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Stand Firm
Stand Firm
Welcome
Good Morning, New Hope! I hope you all are well. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Andrew and it is a joy to be with you this morning. Many of you know that Kalie and I are soon to be married. As of today, we’re 63 days away from the wedding (deep breath). Throughout our engagement, we’ve experienced so many different emotions - happiness, sadness, frustration, relief. There is, however, one emotion that I experience often and at a very deep level. It’s what I call the agony of waiting. Now, Kalie and I have had this conversation at least half a dozen times, where I would go to her or she could come to me, and one of us would say, “Can we just elope?” We don’t like the waiting. Nevertheless, 63 days.
Introduction
Stanford Marshmellow experiment:
About 40 years ago, researchers at Stanford University conducted an experiment, which is now known as the Stanford Marshmallow experiment. Have you guys heard of that?
When the researchers left the room, some children ate the marshmallow, some stroked it, some licked it, some would take tiny bites out of it, thinking so long as they didn’t eat all of it… The others refused to look at the marshmallow, using their hands to cover their eyes The others would distract themselves, making up songs and using their hands to beat on the table.One child managed to fall asleep.
In the end, only about 200 of the 600 children actually waited to receive a second marshmallow.
For the experiment, they would sit a child Reading the book of Philippians, we find Paul in a similar situation - caught in this tension of where he was and where he wanted to be. We see that his waiting period (his engagement season) was marked by suffering
Philippians
As we read Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we see the Philippian church in a similar situation. They were faced with the agony of waiting.
Reading
Our text this morning is . If you have your Bibles, please join with me in the reading of God’s word.
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Prayer
Exposition
Application
Prayer
Follow Good examples
Why? Because there are many bad examples
Enemies of the Cross - End is destruction, god is belly, glory is shame, mind set on earthly things.
Contrast - But our citizenship is in heaven…
What does that mean… We’re waiting on Christ
Why? He will transform our bodies, subject everything to himself
Stand Firm in the LORD
Application questions:
Am I walking as an enemy of the Cross?
Is my walk consistent with what I say I believe?
Am I longing for Christ’s return?
Nothing can derail our pursuit of Christ quicker than a preoccupation with earthly things
Marshmellow test/Aladdin cave of wonders scene
Enemy of the Cross of Christ vs. Enemy of Christ
Philippians, on the one hand is marked by suffering. On the other, it is undergirded by an even deeper, ever-present reality, which Paul calls joy.
Quote:
Augustine understood this well: “We want to reach the kingdom of God, but we don’t want to travel by way of death. And yet there stands necessity saying: ‘This way, please.’ Do not hesitate, man, to go this way, when this is the way that God came to you.”