Sharpen Your Focus

stephen elliott

Shine: A Deautiful Hope in a Desperate World- or Unquestionably Christian • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

Philippians 1:27–30

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Introduction

Sermon 2: Sharpen your Focus-Philippians 1.27-30

Introduction

Recap: Last week we introduced the series, “Unquestionably Christian.” The series is from Paul’s letter to the Philippian church that he wrote under inspiration of the Holy Spirit around AD60. We learned that based on recent statistics and surveys, the reason so many people are leaving the church or the reason that the church is irrelevant to so many today is because they don’t see Christ being lived out by the people who claim to be His followers. What we discover is that people are searching for the real thing and never can find anything to fulfill them completely. There always seems to something more and something better. So often people destroy their lives or simply waste their lives, chasing something they can never find on their own. We have the answer, Jesus Christ. The only thing that can truly satisfy and solve all problems is Jesus and the gospel or the good news that we can actually know God and have a relationship with Him that fill the void for all eternity. We have the answer but people aren’t interested because they are not attracted to what they see in the church. They say that The average Christian simply looks like everyone else in the world.

This is not a new problem. The early church struggled too. So, Paul wrote this letter that we call the book of Philippians to urge them to be unquestionably Christian and describes what it looks like.

We looked our key verse, . Then we looked at .

Philippians 2:15 ESV

that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Philippians 1:27 ESV

We saw the first way Paul said to be unquestionably Christian is to remember who we are -citizens of heaven; and we also learned we need to remember what Jesus Christ did (namely dying on the cross to save us).

FOUR MORE WAYS PAUL GIVE TO BE UNQUESTIONABLY CHRISTIAN TO ATTRACT THE LOST TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST:

Now we want to continue with more ways found in .

Philippians 1:27–30 ESV

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

1. Be laser-focused on the Gospel of Christ:

Paul stresses throughout chapter one that to be unquestionably Christian we must be all about the gospel of Jesus Christ. He uses the word Gospel 5 times and implies it 4 more times in the first 27 verses of chapter 1. That is basically once for every three verses! When studying the Bible, repeated words are a big clue as to what the writer wants to emphasize.

In one spirit or Spirit. Some translation capitalize spirit some do not. Is Paul talking about the Holy Spirit that baptizes all into the same body of Christ? Or is he talking about a more general term of having a same mind set, the same spirit, the same goal, the same aim. Either way works because both are true. If we are all baptized by the Holy Spirit in the same body then we should all be focused on the same goals, with the same mind set. The next words he uses is “one mind” so that further amplifies Paul’s point.

The spirit of unity among believers comes from the Holy Spirit.

We must be laser focused on our God given mission to evangelize the world. This is our task, given by Christ. We must never lose focus of that. Both with our actions and our mouths. It is so easy to get distracted with important things. But we must be careful that we don’t let the important take the place of crucial. It is easy to spend a lot of time and effort and money on very good things even great things. But we must be careful, very careful that these good things don’t take the place of the best thing! And that is spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.

The world needs to hear about how they can have fresh start and all their sins forgiven. How their life can have meaning. About the one who can make them complete and satisfied etc. Give the gospel here!

But words don’t mean much without action.

You see words don’t mean a whole lot if your attitude and actions don’t line up with those words.

James 2:15–16 ESV

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

Bad actions or the lack of going good actions both hurt the Spread of the Gospel and the Church.

The bottom line is this: You can defend the gospel (And you should) and you can proclaim the gospel (and you should), but even if the words are right, if your conduct isn’t worthy of the Gospel of Christ, it is a VERY ugly thing indeed!

Let’s read verse again: Notice the focus is on the gospel and also the action.

Philippians 1:27 ESV

2. Have Convincing Conduct

Philippians 1:27 ESV

Stand firm.

This would have been understood clearly by the Philippians because it was a common military expression. Remember Philippi was town full of retired military families so without a doubt military culture would have been common knowledge.

Soldiers on a battle field, they must not yield an inch of ground no matter how hard their adversaries press against them.

I have been reading about the revolutionary war, the battles were waged in a large field with each army facing off in long lines. “hold the line” was a common call. This meant “Stand firm. The enemy is firing their muskets at you. The cannon ball are screaming your direction. Stand firm! Hold the line. Don’t back down, don’t run away.”

Church family: Here is a word for us today. Hold the line! Stand firm! The enemies is firing flaming arrows at us. The full arsenal of Satan and his legions of demons are screaming you direction. Stand firm! Hold the line. Don’t back down, don’t run away, don’t give up.”

Striving Side by Side: (synathlountes)

Syn = together athlountes = athelete.

The language Paul is using in this part of the verse would have also been familiar to the Philippians because this was language used in sports. The Greeks and Romans were sports maniacs.

The Olympic Games had already been going on for over 800 years in Greece about 200 miles a the crow flies from Philippi. The games were so popular people would travel for weeks or longer, risking their life, just to attend. About 70,000 people would cram into a stadium that holds 40,000 people. Perrottet describes poor or non-existent sanitation, a lack of fresh drinking water, an unrelenting sun, and hordes of disease-carrying black flies. And We think our culture is nuts about sports, you should have seen these people! Their athletes were superstars and sometimes worshipped. They were given highest honors, fame, and wealth. Many of their competitions were to the death.

QUOTE: Epictetus pondered late in the first century A.D. He argued that visiting the Olympics was a metaphor for human existence itself. Every day was filled with difficulties and tribulations: unbearable heat, pushy crowds, grime, noise and endless petty annoyances. “But of course you put up with it all,” he said, “because it’s an unforgettable spectacle.”

Epictetus pondered late in the first century A.D. He argued that visiting the Olympics was a metaphor for human existence itself. Every day was filled with difficulties and tribulations: unbearable heat, pushy crowds, grime, noise and endless petty annoyances.

The Olympic Games: How They All Began

“But of course you put up with it all,” he said, “because it’s an unforgettable spectacle.”

The Olympic sports were mostly individual competitions, but Team sports were popular in other competitive venues.

Men, children and women participated in these games. Ancient Greeks preferred sports played with balls (spheres), made by strings or leather. The more popular ball games, which have many similarities with modern games with balls, were “phaininda”, which resembles the handball, “episkyros”, the ancient rugby, “keritizein”, the ancient Greek field hockey and “aporraxis”, which was the forerunner of modern basketball.

Well in Sports, say basketball for example. We just ended the NBA finals and the WNBA is going strong now. The players on the court need to be of one mind, striving side by side. They must work closely together, anticipate each other’s movements, one mind, one spirit, heading for the same goals.

Bottom line: As a church, Everyone on the same page mentally, spiritually and in action as we aim for one goal-reaching a lost and dying world with the gospel of Christ!

This sounds like a group effort and it is, but it relies heavily on individual performance. Just like a team needs every player to be on his game; so the church is one body and we operate as one body but it takes every part functioning properly to achieve the mission. What body part are you in the body of Christ? Are you a toe, an eye, an ear? Are all our parts present and active at Calvary? Or are we deformed and missing limbs.

Groups are made up of individuals:

What body part are you in the body of Christ? Are you a toe, an eye, an ear? Are all our parts present and active at Calvary? Or are we deformed and missing limbs.

Illustration: Incomplete Body You see an old man walking toward a railroad track and you hear a train on its way-----the whistle is blowing but he keeps on walking. The brakes screech as he steps onto the tracks oblivious to the danger! Its too late.

Why didn’t he stop? What was wrong with him? Maybe his ears weren’t working; maybe they stopped serving the body because they already did their part for many years and besides no one ever appreciated them. Maybe he was blind. Maybe the eyes decided going to church was just old fashioned and not important because they could just watch church on TV or pray out by the lake while fishing. What if a mom notices her little daughter has fallen down and scraped her knee. She runs over to pick her up and comfort her but when she gets there she, she can’t get her arms to move and do what she needs them to do. They just lie lifeless at her side. So many come to church and relax in the pew, enjoy the music and sermon but when work needs to be done, they don’t move.

You see, coming to church and being involved and finding a place of service in the body is NOT ABOUT YOU! It is about the body of Christ! Without every member doing their part, we are presenting a deformed Christ. No WONDER so many people are repulsed by church and are leaving in droves. It is so often UGLY! We can do so much better.

Illustration: Burnout I have really bad foot problems. I have been walking on concrete for 34 years about 6 to 8 hours a day or longer. My feet are just worn out. But you know what caused them to wear out too soon? My core got flabby, my glutes became weak from lack of exercise, my knees have always been a problem. So my feet had to work harder to compensate. I had to walk so they did all the work and took the biggest hit. Now they are worn out and I have had to have surgery and in PT for the other one.

What’s my point here. This happens in the church all the time. Someone gets involved serving in the church and before they know it, the needs are so great they are volunteering for everything. Usually there are plenty of people to do the work but few are willing to make the sacrifice to get it done. So 20% of the people end up doing most of the work. And they very often burn out. And when that happens, the church is ugly.

Illustration: Division-Another thing that is ugly in a church is division. When people are divided over something and cannot find a way to reconcile quickly. The first little argument is like a chip in a windshield. Ignore it long enough and it spreads across the whole thing. Sometimes they split the church and often shatter many lives in the process.

In preparation for this sermon, I texted my daughter Hannah about how she broke her phone. She responded, “Well one time I was jogging and it fell out and smashed... one time I had just taken my case off to clean it, and it fell out of my hands and broke.. and then the latest time, my phone fell out of my pocket and into the street and a car ran over it... lol

Before she dropped it the screen was so sleek and smooth. The video clarity was amazing. You could see the image so clearly. Now it was shattered, rough, and difficult to see anything on it. And it was very very ugly!

I think people are having a hard time seeing Jesus in the church because of all the disunity, we look like a phone with a shattered screen.

But, when all of us are laser-focused on spreading the Gospel message, a lot of those problems go away. We all have this in common. We are sinners saved by grace and we have been commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself, just before he ascended into heaven, to spread His message of salvation to the world. When we all rally around that, so many issues are resolved.

Next, when everyone pitches in and does their part. When everyone finds their place of service, uses their gifts and allows God to work through them...the Bride of Christ is beautiful, and people are attracted to the gospel of Christ. My advice for many years has been, “Find one place to serve and do it with all your heart, mind, and strength.” At the most two. But if you spread yourself too thin you can’t give it your everything and quality suffers.

So how can we be unquestionably Christian?

Summary: First, remember who you are and what Jesus Christ did. Second, have one mind, laser focused on the gospel. Third, have Convincing Conduct by standing firm and striving side by side, having unity in every way for the purpose of spreading the gospel in whatever capacity that looks like for each of us. There leads to the fourth.

3. Show Courageous Confidence.

Philippians 1:28 ESV

and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

When we stand firm, we will face opposition. Serious opposition. Sometimes it’s the people around us but much more often the opposition is attacks by the devil and our own sinful nature still trying to have its way within us. The whole world system, our remaining sin, and the work of Satan and his demons all work together to try to break the lines, chip the wind shield, put us on the bench, and shatter our screens. Anything to keep the church from being the beautiful bride of Christ that will attract people to her.

-Not frightened- ptyromenoi

But Paul writes, we must not be frightened. The word he uses here that is translated frightened are interesting. It is not found anywhere else in the NT. In other Greek literature it is used for a horse, rearing up in fright, shaking off its reigns and bolting off. It is also used of the frightening of shy or timid animal that scurries away quickly or curls up and plays dead.

Which one of those are you! I have been both. There was a time in my life when my whole world came crashing down. When my parents divorced, suddenly the perfect little Christian home I had known all my life became a sham. I reared up loudly, shook off the reigns of Christianity and bolted as far as I could away. And even now, so often, when I get fearful of what someone might think about me, I too often shy away and curl up in fear.

Anyone with me here?

You know what our enemies say when we act like this. When an opponent of Christianity sees one of us give into sin or run away, or throw in the towel of Christian service they breathe a sigh of relief and say, “maybe it isn’t real after all!”

; This is a clear sign etc.

Paul says look. When you stand firm and are not afraid. People see your confidence and wonder, maybe there is something to this whole Christianity thing. Maybe Stephen is really saved from eternal damnation and I am doomed to hell unless I too give my life to Christ.

The Holy Spirit uses our fearlessness, our confidence to shake the confidence of those who deride us and reject the gospel. They think they have it all figured out until some one says, like Paul, “Go ahead and kill me! As soon I open my eyes again, I will be in paradise with Jesus Christ!” Go for it, make my day!”

4. Embrace Suffering.

Go one further, Paul actually says it is a privilege to suffer for Christ.

: Granted. “Congratulations! You get to suffer for Christ!” That is being unquestionably Christian!

Philippians 1:29 ESV

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

Philippians 1:29–30 ESV

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

We remember that we are citizens of heaven ONLY because of the price that Jesus paid on the cross for dying in our place! We deserved the punishment for our rebellion and sin. We deserved to be separated from God for eternity, but Jesus took that punishment on himself! To bring us to God! So it is for his sake we suffer and it is a privilege to share in the sufferings of Christ.

Conclusion:

Just think if every Christian lived like this! If every Christian dedicated themselves to the Lord completely, allowing Him to live His life through us all the time. Just imagine! Every Christian dedicated to their local church, serving and giving all their best with the Lord. Standing up with Jesus and with other believers! Were never afraid of what people thought, willing to suffer anything with Him. Can you imagine what our churches would look like! So many more would be attracted to the gospel, people would be saved, God would be glorified!

That sanctuary over there wouldn’t be big enough!

Wouldn’t it be great? But it all starts with us. It starts with you! It starts with me!

Are you living a life worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Are you doing everything God has called you to do?

What area of your life do you need to surrender to Him today. Are you making the bride of Christ beautiful or ugly?

In just a moment we are going to have a time of response. Aaron is going to lead us in song and I am going to ask you to do something. First, if you know of an area of your life that you need to surrender to Christ, do it today but in a way that we can all pray for you. I want you to step out from your seat and come to the front and kneel here at these benches or sit on them if you cannot kneel. As you do that, we will all be praying for you.

Second, if there is anyone here that has never put their trust in Jesus Christ and begun a personal relationship with Him, I am going to invite you to do that today. You can pray to him and tell him you love him and you want him to be your Lord and savior and he will do it right now. I would ask that if you do that to make it public by coming down here and letting me know so we can share it with everyone else. If you need help with the decision or have questions come up front and let me help you.’

Third, If you have already made a decision for Christ and you have never made it public or if you have never been baptized and want to move forward with that process then leave your seat and come let me know about it so we can help you.

Finally, we have been talking about sharpening our focus on the gospel. I would ask all of us to consider our priorities. Even good priorities may be misplaced if they are taking away from the most important. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any area of life, or ministry that might need a tune up to get it refocused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.