Jesus Living
Philippians: got joy? • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Daniel Fennel.
Body:
Body:
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
“Only” = in the meantime, until I get there...
“let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
This is a command that governs all that follows between here and 2:18.
The language here has to do with citizenship
This was a Roman colony, so the concept of citizenship would be keenly relevant to these readers
To be a Roman colony was a badge of honor
Rome had conquered this area and bestowed on it and its citizens the privileges of Roman citizenship
“Only make Christ Great Again by your conduct”
Philippians 3:20 “20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
To be a Roman citizen came with the responsibility to live in such a way as to bring honor to the empire. To live as a kingdom citizen comes with the responsibility to live in such a way as to bring honor to the King.
P1: Honor Jesus with Your Life (v. 27a)
JMAC: You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read.
2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all.
We are citizens of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What does that mean?
It means the way we live matters
Your life, your behavior, your words, your actions, your lack of words, your lack of actions...
all of this has a bearing on how people think about the gospel and Jesus!
10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
Does your life make Jesus look good?
Galatians 5:22-23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Philippians 2:1-4
To live worthy of the gospel implies that there is an expected ethic that should accompany the Christian’s life.
END P1
But while there is reason for us to consider our lives as individual representatives of Jesus and his gospel, Paul’s concern here was more for the church as a whole than for the individual Philippians.
This is another one of those situations where a Texas Standard Version would be super helpful because Paul’s not using “your” in the singular sense, but instead he’s using “y’all.”
“Only let y’all’s manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see y’all or am absent, I may hear of y’all that y’all are standing firm in one spirit...”
Amanda and I have a family friend who is an unbeliever, but they’ve seen this unity at work in the church as they’ve seen how we’ve had community and relationships throughout the years. And it’s appealing to them. Unfortunately it hasn’t yet led him to Christ, but it’s caused him to stand up and take notice.
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
The unity of the body is so important in Christianity because that unity is a byproduct of the gospel.
Galatians 3:28 “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Is true ONLY because of the gospel
So the core reality of a church that is living gospel-worthy lives is a church that is united where it counts.
Not in preferences
Not in political causes
Not in a philosophy or ideology
But united in the gospel and how it should impact our lives.
That sort of gospel-fueled unity manifests itself in the strong, resolved, bold, fruitful body of believers that Paul envisions in the rest of our text.
Whether or not he was able to visit them, Paul was hopeful that he would hear that they were embodying the type of church the gospel produces:
First, he wanted to make sure they were holding fast.
1:27b “standing firm in one spirit”
In Ephesians 6:15 we are to put on the shoes of the gospel as part of our daily armor of God.
These shoes would have had spikes on their soles similar to our modern cleats.
These studs would help the soldier stand firm in the midst of the battle, and Paul drew the connection in Ephesians 6:15 to the gospel providing that sure-footing for us as Christians.
That’s similar to what he’s calling for here in Philippians 1:27 as well.
The word in the Greek here is steko
BDAG: To be firmly committed in conviction and belief
1 Corinthians 16:13 “13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
1 Thess 3:8 “8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.”
Example is found in Galatians 5:1 “1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Paul exhorts his audience to “stand firm” in the conviction that Christ had set them free from slavery to the law.
In our passage they were to be “standing firm in one spirit.”
This is not the Holy Spirit, but rather a common spirit shared among the believers there.
This is a tough phrase to figure out because there was no “team spirit” concept during this time.
Most likely a depth of conviction, as, when paired with the “mind” (v. 27c), it serves as one part of a phrase often employed in reference to the whole person.
For us to live gospel-worthy lives, our individual relationships with Christ have to overflow into a community of believers united in conviction and resolve.
P2: Exalt Jesus United in Conviction (v. 27b)
Typically if someone asks my thoughts on a church I will look at two things right away. First, I will look at their staff page to see who their pastors are. Second, I will look at their doctrinal statement to find out what they believe.
A healthy church must be united in what they believe and why they believe it. They have to be pulling in the same direction.
Illustrate: Tug-of-war, not Kijaba-Can-Can
The Church’s doctrine matters for her spiritual endurance and her ability to persevere in the face of opposition.
What you know about Jesus, what your church teaches about Jesus is going to inform how you stand firm during trials.
Wherever you call your church home, you should be sure you are largely in agreement with their doctrinal convictions because their doctrinal convictions are biblical.
The culture around us wants us to jettison doctrine, conviction, any static system of belief.
Love has become the rallying cry of liberal Christianity.
Love has replaced clear, firm, biblical teaching in many pulpits around the world.
The world is willing to accept a loving church so long as that love has squeezed out any boundaries and doctrinal lines.
Make sure whatever church you find yourself a part of, biblical doctrine matters.
Make sure there is something to stand on when the opposition comes.
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Do y’all know what we believe here at Compass, or have you just been taking the word of your parents or pastors?
Have you been through Partners?
Have you looked at this page (https://www.compasschurch.org/about-us/) and actually read it?
When I first graduated from college I took a job as a pastor at a church I had no business going to work at. There were major disagreements doctrinally between me and the senior pastor. But, I wanted to get married, and this was a sure job, so I took it. I lasted a year, and that barely, before we left that church and moved on.
It wasn’t a church I was comfortable looking to my right and left willing to stand firm in doctrinal and convictional unity.
A church living gospel-worthy lives is a church of clear and biblical conviction. That’s what Paul wanted from the Philippians, and that’s what we should be after as well.
END P2
Since Paul was writing from his prison cell, it should come as no surprise to us that he acknowledges the reality of opposition that accompanies a gospel-worthy life.
Paul knew all about opposition
1 Corinthians 16:9 “9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”
Church Father John Chrysostom once wrote, “Nothing is so incongruous in a Christian, and foreign to his character, as to seek ease and rest.”
Jesus told us to expect the world to hate us in John 15:18-19 “18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Peter told us to live as sojourners and exiles in this world in 1 Peter 2:11 “11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”
1:27c-28 “with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents.”
A gospel-worthy group of Christians isn’t just about standing firm, they are also about advancing in spite of the opposition.
D-Day saw ships full of US soldiers, all of whom were standing firm in one spirit convinced that what they were doing was right, that the war they were fighting was just, and yet they knew those doors were going to open to a hail of bullets flying in their direction.
Though they knew the danger, their firm resolve would not let them stay put in those boats.
Though they knew their would be suffering and danger ahead, they were determined to move forward in spite of it all.
Because of that which unifies this group (the gospel), they are resolved to move forward on mission “for the faith of the gospel.” (progress and joy in the faith)
“striving side-by-side”
The word for “striving” in the Greek conveys the idea of contending or struggling alongside someone toward a common goal.
The Philippians had been doing this according to Philippians 4:3 “3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”
This is what Paul was thanking God for in Philippians 1:5 “5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
A gospel-worthy church is made up of a group of believers who are not only committed to a common doctrine but a common mission. A gospel-worthy church is made up of Christians who are not looking for a refuge from the world when they come to church, but a community of like-minded brothers and sisters to partner with in engaging the world.
P3: Exalt Jesus United in Purpose (vv. 27c-30)
My kids are similar to most kids in that they don’t like to venture into places alone. Even going upstairs first when we’ve been gone from the house becomes this game of waiting for the first person or for mom or dad to go up there first. But sometimes they’ll get the courage to go if one of their siblings is willing to go with them.
That’s the blessing of being a part of a gospel-worthy church united and unified in conviction. You have brothers and sisters in this room who are willing to venture out into this world with you on mission.
“not frightened in anything by your opponents”
Frightened = a stampede of startled horses (Ralph Martin, Tyndale)
These opponents:
Romans
Jews
Judaizers
Philippians
Verse 30 may give us some insight “engaged in the same conflict which you have heard that I had and now see that I still have.”
Though, this conflict could really fit any of the above situations
But his point was that they shouldn’t be frightened, startled, disoriented, by opposition they encounter because...
“This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.”
Those who oppose God and his church now will not come out on the winning side of things when all is said and done
They may have the temporal upper-hand, but not the eternal upper-hand
Revelation 2:10 “10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
In other words, we have to remember that God wins in the end and his enemies and opponents will ultimately be thrown down and overcome.
Colossians 2:15 “15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
This is another perspective shift, and yet another mindset that can only come through the Spirit working it within us.
Notice what he says there at the beginning of verse 29, “For it has been granted to you...”
Opposition is a sign from God of your salvation because suffering in this world is a natural part of Christianity
Acts 14:22 “22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
Romans 8:17 “17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
1 Peter 4:13 “13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”
Perseverance is necessary to enter the kingdom.
Hebrews 4:1 “1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.”
Hebrews 4:11 “11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”
But what if I’m not suffering? Am I not doing it right?
Maybe
But also, we have to consider our context.
We have freedom of religion and freedom of speech in our country
Christians are not being imprisoned or killed or even fined for their faith
That said, are you living the kind of life that would bring suffering if you weren’t living here?
Are you shying away from gospel conversations?
Are you shying away from defending biblical morality?
Are you clear about your Christian identity around your non-Christian friends/family?
We have a mission as God’s church, and we must be advancing that mission.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Loving Jesus most produces a life that honors Jesus which in turn will produce a life that faces opposition from the enemy, standing firm and staying on mission.
Paul was hoping to find a gospel worthy church when he came to them again, a church united together in purpose and mind, convicted in sound doctrine, and ready to keep striving forward regardless of the cost.
Are we that church? If no, what needs to change?
Application Questions:
Having watched Daniel’s goodbye message, what stood out to you? Do you think you would be able to embrace that same mindset if you received the news that you only had weeks to live? Why or why not? What are some things we should be doing now in order to be ready should that day ever come for us?
Read 2 Corinthians 3:1-3. If an unbeliever was to read your life like a letter, what would be the theme of the message? What are some of the key things they would say have defined your life to this point? Would they walk away wanting to follow the Jesus you have reflected? Why or why not?
Read Acts 20:28. How does Paul describe the church at the end of this verse? Where does the church fall on the list of your priorities and commitments?
Read 1 Peter 3:14. What does it mean to suffer for righteousness’ sake? Read Galatians 1:10. What does this verse have to do with the text we studied together tonight? What can you do to seek more of God’s approval over man’s approval this week?