Sermon Tone Analysis

Me

Well, I appreciate you all being here, and Ross allowing me to spend some time with you all as we take this time out to look at God’s Word this morning.

I always enjoy being here in Tallahassee to visit family and come to Morningside, especially because I’ve found that the older I get and the more responsibilities I have, the less opportunities I have to take time out to have a break and enjoy family.

Sometimes it’s tough for me to fully enjoy times like this, though, because I’m so used to the craziness of life.

I know some of y’all have got to feel me on this.

It’s like I get so caught up in the whole “2-5 on the average Instagram bio”: fam, school, work, gainz.

Not like this is a bad thing, but a lot of our time and effort in life is oriented toward “the next step” in life: graduating high school, maybe going to college, getting a job, earning a living, finding someone to marry and start a family with.

Often, we put so much energy behind achieving each of those objectives, and even the smaller goals in many of those categories that enable us to complete those objectives.

I have found myself wrapped up in that lately a lot, and so the Lord wanted me to share about some of that with you this morning.

Some of you may know I just graduated from BCF and am headed to seminary because God has called me to teach the Bible and go into full-time ministry.

Even though that is the case, that does not remove me from the need to set goals, nor my tendency in the flesh to materialize those goals, or have a worldly skew on God’s calling for my life.

Over the last two and a half years I interned at a church doing both youth and pastoral ministry, and as I grew in those roles, I found myself craving to be in a more intensive role, which is fine, but the problem came when that desire for growth and maturation turned into me coveting other people my age that are in certain positions that I want to be in.

Or recently in an awards ceremony, I was recognized for having a high GPA and just graduating - because that deserves an “Amen” in and of itself - but I got super salty when another guy got recognized by the president with a prestigious award and got a lot of publicity, when he didn’t even have a 3.0.

That actually has a lot to do with what I’d like to talk about this morning.

I’m sure all of you in some way are starting to realize the challenges that life brings, and are even captivated by “things.”

We

That actually has a lot to do with what I’d like to talk about this morning, and I promise I won’t sound so petty for the rest of this.

I’m sure all of you in some way are starting to realize the challenges that life brings, and are even captivated by “things.”

I’m not just talking about possessions, but you could include them.

Like, let’s be honest, how many of you were triggered that you didn’t get something you’ve wanted for Christmas?

You may have asked for something in particular for days, weeks, months, even years, and your parents would say what mine would hit me with all the time by saying, “Christmas is coming soon, just put it on your list.”

Well, like me, you put it on the list, but they didn’t pull through and now you’re a tad miffed at that.

What makes things worse is all your friends on Snapchat or the Gram posting like, “I just got the iPhone X [not Ex]” or “check out the new whip.”

When you start to get angry or jealous with that person--even though the examples I used are silly--you’re coveting, and when that happens your enter into some dangerous territory.

To stay out of that dangerous sin of coveting, it is essential that we take a step back and be reminded of a biblical perspective of what’s important.

Otherwise, we start to elevate ourselves to a position that transcends our given place, of which we are unworthy; we start to lord whatever authority and power we think we have over other people out of some misplaced form of self-righteousness and selfishness.

Similar to the situation I shared with you about that guy that got the award from my school’s president, I felt like I deserved that award more than he did because I was prideful, and so in my mind I started ripping him apart and considered all the reasons why I deserved that award more than he did.

Maybe God was doing a work in that guy that I was blind to, and was using that award to do it.

Here’s a thought, maybe God was doing a work in me and using me not getting that award to do so.

The act of comparing ourselves to others in a way that leads to coveting is so dangerous and unbiblical.

Whether it’s looks, intelligence, abilities, relationships, possessions, circumstances, or whatever, if we do not keep a proper perspective in mind, we immediately think of ourselves as more highly as we ought to (a mentality that completely contradicts , which says, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”).

When we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, we ignore the bigger picture and don’t honor the Lord when He tells us in passages like and also in to “aspire to live quietly and mind your own affairs.”

So then, how do we effectively balance the virtues of diligence and humility?

How do we strive to grow and develop in life, while honoring God and not getting sucked into a conceited, prideful attitude that hinders our relationship with the Lord?

Let’s open up to to see what God through the Apostle Paul has to say about the supremacy of Christ.

God

So hopefully you have you Bible or your device open to .

Follow along with me starting at verse 4, as we look to see how we can find contentment in Christ by standing firm in Him.

[Read 4:4-14; pray]

The beginning of our passage starts with Paul adamantly reminding the believers in Philippi to rejoice in the Lord.

How are you able to rejoice?

Well, very simply, you have to have joy.

You have to have exuberant, unwavering joy.

True joy that doesn't go away is only found in Jesus.

We can know that Christian joy exists even in times of trials and struggles because those trials bring endurance and stronger faith.

So, let me ask you: Do you have joy?

You may want to answer "yes" right away, but consider what would happen if something was taken away from you.

Would you lose hope, get bitter, anxious, and angry, and blame God? That's not joy.

It's OK to have emotion, we're human, but we cross a line when we start to point the finger at God instead of seek His will and hand in the situation.

If we don't seek His will and purpose in a situation, we lose sight of what's important and no longer seek to rejoice in Christ or abide in Him ().

The same concept is applied to our interaction with other people.

Rejoicing in the Lord is incompatible with resenting others, which leads us to verse 5.

"Graciousness"/"reasonableness" can mean gentleness.

It's interesting here that gentleness is equated with rationality.

Think about it for a second.

If you are not gentle, but in a fit of rage with someone, you say things you do not really mean and can even become irrational with your words and actions.

If you are in even a difficult circumstance, keep a gentle spirit (tough to do often, especially when driving, amen?) and you'll find yourself responding to situations in a reasonable, godly way as opposed to reacting in an irrational, idiotic way.

Why do we do this?

Because the Lord is near.

While God is omnipresent, this phrase in verse 5 refers to the Second Coming of Christ.

The resurrection means everything to us as followers of Christ because it's the source of our hope and victory, but it also means that it's our motivation to continue to walk in holiness and obey God because He will return soon!

The immanent return of Jesus should motivate us to glorify God, rejoice in Him, and share the gospel with others.

How we live our lives is a witness to the work of Jesus in our lives.

If He has truly done something in you, if He has truly saved you, then your life will genuinely show it!

So, you have no choice but to be gentle if you're a follower of Christ because if we look at the instruction in verse 8, we'll soon figure out that you can't simultaneously hold a grudge and be commendable, you can't be spiteful yet be lovely and pure, you can't be angry and do anything worthy of praise.

Those who are mature in their faith reflect that maturity in their gentleness, or as other areas of Scripture describe as "meekness" (, ESV).

In , Jesus said that the meek will inherit the earth.

Those who inherit the earth are coheirs with Christ and have been saved by Him by putting their faith in Him.

Therefore, true, godly meekness or gentleness is only possible in Christ, after all, it is included as a part of the fruit of the Spirit.

Why do we do this?

Because the Lord is near.

While God is omnipresent, this phrase in verse 5 refers to the Second Coming of Christ.

The resurrection means everything to us as followers of Christ because it's the source of our hope and victory, but it also means that it's our motivation to continue to walk in holiness and obey God because He will return soon!

The immanent return of Jesus should motivate us to glorify God, rejoice in Him, and share the gospel with others.

How we live our lives is a witness to the work of Jesus in our lives.

If He has truly done something in you, if He has truly saved you, then your life will genuinely show it!

So, you have no choice but to be gentle if you're a follower of Christ because if we look at the instruction in verse 8, we'll soon figure out that you can't simultaneously hold a grudge and be commendable, you can't be spiteful yet be lovely and pure, you can't be angry and do anything worthy of praise.

Those who are mature in their faith reflect that maturity in their gentleness, or as other areas of Scripture describe as "meekness" (, ESV).

In , Jesus said that the meek will inherit the earth.

Those who inherit the earth are coheirs with Christ and have been saved by Him by putting their faith in Him.

Therefore, true, godly meekness or gentleness is only possible in Christ, after all, it is included as a part of the fruit of the Spirit.

So are you gentle?

Maybe I should ask if you are bitter.

You salty?

U mad bro?

Is there something going on in your life that makes you angry and bitter and leads you to covet?

How can you follow Christ, how can you forgive, how can you love, how can you share the gospel, how can your serve others genuinely, if you are not gentle?

It's not all about you, but Christ in you and you making much of Him.

So are you gentle?

Maybe I should ask if you are bitter.

You salty?

You mad bro?

Is there something going on in your life that makes you angry and bitter and leads you to covet?

How can you follow Christ, how can you forgive, how can you love, how can you share the gospel, how can your serve others genuinely, if you are not gentle?

It's not all about you, but Christ in you.

So, if it’s about decreasing so that Christ would increase in your life, as John the Baptist is known for saying, then we get to verse 6.

It says, "Don't worry about anything" - ESV: "do not be anxious about anything"

What are you anxious about?

You anxious about your future?

God has a plan for you.