Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
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Announcements:
If you have a Bible with you, open it to .
If you don’t have one, there should be one in the pew in front of you… that is our gift to you.
One of the things that I find really interesting is how one of the first things my kids figure out is how to do is to disobey.
Maybe this says a lot about me, I am sure I have something to do with it.
But I don’t think I am just walking around the house saying, “No!
Running away and having emotional meltdowns… then throwing plastic toys at Amber… that’s not my MO!”
But maybe I’m just in denial.
But my kids, I love my kids… but they can be real jerks sometimes.
They are so little but they can be so loud… especially when they’re angry or they’re not getting their way.
And it can seem as though our house as evolved into some sort of LIVE TV DRAMA…
“Go clean your room!”
“I’m not cleaning my room.
I don’t want to clean my room.
I don’t like you daddy.”
I’m like what?
Look, I’m not the best dad in the world.
But I’ve never told my daughter I don’t want her… so maybe Amber tells her that… […] I don’t know where she learns this stuff.
We learn to disobey so young… we learn to argue so young… the moment we realize we’re an individual, our whole world quickly starts to revolve around us.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY!
We are selfish people, we are so self-preoccupied.
So it makes sense that the Bible has a lot to say about humility and unity!
We see this in the character of God — it’s articulated in the scripture we’re looking at today.
If you’re able, please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.
Again, we will be looking at .
As always, context is important.
Meaning: Paul is writing to a people, this is a LETTER.
We’re not reading a fairy tale or a novel or a story… we’re reading a LETTER.
Who’s Paul writing to?
Paul is writing to a church in the city called Philippi and they’re doing fairly well…
(1) They’re meeting together,
(2) they’re teaching about the ways of Jesus — but they’re faced with a lot of external pressure and persecution, that’s to be expected… what concerns Paul is that now they are faced with some internal bickering.
A couple folks within the church are fighting, Paul addresses them directly in chapter 4.
So what does Paul do?
Paul remind this church what their mission is… Paul reminds them of their values… Paul reminds them why they started.
You heard Phil preach the end of chapter 1 last week.
Phil 1:
Chrysostom, one of the early church fathers writes this about this passage:
“All that he has said is for this single purpose, to exhort them to live a life worthy of the Gospel.…
What does only mean [here]?
This is the one thing looked for and nothing else.
Where this is, no hurt can befall us” (Hom.
Phil.
5.1.27).
Paul uses the language of unity, humility…
Chapter 1, verse 27, “one spirit, with one mind”
chapter 2, verse 2a, “complete my joy by being of the same mind”
chapter 2, verse 2b, “being in full accord and of one mind”
chapter 2, verse 5, “have this mind among yourselves”
So what’s the big idea of the passage today?
Primary Claim: The way up is the way down.
The way of Jesus is the way of humility.
So if we are in Jesus we will be a humble people.
Organizational Sentence:
To that end: Paul gives us an (1) Exhortation and a (2) Reason.
Exhortation (vs.
1-4)
What you have received?
In the midst of this church and their internal conflict between members, Paul asks them 5 questions to remind them: “(1) Have you been encouraged by Jesus?
(2) Have you been comforted by his love, (3) has the Spirit of God been at work in you, (4) has their been affection shown towards you, (5) have you received sympathy by the Lord?”
This is a rhetorical question… because the point Paul is trying to make is, “Surely you have!
Of course you have experienced these things!”
Church, “you’ve been encouraged by Jesus, you’ve been comforted, you’ve been served and empowered by the Spirit, you’ve been shown affection and sympathy!!!”
Essentially, Paul is reminding them: “Remember how faithful God has been to you!”
“In the midst of this dispute, in the midst of this offense… don’t forget the big picture, don’t forget God’s grace… don’t forget God’s tender care… don’t forget God’s abundant love towards you!”
So Paul reminds the church what they have received in Christ, but then he he exhorts them to act! “THIS IS WHAT THAT SHOULD RESULT IN!”
What it should result in?
“The way up is the way down.
The way of Jesus is the way of humility.
So if we are in Jesus we will be a humble people.”
Paul writes to the church: “Yeah, you’re offended, yeah you’re mad at each other… regardless of the reason… DO NOTHING FROM SELFISH AMBITION OR CONCEIT, BUT IN HUMILITY COUNT OTHERS MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN YOURSELVES.
LOOK NOT ONLY TO YOUR OWN INTERESTS BUT ALSO TO THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS!!!”
Meaning what: meaning in Christ, “you don’t always have to be right… you don’t always have to get your way… you don’t always have to be the center of attention… you don’t have to always get picked…”
How? BECAUSE GOD HAS PICKED YOU… GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU… CHRIST HAS PURSUED YOU!!! THAT’S WHAT MATTERS!
And when we own that, when that sinks into our bones, and into our hearts… when we really believe that = we can be humble!
And this is so important because this is so HARD!
The first sin ever committed was the sin of pride!
And we’ve been struggling ever since.
So Paul gives us this exhortation, he’s urging us to live this way!
Ben Witherington, a fine theologian, he writes:
The issue here is ethics, which involves both a mindset and a lifestyle.
Meaning: Paul doesn’t ONLY want us to THINK rightly… we must LIVE rightly!
Our faith is not merely an intellectual exercise.
Christianity isn’t just about affirming certain “thoughts, beliefs, understandings...”
For example: I could be the best person in the world at explaining what love is = still be an unloving person, right?
So Paul isn’t interested in the church reflecting on the love of God and just responding with a, “well isn’t that nice… good for him.
No.”
Paul is saying, “your confession should result in a changed life.
Your response to God’s love is nothing short than complete and utter surrender and dependence towards God!”
This is what Paul is aiming at.
This is Paul’s exhortation, what he is calling the church towards.
THE WAY UP IS THE WAY DOWN.
Now let’s look at the reason Paul exhorts us towards this way of humility...
Reason (vs.
5-11)
a
Argument:
Paul is saying, “look at Jesus! Keep your eyes on Jesus.
How did Jesus live?
What did Jesus’ ministry look like?
What did Jesus call us to?
What was Jesus’ message?”
We look at VERSE (5) and Paul calls us to unity (“have this mind among yourselves”) and in VERSE (6) reminds us that Jesus is God!
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