Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Introduction:

Listen to what he says in 2:3, “The land is like the garden of Eden before them (so beautiful, rich, plentiful, glorious) but a desolate wilderness behind them (meaning that this devastation is so massive that all is laid bare).

Everything is laid bare.

As Joel says in 1:4, “What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; and what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.”

These are the different stages of locust development or perhaps different types of locusts—Joel’s point is that nothing is left.

All are affected by this.

From the drunkard to the priests all are affected.

We get a hint of this from 1:16, “Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?”

Devastation just like that.

It’s a big trash heap.

All of your dreams.

Your hopes.

All the things you put your identity in.

I’m picturing a fire that levels your home.

A flood that knocks out everything.

It’s just gone.

Devastated.

Leveled.

Flat-lined.

Nothing left.

You look back upon all this stuff and wonder if there is anything you can salvage.

One word describes it all.

Garbage.

Total loss.

Ruin.

Any of those words sound familiar?

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

Ever wonder if Paul felt that way when he looked back?

Was he tempted to look back upon his life.

Did he ever feel the ache of all the friends he lost, his standing in the Jewish community, his freedoms, his prestige that he had gained.

Or maybe just saying, “I can’t get those years back.

All the dumb stuff I’ve done.

The years I’ve wasted.

The years the locusts have eaten.

It’s all rubbish.”

I’m not sure if we feel that fully because we might look back upon our life before Christ and say, “well it wasn’t so bad…was it?”

We might not have the grace to assess our situation as Paul did.

What do I do with all my dumb decisions?

Or my dreams that popped like a little kid enjoying a balloon in the field only to have it pop on a blade of grass.

This shouldn’t be.

This is the promised land.

It’s not supposed to be devoured by locusts.

What do I do with my past?

It doesn’t matter if it’s devastation because of your own bad choices or it’s laid bare because of the actions of another (like a locusts plague).

What do I do with these wasted years?

What happens to the years that the locusts ate up?

Read Text

Sermon Introduction:

Remember the whole context of this letter.

Paul is writing this letter from prison to the church at Philippi-a relatively healthy church.

And it’s really kind of like a missionary letter and it’s going to be going back in the hands of Epaphroditus who was a gift to Paul from them.

He’s sending Epaphroditus and letting them know that their gift has been well received and to encourage them.

Two particular issues are of concern.

One is that they’ve been plagued with some disunity—seems to be centered around a couple of ladies who are battling.

But really the whole thing is about advancing the gospel—and to do so with the mind of Christ.

This letter really is a summons to live in such a way that we see the gospel is precious.

It’s a call to live like you belong to Jesus.

To have the mind of Christ.

This will heal the wounds brought on by their division and it’ll be the fuel they need to combat some false teachers in the area.

The way Paul does this is by giving models to follow.

We’ve seen the greatest model is the Lord Jesus.

Paul has kind of been a model in the background.

And he has also put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus.

Now he makes his own modeling explicit.

As he follows Christ they are to follow him.

They too should have the mind of Christ.

They should think the way that he thinks.

In what way in particular?

First, they should assess their lives the way that Paul does.

They need to count as Paul does.

Everything is gain in Christ.

Anything not in Christ goes in the garbage column—even the good stuff they are doing.

But what he really means by follow him is what he says in this passage.

To take hold of Jesus.

That’s everything.

“I’m with him.”

Do you realize what our union with Christ means?

So Paul is saying have that as the thing which governs every bit of your life.

That’s the race you are running.

Now originally I had intended to preach one message on this text.

But as I got to digging in I realize I can’t do that.

There is way too much here.

And I also don’t think we can dive right in because I think there are a couple barriers for us to really grasp what is happening in this text.

First, this race isn’t just a weekend hobby.

To the degree that Christ is our all we will be able to really feel what is taking place in this text.

If Jesus is just icing on the cake of an already cozy life—you won’t get this text.

If it’s God and something else that has your heart it’s just not gonna be the same.

I want to be careful not to preach another text but I need to show you was really meditating on this passage this week, and I think it fits here.

Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!

O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9 There shall be no strange god among you;

you shall not bow down to a foreign god.

10 I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;

Israel would not submit to me.

12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,

to follow their own counsels.