Dearly Beloved

Pleading

As we begin Chapter 4 in the book of Philippians, we find that Paul is going to shot-gun off several closing remarks of which he wishes for the Philippians to take heed.

This final chapter reads like a mix between corrective action, salutation, and Proverbs.But we find the Apostle faced with the same challenge every preacher faces, really the same challenge that everyone faces (preacher or not). Which is: How do you convince someone take a a course of action, that you know will be the best for them.

Often times our warnings come with experience. We want to stop people from heading down the wrong paths that we ourselves have travelled.

Paul found himself regularly in this position. He, after all was an Apostle. In the 14 books he wrote, that we have preserved in our New Testament all of them spend time on corrective actions, warnings, or both.

And so we come to our Passage in Philippians this morning, as Paul continues his instruction in Verse 1 of Chapter 4:

Philippians 4:1 KJV 1900

1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

Our message this morning is entitled “Dearly Beloved”

Let’s Pray

Going Negative

News

There is something called “Negativity Bias”. It is the psychological phenomenon that we tend to fixate on and migrate towards things that are negative.

A newspaper in Russia embarked on a social experiment where they decided to only publish positive stories for a day. They focused on stories about how well he roads were cleaned, despite the heavy snow. The result of this experiment is that he newspaper lost 2/3 of its readership.

It should be no surprise to us then that 90% of news stories are negative.

Politics

Along the same lines, going negative appears to be good politics. While it has always been a major part of politics, it seems that the last several political cycles have trended more and more negative. And what tends to be the case is that the closer the race, the more mud slinging.

Negative messaging makes a deeper and longer lasting impact. But it is not without its dangers. Though the last couple of presidential elections seem to defy what I am going to say: It is typically better if a campaign uses a surrogate to go negative. Someone else rather than the candidate. So then the campaign can do its damage without making the candidate look like a bully or mean spirited.

Church

This same predilection towards negativity is often used in the church. Character assassinations and making straw-man arguments about those who hold to different views than us is easy. It creates lasting impact. It can swell the pride of both the preacher and the congregation while at the same time cutting down those we disagree with.

Example of Negative

And I don’t mean to say that the church should roll over and take every whim of doctrine and every false teacher. Paul certainly did not do that, to the point of naming names where it needed to be done. In 1 Timothy 1:19 Paul was very direct, to the point of naming names over those who would be a hinderance to the faith. He wrote:

1 Timothy 1:19–20 KJV 1900

19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Strong rebuke’s and negative messaging has its place, but it can’t be the only drum that is beaten.

Dearly Beloved

Paul’s Care

But Paul doesn’t approach his readers as enemies, or as a spiritual lower class. Look how he addresses them in

My brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown,

He concludes at the end of the verse

my dearly beloved.

So no matter what follows, there can be no doubt that these are people who the Apostle cares deeply for. It’s not a matter of “I’m the Apostle, and I have the authority, so you must listen to me” It is a matter of “You are my brothers and sisters in Christ” , “I miss you dearly” and “You are my joy and my reward for ministry.”

Paul’s Crown

And that is what he is saying when he calls them his Joy and Crown. You and I think of crowns as a gold ring that a King or Queen would wear on their head, but for Paul and the Philippians they would think of a laurel: A wreath of sorts made out of an evergreen whose leaves you probably have in your house. The Bay Laurel, from where we get bay leaves.

It was given to soldiers after a great military victor or athletes who had one in the olympic games. Paul says: You are my joy and you are my victory.

Ministry Motivation

A lot of people get in to ministry for the wrong reasons. And I am not just talking about pastoral ministry, but any way that you can serve in God’s church.

Wrong Motivations

Ministry can be seen as a source of authoritarian power, it can be that they enter into ministry for as an intellectual pursuit, or for prestige, and in some cases for money. And that isn’t only true of those who have large megachurches or television shows.

Plying a Trade

Unfortunately there are plenty that work in ministry as those that are plying a trade. It is a skill that they have learned and the only job that they are qualified for, so regardless of if they are qualified for ministry or not or if their heart is in it or not, it is the job that they have to do.

Paul’s Motivation

But when Paul looks at the church he doesn’t see a paycheck, he sees that they are his victory! They are his payment for ministry!

And they are his joy, Consider how Paul opens the book In Chapter 1 verse 3

Philippians 1:3 KJV 1900

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

And in our passage today he says that he longs for them. That he is heartsick over not being able to see them face to face.

Paul understands the simple truth that ministry is pointless if it weren’t for the love of God’s people.

Jesus

But Pauls love is a reflection of God’s love, and what was demonstrated by Christ.

Consider what happened in John 8: The Pharisees trying to trap Jesus, brought him to a woman who was an adulterer. After Jesus beat the Pharisee’s at their own game and sent them packing what did he ask the woman?

In v10

John 8:10–11 KJV 1900

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

He told her to “sin no more” but not before he told her but not before he told her that he didn’t condemn her. Once she knew that Christ cared for her, she was given the instruction to turn away from sin.

Going Positive

and it is what is asked of us as Christians. Jesus doesn’t say to obey him because he has the Authority, and understand, he absolutely does have the authority. No, in John 14:15 he says

John 14:15 KJV 1900

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Theodore Rosevelt once said:

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care

Correction

And we need to consider that before we try to correct anyone they need to know that we care. You can’t have a lasting and healthy impact correcting a child unless they know that you are correcting them.

But ask yourself this, if a stranger comes to you, someone who you don’t have any thought of care towards you and starts giving you unsolicited advise, how are you going to respond?

Proverbs 15:1 tells us

Proverbs 15:1 KJV 1900

1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: But grievous words stir up anger.

Shouting Down

If you remember from the news coverage they had gotten several years ago, on the East side of Topeka Kansas was the church pastored by Fred Phelps called Westboro Baptist. They became famous for their hate, to the point of protesting at the funerals of fallen service members. Nobody outside of their group ever got the impression that they cared for them one iota, and for all of their efforts, they never convinced anyone of the love of God.

Throughout history there has been ministry after ministry that used bombastic preaching that propped up those in the church but was completely lacking in the love of Christ and as Proverbs 15:1 tells us, did more to stir up anger than to change hearts.

Moved with Compassion

In Matthew chapter 9 as Jesus looked out on those that came to hear him speak, how do we find him responding?

Matthew 9:36 KJV 1900

36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

We have a lord that confronted sin, but he also demonstrated his love: feeding people and healing people. How much more effective do you think his message was, in that the people may not have understood exactly who Jesus was, they knew he cared.

Cheering the Home Team

Sports

While I certainly don’t follow sports like I used to, I am a fan of our home teams. I enjoy watching Red’s games and sometimes I even enjoy Bengals games.

Most of us are inclined to root for the home team, I mean, that is a pretty big theme behind the song ‘take me out to the ballgame’ isn’t it. If we think too long about it, that doesn’t make a lot of sense. Seldom are the players from our home town. And we tend to root for the home team, because they are our home team.

Brand Loyalty

While not as common as it once was, there are people who are Ford guys and people that are Chevy guys. That is just the brand loyalty that they have and it often doesn’t go much deeper than that.

Politics

Politics can be the same way. We root for our politicians because they are our party’s politicians. We back the policies that come from our side, simply because they are from our side, not necessarily because it is the right thing.

Not Church

Not Us vs Them

But, we don’t hold our faith because it is the faith of our home team. It can’t be an us verses them rivalry. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about different doctrines or those who reject our faith.

Same Team

The stakes are too high. We need to first let people know that we love them, and that we care about them. Other Christians, especially, but even people that don’t know Christ, they are the home team. Our home team is people. Winning in an argument or debate is worth nothing. Convincing someone of a moral truth is nothing if it’s just to win the argument.

Every once in a while I do something smart and I get my wife flowers. On day one they look great. They are beautiful and fragrant. But it is down hill from there. After a week or at the absolute most 2 weeks they start to fall apart.

In 1 Corinthians 9:25, in a different context, Paul talks about crowns and about a crown that is corruptible and one that is incorruptible. And he is talking about this same kind of crown made out of a plant that wouldn’t last. How does he say it?

1 Corinthians 9:25 KJV 1900

25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

If we don’t like Paul see others who we have helped to gain spiritual victory as our crown, then let me say that whatever you are competing for is a cheap imitation and it’s not going to last.

Stand Fast

In all of this language of love and longing Paul has an instruction for the Philippians. He says ‘stand fast’

Philippians 4:1 KJV 1900

1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

He moves from this military term of gaining a crown for victory to another military term, for being vigilant. To stand fast.

Paul is wrapping up with his final instruction and he knows that there will be trials ahead, he knows that they will wrestle against sin and he knows that there will be false teachers that appeal to their flesh instead. And he tells them to stand fast.

A Personal Appeal

And if I could appeal to you today in this same way. You are my crown. You are the reason for ministry, why it’s worth the study and the prayer and getting up early on Sunday morning. You are my dearly beloved and who I miss when you are absent. And I hope sincerely that you stand fast in the faith.

And I hope that you feel the same way about your church.

For those of you who aren’t members of this church, maybe you aren’t haven’t made a decision yet to turn from your sin and follow Christ. I can’t force you, I can’t appeal to you in any other way than this: We have a church where you are dearly beloved and we want nothing more than for you to experience the love of Christ, personally, yourself.

If you have any questions about this message or if you would like to know know more about what it is to follow Jesus, I am available and would be happy to talk more about that with you

Pray