10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.

So then what does this practically look like.

If we are going to have this type of unity in the church first start with your own family and work outward.

The home is the basis for the church. A home is a place where the family should contend for the faith together.

This is something we have stressed in our own home. That we are a team. This ministry that we have in not just mine as the pastor, but ours. Yes we may bicker about stupid things but at the end of the day there is a confidence in one another that we have each others backs. There is an understanding that we fight together as a family.

Its been a beautiful thing to watch as there has been a shift over time watching my kids begin to trust each other and be willing to fight for each other.

This is how the church is supposed to be.

If you can put this thinking of others above yourself. If you can put away selfish motivations if you can contend for the faith in your own home than you can then do this with others.

So start with your household and work outwards in putting others needs above your own. Strong families, strong church because

III. True Unity begins with Christ-like humility

Philippians 2:5–8 CSB

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.

In other words, Christ did not use His equality with God for His own advantage. Instead, He humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, and obeyed the Father even to death on a cross.

Let that sink in for a moment. The One through whom all things were created willingly took the position of a servant for our salvation.

If Christ humbled Himself for our salvation, shouldn't we also humble ourselves for the good of others?

Church family, this is where it gets convicting. Your life in Christ is not just about you going to heaven. Christ came to save us, and He calls us to live in obedience to Him and serve others for the glory of God.

Your salvation is personal, but your life in Christ is meant to be spent serving others for the glory of God

Humility sees the mission of others in the context of the Gospel

IV. Our unity displays the transforming power of the Gospel

Look at this progression we see in the text.

A. Christ humbled Himself for our salvation, therefore we should humble ourselves.

Philippians 2:5–8 CSB

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.

B. God exalted Christ as Lord

Philippians 2:9–11 CSB

9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Christ's humility did not end in defeat. God exalted Him, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Weather you do this now while there is still the hope of salvation or later after death. You will one day humble yourself before the Lord.

Now because of this

C. We live out our salvation as a united witness

Philippians 2:12–18 CSB

12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

When Paul tells us to work out our own salvation, he is calling us to put our faith into practice through obedience and by following the example of Christ.

Think about an athlete who trains or a soldier who prepares for the demands of battle. Both require discipline, effort, and perseverance. In the same way, we must diligently live out our faith, putting the character of Christ on display through our obedience.

But notice that this is not something we accomplish in our own strength. Verse 13 tells us that God is working in us, both to will and to work according to His good purpose. We are responsible to obey, but we do so because God is at work in us.

And because of this Paul tells us that we will shine like stars. The way we love and serve each other directly effects our witness. When we do this well, we will shine like the stars. Now I can’t say with certainty that Paul meant it in this way. But I know that the stars were heavily relied upon for navigation.

I believe that Paul is making this point. Let others look at our testimony of love and unit y and let this light point them in the right direction toward Jesus.