A LIFE SANCTIFIED IS A LIFE DEVOTED
Notes
Transcript
A LIFE SANCTIFIED IS A LIFE DEVOTED
Philippians 1:27-30
Jul 26, 2009
Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett
[Index of Past Messages]
Introduction
The city of Philippi in the first century had tremendous civic pride. History tells us they were a proud Roman city. Named originally after Philip of Macedon as a great Greek city, Rome kept the name for the town. They did get recognition as a model Roman city, much like cities in Illinois get the governors hometown award. As a result it did become a nice place to live and do business. There was a sense of pride, and the citizens considered it an honor to be able to say, Im a Philippian and I am a Roman.
The result of that pride made it a better city. Civic pride gave the people there a stronger sense of civic devotion, a desire to become even more of a model Roman community. In Philippians 1:27 Paul used a word right out of the political vocabulary of the day. He said, Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy.
That whole phrase is a translation of one word, POLITEUESTHE, which happens to be the only verb, an imperative, in what is the second longest sentence in the New Testament (including vss. 27-30 in the Greek). It was a familiar term for the Philippian readers had been raised, most of them, in this proud Roman colony. All their lives they were reminded that it was their political and civic duty to live up to their privileged position as Roman citizens.
But Paul applies the term not to their Roman loyalties, but their new citizenship in the kingdom of God. The implication was clear: if you know how to live as a loyal Roman citizen in Philippi, then you will understand that as Christians now, you have an even more sublime citizenship in the heavenly community, lived out in this world through the church. Now, far above serving Caesar and the Roman state, you serve the King of kings, the Lord of lords.
In verse 27 Paul transitions from his report on his own situation and his struggle between his impending death and his conclusion that he will go on living to serve Christ a while longer on earth. And he presents a powerful principle at the beginning of 1:27 - Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Whatever happens!
What a great thought! We can universalize that concept easily to any and all circumstances in our lives. For the Christian, this life-centering challenge never changes, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel. If your lifes purpose has been settledyouve saved through the gospel of Jesus, all that matters now is living under His lordship.
Have you found yourself broke, penniless and jobless? Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel, and lay hold of the promises of God.
• Are you facing a difficult challenge in your family or marriage? Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel and turn to Gods Word for guidance and encouragement.
• Are things going well for you, no current anxiety about anything, your life is peaceful? Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, and war against any complacency that keep you from loving and serving Him with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength.
• Are you facing threat and persecution because of your faith? Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, and trust Him to work everything out according to His will.
Listen Christian, you have nothing else worthy of your lifes devotion than to live for the Lord Jesus Christ. Center your life on Him and lay claim to His great and precious promises that great is your reward in heaven, and in this life He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called into His purposes. Paul says, Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Live exclusively for King Jesus and you and the Kingdom will be just fine.
Youre in Great Company
Paul says that if the Philippians in fact live in a manner worthy of the kingdom then whatever happens he will know 3 things about them that will reassure him. The first reassurance is that hell know they are in great company. A loving, committed church family is great company. In the company of other people who love the Lord and are committed to His purposes there is encouragement, support, intercession, and love that are simply not in the world.
There is nothing like being among a people who are dedicated to the godly causes you are dedicated to, opposed to the same demonic enemies you oppose, and dedicated to serving other people in their lives, like you are. Jesus said, Theyll know you are my disciples because you love one another.
Pauls point for this church that he loved so much was this: as long as I know you are fully committed to Jesus, and are in the company of others likewise committed to Jesus, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel. How terribly important it was to his apostolic heart for Paul to be assured the church was standing in unity. You dont have to read far or deep in the New Testament to see the value of unity in the body of Christ.
This isnt the time to do a full study on Christian unity, but we are reminded that any time there is disunity in the church it is because one or more individuals have quit putting Jesus and His agenda first. Often there is sin involvedin fact, disunity IS sin. Disunity is the result of one or more members in the body of Christ deciding that serving others is a waste of time.
Pauls ideal here is the church standing firm in one spirit. There is much opposition to the gospel in Philippi at the time of Pauls writing, just as there is mounting opposition to the gospel today in our culture. The church will be powerless in standing against the attack of a hostile world if she is not standing firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.
What does it take on the part of each of us to contribute to that unity? A servant heart, humility, genuine love and again, a radical commitment to Jesus and His will through the church. Every link in a chain is critically important. If one is weak, the chain is powerless to accomplish the task. As a member of the body of Christ, if I am to be prepared to face the onslaught of opposition from the devil and a hostile culture, I will need you. The church must be able to stand in unity, as one man, each member reliant on the others, confident that theyve got his back come what may, and ready to support and defend them, too.
That means being committed to the community of believers where you serve. Ready to serve, to give, to encourage, to be relied on by the others. There simply is no room for slackers in the kingdom. There will be a time when some whose commitment to the Lords church goes no deeper than their own comfort and desires will fall away from the church because of the pressure. The cost of following Jesus will become too great for them. The Word of God predicts this very thing. (1 Timothy 4:1; 6:10, 21)
It remains that those who are truly committed to serving the Lord will have to find others who are similarly serious about the faith and start standing firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel. I believe this is part of what the Lord is calling us as a church to in our current commission to pray, a fundamental and urgent leading from Gods Spirit that we learn to pray for and with one another in increasingly effective ways.
You Have Nothing to Fear
If a believer determines to live for Christ and His purposes and is devoted to that kingdom calling, he will receive from the Lord enormous courage to face any difficulty, trial or attack, and not back down in fear. When you die to yourself, nothing intimidates you. Please look again at verse 27b as it leads into verse 28.
The safest place in all the world to be is the center of God's will.
whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.
If you will stand for Christ you may be certain that you will encounter opposition and persecution. It is inevitable. Jesus promised it: follow me, and you will suffer. If your belief has never cost you suffering, there is reason to question the verity of that belief. Your very goodness as you live out your faith will provoke anger and reaction in those around you. It is best to remember, of course, that this is really the devils doing. We cant entirely blame people who are lost in sin and duped by the devil to do anything different than to oppose us, can we?
Your light disturbs the darkness, and the prince of darkness will react, bringing against you all manner of attack. There is a move in football that is illegal but they do it all the time. A defensive lineman will have his hand wrapped up like a big bear paw and he will get right across from an offensive lineman. When the ball is snapped he will hit the offensive player on the side of the head as hard as he can. They call it, "ringing his bell". The offensive player is stunned and the defensive player can run right past him.
Now, that is an illegal move in football, but they do it all the time. And Satan, the father of lies and master of evil does it all the time, too. He loves to slap you in the head and stun you. He loves to use dirty tricks, illegal moves and threats, to cause you to stumble, to doubt and to question yourself. "Man, if I lost this one, maybe I will lose the big one." You begin to doubt your cause, your faith, even your salvation.
But, the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world, promises 1 John 4:4. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Here are the things we must never forget, fellow Christians: the Lord is fully aware of our suffering, He is fully capable of using it to our good and His glory, He will never allow more than we can bear and evil will not ultimately win. Dont fearyoure in the Fathers good keeping. And when you show the courage of faith, it is a sign to them that they, not you, will be destroyed by evil. (verse 28b)
There are two more things about suffering for Christ this passage brings out: 1) our courage and stamina in the face of suffering is a sign, and 2) we are supposed to suffer for Christ. First, look at verses 27 and 28 again:
I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be savedand that by God.
Here we are taught that when we suffer, and we face that suffering with courage and grace (that is, not being frightened in any way by those who oppose you), God does something quite extraordinary. He gives a clear message to those who are persecuting us that they will be judged and destroyed, but we will be saved by God. How does He do that? I dont have a clue! But the Word says that it is a sure thing.
The only contingency is that we who are suffering must undergo the suffering with the courage that only comes from trusting Christ with the outcome. You might recall this is what Paul most wanted back in verse 20 that he would have sufficient courage so Christ would be exalted in his body, whether by life or by death. Are you ready for martyrdom? Have you prayed for the courage youll need? [Preachers make good martyrs theyre so dry they burn well.]
I call to your remembrance 1 Peter 2:21 in this context: When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. Notice, it is not our place to retaliate in any way. Knowing that God uses our suffering to prove to them theyre under judgment, it is tempting to say to those who taunt and persecute us, Just wait, God is going to get you
But that is precisely what we are not to do; rather, we are to leave that message to God who judges justly.
Secondly, and this may be a stark and unwelcome truth, but verse 29 says, For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. Did that say what I thought it said? Yes, it is as clear as the ink on the page: we are called to suffer. Its part of the package of faith. A quick look at 1 Peter 3 again bear that out. There, verses 20-21 plainly teach:
if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
The vine clings to the oak during the fiercest of storms. If the vine is on the side opposite the wind, the great oak is its protection; if it is on the exposed side, the tempest only presses it closer to the trunk. In some of the storms of life, God intervenes and shelters us; while in others He allows us to be exposed, so that we will be pressed more closely to Him."
You Are in the Middle of His Will
David Livingston gave all he had to serve Christ in Africa as a missionary. After decades of service he got sick and died. The Africans cut his heart out and buried it in Africa before shipping his body back to England for burial.Dr. Livingstons heart belongs here. Where would they bury your heart? Office? TV? Safety Deposit Box? The Mall
In fact, believe it or not, you can even become an instant martyr according to an article I recently clipped. You can send away for a frameable award that reads: "The suffering you have had to endure at the hands of life has been almost more than any person can bear. Rarely has such a noble soul been forced to put up with such undeserved agony. In recognition of your extraordinary plight, the Church of World Peace hereby awards this Certificate of Martyrdom."
Just mail $5 and a letter listing three tragic events in your life to the church in Denver, Colorado, and become an instant martyr. The organization says it offers the award to those who find it difficult to get through their day and need something "to console their misery."
We know, and God knows that suffering and trials are a part of life on this sin-soaked planet, and He has told us that when we decide to follow His kingdom, that suffering will likely increase. That you suffer for the cause of Christ is a sign to unbelievers, but it is also a sign to you that you are where you wanted to be: right in the middle of His will. Jesus said, Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)
Garrison Keillor, in his witty and thought-provoking book, We Are Still Married, writes To know and to serve God, of course, is why we're here, a clear truth, that, like the nose on your face, is near at hand and easily discernible but can make you dizzy if you try to focus on it hard. But a little faith will see you through. What else will do except faith in such a cynical, corrupt time? When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on fences, sleep in trees, and have faith that all this woofing is not the last word.
The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. --C. S. Lewis
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